As if doused with ice water, a shiver ran through her entire body, and Dou Akou's eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes.
With its gray brick walls and simple bamboo and wooden tables and chairs, this is an ordinary house.
A young woman was leaning against the chair in front of her bed; she looked... very familiar.
"Third Aunt?" Dou Akou's eyes widened in surprise. She had been lying in bed for several days, and her voice was slightly hoarse.
How could Third Aunt be here? Dou Akou felt like her brain wasn't working properly.
Third Aunt's body trembled, she hurriedly stood up, walked halfway but turned back, poured Dou Akou a glass of water before walking to the bedside and said softly, "Akou, you're awake, have some water."
Dou Akou was indeed thirsty. She gulped down the water in her glass, wiped her mouth with her hand, and was about to say something when the door was suddenly kicked open.
The first to rush in was Dou Jincai, his face a mixture of anxiety and excitement, repeatedly exclaiming, "Oh, my daughter! You're finally awake! I was so worried!"
Then two other concubines rushed in, making a racket and giving Dou Akou a headache.
The last one to walk in was Fu Jiuxin.
Seeing her husband again felt like a lifetime had passed. Lying on the bed, she looked past the faces of those around her and gazed at Fu Jiuxin, who was also looking at her quietly, his eyes filled with a deep, unfathomable look.
Dou Jincai and several others surrounded Dou Akou's bedside, showing concern and care, sometimes touching her face, sometimes tucking her in, but Dou Akou did not react at all, just staring blankly at Fu Jiuxin.
She didn't even understand what she was thinking anymore, or how her feelings for Fu Jiuxin had changed.
"Akou, are you hungry?" Dou Jincai's concerned face suddenly appeared above Dou Akou, blocking her view.
"Huh?" Dou Akou responded blankly, then realized what she meant and honestly replied, "Hungry."
"Hey, hey—hurry up and make something to eat." Dou Jincai quickly turned around and called to his aunts.
In just a fleeting glance, when Dou Akou looked back at the corner, she found that Fu Jiuxin was gone, just as silently as he had come, and his departure was equally unnoticed.
Dou Akou felt very sad. She felt that her husband was gradually leaving her world.
Seeing Dou Akou's expression, Dou Jincai assumed she was starving and quickly said, "Akou, wait a little longer, there will be roast chicken soon."
"Master, Akou has just woken up, how can she eat such greasy food?"
"Yes, yes, then let's cook her a bowl of porridge? Akou likes meat, so let's cut some shredded chicken in it, it'll be quite light." Dou Jincai was practically in a frenzy.
Finally, the third concubine couldn't stand it anymore. She gently nudged Dou Jincai and said, "Master, Akou has just woken up. Let's not stay here in the dark. It's not well-ventilated. Why don't you go and cook some porridge?"
Thanks to Third Aunt, Dou Jincai finally left, and Dou Akou finally had some peace and quiet and a chance to ask clearly: "Aunt, what are you doing here?"
"It was Jiu Xin who rescued us from Ziwei Qingdu."
Third Aunt still remembers that day vividly.
Back then, they were locked in a dark and gloomy dungeon. After who knows how many days had passed, their hopes gradually faded, and they thought that their lives would end in this dungeon. But one day, they were unexpectedly taken out of the dungeon.
The moment they saw the light of day again, the first person they saw was Fu Jiuxin, who looked travel-worn and exhausted.
It was only later that they learned that the child Dou Jincai had picked up on a whim was actually the young master of Siyou Kingdom. In order to save them, he made a deal with Xu Liren using the petroleum deposits underground in Siyou Kingdom. Then, he rushed back to Longfeng Town with them without stopping. What should have been a ten-day journey, he managed to arrive in Longfeng Town on the fifth day, only to be met with the news that Dou Akou had disappeared.
"Then who saved me?" Dou Akou was dumbfounded. She only remembered the scene when she was dragged out, but she didn't know where she was dragged to or what happened.
"It was Jiu Xin's subordinate, a man named Chan Tui. He found Jiu Xin and brought you here."
Third Aunt hesitated, unsure whether she should tell Dou Akou that when the cicada shell was delivered, she herself was covered in wounds.
"Oh." Dou Akou nodded blankly, then fell silent again.
Third Aunt smoothed a stray hair from her temple and sighed. Akou had grown up; she was no longer the cheerful and mischievous little girl she used to be. But the price of growing up like this might not be too terrible.
Third Aunt was always very perceptive. Long before the Dou family fell from grace, she had already seen through Fu Jiuxin's special feelings for Dou Akou. On the other hand, although Dou Akou was carefree and addressed Fu Jiuxin as "Mr. Fu Jiuxin," her dependence on him was different from that on others. She was just naive and hadn't yet realized it, but it was not necessarily that she had no feelings for Fu Jiuxin at all.
She was happy to see the two children together, but at the time, Dou Jincai was so focused on Fu Jiuxin being Dou Akou's brother that she didn't think about it at all, so she didn't bring it up.
Then Xu Liren came along. Dou Akou was always clinging to Xu Liren, so she and Dou Jincai assumed that Akou had fallen for Xu Liren. That's why Dou Jincai openly submitted to the Crown Prince while secretly supporting Xu Liren. But no one expected that it would end like this.
Now it seems that Dou Akou has finally figured things out, but something has happened between her and Fu Jiuxin. Judging from Dou Akou's unfamiliar way of treating Fu Jiuxin, they are practically strangers.
Third Aunt sighed softly, but ultimately said nothing.
Dou Akou recovered quickly and her body was as healthy as before, but she didn't smile much anymore and often spaced out while doing something.
Dou Jincai saw this and was anxious. He felt that this was a sign that Dou Akou was in love, so his desire to marry Dou Akou off was rekindled.
However, the Dou family is not what it used to be. Without their vast wealth, the young masters of those wealthy families look down on them. Dou Jincai no longer cares about matching social status. As long as the person truly loves Akou, what does it matter if they are poor?
Once Dou Jincai made up his mind, he immediately became very active, running around outside every day, looking for several young men, some reliable and some not. He then went home and made a schedule for Dou Akou, so that she could meet the schoolteacher on the front street today and chat with the son of the owner of the small tavern in the back alley tomorrow.
On this day, Dou Akou was kicked out of her home by Dou Jincai and went to talk about life and philosophy with the scholar across the street.
Dou Akou was depressed, but Dou Jincai was very happy.
He had inquired and learned that the scholar across the street, Huang, was the top scholar in Longfeng Town and would be going to the capital to take the imperial examination next spring. He was a refined and polite man, and presumably a loving husband. The key point was that Huang had been immersed in books since childhood and was physically weak; he certainly couldn't beat Akou, so he didn't need to worry about Akou being bullied.
Dou Akou dawdled as she walked toward the opposite door. Huang Xiucai was already waiting there. Upon seeing Dou Akou, he blurted out, "A quiet and beautiful maiden awaits me at the city corner. I love her but cannot see her, so I scratch my head and hesitate."
"Huh?" Dou Akou was stunned. She felt a deep sense of panic and was somewhat at a loss. "What did you say?"
Huang Xiucai, who had been looking up at the sky with a profound gaze, trying to appear as a literary genius, was immediately disappointed by Dou Akou's silly question.
He glanced at Dou Akou out of the corner of his eye and thought to himself that the girl was quite pretty, but unfortunately her level of thinking was too low.
"Nothing." He curled his lip slightly. "Miss Dou—you must be Miss Dou? Where do you want to go?"