Mother did not sleep all night, and Du Zhao also did not sleep. What mother was thinking about, Du Zhao didn't know, she spent the whole night thinking of Wei Tingyu.

  Day has its thoughts, night has its dreams.

  Her mother-in-law had always been kind and generous to her, so it was understandable that she would dream about her. But why would she dream about Wei Tingyu?

  Where is she after all?

  Dou Zhao thought of the faint cry he had once heard from Wei Tingyu and the guarantee from Guo's wife... He couldn't help but shiver, clinging tightly to his mother's bosom.

  The next morning, Mother seemed as if nothing had happened, dressed up and went to the hall.

  Dong Zhaos lips were pursed tightly as she followed closely behind her mother without taking a single step back.

  Her mother-in-law, Mrs. Tian, was dressed in a simple yet elegant attire, with a warm smile and gentle demeanor, like a magnolia flower blooming on a spring day, exuding a subtle charm amidst her quiet elegance.

  Dong Zixuan's heart sank.

  The old lady looks thirty years younger.

  That's not the point.

  The key is that she knows her mother-in-law's temperament too well.

  When her husband was alive, he treated his mother-in-law like a precious gem. Her greatest regret was that spring came too late, and the peony flowers she planted beside the pavilion had only just begun to bud in April.

  So when her husband left, she suddenly lost her will, and like the flowers, withered and wilted quickly, losing their vitality... How could she have lived so leisurely and beautifully?

  She looked back at her grandmother's back.

  Saw Wei Ting-yu, who looked like a five or six year old.

  Her pale face still had a few baby fats, her warm and moist eyes like black jade were wide open, pure and clean, revealing an unmistakable curiosity about the people and things around her.

  He felt someone staring at him and turned to look. Seeing Du Zhao staring blankly at him, he raised his small face, let out a light "hmm" through his nose, and turned away.

  The old lady warmly hugged Du Zhao: "Is this your family's little girl? She's really beautiful!" She smiled and gave Du Zhao a gold necklace with precious stones and a pair of small golden bracelets as a gift for their first meeting. "However, your family's little girl doesn't look like you at all. It seems she takes after my brother-in-law!" She said, her eyes revealing a hint of teasing as she smiled at the mother.

  Her mother smiled with a charming smile, with a proud look of having Ye Rong'an, as if her daughter made her feel especially proud, without any trace of ever having a big fight with her father.

  Grandma invited Wei Tingyu over to pay respects to his mother.

  He made a square and respectful bow to his mother, with elegant manners, it was clear that someone had carefully instructed him.

  His mother was delighted and gave him two rare books from the previous dynasty, as well as an ancient inkstone. She then pulled him over to ask how old he was, whether he had started his education yet, and what he usually did in his daily life.

  Wei Ting-yu answered one by one, with clear words and no confusion.

  Mother showed a look of envy: "Our family's Shou Gu, still can't speak very well until now."

  "A daughter is not like a young son." The old lady comforted the mother in a warm voice, "A daughter will be married into another family in the future and should be raised with care. A young son will inherit the family business in the future and must be strictly disciplined. Moreover, our family's Yu Ge Er is the eldest son and will inherit the title in the future, so it can't be taken lightly." Looking at Wei Tingyu's gaze was somewhat heart-wrenching.

  "Mother nodded and asked strangely: 'Why didn't you bring Zhen Jie back?'"

  "Our family's aunt and the aunt of the Jingguo Duke's mansion are very close," said the mother-in-law with a smile. "She acted as matchmaker, and our dear sister has been betrothed to the eldest grandson of the Jingguo Duke's mansion. I was just keeping her at home learning needlework!" She also said, "This time, we didn't originally plan to bring Yu'ge along. It was only because Grandfather repeatedly instructed us to take a look at Yu'ge that I brought him along."

  This time Tian's return to his hometown was because his octogenarian grandfather was critically ill.

