Uncle and grandfather said something, Dou Zhao didn't know what it was, but when uncle came back, his face looked very ugly.

  "Rui Fu," Auntie hurriedly came up with a worried look, "what did your father say?"

  "What else can he say that's good!" Uncle sneered, his eyes glancing at the hot kang, but saw Du Zhao holding a plush ball sitting at the end of the kang, staring at him with a pair of bright and curious eyes. His heart ached, thinking that Du Dang was his niece's grandfather, and Du Shiying was her father. The resentful words reached his lips but were swallowed back, fearing that his expression would scare Du Zhao, forcing out a smile, he asked his wife in a warm voice: "Have the children eaten their lunch yet?"

  "They've all been used." Auntie replied, and couldn't help but follow Uncle's gaze to glance back at Du Zhao. Her eyes immediately welled up with tears, "This child, it's as if she knows her mother is gone... She doesn't cry or throw a tantrum, whatever I feed her she'll eat... In the past, she was such a picky eater... Who knows how much suffering lies ahead?"

  Uncle lowered his head in distress and said: "I was just thinking of discussing this matter with you..."

  "You said it." Aunt took out a handkerchief and wiped the corner of her eye, "When I married into this family, Gu Qiu was only five years old... On our wedding night, she insisted on sleeping with me, saying she liked her sister... I brought her up to sixteen and personally sent her to marry into the Dou family. She is my niece, but more like my own daughter... As for her affairs, you don't need to discuss them with me. Whatever you say goes, and I won't utter another word."

  "Xiao E!" Uncle grasped Auntie's hand with gratitude, "You've worked hard all these years!"

  "We are husband and wife," Auntie's ears turned bright red, "what's the point of saying these things." She sat down on the kang somewhat awkwardly, holding Du Zhao in her lap, coaxing him, "Your female cousins have all gone to take a nap, why don't you take one too? After taking a nap, you'll be energetic and can play with your female cousins this afternoon. Do you want to play with them?"

  Dong Zhao had been waiting for his uncle's return.

  Now uncle has something to say to his aunt, if she pretends to sleep, the conversation between uncle and aunt will definitely be more unscrupulous.

  Dong Zhaoming nodded slightly and yawned.

  Her aunt helped her take off the small jacket, pulled up the quilt and wrapped it around her, holding her in her arms and patting her gently. Then she called her personal maid to pour hot tea for her uncle and instructed her: "I have something to discuss with your master, you keep an eye on things outside."

  The maid went out at her call.

  Uncle and aunt sat shoulder to shoulder on the kang, saying: "I want to take Shougu to our home for a long stay."

  Dun Zhao's ears perked up with his eyes closed.

  Aunt had no objection and said: "Shougu has come, it's just right for her to accompany Zhanru."

  His uncle's eyes flashed with a hint of comfort, and he said slowly: "You mentioned last time that Shougu and Tian's family's son were engaged, is there an engagement gift?"

  "Here it is." Auntie patted Du Zhao while saying, "It's a sheep fat white jade bangle that was given to Tian as part of her dowry when she got married."

  "Gu Yu has just left, and the Duan family may not have had time to collect her belongings." Uncle said in a low voice, "Gu Yu's things are usually taken care of by Yu Niangniang. You can send a personal maid to quietly find Yu Niangniang and get Shou Gu's engagement token in hand."

  Although her aunt was taken aback, she didn't ask anything and called a maid in to give some instructions.

  "Uncle explained: 'Now that Gu Yu has left, and the marriage between Shougu and the Wei family has not been formally arranged, I'm afraid there will be some twists and turns later on. That Duan Shiying is just a fool, when women look at him a few times, he doesn't even know his directions... Talking about your father, uncle got somewhat agitated, 'He can't even tell how much he weighs, expecting him to take charge of Shougu's affairs is like expecting him to die early! If he dies, we can at least intervene in Shougu's matters with a clear conscience...'"

  "Speak softly!" Aunt hastily said, "Be careful not to wake up the child."

  Her uncle looked over and saw that she had closed her eyes, he let out a sigh of relief, his tone becoming more gentle: "If in the future Shou Nainai can find a good family to marry into, then this matter won't be brought up again. If there isn't a suitable one, with this token in hand, I'm afraid it won't be easy for the Wei family to go back on their word."

  Dou's eyes were dry and sore.

  Her mother passed away and she became a "widowed eldest daughter", an uneducated and ill-mannered person, even good families wouldn't marry such a girl as their daughter-in-law.

  Uncle, he's thought of everything for her...

  She suddenly remembered.

  When her mother and mother-in-law exchanged tokens, she thought it was just a dream, so she didn't pay attention. In fact, in her previous life, she had never seen any tokens before marriage. It wasn't until the wedding night that Wei Tingyu took out a jade pendant and a pair of bracelets, saying they were the engagement tokens from both families back then. She thought it was something her father had given to the Wei family.

  Could it be that in the previous life, this jade bangle was on Uncle's hand?

  Her heart began to beat wildly.

  A voice with a hint of apology came from beside her, "Xiao'e, I think we should sell all the ancestral property except for those thirty mu of sacrificial fields!"

  "Ah!" exclaimed Aunt, "Why sell the ancestral property?"

  Dòu Zhāoyě was startled and narrowed his eyes to peek at his uncle.

