Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Half a month later, Tao Tu Yun recovered and walked outside the bedchamber in a white dress and a fur cape.

Tao Tu Yun took a deep breath. The snow was melting. She didn't think she would stay at the Tao Manor past winter. She silently asked her heart if she should accept Tao Fang Ao's love.

'Mistress, what are you thinking about?' Su Wu asked.

'Nothing,' Tao Tu Yun said.

'Mistress, let's go back inside,' Su Wu said. 'Mistress, I don't want you to catch a cold.'

'I want to go for a walk,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'I'm worried if I don't use my bones after being bedridden for half a month, I can't move my bones anymore. Su Wu, where is he?'

'Who?' Su Wu teased. 'If mistress mean second master Tao, he's outside giving rice grains to the poor.'

'Su Wu, take me to see him,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'I want to see if there's anything I can do to help.'

Tao Tu Yun didn't wait for Su Wu, she walked quickly to the front gates.

Outside the Tao Manor, poor people like beggars lined up to receive rice grains.

Tao Tu Yun understood why the Tao Household were loved by the citizens of Luo Yang province. The Tao Household's sincere generosity was admirable.

Su Wu noticed Li Tai Fang standing next to Tao Fang Ao and she frowned.

'Mistress, I'll take you over to second master Tao,' Su Wu said. 'Mistress, you can't give Li Tai Fang a chance to steal second master Tao.'

'There's no rush,' Tao Tu Yun said.

Tao Tu Yun could see clearly how much Tao Fang Ao hated Li Tai Fang standing close to him. Whereas Li Tai Fang pretended Tao Fang Ao's patience wasn't running out.

Tao Fang Ao felt Tao Tu Yun's presence. He turned around and saw Tao Tu Yun then he ran to her. In contrast Li Tai Fang glared at Tao Tu Yun.

'Tu Yun, what are you doing outside on a cold day?' Tao Fang Ao asked. 'Go back inside and wait for me.'

'I'm alright,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'It's not too cold. I want to stay here and wait for you.'

Tao Fang Ao hugged Tao Tu Yun.

'Alright,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'If you want to stay outside, I'll keep you warm.'

Tao Tu Yun was used to Tao Fang Ao hugging her in public so she didn't blush every time he hugged her.

The poor people whispered to each other and they speculated the beautiful woman in Tao Fang Ao's arms was his fiance, Tao Tu Yun.

Tao Fang Ao was a skilful swordsman so he heard everyone gossiped about Tao Tu Yun. He hated people gossiping about Tao Tu Yun. When he was about to escort her back to the bedchamber, she let go of him and ran to help give the rice grains to poor people.

Tao Tu Yun ran to a little girl about eight years old. The little girl fell in the crowd and dropped the heavy bag of rice grains.

'Little sister, you don't need to pick up the fallen rice grains,' Tao Tu Yun said gently.

Tao Tu Yun held the little girl's cold hands in her hands. Her heart broke to see the little girl carrying a heavy bag of rice grains on a cold day. Where were the little girl's parents?

'But they stopped giving out rice grains,' the little girl said tearfully.

'Don't worry,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'Big sister will help you carry another bag of rice grains home.'

Tao Tu Yun helped the little girl pick up the bag, and Tao Fang Ao helped Tao Tu Yun stand.

'Tu Yun, when will you know how to take care of yourself?' Tao Fang Ao asked.

Tao Fang Ao passed the bag to a servant. He instructed the servant to fill the bag with rice grains, fill another bag with fresh food and help carry the bags to the little girl's home.

'Tu Yun, next time take a look around you and see if there is anyone who you can ask for help,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Don't take everything onto your shoulders.'

Tao Fang Ao sensed the assassin following Tao Tu Yun's movements. If Tao Fang Ao didn't keep Tao Tu Yun close to his side, he was scared of losing her.

'I'm sorry,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'I won't worry you again.'

Tao Tu Yun understood Tao Fang Ao was worried about her. She smiled warmly to reassure him.

Tao Fang Ao didn't know what to do with Tao Tu Yun. She read his moods perfectly but he wasn't fooled, she was going to worry him again because behind her gentle facade was an intelligent, cunning and a stubborn person.

Tao Tu Yun waved farewell to the little girl.

