Chapter 1063 - 1065 What are your plans?_1
Bai Ruozhu, who had been singing the repetitive "come, come, come" grew tired and abruptly stopped belting out notes, instead switching to Tian Zhen’s "Cheers, Friends".
"Friend, today you’re bound to leave faraway, let’s drink up this wine. Forget those solitary travels to the ends of the world, get drunk to the utmost end. Perhaps from now on your drifting, will have no moment of rest, let us raise this glass together, cheers, oh friend..."
After finishing, Bai Ruozhu shook his head vigorously and shouted, "No good, too gloomy, forget it, let’s have another drink!"
Fang Guizhi and Zhang Liliang hurried to the Main Hall after getting wind of the event, only to witness such a ludicrous scene...
Bai Ruozhu stood on a chair, raising a glass high as he sang, and no one knew exactly what nonsense he was singing, switching songs at that. Bai Yihong was there too with several chopsticks in hand, beating a rhythm on the door, but the way he held those chopsticks was truly unique, with one nestled between each finger, three in one hand, tapping away and grinning foolishly all the while.
Lin Ping’er added to the hilarity as she pointed at a chair next to her and rambled on, "You black-hearted old witch, aren’t you afraid of attracting attention with your five thousand taels?"
Her mumbling was hard to make out, then suddenly she followed Bai Ruozhu’s tune with a loud note, before continuing to rail at the chair.
Fang Guizhi, Zhang Liliang, and Rongrong’s mother stood there agape, looking at each other before they couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Although they didn’t know exactly why the Bai Family was drinking, the sight of the whole family’s ridiculous drunken antics was hilarious enough.
In the end, it was the astute Fang Guizhi who ran out to inquire from Jianqi about the day’s events, while Zhang Liliang and his wife didn’t dare disturb the Bai family and simply went to listen to Jianqi’s side of the story.
Jianqi knew that Bai Ruozhu wouldn’t keep secrets from the rest of the family, so he straightforwardly recounted the day’s happenings, also reminding the three not to mention the old master and old madam in front of Bai Yihong for fear it would upset him again.
Zhang Liliang was so angry, he slapped his thigh, but so hard that he couldn’t help but grimace in pain, yet he kept cursing, "Those two are good for nothing, I was wondering why they were so biased, turns out he isn’t their biological child, but having taken their money, how can they be devoid of any integrity?"
Zhang Liliang was a merchant, and merchants at that time highly valued honesty, so he had little respect for people who lacked credibility.
Even the normally mild-tempered Rongrong’s mother got in a few curses, and Fang Guizhi’s eyes grew red as she said, "Yihong’s life is so hard."
After a while of reflection, they went back to persuade the three to return indoors, and, after much effort, they succeeded. Bai Ruozhu was escorted to her Yard by Fang Guizhi, singing all the way, with her voice switching between a rough imitation of a man’s and her own normal one, loud enough for the whole Yard to hear.
The servants, fearing they might offend their employers, all scattered to keep their distance. Even the guards had to suppress their laughter, with several nearly hurting themselves internally from holding it in. When Cui Fan got the news and came over, he shot them a few sharp glares, but even he almost burst out laughing, rendering those glares harmless.
The guards were quite aggrieved, it wasn’t often they saw their young miss in such a humorous state, and it wasn’t that they were laughing on purpose; even if they did laugh, it didn’t change the miss’s image in their hearts.
Jianqi kept his lips pursed, showing no clear emotions, but his eyes were brighter than usual, and the light within them a bit softer.
The other dark guards hidden in the shadows could laugh freely, faring much better than the guards.
Bai Ruozhu was supported back to the Yard by Fang Guizhi. Upon hearing the commotion, Nanny Zhang rushed out with Little Dengdeng, but when Bai Ruozhu excitedly rushed to embrace her son, Nanny Zhang got a whiff of the alcohol and was so startled that she flatly refused to hand over the child.
"Why won’t you give me my son? Do you also want to fight with me for him?" Bai Ruozhu pouted and looked unhappily at Nanny Zhang, asking, "Are you in league with that old demoness?"
Nanny Zhang’s face grew so dark it seemed as if water was about to drip from it, and Guizhi hurried over to pull Bai Ruozhu away. But Bai Ruozhu suddenly rushed over to Little Dengdeng, leaned in, and planted a big kiss on her precious son’s face.
Little Dengdeng, overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol, scrunched up his brows in great displeasure, looking at his mother—who was acting abnormally—with a face full of confusion. Then, unhappy, he extended his chubby little hand and wiped away the spot where Bai Ruozhu had kissed him.
Fortunately, Guizhi had pulled Bai Ruozhu back into the room, so she did not see this scene; otherwise, her glass heart would have shattered to pieces.
Guizhi managed to settle Bai Ruozhu down at last and then quickly went to explain things to Nanny Zhang, who had been very angry, thinking to herself, "The young master has only been gone for a few days, and the lady has gotten herself drunk to the point of stupor. Even if we don’t care about those rules, shouldn’t there be at least some decorum?"
It was only after learning the whole truth that Nanny Zhang realized she had misunderstood Bai Ruozhu, who had been drinking in honor of her father and out of filial piety.
With that thought, Nanny Zhang’s heart went out to Bai Ruozhu, and she immediately instructed the kitchen to prepare Hangover Soup to spare Bai Ruozhu a severe headache when she awoke.
Bai Zepei only learned of the situation in the afternoon after school but by that time, Bai Yihong and the others had almost sobered up and were sipping Hangover Soup. Pretending to be unaware, Bai Zepei did not mention anything in front of his father but instead went to Bai Ruozhu’s yard.
Bai Ruozhu was holding her head, crying in pain, and then hearing Guizhi describe her drunken antics, she felt even more headache coming on.
Nanny Zhang watched with amusement and said, "It’s your own fault for encouraging others to drink until you got yourself drunk. If the young master were here, I can’t imagine how distressed he would be."
Bai Ruozhu’s face heated up a bit. Nanny Zhang knew Achun cared for her and yet spoke so bluntly. What happened to the modesty expected of ancient times?
"Drink your Hangover Soup properly, and you’ll feel better soon," Nanny Zhang said with a smile, not letting Little Dengdeng disturb his mother, and added, "That kiss you gave with your alcohol breath scared the child half to death."
Bai Ruozhu’s mouth twitched. Why didn’t she have any memory of that?
She looked apologetically at her precious son. Mother really isn’t a drunkard; today was just, purely an accident!
Bai Zepei, finding the situation funny, coughed lightly to attract everyone’s attention in the room and then entered.
"I’ve heard all about it. What exactly are you planning to do?" Bai Zepei asked.
Seeing that the room was filled with her own people, Bai Ruozhu simply said, "I can’t afford the five thousand silver taels. Even if I were willing to give it, I fear they would not be blessed enough to enjoy it, and it might bring them great disaster. Besides, I plan to secretly search for my father’s kinsmen. If they’re not too unsavory, I can also help my father to trace his ancestry and, more importantly, sever ties with the old man and old lady. If those people are also no good, and it’s all a mess, then let’s just drop the matter."
Bai Zepei nodded, agreeing that it was the only way.
"I used to oppose rescuing Bai Yibo, but now I won’t stand in the way anymore; in fact, I’m even thinking of secretly giving a hand." Bai Ruozhu, rubbing her temples, revealed a mischievous smile on her lips.