Chapter 162: Putting on a Sick Act to Save Face
"Children’s cries cannot be ignored, and Bai Ruozhu couldn’t bear it either. She got up to excuse herself to the crowd, "I’ll go back to the room and check on the child; please, continue eating."
Everyone naturally wouldn’t stop her, and Bai Ruozhu went back to the room to pick up Dengdeng and soothe him, yet her ears remained pricked for any commotion from the Main Hall.
Dengdeng must have been hungry, as he quieted down after latching on, but he still kept his big eyes fixed on Bai Ruozhu while nursing. Probably curious about why Bai Ruozhu was crying.
Bai Ruozhu rarely cried out of self-pity. She was inherently a positive and optimistic person, and on top of that, a bit rough around the edges. She hadn’t cried for her own sake in her previous life, nor after her transmigration. The tears she shed now were for her family, pained for Er Lang’s hardships, for Yihong’s sacrifices, and even more so for the difficulties her parents faced.
They had only been harmed by the old mansion for a dozen years, but her parents had endured much more than that, especially her father, who had suffered from the old man’s favoritism since childhood.
In the Main Hall, everyone quieted down, but Grandpa was very angry. He felt no remorse or shame upon hearing Er Lang’s words; instead, he thought Er Lang was playing mind games, acting pitiful in front of Mr. Xie.
"What’s the point of saying all this? You make it sound as if your household is so pitiful, as if I’ve been harsh on you. Er Lang, the heart is made of flesh; you cannot forget your roots just because you have achieved some success, nor can you ignore your relatives for your own gain," sighed Grandpa, expressing his heartfelt advice.
Er Lang’s tears had stopped, and he didn’t reach to wipe them from his face, only gazing at Grandpa with a look full of helplessness.
When it had come to this, and they still called you selfish, whatever you said would be futile. When they talked about the heart being made of flesh, didn’t they realize the palm and the back of the hand were also flesh? How could Grandpa say these things without checking his conscience?
Mr. Xie had always respected Bai Fu, the old Scholar; however, he couldn’t help but feel indignant for his student now. He had known Bai Zehao for five years, watched the boy grow up, and witnessed his struggles. How could he not know Bai Zehao’s character? Yet Bai Zehao had never mentioned the family’s affairs, and he had no idea that Bai Zehao’s struggle wasn’t just his living conditions, but this inherent pressure as well.
Humph, this meal had been quite revealing.
"Old sir is mistaken," said Mr. Xie in his unhurried way. "I do not think there’s anything wrong with striving for one’s own benefit. If even one’s own interest isn’t looked after, wouldn’t it mean losing all ambition?"
Then, with a faint smile, he continued, "Furthermore, please forgive me for not being able to accept your request, sir. I can only recommend my students; I cannot consider others. Moreover, Zepei has excelled in the preliminary examination. A recommendation will only be effective if the student is indeed outstanding. To replace him with a student of mediocre performance would not only be of little help, but it would also waste this sole opportunity."
Bai Zepei looked toward Mr. Xie with a grateful expression. The teacher had flatly rejected Grandpa, willing to offend him in order to help Bai Zepei. He would always remember this kindness.
"This, this..." Grandpa felt extremely embarrassed by Mr. Xie’s direct refusal, his face reddened, and he was at a loss for words. Then his body swayed, and he collapsed backward.
The Bai Family’s table wasn’t big, and everyone sat close to each other, so it was impossible for those nearby not to have time to catch Grandpa. Mr. Xie, startled, reacted quickly and reached out to help, while Bai Yibo also hurried to support Grandpa.
"Dad, Dad, what’s wrong with you?" Bai Yibo called out nervously, supporting the fainted Grandpa and stomping his foot in anger, "Er Lang, you know Grandpa’s health isn’t good. Even if it’s just for show, what harm is there in humoring him? Look what you’ve done – you’ve upset your Grandpa!"
"Uncle, why bother with such useless talk now? We should quickly get a doctor for Grandpa. I’ll go find Doctor Li right away," Bai Zehao spoke as he left his seat, ready to leave.
