Chapter 115: Excellent Opportunity
When Lu Donghai spat, it all landed on Lin Ping’er, who was sitting across from him. Thankfully he was short, otherwise all of it would have landed on Lin Ping’er’s face.
"My goodness, why are you so careless, child?" Bai Ruomei exclaimed, giving Lin Ping’er an apologetic smile.
Lin Ping’er hastened to wipe herself with a cloth, smiling as she said, "It’s alright, the child didn’t mean any harm."
As they conversed, Bai Ruomei didn’t keep an eye on Lu Donghai, who again tumbled onto the ground and started rolling.
"I want honey water, I want honey water!" declared Lu Donghai, shouting as he rolled.
Bai Ruozhu massaged her temples. This child, why behave like this? Why can’t he just ask nicely for honey water? Why does he have to throw himself down on the ground and roll? Who spoiled him into developing these habits?
"We don’t have any honey at home, this, uh..." Lin Ping’er was also starting to get a headache. They had bought honey in the past, but after Bai Ruozhu stopped breastfeeding, they stopped buying it because she refused to drink honey water.
"There’s no honey here, stop making a fuss, we’ll let you drink some when we get home," Bai Ruomei said, mortified. She kept darting meaningful glances at Lu Ming, hinting that he should help manage their child, but Lu Ming just pretended to drink his tea and didn’t take notice, clearly showing his refusal to intervene.
Bai Ruomei was thus compelled to deal with her child herself. But Lu Ming stubbornly refused to get up. He continued to shout: "Then I want sugar water, I want sugar water!".
Overwhelmed by all this, Lin Ping’er got up and went to the kitchen to make him a bowl of sweet soup. The plump little child finally got up, grabbed the sugar water and drank it, all without uttering a word of thanks.
Bai Ruozhu shot a covert glance at Bai Ruomei, seeing that she wasn’t rectifying her child’s behavior either, Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but sigh softly; this family really spoils their child.
After drinking her tea, Bai Ruomei launched into a casual chat with Lin Ping’er. Bai Ruozhu, cradling the baby Dengdeng, sat nearby listening without interjecting.
"Dengdeng is very well behaved, not crying or whining," Bai Ruomei remarked, looking at Lu Donghai before adding, "Our boy here has always been very naughty since he was a child. He has to be held while he sleeps – if no one holds him, he wakes up and starts crying. His grandparents at home had to take turns holding him till he was more than a year old and able to walk on his own."
Lin Ping’er didn’t know how to respond, so she laughed and said, "Your Donghai speaks very clearly. You can tell he is very intelligent."
Bai Ruomei swelled with pride at the compliment, and laughed. "Though the child is slightly naughty, he is more intelligent than most children; he is strong, and overall, better than other children."
Bai Ruozhu was again left speechless; apparently, they hadn’t realized their child was excessively overweight. They still thought he was strong and well-proportioned.
As expected, Bai Ruomei’s expression held a hint of pride. Ignorance is truly terrifying!
Originally, Bai Ruozhu had intended to remind them that children shouldn’t consume so many sweets and drink sugar water constantly. However, after hearing Bai Ruomei’s words, she didn’t know how to bring it up.
Just then, Lu Donghai called out again, "I’ve finished drinking. I still want sugar water!".
Lin Ping’er got up again to make another cuppa. Bai Ruozhu opened her mouth to say something, but eventually held her peace. She was afraid that her good intentions would upset the child’s parents, who may then perceive her as being petty.
Lu Donghai drank another cup of sugar water, then ran off to urinate. When he came back he said he was still thirsty, and shortly after, had to go and urinate again.
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t stand it any longer and ventured to ask, "Older cousin, is Donghai always this thirsty and peeing frequently?"
"When it gets hot he likes to drink lots of water, and naturally he’ll pee more. It’s not a big deal." Bai Ruomei said off-handedly.
"Elder cousin, you should still be careful. He should eat fewer sugary snacks and drink less sugar water. Otherwise, there could be a risk of developing ’childhood thirst-quenching syndrome’. In ancient times, diabetes was referred to as ’thirst-quenching syndrome’. I’m not trying to scare you, but Lu Donghai is really not far from developing childhood diabetes."
"How do you know all this?" The one to question Bai Ruozhu was Lu Ming. He stared straight at her, making Bai Ruozhu feel uncomfortable.
Bai Ruozhu looked away from him and towards Bai Ruomei, "I’ve learned some medical skills, so I have a rough idea."
Bai Ruomei, having only one child, listened attentively. She widened her eyes and asked, "Is it true?"
"Elder cousin, it might be better to take him to Fushou Hall for a doctor to examine him. If there is a problem, it’s better to know early and manage it. If there isn’t a problem, at least you’ll have peace of mind," said Bai Ruozhu. She felt that she had said all that she could. If the other party still wasn’t willing to listen, then there was nothing she could do.
"Alright, alright, when we get home I will take him to Fushou Hall," Bai Ruomei said absentmindedly, not knowing whether she was concerned for the child, or had her mind on other matters.
Bai Zepei and Bai Yihong returned after a while. Lin Ping’er hurriedly fetched water for them to clean themselves, as they were covered in mud and sweat.
After the two men exchanged pleasantries with Bai Ruomei and her husband, they began to wash themselves in the yard.
Probably not wanting to miss an opportunity to converse with Bai Zepei, Bai Ruomei left the house and went to the yard to join him.
Just as Bai Ruozhu was about to take her baby and join them outside, she felt two laser-like eyes boring into her. Without turning her head, she knew it was Lu Ming’s gaze. She wanted to go outside precisely because Lu Ming was there and she felt uncomfortable.
Lu Ming stared at her unblinkingly. After a moment, he laughed and said in a low voice, "Sister Ruozhu, you know some medical science too? I heard you can read and write, you are no less than any mistress of a big family."
"Brother-in-law, you flatter me, I am going to join my cousin." Bai Ruozhu knew about Lu Ming’s licentious reputation, and how Bai Ruomei had a tough life as his wife. However, she hadn’t anticipated that Lu Ming would go so far as to flirt with his wife’s younger sister from her maternal family.
This thought sent shivers down Bai Ruozhu’s spine, and she quickened her steps.
Lu Ming watched Bai Ruozhu’s retreating figure, huffed under his breath, and muttered, "Who are you pretending to be so high and mighty? Aren’t you just a woman discarded by a man? I don’t believe that you don’t have those kinds of desires."
Although Bai Ruozhu had walked quickly, her sharp ears picked up every word that Lu Ming had muttered. Her face turned darker than ever. She couldn’t help but wish she could turn round and slap him. In the end, she took several deep breaths and swallowed her anger.
She thought, you can’t confront such things head on, but there will be opportunities for retaliation.
As she heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind her, she knew it was Lu Ming following her. She hurried to Lin Ping’er’s side and found a safe position. It wasn’t that she was overly sensitive, it was just that lecherous wolves like him loved to ambush from behind. She had had enough.
"Er Lang, you are a Scholar now. Which school are you planning to attend?" Bai Ruomei asked.
Er Lang shook his head. "I haven’t decided yet. Moreover, I plan to visit my old teacher and discuss it with him."
Then it occurred to Bai Ruozhu. In the Danliang country, the Child Student Exam was simplified by the emperor. There was no longer any need to pass through the three stages of county, prefecture, and academy examinations. Instead, the difficulty of the exam was raised, and the number of successful candidates limited. This was done to save manpower and resources.
Subsequently, those students who passed the exam, known as Scholars, were eligible to study at the county or prefecture schools, to prepare for the provincial examination the following year.
Bai Ruozhu’s eyes lit up. Could this be a golden opportunity?