  "The old man is getting on in years and keeps thinking about his juniors." Mother smiled, "Fortunately, he has a lot of blessings and has made it through again." Then she said, "Jen's engagement has been settled, and that's one less worry for you. Congratulations! Don't forget to send me an invitation when Jen gets married, or I'll have to hold it against you."

  "That's for sure," said the mother-in-law with a smile. "Our two families have been friends since our ancestors' time, unlike others."

  Mother's eyes rolled around and smiled: "Has Yu Geer gotten engaged?"

  "He's still young," his mother said with a hint of softness in her eyes, "The Duke and I are focused on Zhen Jie, we haven't considered his affairs yet!"

  "Mother smiled and said: 'Our family's Shou girl is also not engaged! I don't know when Brother Yu's birthday is?'"

  The old lady was taken aback.

  Dong Zhao's face turned bright red with a sudden flush.

  Wei Tingyu often said: With my proud title of Duke of Jining, what kind of renowned family's daughter can't I marry? If it weren't for the friendship between our two families over several generations, how would I have married you!

  While saying this, he wiped his face and took her to bed.

  She originally thought it was just Wei Tingyu trying to save face and wanting her to go along with him...

  Dòu Zhāo did not think so.

  It's unexpected that she still remembers it in her dreams, which shows that she still has this matter on her mind.

  Mother smiled and said: "We adults are talking, they're standing aside like wooden stakes. Why not let them go play in the study next door? It's warm there with a heater."

  The old lady nodded and called Wei Tingyu over, instructing him for a few words.

  Wei Tingyu nodded obediently and followed Yu Niang with Du Zhao to the study.

  Dong Zhaoluan pulled down Wei Tingyu and lifted the warm curtain to peek outside through a gap.

  Mother smiled and lifted the teacup slightly, indicating for her mother-in-law to drink tea.

  "I hold you in high esteem, Brother Yu, for your good upbringing at such a young age. I'm quite fond of you in my heart. If Sister is unwilling, let's just forget I said anything." His expression couldn't help but reveal a hint of melancholy.

  "No, no!" The old lady said apologetically, "Yu Ge is the eldest son, this matter must be discussed with Master Hou..."

  "Sister, don't say that!" Mother's face turned red with an awkward smile, "I didn't know what to do." Then she picked up the fruit on the table and asked her mother-in-law to eat, "Come, try this persimmon cake, it's made by our family, sweet and sticky. Does it suit your taste?"

  Her mother forcibly changed the subject, making her mother-in-law very uneasy.

  "Gu Qiu," she hesitated, "or else, let me go back and discuss it with Master Hou first?"

  Mother smiled angrily: "Sister, don't mention it again! You also know my temper, I'm just talking nonsense..."

  The grandma smiled.

  Or perhaps she thought of the past, her eyes became more and more gentle: "You, how did you get like this? As a mother, you're still so flustered!" She said, with a slightly condensed expression, "As long as you're willing, what's not to be happy about? It's just that it's not good for us two women to talk about these things here, you should also ask your sister-in-law and father-in-law for their opinions!"

  "Sister!" Mother's eyes lit up, "I was afraid that Yu Ge would be wronged!"

  The mother's undisguised joy also delighted her mother-in-law, who smiled and said: "The Dou family has passed down poetry and books for generations, I'm afraid it would be a waste if Shou Gu were to marry into our family."

  "Where is it? Where is it?" Mother said, turning around and going back to the room to fetch a jade pendant and handing it over to her mother-in-law, "Sister, this is our Zhao family heirloom. You should recognize it. I'm giving it to Brother Yu."

  "This......" The mother-in-law was in a dilemma, whether she accepted it or not, neither option seemed right.

  "Mother smiled and said: 'If the two children have a good relationship, we will all be very happy. If they don't have a good relationship, I am still Yu Ge's aunt!'"

  The old lady smiled, thought for a moment, and took off the sheep fat white jade bracelet from her hand, saying: "This was given to me by my father when I got married. I'll give it to Shougu." She handed over the jade pendant.

