Chapter 134: What is Family?
Probably the only person in the entire Mountain Village who dares to say that her grandmother is a bad person is Bai Ruozhu. Everyone remained silent after hearing this, after all, it’s not easy to voice out agreement about such a matter.
Bai Ruozhu secretly stuck her tongue out, in any case, the grandmother was not hers. She never regarded her as family. Yet she reminded herself to be more cautious in the future to avoid being overheard.
Thinking of this, she glared at her second brother. It’s all his fault for flicking her forehead and accusing her of leading their mother astray. She felt more wronged than Dou E.
Bai Zepei, on the other hand, had an indifferent attitude, sitting on the field ridge, drinking cold tea. But his demeanor was as if he was sitting leisurely at a scenic spot, sipping tea, which made anyone around him feel their surroundings become more refined.
Bai Ruozhu was a bit stunned. She was still breastfeeding Little Dengdeng, so she couldn’t drink cold tea, so she could only watch others drink tea and occasionally refill their cups. She felt a bit confused, how could her second brother, who had grown up in the countryside, possess such an exceptional temperament? So, could reading actually improve one’s temperament?
"Is there dust on my face?" Bai Zepei suddenly turned his head and asked her.
Bai Ruozhu chuckled, answering, "I was just thinking about how good your temperament is. I wonder what your future wife will be like?"
As expected, such a topic was still a bit awkward for the unmarried men and women of ancient times. Bai Zepei gave a slight cough, and said discontentedly, "It’s still too early for you to be thinking about my wife. Don’t imagine things that aren’t there."
Bai Ruozhu smirked. While her second brother wasn’t as shy as her eldest brother, he was still embarrassed by this. It seemed she had found a way to tease him in the future.
She then exchanged a few words with her family members, then picked up a small bundle, carried Little Dengdeng’s sleeping basket, and headed out of the village. The hiring of helpers had been left up to her.
As soon as she reached the entrance of the village, she ran into Zhang Liliang and his family. Rongrong, excited, greeted her and clamored to see Little Dengdeng. Bai Ruozhu was a bit surprised, with no one at her house, how could she entertain the Zhang family?
When Zhang Liliang saw her leaving the village, he hurriedly asked, "Ruozhu, are you going to town? I brought Rongrong and her mother to help you in this busy farming period."
Only then did Bai Ruozhu notice that Zhang Liliang and his wife were not wearing the half-new clothes they usually wore when they visited, but old ones that were clearly meant for manual labor. They didn’t come just for show, they were obviously here to help!
Bai Ruozhu felt a warm current running through her heart. Although there were no blood ties between her and the Zhang family, they had sent gifts and words of gratitude after she had rescued Rongrong. The Zhang family had already repaid her kindness. But even after that, they still considered her as family, and would always think in her best interests. Compared with the old mansion, it’s far easier to see who the real family members were.
Family isn’t just about blood ties, it’s also about whether the person has put their real sentiment into the relationship.
"How can I accept this?" Bai Ruozhu wasn’t someone who enjoyed formalities; but she did feel a bit embarrassed at that moment.
Rongrong’s mother took Bai Ruozhu’s hand and said, "What’s there to be embarrassed about? If it weren’t for your uncle being late from his business trip, we would’ve been here yesterday."
Bai Ruozhu looked at Zhang Liliang and indeed he seemed to have lost some weight. They must’ve rushed over to help her after returning from his business trip. She thought, how tiring that must be!
Bai Ruozhu felt her eyes getting a bit sour, she sniffed and said, "Uncle Zhang, Aunt Zhang, th-this thank you very much."
"What are you being so formal for? We’re just lending a hand, it’s not like we’re doing any big favor." Zhang Liliang said with a big smile, "So, where is your farm? I’ll go find your father."
It’s easy to add on to good times, but it’s hard to lend a helping hand in times of difficulty. The Zhang family’s help couldn’t have come at a better time for Bai Ruozhu.
Bai Ruozhu quietly wiped her eyes and roughly explained the situation. She told them that her family had been called to work in the old mansion’s fields, and she was on her way to town to hire helpers.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Liliang immediately became anxious. He said, "What about your family’s crops? They’re going to rot in the ground? No way! Your father has worked so hard on these fields, he’d be heartbroken. Let’s go greet your father first, then help him harvest the fields!"
Rongrong started jumping excitedly too, yelling, "I can bring water and food for my parents, I can help too!"
Bai Ruozhu didn’t know what to say, so she thanked them again. After thinking for a bit, she said, "I still need to hire helpers. I have some friends in town. I’ll ask them to recommend a few people."
Zhang Liliang gave it a thought and agreed that their ability was limited and more people were needed.
"Be careful on the way, and don’t tire yourself out. It must be quite difficult to travel with the child." Zhang Liliang sighed, then glanced in the direction of the old mansion with a frown, lost in thought.
Bai Ruozhu said her goodbyes to the three of them. Rongrong, who had just met her sister and was about to part, sadly said, "Can I go to town with you and then come back together?"
Rongrong’s mother rushed to stop her, and said, "Your sister is already having a hard time taking care of Little Dengdeng alone. It would be even more tiring if she had to look after you, a little monkey, as well." Seeing Rongrong pout, she smiled and said, "Just now, weren’t you saying that you would bring water for your parents? Can you bear to leave them thirsty?"
Hearing that, Rongrong immediately said, "I’ll bring water for my parents and wait for my sister in the village."
Bai Ruozhu gently touched her double buns, and smiled saying, "Rongrong is so sensible now, when I come back I’ll bring you Sugar-Coated Haws."
Rongrong nodded cheerfully, and started grinning at Little Dengdeng. Little Dengdeng, who wasn’t sleeping at the moment, opened his round eyes wide and looked at Rongrong. He even cracked a smile.
After bidding the Zhang family, Bai Ruozhu found a donkey cart and headed straight to Du’s Pharmacy in Anyuan Town.
She had already passed the period to collect her dividends when she was in confinement. It was originally agreed that her elder brother would pick it up. However, because Du Zhongshu had helped her find ginseng when she gave birth, she felt bad about taking too much advantage of him. Therefore, she didn’t ask her brother to collect the dividends and planned to thank Du Zhongshu in person and take a bit less in dividends after the confinement.
She never expected she would need to trouble Du Zhongshu again for help before she had a chance to thank him.
"Oh, Mrs. Bai, this must be your son? He’s grown so well!" Shopkeeper Zhou’s eyes lit up when he saw Bai Ruozhu, he quickly greeted her with a smile and then led Bai Ruozhu to talk in the backyard.
"Shopkeeper Zhou, long time no see, this is my son, Bai Chengtai, we call him Dengdeng." Bai Ruozhu said with a smile.
"What a chubby little guy, those eyes show he’s quite smart." Shopkeeper Zhou complimented Dengdeng, then asked, "Mrs. Bai, are you here to collect your dividends? The young master has already returned to Beiyu city, but before he left, he mentioned your dividends. I’ll go get them for you."
Bai Ruozhu frowned. She hadn’t expected Du Zhongshu to be home. Had her journey been in vain? Shopkeeper Zhou was familiar with Anyuan town; perhaps he could also lend a hand?
"I’m not in a hurry to collect the dividends. I came to ask for a favor from shopkeeper Zhou and Mr. Du." Bai Ruozhu briefly mentioned the matter concerning her family’s need for hired help.