Chapter 176: Choose One of Two
Bai Ruozhu was stunned. In the memories of her past self, including her interactions with Xiaosi after transmigration, she had never seen Xiaosi smile. His expression was always wooden, his eyes lacking focus. So, people in the village and the old mansion thought that Xiaosi had something wrong with his head.
But just now, Xiaosi had smiled. The smile was weak and stiff, but indeed, he had smiled.
"Ah, did Xiaosi just smile?" asked Lin Ping’er incredulously.
"Yes, he did. The child can smile. This is wonderful!" Bai Yihong exclaimed excitedly.
Bai Zepei looked at Xiaosi and then at Bai Ruozhu. There was a hint of confusion in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.
"At least for a while, Er Lang won’t be able to beat Xiaosi. That’s great news," he said.
Indeed, this was what Bai Ruozhu had thought about being mentioned by Bai Zepei. It brought a sense of guilt to her mind. But she quickly erased it. If the Jiangs can do things so stealthily, who can point fingers at her?
Early the next morning, Lin Ping’er and Bai Yihong went to visit the old mansion. They not only brought a basket of eggs but also a gift-wrapped envelope that contained a hundred copper coins, a huge sum at Mountain Village.
However, the old lady’s disapproval was apparent. Even when other people came to visit, her face was long and grim. Publicly, she criticized, "Just a hundred pieces? For such a severe illness of your nephew?"
Bai Ruozhu could afford two taels of silver presently. But nobody wants to spend money on people like Er Lang. Besides, the old mansion has not reached the point of not having money for medical treatments and meals. This was a matter of the old lady’s habit of hoarding money.
Moreover, one can’t have a loose tongue with this kind of people. The moment you give them two taels of silver, within a few days they could ask for four taels. They may bite the hand that feeds them.
The villagers who came to visit brought some gifts too, typically worth ten to fifteen copper coins. Learning the old lady did not even appreciate a hundred copper coins, they felt embarrassed, hurriedly left after leaving the things they brought.
Er Lang suffered a lot from setting the bone right, primarily due to repeatedly falling on the injured leg. Luckily, the bone was not fractured, and the joint was not affected either. He might not turn out a cripple, but as the doctor warned, he could end up with some lingering problems from the injury if he did not take good care of himself.
Er Lang became very cautious about his well-being after hearing this. He would lie in bed and refuse to move. In the night, he groaned in pain so loud that even the neighbors could hear.
Returning to Lin Ping’er and Bai Yihong, they did not debate with the old lady and maintained their silence because there were a lot of people around. The patriarch did not allow the old lady to speak up much, so they quickly left after a short stay. But both sensed the old lady would demand more money. Ever since Er Lang came first in an examination, and Officer Li personally brought a reward, the old lady started eyeing their family’s money. She had indeed found a good opportunity now.
Early in the morning, Bai Zepei went to the town to study with Mr. Xie. Bai Zehao continued to work in the field, and Bai Ruozhu stayed at home looking after the children. By the afternoon, Mrs. Xie, accompanied by a maid, arrived at Mountain Village in a carriage.
Without Bai Ruozhu having to announce, both of the families eagerly brought their daughters to greet them right away. Bai Ruozhu sighed quietly. Even if they were in a hurry, they should have pretended not to know and wait for her to send a message. This way of rushing just seems a bit too desperate to sell the children, doesn’t it?
Therefore, many villagers quietly whispered about these two families. They felt Mrs. Wang was okay, for she had bought a poor girl from her far relatives. But it was not the case with Guizhi’s mother, who was selling off her daughter. It was really distasteful. Besides, Guizhi’s family was not hard up for cash.
Upon introduction, Mrs. Xie immediately identified Xi Ya and Guizhi, which matched her speculation from yesterday.
Fang Guizhi was in a very bad mood today. Tears were in her eyes. She understood that this was Bai Ruozhu’s solution to save her from her predicament. She also knew that materializing the sales was the only way for her to avoid marrying the widower who killed his wife. However, she could not bring herself to be happy. She felt her mother too eager to get rid of her, as if she was selling a well-raised pig.
Moreover, her mother had taken out her old clothes early in the morning and even intentionally made a few holes in them. Even though the sleeves and trousers were short, her mother still forced her to put them on, saying, "Look at how well Mrs. Wang does. You have to learn to be clever. If you don’t want to marry Yang San, you must do well in Mrs. Xie’s place. Maybe someday you could be chosen to serve Mr. Xie, a fate better than any other girl in the village."
Guizhi flushed with anger. She didn’t want to be anyone’s concubine. Whoever wanted to be, let them be! Guizhi shouted inside her head. However, she didn’t debate with her mother. Partly it was because she was accustomed to this life where talking back invited a beating. And partly it was because she was mentally and physically exhausted and didn’t want to say another word to her mother.
Bai Ruozhu saw Guizhi nervously clutching her sleeve and felt a dull ache in her heart. She knew Guizhi’s mother had orchestrated this to make things uncomfortable for Guizhi. But these days would be over soon. She had already negotiated with Yu Hongxiu. After buying Guizhi, Guizhi would reside temporarily at Xie Residence. She will be treated as a helper and introduced to others as a maid in Xie Residence, so that Guizhi’s mother wouldn’t get to know and pester Guizhi again.
Once Bai Ruozhu’s business picked up, she planned to convince her family members to accompany her second brother to the City to attend the Study Palace. They can start a small business to support each other. Guizhi will definitely live with them. As Bai Ruozhu told her, she has to work to repay the silver.
On the other hand, Xi Ya was very nervous, her head almost buried in her chest. She was even more scared than yesterday when she met Bai Ruozhu. Xi Ya finally mustered her courage to look at Yu Hongxiu, her eyes filled with plea.
"These two girls look honest at first glance. You recommended the right people, Ruozhu." Yu Hongxiu leisurely sipped her tea, trying to provoke Mrs. Wang and Guizhi’s mother before eventually saying unhurriedly.
Bai Ruozhu smiled and agreed, saying, "Yes, we know their backgrounds too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend them casually."
"But I only need one maid." Yu Hongxiu paused after speaking, then asked the girls what they could do, if they could read, and their hobbies.
Both girls answered the questions one by one. But it was clear that Xi Ya was more timid than Guizhi. Xi Ya’s voice was trembling, which irritated Mrs. Wang a lot. Mrs. Wang glared at her repeatedly, but the more she did, the more scared Xi Ya became. In the end, Xi Ya could hardly speak.
Thinking for a moment, Yu Hongxiu finally said, "Let’s choose Guizhi. It’s rare that she can read a little. Since my husband is a scholar, our servants must also know a little reading."
Upon hearing this, Guizhi’s mother’s face lit up. She thanked Mrs. Xie profusely, saying, "Thank you for your mercy, Madame. My daughter Guizhi is obedient and sensible. She will definitely serve you well."
The word "serve" stabbed Fang Guizhi twice, and if she didn’t know she wasn’t really being sold, she might have fainted on the spot.
But Mrs. Wang became anxious. She knelt down on the ground and begged, "Madam, please take pity on our Xi Ya. If you don’t buy her, she will starve to death after she goes back..."