Blossom Episode 20 Recap
> Blossom Recap
Chen Qushui came to inform Dou Zhao and Song Mo that the Duke of England had brought the elders of the eldest uncle's family to pay their respects. However, Song Mo felt that he had no connection with the Duke of England and saw no need for formalities. He was indifferent to what others thought of him. Dou Zhao suggested meeting them, as avoiding them forever was not a viable option.
The elders of the eldest uncle’s family criticized Dou Zhao for paying respects to the deceased before serving tea to the living, deeming it disrespectful and deliberately finding fault with her. Dou Zhao countered by citing the Records of the Enlightened Age, which demonstrated the propriety of honoring the deceased. Nevertheless, they insisted she kneel and serve tea again. Song Mo initially refused to comply, but Song Yichun rebuked him, stating that as the heir, he should follow the rituals.
Dou Zhao volunteered to kneel and serve tea, but Song Mo stopped her. Instead, he handed the tea to Song Yichun with one hand. Song Yichun, intimidated by Song Mo's intense gaze, had no choice but to drink the tea. Song Han presented Dou Zhao with a set of valuable chess pieces as a meeting gift.
The eldest aunt praised Dou Zhao for her understanding of propriety, but Song Mo pointed out their true intentions, emphasizing that as the heir’s wife, Dou Zhao should manage the household finances. The eldest aunt was reluctant to hand over control and was covetous of Dou Zhao's dowry. The eldest uncle accused Dou Zhao of being incapable of managing a household upon marrying into the family.
Song Mo defended her, asserting that Dou Zhao had passed the emperor’s tests and could even account for the revenues of all provinces, so managing household affairs was trivial in comparison. However, the eldest uncle and aunt persisted in demanding Dou Zhao’s dowry. To resolve the situation, Dou Zhao instructed Chen Qushui to bring out her dowry. When the elders saw the dowry, they were dumbfounded—it amounted to seventy thousand taels of silver.
Dou Zhao explained that this was only the profit from planting potatoes and proposed incorporating the funds into the household’s accounts to help share the expenses. She even suggested that the funds could generate more income under the eldest aunt’s management. The eldest aunt, realizing her own incompetence, began to feel uneasy. Dou Zhao elaborated on business strategies and ways to earn additional income. Seeing this, everyone quickly suggested separate accounting.
Song Mo intervened, stating that it would be inappropriate for the husband’s family to take over the wife’s dowry, as it would invite gossip. The eldest uncle, eager to increase wealth, proposed handing over the Duke of England’s household finances to Dou Zhao, hoping she could generate more income for everyone. Song Yichun, infuriated by the agreement, stormed off in anger.
Chen Qushui advised Song Mo not to worry about Dou Zhao, explaining that everything she did was to stabilize the Duke of England’s household and support him. Both the eldest and third brothers tried to persuade Song Yichun to relinquish control to Dou Zhao. Song Yichun was furious that Dou Zhao had won everyone over in just one day and blamed himself for letting Song Mo marry such a formidable woman.
Dou Zhao and Song Mo analyzed the Song family’s current situation, concluding that the harmony between the eldest uncle and third uncle was superficial, as they were actually fighting over money. Dou Zhao believed gaining control of the household finances would not be difficult and could be achieved by leveraging the dynamics between the two uncles.
Song Mo, admiring her insight, reminded her that if the Duke of England caused trouble again, Chen Qushui could summon the imperial guards to resolve it. He insisted that they must not suffer any losses. Dou Zhao reassured him and urged him to trust her. Later, Song Mo taught Dou Zhao how to use a firearm. Though initially frightened, Dou Zhao noticed how calm and composed Song Mo remained, not even blinking.
Song Mo comforted her, assuring her that she had nothing to fear as long as he was by her side. Even though she missed her first shot, he praised her for her effort and encouraged her to try again. When Dou Zhao successfully hit the wind chime hanging from a tree, Song Mo complimented her talent. Thrilled, Dou Zhao noticed that Song Mo’s hand had reopened a previous wound.
While bathing, Song Mo refused Dou Zhao’s offer to help him wash, but she insisted, stating that it was her duty as his wife to care for him when he was injured. To her surprise, the mighty general appeared bashful. When Dou Zhao removed his clothes, she discovered scars all over his back. Song Mo explained that he wasn’t shy but feared the sight might frighten her.
Dou Zhao, who had heard of his scars before, was still deeply moved and pained to see them in person. She understood that these marks were a testament to his sacrifices for the nation and its people. Among them, she even spotted a scar she had caused. Dou Zhao embraced Song Mo tightly, vowing that they should always be honest with each other no matter what happened in the future. Song Mo agreed.
Dou Ming brought snacks to Wei Tingyu and found him painting. Curious, she wanted to take a look, but Wei Tingyu playfully teased her, promising to show her after it was finished. Seeing Dou Ming’s beauty, Wei Tingyu couldn't resist the urge to kiss her, but just then, someone informed Dou Ming that she needed to pay respects to Wei Tingzhen. Although Wei Tingyu was displeased, he didn’t say anything.
When Dou Ming arrived, she saw her nanny, Nanny Zhou, being scolded and beaten, her face covered in bruises. Unable to protect her own people, Dou Ming herself was ordered by Wei Tingzhen to serve scalding ginseng soup while kneeling, as a lesson on proper etiquette for serving her mother-in-law. Wei Tingzhen deliberately compared Dou Ming to Dou Zhao, mocking her for her inability to bring wealth to the Wei family and for lacking a generous dowry.