Bai Ruozhu was in the room nursing Dengdeng when she heard the commotion. She wanted to stop her brother, as seeking out Doctor Li wouldn’t be as effective as if she intervened. But after thinking it over, she held back. It might be best to go and see for herself. If the situation was truly dire, she would step in to help. If there was no significant danger, she’d let Doctor Li handle it to avoid getting entangled in unnecessary trouble.
Actually, whether the old master was sick or dead had nothing to do with her. She had never considered Grandpa a blood relative, so why should it be any of her business whether he lived or died? However, upon hearing Mr. Xie talk about holding a period of mourning, she suddenly realized a problem: both Grandpa and Grandma needed to be well, otherwise her second brother would have to observe a three-year mourning period, which would mean he couldn’t continue with the Imperial Examination.
Even her eldest brother’s marriage would have to be postponed, so as long as she was present, she absolutely wouldn’t let anything happen to Grandpa.
Dengdeng hadn’t had enough to eat yet and didn’t want to sleep, so she had no choice but to hold Dengdeng and go out to check on the situation.
"What, what happened?" Bai Ruozhu pretended to be very worried and deliberately moved closer to get a better look at Grandpa’s condition.
She could finally reassure herself after taking a look. Grandpa’s heart fire was indeed overly vigorous, but it was not life-threatening. At worst, he momentarily had some chest distress due to anger, but it wasn’t enough to render him unconscious for half a day; didn’t they see his eyelashes still fluttering?
She had actually guessed it right before. Grandpa had indeed put his dignity aside and feigned illness.
"Should we try pressing his philtrum first? Doctor Li will take a while to get here," Bai Ruozhu suggested, holding the baby.
"Yes, yes, pressing the philtrum works," Yu Hongxiu agreed.
Bai Yihong hurriedly squatted down to press on Grandpa’s philtrum. He was genuinely worried about Grandpa and used considerable force. In pain, Grandpa inhaled a breath of cold air and cried out, forcing himself to wake up.
"This method really works; thank heavens Grandpa is alright," Bai Ruozhu exclaimed in relief.
Grandpa sat up, clutching his head, complaining of dizziness nonstop. Everyone gathered around him, making it clear that the Wine Feast was no longer going to continue.
At this moment, Dengdeng started crying again, clearly dissatisfied that his feeding had been interrupted. Lin Pinger was the one most heartbroken for Dengdeng and hurriedly said, "Ruozhu, you better take the baby inside quickly and soothe him, don’t let his crying bother your Grandpa."
"Then I’ll go inside first. Second brother, please take good care of Grandpa," Bai Ruozhu said, then carried the child into the room. Yu Hongxiu followed and offered, "I’ll help you soothe the baby."
The two entered the room one after the other, and as soon as the door was closed, Yu Hongxiu grimaced and said, "Your family’s old master sure has a tiresome act. He doesn’t even let people enjoy their meal in peace—I was looking forward to having more of the Jinxianyou Tower."
"You’ve noticed it too?" Bai Ruozhu looked at Yu Hongxiu with some surprise. If the lady had noticed, then even if Mr. Xie was a bit obtuse, he’d surely puzzle out the twists and turns behind it once they got back.
"Alas, my father has five concubines, and it’s constant strife every day. I’ve watched it since I was a child; how could I not recognize these tricks?" Yu Hongxiu sneered again, adding, "Your family’s old master isn’t even as good as the most foolish concubine in my family."
Bai Ruozhu chuckled, thinking that if Grandpa knew he had been assessed as "not even as good as the most foolish concubine in the family," he would probably faint from anger for real.
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Thank you, dear Book Friends, for giving Mouka occasional Rewards, especially to a few of you who reward Mouka from time to time—I thank you guys a ton, I’m definitely brushing my teeth oh~
Thanks to the Book Friends "永世不醒" for burying me under the qionghua tree, "if...", Meng, "角落里的我独自哭泣", and Baby for the Rewards!