Chapter Fifty-two Refusal

  In his previous life, his father was ranked second in the imperial examination at the age of 13, but in this life, he is only ranked sixteenth.

  Is it because this matter of Wang Yingshuo has taken up more of his energy?

  Dòu zhāo hú luàn cāi xiǎng.

  Translation:

  Duo Zhao's random conjecture.

  The second lady was very regretful.

  She said to Du Shi: "Your luck is really good! If you also participated in the spring examination this year, maybe you can also be on the golden list."

  Since the Wang Yingxue incident, Du Shiying has been considered an incompetent and untalented person in the eyes of the Dugu family members. Although he passed the imperial examination and was selected as a Jinshi, the second lady still thinks that he relied on luck rather than talent.

  There were others who had such thoughts, and it wasn't just the second mistress of the Duan family.

  Dou Shi's face turned red with anger, and he said: "Wan Yuan has always been intelligent in his studies, but he didn't just read books to death like others. Who else relied on luck to pass the imperial examination, the palace examination, and was selected as a Jinshi?"

  The second lady remained silent, but in her heart she never thought it was right.

  Dong Doudou was overjoyed.

  He posted the good news on his own door and, while enjoying the envy and pride of passersby, wrote a letter to Wang Xiangyi to report the good news.

  Wang Xingyi's days were spent in some distress.

  Last winter and this spring, he repelled the Mongolians' invasion several times. In the northwest, his prestige was unmatched at the time. Fang Shi was also very pleased, and the Emperor even proposed to let him serve as the Governor of Shaanxi, but for some reason, the matter was shelved.

  He suspected it was because of Fang Shi's return to his hometown last time that made him feel he wasn't stable enough and needed two more years of tempering.

  Wang Zhi said with a smile: "If I had known earlier, you should have gone to Kyoto to explain it to Mr. Zeng at that time."

  "The facts are all here. Once explained, we would be at a disadvantage. It's better to just let it be, so that everyone knows I, Wang Xing, am open and honest, and dare to do what is right."

  Although he said so, he still wrote a letter to his best friend in Kyoto, who was also the son-in-law of Zeng Guofan, Guo Yan: "... My family is poor to such an extent that my daughter has lost her footing. Every time I think about it, I cry and cannot speak. Fortunately, she will be married into the Beilou Dong family, one of the seven sons, after the death of his first wife. He intends to make my daughter his legitimate wife. Although I feel it is not proper, thinking of my daughter suffering from my failure to teach her properly, even if it's bitter, I'll drink it."

  It now seems that this letter has had some effect, but it is not very obvious.

  Thinking of this, Wang Xingyi walked two circles in the house with his hands behind his back and instructed his son: "Let's just set the date for this month!"

  Fuzheng and marriage are different. No need to adopt a child or propose a betrothal, no need to send gifts or set a engagement period, just set up a few tables of wine at home, invite relatives, let the one wearing the auspicious red dress representing the legitimate wife give a toast to the relatives who came to drink, and re-establish the name and status.

  Wang Zhiyue nodded and replied on behalf of his father, affixing Wang Xingyi's private seal to the letter.

  Dong Dong set the date on May 22nd.

  Dong Zhaoyi had never planned to kowtow and offer tea to Wang Yingshuang, calling her mother.

  She asked Tuo Niang to deliver a message to her grandmother, saying she wanted to go see her grandmother.

  No reply from grandma's side for a long time.

  Dou Zhao handed over the silver. Let Tuo Niang quietly hire a carriage: "...Let the car driver wait at the entrance of the alley behind the West House on May 22nd, at that time San Tang Sao will be taking people from Dong Fu to help, Wang Yingxue's birthday, she can't go out casually, Ding Nainai and Hu Popo will all come out to greet San Tang Sao and others, we'll take advantage of that opportunity to leave."

  The maid nodded and said: "I'll help Miss pack her luggage."

  "What's the hurry with packing?" asked Du Zhao, "Just bring a few silver notes and some loose change. We can come back for the trunks later after we've settled down."

  The girl always felt like something was missing.

  Dowson is back.

