Dong Zhao didn't know what Wang Yingxue's sister-in-law said in the house, she was pulled away by her father Dong Shiying to go fishing.

  In June, Zhengding was still very hot, but the horse-drawn carriage ran with a breeze blowing through the bamboo curtains, making people feel quite comfortable.

  The father's attendant, Gao Sheng, took on the role of coachman this time. As he drove the carriage, he chatted with his father: "It was two years ago that I went fishing with you... The wild grapes on the mountain were so sweet and tender, I've never had such delicious wild grapes since then. But this time we're going out of season, I'm afraid they won't be edible."

  "But on the mountain there is half a slope of wild mugwort," Father smiled and said, "When the time comes, pick some back to make mugwort tea or cook mugwort porridge, clear heat and relieve fire, it's not bad!"

  Dong Zhaolooked at the carriage with only three people and said, "Father, why didn't you bring a few servants to help with things when the time comes?"

  Laughing loudly and driving carefully.

  Her father patted her head and remained silent.

  It seems like she said something wrong.

  Dong Zhaohui's heart was a little uneasy, and when he looked again, why did the scenery on this road seem so familiar!

  She stuck her head out of the car window and looked outside.

  The dense and lush wheat fields seem to stretch on forever, with a few small farmhouses scattered here and there. In the distance, the rolling green hills rise and fall, while the roadsides are lined with tall, luxuriant poplar trees.

  Isn't this the way to Mother and Father's farm?

  Dou Zhao turned back in shock and looked at his father.

  His father thought she was shocked by the scenery in front of her, and smiled as he pointed to the ground: "See that yellowish thing over there? That's the corn. Later I'll let Gao go down and take a look, if it's ripe, we'll pick a few and bring them up the mountain to roast and eat."

  Gao Sheng laughed again with a "heh heh".

  Dòu Zhāo does not express approval or disapproval.

  The carriage quickly turned around and galloped across a field of sorghum, heading towards a small hill.

  For some reason, Du Zhao let out a sigh of relief.

  This piece of land is planted by Lang's family, grandmother's field is next to Lang's, the boundary stone is a person-high bluestone, with big and deep characters.

  Before long, the carriage stopped and they got off. Gao Sheng tied up the horses and carried their fishing gear on their shoulders as they followed behind them.

  Passing by the old pine tree, Du Zhao heard the sound of gurgling water.

  Her face took on a somewhat strange expression.

  She is too familiar with this place.

  This is a small river located at the junction of Lang's house and Dou's house, with clear and transparent water, shallow riverbed, and visible pebbles inside. Every June, a kind of small silver fish like a willow leaf appears in the river to eat grass on the riverbank. She often rolled up her pants and went into the river to catch fish with the children from the farm.

  Across the river is a slope, with three wild peach trees in the shape of a "pin" character. Every spring when it warms up and flowers bloom, the peach blossoms are in full bloom, tender as powder, and very beautiful. In summer, the wild peach trees will bear small green peaches that are both bitter and sour, and can't be eaten at all. At this time, they would run to the low-lying land next to the wild peach tree to pick wild vegetables. Pearl vegetables, yellow calabash, sour grass, southern alfalfa... In spring, they picked tender leaves for dishes, in summer, they picked fruit to sell to the pharmacy in Zhēndìng, exchanged a few copper coins to supplement their family, and always managed to get a word of praise from the adults, rewarded with two cents to buy snacks.

  She didn't have to do these things just for fun, but wherever she went, she was accompanied by two little maids who were like her tail. The two maids either picked wild vegetables or picked wild fruits, and she shared them with her companions. As time passed, everyone liked playing with her more and more.

  How did Father know this place?

  Dong Zhaos mind was a bit knotted, and when she came back to herself, she was already standing with her father under the big pagoda tree by the small stream.

  Gao Sheng then unfolded a reed mat under a large Chinese scholar tree and set out some cool tea.

  Father took Du Zhao to sit under a big locust tree.

  Gao Sheng chose a place with lush aquatic plants and stood firmly, took out the fishing rod, hung the bait, and started fishing.

  Is this what Father meant by golden fishhook?

  Dong Zhao was somewhat tongue-tied.

  Her father, however, was calmly drinking tea and reminded her, "Don't run out into the sun, be careful not to get sunburned."

  Dong Zhaowang gazed listlessly at the green peaches on the opposite bank.

  The wind blows by, and the branches rustle, the green peaches sway in the breeze.

  His father smiled and said, "Those peaches are too sour to eat. Next spring, I'll have someone bring back some honey peaches from Kyoto for you to eat."

  Even this is known!

  Dou's eyes widened in surprise.

  The other side has already caught a small fish with the high-rise fishing rod.

  He tossed the small fish into a small bucket and laughed: "If it's like this today, Seventh Master and Fourth Miss will have fish to eat tonight!"

  "Today we're going to Bao Shan's house to eat for free!" his father said with a smile.

  Gao Sheng uttered a somewhat strange "oh", but didn't ask any more questions.

  Dong Zhao said without hesitation: "Why should we go to Feng's house for a free meal?"

  His father hesitated for a moment, smiled and said: "Wang's sisters-in-law have arrived, their family is not what it used to be, and they also have some connections with Fifth Brother. By rights, I should entertain them properly, but since Wang is my concubine after all, it wouldn't be proper for me to take the lead in entertaining them. Let's wait until we've had dinner at your Uncle Feng's house and return home, by then they should also have left Nanwa.

  No wonder it's so hot outside for fishing!

  Suddenly enlightened.

  "Come on, let's go take a look at the hilltop!" said Father with a smile, and carrying Du Zhao, he climbed to the top of the slope.

