Chapter 9 The Maid

　　Aunt Ding's first grandmother was very anxious when she entered the family for more than a year without any news. Occasionally, I heard of a family named Cui in Doujia Tianzhuang, who had eight sons and two daughters, all of whom survived. Because more children can not afford, but also sent two sons to other families as a son-in-law, and now want to use the eldest daughter of fourteen years old to the third son for marriage. 　　Dou Zhao's first grandmother felt that this is the will of God, has seen the Cui family's eldest daughter, although tall and stocky, but the features are not lost, did not discuss the Dou Zhao's grandfather spent two hundred taels of silver to Cui family's eldest daughter lifted into the door. 　　Ten months later, Dou Zhao's father was born. 　　The child just passed the 100-day ceremony, Dou Zhao's grandfather recruited Dou Zhao's first grandmother to go, pointing to the still swaddling Dou Shiying said: "You personally bring this child, do not let that big words also do not know a Cui's ruined him." 　　In this way, Cui was sent to the Dou family's small field farm located in Dongjie Village with only a hundred or so acres of land until she passed away. 　　So, in essence Cui had been a village woman. 　　Dou Zhao and those years she lived together, Cui not only took her to the vegetable garden behind the house watering, catching insects, weeding, but also told her how to manage crops, how to raise chickens and feed pigs ...... In Cui's words: "Learning to serve crops, go wherever you go also can not starve!" 　　Growing up in this environment, Dou Zhao knew when to sow in the spring, when to harvest in the fall, when to plant vegetables, when to hatch chickens, and could even infer the weather for the coming year based on the winter climate, unlike a young lady from a family of officials and eunuchs for generations, but instead, like the daughter of a country squire's family. 　　The first time she met Touniang, she had just finished her tenth birthday. The adults were busy with spring plowing, her grandmother and the steward had gone to the fields, and she and a few maids stood under the elm money tree in front of the house watching the village children picking elm money buds. 　　A caterpillar fell on Dou Zhao's shoulder and startled her, she caught the caterpillar again to scare the maids, and they all pushed and shoved and screamed, making a mess. 　　Tu Niang appeared out of nowhere and rushed over like a madman to chase after her maids, screaming, "She is a young lady, a young lady of the Dou family, how dare you disrespect her? I'll beat you all to death, I'll beat you ...... to death." 　　Thinking about this, Dou Zhao was a little agitated. 　　After her stepmother entered the house, the people who served her mother were either sold because their seniority was too shallow, or were released by her stepmother on the grounds that they had served her mother with merit, or were sent back to her uncle's house, and no one told her about her mother. Even her grandmother, who loved her dearly, told her more than once: "People should look ahead, what's the use of always asking those questions? You should think more about how to live in the future, and think about how to please your mother-in-law after marrying into the Jining Marquis' residence." 　　No one knew the fear in her heart. 　　How did mother die? 　　Why was everyone so secretive? 　　Her stepmother, Wang's personalized Sister Hu, said that her mother died because she gave birth to a daughter ...... 　　Wouldn't that mean she had killed her mother? 　　Wasn't that why she was sent to her grandmother in the countryside? 　　Did mother ever hate her when she was alive? Ever regretted giving birth to her? 　　As she grew older, she became more and more afraid to ask. 　　Her mother's death became a wound in Dou Zhao's heart that could never be healed. 　　It was Touniang who told her the truth, and when confronted with her grandmother's rebuke, she retorted, "I don't know those principles. I only know that it was Wang who killed the seventh grandmother, and Wang is the fourth miss's enemy, so the fourth miss can't recognize a thief as her mother! You guys are not helping fourth miss, you are harming fourth miss and setting fourth miss up for unfiliality!" 　　