ATLAS TRANSLATES

How had Dou Ming not married Wang Tan in her previous life?

Those two would have made quite a match!

“Don’t think everyone will indulge you like your two cousins…” Dou Zhao gave Dou Ming a stern lecture, then confined her to the house, “You’ll stay home these next few days. When you’ve thought things through properly, then you can go back to studying with Teacher Song.”

Whether frightened by Ji Yong’s methods or shocked by his attitude, Dou Ming didn’t say a word, obediently staying in her room to read and write, not going anywhere.

The maids, servants, and attendants around Dou Ming also became more well-behaved.

Dou Zhao said to Ji Yong: “A beating would have been enough, you went too far.”

“Don’t all you girls hate filth?” Ji Yong winked at her, “I thought this method would be more effective.”

Dou Zhao frowned: “You’re still a scholar, how can you act with so little propriety…”

“Tsk tsk tsk,” Ji Yong said with disgust, “I hate it most when people lecture me about propriety. I saw how cleanly you handled Pang Kunbai and thought you were straightforward, but I guess I was wrong about you.”

Now somehow she was the one in the wrong.

Dou Zhao couldn’t be bothered to say more to him and went to see Lady Ji. She only appeared to say “have a safe journey” when Ji Yong was about to leave for the capital with the Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang brothers.

Ji Yong gave a cold smile without acknowledging her, cheerfully bidding farewell to Third Master Dou and the others before departing the Dou residence in his deceptively simple yet luxurious carriage.

Dou Ming immediately came back to life. She went to study with Teacher Song, learned to play the pipa with Wan Niang, practiced calligraphy whenever she had free time, and often accompanied Dou Zhao to pay respects to Second Madame. When she met Yi’er and Shu’er, she was all smiles and sweet words. Though they were aunt and nieces, with Yi’er and Shu’er both nearly ready for marriage, they had become more tolerant than before. Yi’er even went with Dou Ming to listen to teachings at Daci Temple, where they met the Lang family’s eighth miss. When they were young and didn’t know better, they had recklessly imitated adult speech. Now that they were grown, Dou Ming greeted the Lang family’s eighth miss with a beaming smile. The eighth miss also didn’t bring up past events, exchanging pleasantries with Yi’er and Dou Ming.

Dou Zhao merely smiled faintly when she heard this.

Regardless of the reason, it was good that Dou Ming could control her temper.

In the blink of an eye, winter arrived. While Dou Zhao and her grandmother were busy moving all the flowers and plants into the greenhouse for winter, Dou Ming finally couldn’t hold back anymore and cried out to Granny Zhou: “Why hasn’t Mother come to get me yet?”

“My dear young miss,” Granny Zhou could only keep comforting her, “With the New Year approaching, we can’t have you going to the capital in front of Second Madame and Aunt Cui, can we? Don’t worry, I think the Madame will come for you when spring arrives.”

Only then did Dou Ming quiet down.

After receiving the new calendar from the government office, the Dou family began preparing for the New Year. Cui Thirteen’s matter was also concluded, and he formally bid farewell to Dou Qijun.

Dou Qijun was very reluctant to let him go and said regretfully: “It’s a pity I don’t have a good position to offer you, otherwise I’d love to keep you by my side.”

Cui Thirteen was quite diplomatic, but this didn’t diminish his respect for Dou Qijun. He smiled and said: “Then I’ll wish you success in the imperial examinations first, and when that time comes, I’ll serve as your doorkeeper.”

Dou Qijun laughed heartily and said generously: “Being a mere doorkeeper would be beneath you – you should at least be a legal advisor or grain supervisor!”

“Then I’d better go back to the county school for a few more years of study.” Cui Thirteen joked with Dou Qijun for a while, then bid him farewell and went with Sulan, who had been waiting outside, to see Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao gave him a thousand-tael bank note: “Master Fan has been doing well in the capital. You can represent me in paying New Year visits to our regular business patrons there!”

Cui Thirteen spent two days reuniting with his parents before setting off.

No sooner had he left than Ji Yong, Dou Zhengchang, and Dou Dechang returned.

Dou Zhao wondered: “Why has Ji Jianming come to Zhending instead of going home for New Year’s?”

Sulan laughed: “Who cares why he’s back? It’s not like he’ll come to our West Residence for New Year’s.”

“That’s true,” Dou Zhao smiled, “I just get nervous whenever I see him, afraid that if I blink twice and don’t pay attention, he’ll cause some new trouble.”

Sulan laughed heartily and asked Dou Zhao in a low voice: “Fourth Miss, do you think this is why the Ji family won’t let him take the imperial examinations and sent him out to gain experience instead?”

“Not necessarily,” Dou Zhao smiled, “There are many people like him who are both good at studies and active – it’s not really a problem. I fear there are things about Ji Jianming that we don’t know about. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so worried.”

Sulan nodded continuously.

Suxin saw how she spoke more and more casually and scolded her: “Go bring in the hot water for the young miss.”

Dou Zhao said: “We have servants for that, she doesn’t need to go.”

“Young miss, you spoil her too much,” Suxin said, “She’s naturally strong, much steadier than the servants.”

While going to fetch water, Sulan muttered: “But the young miss said people should do what suits their status — I’m a second-rank maid to the young miss, why should I have to fetch water?”

Suxin said nothing, just glared at her.

She immediately lowered her head and obediently left the room.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but laugh.

