Chapter 7 Doubts

　　When I heard that Dou Shibang had come, my father went to welcome him in personally. 　　He was carrying a basket of oranges. Because they were all family members, mother and Aunt Ding did not avoid them. After everyone had greeted him, Dou Shibang pointed to the tangerines and said to his grandfather with a smile, "Big brother sent them back, so I took some for you to try." Then he pulled out a tangerine from the small basket and handed it to Dou Zhao: "Shou Gu, eat the tangerine." 　　Dou Zhao was still a bit dumbfounded. 　　Her mother poked her. 　　She mumbled, "Many thanks." 　　Dou Shibang smiled and touched Dou Zhao's head. 　　Grandfather then said, "Come sit on the bed! I have the Great Red Robe from Shen Xing here." 　　Aunt Ding immediately turned around and went to make tea in the small teahouse nearby. 　　Dou Shibang wasn't polite either, and went up to the bed to sit cross-legged across from his grandfather. 　　Dou Zhao took the tangerine and quietly snuggled into her mother's arms, staring unblinkingly at Dou Shibang. 　　The third uncle who had passed away ten years ago was now alive and well in front of her eyes, and even told her to eat the tangerines! 　　I think she was in the farm, the third uncle will go to visit her grandmother every now and then, every time, will give her a little trinket, or new handkerchiefs, or beautiful head flowers, or rare food, once, but also sent her a pair of tin clay dolls. Big eyes, round face, wearing a red gold jacket, smiling and bowing, the children in the field are envious. She placed that pair of dolls on the windowsill until she was twelve years old when she left the fieldhouse, and then that pair of dolls was received in a box and cage, and stayed in the Jining Marquis' residence as she traveled from Ding County to Kyoto. 　　In those days, each of Third Uncle's arrivals was like a ray of sunlight shining on her, making her glitter and glow. 　　She had never forgotten it. 　　Dou Zhao's vision blurred a bit, and she heard Dou Shibang laugh, ''...... Big brother's body is getting worse by the day. Lan Ge'er wrote the other day, saying that between the beginning of fall and now, big brother has already committed angina three times. Only because the river work is not finished, do not dare to slack off. Big brother wrote, saying that after these days, he is ready to resign from his post and return home to study the I Ching intensively with his little uncle." 　　Grandfather laughed out loud and said, "Although the career path is honorable, the paperwork is also bitter. Who made him want to be an official!" Said, the smile gradually thinned, and squarely said, "His angina is getting more and more powerful day by day, can you ask the doctor to see?" 　　"Jiangnan famous doctors have invited all." Dou Zhengbang said, "But everyone does not have any good prescription. Just let the quiet recuperation. Big brother is that resting person? ......" 　　Dou Zhao was listening on the sidelines, but his thoughts had drifted away. 　　Big uncle called Dou Shi like, is the eldest son of big uncle ancestor. Thirty-nine years older than his father and four years younger than his grandfather. Like his grandfather, he grew up studying with his great uncle, and his grandfather said he was uncle and nephew, but in fact he was like brother and sister. When Dou Zhao remembered, he had already died. It is said that in order to repair the river, died of exhaustion in Yangzhou Prefecture as governor, the deeds are still written on the green stone tablet in the ancestral hall. In the fourth year of Jianwu, when Jiangnan was flooded, many river dykes were washed away, but only the section of the river dyke repaired by my great-uncle when he was in office was safe and sound. The great uncle's achievements were rehashed, and the emperor gave his great uncle a special award for this. 　　Lan Ge'er is the only son of his great-uncle at the age of forty-three, and at the age of twenty-one, he was successful in the examination, after which he failed to pass the examination repeatedly. The emperor remembered his great-uncle's merits, and honored him as the chief of Jurong County. When he came to the capital to thank the grace, the Dou clan in Kyoto have to receive him. Dou Zhao is not close to the Dou family because of his stepmother, and only sent a congratulatory gift. 　　Should she remind her third uncle herself? 　　But would Third Uncle listen to what she said? 　　Dou Zhao hesitated. 　　Aunt Ding led two maids in with refreshments. 　　Her mother put her on the floor and helped Aunt Ding serve the tea and arrange the refreshments. 　　Dou Shibang picked up the tea cup and took a sip, praising the "good tea" and then lamenting, "This is really 'relying on the mountain to eat the mountain, relying on the water to eat the water' ah!" 　　Shenxing is Dou Zhao's second uncle Dou Shiqi's word, is Dou Shi sample of the brother, than Dou Shi sample eight years old, than Dou Shi list four years old. He won the jinshi at the age of twenty-six, and has been working as an official since then, having been appointed to the position of Minister of Prefecture in Jiangxi. 　　Dou Zhao had only heard of this person and had never seen him at all - when she was in Zhending, he was out working as an official; when he returned to his hometown, she had already married in Kyoto. 　　Dahongpao is produced in Wuyi, listening to the tone of the third uncle, he should now be in Fujian as an official. 　　Grandfather laughed and said, "'Rely on the mountain to eat the mountain, rely on the water to eat the water', the key is a 'rely', how can I compare to you? We can all count on you to eat!" 　　Dou family outside the official more, in order to the imperial examination "two ears do not listen to things outside the window, only read the book of Xianxian" more people. 　　Dou Shibang is in charge of the East and West Dou's common affairs. 　　He sniffed and laughed dryly with a sardonic expression. 　　Dou Zhao remembered. 　　The third uncle not only participated in the countryside examination with the second uncle, the fourth uncle, and the fifth uncle, but also participated in the countryside examination with the sixth uncle, the father, the first cousin Dou Wenchang, the second cousin Dou Yuchang, the third cousin Dou Xuchang, and the fourth cousin Dou Rongchang ...... It seems that he has never been able to win. 　　