'Little sister, it's cold today,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'Go straight home so you don't catch a cold.'

'Yes big sister,' the little girl said. 'Thank you big sister.'

The little girl smiled at Tao Tu Yun and she ran home.

Suddenly Tao Tu Yun felt faint. Tao Fang Ao held onto to her and he heard her heart beating fast.

'Tu Yun, what's wrong?' Tao Fang Ao asked.

Tao Tu Yun had a premonition of the little girl drowning in a river in three days. She wasn't going to let the little girl drown, she needed to visit the little girl's home and warn her to avoid rivers for three days.

'Isn't the little girl called Dou Dou and her adoptive grandma is the fortune teller?' elder Jiang asked.

'Elder Jiang, do you know the little girl?' Tao Tu Yun asked.

'Yes lady Tao,' elder Jiang said. 'Dou Dou is an orphan until the fortune teller adopted her.'

'Elder Jiang, why is Dou Dou's adoptive grandma known as the fortune teller?' Tao Tu Yun asked.

'The fortune teller is famous in Luo Yang province,' elder Jiang said. 'The fortune teller can predict a person's future.'

'Does the fortune teller and Dou Dou live together alone?' Tao Tu Yun asked.

'Yes lady Tao,' elder Jiang said. 'The fortune teller is elderly. She sends Dou Dou to look for food often.'

'Dou Dou...' Tao Tu Yun said.

Tao Fang Ao squeezed Tao Tu Yun's waist.

'Tu Yun, enough,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Dou Dou's life is none of your business.'

Tao Fang Ao suspected Tao Tu Yun had a premonition about Dou Dou's future. He didn't want Tao Tu Yun to risk her life again to save another person's life.

'Tu Yun, I'll escort you back to the bedchamber,' Tao Fang Ao said.

Elder Jiang watched Tao Fang Ao escort Tao Tu Yun to the bedchamber. Elder Jiang rubbed his chin. Judging by Tao Fang Ao's reaction to Tao Tu Yun's curiosity about Dou Dou's life, he suspected Tao Tu Yun foresaw Dou Dou's future too.

Elder Jiang cursed inwardly. He knew Tao Tu Yun's life would be in danger because she would warn Dou Dou. He was determined to keep a close watch over Tao Tu Yun to make sure she didn't sneak out of the Tao Manor to warn Dou Dou, he didn't want anything bad happen to Tao Tu Yun.

***

Li Tai Fang secretly eavesdropped on Tao Fang Ling and elder Jiang talking about Tao Tu Yun's situation. Afterward she walked to a courtyard to think of a plan to kill Tao Tu Yun.

'Why is that Tao Tu Yun so lucky?' Li Tai Fang asked. 'Why couldn't the assassin kill her? Why does she get to sleep in Tao Fang Ao's bedchamber?'

Feng Yu stood in a corner of the courtyard, and listened to Li Tai Fang scarily curse Tao Tu Yun.

'I don't believe Tao Tu Yun will always be lucky,' Li Tai Fang said. 'Since madam Zhang sent an assassin to kill her, I'll help the assassin to succeed this time.'

'Mistress, a person's life is important,' Feng Yu said.

Feng Yu wished she had a good mistress like Tao Tu Yun.

'Close your mouth!' Li Tai Fang said. 'Whose side are you on? Tao Tu Yun's side? Don't forget I'm your mistress. Don't open your mouth to oppose me again.'

'Mistress, I'm sorry,' Feng Yu said.

Feng Yu closed her mouth. She remembered Li Tai Fang's last maid disappeared mysteriously, and she didn't want the same thing to happen to her.

'Tomorrow I'm certain Tao Tu Yun will go see Dou Dou to warn Dou Dou,' Li Tai Fang said. 'I want you to send a message to madam Zhang that tomorrow is a good opportunity for the assassin to kill Tao Tu Yun.'

'Yes mistress,' Feng Yu said.

Feng Yu was scared to defy Li Tai Fang's order. Feng Yu hoped that nothing bad would happen to Tao Tu Yun.

The next morning, Tao Tu Yun planned to go warn Dou Dou while Tao Fang Ao was working outside the Tao Manor.

'Mistress, don't go,' Su Wu said.

