Chapter 131: Bai Yibo’s Family Card
"You, you..." Bai Yibo stammered, struggling to find a more appropriate response.
Of course, Bai Yibo wasn’t someone who would back down easily. After a quiet moment, his face flushed with anger up to the neck, he suddenly squatted on the ground, buried his face in his hands, and started to sob.
Accustomed to his arrogant demeanour, the Bai Ruozhu family was taken aback to see him sobbing at the foot of the wall.
"Big brother, what are you doing? How bad would it look if someone saw you?" Bai Yihong was clearly startled, stumbling over his words.
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help pinching her chin with two fingers, thinking quickly. Was Bai Yibo really crying? If not, how could she expose him?
Unexpectedly, Bai Yibo fiercely wiped his face and then turned his face to cry again. Bai Ruozhu, keen-eyed, noticed a wet patch on the sleeve he used to wipe his face.
Could he really be crying?
"I know it’s bad that I wrote those things when I was drunk. But these years things have been increasingly difficult for me. Remember how close we were as children? I taught you to write; most of the characters you know were taught by me, right? Dad was busy preparing for the imperial examinations and didn’t have the time."
Bai Yibo sniffled, talking in a choked-up voice, his tone containing a hint of bitterness.
Bai Yihong’s face hardened. His big brother was right, he had learned how to write from him as a kid.
"But when did you change? I know you’ve worked hard and endured much hardship at home over the years, but I’ve been studying just as hard. I’m trying to pass the civil service exam as soon as possible so I can become an officer and bring our family to the capital." Bai Yibo’s voice was growing more emotional. He wiped away another tear. Bai Ruozhu noticed that his arm movement was slower this time; she could clearly see that he had indeed been crying; his eyes were red and swollen.
Bai Ruozhu was stunned. Was Bai Yibo an actor? But he didn’t seem to be pretending. Could he really cry at will?
In truth, Bai Yibo had been feeling very suffocated lately, hence his constant drinking. As he talked about it today, his emotions came pouring out. Maybe it was just a momentary regret, or perhaps he was lamenting his difficult fate. But Bai Yihong heard something entirely different.
Bai Ruozhu hastily glanced at her father. As expected, his eyes were red, filled with tears, his expression a mix of sadness and confusion.
Alas, seeing how skillfully the family card was being played, if it were her, she might have shed a few tears too.
"I’m the one who’s not being fair. You insisted on separating from the family, not caring about our parents. Now that Er Lang is successful, you’ve distanced yourself even further. I’ve been feeling awful and rambling nonsense, but can you really bear a grudge against me for the rest of your life?" Bai Yibo’s voice grew wheedling and contained an air of desperation towards the end.
No one could remain unmoved by this, not even Bai Yihong. Everyone who was silently watching felt sorrowful. It was a pity to see such closed siblings having reached such a sad state.
Bai Yihong sniffled and wiped the corners of his eyes, saying, "Big brother, don’t overthink it. I’ve forgotten about those things. I’ve never held a grudge against anyone."
Bai Ruozhu knew her father was speaking the truth. He genuinely wouldn’t hold a grudge against his parents or his elder brother for the rest of his life.
"If you don’t resent dad and me, why won’t you help them? Can you bear to see them still working in the fields at their age? Mom has already gotten sick from overwork." Bai Yibo’s voice rose significantly on the last sentence, as if afraid others wouldn’t hear.
She fell ill from just one day’s work? Did the old lady of the Bai family think she was bourgeois? Was she made of paper? Bai Ruozhu felt disdainful hearing this as she didn’t care about the old mansion, but it was different for Bai Yihong. Hearing that his mother was ill, he immediately grew anxious.
"What do you mean she’s ill? Has a doctor been called? If not, I’ll go find Doctor Li right now." Bai Yihong was about to go find Doctor Li.
Bai Yibo quickly stopped him, saying, "Mom said she has a backache and can’t rise from bed. You know she has a bad back. Right now, she’s currently resting in bed. There’s no use for Doctor Li to see her."
Bai Ruozhu, who was initially on board with getting a doctor, changed her mind hearing this. If her family paid for treatment only for the old woman to reveal she’s not ill, the situation would be awkward. If it’s a case of backache, it wouldn’t be easy to disprove.
Most farming households often had backache or leg pain as they aged. If she insisted she was experiencing pain, how could someone disprove her? Besides, she had worked in the fields for an entire day.
However, claiming this was falling ill was indeed an exaggeration.
Bai Yihong sighed in relief, realizing the problem. After some thought, he said, "As long as mom and dad are okay, I didn’t say I wouldn’t help. Once we finish our work in the fields, we’ll go help them with the harvest."
The family had discussed this issue before, it was unrealistic to completely ignore the old mansion. Were they supposed to let their crops rot in the fields? With filial piety hanging over their heads and with the village people watching, they had to do something.
And if the old mansion ran out of food, would they let the elderly starve? Even if the Bai Ruozhu family didn’t care about public opinion, if things reached such a stage, the village chief and the elders would surely step in to mediate.
This was the way of the world. Whoever was prosperous had to care for their parents and siblings, even if they could not provide for themselves due to laziness. Because of blood ties, one cannot neglect their familial duties, otherwise, the village would not accept them.
Bai Ruozhu was extremely discontent with this, but she couldn’t change the world. Even in modern times, similar things happened.
"No way! By the time you all finish, it’ll be too late. Our parents are impatient, worrying about the crops, and can hardly sleep. What if their anxiety makes them sick? " Bai Yibo’s greed showed when he insisted that if the Bai Yihong family didn’t help immediately, he would have to work hard on the fields again tomorrow.
"Well..." Bai Yihong became a bit dissatisfied. Where were you all earlier?
"Sweetheart, don’t argue about this. What’s more important? Your parents or your crops? You can’t ignore your parents’ health," Bai Yihan directly escalated the issue, focusing once again on filial piety.
Lin Ping, who was standing beside them, anxiously tugged Bai Yihong’s sleeve, signalling him not to agree. The old mansion simply wanted to profit from their efforts. They had worked hard for a long time and were about to reap the rewards—could they bear to watch their ripe crops fall to the ground?
Harvest in autumn was a matter of timing. Even a one-day delay could make a difference.
As Bai Yihong was pondering over how to tactfully refuse, his younger son suddenly spoke from behind him, "Dad, we will go help grandpa and grandma with the harvest tomorrow. We can deal with our own crops later."
Bai Ruozhu instantly understood her younger brother’s intentions and also loudly added, "Yes, Dad, even if our crops rot in the ground, we should prioritize our grandparents. They’ve no one to work the fields and it’s really taking a toll on their health."