  As she looked around, her grandmother's house was vividly in sight, and Dou Zhao could even see her grandmother standing in the front yard talking to a servant.

  Dong Zhao was extremely surprised.

  It was as if Grandma could sense their presence, and she kept staring at them.

  Dòu Zhāo turned his head back.

  Father looked at his mother's house with a serious expression without blinking.

  Du Zhao's mind buzzed with a "hum" sound.

  It turned out that Father had been expressing his thoughts of grandmother in this way all along.

  She had no idea!

  Dad, what other secrets are there?

  Dong Zhaosi was deep in thought, when she heard her father's muttering to himself: "I didn't know until I was nine years old that my mother wasn't my biological parent. I just want to know what kind of person gave birth to me? I don't want to hurt Mother, but thinking about her being alone all these years in this countryside, it makes my heart ache..."

  She just felt suffocated in her heart.

  Was it because of this reason that she was sent to Tian Zhuang in her previous life?

  That day, Father told Wang Yingzhuang that he needed a legitimate son.

  Is it because of this reason that there is a Xiaoyue?

  In her previous life, her father had only two concubines and rarely spent the night in their quarters. She thought it was because he liked Wang Yingxue, but now it seems that at that time, her father was still in his prime, yet he and Wang Yingxue only had two children, Dunming and Duanxiao...

  She wanted to ask her father.

  But none of these have happened in this life.

  Her mind was all muddled.

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  Gao's mind was also in a mess.

  She knew that Pang was a cunning person who spoke and acted without rules, but she never thought that he would say such things, and even more unexpectedly, her younger sister actually looked moved.

  She couldn't help but burn with anger, sternly scolding Pang Shi: "What you don't want for yourself, don't do to others. You're saying this is also too...". She wanted to say "too shameless", but thinking that they would still be living in the same house later on, she reluctantly changed her words to "too excessive!"

  Pang Yulou saw Gao's changed expression and felt happy in her heart. She spoke with a mix of sarcasm and anger, "Elder sister, I'm not like you, who has read the classics and can speak with grand reasoning. I only know that if one doesn't take care of themselves, heaven and earth will destroy them! Our younger sister ended up in such a state, what's the reason for it? Isn't it all because of our family?! Now that our family's situation is slightly better, how could you turn your back on her and not recognize her?! You can do that, but I won't. I know this person knows right from wrong. In the past, when younger sister was a young girl and had to put herself out there for the sake of our family business, who didn't point fingers behind our backs? Why didn't you jump out then to lecture about propriety and morality?! Ultimately, it's all because you wanted to rely on younger sister for food..."

  Gao looked away and saw Wang Yingxue nodding slightly.

  She suddenly felt as if she had fallen into an icy cave, with a few threads of coldness piercing her heart.

  "Shut up!" shouted Gao, cutting off Pang Yulou's words. "Earning a living by one's own labor is the way of heaven and earth. What's there to fear from those petty people's rumors? Du Qiye has already been engaged, but you're trying to sabotage the marriage between the Du and Zhu families for your own selfish reasons. Your actions are despicable, everyone can spit on you, how can you be mentioned in the same breath...

  "Pang Yulou sneered: 'What is private heart? What is public heart? Wanting to eat well, dress well and live a good life is private heart? Giving all one's things to others is public heart? Is Xiaojie not as beautiful as the fifth Miss of the Zhū family? Or is her birth not as good as that of the fifth Miss of the Zhū family? Moreover, it was Dù Shìyīng who deceived Xiaojie into saying he had no wife, and Xiaojie only temporarily lost her way. Why can't she be reinstated? Why can't she take back what rightfully belongs to her? Eldest sister, don't forget, you are a member of the Wáng family. It was for your son's medicine that Xiaojie suffered at the hands of Dù Shìyīng!'"

  Gao's face turned pale, his chest heaving violently, and for a long time he couldn't say a word.

  "Little sister, I support you on this matter." Pang Yulou sat down at the head of the bed and immediately changed into a gentle and soothing demeanor, comforting Wang Yingshuang, "Others haven't eaten your food or drunk your wine, yet they still say bad things about you, that's to be expected. But those who have eaten your food and drunk your wine, yet still stand there with an air of superiority, criticizing you, are even more vicious than outsiders..."

  "Second sister!" Wang Yingshu cried, leaning on Pang Yulou's shoulder.

  "Don't cry, don't cry." Pang Yulou took out a handkerchief to help Wang Yingshu wipe away her tears. "Listen to me, I guarantee that the Zhous will obediently call off the engagement..."

  Mr. Gao closed his eyes and didn't open them again until after a while, his expression much calmer.

  She called out in a soft voice, "Yingxue", saying: "The things that happened back then were my fault towards you, I owe you an apology. I've been married to the Wang family for so many years, and it's said that I'm in charge of managing the household, but in reality, without you, this family would not be able to hold on. You're intelligent, there are some things that don't need to be said, you should understand. To promote a concubine to wife, we need an agreement letter from the Zhao family. With the relationship between the Duan and Zhao families being so strained, how could the Zhao family possibly write an agreement letter? Moreover, you've seen the attitude of the Duan family, if they had intended to promote you to wife, they would have dissolved the engagement with the other families during the disagreement over the marriage date. How could they wait until now? Besides, those other families are not some small households, the Duan family can't afford to offend them for our sake. Although Father has been reinstated, he's just a minor seventh-rank county magistrate. You need to think carefully about what to do next."

  Wang Yingxue leaned on Pang Yulou's shoulder and whispered, "Sister-in-law, didn't you always tell me that some things can only be known by trying?"

  The Gao family was so blocked that they couldn't breathe, and finally said "You think about it again", and turned to leave.

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  First paste it up, and I'll correct any mistakes later.

  O(∩_∩)O~

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