  Her mother was overjoyed and solemnly placed the jade bangle in her own bosom.

  Dong Zhao felt a stinging sensation in her nose and sensed someone tugging at her clothes.

  "What are they doing?" came Wei Tingyu's voice from behind.

  Dòu Zhāo snatched the corner of his robe back from Wèi Tíngyú, saying: "I don't know!" and threw him down towards the heated kang.

  Wei Tingyu opened his mouth wide and was stunned for a moment before rushing over to get on the kang ahead of Du Zhao.

  Dong Zhaoguang gave him a glance and continued to nibble on the honeydew melon strip with his mind elsewhere.

  It's been four days and three nights already?

  Every detail is vivid and lifelike...

  Is this in a dream?

  If she wasn't in her dreams, where was she?

  Dong Zhao didn't like this out-of-control state, it was annoying, yet he was reluctant to leave this dream.

  Anyway, even if it's just a dream, helping Mother defeat Wang Yinxue can comfort myself to some extent.

  Wei Tingyu kept staring at Dou Zhao.

  Dong Zhao didn't even give him a glance.

  His face turned bright red and he said: "Is this your home?"

  Dòu Zhāo murmured "en" and continued thinking his own thoughts.

  In Houfu, Jinan, Wei Tingyu was the center of everything. For the first time being ignored, he indignantly said loudly: "Your family's tea is really hard to drink!"

  Yu Yu's face turned bright red with shame and embarrassment.

  Dòu Zhāo raised her eyelids and glanced at him lightly, saying: "You don't have to drink!"

  "You...!" Wei Tingyu's small face turned red and white by turns as she shouted, "The food in your house is also terrible to eat!"

  Dong Zhao was too lazy to get up and yelled at his servant girl: "Carry me to the desk!"

  If they go out at this time, with the importance of Mother Wei Tingyu, she will definitely think that she and Wei Tingyu are not playing well, it is her lazy Wei Tingyu, but she does not want to humiliate herself to tolerate Wei Tingyu's unreasonable behavior, so they split up, wait for the adults to finish their business, and naturally come to find them.

  It's almost lunchtime anyway, and Wei Tingyu won't sulk for too long even if he gets angry.

  As expected, before they had even finished a cup of tea, Wei Tingyu came in with a smile to invite them to the flower hall for dinner.

  Dong Zuo quickly followed with a smile.

  It was probably Grandfather and Father who had received the news, while Wei Ting-yu was carried by a servant to the main hall.

  Dong Zhaohui was having lunch by herself.

  The good habits she cultivated made her movements as natural and elegant as floating clouds and flowing water.

  The grandmother nodded and said, "You're indeed a daughter of the Duan family."

  Her mother was somewhat perplexed, but with her mother-in-law's words of praise, she became enthusiastic and threw away the uncertainty in her heart.

  After dinner, Wei Tingyu was carried back by a young servant and obtained a large pile of pens, ink, paper and inkstones.

  Dong Zhao secretly thought to himself.

  Why haven't they left yet?

  No matter what, we must find a way to get Wang Yingshuai to sign the contract!

  If Father was ruthless and raised Wang Yingxue outside, three years later, when Wang Xingyi woke up again, it would be even more troublesome.

  How can I convince my mother?

  She furrowed her brow, thinking back and forth, but couldn't find a better solution.

  ※

  There is a problem here and let's discuss it with everyone.

  Regarding the issue of banishing officials, generally speaking, unless it involves treason, their families and women would not be implicated. Therefore, although Wang Xingyi was banished, his family could still live normally, and the court allowed relatives or children of the banished to take care of them in the place of exile, but at their own expense. In some cases, people who were banished because their parents were old and had no one to support them would even be exempt from banishment by the court.

  Don't misunderstand that Wang Yingxue was sold by some official, and Wang Xingyi committed no crime of treason.

  O(∩_∩)O~

  ※