Dong Zhaoleng smiled and said: "My doubts are getting heavier!"

  Chen Qu Shui disagreed: "It's not that Miss is overly suspicious, but rather we are currently just a vine attached to the Duan family tree, without our own channels to access those core things. We can only speculate on the development of events through observing some minor details, and thus avoid those things that could affect us..." He paused here, his expression solemn as he continued, "Fourth Miss, thanks to your kindness, I'm not unaware of what's going on at home... I know you want to be self-reliant, but have you thought it through carefully? This kind of thing, without ten years of effort, is impossible."

  "I not only think, but also know that our path is very difficult." Du Zhao nodded, "I am a woman of the family, I cannot establish my own door, and must rely on the Du family. This is one difficulty. I do not plan to marry, and have no children, which means that my direct descendants will not be able to produce a scholar-official, without a scholar-official, in politics, we can only rely on others, this is two difficulties. Although I have a large amount of property under my name, every year there is only 10,000 taels of silver for expenses, although I opened a stationery shop, and had the help of someone like Fan Wen, without five years of hard work, it would be difficult to make a name for myself, and even if I became the number one in Northern Zhili, its income compared to our expenses is simply a drop in the bucket - we need to support a group of people who can help us gather information at any time, this is three difficulties. These are things that even I think about, Mr. Chen must see further and deeper than me." She said sincerely, "So when Mr. Chen agreed to help me, although I didn't say it out loud, in my heart I was very grateful."

  Chen Qu Shui hastily bowed his hands: "Ashamed. Ashamed! This old man's learning is shallow, couldn't help Miss in any way."

  "Sir, there's no need to be modest," Dou Zhao said with a smile. "Without you, we wouldn't have today's situation." Her eyes were firm and bright, her tone calm and fearless. "But I won't give up just because it's difficult. I must try!"

  Chen Qu Shui nodded solemnly: "That's exactly what Miss said."

  He had his eye on Duan Zhao precisely because of this.

  No matter what difficulties you encounter, don't give up.

  His heart, which had long been disheartened and disappointed, also began to beat with excitement.

  A person, as long as he has an unshakable faith and the courage to move forward bravely, no matter how tortuous and difficult the process is, what awaits him in the end will surely be a rich harvest.

  He was afraid that Du Zhao would give up halfway.

  The topic of their conversation was very serious, and the atmosphere in the room was inevitably somewhat solemn.

  Dong Zhao didn't like this atmosphere.

  She smiled and encouraged Chen Quanshui: "Look now, my annual salary has risen from 1,000 taels to 10,000 taels, and I've even invited masters like Duan Gongyi and Chen Xiaofeng to protect me. This is something that couldn't have been imagined in the past! Life is long, who knows what will happen? We must have confidence."

  Chen Qu Shui burst out laughing. He put down his heart: "Alright! As long as the young lady has confidence, I'll follow her with this old and weak body for another round, what's the harm?"

  Dong Zhaonan couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth and toasted Chen Qu with tea instead of wine.

  Chen Qu drank it all in one gulp.

  Two people can't help but look at each other and smile. Elegant words reveal deep emotions.

  In just a few days, Cui Shi San returned from Kyoto: "Alright, I've visited those people you mentioned." He said suspiciously, "You really want me to become the second-in-command at that stationery store in Kyoto? But I don't know anything about it. Are you trying to get me to learn for two years at Du's store first? Besides, Fan Wen Shu is doing a great job, there's no need to add another second-in-command."

  As for Fan Wenshu's enthusiasm and hidden vigilance, if it were in the past, he would definitely have argued with him. However, since following Duan Qijun to observe the lives of migrant workers, his mindset has undergone a significant change. He feels that Fan Wenshu's behavior is normal human nature, not only can he empathize but also understand, no need to make a fuss, and there's no point in arguing with Fan Wenshu when he hasn't done anything wrong.

  Dong Zhao didn't make a sound, his pale and slender fingers with distinct joints gently stroked the green glaze of the teacup, saying in a low voice: "Thirteen. Have you heard about my mother's affairs?"

  Cui Shi San Yi was taken aback and lowered his eyelids as if avoiding something, saying softly: "No!"

  "You're lying." Dou Zhao said with a smile, his voice clear and pleasant to hear.

  Chui Thirteen was in a very sorry state.

  Dong Zhaoyou said calmly, "The Wang family is powerful, and I can't afford to provoke them now. But that doesn't mean I won't be able to in the future. When I let you become the second manager, it wasn't so you could interfere with the affairs of the Pen Shop, but rather so you could go to Kyoto and make connections with some officials who can provide us with opportunities."

  She confessed to Cui Shi San.

  Chui Thirteen's face changed greatly: "You want revenge on the Wang family?" Then he hastily said, "I won't participate in this matter..."

  How unpredictable life is!

  Dong Zhao smiled self-deprecatingly.

  The person who was most loyal to her in her past life bluntly rejected her in this life.

  "Revenge on the Wang family?" She slowly picked up her teacup, "You're overestimating them and underestimating me."

  Choi's eyes widened in shock.

  "Do I need to avenge her?" Du Zhao sipped his tea calmly and said coldly, "I just need to advise my father to take a concubine, have a younger son for me to raise, and find someone to seduce Du Ming. She'll be finished! Do I still need to avenge myself?"

  "What, what are you going to do?" Cui Thirteen's face turned white as paper and he jumped up.

  Not bad, what she said is absolutely right.