Father saw the situation picked up the tea cup, iterated: "Drink tea, drink tea!" And loudly ordered the mother, "Third brother rarely come to a trip. You go and tell the people on the stove to make a few small dishes for wine, and I'll accompany father and third brother to drink a couple of cups." 　　"No need, no need." Dou Shibang glanced at his father and smiled, "Big brother asked me to bring a few words to Little Uncle. It's getting late, so I'm going to go back after passing on the message." He added, "It's almost New Year's Eve, and there's a whole lot of things waiting for me at home!" 　　"That won't take long." Grandfather laughed, but father pulled mother, "Since third brother has something to say to father, we'll go back to the house first." Not caring about his mother's surprise, he pushed her out of the Heshou Hall, "Third Brother must have something important to say if he comes at this time." 　　Mother relieved that she hadn't seen her father for another long time, looking at her father with eyes as soft as vines, "That's good. Concubine will go back to serve your husband and rest early!" 　　"Good, good, good." Father responded, glancing back towards Heshou Hall with an absent-minded look. 　　Dou Zhao followed her father's gaze. 　　The surroundings were quiet, the snow glittered with cold broken awnings under the moonlight, and the orange light in Grandfather's study looked extraordinarily warm. 　　Dou Zhao suspicion. 　　Mother, however, did not realize anything, all the way back to the upper room with father talking and laughing. 　　There was a servant with graying temples who greeted me, performing a blessed salute and calling out "Seventh Master" and "Seventh Grandmother". 　　She looked serious, but her eyes were gentle. 　　Dou Zhao's heart grew fond of her at first glance. 　　Her mother handed her over to the woman, "Mother Yu, take Shou Gu and rest in the warm pavilion today!" 　　Mother Yu smiled and replied, "Yes." 　　Father wondered, "Where is Shou Gu's nursemaid?" 　　"She's suffering from a wind chill." Mother said, heading straight to the house, "I'm afraid she'll pass on her illness to Auntie Shou." 　　Father had to follow. 　　The group entered the hall. 　　Father and mother went towards the inner room, and mother Yu carried Dou Zhao towards the warm pavilion behind the inner room. 　　She hadn't waited for that woman yet, how could she leave her mother like this! 　　"Mother, mother!" She twisted in Mother Yu's arms. 　　"Fourth Miss, don't cry, don't cry!" Mother Yu coaxed her, returning to a faster pace, "Mother Yu will play flip rope with you, okay?" 　　Father hesitated, "Why don't we let Shou Aunt sleep with us today!" 　　"This ......," Mother gazed at Father with a sly look. 　　As if he didn't see it, father instructed Mother Yu, "Bring Shougou here!" 　　Mother Yu hesitated, glanced at her mother, saw her mother biting her lip and didn't say anything, and laughed: "The seventh master has worked hard all the way ......" 　　"Carry it over when I tell you to!" Father was displeased. 　　Mother Yu no longer hesitates and hands Dou Zhao over to her mother. 　　Instead, father took over and carried Dou Zhao into the inner room. 　　The maids brought in hot water and pads to freshen up. 　　The mother served the father, but the father teased Dou Zhao, Dou Zhao clinging to the mother, chaotic, but there is a different kind of warmth and hilarity, Dou Zhao heart satisfied and happy. 　　It was hard to quiet down, Dou Zhao pulled his mother's lapel lying in the middle of his parents. 　　Mother elbow resting on her cheeks, softly and softly talking to his father: "You still live in the hutong next to Jing'an Temple? Is Baoshan with you?" Hand over Dou Zhao, gently caressing the father's arm, big red embroidered with the lotus flower bib in the light bright bright, snow-white plump can't hide to reveal the big half of the mountains to see Dou Zhao blushed, busy closed his eyes, in his heart silently read: mother, I know that a small goodbye is better than a new marriage, I shouldn't destroy your good things, but I have no choice. When I help you get rid of that woman I will go ...... 　　Father closed his eyes and grunted twice, saying, ''Hurry up and go to sleep! Father has to test me early tomorrow morning!" With that, he rolled over. 　　Mother's hand fell away. 　　She beamed. 　　Father let out a soft snore. 　　The house was even more silent. 　　Mother lay back down, gently wrinkled Dou Zhao's little nose, and quietly said, "You little bad boy!" 　　Such a mother, real and unabashedly innocent, caused Dou Zhao to almost laugh out loud. 　　A maid ran in with messy footsteps, reporting through the tent, "Seventh Master, Seventh Grandmother, Aunt Ding came over, saying that the Old Master is looking for the Seventh Master for something important, and asked the Seventh Master to go over right away." 　　Mother was stunned. 　　The father who had fallen asleep, however, climbed up with a bone and said, "What did you say? The old master wants me to go over right now?" The voice was tight. 　　The maid answered, "Yes." 　　Father hesitated for a moment. 　　Mother said, "Then you should go over quickly! Maybe it has something to do with the words that the eldest uncle asked the third uncle to bring ......" One side said, one side sat up. 　　"Yes, yes!" Father muttered, lifting up the covers and draping himself in his clothes and getting out of bed, ignoring his mother shouting behind him for him to add a coat, and hurriedly following Aunt Ding to Heshou Hall. 　　Mother Yu lightly walked over and whispered, "Seventh grandmother, do you think you should send someone over to take a look?" 　　"It's better not to!" Mother suffered from a sense of loss and said, "It would be bad if what is being said is about court matters....... Isn't there still Auntie Ding? When the time comes, I'll just ask her." 　　Dou Zhao's heart was full of doubts and shadows. 　　Aunt Ding hung her head from the moment she entered until the moment she left, and didn't look at her mother squarely.