  "Xiao'e, you were originally a young lady who didn't have to lift a finger, but since marrying me, not only do you have to take care of my paralyzed mother-in-law, raise our young daughter, give birth to and raise children for me, manage the household chores... during busy farming seasons, you even have to go out to inspect the fields... everything relies on you... I remember it all in my heart... originally, I wanted to study hard, take the imperial exam, and earn a high official position for you, so that you could also hold your head up high... but after what happened with Gu Yu, I couldn't pursue my own career and ignore my only sister... unless I become a jinshi, I won't be able to enter the Hanlin Academy, and unless I'm in the Hanlin Academy, I won't be able to enter the Imperial Cabinet... it's all because of me not doing right by you..."

  "No, no." Her aunt said hastily, her eyes red, "You were very good to me, I know. After I gave birth to Zhuangru, my mother was afraid you would dislike me and specially asked someone to buy a pretty little girl from Jiangnan for you to bring back. You said you couldn't afford to raise her and refused to take her..."

  Uncle had a kind of awkwardness after being caught in a lie, and said stubbornly: "It's just that we can't afford it!"

  Aunt smiled heartily and nodded in agreement with her husband: "Yes, yes, can't afford to raise." Tears fell down silently.

  Dou Zhao's tears almost fell too.

  The elegant and refined uncle stood beside his middle-aged and slightly plump aunt, not looking like a couple, but rather like siblings, and at that, siblings with an age difference of at least five years.

  However, Uncle never forgot his roots and always remembered Aunt's kindness, never wanting to hurt her feelings.

  "What's the use of saying these things! Bi Ru and her sister are my flesh and blood after all." Uncle said uncomfortably, tossing a handkerchief to Auntie, "Quickly wipe away your tears."

  Aunt was laughing and wiping away tears at the same time.

  "My uncle said, 'I want to go to the capital and try my luck, find a real job. When the time comes, we'll take Shougu with us.' He spoke in a somewhat bitter tone, 'But I've calculated it, even if we sell those few acres of land from our ancestors, it's probably not enough... Can you...' My uncle's voice gradually lowered, his face showing shame and guilt, he didn't dare look at my aunt, 'lend me the dowry money? As soon as I get back on my feet, I'll return it to you immediately.'"

  "What are you talking about!" Aunt scolded, "Isn't mine yours? In the past, your parents gave me so much dowry, wasn't it to make us live a good life? As long as we live well, this dowry will be put to good use, what can't be spent? If you encounter such a big thing and don't tell me, I think you're not on the same page as me!"

  Dong Zhao burst into tears.

  "Shòu gū, Shòu gū, what's wrong with you?" Her aunt hastily picked her up, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

  Dou Zhao buried his face in his aunt's shoulder and burst into loud sobs.

  In the previous life, after his mother's death, his uncle was powerless to resist the Duan family and, suppressing his grief, attended the imperial examination. He then obtained a substantive post with his aunt's dowry and wanted to take her there, but she bit his aunt in front of the Duan family and shouted that she would not leave with her... His uncle had already wronged his aunt for the sake of his sister, and if he had obtained a substantive post but did not take office, his uncle would lose his official position, which would be even more unforgivable to his aunt who had sacrificed so much for him... Moreover, all the Zhao family's property was sold, and they could not stay.

  Who is it?

  Who incited her to bite her aunt?

  Although she had lost her mother, her father and grandfather were still alive. If she strongly expressed her unwillingness to go to her uncle's house, her uncle would have no choice but to give in.

  And in that case, her resistance was equivalent to slapping her uncle and aunt in the face!

  Dong Zhaonan stood up straight, stopped crying, and his small face covered with tears was full of determination.

  She wants to find this person!

  ※※※※※

  Uncle took the sheep fat jade bracelet without any suspense and handed it to Aunt: "...after the seventh of July, I will set off. You will get everything ready at home. Once there is news from my side, you will use the excuse of picking up Shou Nainai to stay at home for a few days, and then take her with you to Ren Shang. When she comes of age, we will send her back to the Duan family to get married." He also said, "As for Mother-in-law and Brother-in-law, don't make any noise for now. Go see them before leaving, and after we settle down, write a letter to apologize to the old folks."

  "My aunt didn't hesitate at all: 'I'll start arranging things around the house in these two days.'"

  The maid standing outside the door coughed heavily and called out loudly: "Third Master! Sixth Master!"

  "Go and attend to your own business, I will take good care of Shougu."

  Uncle slightly nodded and went out with a swish of his sleeves.

  Aunt helped Du Zhao comb her hair and smiled: "Shou Gu, from now on follow Aunt, okay?"

  Her expression was relaxed and her tone revealed a few parts of happiness, it can be seen that she not only had no complaints about her uncle's arrangement, but also felt very happy.

  Aunt is a very good woman!

  Her eyes curved like crescent moons, and her smile was as sweet as sugar.

  Her aunt scolded her severely.

  Zhao Zhuang rushed in with a patter: "Shou Gu, Shou Gu, I found an anthill under the osmanthus tree at your house. Let's go see the ants moving things."

  Zhao Bìrú walked in steadily, blocking her sister: "Auntie is gone, don't run around. Shòu Gū still needs to go to the mourning hall to offer incense to Auntie."

  Zhao Zhuang didn't understand and blinked her big eyes, asking her mother: "Where did Auntie go?"

  Her aunt patted her daughter's head and said with some sadness: "Auntie has gone to Nanhai."

  "Oh!" Zhao Zhuang understood, "So Auntie went to see the Bodhisattva."

  Zhao Bieru turned her face away.

  Aunt placed Du Zhao on the ground and softly instructed her: "Go play with your sisters in the courtyard for a while!"

  "Hurry up!" Zhao Zhen pulled Du Zhao's hand and ran outside.

  ※

  I didn't control the time well today and came back late, I'm very sorry.

  All relatives are gathered at home, can only correct the wrong words tomorrow.

  O(∩_∩)O~

  ※