Chapter 73 — What She Asked For

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Uncle Chen's expression turned hesitant.

Bie Gangyi's eyes dimmed slightly as he looked at him, and he forced out another "Uncle Chen," his tone earnest, tinged with a trace of pleading.

Hearing this, Uncle Chen sighed softly and said to Dou Yan gently, "Fourth Miss Dou, we have brought you all this way for a reason. The innkeeper has something important he wishes to discuss with you. But his injuries are severe and speaking is difficult for him, so he asks me to speak on his behalf. What do you say?"

Dou Yan was somewhat surprised.

On the way here she had imagined many possibilities and had already made up her mind: if Bie Gangyi's request was reasonable, then for Bie Sulan's sake she would not mind lending a hand; but if his idea was unreasonable, no matter how he begged, she would not agree vaguely.

She simply had not expected that Bie Gangyi would entrust someone else to speak with her.

This showed how much Bie Gangyi trusted this Uncle Chen!

Following Bie Gangyi's lead, she addressed him as "Uncle Chen" and said with a smile, "Please, speak freely."

Uncle Chen's expression grew slightly grave, and he said to the Bie sisters, "Suxin, Sulan, go to the market and buy some food. Later we can prepare a proper feast to entertain Fourth Miss Dou."

He was actually sending the two sisters away.

Bie Suxin and Bie Sulan exchanged glances, each seeing deep worry in the other's eyes, but after a moment's thought the two sisters obediently curtsied and withdrew.

Dou Yan thought for a moment and dismissed the servants attending her as well.

Seeing this, a trace of warmth surfaced in Uncle Chen's eyes.

"I will not deceive you, Fourth Miss Dou. The innkeeper's situation is very bad." He spoke softly. "And Shan Jie is a narrow-minded, arrogant man. Although the Bie father and daughters escaped this calamity thanks to your help, given Shan Jie's character he will certainly not let the matter rest—there will surely be a next time. Mrs. Bie was the only daughter in her family, and her parents have passed. The innkeeper has a clansman, but the relation is already beyond the five degrees of mourning. Yet when the innkeeper was thrown into prison this time, his clansman feared Shan Jie's power, and when the second Bie girl went to beg for help, the innkeeper's clansman actually shut the door and refused to see her." He paused here. His formerly gentle face suddenly turned stern, revealing an indignation wholly at odds with his age and temperament. "Worse than neighbors like us who merely live next door—truly not a man to be entrusted with anything!"

Dou Chi nodded.

Uncle Chen's expression softened slightly, and he said, "The innkeeper fears that after he is gone the Bie sisters will have no one to rely on and will fall into Shan Jie's hands again." As he spoke, he stood up, and with a respectful expression clasped his hands before his chest, bowed his head, and bent at the waist in a salute to Dou Yan. "I beg Fourth Miss Dou to act righteously and take in the Bie sisters." He straightened, his eyes burning as he gazed at Dou Yan, as if he would see into the depths of her heart. "The great kindness of Fourth Miss Dou will be forever engraved in the hearts of the Bie sisters, never to be forgotten for the rest of their lives."

It was a long while before Dou Yan came back to herself.

Her mouth fell open as she stared at this man whom the innkeeper called "Uncle Chen."

What sort of person was this?

First he had spoken of the innkeeper's illness to win her sympathy. Then he had angrily described the snobbery and coldness of the innkeeper's clansman, so that beyond her indignation she would feel a shared hatred with him. Then he had proposed entrusting the Bie sisters to her—and with the sympathy and approval already established, she would naturally agree gladly.

How formidable!

Dou Yan could not help but study him carefully.

His smile was mild and refined. His gaze was sincere. He was indeed very persuasive.

But how was she supposed to care for the Bie sisters?

She was only twelve years old this year!

Above her was the Second Old Madam, below her her father, and all around a great crowd of uncles, aunts, and cousins.

The Dou family and the Bie family were neither kin nor acquaintance—so on what grounds was she to make the Old Madam and the rest of the household agree?

"Uncle Chen," Dou Xin said, "you should know that the Shan and Dou families are old friends, do you not?"

Uncle Chen's eyes sharpened.

"Because Shan Jie's affair was not on the side of right, the Shan family did not bring it out into the open," Dou Yan said calmly. "The Dou family is the foremost good family in Zhending. When the innkeeper sought out the Dou family, the Dou family—knowing nothing of the dispute between the Bie and Shan families—stood surety for the innkeeper. Even if the Shan family suspected that the Dou family disdained what he had done, they could say nothing; and those around could all pretend ignorance, so that the Shan family lost no face and the Shan and Dou families could still go back and forth as though nothing had happened. But if we take in the Bie sisters, that thin sheet of paper is torn through. Not only would the Shan family lose face—I fear some would say the Dou family is overbearing and does not regard old colleagues with any respect."

She gazed quietly at the old man before her.

Uncle Chen was shaken to the core, and it took him great effort to suppress the turmoil in his heart and keep any unusual expression from showing.

He had drifted all his life, and only at the age of fifty had he settled on East Lane Street, where people of all trades and walks gathered. Bie Gangyi was an open, honest man, generous and cheerful. Seeing that he was alone, Bie Gangyi not only took the initiative to help him with many difficulties but often dragged him off to drink, telling him amusing tales of the marketplace; and whenever his household made something good to eat, he would have the Bie sisters bring him a portion. He himself had not the strength to truss a chicken and had no way to repay the kindness, so after Bie Gangyi's trouble he could only help by offering advice.

He had carefully inquired about everything concerning the Dou family. He knew only that this legitimate young lady of the West Dou held a special place in the Dou household, and that all who had dealings with her sang her praises. He had known then that she was no ordinary girl, and that was why he had directed the second Bie girl to seek her out, reckoning that whether she were a fraud seeking reputation or truly a gentle and kind soul, on hearing of the second Bie girl's plight she would in all likelihood help.

And indeed she had helped.

Now the innkeeper wished to entrust the Bie sisters to her.

He did not agree.

The Bie sisters were strong, resilient, good children with pure hearts—how could they bow and scrape to serve others?

But if they were not entrusted to this young lady of the Dou family, to whom could they be entrusted?

And who else could make Shan Jie abandon his notion of harming the elder Bie girl?

Apart from Fourth Miss Dou, among all the people they now knew, there truly was no second person to be found.

He had to consider what would happen if Fourth Miss Dou refused... and so he had resorted to a few tricks, hoping to give the Bie sisters someone to lean on.

He had not expected that this Fourth Miss Dou, young as she was, was so quick-witted. Though she felt compassion for the Bie family's plight and indignation at Shan Jie's conduct, at the critical moment she remained calm and composed, cool and self-possessed.