Chapter 139: You Deserve It, You Asked for It
"Ruozhu, how could you..." Bai Yihong eyes widened, it had been a long time since he had been angry with his daughter, but now he felt his temper flaring.
Lin Ping’er wasn’t as riled up as Bai Yihong. She didn’t like the people of the old mansion either, but she was very surprised at this moment.
Bai Ruozhu, however, wasn’t distressed, nor did she mind her father’s anger. She slowly said, "You only saw Uncle causing trouble for him, but didn’t see that he brought it upon himself. If Grandpa were a fair man, capable of strictly disciplining his family, I think even if Uncle didn’t turn out to be a good man like you, Dad, he wouldn’t be as terrible as he is now, right?"
Bai Yihong stood dumbfounded. It reminded him of the times his father favouritism towards Bai Yibo and their other brother, and of how thrifty and mean his mother was, all of which were consequences of his father’s indulgence and acquiescence.
"If your older brothers made the same mistakes as Uncle, embarrassing family members in front of guests and cursing their own siblings outside the village, would you cover up for them without punishment?" Bai Ruozhu asked again.
Bai Yihong fell silent, while Lin Ping’er raised her chest and said, "Absolutely not. No matter which of you three makes a mistake, I will punish them. This is how I raised you all since childhood. That’s why you are all sensible now, each of you has a good character."
In this, she took great pride. Although she was uneducated, and was even looked down upon by the old man for many years, she had successfully raised and educated three children, each one outstanding in their own right.
When she married into the Bai Family, it was because her own family was poor. When her family heard that she could become the daughter-in-law of a scholarly family, they were thrilled and didn’t ask for much in terms of dowry. The old lady of the Bai family chose her partly due to thriftiness and partly because she was hardworking and capable of performing domestic chores, essentially looking for an additional labour force for the family.
Since she was preceded by the wife of a merchant family in the town, she was looked down upon from the moment she set foot in the Bai Family. It took her almost a year to learn the family rules, often with Bai Yihong secretly teaching her. When she was punished and denied food, Bai Yihong would secretly share his own food with her.
Not until she gave birth to her first son, the eldest grandchild of the Bai Family, did her life before her mother-in-law improve somewhat, but her father-in-law never looked up to her.
Lin Ping’er had a bit of pride ingrained in her, so she was diligent and did not want people to speak ill of her. This pride remained strong even after she came to the Bai family. Now, she stood tall and straight, with a sense of pride knowing that all her children were meritorious.
When she heard her daughter start speaking again, Lin Ping’er’s train of thought came running back, causing her chest to tighten. After all, her daughter was also quite remarkable. She was knowledgeable, a great cook, and even had some medical skills. If only her life had had fewer ups and downs.
At this thought, Lin Ping’er let out a quiet sigh.
"Uncle made mistakes and instead of punishing him, Grandpa covered up for him. Uncle stole, and instead of punishing him, Grandpa said it’s okay, thinking it’s me who’s making a mountain out of a molehill. Grandpa always speaks highly of parental love, as if implying all parents pamper their children so much without distinguishing right from wrong, black from white." Bai Ruozhu asked again.
Bai Yihong sighed, let his shoulders drop and said helplessly, "I know my father’s behavior is not right, but your uncle is as he is, and your grandfather is helpless, too. You’re a mother now and as Dengdeng grows older, you’ll understand."
Bai Ruozhu took a look at the innocent little Dengdeng and said, "I can’t promise that Dengdeng will definitely be a good-natured person in the future, but at least I will make an effort to educate him. When he makes mistakes, I will stop him immediately, even if I have to beat him mercilessly until he bleeds, just to ensure he does not pick up bad habits. Isn’t it like a cancerous tumor on a person’s body, which should be cut off? If it hurts, should we just let it grow until it endangers life?"
"Dad, do you think that your older brother is too old to change and it’s pointless to educate him, so you can only cover up for him? As long as Grandpa is resolute, he can correct my uncle’s bad habits at any time. Even if he can’t completely correct them, he can at least restrain them somewhat." Bai Ruozhu’s face expressed contempt, "Just take Uncle’s laziness for instance, it’s famous in the village. If we help them with their fieldwork, Uncle disappears. If Grandpa really cared for his son’s welfare, he should force him to work in the fields."
"Of course, parents should also set a good example for their children. As for the matter of working in the fields, Grandpa himself likes to goof off and put on airs, saying that a scholar could not degrade himself by working in the fields. Since this is the case, why insist on being an Agricultural and Scholarly Family in the first place? Isn’t that a joke?"
After Bai Ruozhu spoke at length, Bai Yihong’s face had turned red up to his neck. He felt embarrassed for his father and for not having thought as deeply as Bai Ruozhu.
"Dad, you should be filial and respectful to your parents, and we don’t object to that. After all, they gave birth to you and raised you, but I hope you can distinguish right from wrong and don’t blindly give away your sympathy. Grandfather is a scholar, and by principle, should understand more than illiterate farmers in the village, but some of the things he does are even worse than those done by many younger generations."
Bai Ruozhu let out a light hum, and added, "It’s not that I’m siding with Uncle and the third brother, but Grandfather’s attitude has harmed them. How they turned out is really due to the lack of parental discipline."
Lin Ping’er listened and internally cheered for her daughter. Her words were spot-on! The old man deserved it, reaping what he sowed! It was obvious, like the issue of the third son stealing the jade pendant. What trouble did the old man have to justify not dealing with it properly? And the incident when Bai Yibo got drunk and went crazy. If it were any other household, the son would be tied up at the door and beaten. But look at the old man, he only considered his own heartache.
He keeps repeating how pitiful the heart of a parent is, but he was simply insulting the true meaning of "parental love"!
"Ah, Ruozhu, what you said makes sense. I shouldn’t have shouted at you. But that’s my own father. I can’t say anything." Bai Yihong felt weary. He waved his hand weakly, "Never mind, you two go to sleep. We have to work in the fields tomorrow."
"By the way, I borrowed two helpers from shopkeeper Zhou. They will arrive tomorrow morning. There should be enough manpower in our fields. Let’s set two tables like today, so that everyone can eat well." Bai Ruozhu had forgotten about this due to the hassle of returning home earlier.
Upon hearing this, Lin Ping’er was delighted, "That’s great. Now our fieldwork won’t be delayed."
Bai Zehao broke into a grin, "Ruozhu, you’re so capable! Nevertheless, it’s going to be tough for you tomorrow again. I will get up early in the morning to help you wash the vegetables."
"Okay, thank you, big brother." Bai Ruozhu also smiled at her eldest brother. He was always the one who doted on her the most, unlike her second brother who was known to constantly flick her forehead.
Early the next morning, Bai Ruozhu got up to change Dengdeng’s diaper and feed him. She soon heard the sound of chopping wood from the yard. She was surprised that her eldest brother had woken up so early. After Dengdeng finished his feeding and went back to sleep, Bai Ruozhu quickly tidied her hair and walked out of the house.
For a moment, she was amazed to see her eldest brother washing vegetables while her second brother was the one chopping wood. It was for fear that she would run out of firewood during the day when she was alone at home!