Chapter 48: Liquidation

  Pang Yulou has three older brothers: Pang Jinlou, Pang Yinlou and Pang Xilou.

  Pang Jinlou was capable, and when his two younger brothers were still young and ignorant, he had already taken control of the Pang family's shop. Pang Yinlou was clever and knew that helping out in the Pang family's shop would not bring him any benefits, so he secretly took money from his father to open his own teahouse. Pang Xilou was a rascal from a young age, liked to fight, and learned some martial arts skills at the county's martial arts hall. He couldn't help with the shop's business and didn't want to serve people like Pang Yinlou did, so he started a business collecting debts with his friends from the martial arts hall.

  Dòu Shì Zhuī knew what Páng Zhēng brothers were up to as soon as he heard it.

  In order to curry favor with the Wang family, they hastily became their hatchet men. Now that the Wang family is going to form an alliance with the Dou family through marriage, they are afraid of being abandoned by the Wang family due to their previous actions and being remembered as enemies by the Dou family. So they put on a show of begging for forgiveness - I've already humbled myself in front of our neighbors, you two families can't just beat us to death with one stick, can you?

  Although he understood in his heart, the Pang brothers' grasp of the situation, their decisiveness and audacity, and their shamelessness regardless of reputation still caught Du Shi Zong off guard.

  He had no intention of intervening in the affairs of the Dong and Wang families again, but he was somewhat displeased with the news that the Pang family had quickly obtained the marriage between the Duan and Wang families. He smiled at the second lady who came to see him off with her family members, saying: "I don't know how the Pang family suddenly became so humble?"

  The second lady turned her son's words over in her mind and understood what he meant.

  She smiled and said: "Where there is a cause, there will be an effect; where there is an effect, there must have been a cause."

  It means I will investigate this matter myself.

  Dòu Shì Zhuī smiled and said, "I don't know how long Seventh Brother will continue to make a fuss. Palace Lord is still waiting for me at the relay station to see me off, so I'll just wait for Seventh Brother at the relay station! It's also a good opportunity to chat with Palace Lord."

  The newly appointed parents of Zhending County are surnamed Gong.

  Although Dou Shi Jue is not the head of the Dou family, he holds the highest official position in the Dou family. Now that someone is causing trouble in the Dou family, it should be Dou Shi Jue who goes to mediate. But thinking about why the Peng brothers are at odds with the Western Palace... Er Tai couldn't help but mutter to herself. Should she let her son, a third-rank official, get involved in such a trivial matter? She naturally hoped that her son would leave this place of right and wrong as soon as possible.

  She nodded hastily and said, "Although you have already become a third-grade official, the current official is not as good as the current manager. Family matters still need to be taken care of by Palace Lord, and you must not be arrogant and offend Palace Lord. If Palace Lord waits for you, that would be even more unacceptable!" After finishing speaking, she urged Du Shiwei to quickly go see Palace Lord.

  Dòu Shì Zhuī thought for a moment and said: "Sixth brother, take Sixth sister and Shòu Gū with me to the post station?"

  Dou Shiying didn't come after all. Since Dou Shixiong had made up his mind to keep Dou Zhao away from the people close to the Eastern Palace, it was naturally better for Dou Zhao and the Western Palace to have less contact.

  Ji Shi did not want Du Zhao to get involved in these adults' disputes.

  She looked at Du Shi with a smile, as if to say "You agree that I can now hug Du Zhao and set off".

  Dong Shi thought that after all, this was a matter of the East Mansion. If Dong Shiying needed help, he would naturally send someone to ask for assistance. If Dong Shiying didn't need help, then he shouldn't rashly offer his aid either. Seeing his wife looking at him, he smiled and hugged Dou Zhao, saying: "Shougu, shall we follow your fifth uncle to take a look at the postal station in Zhending County?"

  Dòu Xiǎo gū gū de xiào.

  Translation: Dou Xiao laughed loudly.

