"Bie Gangyi used to be a coach in Kyoto. After his wife died, he returned to Zhending Prefecture with his two daughters." Zhao Liangbi said tactfully, "He is from Zhending Prefecture. The house he lives in and the farms at home are all ancestral property."

A rabbit does not eat grass near its burrow. No matter how arrogant a person is outside, when he returns to his hometown, he will behave honestly and law-abidingly. Otherwise, if he loses his roots, he will be nothing more than a floating duckweed.

Bei Gangyi would never do such a thing to destroy the Great Wall no matter what.

Perhaps Zhao Liangbi was quite touched by Bie Gangyi's story, he sighed and said: "Speaking of which, the Bie sisters are also pitiful people. Their mother died of illness when they were very young. Bie Gangyi was a rough man and was afraid of wronging his daughters, so he was unwilling to continue the marriage. The two sisters had no one to take care of them. They had to learn how to sew, mend, and clean pots and pans from their neighbors. When they grew up, they still had to take care of Bie Gangyi. Otherwise, how could the eldest sister of the Bie family catch the eye of Shan Jie?"

Dou Zhao decided to intervene in this matter.

She nodded silently and picked up the teacup.

Zhao Liangbi, who should have stepped back, stood there hesitantly without moving.

Dou Zhao raised his eyebrows.

Zhao Liangbi hesitated for a long time and stammered, "I also found out one thing... After Bie Gangyi got into trouble, he specifically instructed to keep it a secret from the eldest sister of the Bie family. The eldest sister of the Bie family still found out a few days ago, and she tied her hair and confessed in front of her mother's tablet. She wanted to be a concubine of Shan Jie, but Mr. Chen next door thought something was wrong and forced the eldest sister of the Bie family to stay... Fourth Miss, you..." He looked at Dou Zhao pleadingly, as if he hoped Dou Zhao could help.

Dou Zhao was surprised.

I didn't expect that the two sisters from other families are both people who have their own opinions when faced with problems.

She said, "Don't worry, I'll report to Grandmother and go see Third Uncle."

Zhao Liangbi was surprised and grateful to see Dou Zhao go to see Dou Shibang overnight, and said, "It's getting late, and I have to go back to the East Mansion anyway. I'll go with you!"

Fourteen-year-old Zhao Liangbi is still working in the accounting office of Dongdou. He will have the opportunity to be released and become the second-in-command only when he turns sixteen.

If he doesn't know the result, he probably won't be able to sleep tonight?

Dou Zhao agreed with a smile and went to report to his grandmother.

When the grandmother heard about this, she was deeply angry with Shan Jie and urged her repeatedly, "Go quickly! Go quickly." She also said, "Saving a life is like building a seven-story pagoda. If your third uncle does not agree to guarantee Bie Gangyi, tell me that I still have some friendship with the Lang family, and then I will ask someone from the Lang family to come forward to guarantee Bie Gangyi."

Dou Zhao felt more confident, and he said "yes" repeatedly and went to Dongdou.

Dou Shibang had already gone to bed. When he heard that Dou Zhao wanted to see him, he was shocked. He put on his clothes and slippers and ran out, asking anxiously: "What happened? What happened?" Dou Zhao was startled and secretly regretted coming too late and disturbing his third uncle's rest.

She told her third uncle about Bie Sulan's blocking of the car, and then asked, "Did the Shan family send anyone to say hello? Or spread any word?"

"That's not the case." Dou Shibang knew Dou Zhao's purpose and heaved a sigh of relief, "It's just that Shan Jie is narrow-minded, has a bad temper, and acts rashly. It's better to have less trouble than more."

"I thought so at first." Dou Zhao said with a smile, "But since they have come to me for help, and it is a good deed to save people, it would not be good to just watch and do nothing. Since the Shan family did not send anyone to say hello, and did not spread any words, why don't you come forward to guarantee that other family! Even if the Shan family asks, we can shirk it cleanly."

"But the whole Zhending Prefecture knows that Bie Gangyi was imprisoned because he offended Shan Jie," Dou Shibang was reluctant to say. "We can find out with a little inquiry. Trying to shirk responsibility afterwards is just an attempt to cover up the truth. I'm afraid the rift between us and the Shan family is still unavoidable."

"If that's the case, then the Dou family should step forward." Dou Zhao said with a smile, "Otherwise, if we meet someone who finds fault with us, they will either say that our Dou family is afraid of the Shan family and that the Shan family did such a dirty thing and the Dou family didn't dare to step forward; or they will say that our Dou family is just like the Shan family, wicked and evil, and neither of us is a good person. The good reputation that our Dou family has accumulated over generations will be ruined."

Dou Shibang considered this issue seriously.

Dou Zhao felt a little emotional.

Family reputation is a heavy burden, but sometimes it becomes an umbrella, protecting those who take shelter from the wind and rain.

Dou Shibang decided to discuss it with the Second Lady before making a decision.

Dou Zhao said: "I heard that Bie Gangyi was seriously injured and will not live for more than a few days. Don't let us take care of him by then, but he is gone and we offend Shan Jie for nothing."

Dou Shibang thought what he heard made sense and could not sit still for long. He changed his clothes and went to the Second Lady's place with Dou Zhao.

The Second Lady frowned and asked Dou Shibang, "What kind of person is Shan Jie?"

Dou Shibang repeated what he said about being violent and reckless.

The Second Lady frowned even more tightly.

However, Dou Zhao understood the Second Lady's intention.

The Second Lady was afraid that if the Shan family had an outstanding younger generation, the conflict would be blamed on the Dou family. If she offended others for a stranger like Bie Gangyi, it would be a loss.

She laughed and said, "I heard that Shan Jie is an only child, uneducated and unskilled, and he lives on the reputation of Mr. Shan!"

