Chapter 192: The Old Man’s Illogical Reasoning
Bai Ruozhu was already laughing uncontrollably. Dengdeng usually didn’t have the habit of touching things randomly. Even when breastfeeding, he did not grip places he shouldn’t be and Bai Ruozhu always made sure he didn’t, for fear that he would develop bad habits.
But who knew what had gotten into him today. He suddenly reached out and touched Yu Hongxiu. Although it could be chalked down to an accident, he astonishingly went ahead to grab her again! What on earth did he mean by that?
Seeing Bai Ruozhu laughing at her, Yu Hongxiu’s face turned even more red, raising her hand to slap her, and grumbled, "The kid must be hungry and wants to breastfeed. Don’t you know how to take care of your child?"
"I just fed him not long ago. If he was hungry, he definitely wouldn’t suffer in silence. He would definitely cry and make a fuss." Bai Ruozhu said and laughed heartily again.
Only Guizhi, who was standing by the side, controlled her laughter a bit, quietly chuckling to herself instead. In her heart, she was feeling somewhat relieved. Thank God she didn’t hold Dengdeng just now, or else she would have been his victim too!
Yu Hongxiu was at a loss for words. She wanted to scold Dengdeng, but found herself simply unable to do so. This little fellow was looking at her innocently, his large eyes nearly brimming with tears.
Bai Ruozhu, stifling her laughter, took Dengdeng from her and frowned at him in pretended anger, "You little troublemaker, you can’t grab randomly. Be careful, Mr. Xie might spank you!"
Frustrated, Yu Hongxiu slapped Bai Ruozhu and exclaimed, "You must have spoiled Dengdeng!"
...
After the others in the Bai family returned to the village, they went straight to the old mansion. Er Lang suggested that they face the issues at hand sooner or later, so it’s better to address them now.
Grandpa had already heard that Bai Yihong had started a business in the town. Without allowing them to explain, he pointed at Bai Yihong and started berating him.
"Don’t you feel ashamed of yourself? Leaving fertile farmland uncultivated, and going out to do such a disgraceful job, aren’t you afraid of becoming the laughing stock?" Grandpa then turned to Bai Zepei, "Er Lang, you are a Scholar. Doing such a disgraceful job as a merchant, aren’t you afraid of throwing away your future? You’re not taking advice from that rascally Bai Ruozhu again, are you?"
Grandpa actually didn’t know that these days Bai Zepei mostly listened to Bai Ruozhu. But he was aware that they were selling food and that Bai Ruozhu was very good at cooking, so he assumed the idea must have come from her.
Lin Ping’er was immediately unhappy upon hearing this. She turned to Grandpa and said, "Father, you are also a Scholar. Isn’t it inappropriate for you to scold your granddaughter like this?"
Grandpa glared at her, "Why is a household woman butting in? I’d rather not have such a granddaughter!"
Bai Zepei gently tugged at Lin Ping’er, signaling her not to waste time arguing with Grandpa. After all, Ruozhu herself wouldn’t want such a grandfather.
Lin Ping’er pursed her lips and stood to one side, her eyes piercing into Grandpa in a silent display of discontentment.
"Grandpa, you are wrong. Even Scholars own fields and shops. Many scholarly families in the capital city have their own farms and businesses. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are merchants. They’re just managing their domestic affairs; how else can they sustain their household spending?" Bai Zepei calmly argued.
Bai Yihong also chimed in, "Yes, Father, with just a few acres of land, I can only barely scrape by. For Er Lang to make it to the Study Palace there will be lots of expenses. Next year’s Rural Examination will need a hefty sum of silver. How could we make ends meet without working during agricultural downtime? We’re honestly earning money through hard work. There’s nothing disgraceful about it."
Bai Yihong was also somewhat upset. He felt wronged when his father called his daughter "lowly" and labeled their work as "lowly business". He thought, they did not steal, they did not rob others, so how was their living "lowly"? Every month, on time, they provided their share of finances, they were generous during festivals, they fulfilled their filial duties. Why was Grandpa being so difficult then?