She also criticized Dou Ming’s mother for failing to deliver the promised dividends. At this moment, Wei Tingyu arrived. Seeing Dou Ming kneeling, he quickly helped her up and reminded Wei Tingzhen not to make things difficult for his wife. He pointed out that this was Jining Marquis Manor, not Jing Duke Manor. Wei Tingzhen, angry and humiliated, blamed Wei Tingyu for his failures and lamented how she had to subsidize the Marquis Manor, only to be scolded in return.
Dou Ming, unwilling to see Wei Tingyu argue with Wei Tingzhen, promised to go back to her mother to ask for the dividends. When Dou Ming returned to her family home, her gifts were lavish and generous. Dou Shiying, her father, was delighted, but Wang Yingxue sneered that Dou Zhao was only good at making money and lacked anything else of value. She contrasted this with the apparent mutual affection between Dou Ming and Wei Tingyu.
Wang Yingxue even implied that without money, Song Mo wouldn’t treat Dou Zhao the same way. Unexpectedly, Dou Zhao responded sharply, leaving Wang Yingxue speechless. At that moment, it was reported that Dou Ming had also returned home. When Dou Ming arrived, she praised her mother for looking youthful. However, Wang Yingxue noticed that Dou Ming had lost weight and immediately guessed that Wei Tingzhen was deliberately making things difficult for her.
Dou Ming explained that Wei Tingyu had been protective of her, but Wang Yingxue mockingly pointed out that the gifts Wei Tingyu brought last time were so modest that they couldn’t even be compared. Dou Ming lied, claiming that Wei Tingzhen treated her well, but Wang Yingxue was unconvinced. She felt that if Wei Tingzhen saw the gifts Dou Zhao brought, Dou Ming’s life would only get harder.
Saddened by her own situation, Dou Ming quietly left the room, feeling as though she couldn’t please anyone—oppressed by her in-laws and criticized by her family. Nanny Zhou shared Dou Ming’s current struggles with Wang Yingxue, who felt both anger and heartache for her daughter. When Dou Ming left in tears, she was seen by Dou Shiying, Song Mo, and Dou Zhao. Concerned, Dou Shiying worried about why Dou Ming was crying.
Dou Zhao quickly explained that Dou Ming must be homesick and signaled Song Mo to take Dou Shiying away. In private, Dou Zhao asked Dou Ming about her situation. Dou Ming admitted that Dou Zhao had been right when she tried to warn her before. Jining Marquis Manor’s financial situation was dire, and her dowry wasn’t enough to fill the gap. However, Dou Ming felt powerless to change anything.
Dou Zhao shared some strategies for generating income from household assets, and Dou Ming praised her as a financial genius. While Dou Ming was eagerly taking notes, Wang Yingxue interrupted, insisting that Dou Ming didn’t need to stress herself out over such trivial matters. She also vowed to have Wang Xingyi arrange a position for Wei Tingyu to ensure Dou Ming’s life wouldn’t be so difficult.
Wang Yingxue gave Dou Ming some banknotes, promising to seek her father’s help in securing a government post for Wei Tingyu. Dou Ming hesitated to accept the money, worried about the risk of embezzlement during a time of strict government oversight, which could lead to severe consequences. Wang Yingxue, however, dismissed these concerns and lamented that she had no other choice but to help.
She emphasized that Dou Ming must remember her status as a marchioness and avoid becoming overly preoccupied with trivial household matters. Wang Yingxue promised to support Dou Ming fully, saying that once they had enough money, Wei Tingzhen would no longer mistreat her. Dou Ming tearfully hugged her mother. After seeing Dou Ming off, Wang Yingxue watched her daughter’s carriage leave with a heavy heart.
Her nanny noted that Wang Yingxue had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, deeply loving Dou Ming. Wang Yingxue resolved to pull some strings and provide more money from her private savings to secure a position for Wei Tingyu. Yan Chaoqing and Chen Qushui noticed that spies from the Duke of England’s household had infiltrated their ranks and were secretly reporting back. They suggested replacing these people, but Dou Zhao disagreed.
She reasoned that with both the Crown Prince and Prince Qing vying for Song Mo’s allegiance, replacing the staff could allow their spies to slip in, making matters worse. Su Xin lamented that Dou Zhao was being wronged, but Dou Zhao reassured her that since she and Song Mo were married, they were a team, and everything she did was for him. Meanwhile, Song Mo, who had been listening in silence, couldn’t take his eyes off Dou Zhao.
Yan Chaoqing and Chen Qushui immediately understood the meaning behind Song Mo’s gaze and tactfully left. Taking advantage of the moment, Song Mo kissed Dou Zhao and teasingly forced her to change the way she addressed him. Dou Ming was helping Wei Tingyu organize paintings, worried they might get damp. In doing so, she discovered a finished painting inside a box.
Unable to resist her curiosity, she opened it and found that it was a portrait Wei Tingyu had drawn of her. Overjoyed, Dou Ming shared a sweet moment with him. However, their happiness was interrupted when they were informed that Wei Tingzhen had summoned Dou Ming. Dou Ming, feeling nervous, begged Wei Tingyu to accompany her, but he declined, using painting as an excuse.
Instead, he reminded her that as the mistress of the house, she should not always fear Wei Tingzhen. When Dou Ming went to see Wei Tingzhen, the latter scolded her harshly, accusing her of being incapable of managing household affairs. In response, Dou Ming presented Wei Tingzhen with Wei Tingyu’s letter of appointment, proving that she had authority over the household. Only then did Wei Tingzhen restrain her temper. Meanwhile, Wei Tingyu overheard the entire conversation from outside the room.
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