Chapter 18 Spring Warmth

　　Zhao Bi Ru held Dou Zhao's hand as she slowly walked back. 　　Dou Zhao asked Zhao Bi Ru, "What's my favorite thing to eat?" 　　Zhao Bi Ru was stunned, but still meekly said, "As long as it's something sweet and crunchy you like to eat!" 　　Dou Zhao asked again, "When was the last time you came to our house?" 　　Zhao Biru looked at Dou Zhao with even more surprise: "The day before winter. Father asked my sister and I to come and ask Auntie if Auntie had returned. We stopped by to give aunt a pair of Nine Cold Pictures, and aunt rewarded us with a pair of beaded flowers. My sister also accompanied you for half a day to turn over the rope. Did something happen?" 　　Dou Zhao shook her head. 　　The two families were so close that her aunt was going to pick her up to play with her cousins, so why would she bite her aunt? 　　Back in the main courtyard, the maids serving in the house were all standing under the hipped porch, and when they saw Dou Zhao Zhao and Zhao Bi Ru, they smiled and respectfully went forward to give Zhao Bi Ru a salute and smiled, "Cousin Miss, please go to the compartment first and sit down for a while, Auntie is talking to Grandma!" 　　Zhao Bi Ru glanced at the window pane of the main house in confusion, and obediently followed Hanyou to the compartment, while Dou Zhao slipped into the inner room, just in time to hear her aunt indignantly say, "...... It's simply outrageous! If they Wang family dares to come, you don't say anything, lest you undercut your stature, and I'll come out to the table to discuss with that Gao!" 　　Mother's voice still had a few chokes in it, "Sister-in-law, why bother! Making a scene has instead given that Wang family a place to talk. No matter how you say it, it's not Yuan's fault." 　　Auntie sighed long and hard for a while before saying, "Sister is just too soft-hearted!" 　　Mother laughed, saying, "Husband and wife are one, if he loses face, I look just as bad. Sister-in-law's feelings I understand, please sister-in-law go back and don't tell your brother - it's just a concubine, do you want to alarm my mother's family's brother to give the Dou family a face sticker?" 　　"I know." Auntie said, "When the time comes, I'll just come quietly by myself." 　　"Thank you, sister-in-law." Mother said, "I rather think that the quieter this matter is, the better." 　　Auntie nodded. On the twenty-second day of the Lunar New Year, she really came alone. Aunt asked, aunt only said uncle to close the door to study, aunt did not ask more, with aunt's hand to the flower hall, and third aunt, fourth aunt, sixth aunt and other in-laws to meet the salute, but also put together two tables of horse hanging, betting on the money. Dou family women on the table on the table, look at the cards to see the cards, laughter, very lively. 　　Outside also invited only a few of my father's elder brothers, we talked and drank tea. 　　Wang family did not come. 　　Carrying Wang Ying Xue's sedan chair directly parked in the flower hall, wearing a pink moonflower makeup flower pasted Wang Ying Xue by a maid to help out of the sedan chair, in the flower hall to the mother of the tea, into the ceremony. 　　Sister Yu led Wang Ying Xue to Qixia courtyard, the people in the flower hall playing cards, jokes and jokes, until three o'clock, and then one after another dispersed. 　　Wang Yingxue was relieved. 　　The maid who helped Wang Ying Xue's mouth pouted, dissatisfied, "Miss shouldn't advise Great Grandma, look, where is this like a wedding ceremony?" 　　"Don't talk nonsense." Wang Ying Xue frowned and reprimanded that maid, "Am I a concubine to someone, is that something honorable? If Great Grandma came, it would just be a waste of humiliation. Be careful what you say in the future, if I hear such unauthorized words again, I will immediately send you back to South Pit." 　　Hearing this, the maid immediately reddened her eyes and bent her knees, "Slave girl will never dare again." 　　Wang Ying Xue was still a bit uneasy and repeatedly instructed the maid, "Under the roof, you have to bow your head. You honestly stay here for me, and remember not to cause trouble." 　　The little maid answered yes. 　　Someone reported, "The Seventh Master is here!" 　　Wang Ying Xue's eyes lit up. 　　Dou Shiying walked in quickly. 　　