Chapter 1029 - 1031 Accidental Encounter with Little Aunt Bai Zhi_1
Bai Ruozhu was afraid of exposing any flaws, so she hurriedly said, "Perhaps my mother is just not accustomed to the new environment. I’ll take her around Capital City to relax, and once she’s familiar with the place, she’ll feel better."
When her father, Bai Yihong, heard his daughter put it that way, he didn’t think much of it. The Bai Family was about to open a Toy Shop in Capital City, and Bai Yihong had been busy with this affair with Zhang Liliang these past few days.
Bai Ruozhu took Dengdeng and pulled her mother out for a walk to clear their minds. Along the way, she warned, "Mother, you must be careful. Father is already suspicious. I made up an excuse that you are not quite used to life in Capital City. When you go back, don’t sigh and look sad."
"Alright, alright, I will pay attention, but when do you think we should tell your father?" Lin Ping’er asked worriedly.
"Let’s wait and see. Maybe it’s not too late to tell him once we have some real news about his relatives," Bai Ruozhu suggested.
Lin Ping’er thought about it and felt it made sense; after all, there was no need to say anything now. She could worry about it later.
The mother and daughter went to the famous Changle Workshop in Capital City, which was known for selling exceptional wine. The Workshop also housed a school for the performing arts, and every evening, there were performances by courtesans and variety entertainers; it was extremely lively.
During the daytime, Changle Workshop wasn’t too crowded. Bai Ruozhu and her mother bought some wine, planning to treat Bai Yihong to a special meal at dinner.
Neither mother nor daughter said anything explicitly, but both wanted to be as good to Bai Yihong as possible to make up for the injustice he had suffered over the years.
As they were strolling around, suddenly there came a woman’s voice from behind them, "Second sister-in-law, is it really you?"
Lin Ping’er and Bai Ruozhu didn’t realize she was calling them and paid no attention until the woman blocked Lin Ping’er’s path. Only then did Lin Ping’er react and said in surprise, "Little Auntie, how come you’re here?"
Bai Ruozhu searched through her memories and recognized that the woman before her, who appeared to be in her thirties, was indeed Bai Zhi, the youngest daughter of Bai Fu and the Liu Family. More than ten years ago, she had married the second son of the Ding Family in the town. Afterward, when the eldest son of the Ding Family became an officer in Gaopao County, the whole Ding Family moved there together.
Over the years, Bai Zhi occasionally kept in touch with her family through letters. During the New Year, and on the elders’ birthdays, she would send some gifts back home. However, because of her distant marriage, she had not been able to return to Mountain Village in person, at least not since Bai Ruozhu’s transmigration.
She remembered that when her little aunt got married at the age of seventeen, her former self was only four years old. Thus, Bai Ruozhu had no impression of what Bai Zhi was like as a person.
However, her mother never spoke ill of her little aunt, which made her think that little aunt probably didn’t have an annoying personality.
But having just cleared up the unsavory matters involving Bai Fu and the Liu Family, Bai Ruozhu lacked enthusiasm for the members of Bai Fu’s family. Bai Zhi wasn’t really her aunt anymore, and she was the biological daughter of those two elders.
"I was also wondering why you all came to Capital City. Father and mother didn’t send me any word to inform me. If I had known you were in Capital City, Feiyu and I would have visited you earlier," Bai Zhi said with a smile, obviously excited to encounter her relative.
"We’ve only arrived not long ago as well. It’s a long story. Perhaps father and mother sent a letter, but you just happened to leave and missed it," Lin Ping’er explained.
At that time, communication was not well-developed, and letters took a long time to travel through post stations. It was common for letters not to reach the recipient because they had already moved on.
"That’s very possible. Let’s not stand here talking. Let’s sit down and chat in that Tea House over there," Bai Zhi said warmly.
Bai Ruozhu wanted to refuse, but when Bai Zhi looked at her with a face full of amazement, she said, "Ruozhu has grown so big, even taller than me, looks like she’s already married, right?"
