Chapter 1082 - 1084: A Familiar Voice_1
Diao Yao naturally dared not disobey and immediately agreed to go to another yard. Bai Ruozhu, seeing everything ready, brought a complete set of silver needles into Chu Hai’s room.
Bai Ruozhu took a deep breath and said to Chu Hai, who was already soaking in the wooden barrel, "You will lose consciousness once the needles are in place, there’s no need to be nervous, just try to relax as much as you can."
Chu Hai looked at her face, then at the room door she had closed upon entering, a strange look flashing across his face, but it quickly returned to that of an icy expression.
"Okay, I’ll cooperate," he said indifferently.
Bai Ruozhu glanced at him, feeling somewhat nervous. Apart from her son Little Dengdeng, she had only taken Jiang Yichun into the Space, and although Jiang Yichun had had his suspicions, he respected her enough not to ask further. Now she was about to knock Chu Hai unconscious and take him into the Space to detoxify him, unsure if this would cause any unnecessary trouble.
She didn’t dare to think too much, fearing hesitation if she did. She went over to seal Chu Hai’s acupoints, and soon Chu Hai lost consciousness. She cautiously looked around, then grabbed Chu Hai’s arm, her thoughts transferring them into the Space.
Once inside, she quickly turned her head. Chu Hai had been soaking in the bath barrel before, and now without its cover, he was only wearing a pair of drenched underwear, clinging to his body, partially revealing.
Bai Ruozhu broke out into a cold sweat. If Achun, her husband, found out, he would surely flatten her and certainly kill Chu Hai to quell his anger.
Not daring to dwell on it, she dragged Chu Hai towards the hot spring pond. It was a good thing she had practised martial arts; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to move such a big man as Chu Hai. Even so, after throwing Chu Hai into the pond, sweat had formed on her forehead.
Chu Hai might appear thin, but his stature was still imposing.
She checked the time on her pocket watch, then began to eat water caltrops on the side, feeling a bit more at ease since Chu Hai was immersed in the hot spring.
After roughly five minutes, she checked Chu Hai’s pulse and found it effective. However, due to the short time, the effect was minimal. Thus, she waited another five minutes, also turning on the "big screen" to keep a close watch on the exterior situation.
After the second five minutes, the poison in Chu Hai was significantly suppressed. By fifteen minutes, there was a substantial effect, nearly matching the effect of the previous three sessions using the ancient steaming method. Considering that each ancient steaming session was extremely painful and damaging to the body.
But Bai Ruozhu’s Space was different. Not only was it painless, but it also repaired Chu Hai’s meridians, significantly improving the internal condition of his body.
The effect couldn’t be too exaggerated in one go. Worried that staying too long would reveal flaws, she grabbed Chu Hai and with a thought, they left the Space. Upon exiting, she stood in the same spot while Chu Hai was back in the bathing barrel.
Bai Ruozhu sighed with relief, wiping the sweat beads of nervousness from her forehead before leaving the room.
"Mistress, is it already done?" Jianqi asked in disbelief as she remembered it had only been about a quarter of an hour since the mistress had entered.
Bai Ruozhu nodded, "What else did you expect? After all, it’s not convenient for me to stay in there too long, as it might give people reason to talk. You make sure the people downstairs keep their mouths shut."
Jianqi replied solemnly, "Yes, your subordinate obeys."
Bai Ruozhu left the yard and went to find Diao Yao who was anxiously pacing not far away. She said with a smile, "It’s all taken care of. He will wake up a bit more than an hour from now. Once he gets out of the medicinal bath, he will be much better."
"Really? It worked?" Diao Yao’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
Bai Ruozhu nodded, "Yes, it worked. I reckon one more treatment should fully heal him, but I need to rest before I can use the needles again. Let’s wait a few more days."
Diao Yao kowtowed to Bai Ruozhu with a thud, startling Bai Ruozhu, who instinctively felt that Diao Yao’s knees must be in pain.
"Silly girl, what are you doing? Get up quickly!" Bai Ruozhu hurried to help her, but Diao Yao, with tearful eyes, said, "Sister Ruozhu, thank you. Without you, I don’t know what would have become of me and my master."
Bai Ruozhu forcefully pulled her up, feeling somewhat sentimental at that moment, and couldn’t help but ask, "Diao Yao, you care deeply for Chu Hai, does he understand your feelings?"
Diao Yao’s face flushed suddenly, and she stammered, "Brother Chu is of a taciturn nature; he’s used to being cold. Perhaps he never even noticed."
By the end, her tone carried a faint sense of sorrow, much like the spring yearnings of a young girl.
At least Diao Yao wasn’t deeply mistaken, Bai Ruozhu felt somewhat distressed and probed, "What if he only has brotherly affection for you, what will you do then?"
Diao Yao immediately became nervous and grabbed Bai Ruozhu’s sleeve, asking, "Did Brother Chu tell you that?"
Bai Ruozhu said hastily, "No, I was just asking. Don’t think too much about it."
Diao Yao’s expression cleared instantly, but her brows quickly furrowed again, "If that’s really the case, I’ll just be his sister. As long as I can see him, that’s enough, even if he finds a woman he loves and has children in the future."
Bai Ruozhu was momentarily lost for words, only reaching out to touch Diao Yao’s head.
Some say love is about possession, about making the beloved belong entirely to oneself, letting no one else taint them. But sometimes love is also about giving and accompanying, seeing him happy, even if one isn’t the source of that happiness.
...
Before long, the day of the Poetry Competition at Yingke Lai arrived, and following Bai Ruozhu’s suggestion, Yingke Lai specially chose a day when the Study Palace and Imperial Academy were on break, ostensibly to facilitate participation by the capital’s talents, though in fact, she had ulterior motives; she had already asked her second brother to also take part and try to win the top prize.
Since his arrival in the capital, Bai Zepei had kept a low profile, despite having gained widespread attention during the Eight Academy Competition in Jiangnan. Not many in the capital knew of his talent, and the people from Chang’an Academy, upon their return, were even less inclined to talk about him, so he had not received much attention even at the Imperial Academy.
Therefore, following his sister’s suggestion, Bai Zepei also thought it was time to make a name for himself in the capital at the Poetry Conference.
At this time, one should not underestimate the importance of literary reputation, for it could greatly benefit next year’s Imperial Examination. For instance, some candidates with recognized literary talent would attract the attention of the chief and deputy examiners who would then personally review their exam papers. But if one was not well-known, one’s papers might only be marked by an ordinary examiner, or worse, submerged in the sea of candidates.
Thus, many scholars who had entered the Imperial Academy were working hard to earn a name for themselves, not just the newly entered ones, but also some who had been there since the previous year. The competition was nothing short of fierce.
Bai Ruozhu could only offer her brother such an opportunity; she was unable to assist him in any other way. If his poetry was good, it was good; if not, she couldn’t give him a back door, and he would not have agreed to it either.
As the best restaurant in the capital, Yingke Lai’s Poetry Competition was extremely lively, with the Main Hall packed with people, and the private rooms on the second floor were all booked early. If not for Bai Ruozhu’s status as a shareholder, they would not have been able to sit so comfortably in a private room today.
When the first topic was announced, Bai Zepei quickly wrote his poem and passed it to the Waiter. Just as he did so, a clear voice came from the next room, "Could you please assist me, young man?"
Bai Ruozhu’s face changed, and she stood and walked outside...