  She couldn't be bothered with the troubles of the Wang and Dong families.

  Dou Dechang also wanted to go, but was stopped by the second lady who ordered Liu Mama to hold him around the waist: "Your father and mother are busy with important things, what are you going to join in the excitement for."

  Dòu Déchāng sulkily pouted his mouth.

  Dou Shi and Ji's family ignored him, and took Dou Zhao onto the carriage.

  The county magistrate was a man of about the same age as Du Shi Zong. He looked majestic, with an air of superiority, and claimed to be a jinshi of the Xin Chou year, four years junior to Du Shi Zong, whom he treated with great respect.

  Su Shi's expression was also very modest.

  Many people saw the god, and County Magistrate Gong, Dou Shikui, and Dou Shiheng were talking in the hall of the posthouse. The Ji family withdrew, taking Dou Zhao to look at flowers and grasses in the backyard of the posthouse.

  It wasn't until noon that Dou Shiying finally arrived.

  He repeatedly apologized and made amends to Dou Shi and others.

  Dòu Shìzhū didn't think much of it and introduced himself to County Magistrate Gōng.

  The county magistrate flattered Du Shiying as a talented person: "He is indeed a descendant of Xie Tang."

  After Dou Shi and Dou Shigui showed a bit of humility, the county magistrate of Gongxian hosted a farewell banquet for Dou Shi and Dou Shiying, with Dou Shi as an escort.

  Ji Shi, who was having a meal in the back hall, saw that the dishes brought up by Duan were mostly oily and saucy, so she picked out a few light dishes to feed Du Zhao: "Bear with it for now, when we get back, Sixth Aunt will make you some lotus leaf soup."

  Dong Zhaohad never been picky about food, and after finishing the dishes, he ate another bun, feeling so full that he was drowsy, and didn't even know when he returned to the East Mansion.

  Down from the carriage, Cai Wu came up with a smile all over his face: "Sixth Master, Sixth Mistress, An Xiang's Zhao Mistress has returned from Ganquan and is chatting with the Old Mistress. The Old Mistress asked you to take Fourth Miss over to pay respects to Zhao Mistress as soon as you return."

  Dong Shao and Dong Shi were both shocked. Dong Shao was overjoyed: "My aunt has arrived? When did this happen?"

  "Quickly came a whole time, in the old lady's house for dinner, at this moment should be with the old lady in the tea room drinking tea."

  Dong Zhaolai grabbed Ji Shi's hand: "Let's go quickly!"

  Ji Xi smiled and hugged Dou Zhao: "First, let me help you wash your face and change into some clean clothes, so you won't get your aunt all dusty."

  Dong Zhao smiled and followed Ji Shi to wash up, then went to Er Tai Fu Ren's place.

  My aunt looks thinner than when she was in Anxiang, but she seems much more spirited.

  She rushed into Mrs. Zhao's arms, calling out "Aunt", and asked her: "Is Uncle doing well? Are my three cousins doing well? Why did you suddenly return to Zhending?" One sentence after another, the words were sincere and touching, almost bringing tears to Aunt's eyes: "In just two or three years, our Shougu has suddenly become a big girl, knowing how to ask about others."

  Second Mistress hastily said: "For more than half a year, Shou'gu has been following her sixth aunt - you know that her sixth aunt is from a famous family in Jiangnan and is the most virtuous person. Every day she goes somewhere with her, and at night to take care of her, she even arranged for her to rest in her own boudoir. You don't have to worry anymore."

  Mrs. Zhao listened with a hint of exaggeration and felt suspicious in her heart. She raised her eyes to see Duan Zhao, who was as white and tender as powder, and had not even been bitten by mosquitoes or insects after a summer. It seemed that the Ji family did take good care of Duan Zhao, and it was only natural for them to boast about their achievements.

  She curtsied and said to Madame Qi: "Thank you for your trouble, Sixth Lady."

  Ji heard some rumors from it.