Without Sulan’s liveliness, her days would certainly have much less laughter.

She asked Suxin: “Master Bie’s death anniversary is approaching, isn’t it? I’ll give you sisters three days off to go pay proper respects to Master Bie and fulfill your filial duties.”

Suxin’s eyes reddened, and she choked up as she thanked Dou Zhao.

As they walked out of the room, they saw Zhao Liangbi talking with Ganlu.

He was very capable – in just a short year, he had been promoted to warehouse manager. Several times Dou Xiuchang had proposed having Zhao Liangbi return to help him, but Dou Zhao wanted him to stay in the Dou family shop for a few more years, not just to learn business but also to learn how to conduct himself, so she hadn’t agreed.

Zhao Liangbi was also patient, steadily doing his work as manager.

This was also what Dou Zhao had valued most about him in her previous life.

Seeing Dou Zhao and Suxin come out, his face reddened slightly as he came forward to greet Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao smiled slightly.

In her previous life, Zhao Liangbi had married Ganlu.

“How do you have time to come by today?” Dou Zhao asked warmly, “Has the shop finished its year-end inventory?”

“Still need two more days,” Zhao Liangbi said respectfully, looking increasingly embarrassed, and said, “I was thinking that in a few years it will be Master Bie’s minor death anniversary. You instructed me then to help the Bie sisters handle Master Bie’s funeral affairs, so I specially came to tell the Bie sisters — I have already prepared all the sacrificial offerings for the minor anniversary, and I will help the sisters pay respects to Master Bie when the time comes.”

Suxin and Sulan both had tears in their eyes as they curtsied and said “thank you.” They added: “Fourth Miss has given us sisters three days off, we wouldn’t dare trouble Manager Zhao.” Then they asked, “How much did the offerings cost? We should give you the money.”

“Not much, not much,” Zhao Liangbi said with a red face, not even looking at Suxin.

Dou Zhao’s heart skipped a beat.

She looked at Suxin, then at Zhao Liangbi, showing an expression of disbelief.

?????

A line of carriages stood at the Dou family’s side gate. Ji Yong’s attendants and luggage were the most eye-catching, and two unfamiliar strong men stood by the stone drums directing several luggage-laden carriages straight through the side gate.

Who knows what strange things Ji Yong had bought back this time?

Dou Zhao pondered as she went to Lady Ji’s courtyard.

In Lady Ji’s courtyard, only a few young maids were playing jump rope. Seeing Dou Zhao approach, they quickly put away the rope and ran over smiling: “Fourth Miss, are you looking for the Madame? Young Master Ji and the two young masters have returned from the capital, and the Madame is accompanying them to pay respects to the Old Madame.”

Since she was already here, she might as well join them, to avoid Second Madame harboring resentment if she learned that Dou Zhao had come but hadn’t visited her.

Dou Zhao turned to leave Lady Ji’s courtyard and looked up to see several people emerging from the alley ahead.

She looked carefully and was shocked.

Lady Ji was walking in front, followed by a jade-faced youth wearing a gold-threaded crimson robe, adorned with a jade hairpin and carrying pouches and sachets at his waist – a luxurious yet noble appearance.

Seeing Dou Zhao, he was also surprised. His eyes widened slightly, making them appear especially bright.

It was actually the young noble she had met behind Fayuan Temple!

But why was he here?

Looking at Ji Yong, who walked alongside the youth wearing a true blue cotton robe, he appeared spirited and confident, showing no awkwardness. Meanwhile, Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dezheng following behind them, though originally handsome and tall young men, were made to look like mere passersby by these two.

How unfortunate for Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang!

Dou Zhao muttered to herself as she went to greet them.

Lady Ji beamed with joy upon seeing her and introduced the young noble: “…He is Lord He’s youngest son, named Yu. By generational order, you should call him Little Uncle-Master.”

Since Dou Shiyying was He Wendao’s disciple, He Yu was naturally a generation above Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao was astonished.

He was actually He Wendao’s son!

Had Fifth Uncle reached some agreement with He Wendao? Otherwise, why would his son appear at the Dou residence so close to the New Year?

She curtsied and called him “Little Uncle-Master.”

He Yu returned the greeting with a slight bow and smiled: “Back at Fayuan Temple, I wondered whose young miss could walk so swiftly, I never expected it to be Master Dou’s daughter!” He maintained the bearing of an elder.

“What’s this all about?” Everyone else asked Dou Zhao in surprised unison.

Dou Zhao explained what had happened.

Lady Ji chuckled: “This must be fate.”

“Indeed!” He Yu agreed as everyone followed Lady Ji into the courtyard.

After sitting down in the hall and having tea and snacks served by the maids, Lady Ji invited He Yu to stay for a few days. Only then did Dou Zhao learn that He Wendao’s ancestral home was in Anyang, and this time He Yu had been sent by his father to return home for ancestral worship. Passing through Zhending, the two groups had met on the road and traveled together, so He Yu took the opportunity to pay his respects to Second Madame.

Sending the youngest son instead of the eldest for ancestral worship… who knew what story lay behind this in the He family?

As Dou Zhao thought about this while slowly sipping her tea, she heard Ji Yong say: “Fourth Sister, Brother He heard from Twelfth Brother on the road that Daci Temple’s vegetarian dishes are the best in Zhending, and he’d like to try them. Why don’t you come with us?”