Chapter 104: The Villain Sneaks In
When Bai Yibo left with Sanlang, they continued complaining, stating that Bai Yihong had married a fierce woman who caused discord among brothers.
It was strange that when the two of them left, Little Dengdeng stopped crying. Such a clear change led to murmurs in the house, "Odd! The baby knows who is nice to him and who is not. He knowingly cries loudly at the voice of those who harmed him."
Some people chimed in, stating that it was utterly despicable to harm the mother and child, not even allowing them to have a proper confinement period. Although no one openly blamed Bai Yibo and his son, everyone knew whom they were referring to.
Because of Bai Yibo’s ruckus, the mood of the family had soured somewhat. However, in order to not hinder Bai Ruozhu’s spirits, they all tried to put on a brave face.
But in the following days, the news of Bai Yibo being chased off when he went to apologize to his younger brother spread throughout the village. No one knew how it happened, but the rumor in the village was that the second Bai family didn’t respect their elder brother, and Gui Lin was a troublemaker who disrupted the harmony between brothers.
However, none of these remarks reached Bai Ruozhu’s ears. Even when Fang Guizhi visited, Lin Ping had instructed her in advance not to speak too much about it to Bai Ruozhu, so as not to upset her.
During this time, Rongrong’s mother brought Rongrong over for a visit. On the third day after Bai Ruozhu gave birth, they heard gossip from the villagers in the town and hurried to pay a visit. Afterward, Zhang Liliang was away on business, and it wasn’t proper for the two of them to frequently leave the house, so they only visited again before the Rural Examination. They gave Bai Zepei a writing brush and an inkstone.
"This is too courteous of you. We are truly undeserving." Lin Ping began to modestly refuse. These stationeries were not cheap. There was a reason why it was said that keeping a scholar was costly.
Rongrong’s mother pushed the items back into Lin Ping’s arms, saying, "My husband has instructed this before his departure. Please don’t reject his goodwill, lest it makes me an effrontery. He will definitely scold me if he returns."
Bai Ruozhu snickered on the side, finding the exchange amusing. Although Rongrong’s mother was introverted, Bai Ruozhu could see she was high in emotional intelligence. Zhang Liliang valued her a lot, and their marital relationship was so good, he wouldn’t really scold her, right?
In the end, Lin Ping accepted the gifts and invited Rongrong’s mother to stay for a meal. Unfortunately, Bai Ruozhu didn’t prepare the meal. Even though Lin Ping’s cooking skills had improved, it still somewhat lacked in comparison.
A few days later, the day before the Rural Examination arrived. As the examination was early in the morning, leaving for the town on the same day might be too late. The worrisome journey might also cause fatigue, affecting their performance. Therefore, the Bai family decided to send Bai Zepei to the town a day early. They found him an inn to stay and was to be accompanied by Bai Zehao for the night before sending him to the exam place the next day.
Bai Zepei couldn’t help but smile bitterly, "There’s no need to be so nervous. I can go by myself. The house is busy now, and my elder brother has a lot to attend to."
Bai Ruozhu thought for a while and said, "No, we should be careful. We must be prepared for any changes."
Seeing her serious expression, Bai Zepei was about to laugh. But after pondering, he couldn’t help but become solemn. Indeed, after more than ten years of painstaking studies, he couldn’t afford any slip-ups at the last moment.
"Let me stay at home to accompany Ruozhu then." Lin Ping was worried about her daughter, fearing that she would be tired taking care of the baby alone.
"Mother, you should accompany them. Once the arrangements for second brother’s lodging have been made, you can return. Otherwise, you won’t get any sleep tonight." Bai Ruozhu chuckled. Clearly, her mother was extremely worried and wanted to go. How could she prevent her from going?
"Also, Dengdeng is very behaved. I won’t get tired." Bai Ruozhu glanced at the little one who had had his fill and returned to his slumber. Her face displayed a particularly gentle smile.
In the end, Lin Ping finally gave in. The family accompanied Bai Zepei on his journey towards the town.
When Bai Zepei exited the house, his face showed a helpless expression. He was already a grown man. Did he need the whole family to accompany him? However, he didn’t complain, for he and Bai Ruozhu both knew that this was their family’s concern for him.
When everyone had left, Bai Ruozhu sighed. Sitting for the confinement period was indeed boring. She wanted to play with her smartphone but there was no such thing. She could only watch her baby in a daze, or stare at the ceiling in a daze. It was so boring...
Out of boredom, she played with Little Dengdeng’s little chubby hand. The child was good at eating and sleeping, and was growing exceptionally well. His small hand was already chubby like a lotus root which was incredibly adorable. Bai Ruozhu couldn’t resist and put his small hand in her mouth, gently biting it.
Suddenly, Dengdeng burst into tears. Bai Ruozhu was startled and hurriedly checked the baby’s hand. She didn’t use any strength. Could a baby be so delicate? When she checked, there wasn’t any mark on the child’s finger. She couldn’t help but glare at him. Was this naughty little boy tricking her? There was clearly no mark, so why was he crying?
But the child continued crying pitifully, so Bai Ruozhu had to check him. Turns out, the little one had pooped. He was particularly clean. He would be upset if his diaper was the least bit dirty. Bai Ruozhu quickly changed his diaper, cleaned his bottom, and put his clothes back on.
However, the child continued crying as if wronged. At loss, Bai Ruozhu thought it hadn’t been long since his last feeding. Could something be wrong? Could he be unwell somewhere? The thought of her child possibly falling ill made her incredibly worried. But because the child was so small, Bai Ruozhu’s pulse diagnostic skills were lacking, and she couldn’t tell if the child was ill.
Just then, Bai Ruozhu heard some commotion from the yard. The noise definitely didn’t come from the direction of the pigpen. It sounded like someone walking. She involuntarily widened her eyes, reflexively making a ’hush’ gesture at the baby. To her surprise, the baby actually stopped crying.
But she had no time to marvel at her child’s intelligence. Her parents had specifically locked the gate from the outside when leaving. Furthermore, they had asked her to bolt the doors from the inside. How could anyone have gotten in? It wasn’t yet time for her family to return. Even if they had returned, they would have asked her to unfasten the doors from inside.
Bai Ruozhu cuddled her baby tighter, fear creeping into her heart. She and the baby were the only ones at home. What if they encountered villains? But how could there be villains in broad daylight? Wasn’t the security of the village good?
A figure suddenly popped into her mind - it was Sanlang! Just as the saying goes, a woman’s intuition is usually accurate. Sure enough, through the crack in the window, she saw Sanlang sneaking toward her room.
Bai Ruozhu clenched her teeth, continuously coaxing herself not to be angry. Was it worth it to be angry with a mad dog?
The purpose of Sanlang was clear. If he didn’t intend to take revenge on her while the Bai family was away, then he intended to steal something from the Bai family again. She had heard that a thief would always be tempted to steal again because it was so easy, equivalent to something for nothing. Evidently, Sanlang was that kind of person.
Bai Ruozhu became apprehensive. She and the baby had to hide. She couldn’t deal with a half-grown youth like Sanlang, let alone protect the baby at the same time.