The news of Dou and Wei's exchange of hostages arrived.

  The rain was like beans, pouring down in torrents, instantly turning Zhengding County into a sea of water.

  Dou Zhao stood under the corridor, the heavy rain falling on the bluestone bricks splashed up water flowers that quickly soaked her skirt hem.

  Wearing a bamboo hat and wooden clogs, Su Xin walked in through the heavy rain curtains.

  "Miss, you'd better go back to the house and rest!" She advised Du Zhao while carefully removing her rain hat and handing it to the maid beside her, afraid that a slight carelessness would get Du Zhao's clothes wet with the rainwater on the hat. "It's raining too heavily outside, I've cleaned up the warm room as you instructed, and also arranged for two experienced matrons to keep watch there, so please rest assured!"

  How can Dou Zhao be at ease?

  Spring rain is precious as silk.

  But if this spring rain keeps falling like this, the crops that have just been planted will probably be drowned to death.

  She raised her head and gazed at the dark sky, then furrowed her brow and entered the house.

  Chen Qu rushed over in the rain.

  "Miss, I think the weather is not good, shouldn't someone go and take a look at Tianzhuang?" His face was very solemn.

  "Master and I have thought about it," said Dou Zhao, as the sky lit up with a flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder sounded, "I think this rain won't stop for a while. The East Wing and the main house were renovated two years ago, but the West Wing and the He Shou Hall might need someone to check if there are any leaks."

  Chen Qu Shui saw Dou Zhao and understood in his heart, feeling relieved.

  Hong Gu held up a wax paper umbrella and supported Cui Yi's mother over.

  "Mr. Chen is here too!" She greeted Chen Quanshui, her eyes filled with deep worry, "Shougu, this rain is too heavy, I'm afraid the crops in the fields won't be able to withstand it, I have to go back and take a look."

  "That's impossible!" Du Shao and Chen Quanshui exclaimed in unison. "If anyone is going, it should be us! How can we let you go?"

  Everyone was amused and burst out laughing, and the atmosphere suddenly became warm.

  "What's the use of you going?" said Grandma. "You don't understand farming, and even if you go, it'll just be a superficial look. I'd better go myself!" Then she instructed Shougu, "Prepare a horse carriage for me. If the crops in the field are really damaged, after the rain stops, we need to think of a way to let everyone replant something, or else today's harvest will be lost. Even if we exempt them from rent, this life is still very difficult, and we need to prepare some grain to lend them for winter, otherwise people will starve."

  Dong Zhao was not a person who had experienced famine, and Chen Quanshui also got through the famine years very well. Neither of them felt deeply about their grandmother's concerns, so they didn't have the same sense of urgency as her. One of them advised: "With such heavy rain, what if you catch a cold?" Another one said: "Aunt Cui doesn't need to worry. In recent years, Zhengding has been blessed with good weather, and even if there is a flood disaster, the county and provincial governments will think of ways to deal with it. If all else fails, the imperial court will also send people to provide relief, so you don't need to worry too much."

  Cui's aunt shook her head and insisted on going back to Tianzhuang to take a look.

  Dong Zhao had no choice but to say: "Then I'll go myself!"

  "Chui's aunt naturally disagreed: 'You're just a young girl, what can you accomplish by going there?'"

  Dong Zhao has been treating Cui Yiniang like this for years. Chen Quanshui smiled and said, "If you're not at ease, I'll accompany Fourth Miss on a trip? Maybe the rain will stop soon! You must be tired from traveling. I'm afraid Fourth Miss is also restless at home."

  That's okay too!

  Dong Zhao was thinking to himself, and Chen Quanshui kept saying left and right sentences, making Dong Zhao completely unable to defend himself, and had no choice but to agree to let Chen Quanshui accompany him to the countryside to take a look.

  Su Xin hurriedly passed through Chen Xiaofeng and Duan Gongyi, while Su Lan urged the coachman to harness the horses. Gan Lu prepared tea and food for the journey, and Su Xiang prepared rain gear. In less than half a stick of incense time, everything was ready.

