Chapter 198: Two Familiar Faces Show Up Again
The righteous words not only left the Wang family stunned, but even Bai Ruozhu stumped. When she regained her senses and chuckled, wondering, "Is he suggesting that he is now a part of their scheming family, too?"
However, it was indeed strange that the Wang family provoked them. The Wangs’ words were brash and sarcastic, targeting her lack of integrity. Ruozhu was startled that Jiang stood up for her. Jiang’s sharp tongue indeed left the Wang family speechless.
"What the officer said was correct, how many children would have to suffer if kidnappers were ignored?" Lin Laifu suddenly said from the next stall. His voice was loud, and his expression was filled with indignation. It was surprising to see this ordinarily reticent man express such strong feelings towards the matter.
Customers around the stalls chimed in, criticizing the Wangs for their selfishness. They disagreed with the Wangs for claiming someone else’s bravery and righteousness were wrong. They expressed that this type of person did not deserve anyone’s assistance in the future, for their conscience was already consumed by selfishness.
The Wang family felt embarrassed by the comments and explained, "That’s not what I meant. All I’m saying is that my niece loves to run around whilst being pregnant instead of staying at home. Otherwise, how could anyone from our Back Mountain Village have encountered a kidnapper in town?"
Lin Ping didn’t take it well. She retorted, "My daughter was visiting Fushou Hall to see a female doctor, and you call that wandering around? If it weren’t for her ’wandering around,’ we might not have saved the child she encountered."
Bai Ruozhu quickly pulled her mother aside, "Mother, stop it. It seems like Aunt misunderstood me a lot, we shouldn’t argue over this and spoil the atmosphere."
Jiang Yichun snorted coldly, "What’s your point? I’m failing to understand. This is not your business, don’t cause a disturbance in front of me!"
This was the first time Bai Ruozhu heard Jiang Yichun refer to himself as an "officer." This confirmed for her that he did indeed hold an official position. His authoritative display silenced the Wang family, who quickly retreated to wash the dishes.
Fusa shot a glance at the Wang family, "Taking advantage of others, criticizing them, and acting superior. What a troublesome relative."
Bai Ruozhu silently agreed, was she not the perfect definition of a troublesome relative?
As everyone continued discussing the Wang’s wrongs, they felt increasingly wronged. However, under Jiang Yichun’s authoritarian presence, they didn’t dare to open their mouths again.
On this occasion, Bai Ruozhu’s opinion of Jiang Yichun improved. Noticing that he remained seated, she enthusiastically rushed over to him and asked, "Sir, would you like anything else?"
"The soup was good. I’d like another bowl." Jiang Yichun handed his empty bowl to Bai Ruozhu.
"Alright, coming right up!" Bai Ruozhu turned around hastily to avoid showing her momentary shock. When their hands met, she felt a cold chill, although it was brief, it had rendered her slightly dazed. She didn’t want to show her feelings and have anyone notice.
This time, she fetched a larger bowl and added a massive bone in the soup. By the time she served it again, her heart had regained its calm.
"Sir, the marrow in this stew is delicious," she declared before returning back to her chore.
The other customers stared in envy. As average people in ancient times, they were not accustomed to eating meat daily. Witnessing Jiang Yichun receive a sizeable bone, can anyone not feel jealous?
Jiang Yichun was pleased, Bai Ruozhu’s warm reciprocation reflected on her gratitude for his kindness. He wondered why she had previously been so indifferent to him.
Thinking about it, Jiang Yichun decided it was likely because he had carried out kind deeds anonymously. Like the time he allowed Bai Ruozhu’s mother into the city to find a female doctor, and when he came to Bai Ruozhu’s rescue following her severe bout of bleeding. Bai Ruozhu probably wasn’t aware of those instances. Otherwise, she would be extremely grateful.
With these thoughts in mind, Jiang Yichun felt rather pleased. He stripped the meat off the large bone with a few swift movements, and then slurped the marrow from the bone, enjoying the flavors intensely.
Jiang Yichun, a martial artist, had exceptional hearing. He heard a few swallowing sounds and noticed the other customers were staring at him. To be specific, they were staring at the bone in his hand, salivating.
Uncomfortable with being stared at like this, he sipped his soup, planning to finish it quickly and leave.
Meanwhile, two officers arrived at the stall, instantly catching his attention.
"Uncle, Auntie, you have a booming business here!" A rather coarse voice exclaimed. The Bai family recognized him. Wasn’t this Wan Minglu?
Ba Yihong looked at him in surprise and asked, "Minglu, we haven’t seen each other for a few days, and you’ve become an officer. You really are progressing!"
Wan Minglu scratched the back of his head shyly, "Uncle, not really. I’m still in training. It’ll be officially official once I pass the exams."
"Good, good, this is very well done. Keep it up," Bai Yihong said, patting Wan Minglu on the shoulder, making him grin joyfully.
He then greeted Bai Ruozhu and Bai Zehao, "Brother Zehao, Sister Ruozhu, how are you? Not too tired?"
Bai Zehao chuckled, "I’m not tired, I only have to talk. Baking the hand pastries is the real hard work for my sister."
Bai Ruozhu smiled and replied, "Why would I be tired? You even prepared a chair for me, right?"
Everyone then noticed a chair behind Bai Ruozhu with a soft cushion on it. If she wasn’t too busy, she could sit and rest. In fact, she could even bake hand pastries on the Iron pan from her chair.
Jiang Yichun squinted, observing how thoughtful the Bai family was towards their daughter.
Wang Luji, who had already met Bai Ruozhu and Lin Ping, also greeted them cheerfully. Lin Ping finally remembered, "Aren’t you the officer who took us to the Clinic that day? Thank you so much for your help."
"Auntie, just call me Luji, no need for formal titles. It makes me feel embarrassed," Wang Luji said with a shy smile.
"You two should sit down. Tell Ruozhu what you would like to eat," Lin Ping quickly invited them to sit down. As they went to sit, they finally noticed Jiang Yichun’s presence.
Jiang Yichun’s seat was facing away from the road. Moreover, he had retracted his aura, so they hadn’t noticed him at first.
Wang Luji gestured at Wan Minglu, and together they bowed to Jiang Yichun, "Greetings, sir."
Jiang Yichun raised a hand to stop them, "At ease, there’s no need for formalities."
They nodded and sat down. However, Bai Ruozhu noticed a change in their demeanor. They seemed less relaxed than before and even appeared a bit nervous.