Dou Zhao still remembers the shocked look on her grandmother's face. 　　After that, grandmother said nothing and left Tou Niang in the field. 　　There were so many people serving around her mother back then, but the only one who spent eight years finding her was Touniang, and the only one who stood up for her was Touniang! 　　Her character could be imagined. 　　Dou Zhao was now having a hard time moving forward and desperately needed someone who would listen to her. 　　There was no one more suitable than Touniang! 　　Vanilla sniffed despite Shuang Zhi's objections and took the initiative to help her find Touniang. 　　Touniang looked blankly at Dou Zhao, a little nervous in the constraints, and softly shouted "Fourth Miss". 　　At this point in time, Touniang, young, rosy, eyes meek and shy, and Dou Zhao memory of that haggard, unkempt woman is two people. 　　Dou Zhao heart sour. 　　She asked Tuoniang: "Do you, know, me?" 　　"Know." She whispered, "Just now on the road, Herb told me. You are the seventh grandmother's daughter, the fourth miss of the Dou family." 　　It was good to know that she was the seventh grandmother's daughter! 　　Dou Zhao smiled and nodded, reaching out for Tou Niang to hold, saying, "Let's, go to, Crane Shou Hall. Shuangzhi, lead the way." 　　Touniang didn't hesitate to hug Dou Zhao, but Shuangzhi was hesitant, saying, "If in case ......" 　　"I, want to go!" Dou Zhao glared at Shuang Zhi. 　　Shuang Zhi snapped and laughed. 　　Vanilla on the side was busy saying, "What about me? Fourth Miss, what about me?" 　　It was impossible to have only one kind of person by one's side; sometimes, strengths would turn into weaknesses, and shortcomings would turn into strengths. 　　"Follow." Dou Zhao laughed. 　　Vanilla happily answered "yes" and led the way in front. 　　Now Shuangzhi couldn't even think of not going. 　　The group went to Heshou Hall. 　　A boy stopped them at the door: "The old master said, no one is allowed in!" 　　Touniang looked uneasily at Dou Zhao. 　　Shuangzhi was at her wits' end, almost saying "I told you so" or something like that. 　　Xiangcao, on the other hand, smiled and went up to gag and shouted "brother", saying, "We were ordered by the seventh grandma to send the fourth young miss in ......" and then squeezed her eyes towards Heshoutang, "Isn't there a ruckus going on in there? "Isn't there a ruckus going on inside? That's why we sent the fourth young miss over. If brother doesn't believe me, why don't you go in first and inform us?" 　　The young man no longer insisted and let them enter the courtyard door. 　　Shuang Zhi whispered, "You're too bold, aren't you? In case he really goes to ask the seventh grandmother to show ......" 　　"It won't happen!" Vanilla laughed with certainty, "We don't dare to go near Crane Shou Hall, do they!" 　　Dou Zhao secretly nodded. 　　From the Heshou Hall came her mother's somewhat hoarse and shrill voice: "...... It's too late for you to say anything now! If you wanted to take a concubine, why didn't you speak to me directly? To invite the third uncle to speak to father, but because you yourself also understand that you do this sorry me, a gentleman's virtue, but also dirty mind, fascinated by the female sex, want to be foolproof, use elders to pressure me just! Since this is the case, then we invited the elders of the two families to come out to talk about it well ......" 　　"Seventh younger sibling, seventh younger sibling," third uncle begged, "whether to take a concubine or not, is just a small matter. If you don't agree, then forget it. Why do you need to make the elders of the two families uneasy and cause a storm in the city for others to see the joke? Yuan Yuan, apologize to your sister-in-law! Let's leave it at that. It's all my fault. Please bear with me for my sake, please bear with me!" 　　Wan Yuan, was father's watchword. 　　While the mother quieted down, the father muttered in a small voice, unable to hear what was being said. 　　Dou Zhao was busy saying, "Let's, go in!" 　　At this time, Herb and Shuangzhi became a little frightened, while Touniang carried Dou Zhao into the hall with a resolute face. 　　The people of Heshou Hall didn't dare to stop Dou Zhao. 　　