ATLAS TRANSLATES

“Stop arguing, both of you,” Bie Gangyi said hoarsely. “You’re both doing this for me… it’s not worth it…” He turned his gaze to Dou Zhao. “Fourth Miss, I know this puts you in a difficult position, but I have no one else to turn to… When their mother passed away, I promised her I would take good care of both children…” His eyes began to glisten. “I can’t push my children into the fire…”

Dou Zhao felt her heart ache listening to him.

“I don’t ask for much, I only wish that after I’m gone, these two children can live with dignity,” Bie Gangyi’s voice wheezed like a bellows between labored breaths. “I know the Dou family is no ordinary household, but these two children are well-behaved and obedient. They won’t cause you any trouble…”

“I understand, I understand,” Dou Zhao hurried over and sat where Chen Qushui had been sitting earlier, speaking softly, “If you trust me, I can have them recognize my birth grandmother — that is, West Dou’s Aunt Cui’s maiden family as their godparents. Then the two sisters can move to Aunt Cui’s manor to live. It’s Dou family property, under Dou family protection…”

Chen Qushui was stunned.

Just moments ago, this Fourth Miss Dou had been reluctant, how did she change her mind so quickly?

Dou Zhao had wanted to help the Bie sisters ever since Chen Qushui mentioned their background, to prevent such precious pearls from being cast before swine and humiliated by someone like Dan Jie. She just didn’t like Chen Qushui treating her like an ignorant child to manipulate, which was why she deliberately argued with him.

“So… you agree?” Bie Gangyi was both shocked and overjoyed, looking at Dou Zhao with eyes full of gratitude.

Dou Zhao nodded with a smile.

How many fathers in this world would go to such lengths for their children, especially two daughters!

Just for this alone, she should help the Bie sisters.

“If you’re worried, they can also stay with me in West Dou,” she said. “The house has been empty these past few years anyway. Having the sisters there would be good company for me…”

But Bie Gangyi shook his head, saying, “I know you mean well, Miss, but the Dou family is vast and prestigious. Fourth Miss has elders above and siblings below. If the two sisters just moved in like that, there would be much idle gossip about them taking advantage of the Dou family, and I fear there would be no shortage of rumors about Fourth Miss either. You saved our entire family, I should be properly repaying you. But my health fails me — not only have I been unable to repay you, I’ve caused you so much trouble. How could I let you face more criticism…”

He called out “Uncle Chen” and smiled with his dry lips, saying, “You’re an educated man with fine handwriting. Please write a letter of dependence for the sisters…”

“Master Bie!” Dou Zhao and Chen Qushui exclaimed in unison, then looked at each other.

“Without a letter of dependence, their status won’t be proper,” Bie Gangyi ignored their exclamations and continued, “Rather than having the sisters follow Fourth Miss in an ambiguous position, it’s better to establish their proper status. Then they’ll know what they can and cannot do. This benefits both Fourth Miss and them.”

Dou Zhao fell silent.

Bie Gangyi’s words made sense.

Sometimes people fear most not knowing their place, putting effort in the wrong direction.

Those who signed contracts of bondage could neither return to their ancestral halls in life nor death, with marriage, life and death all controlled by their masters. Those with letters of dependence were “voluntary servants” — masters couldn’t sell them, they could marry freely and own private property, only needing to not harm or insult their masters. Even if they broke the law, they would be treated as common people. Though there were differences between the two, after writing a letter of dependence, they would have a master-servant relationship with their patron. After all, it was a position of service.

She thought of how Chen Qushui had sent the Bie sisters out earlier and pondered, “Do Sulan and the others know about this?”

“Not yet,” Bie Gangyi’s answer was as Dou Zhao expected. “But they’re both practical children. As long as they can live with dignity, I think they’ll surely be willing to follow Fourth Miss.”

Chen Qushui said, “We should ask the sisters’ opinion first.”

Dou Zhao agreed this was better.

So Bie Gangyi asked Chen Qushui to call his two daughters in.

Bie Suxin and Bie Sulan were completely shocked.

They had guessed their father might be worried about them being helpless after his death and wanted to entrust them to Fourth Miss Dou, but they hadn’t imagined their father would have them write a letter of dependence.

While Bie Sulan was still confused and uncertain, Bie Suxin thought of those torturous days and nights when their father was imprisoned, of Dan Jie’s shameless face, of her sister running everywhere seeking help, and seeing their father’s worry that he wouldn’t die in peace. She steeled herself and knelt before Dou Zhao, saying to Chen Qushui: “Uncle Chen, please write a letter of dependence for us sisters!”

Dou Zhao reached out to help her up.

But she remained kneeling and pulled the dazed Bie Sulan to kneel with her before Dou Zhao: “Fourth Miss, I know the Dou family is wealthy and noble, with countless people wanting to seek refuge there, let alone those writing letters of dependence like us. You taking us in is purely out of pity for us sisters having nowhere to go. We sisters are not ungrateful people. If we can follow you into the manor, we will surely serve you well in the future, accept management from the matrons in your household, and get along well with all the sisters…” By this point, her face was streaked with tears.

Bie Sulan burst into loud sobs, crawling on her knees to Bie Gangyi’s front calling “Father.”

Bie Gangyi stroked his younger daughter’s head, large teardrops silently sliding from his sunken eye sockets into his temples.

Everyone in the room began crying.

