Chapter 67 Marry Me
Dou Wenyi smiled and spoke slowly, "The court has repeatedly warned against lending money, but Father has only recently been promoted. Your reputation is more important than money! My brother didn't learn his lesson from taking a courtesan as his wife last time, otherwise he wouldn't have made the same mistake again. What do you say, Father?"
Madam Gu could no longer maintain her impeccable composure and said angrily, "Dou Wenyi, you've gone too far with your wild words!"
Dou Wenyi's expression was calm and gentle as she said softly, "If we don't learn from this incident involving Granny Tong, it could bring disaster upon our entire family. Mother, could it be that you actually instructed her to do it?"
Tong Mama looked at her with shock in her eyes. She was forcing Madam Gu to completely break off relations with her by saying those words.
No matter how deep their bond as mistress and servant is, how can they withstand the threat to their own interests?
Now, Madam Gu has no choice but to either cut her losses to survive or lose Dou Bochang's trust.
"Master, I really didn't know. If I had known she was acting so disloyally, I would have punished her long ago without you having to tell me." Madam Gu's face darkened, and a flash of hatred crossed her eyes. She dared not admit to this matter herself.
Granny Tong panicked completely and cried sincerely, "Master, Madam, this old servant was blinded by greed, I will never dare to do it again. I have served Madam for so many years, I really can't bear to part with her, please give me a chance to atone for my sins and stay by Madam's side, this old servant... will die without regret!"
Dou Bochang's expression was icy as he made his final decision, "Granny Tong has acted improperly. She shall be given twenty strokes of the cane and stripped of her job as a warning to others. Considering her many years in the Dou family, she shall enjoy her remaining years on the estate."
Madam Gu's eyes were heavy. She opened her mouth as if to plead for mercy, but seeing Dou Bochang's expression, she stormed off in anger.
Dou Wenyi glanced at Madam Gu. Tong Mama was her right-hand woman; it was better to abandon her quickly.
"Yi'er, this time your father has really offended your mother because of you!" Dou Bochang sighed deeply.
Dou Wenyi remained indifferent and did not respond to his deliberate attempt to be friendly. Now that Granny Tong had been punished, Madam Gu's long-standing authority in the inner courtyard would be dissipated, making it much easier for her to investigate the truth behind her grandmother's death.
"How exactly did you find out that Granny Tong was lending money in secret?" Dou Bochang coughed awkwardly.
Dou Wenyi glanced at Granny Tong and said with regret, "If Xi'er hadn't been showing off everywhere, I wouldn't have noticed this. Granny Tong, your daughter is nothing like you!"
In her previous life, she was so engrossed in her relationship with the young master that she overlooked many subtle details. Granny Tong, seemingly loyal, was actually like a venomous snake, clinging to Madam Gu and secretly giving her countless bad ideas.
The Dou family's gradual decline was undoubtedly due in no small part to the contributions of these individuals.
Unfortunately, despite her hard work and dedication, leaving love and money to the entire Dou family, she did not have a peaceful end.
Dou Wenyi didn't know at first, but because last month's wages were delayed, she overheard the maids talking about how the money in the mansion had been diverted to lend money out, generating interest on interest.
Suspicious, she went to Baoqingdian Pawnshop in Tong Mama's name, claiming she wanted to make a loan. The shopkeeper, having heard of Tong Mama's reputation, immediately treated her warmly and told her that he would settle the account with her according to Tong Mama's interest rate.
She immediately understood that Madam Yang was definitely trying to make more money by organizing the banquet. With so little money in the accounts, she was bound to make trouble.
As expected, wanting to save money, they chose the second-class banquet.
This provided her with a great opportunity.
Tong Mama's pupils suddenly contracted. In the past, she had indeed said a lot of things behind her back to sow discord between her and Madam Gu, but she was doing so in accordance with Madam Gu's wishes. She couldn't blame her!
Did the Fourth Sister already have something in mind, which is why she used the same method to drive a wedge between her and her daughter?
Granny Tong felt an unprecedented fear. She crawled to Dou Wenyi's side, clutched her skirt tightly, and wept bitterly, "Fourth Miss, Xi'er is simple-minded. Please don't make things difficult for her... This servant was wrong, really wrong."
Dou Wenyi looked down at her with pity. "I don't have time to make things difficult for her. Since you can't bear to part with her, let her come with you to the estate."
After saying that, he looked at Dou Bochang and suggested, "Father, we can't let them be separated from their family."
Dou Bochang nodded. "Okay, either way is fine."
Granny Tong realized that the situation was hopeless. Originally, as long as Xi'er stayed by Madam Gu's side, she would have been treated well because of Madam Gu's guilt.
Now that they have all been driven to the estate, what chance do they have of turning their lives around?
The deterrent effect of Tong Mama being beaten for making a mistake and then being sent to the manor was so great that Dou Wenyi encountered almost no obstacles in organizing the banquet afterwards.
Of course, out of consideration for his reputation, Dou Bochang eventually changed the banquet to one hosted by Fan Lou.
Before they knew it, it was time for Old Madam Dou's birthday. The Dou family did not hold a grand celebration, but invited only a few close relatives. Of course, this time the Zhang family was invited, but the Dingyuan Marquis's Mansion was absent.
Before the birthday banquet began, the female guests sat in twos and threes in the flower hall, chatting and laughing, enjoying the flowers and tea.
While Dou Wenyi warmly greeted the servants and entertained the guests, she carefully observed her surroundings. Everyone was surprised to find that the once unremarkable fourth daughter of the Dou family had grown into a graceful and elegant young lady.
It evokes the feeling that "a scholar should be viewed with new eyes after three days of separation."
At this moment, Zijuan, who was standing next to Madam Dou, came over to deliver a message, "Fourth Miss, the Old Madam wants you to go over there."
Did they say what it was about?
Zijuan lowered her voice, "The Zhang family is inside celebrating their birthday, and Young Master Zhang is there too."
Dou Wenyi frowned slightly, fearing that her grandmother was about to play matchmaker, so she quickly walked towards Shouhe Hall.
"Miss Dou, the Fourth Sister—" Someone suddenly called her halfway there.
Dou Wenyi stopped in her tracks and turned around to see Zhang Chengxian walking out from behind a grove of ginkgo trees, looking at her with delight.
Today, my parents intend to express their desire to propose marriage to Madam Dou.
Even though he was embarrassed, he still wanted to express his feelings to her first.
"I have something to tell you—" they both said in unison.
Today she wore a light amber-colored short-sleeved ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a dark floral pattern of intertwined crabapple blossoms, which reached her waist. Her waist was slender and delicate, and she wore a pale yellow pleated skirt. Her hair was styled in a graceful bun, with a pair of red gold carved hairpins shining brightly on her thick black hair.
It's so beautiful that you can't take your eyes off it.
Zhang Chengxian hurriedly looked away, his ears turning slightly red. "You go first."
Dou Wenyi raised her head in a daze and stared at him.
His feelings for me were too obvious, just like I was back then, with my heart and eyes only for Xie Guidu.
She couldn't let him continue to misunderstand, because it was because of this misunderstanding about the marriage that she was able to escape unscathed from the storm of breaking off the engagement.
She is utterly despicable.
A wave of bitterness welled up in Dou Wenyi's heart, and her eyes reddened as if she were about to cry.
Autumn colors deepen, the wind rustles through the cold branches, ginkgo leaves flutter and fall, turning the ground golden.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment; Zhang Chengxian could only hear his own heart pounding.
"Yi'er, I'm going to the frontier soon for training. When I come back, marry me!"
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