  Two young servants who were waiting on Chen Qiushui hurried over, and they all walked into the rain with their rain gear.

  At the gate of Chuihua, he met Duan Zhao who had just returned from paying respects to the second mistress.

  Two servant women who escorted Du Zhao back home hurried to kneel down and pay their respects, fawningly calling out "Fourth Miss" and solicitously asking: "In such a big rain, where are you going? Do you want us old slaves to escort you for a while?"

  Dong Zhao recognized them as servants by the side of the second lady.

  Unexpectedly, Dou Zhao was able to win the favor of Second Mistress.

  She cast a relieved glance at Du Ming and let Su Xin reward each of the two women with a red envelope.

  The two old women thanked them again and again.

  Dou Ming's face turned bright red under Dou Zhao's glance.

  She thought to herself that she had braved the heavy rain to pay her respects to Second Mistress, and yet Second Mistress was only slightly more pleasant than usual towards her. Unlike Duan Zhao, who said it was raining too heavily and sent a servant with some lotus seed paste and tremella fuciformis for Second Master. Second Mistress's face suddenly lit up like a blooming flower as she spoke to Liu Mama: "This child, although motherless, is indeed blessed with good fortune. Without the Wu family, there was the He family; without the He family, there was the Wei family - and in the end, she fulfilled her mother's wish by becoming the wife of the young master."

  "It's all settled then. That old thing, Liu Mama, was still flattering on the side, saying, 'From now on, it will be Madame Hou, a first-class title, and she will be the best among our family's daughters!'"

  Dou Zhao couldn't hear it again, did he deserve such flattery?

  She held her breath until she entered the door and saw Tong Yao being surrounded by people in front of and behind her.

  Not like them, but with several maids and servants, not to clear the way, but as bodyguards, the maids serving closely by their side, and next to them was an accountant running back and forth, just like a young master from some wealthy family on an outing. No, even a young master from an ordinary family wouldn't have such a grand procession.

  Dong Ming couldn't help but sneer: "Sister, you're about to become the wife of a marquis, what's going on that you can't order your guards or servants around? If all else fails, you can even command the maids and old ladies. Why do you have to take matters into your own hands? Could it be that the marriage with the Wei family has fallen through again? But sister, you shouldn't be unable to command our household's servants, they've always been afraid of you, haven't they?"

  This is a matter between the Dou sisters and has nothing to do with outsiders commenting on who's right or wrong.

  Chen Xiaofeng and others were silent as mountains.

  The two old ladies in the Second Mistress's residence sucked in a cold breath, thinking to themselves that they were unlucky, how did they get entangled in such an unpleasant matter. Is it true that everyone in the Eastern Manor says that the Fifth Miss of the Western Manor is not to be trifled with? From now on, if there's anything like this again, I'd rather be scolded by Old Lady Liu than get involved and stay far, far away from it.

  Yu Ming's attendants were so frightened that they didn't dare to make a sound, and Zhou Mama was also covered in sweat, no longer caring about seniority, and pressed Yu Ming to apologize to Yu Zhao: "How can you speak to your sister like this!"

  Dòu míng gǒng zhe bó zi bù dī tóu.

  Translation: Dumb and stubborn, refusing to lower his head.

  Dong Zhao lightly smiled: "I didn't expect that our family would produce a strong general, if I don't help you, wouldn't it be a waste?" As he spoke, he exited the Weeping Flower Gate.

  Chen Xiaofeng and others quietly followed Dou Zhao, passing by Dou Ming with their eyes downcast, as if she was a person who had nothing to do with them.

  Dong Ming's face turned bright red as she waited for Dong Zhao to leave, then she asked Zhou Mama in a low voice: "What kind of person is 'Qiang Xiang Ling'? What did she mean by that?"

  Zhou Ayi also didn't know, and hesitated: "Why don't you ask Mr. Song?"

