Wei Tingzhen was suddenly flustered and disordered. Elegant words and feelings were first expressed.

  She asked the old woman: "What else did the people from the Duan family say?"

  "That person didn't know whether he was honest or stupid, asking three questions before answering one," said the nanny. "It was this sentence that she inadvertently blurted out and I overheard."

  Wei Tingzhen was in a great hurry and consulted with her mother about this matter.

  Tian's family was also surprised and said, "It shouldn't be like this - the Duan family can't not prepare a dowry for Duan Zhao, and she should still have her own savings left by Lady Zhao. How could she run to Kyoto to ask for a dowry just before getting married?"

  "So I think this matter is very suspicious!" Wei Tingzhen heard her mother say, and became even more suspicious. "I think we should send someone to investigate carefully..."

  "This isn't quite right, is it?" Tian said hesitantly. "Even if the Dou family's dowry is substantial, it has nothing to do with us..."

  "Mother!" Wei Tingzhen interrupted her mother's words with a slight headache, "We're going to ask about Du Zhao's dowry, not necessarily to take advantage of her dowry. Who doesn't want to add flowers to the brocade? If Du Zhao can bring more dowry over, she'll have more financial resources, and you might be able to give her less support. If she can leave some property for your grandchildren, won't their lives be better? Our family is small, while the Du family has many children. If Du Zhao's relationship with our family is close, won't my brother have more people to rely on? If she's very distant from our family, what's the point of this marriage?"

  Tian was persuaded by his daughter and said, "Then you help investigate."

  Wei Tingzhen somewhat dejectedly responded with a "yes", and sent Jin Yiniang to investigate Duan Zhao's matter.

  Hong Gu nervously returned to the Pen Shop, and as soon as she entered, she pulled Chen Qu Shui aside to talk: "I did exactly as you instructed... but what if the Wei family misunderstands that Miss didn't bring a dowry, and they look down on our Miss, what can we do?"

  Chen Qu Shui didn't wait for her to speak, and his face had already turned stern: "What are you talking about? No wonder our family's young lady has a dowry, the Wei family was overjoyed to take her back. Without a dowry, they want to break off the engagement? If the Wei family is this kind of household, then it's better not to marry! I'm letting you go. It's precisely to test what kind of people the Wei family are. Men fear entering the wrong profession, women fear marrying the wrong husband. Seventh Master is someone who doesn't worry, and Seventh Mistress even more so - they're completely clueless about their own daughter's affairs. If we don't help our young lady keep a level head, won't she suffer a great loss? Now that we know what kind of attitude the Wei family has, we can also think of a counter-strategy. We absolutely cannot let our young lady be wronged!"

  A word made Red Girl feel a great responsibility. She took the initiative to report to Chen Qu Shui: "That Madame Wei is indeed a very kind and gentle person, treating me with courtesy, but it's that personal maid beside Madame Wei. When she looks at people, her eyes seem to hide needles, testing me, it's that maid."

  "Look, this is a test!" Chen Quanshui said with great righteousness. "Miss's future mother-in-law is a kind-hearted person, but the people around her dare to probe you, which means that Madame Wei is not strict with her subordinates and has weak ears. This is what they call 'the king of hell is easy to meet, but the little ghosts are hard to deal with.' If our miss marries into their family and wants to win over her mother-in-law's heart, the first thing she needs to do is to curry favor with those people around Madame Wei."

  Hong Gu felt Chen Qu Shui's words were very reasonable and couldn't help but nod in agreement.

  Sun Duanzhao is the one who has the final say at home, but now that she's getting married, not only does she have to consider Madame Wei's feelings, but also those of the servants around her. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Sun Duanzhao and was choked with emotion as she said: "Mr. Chen, Miss is being wronged too much!"

  "Alas!" Chen Quanshui sighed, "Why is it said that a girl at home is worth a thousand pieces of gold, but once married she becomes 'concubine'?" Then he consoled Hong Gu, "Which woman hasn't come through this way!"