Wang Ying Xue hurriedly greeted him, curtsied and said, "Does seventh grandmother ...... know?" 　　"Know!" Dou Shiying laughed, "She is the one who urged me to come over." 　　Wang Ying Xue was a bit thrilled at her words, "Thanks to seventh grandmother who has given me full face, I will respect her as a full sister in the future." 　　"Could it be that in the past you didn't treat Gu Qiu as a full sister?" Dou Shiying joked, "I told you earlier that Gu Qiu is very virtuous." 　　Wang Yingxue smile stalled, said, "This matter, is my unkindness, I owe Gu Qiu sister a lot, afraid that she annoyed me, even though the heart of her as a first-degree sister, but do not know if she is not to treat me as a first-degree sister ...... now seems to be that I am too much, I in the end, not as generous as sister ." 　　Dou Shiying laughed, with a look of honor. 　　Wang Yingxue gaze slightly sunken, but quickly recovered the smile. 　　Welcome the stove king swept the dust, it is the New Year's Eve. 　　The east and west sinuses returned to Beilou Village together to pay homage to their ancestors. 　　Wang Yingxue low brow obediently followed behind Zhao Guqiu, someone's eyes fell on Wang Yingxue, holding his mother's skirt Dou Zhao will sweetly shout "Aunt Wang", the people suddenly, have praised Wang Yingxue looks good, Sister Yu on the side of the explanation: "It is the girl of the Wang family of the South Puddle. " Wang Yingxue's face was so ashamed that her face was purple. 　　The mother then reprimanded Sister Yu a few times, and then some relatives asked about Wang Yingxue, Sister Yu did not say more. 　　Dou Zhao only hated his own age. 　　Wang Yingxue looked at her mother gratefully. 　　Mother turned a blind eye, and continued to talk and laugh with the relatives in the clan. 　　But Wang Ying Xue's identity still spread. 　　During the Spring Festival, Wang Ying Xue hid at home and was not willing to go out to pay New Year's greetings to her relatives, "They are all proper grandmothers, I'm following, it's not appropriate." 　　Sister Yu smiled and advised, "What's appropriate or not? Grandma has Auntie Wang by her side, on one hand there is a companion, and on the other hand there is someone to serve tea." 　　Wang Ying Xue was very embarrassed, father could not help but frown and looked towards mother, "Is this what you mean?" 　　Mother lowered her head and took a sip of tea, faintly saying, "In that case, Aunt Wang will stay at home. It's also lest you move the fetus!" 　　Father wanted to say something. 　　Mother carried Dou Zhao out the door. 　　Father immediately followed, whispering, "If you're like this, you'll only make your relatives look at you funny." 　　"I know." Mother said expressionlessly, "When the child is born, should I tell the relatives that it was premature?" 　　"You!" Father glared angrily. 　　Mother had already quickly stepped onto the carriage. 　　Father stomped his feet, and only after a long time did he reluctantly get into the carriage. 　　Dou Zhao buried herself between the large welcome pillows in the carriage and sighed deeply. 　　Mother's worries were still justified. 　　This kind of thing was trivial, but it was distracting. 　　It's like a flea that landed on your body, if you ignore it, he bites you and itches all over your body, if you treat him as a matter, you can't say it. 　　Didn't father say that he would send Wang Yingxue to the manor? 　　After the New Year, I have to remind my father! 　　Dou Zhao pondered, ushering in the third birthday. 　　Father, mother, Wang Yingxue, grandfather, grandmother, Aunt Ding, auntie, auntie, and several aunts all sent birthday gifts to her, and mother returned the gifts with birthday noodles; the servants of the family kowtowed to her in the courtyard to pay her birthday respects, and mother rewarded each of them with five coins of silver. They rejoiced and were happier than the New Year. 　　The lanterns were closed for the Lantern Festival, and the wind blew on the face without any chill. 　　It is time for spring plowing. 　　Dou Zhao said in his heart, clamoring for his mother to go see his grandmother. 　　Mother was surprised: "Didn't we meet at New Year's?" 　　