"What person?" When they entered the hall, Aunt Ding, who was standing at the doorway, shouted, her expression austere, something Dou Zhao had never seen before. 　　Tou Niang shrunk her shoulders, and then quickly stood up straight, her voice trembling and not losing respect, "It's fourth miss, let me carry her in ......." 　　Hearing the commotion, the mother sitting on the eunuch chair with a frosty face and the third uncle rubbing his hands around looked over in dismay, the father kneeling facing the center hall jumped up, annoyed and angry at them and drank: "What's going on?" 　　Grandfather was not in the hall. 　　Before Dou Zhao had a chance to speak, her mother stood up with a sneer. 　　"You did something wrong, why are you angry at the child?" She said while walking over and hugging Dou Zhao, then softly asked, "What happened?" Eyes sharply fixed on Tuoniang. 　　Dou Zhao grabbed in front of Touniang and said, "Mother, Mother, I want, Touniang, I want, Touniang!" 　　Mother frowned as she thought of the maids locked up in the compartment. 　　She didn't recognize Touniang. 　　Arranging for Touniang to work as a servant girl in the mansion to make a living was just a matter of lifting a finger for her, and she would not remember it at all. 　　A little maid came in fearfully and reported, "The Third Mistress has come over!" 　　Third uncle listened to the spirit of great vigor, just want to quickly send Dou Zhao them away so that they can talk about the serious business: "But it is a maid, Shou Aunt wants her, rewarded her is." Said, toward the father made a wink. 　　Father immediately said, "This what Tou Niang, just reward Shou Aunt good." 　　Third Aunt was cheerful, humorous, and warm-hearted. Although she was not a patriarchal wife, people up and down the Dou family loved her, and when there was something to do, they always liked to seek her help as a go-between. Third aunt suddenly arrived, mother also guessed a few points. 　　She also wanted her father to dismiss the idea of taking a concubine earlier. 　　Anyway, Touniang was a maid in her own house, was she still afraid that she would run away? The maids and daughters-in-law around Shougou are all locked up, so let this Touniang take care of Shougou for a while, and when she's done with this period of time, then she will properly investigate the bottom of this Touniang. 　　Mother called out to Sister Yu to come in, "Place this Touniang in Shougou's house." 　　Sister Yu's face was full of confusion, looked at Touniang twice, and respectfully answered. 　　With so many people, and Sister Yu, if mother just wanted to die, there would be someone to stop her. 　　Dou Zhao was not worried and pulled Touniang's sleeve, signaling her to go back. 　　Touniang is still immersed in the sudden change from a coarse maid in the washing room to a young lady's personal maid in the bewilderment of the overwhelm, the grace did not thank, holding Dou Zhao high and low out of the Heshou Hall. 　　Vanilla and Shuangzhi have already received the letter. 　　Shuang Zhi congratulated Tou Niang and politely exchanged pleasantries with her, "...... From now on we'll be working together on duty." 　　Vanilla chagrined and lowered her head, her expression both regretful and frustrated. 　　Dou Zhao smiled faintly and pointed to Vanilla to Sister Yu, "I want, Vanilla." 　　Vanilla was surprised and delighted. 　　At this time, Sister Yu and Grandmother Seven were of the same mind, and since Vanilla was already working in Grandmother Seven's house, she knew her roots and was not afraid of her being bad, and instructed Vanilla, "Since Fourth Miss likes you, you should follow Fourth Miss! Remember to be good as an errand boy, don't make the fourth miss angry ......" 　　Vanilla had already rejoiced so much that her mouth couldn't close. 　　The servant in the fourth miss's house had been imprisoned for committing a crime, and with seventh grandmother's temper, she would definitely not be used again in the future. She had won the fourth miss's eye, maybe she could be a first class maid in the future! 　　The more she thought about it, the brighter she felt her future was, and as soon as Sister Yu turned around, she was busy thanking Dou Zhao, "Fourth Miss, I'll be sure to serve you well ......" 　　Dou Zhao waved her hand at the gushing Herb, then pointed at the Heshou Hall, "Listen and tell me."