  Hong Gu fell silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "Then what should I do next?" With an expression of cooperation with Chen Qu Shui's actions.

  Chen Qu Shui nodded slightly and said, "Tomorrow we'll go together to pay our respects to Seventh Master, and then discuss with him the dowry for Miss - although Miss has half of the Xidu family's property in her name, if she were to take it all to the Wei family at once, you've seen that Madame Wei is not a capable person, who knows what might happen? There's a saying that goes 'it's easy to share hardships, but hard to share wealth and honor.' If the Wei family were to take advantage of Miss, that would be disastrous for her. What about the dowry then? We'll have to ask Seventh Master to make a decision on this matter. After that, you can move around Kyoto freely - isn't it just a trip to Kyoto?! If someone asks you anything, just tell them straightforwardly, as long as you don't reveal our conversations with Seventh Master to others."

  Hong's tension eased, and her whole person became lighter.

  She had lived for most of her life, but she had never deceived anyone or told a lie. When she promised Chen Qu Shui in front of the Wei family that they would say so, it was because this time they came to Kyoto to discuss with Seventh Master about Miss's dowry.

  "Mr. Chen, please rest assured, the words of the host family cannot be spread randomly, this principle I still understand." Hong Gu busy guaranteed to Chen Qu Shui, "Except for Cui Ya Niang, no one will ask me and I won't say anything."

  Chen Qu nodded his head in delight.

  The next day, I went to Jing'an Temple Hutong with Hong Gu.

  Jing'an Temple Alley is exactly what "Jing'an" means.

  White walls, lush big trees, quiet alleys, a kind of ancient natural atmosphere that makes people who walk into the alleys unconsciously relax their footsteps and even out their breathing.

  Dong Shiying met Chen Qu Shui and Hong Gu in the study room.

  He couldn't help but scratch his head and said, "What did Shougu say?"

  Chen Qu Shui counted from one to ten in her heart before speaking: "Fourth Miss's meaning is that except for the things left to her by Madam Zhao, everything else is still controlled by Third Master Duan. Wait until they get married and see what Young Master thinks before making arrangements."

  The husband is Qian and the wife is Kun. If the two are harmonious and beautiful, such a large industry cannot be an ordinary family's dowry, and it must be handed over to the husband to manage. If Wei Tingyu is not good enough for Du Zhao, then Du Zhao doesn't have to give him face.

  Dong Shiying caught the implication behind Chen Qu Shui's words. He readily said: "Then let's do it according to Fourth Miss's intention."

  This was within Duan Zhao and Chen Qu Shui's expectations. Chen Qu Shui smiled and replied "yes", then handed the dowry list to Duan Shi Ying: "This is what Madam wrote during Miss's hairpinning ceremony, Auntie Cui added a few items, Sixth Madam also added a few items, take a look if there's anything that needs to be added or subtracted."

  Dong Shiying glanced at it and returned it to Chen Qu Shui, saying: "Since Auntie, Cui Niangniang and Liu Taotai have all seen it, I don't think there's anything wrong with the design. Just prepare according to this." As she spoke, her tone paused slightly, saying: "I also have a few flower-and-bird paintings here that Shougu will probably like; when the time comes, we'll give them to her as part of her dowry too!"

  Can be collected by Su Shiying. Naturally, they are all good things.

  Chen Qu Shui hurriedly thanked Dou Shiying on behalf of Dou Zhaoyi.

  Dong Shiying felt that he could afford this gift and accepted it with a big smile, instructing Chen Quanshui: "As for the dowry in the public school, you can discuss it with Madam Liu at that time." Then he kept Chen Quanshui and Hong Gu staying at home, "Living in the shop is not a good idea!"

  "Because Miss is getting married, the accounts in the shop need to be settled quickly." Chen Quanshui smiled respectfully, "Hong Gu is also entrusted by Cui Niangniang to buy some good things for Miss's dowry, and it's convenient to live in the shop. After a few days, when things are almost done, I'll come again to bother Seventh Master."