  The Wang family has not been able to produce a male heir for so many years, and Duan Zhao can completely pressure Duan Shiying through the second lady or even Cui Yiniang to take a concubine. As for Wangshi, she lost her rights as the main mother, and it would be reasonable to hand over the young eldest son to the gentle and steady, generous and heavy eldest daughter to raise. Now that the entire Duan family is under Duan Zhao's control, ruining Duan Ming's reputation would be easy as pie, not even requiring any brainpower...

  An idea flashed through his mind, and Cui Thirteen looked at Du Zhaoyi's frosty face, and suddenly had an epiphany, thinking of another possibility.

  "He couldn't help but exclaim: 'Are you thinking of setting up your own household?' As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately denied himself, 'No, no, no...'"

  Chui Thirteen has always been so clever.

  Dong Zhao let out a long sigh and asked him: "Why is it impossible?"

  "Because you're a woman..."

  "Chui's aunt is also a woman," said Du Zhao with a smile. "Isn't she living well too?"

  Chui Thirteen's mind suddenly became a bit muddled, and he couldn't help but lower his head to think. Gradually, a bold idea began to take shape in his mind: "You're saying that by taking a seat in the Duan family, you can make them have no choice but to respect you..."

  "Do you want to follow me and do it together?" Du Zhao smiled but didn't answer, inviting him, "In this way, the Cui family will have the ability to cultivate their children to read books. Who knows, maybe dozens or hundreds of years later, they will become a second Du family!"

  Chui Thirteen's eyes shone brightly for a moment, but then he said resolutely, "Do it."

  Dong Zhao nodded secretly in his heart and said in a low voice: "This time you go to Kyoto, the most important thing is to find a way to quietly release the printed money..."

  She told Cui Thirteen about her plan.

  Cui Thirteen listened and listened, his eyes getting brighter and brighter, until finally he was boiling with enthusiasm.

  "Fourth Miss, just watch me!"

  This was the first time he addressed Du Zhao as "you".

  Dong Zhao pretended he hadn't heard and nodded with a smile.

  Cui Thirteen said: "That, why didn't you use those means to deal with Wang?"

  Dong Zhao fell silent for a moment before saying in a low voice: "As a human being, one must have a bottom line!"

  Chui Thirteen remained silent for a long time, sat quietly for a while, got up and bowed respectfully to her, then retreated.

  Dong Zhao sat alone on a large kang by the window, slowly sipping his tea.

  Wang Yingshuo did something wrong and should be punished for it. The Wang family may not care, but she will take care of herself.

  But not now.

  Nothing will make her regret or despair, but only sadness and sorrow.

  Dòu Míng, I owe it to myself in my past life.

  This world has done nothing wrong.

  Don't take revenge on her for something she hasn't done.

  This is the principle of being one's own person.

  She didn't cheat Cui Thirteen.

  Dong Zhao turned his head away.

  Through the glass windowpane, she saw several little maids building a snowman in the courtyard.

  The cheerful expressions of the little girls slowly relaxed her tense expression.

  Chen Qu Shui followed Su Xin and hastily walked in.

  Dong Zhao was somewhat surprised and loudly ordered the maid waiting outside: "Please ask Mr. Chen and Su Xin to come in directly."

  The little maid responded with a "yes", and in just a few moments, Chen Quanshui and Su Xin lifted the curtain and entered.

  There was no one else in the house. Su Xin had already gone out to lift the curtain, and Chen Qu Shui solemnly bowed to Dou Zhao.

  "What's wrong?" Du Zhao's expression also became heavy.

  "He Gongzi, no, the He family has formally proposed to the Duan family! Chen Quanshui took a deep breath and said, 'The Fifth Master and your respected father have both agreed.'"

  Dong Zhao's heart and spirit were both shaken, and he exclaimed in great surprise: "Have the two families formally exchanged engagement letters? When did this happen? Has the Dong family received any news about it?"

  "We haven't formally exchanged betrothal gifts yet." Chen Quanshui's expression didn't look relaxed at all. "This happened two days ago. The He family invited the Hanlin Academy scholar Cai Yi to propose to your father on their behalf. Although your father didn't give a clear answer, he did discuss this matter with Sixth Master and then agreed to the marriage after that. Now we're using Fifth Master's name to utilize the military's postal service to send messages, but the East Manor still doesn't know about this."

  Dong Zhaqiang endured it and didn't mutter a few words of discontent about his father, but in her heart, she also understood that her father wasn't wrong in this matter - the parents' orders, the matchmaker's words, the He family's prominent status, He Yun's outstanding appearance, and being the youngest son who was favored by the family, it wasn't strange at all for her father to agree to this marriage.

  It's just...

  "Wait a minute..." she said, "Hao Daren is my father's fellow disciple. Logically speaking, Hao Ye should call my father 'Shifu', how could they propose marriage to our family?"

  The fifth uncle is trying his best to win over the He family, and it's possible that he might turn a blind eye or pretend not to know. Father has never had any strong opinions, so it's possible that he could be persuaded by the fifth uncle, but the He family shouldn't make such a mistake!

  "It seems that Mr. He was making a ruckus at home," said Chen Quanshui, looking at Duan Zhao's expression with some oddity, "Mr. and Mrs. He had no choice but to agree."

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  Sisters and brothers, here is yesterday's update.

  o(n_n)o~

  Ps: Regarding the voting for pink tickets, except for a few fixed holidays such as May Day, National Day, and New Year's Day when there will be double pink ticket activities where one pink ticket counts as two, all other times are counted as one vote per ticket. Everyone can vote at any time, just don't forget to support Jiǔchóngzǐ (Ninefold Purple). Pink tickets are calculated once a month and expire after that.

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