Hearing this, Madam Ruan felt a mix of touched, exasperated, and amused emotions.
Her eyes slightly reddened, she took Dousha’s hand and said,
“Silly girl, you shouldn’t be confined to this inner courtyard, wasting your life away.
“I’ve already prepared the money to redeem your freedom. Once your marriage is settled, I’ll buy back your contract and have your servitude status removed, so you can marry happily and joyfully.
“Once you regain your freedom and start your own family, the second half of your life is sure to be happy and fulfilling.
“Dousha, your bright days are also waiting for you ahead…”
Dousha knelt down on one knee and hugged Madam Ruan’s legs.
“Madam, you are the kindest person to me, your servant, in this whole world. Your servant truly can’t bear to leave you…”
“Dousha, you’re still young. The road of life is very long.
“In the future, you’ll have your own husband. He will cherish and protect you.
“You’ll also have your own children. Your children will love you. They will all treat you very well…”
Madam Ruan stroked the back of Dousha’s head, speaking gently.
“But Madam, your servant is afraid they won’t treat me well…”
Dousha’s voice choked with sobs. She had been sold when she was very young and had followed Madam Ruan ever since entering the mansion.
Madam Ruan, Sheng Mingshu, and Huaishan were just like family to her.
The thought of suddenly leaving her familiar environment and loved ones to marry a man and have children — even if that man was excellent — still filled her heart with fear.
“Don’t be afraid…
“Even if, in the worst-case scenario, they don’t love you, that’s okay. You still have yourself!
“As long as you don’t bully yourself, and you love yourself, that’s enough!
“When you marry, I’ll prepare a generous dowry for you. So even if you don’t rely on your husband or children in the future, you can still live well on your own!
“Besides, you still have me and Shuer to back you up in any situation.”
“Wuwuwu… Madam…”
Dousha was incredibly touched, crying and laughing at the same time.
Could Madam Ruan bear to part with Dousha? Of course not. But she couldn’t bear to hold Dousha back either.
Dousha was still a half-grown child when she came to Madam Ruan; you could say Madam Ruan raised her.
After all these years of depending on each other, Madam Ruan had long come to see Dousha as her own little sister.
That’s why this time, Madam Ruan swallowed her pride and suggested that Dousha come along to the potential match viewing.
She calmed her emotions, dried the tears under her own eyes, then helped dry the tears on Dousha’s face, teasing her,
“Get up and sit down. And don’t go dismissing the Wang family just yet. This match still depends on whether the Wang family agrees to a viewing.
“Besides, if I’m guessing correctly, if the Wang family agrees to a viewing, Du-momo will probably choose the Wang family for Dujuan.”
Only then did Dousha sit on a small stool, blinking her moist eyes.
“Then, Madam, the second family you mentioned…”
“The second family is the Li family, Li Zhigao.
“His whole family are the Madam’s personal servants, so their circumstances aren’t bad.
“Li Zhigao’s father is also a manor steward, and his mother is exceptionally skilled at embroidery. If you marry into that family, you won’t lack for food or clothing.
“Li Zhigao is an only son. Although not having siblings might mean less support in daily matters, for major issues, the Madam will take responsibility, so it’s not a big problem.
“His family has simple dynamics. For a daughter-in-law, there would be no difficult sister-in-law relationships, so life would be more peaceful and straightforward.
“You also wouldn’t need to worry about your in-laws favoring one child over another, causing family chaos and annoyance.”
As Dousha listened, she nodded like a chick pecking at grain, seeming very satisfied with Li Zhigao. Madam Ruan found it amusing.
“What’s most rare is that Li Zhigao’s parents are very loving. Parents are the best role models for their children. Having grown up with that example, Li Zhigao, when he marries, won’t treat his wife poorly either.”
Dousha exclaimed in admiration,
“Madam, Seventh Miss and Cousin Miss are truly impressive! They even found out whether Li Zhigao’s parents are loving or not!”
“It’s probably Qingzhu’s doing. Qingzu deals with the manor people year-round and said she rarely sees that couple quarrel. The tenant farmers also speak well of them.”
“Madam, does he have any shortcomings?”
“Of course he does. Everyone in this world has shortcomings.
“As an only son, he must have been spoiled since childhood, used to his parents centering their world around him.
“Perhaps when dealing with family, he might not be very good at putting himself in others’ shoes.”
“So he wouldn’t take out his bad mood on his wife and hit her, would he?”
“Where did you get that idea?” Madam Ruan shook her head, amused.
“For a junior steward on the manor, he has to please his superiors above and manage the tenant farmers below. Qingzhu evaluates him as highly capable. Someone with unstable emotions couldn’t do that job well.”
Dousha breathed a sigh of relief. “As long as he doesn’t hit people, that’s fine. I don’t have Qingchi’s strength; I can’t marry a violent maniac—”
“Another thing: he’s twenty years old this year. It’s very rare for a junior steward his age not to be married yet.”
Dousha was puzzled. “Is he exceptionally ugly?”
Then she murmured to herself, “No, that can’t be right. Seventh Miss and Cousin Miss wouldn’t pick any misshapen or rotten fruits…”
As she spoke, Dousha’s eyes widened in a look of utter terror.
“Does he… fancy men instead?”
Madam Ruan pinched the bridge of her nose. Although it wasn’t impossible, the fact that Dousha only thought of that possibility left her quite speechless.
“Why don’t you consider that he might have an unrequited love he can’t have?”
“Oh, right…” Dousha stuck out her tongue.
“If he… fancies men, or has someone he likes, he’ll find an excuse to refuse coming to the capital for a viewing.
“He wouldn’t dare marry a trusted maid from the mistress’s side in the mansion just to have a decoration at home. He’d gain nothing but end up offending people.
“But if he does end up coming, it means he’s been waiting for this opportunity all along.
“That would make him quite a schemer!”
Hearing this last sentence, Dousha’s eyes instantly lit up several shades brighter.
Most people might not like a schemer, but she did.
Because she felt she wasn’t very sharp herself. If she married a stupid husband, wouldn’t they both get utterly ruined by others?
Finding a smart, capable, scheming husband meant at least they wouldn’t be cheated by outsiders.
At worst, he might cheat her. But she wasn’t afraid of that—
Madam said she would back her up. So even if he had ten times the guts, he wouldn’t dare cheat her.
Madam Ruan could easily guess what Dousha was thinking, and her feelings were complicated.
She thought she wasn’t dumb herself, her son was clever, and even Huaishan by her son’s side was sharp.
Only Dousha — you couldn’t call her unintelligent because she knew to latch onto powerful people, but she was too lazy to think deeply about many important things.
Since Dousha was lazy about thinking, Madam Ruan inevitably had to think more and delve deeper for her.
When the time came, she would also need to see this Li Zhigao with her own eyes.
If his expression looked dishonest, she would not agree to marry Dousha off to him.
As for Dousha’s dowry, she had been gradually preparing some things over the years.
However, money had been tight before, so the things she prepared were inferior and incomplete.
A while ago, Seventh Miss gave her son a roll of banknotes. Now, she finally didn’t have to worry about money anymore.
Yesterday, Madam Ruan had her son go out and purchase some of the items first.
Later, once the marriage was settled, she would take Dousha out herself. Some things, she felt better buying only after seeing them in person.
So, on Madam Ruan’s side, she was analyzing the situation for Dousha and preparing her dowry.
Over at Huang Xianjing’s courtyard, everyone was also busy as could be.
