Chapter 73 — What She Asked For
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
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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.