Seeing Bai Yihong dare to talk back, Grandpa became so angry that his goatee started trembling. However, he quickly suppressed his anger as Bai Yihong’s words reminded him of something.
Becoming a Scholar and attending the Study Palace involves huge expenses, and participating in the Rural Examination also requires a great deal of money. Doesn’t Bai Yibo need the same?
"If you are raising funds for Er Lang’s Imperial Examination, I can understand." Grandpa’s tone softened. "Your eldest uncle will also require a large amount of money in the future. Once Mr. Xie recommends him to the best Study Palace in the city, the expenses will be quite substantial."
Everyone in Bai Zepei’s family glanced at each other. They all understood Grandpa’s intentions.
"Brothers should help and take care of each other. Now that your finances are more relaxed, you could help your eldest brother. In the future, when he and Er Lang both pass the examinations and become officials, the uncle and nephew can support each other." Grandpa added.
Er Lang’s eyes darkened. Support each other? He didn’t believe it one bit. His eldest uncle wanted his whole family dead.
"Father, if we were well-off, we wouldn’t need to work so hard. It’s not that we don’t want to help the eldest brother, but it’s already difficult for us to support Er Lang." Bai Yihong’s words reflected the harsh reality. In ancient times, it wasn’t an easy task for a humble peasant family to support a scholar.
Grandpa spoke earnestly and with palpable heaviness, he sighed, "I know it is hard on you, but once someone from our family becomes an official, things will get better. Your eldest uncle is getting older; he doesn’t have much time to waste. If in the past he was performing poorly, that was fine, but now that fortune has come knocking, I thought that we should prioritize him first."
Lin Ping’er was about to flare up again, but Bai Zehao pulled on her sleeve. Lin Ping’er held back her anger.
Without paying them any attention, Grandpa continued, "In any case, Er Lang is still young, so it doesn’t really matter if he waits another three years. Once his eldest uncle becomes an official, Er Lang can have more help in the next Imperial Examination. Maybe he will have even better prospects."
Even someone as steady and composed as Er Lang now had a dark expression on his face. He said in a calm and indifferent tone, "Grandfather, let’s talk about all this when we have earned enough money. Luck doesn’t come every day. If after three years, I end up like my elder uncle, who for many decades had unfavorable luck and still failed to pass the examinations, who will support me?"
Grandpa realized Er Lang was unwilling and his eyes harshly glared, "How have you become so selfish? Look at those large and wealthy families, how strong is their sense of family. If one becomes an official, it’s nothing. It’s correct that in official circles, having relatives supporting each other is beneficial."
"Grandpa, since I ranked first in this examination, passing the next levels and becoming an official would arguably be more likely. So why is it not me who becomes an official first and then helps my eldest uncle in the future?" Bai Zepei’s tone grew colder.
Grandpa slammed his hand on the table, "At the end of the day, you are being selfish. Your eldest uncle is old, how much more time does he have to waste? You ranked first in the examination and now you’re arrogant about it. That was just a stroke of temporary luck. You’ve only been studying for a few years; does your academic foundation surpass your eldest uncle’s? He at least has been studying for several decades. How do you know that he won’t perform better than you in the future?"
Lin Ping’er couldn’t help but murmur quietly, "There are plenty of others who have been Scholars for several decades but have not become graduated Scholars yet. Just because one becomes a Scholar, doesn’t mean one would definitely become a graduated Scholar."
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Here comes the fourth update. I’ll post the fifth one later. I’m working hard, aren’t I? Everyone, come give me some praise! Haha!
A big thank you to Book Friends like Ru Xuelei, "If...", Kongcheng, Innocent Face yet Poisonous Heart, and Crying Alone in the Corner for their rewards. Thank you all so much. Kisses~