“I shouldn’t have compromised when Tang Dafei burned down my house back then.” Song Yinhua’s attitude was unusually firm. “Dad, don’t worry about this. Tang Dafei should have thought this day would come when he set up the trap to burn down my orchard.”

"Yinhua, can't you even be lenient about such a small matter?" Song Erzhuang couldn't understand why his daughter had become so petty and stubborn. "Do you have to drive someone to the brink of despair?"

"Tang Dafei brought this upon himself; no one forced him to harm others."

"Are you really going to make Dad lose face like this?" Song Erzhuang asked. "Dad has never asked you for anything. Is it so hard to just write a letter of forgiveness? If you don't want to write it, have Uncle Youliang write it for you. You just need to sign your name. How much trouble is that for you? Do you have to send someone to jail for a few more years to be happy?"

"If he didn't harm people or do bad things, would he go to jail? Dad, am I your biological son, or is Tang Dafei your biological son? Tang Dafei has harmed our family so many times, and you're still speaking up for them now?"

"But Uncle Liang and Aunt Qiaoyun came to our door to beg Dad in person. Aren't you ashamed of yourselves by refusing to make an exception?"

"Do they even have the nerve?" Song Yinhua didn't want to waste any more words with her father. "Dad, stop talking. I won't issue a letter of understanding. I'm going to pursue this matter to the end."

"Why are you so rigid?" Song Erzhuang snapped, then started cursing at Qiao Guilan, "Look what you've done to your daughter! The relatives all say Yinhua has no manners. On Xuewen's birthday, she went and overturned the table and poured shit into Erniu's mouth. And now she's still not letting Dafei off the hook. It's all your fault!"

"Why is it being blamed on me again?" Qiao Guilan had a lot of complaints about her husband's relatives. "Er Niu's man got Yun Yun pregnant, and Er Niu and Xue Wen came to make trouble for Yin Hua. They said that if Yin Hua could prove her innocence, they would kneel down and apologize to her, bark like a dog, and eat shit."

"Qiao Guilan, what have my nephew and niece done to you that you would say such things about them?" Song Erzhuang snapped at Qiao Guilan. "I always said that Yinhua was corrupted by you. You've had a problem with my nephew and niece for a long time, haven't you? That's why you always complain to Yinhua, which is why Yinhua has such a bad relationship with Erniu and the others."

"Song Erzhuang, are you brainless? How did your eldest brother's family treat our family in the past? Do I need to teach them? How did our third daughter die?"

When Qiao Guilan mentioned the Third Sister, Song Erzhuang immediately lost his spirit.

When the topic turned to the Third Sister, who was stolen at birth and thrown into a cesspool to drown, Qiao Guilan burst into tears, hitting Song Erzhuang and crying out, "Song Erzhuang, give me back my Third Sister!"

Song Erzhuang felt guilty and heartbroken over the death of the Third Sister. He kept his head down and silently endured Qiao Guilan's beatings.

Tang Youliang and Zhou Qiaoyun did not receive a letter of understanding from Song Yinhua. On their way back, they discussed using their connections to get their son released.

"Qiuxue's in-laws have connections; let Qiuxue think of a way."

“I contacted Qiu Xue, and she said she would try to save Da Fei.”

"Then you should call Qiuxue again and ask her if she has come up with a solution."

As soon as Zhou Qiaoyun got home, she called Song Qiuxue to ask about saving her son.

Over the phone, Song Qiuxue repeatedly instructed Zhou Qiaoyun, "Mom, go see Dafei tomorrow and tell him not to say anything out of line, otherwise even I can't save him."

After sending Zhou Qiaoyun away, Song Qiuxue waited anxiously at home for her husband to return.

The only solution to the problem was for her husband to step in.

At this moment, in his godfather's study, Tao Dayong looked at the brown paper bag that his godfather handed him. After opening it, he found several pages of documents inside.

As he looked at the contents, his expression grew increasingly grim.

"Dayong, Grandpa asked you to help investigate Huo Jianguo's matter. Is this how you investigated it?" the old man asked.

"Grandpa, I didn't know the people sent to investigate were lying to their superiors." Tao Dayong's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

"They have no grudge against Huo Jianguo, so why are they lying to their superiors and subordinates? Why are they contacting the local authorities to suppress Huo Jianguo's wife's wonton shop and prevent her from operating normally? Why are they protecting the arsonist who burned down Huo Jianguo's wife's orchard?" The old man's voice suddenly became very stern. "Tell me about it!"

"I'm sorry, Grandpa, I will dismiss the person I sent and send someone else..."

"No need," the old man interrupted. "This is none of your business. Go and do your thing."

"Yes, Grandpa." Tao Dayong turned and left.

"Wait!" the old man called out to him. "That arsonist named Tang Dafei is your wife's younger brother. I'll ask you one last time, did you give him any special treatment?"

"Grandpa, I really didn't."

"Dayong, you need to know what you should and shouldn't do, what you can and can't do. Don't make a mistake and ruin your own life."

“I understand, Grandpa.”

When Tao Dayong returned home, he told Song Qiuxue about it.

“My grandfather is starting to suspect me. I can’t get involved in this anymore. You should have your younger brother take all the blame and not implicate me. After he is sentenced, he should behave well in prison, and I will get him out under the pretext of a reduced sentence after a while.”

Knowing the seriousness of the matter, Song Qiuxue immediately prepared to call Zhou Qiaoyun and ask her to shut Tang Dafei up no matter what. Just then, the landline phone at home suddenly rang.

The other party needed to report something to Tao Dayong.

Tao Dayong answered the phone, his expression changing immediately: "He mentioned my name?"

A voice came through the phone receiver: "He said you're his brother-in-law, and that you were the one who instructed these things."

After the call ended, Song Qiuxue asked, "Who called? You look terrible, what happened?"

"Why do you insist that I deal with Song Yinhua? You've ruined my life, you know that!" Tao Dayong suddenly snapped at Song Qiuxue.

"Why are you throwing a tantrum?"

"Your brother sold me out!" Tao Dayong asked Song Qiuxue. "I don't care what your family does to Song Yinhua, but why did you drag me into this?"

Song Qiuxue teared up pitifully, “I suffered a lot of hardship and injustice at the hands of my adoptive parents. The fortune teller said that my eldest sister had drained my good fortune. My brother felt sorry for me and wanted to help me get revenge. I was just worried that my brother would cause trouble if he did something too outrageous, so I asked you to help me take care of him. I didn’t ask you to go after my eldest sister. You misunderstood me.”

Song Qiuxue began to sob, feeling wronged.

"Don't cry, it's my fault. I shouldn't have lost my temper with you," Tao Dayong coaxed. "Now we have to figure out a way to cover this up and not let my grandfather know."

The retired senior official had already packed his bags and left home with his wife, getting into the car waiting outside.

"Let's go to the train station," the old man instructed.

The car started and slowly drove out of the residential compound.

...