The Second Lady said, "Shou Gu's words make sense. If we keep silent, those who don't know will think we are in cahoots with the Shan family!"

In other words, agree to act as a guarantor for someone else.

Dou Zhao hurriedly stood up and bowed to the Second Madam, saying, "Thank you, Madam, for your help!"

The Second Lady said with a smile: "I'm afraid our Shougu's reputation for kindness will become even more famous!"

"This is also thanks to Madam Tai's blessing." After Dou Zhao exchanged a few pleasantries with her, Dou Shibang stood up and said, "Then I will arrange for someone to go and guarantee it for the other family early tomorrow morning?"

The Second Madam nodded, and Dou Zhao and Dou Shibang left the Second Madam's room.

Dou Zhaochao had been waiting at the door. Zhao Liangbi smiled and nodded.

Zhao Liangbi's mouth immediately stretched to his ears.

Grandmother was also waiting for Dou Zhao, and asked her anxiously what was wrong.

Dou Zhao told his grandmother what had happened, and only then did she feel relieved.

At dawn the next day, the manager appointed by Dou Shibang went to Zhending Prefecture, and Bie Gangyi was released that afternoon.

Bie Sulan rushed over overnight to express her gratitude: "...Originally, Daddy and Sister should have come, but Daddy was seriously injured and Sister had to take care of him, so I came first. After a few days, when Daddy's injury is better, we will come to kowtow to you and thank you."

"I am too young to deserve your gift." Dou Zhao said with a smile, "If you want me to live a long life, don't make things difficult for me." Then he asked Su Jun to hand the 200 taels of silver that he had prepared to Bie Su Lan, "Your family has just suffered a great disaster, and you need money a lot. Don't be polite with me. When you have money in the future, just pay me back."

Bie Sulan smiled and said "yes" repeatedly, but tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She took the banknote generously and hurried back to Zhending.

But two days later, Bie Sulan came to see her again and said that Bie Gangyi asked her to go to Zhending Prefecture: "...I don't know why." As she spoke, her eyes turned red, "Daddy hasn't eaten a grain of rice in the past few days, and he has to be fed medicine by gavage. I'm so scared." After she finished speaking, her lips turned pale as if she thought of something.

Dou Zhao felt that he had done what he should do and did not want to have too much contact with other families, so he smiled and declined, "I'll let Haitang go with you! If you have anything to say, it's the same to let her bring it to me."

Bie Sulan was very disappointed.

Grandmother couldn't bear to watch, so she pulled her aside and said, "You'd better go. Didn't Sulan say that his father had to be fed medicine? Maybe Bie Gangyi has some last words to say."

"Then I shouldn't go." Dou Zhao said, "If he asked me to help him get revenge, would I agree or not?"

Grandmother said, "You should go even more so. If he makes such a request, you should never interfere in the affairs of other sisters in the future."

Dou Zhao sighed and said, "When a man is about to die, his words are good. I'm just afraid that I won't be able to escape by then!" Although this was the case, her grandmother's words made sense, so she still went to Zhending Prefecture.

Bie's martial arts school had long been sold to someone else. The buyer was a friend of Bie Gangyi, who bought the school for emergency purposes. After Bie Gangyi was released from prison, he still lived in Bie's martial arts school, but at his insistence, he moved from the main house to the woodshed at the back.

Bie Sulan explained to Dou Zhao with red eyes.

Dou Zhao nodded and looked at Bie's Martial Arts School.

There are only two entrances, but the front yard is very spacious and paved with blue bricks. It can easily accommodate a hundred people and is a good place to open a martial arts school.

The weather in September was already a little cold. The other family's ancestors were kind people and they also used green bricks when building the firewood shed. Therefore, although the firewood shed was simple, it could shelter from wind and rain, and benefited Bie Gangyi.

Bie Gangyi lay on a bed made of door panels with his eyes closed and his face as pale as gold paper. He was covered with thick, bright blue coarse cloth. He was so thin that his bones were visible, but his thick skeleton vaguely revealed his former strength.

Seeing Dou Zhao coming in, the man sitting in front of the door stood up immediately.

Dou Zhao's eyes fell on the girl holding an empty bowl in front of the door.

She looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, and was wearing a washed-out sandalwood-colored jacket. Although her eyes were red and swollen, and her face was haggard, her skin was fair, her features were delicate, and her beauty could not be concealed.

Dou Zhao was shocked.

If this is Bie Sulan's sister, no wonder Shan Jie has evil intentions.

However, isn’t the difference between these two sisters too big?

As if she knew Dou Zhao's mood, Bie Sulan took the girl's arm and said to Dou Zhao with pride, "Fourth Miss, this is my sister Suxin."

Bie Suxin had already guessed who the visitor was, and hurriedly put down the empty bowl in her hand and saluted Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao smiled and said, "No need to be so polite," and walked away from Gangyi's bed.

The man beside the bed quietly stepped aside.

Dou Zhao glanced at the man.

The man was wearing an old coarse black robe with patches on the cuffs, but he looked very clean. His temples were gray, he was thin and vigorous, and his eyes were clear. He turned out to be an old man with a refined temperament.

Dou Zhao was stunned.

Bie Suxin walked up and called softly "Daddy".

Bie Gangyi opened his eyes with great difficulty.

"Ms. Dou." His voice was as sharp as a knife, and he forced a smile, "Thank you for saving my life."

Dou Zhao's heart ached as he watched, and tears suddenly gathered in his eyes.

Bie Gangyi looked at the man standing beside him and called out "Master Chen".

Dou Zhao finally understood.

It turned out that this old man was the one who instructed Bie Sulan to approach the Dou family and stopped Bie Suxin from selling herself.