Chapter 182: Have a Good Talk
Bai Ruozhu watched as he hurriedly left, her intuition telling her that he seemed to be fleeing in disarray. Had she asked something wrong?
After a moment of thought, she was still unable to figure it out, and feeling that the problems of Du Family were none of her business, she dismissed Du Zhongshu’s issues from her mind, continuing to enjoy her meal with great efforts.
While Du Zhongshu was present, she had to pay attention to her manners and her meal was somewhat constrained. Now that she was alone in the private room, she could eat however she wanted— whether sitting, kneeling, or lying down.
Having finished her meal, she went to the Blacksmith Shop to buy an iron pan for making pancakes at her booth. After purchasing some necessary tools, she took a donkey cart back to Back Mountain Village.
As soon as she arrived home, Lin Ping’er started complaining, "You, as a mother, are really not attentive enough. The baby was crying out in hunger, and yet you returned so late."
Bai Ruozhu blushed, handed the items in her hand to her elder brother who came to greet her, and said, "I happened to run into Young Master Du who has just returned. He invited me to dinner to discuss our future toothpaste business."
Upon hearing this, Lin Ping’er’s stern expression softened instantly, it seemed like she had a great impression of Du Zhongshu.
"Young Master Du is back? How could you allow him to treat you to a meal? You should be the one thanking him. After all, he did save your life!" Lin Ping’er rattled on.
Bai Ruozhu shrugged, "I wanted to, but the kind of restaurant he dines at is so expensive. We, as peasants, should avoid trying to act generous, as it might make him feel embarrassed while ordering dishes."
Lin Ping’er thought about it for a moment and said, "Then, invite Young Master Du to our home for a dig-in sometime. After all, people in the village think of him as Chang Sheng’s friend, so there’s no reason for him to be the least bit apprehensive about visiting our home."
Recalling Du Zhongshu’s odd behavior that day, Bai Ruozhu gave a vague response, yet she was thinking, it would be better not to bother him for a while as he might have some worries at the moment.
She picked up the wailing Dengdeng, whose cries had been pulling at her heartstrings, and went back to feed him. This child was wise enough not to create a fuss but would cry his heart out when he didn’t get his feed on time. Bai Ruozhu began to wonder, what would she do if she sets up her stall? Would she take Dengdeng with her to the town every day?
During that time, not much importance was given to children as it is in modern times. Many babies, when lying in bamboo baskets, would accompany their parents to the fields where the parents worked and the babies slept.
Dengdeng seemed very satisfied after being fed, but there were still some tear beads hanging from his eyelashes, which made him look exceptionally pitiable. Bai Ruozhu touched his small face to comfort him, chastising herself inwardly. She blamed herself for misjudging the time; if she had come back earlier, Dengdeng wouldn’t have had to cry out in hunger.
Perhaps tired from crying, Dengdeng fell asleep after being fed. Bai Ruozhu gently placed him on the bed and tiptoed out.
Her father and elder brother were working on the pushcart for the stall in the yard. Bai Yihong, being skilled in woodworking, had built the cart that held the stove already. He had set up the stove and tried out the iron pan which worked perfectly.
Thus, the family began discussing the planning of a day to set up the stall.
"I think we should prepare the ingredients today. We can set up the stall early tomorrow. The Government Office charges us monthly to register the stall. Every day we delay, we lose money for that day." As an industrious person, Bai Ruozhu liked to get things done right away. She immediately wanted to set up the stall.
Making pancakes was not that difficult in itself but getting the dough and ingredients ready beforehand was necessary. Plus, the bone soup could be slowly stewed the night before. So, it wasn’t impossible to start the stall on the following day, just like Bai Ruozhu proposed.
"Alright, let’s get to action at night. We won’t prepare too much on the first day. Even if we have leftovers, we can eat it ourselves so there’s no loss," said Lin Ping’er.
Bai Ruozhu laughed, playfully hugging her mother’s arm and said, "Hey mom, don’t you have faith in me? I haven’t even started yet, and you’ve anticipated a loss."
Lin Ping’er laughed and gave Bai Ruozhu a playful shove, "I’m just saying. Deep down, I firmly believe that it’s going to sell well."
"Indeed. I eat it daily and still, have not got enough of it yet. How can it not sell well?" Bai Yihong chimed in with laughter.
Lin Ping’er gave him a look and said, "You used to have coarse grains daily back at the old mansion, didn’t you get bored of it?"
Bai Yihong scratched his head and said, "I was never bored, but had no choice. If I didn’t eat it, I’d be starving."
Bai Zehao joined the laughter and said, "True. We didn’t realize it before, but now when we compare it with our current meals, it seems like pig feed."
Mentioning pig feed, Bai Ruozhu and her mother shared a glance and both burst into laughter. Bai Yihong also joined in the laughter obliviously, not aware that his wife and daughter once secretly compared his situation to that.
They once said that Bai Yihong in the past worked harder than an ox but ate worse than the pigs Lin Ping’er is raising now. At the thought of it, Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but chuckle. Of course, more than that, she felt a pang of sadness for her father. Luckily, their days have improved now.
After another round of laughter, Bai Zepei came home. Lin Ping’er shared the news of setting up the stall the next day with Bai Zepei who immediately offered his help, "In that case, I won’t go to the teacher’s place tomorrow. I will help you set up the stall. The first day will surely have a lot of work."
Upon hearing this, Bai Ruozhu instantly shook her head, "Second brother, your desire to contribute to the family is commendable, but studying is your main duty right now. I am counting on you to get into a good Study Palace, so we can all go to the big city for the luxurious life."
Bai Zepei frowned, "I don’t see a problem with that. Our family isn’t like the old mansion, worried about saving face and keeping up appearances."
Bai Ruozhu thought she had to talk to her second brother privately. Pulling her brother aside, she said, "Second Brother, accompany me to buy a block of tofu from the east end of the village."
Bai Zepei nodded and followed her out. Bai Yihong told Lin Ping’er and Bai Zehao in a hushed voice, "Second Brother always worries about not doing enough for the family and fears that he would end up living off someone else like his Uncle. I think these thoughts plague his mind."
"No worries. Little sister will handle it. She knows how to talk him round." Upon the mention of his little sister, Bai Zehao’s voice was filled with pride.
Bai Ruozhu didn’t take her second brother to the Tofu Workshop. Instead, they headed for the sequestered Back Mountain, with the intention of collecting some firewood on the way home.
Bai Zepei, though dressed in gentleman’s attire, was still willing to do farm work and collect firewood. Bai Ruozhu knew what he was thinking, therefore, she felt even more compassionate towards her mature at such a young age second brother.
"Second Brother, there’s something that I have not discussed with father and mother, but I feel that I should talk it over with you first." Bai Ruozhu initiated the conversation as they walked along.
Bai Zepei, not in the best of moods, simply hummed in acknowledgment.
Knowing that he was listening, Bai Ruozhu continued, "Nowadays, Grandpa is increasingly partial. We never know what might happen in the future, and I am less and less willing to stay in the village."
"Hmm?" Bai Zepei looked at Bai Ruozhu, appearing somewhat startled. At that time, it was deeply ingrained in peoples’ minds, especially for rural households, that they did not want to leave their hometown.
Bai Ruozhu, on the other hand, laughed and said, "That’s why I think once I show some success in my business, and father and mother see that there’s a way to make money, they might agree to go with you to the City."