  Brought several jars of Dongjiu wine for Sixth Uncle, several boxes of Beijing-style pastries for Sixth Aunt, several inkstones for Duan Zhengchang and Duan Dechang brothers, and two identical dolls for Duan Xiang and Duan Ming.

  Dong Ming was overjoyed and hugged him tightly in his arms, refusing to let go.

  Dong Zhao thought that this doll was not as exquisite as the one Sixth Aunt had given her, so she said "thank you" and let Tuo Niang take it back.

  The eldest daughter's sensible but distant demeanor made Du Shiying feel a bit uncomfortable.

  After inquiring about the health of the second lady, he came especially to see Du Zhao.

  Dòu Zhāo is painting in red under Ji's guidance.

  Dongfang Shuo returned with a broken arm. Ji Shi made an excuse to go make tea for Dongfang Shuo, and let the study be used by Dong Zhaofu and his daughter.

  Dòu Zhāo walked out from behind the bookcase and stood upright, saying to Dòu Shìyīng: "On the 22nd of that month, I wanted to go see Aunt Cuī."

  Dòu Shìyīng was stunned.

  Dòu Zhāo stared intently at Dòu Shìyīng's eyes without blinking.

  The house is as quiet as an empty space.

  After a long while, Du Shiying asked her daughter in a somewhat hoarse voice: "Why?"

  "I don't want to call a concubine mother." said Du Zhao Zheng.

  Dòu Shìyīng fell silent for a moment, then said "I know", his face expressionless, unable to discern any emotions.

  Dòu Zhāo didn't understand his father's idea.

  If her father agreed to let her go to her grandmother's place, it would only make things easier for her; if he disagreed, she could still achieve her goal.

  All she had was a bag of elm seeds that her grandmother had given her, but she was certain that as long as she made it to Tianzhuang, her grandmother would take her in.

  Dou Shiying returned home with a somewhat dazed expression, and Gao Sheng was waiting for him at the door with an odd look on his face.

  "Seventh Master!" Gao Sheng stepped forward and saluted Dou Shiying, saying in a low voice, "Aunt Cui sent someone to report that she's ill and wants Fourth Miss to go to the countryside manor to keep her company."

  Dong Shiying was extremely surprised and hastily asked: "Where is the messenger?" His voice was tense, showing a hint of panic.

  "I left him in the kitchen eating," said Gao Sheng, "Old Master, no answer."

  Dong Shiying murmured "uh-huh" and hastily went into the kitchen.

  In the dimly lit kitchen, Cui Dazheng was holding a bowl and eating noodles with a loud "slurp".

  He is the eldest grandson of the Cui family and is twenty years old this year.

  "Seventh Master," he put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up with a slightly awkward expression, and muttered, "Aunt Cui said that if she met Seventh Master, she would tell him that she's fine, but wants to take Fourth Miss away for a few days." Then emphasized, "Just for a few days, then send her back!"

  In Dou Shiying's eyes, Cui Yiniang was a very strong-willed person. Since her father sent her to the Tianzhuang, she had never taken the initiative to say a word to the Dou family again, let alone interfere with the Dou family's affairs.

  He suppressed the confusion in his heart and said to Cui Da Dao, "Alright, you can stay here tonight and escort Fourth Miss to Tianzhuang early tomorrow morning."

  Chui Da let out an "ah" and smiled with a silly grin.

  Her eyes felt as if they had been pricked with pain, and Yin Shijun subconsciously closed them.

  He went to see Dou Dong.

  Du Dang was enthusiastically arranging a pot of Wenzhu bamboo. Seeing Du Shiying, he put down the watering can in his hand and smiled even more: "Have you seen your second aunt?"

  "I've seen him," said Du Shiying, "I also ran into Cui Da."

  Dong's smile froze on his face.

  "I let him stay," Dou Shiying said calmly, as if she hadn't seen anything, "Tomorrow morning, escort Shougu to the Tianzhuang."

  With a "thud", the washbasin was thrown onto the small table, water splashing everywhere, with a few drops landing on Du Shiying's clothes. He didn't mind at all and said: "Father, this matter is settled like this. I only took a ten-day leave, and in order to rush back, there were two days when I didn't even close my eyes. I'll go sleep first. Whatever it is, we can talk about it tomorrow!" He bowed and backed away.