Zhao Liangbi, peeking through the curtain, also felt his nose tingle and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

After a long while, the crying in the room gradually subsided.

Dou Zhao, with red eyes, said to Chen Qushui: “Then please write a letter of dependence, Master Chen, to put Master Bie’s mind at ease.”

Chen Qushui said nothing more. Seeing the Bie household had no writing materials, he went home to write the sisters’ letter of dependence and brought it back.

Dou Zhao said to Bie Gangyi: “Keep this letter with Suxin. You focus on getting better — it would be best if we never need to use this letter.” At the end, she suppressed her sadness and showed a bright smile, “If anything happens, I won’t abandon them.”

“Thank you, Fourth Miss.” Bie Gangyi knew Fourth Miss Dou was trying to reassure him, but the fact that she could say such words gave him more peace of mind about his daughters’ future.

Dou Zhao called Zhao Liangbi in and pointed him out to Bie Suxin: “He will be at the Dou family’s grain and oil shop on East Street in Zhending for these days. If you need anything, have him handle it.”

Bie Suxin quickly bent her knees in a curtsy to Zhao Liangbi.

Zhao Liangbi hadn’t expected Dou Zhao to suddenly place him at the Dou family’s grain and oil shop, which was East Dou’s property, so he was stunned for a moment before returning Bie Suxin’s greeting, somewhat flustered.

After saying some more words about having Bie Suxin take good care of her father, Dou Zhao rose to leave.

Chen Qushui and Bie Suxin saw Dou Zhao to the door.

Dou Zhao stopped in the front courtyard and first instructed Haitang to give Bie Suxin the prepared two hundred tael bank note: “Don’t let your father worry. For doctor’s visits, just buy good medicine for your father to use. If you need ginseng, tell Zhao Liangbi and have him help you buy it.”

The longer Bie Gangyi could live, the less regret it would be for the sisters, right?

Dou Zhao thought with some emotion.

Bie Suxin said nothing, but with tears in her eyes kowtowed three times to Dou Zhao and accepted the bank note.

Dou Zhao turned to Chen Qushui: “I still need a tutor. I wonder if sir would be interested?”

Chen Qushui was stunned.

Dou Zhao smiled and instructed Zhao Liangbi: “Whether Master Chen will condescend to teach me depends on you.”

The implication was for Zhao Liangbi to find a way to persuade Chen Qushui.

Zhao Liangbi’s mind was still on Dou Zhao’s earlier words about the grain and oil shop in Zhending, wondering if the Third Master would agree, and had no energy to carefully consider Dou Zhao’s words. He hurriedly bowed and answered “Yes.”

As for Chen Qushui, having Dou Zhao send a servant to invite him to be a tutor was a great humiliation. But he also noticed that Dou Zhao had said “I” rather than West Dou or the Dou family.

His heart tightened, and after Dou Zhao left, he thoroughly investigated the Dou family’s affairs.

If he hadn’t investigated, he wouldn’t have known, but once he did, he was suddenly covered in cold sweat.

Was Fourth Miss Dou just too lucky? Or was she clever and perceptive, an unrecognized genius?

He fell into deep contemplation.

Dou Zhao naturally didn’t know about this, but she knew that someone like Chen Qushui wouldn’t rashly agree to be anyone’s tutor. She threw out the bait of being “my tutor” to see if Chen Qushui would be interested.

After returning to Zhending, she first went to see Third Uncle about arranging for Zhao Liangbi to work at the grain and oil shop in Zhending.

Zhao Liangbi was capable, and Dou Zhao wasn’t asking for him to be the head manager of the grain and oil shop. Dou Shifu had no reason to offend someone who owned a quarter of the Dou family’s assets over such a small matter.

Then she went to see Cui Thirteen, firstly to have him help investigate Chen Qushui, and secondly to have him watch if anyone was investigating her.

But Cui Thirteen thought she was being somewhat rash: “Why not investigate this person thoroughly first before asking Seventh Master to help you invite him back?”

Though the man had fallen on hard times, he still dressed neatly and cleanly, showing he was someone of proud character.

Doing that would only earn Chen Qushui’s outright refusal.

Dou Zhao smiled without answering and went to see Grandmother.

Grandmother sighed deeply upon hearing about the Bie family’s situation and took the opportunity to teach Dou Zhao: “This is why one must learn to cherish blessings.”

Dou Zhao repeatedly smiled and agreed.

Privately, Grandmother had Hong Gu send fifty taels of silver and some food to the Bie sisters.

Dou Zhao pretended not to know and sat at the large desk by the window, lost in thought while holding the note paper Cui Thirteen had brought.

Chen Qushui was from Wuji County in Zhending Prefecture. He became a xiucai at fifteen, a juren at twenty-two, then failed the imperial examinations repeatedly for ten years. His family was destitute, his wife and only son died of illness one after another. He took a position as a private tutor and had to take an advance on his salary to bury his son. Afterwards he disappeared without a trace, reportedly tutoring in the capital. Five years ago he bought two small rooms next to the Bie family martial arts school on East Lane and settled down in Zhending.

Where he went and what he did during those dozen or so years, no one knew.

Dou Zhao smiled, pressing her lips together.

What an interesting person.

Haitang walked in with a bright smile, holding a letter with both hands: “Miss, a letter from Seventh Master. He says he’s found you a tutor who will arrive in the next few days.”