'Su Wu, you know I can't let Dou Dou drown,' Tao Tu Yun said.

'Mistress, if I can't stop you from going to see Dou Dou then I'm coming with you,' Su Wu said.

Tao Fang Ao had instructed Su Wu not to let Tao Tu Yun leave the Tao Manor while he was away. But Su Wu knew she couldn't persuade Tao Tu Yun not to go warn Dou Dou.

'Thank you Su Wu,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'There's not much time left. If you're coming with me, we need to leave now.'

'But mistress, second master Tao instructed the guards at the Tao Manor not to let you leave while he's not here,' Su Wu said. 'How are we going to leave the Tao Manor?'

'I have a way but it'll give the guards a little pain,' Tao Tu Yun said.

'Mistress, what kind of pain?' Su Wu asked.

'Putting laxatives in their food,' Tao Tu Yun said.

Tao Tu Yun gave Su Wu a bag of laxatives. Su Wu secretly put the laxatives into the guards' food. When the guards ran to empty their bowels, Tao Tu Yun and Su Wu ran to Dou Dou's home.

Tao Tu Yun and Su Wu took the mountain path to Dou Dou's home. They stopped in front of an old home.

'Mistress, are you certain this is Dou Dou's home?' Su Wu asked.

Su Wu looked at the holes and stains on the windows again. Before Tao Tu Yun answered Su Wu, Dou Dou opened the door.

'Big sister, what are you doing here?' Dou Dou asked Tao Tu Yun.

'Dou Dou, it's good to see you,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'Su Wu, we found Dou Dou's home.'

Tao Tu Yun crouched in front of Dou Dou and she held Dou Dou's hands.

'Dou Dou, do you want to go outside today?' Tao Tu Yun asked.

'Yes big sister,' Dou Dou said. 'My friend Yi Niu and I want to go play by the river today.'

'Dou Dou, you can't play by the river today!' Su Wu said.

Dou Dou hugged Tao Tu Yun because Su Wu raising her voice scared her.

'Su Wu, don't scare Dou Dou,' Tao Tu Yun said. She gently patted Dou Dou's back. 'Dou Dou, big sister Su Wu didn't mean to raise her voice. Big sister Su Wu is worried about you.'

'Dou Dou, I'm sorry I scared you,' Su Wu said.

'Big sister Su Wu, you don't need to worry,' Dou Dou said. 'It's safe for me to play by the river. If I don't go see Yi Niu today, she won't play with me again.'

'Dou Dou, big sister came to visit you today,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'If Dou Dou isn't home, who will show me where to sit?'

'But...' Dou Dou said.

'Dou Dou, what if you stay home with mistress today and I'll go explain to Yi Niu why you didn't go to play by the river today?' Su Wu asked.

'Alright big sisters,' Dou Dou said. 'Why did big sisters want to visit me today?'

'Dou Dou, let's sit inside your home and I'll explain,' Tao Tu Yun said.

Dou Dou took Tao Tu Yun and Su Wu into her home. Dou Dou's home was old but clean.

'Dou Dou, is that you?' the fortune teller asked from a bedchamber. 'Didn't you say you wanted to play with Yi Niu today?'

Dou Dou walked into the bedchamber with Tao Tu Yun and Su Wu. On the bed was an elderly woman who was coughing and had silver hair.

'Grandma, big sisters came to visit me so I didn't go to play with Yi Niu today.'

Dou Dou helped the fortune teller sit on a chair and she poured a cup of water for the fortune teller to drink.

'Why did you two come here to see Dou Dou today?' the fortune teller asked.

'Elder, I'm about to tell you something that is hard to believe,' Tao Tu Yun said.

'Dou Dou, grandma wants to speak privately with big sisters,' the fortune teller said. 'Dou Dou, go wait in your bedchamber for a little while.'

'Yes grandma,' Dou Dou said.

Dou Dou wanted to stay and listen to what the fortune teller wanted to say o Tao Tu Yun privately, but she obediently walked to her bedchamber.

'You can tell me why you're here,' the fortune teller said.

'Elder, for the next two days, you can't let Dou Dou leave here,' Tao Tu Yun said.

'Why?' the fortune teller asked.

'Because I had a premonition that in the next two days, Dou Dou will drown in a river,' Tao Tu Yun said.