  The matchmaker still wanted her to help Xī Fǔ take care of the child.

  Dou Zhaoliu understood the thoughts of Er Taifuren, and accompanied her aunt to settle down in the guest room of the East House. She said to her aunt: "......Grand Aunt asked me if I like Liu Yiniang, and also asked me if I want Liu Yiniang to stay with me forever!"

  Mrs. Zhao did not want to see the people of Xi Duan, and the second lady kept her in the guest room of Dong Duan to rest, and she immediately agreed.

  After listening to Dou Zhao's words, she only left Peng Yuyan by her side and then held Dou Zhao's hand and asked her: "Do you like Liu Bo?"

  "I like it!" said Du Zhao, "She buys me pretty wooden puppets, makes me new clothes and socks, fans me at night, and dyes my fingernails." As she spoke, she stretched out her small hand for Mrs. Zhao to see, "Aunt, doesn't it look good?"

  Mrs. Zhao felt an indescribable sorrow in her heart.

  This should be something a mother should do, but now it's done by a paternal aunt instead.

  Mrs. Peng whispered beside her: "If Miss Bao followed the Sixth Lady, it would be better than being humble and low-key in front of Wang Yinxue."

  "I think so too," said Mrs. Zhao, "whoever raised her is like whoever, the East House is just casually finding one that is better than Wang Yinxue. However, this matter still needs to be carefully considered. What does the old lady mean, I need to take a closer look. With half of the Xi's family property as dowry, Shou Gu is not the same as before."

  Mrs. Peng sighed: "Master's move is also a bit too risky, I'm afraid Miss Bao will be spoiled."

  "This is also a helpless measure!" Mrs. Zhao sighed, "We didn't expect the Duan family to agree either." She paused slightly and continued, "When Master received the letter from Shougu's fifth uncle, he said it was bad news, saying that Shougu's fifth uncle never spoke recklessly, so if he let us take the agreement back, it meant he had full confidence in getting Shougu's grandfather to agree to our terms... Indeed. Fortunately, we also made preparations and brought Master's invited accountant, Wang Guru, over. Otherwise, relying on just us women, how could we have figured out how much money the Duan family has? Which fields have good harvests? Which shops are profitable? If they tried to deceive us with those barren fields, I'm afraid we wouldn't have discovered it. These past few days, we've been grinding our teeth and letting Wang Guru secretly investigate the Duan family's assets, so we won't be in the dark, blindly agreeing to whatever the Duan family says, and Shougu will get a reputation for 'dividing half of the Duan family's property' for nothing."

  Just then, a little maid said from behind the curtain: "Auntie, the wife of the Western Mansion has arrived with several maids and servants to pay her respects."

  Gao Sheng is Dou Shiying's personal servant.

  Mrs. Zhao was puzzled: "Even if she came to pay her respects, it should be Madam Yu who comes to pay her respects to us, what is she doing here joining in the excitement?"

  Since Zhao Guqiu's death, the Zhao family has been extremely resentful of the people in Xidu.

  "Come on, just meet him! If you like him, listen; if not, then don't."

  Mrs. Zhao nodded.

  Drumming grandma went to fetch a wife with high status.

  The young woman who had just been married was a pale and delicate-looking girl of only seventeen or eighteen years old.

  She somewhat shyly greeted Madam Zhao and Dou Zhaoyi, then pulled out a thick envelope from her bosom: "This was what Seventh Master instructed my family's child to bring to you when he left."

  Dong Zhao was taken aback upon hearing this.

  Dad, did you know about Fifth Uncle's arrangement all along?

  She buried her face in her aunt's shoulder, wondering what was written in the letter.

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  Chinese New Year is approaching, and there are many family chores to attend to. Today's chapter was written in a bit of a rush, so I'm afraid there may be some errors. Please bear with it for now, and I'll get back to editing soon. If you like this work, please consider voting for it with your recommendation ticket or monthly ticket - your support is my greatest motivation.