  Dong Shiying is not a pedantic person, and he thinks Chen Qu's words also make sense, so he asked about the situation at home.

  Hong Gu replied one by one.

  As it was almost time for lunch, Chen Quanshui stood up and bid farewell: "I still have to rush to Mao'er Hutong, Miss asked me to bring some things to Sixth Aunt."

  In Du Shiying's heart, Du Shixiang's home and his own home were no different.

  "Go!" He didn't mind and instructed them. "Since Shougu is going to marry into Kyoto, you should also go to Wu Lao Ye's place on her behalf."

  Chen Qu's heart secretly rejoiced. He respectfully said "yes".

  Dong Shiying let Gao Sheng see them off at the door.

  Chen Qu Shui blocked Gao Sheng at the door: "A family doesn't speak of two families, I won't be polite to you, and you don't have to be polite to me. Otherwise, it's like treating me as an outsider."

  They are indeed a family.

  Gao Sheng smiled and stopped in his tracks, watching Chen Qiushui and Hong Gu leave.

  Chen Qu Shui and Hong Gu had a casual lunch at a small restaurant next to Jing'an Temple, then went to Mao Er Hutong.

  Mrs. Liu held onto Hong Gu's hand and wouldn't let go, asking her every day what she ate for each meal until she was satisfied before asking Hong Gu why she came to Kyoto.

  Hong Gu only said it was about discussing Dou Shiying's dowry with Dou Zhao, and didn't mention anything else.

  Madam Liu heard the sound and knew it was elegant. She chatted with Hong Gu about some trivial matters, while a young servant from the outer courtyard came to invite Hong Gu on behalf of Chen Quanshui.

  Hong Gu got up and bid farewell: "Seventh Master ordered us to let us go on behalf of the young lady to ask Fifth Master for a moment's peace."

  "You have to recognize the gate." Old Mrs. Liu personally escorted Hong Gu to the second gate and asked them what they had prepared.

  "Old Master Wu is a jade lion paperweight, and Madame Wu is a strand of nanmu wood Buddhist beads..." Chen Qu Shui reported the gift list to Madame Liu.

  Madam Liu saw that everything was well-prepared and very thoughtful, only then did she put her mind at ease. She instructed the two of them on some matters to pay attention to and had Wang's wife see them out the door.

  Chen Qu Shui and Hong Gu went to Dou Shi Shu's residence in Huai Tree Alley.

  Dong Shi Heng was not at home. When Wu Tai Tai heard that Cui Yi Niang's maid had come to pay her respects, she was extremely surprised.

  She thought for a moment and met Hongyu in the flower hall.

  Hong Gu had long heard of the Fifth Lady, who was the daughter of Fan Junming, the chief examiner when Wu Lao Ye took the imperial examination. Not only did she come from an official family, but she was also clever and capable, being Wu Lao Ye's virtuous helper. However, she had never seen her before, and people generally believed in "the wife relies on the husband's prestige". Duan Shi Zhui was now a Grand Minister, so when she saw Fifth Lady, she was trembling with fear, not even daring to lift her head, let alone speak much.

  Madam Wu heard that Hong Gu was just representing Duan Zhaoli on a courtesy visit to her, and she felt slightly relieved.

  After Dou Shi entered the government, her home was bustling with people coming and going, most of whom had ulterior motives. As for the fourth Miss Dou, although she hadn't met her before, she had heard a lot about her and how every move she made would stir up trouble. She really feared that Dou Zhao would ask her for help with something - after all, her mother-in-law, the second madam, had instructed her to let the second madam take charge of anything related to Dou Zhao. As Dou Shi's wife, she naturally understood the reason behind this.

  ※

  Sisters and brothers, make up for the update on April 2nd.

  Tonight's update, everyone will see it tomorrow!

  o(n_n)o~

  ※