  Dong Dang gazed at the back of his son disappearing into the distance, and for a long time he couldn't come to himself... Dong Zhao knew that her grandmother was "ill", and she felt very guilty.

  She knew that if her grandmother was really ill, her father's expression wouldn't be so relaxed. Her grandmother had pretended to be ill entirely for her sake.

  Dòu Zhāo offered three incense sticks to the Bodhisattva. He prayed for the Bodhisattva's blessing that his grandmother would live a long life of one hundred years.

  Dou Shiying listened to her daughter's muttering and was shocked. After a while, she said: "You, are you..."

  Looking at his daughter's tender face, he didn't know how to ask for a while.

  Once Wang Yingshuo becomes her stepmother, she will take the moral high ground. If she continues to pretend to be deaf and dumb, she will only be manipulated by Wang Yingshuo.

  Dong Zhao decided to slowly reveal her sharp edges, forcing Wang Yingxue to retreat in the face of her affairs.

  So Jing saw the suspicion in Shi Ying's heart, and she simply said: "I'll ask Aunt Cui to take me to Tianzhuang."

  Dou Shiying was speechless.

  Dong Zhaolazy to deal with him, instructed Hai Tang to pack the ceramic statue of Fu Lu Shou Xi that she liked very much into a box.

  The ceramic figurine symbolizes joy and celebration, with its bright colors, grandma will definitely like it.

  She went to see the dried longan for her grandmother again.

  One by one, they're big and sweet.

  Dong Zhaoming nodded in satisfaction and rewarded the little maid who had served him with a few pieces of silver.

  The little maid was overjoyed and thanked her repeatedly.

  Dou Shiying looked at the calm and composed daughter in front of her, and a strange feeling rose up inside.

  Daughter is like a sword orchid, should be raised in the greenhouse until she grows up slowly. But suddenly, she was thrown to one side, in the stormy rain, she had to struggle with the wild grass around her, and grew tall and big in the struggle... And I am that stormy rain...

  "Shou Gu," he asked Dou Zhao, "do you want to go home?"

  He wants his daughter back in the greenhouse.

  "I don't want to," Du Zhao said bluntly. "That house is a mess, just looking at it makes me annoyed. I'd rather live with either Sixth Aunt or Cui Aunt."

  The world is blocked by English.

  The father and daughter arrived at Tianzhuang in silence.

  Grandmother stood by the road and looked up with expectation.

  As soon as she saw her father, her eyes became moist.

  "I heard you passed the imperial examination," Grandma said with a smile, "You really did it!"

  Father smiled slightly.

  Grandma bowed her head and greeted Dou Zhao: "Shou Gu". That loving expression accompanied Dou Zhao through countless dark nights.

  Dong Zha's nose turned sour and tears fell down uncontrollably.

  "Grandma Choi," she hugged her grandmother, "dried longan is delicious!"

  Grandma was stunned for a moment, then tightly hugged Dou Zhao... Grandma's fields and the memories were just like before.

  The green crops, the flat earth road, the old locust tree with a trunk as thick as a hug at the village head, its canopy like an umbrella, sat three or two women, chatting and laughing while doing needlework, and several children playing nearby.

  Seeing someone enter the village, everyone stopped what they were doing and curiously sized them up.

  Dong Zhao also stared at those people, wanting to find a familiar face among them.

  Unfortunately, they are too far away, and these people all look so unfamiliar.

  The carriage stopped quickly in front of grandmother's green-tiled house.

  A neat and tidy woman came forward and lifted the curtain of the carriage, and Grandmother herself carried Du Zhao out of the carriage.

  The courtyard paved with bluestone, the window frames pasted with paper flowers and white paper, and the small horse in the cattle shed quietly chewing on the green grass, are all so familiar, only less a plum tree she planted by hand at the corner of the wall.

  ※

  Sisters, after having dinner at a relative's house, when we came out, the taxi drivers had already finished their shift. They said it was almost Chinese New Year and they needed to finish work ahead of time. Then we walked all the way back home...

  These days I have to visit relatives, the evening updates may not be on time, so I'm taking a leave of absence... If you like this work, welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.