"Didn't speak into words." Dou Zhao said, "Ancestor worship when grandmother stood far away, eat New Year's Eve dinner when grandmother did not say a word, father and I have to accompany grandfather to keep vigil ...... on the first day of the New Year I went to pay my grandmother a New Year's visit, she has returned to the field village." 　　"Didn't she leave you New Year's money?" Mother smiled and took a peach blossom flower from the crystal plate and stuck it in Dou Zhao's maiden bun, "What ghost idea are you playing again?" 　　"No ghost ideas." Dou Zhao pouted, but in her heart she said, after her grandmother died, she left the fields to her, she arranged for competent people to manage the fields, and it took a lot of effort to keep the drought and floods, one of the few things she was quite proud of. 　　She hadn't been sent to the fields in this life, but she had an extremely deep affection for her grandmother and for the fields. 　　"I'll take you there again in a few days." Seeing Dou Zhao's unhappiness, her mother said, "When the spring plowing of the various field estates is finished in a few days, your father will go on a tour of the estates with the stewards, so we'll go with your father at that time." 　　It was no secret in the Dou family that grandfather disliked grandmother. In order not to offend her grandfather, her mother, like the people of the Dou family, chose to turn a blind eye to her grandmother. 　　Dou Zhao's heart was saddened when she thought of that kind woman. 　　Mother smiled, ''Why don't I take you to uncle's house to play? We haven't been back to An Xiang for some days." 　　Dou Zhao noticed that whenever her mother talked about her mother's home, she always liked to use the word "back", as if Dou was not her home. This also seemed to be a common problem for many women. However, this did not include Dou Zhao. 　　After she married into the Wei family, she only felt a long sigh of relief, people are much more energetic, quite a bit of a raised eyebrow feeling. 　　Perhaps it was because she had never treated the Dou family as her mother's family? 　　Dou Zhao pondered, and his mother went to An Xiang. 　　Countryside places, not so many rules. 　　Auntie got a letter and led her two cousins to wait for them at the gate. 　　First cousin Zhao Bi Ru Dou Zhao already knew, second cousin Zhao Candy Ru, nine years old, third cousin Zhao Zhang Ru, five years old. They all look alike, but Zhao Candy Ru is shy and Zhao Zhang Ru is lively, and as soon as she saw Dou Zhao, she pulled her toward the house, "Grandma Peng fried some sugar chestnuts, and mother said she'd wait for you to come and eat them!" 　　Dou Zhao was tugged by her and stumbled a bit, so she had to follow her inside. 　　Touniang hurriedly followed. 　　Everyone entered the gate with laughter. 　　Zhao's house is at the head of the village, the black lacquered copper ring door to enter the left hand is a horse ring, the right hand is a hayloft, piled up with crates and furniture. Left and right two compartments live in a few households of long workers, into the second door, facing the five brick house, left and right are three compartments, the window pane is glued with white gaoli paper, next to the steps is the thick old acacia tree, clean and tidy, spacious and elegant. 　　Just as her mother and aunt entered the house, Zhao Zhangru tugged on the lapel of Sister Peng, who was serving fried chestnuts in her hand, and rushed in, urging Dou Zhao: "Hurry up! The chestnuts won't taste good if they get cold." 　　This caused everyone to laugh again. 　　After a long time, Zhao Bi Ru and Zhao Candy Ru peeled chestnuts for Dou Zhao and Zhao Zhang Ru in a sisterly manner. 　　Mother and aunt, on the other hand, sat on the hot bed and talked, "Counting the days, big brother should be entering, right?" 　　"Uh-huh!" Auntie was a bit worried, "If I don't win this time, I'll have to wait another three years." 　　Mother listened and mused, "I heard Yu Daqing say, sister-in-law sold ten acres of good land some days ago ......" 　　Aunt face red, whispered: "is a year ago borrowed, I did not dare to tell your brother, your brother went to Kyoto before the sale of the field, to make up for the previous shortfall ......" and quickly said, "sister do not have to worry. I also have some dowry, just all on the booklet, afraid of your brother knows unhappy, so did not dare to move."