An image suddenly flashed in Bai Ruozhu’s mind, of her younger aunt braiding her hair before getting married and telling her, "Our Ruozhu is the most beautiful, you will surely marry a desirable gentleman someday."
Thinking of this, Bai Ruozhu felt embarrassed to be too cold towards Bai Zhi, after all, Bai Zhi had once been kind to her predecessor.
"Yes, aunt, didn’t grandpa mention it in his letter to you? My son just had his first birthday feast a few days ago," Bai Ruozhu said with a smile.
Bai Zhi was taken aback; indeed, there had been no mention of it, and the old man simply didn’t talk about the second wife’s affairs at all, but of course, she couldn’t just say that, so she forced a laugh and said, "I must have been too busy and got confused."
Bai Ruozhu noticed her expression and thought to herself that Grandpa really didn’t mention anything about the second wife’s affairs in his letters to Bai Zhi; after all, they were a family who were close and warm to each other, why would they mention you outsiders.
The three of them found a tea house to sit down in, and Bai Zhi’s manner was that she intended to treat them, it wasn’t pretentious at all, just very enthusiastic.
"Aunt, not only did we come to the Capital City, but our parents and the clan leader have also arrived," Lin Ping’er said to Bai Zhi, who seemed eager to hear more.
Bai Zhi showed a face full of surprise, "People we lost contact with for decades, we found each other again?"
"Exactly, we were also very surprised when it happened," Lin Ping’er said.
"Would it be alright for me to visit the Bo Family uninvited? Or maybe have my parents come and stay with me for a couple of days?" Bai Zhi asked cautiously.
She was a daughter married out, still, she came to the Capital City following her uncle; it was okay for her parents to visit for a couple of days, but if they stayed for a long time, it would be against the rules.
Bai Ruozhu and Lin Ping’er looked at each other, both feeling that Bai Zhi didn’t seem like Bai Fu and the Liu Family who, upon hearing that the Bo Family was a Marquis’ Residence, insisted on getting close no matter what.
"Just send an invitation; although it’s to distant relatives, a visit won’t make others think too much," Bai Ruozhu said. She then refilled Bai Zhi’s cup with tea, prompting an admiring look from Bai Zhi, who thought that her young niece, unseen for many years, had grown even more distinguished, with every movement showing the elegance of an officer’s wife. Where was the person mentioned in the old man’s letter?
In fact, Bai Fu liked to save face. He would talk about Bai Ruozhu’s premarital pregnancy, but in his letters to Bai Zhi, he never mentioned it. He was afraid that the contents of the letters would be seen by the Ding Family, and from then on, they would look down upon the Bai Family. However, after Bai Yibo’s incident, Grandpa also wrote to Bai Zhi asking for help, fiercely criticizing Bai Yihong’s family in the letter and mentioning that Bai Ruozhu was cunning, disrespectful, and impolite to elders.
Bai Zhi’s husband’s brother was an officer, and over the years after gaining a lot of experiences, she was no longer the naïve girl from Mountain Village. So, when Bai Yibo’s affairs happened, she made inquiries and got the gist of it. She cursed her elder brother to no end in her heart and even wanted to write a letter to properly talk to her parents. But remembering that Grandpa was already sick from anger, she could only comfort them with a few words, saying that the Ding Family was helpless as well.
Now, seeing Bai Ruozhu, where was the cunning, disrespectful person who was impolite to elders?
Then, Lin Ping’er briefly explained their situation in coming to the Capital City. When Bai Zhi heard that Bai Zepei had passed the imperial examination as number one scholar, her mouth almost split to her ears with joy, and she said with a smile, "Our old Bai Family has finally produced a scholar. If Grandpa knew in the afterlife, he could rest in peace."
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I returned home late from running errands today, hence the late update, but I guarantee there will be five Chapters today~