  Dong Ming nodded slightly.

  In the carriage, Ganluo curiously asked Dou Zhao: "Miss, are you going to deduct Fifth Miss's monthly allowance?"

  Dou Zhaoyao's maidservants all followed her in reading books, and Su Xin knew several of these allusions. Qiang Xiangling Dong Xuan was a straightforward and honest person, and his family was poor.

  "The monthly allowance is a rule in the mansion, which one she broke and which article will be deducted from her allowance?" Du Zhao said calmly, "However, there are regulations in the mansion. Unmarried young ladies receive 15 taels of silver as pocket money every month, while those who have not yet reached adulthood only receive 2 taels of silver for cosmetics." She told Su Xin, "You should remind Gao Xing that Fifth Miss is only eleven years old this year, where would she need pocket money? Moreover, the music teacher, Wan Niang, was not hired by our mansion. Since Gao Sheng did not specifically instruct otherwise, Wan Niang's clothing and seasonal attire should not be provided by us either." What she cared about now was the rain, the harvest in the fields, and the livelihood of those farming households. Where would she have time to bother with Du Ming's provocations? "I find that there are many such small matters, Su Xin. You must pay more attention to these things in the future, lest you ruin the rules of the mansion."

  Miss Wu did this in front of everyone, not giving Miss Si any face. Miss Si wouldn't let it go with just a small punishment, given her temperament. Who knows what kind of big trouble she'll stir up later on.

  Fourth Miss looks strict on Fifth Miss, but actually she still loves and takes care of her.

  A gentle smile seemed to be the response.

  Dòu Zhāo threw this matter to the back of his mind and lifted the curtain to look outside.

  The field that had just been plowed was a vast expanse of white, with only a few blades of grass swaying in the wind. The branches of the trees rustled and creaked as the wind blew through them, while the raindrops hitting the roof sounded like "patter patter" as if hail was falling.

  When they arrived at the crossroads leading to Tianzhuang, the road was already muddy and impassable. The horse carriage would probably get stuck if it went any further.

  Duan Gongyi said without hesitation, "Unhitch the horses, and we'll push the carriage into the village." He then turned to Chen Quanshui and said, "Please wait here for a moment, sir. I'll go into the village to borrow a pack mule to carry you in."

  Chen Qushui shook his head: "No need, I can just walk in. I still have luggage at the Tiantang Hotel, and when the time comes, I'll just change into a pair of shoes."

  In the heavy rain, Duan Gongyi was not polite to Chen Qu Shui either. He broke a thick branch of a tree and handed it over to Chen Qu Shui: "Sir, use it as a walking stick!" Then he and Chen Xiao Feng pulled the carriage into the village from front and back.

  The laborers of each household in the village stood under the eaves, looking at the increasingly heavy rain with worry. When they saw the Dou family's carriage enter the village, they all cheered and grabbed whatever was available to cover their heads as they surrounded it.

  "Oh, it's Fourth Miss!"

  "Where is Aunt Choi?"

  "Fourth Miss, what's going on? The corn just started sprouting."

  "Yes, Fourth Miss, shall we dig a hole and let the water out?"

  Everyone was talking at once.

  "Fourth Miss has come for this matter." Duan Gongyi shouted loudly, "This is both wind and rain. Wait until Fourth Miss settles down, she will call everyone to discuss this matter. Don't be anxious, let Fourth Miss rest for a while first."

  The crowd immediately made way for him.

  Dòu Zhāo entered the main house surrounded by Su Xīn and others.

  Several old women in Tianzhuang Village boiled hot water, hugged clean quilts and cushions, and soon Duan Zhao sat cleanly on the large kang by the window, drinking hot tea and discussing with several older farmers in the village how to get through the difficulties.

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  Readers, my niece passed by Wuhan and came to see me on purpose. Today's update will be a bit late, everyone can look at it tomorrow morning!

  o(n_n)o~

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