Chapter 229: Open-hearted than Anyone else
A public speech, too? Bai Ruozhu was a bit surprised as the village chief hadn’t mentioned this when he sent Wan Minglu to deliver the message to her father. However, seeing her father’s reaction, neither surprised nor flustered, she realized the village chief must have already discussed with him in advance and likely obtained his consent.
"Oh dear, he has to deliver a speech too?" Lin Ping’er, standing next to her, had already begun to mutter apprehensively.
Bai Ruozhu chuckled slightly, knowing full well how much her mother doted on her father and how she feared he might embarrass himself, which would upset him.
"Mother, don’t worry. I can tell Father has thought about what to say. Although he is not talkative, he is very reliable. He won’t let this little matter trip him up," said Bai Ruozhu with a smile.
Zhou Deshun’s wife also agreed, "Yeah, your husband seems pretty calm. He’ll be fine."
Meanwhile, Bai Yihong had already stepped forward and begun to speak.
"As you all know, I’ve spent my entire life farming and this is all I’m good at. I can’t share profound wisdom, but I do want to tell the children gathered here today that even though I can hardly recognize any written characters, my second son became a scholar. So, it doesn’t matter what your ancestors did, as long as you are willing to work hard and diligently strive for knowledge, the day won’t be far when you will stand out!"
Bai Yihong spoke calmly, but by the time he finished, even he sounded somewhat stirred up, his voice resounding passionately. Who could have expected such an impactful effect from his simple words? Everyone applauded heartily. Even though the younger children might not fully understand, the older ones had sparkling eyes, as if they saw a ray of hope. The parents saw hope too. They had tilled the soil for a lifetime—always worrying that their children wouldn’t achieve much even if they received an education—but Bai Yihong’s words seemed to put their hearts at ease.
"What Yihong said is correct. As long as the children have the will to learn and endure hardship, they will certainly have a promising future!" The village chief’s voice was filled with emotion. Bai Yihong had succeeded in delivering a simple yet practical speech reflecting the true purpose of the school in their village.
Zhou Deshun’s wife said to Lin Ping’er while clapping, "Your husband spoke so well! Even children from our agricultural families can achieve great things. Now I finally understand how you managed to bring up such outstanding children. Your husband might seem unremarkable at first, but he certainly has a broad and open mind!"
Lin Ping’er couldn’t help but beam, her joy magnified by the praise and approval lavished on her husband. She could barely contain her happiness, even though it brought tears to her eyes. Her husband had suffered so much bitterness and indignity in the past. Now, finally, Heaven appeared to be smiling upon them.
The little one in Bai Ruozhu’s arms, Dengdeng, intrigued by the surrounding bustle, waved his tiny hands, also clapping along, or at least attempting to. Despite not having enough strength in his arms to create an audible sound, his intent was clear.
"Look, our little Dengdeng is also applauding for his grandfather," said Bai Ruozhu, laughing.
"Your father will be overjoyed when he finds out. We must tell him later," Lin Ping’er said, banishing her tears to reveal a stronger smile.
Zhou Deshun’s wife laughed, "Your Dengdeng certainly is smart like you, Bai Ruozhu, understanding so much at this tender age. We certainly should not underestimate him."
Bai Ruozhu smiled inwardly. After all, when she had suggested finding Dengdeng a new father, the little fellow had bitten her hard. Despite never having seen his own father before, Dengdeng clung to him so relentlessly that he even dared to bite his mother, demonstrating his feisty temper.
Of course, Bai Ruozhu kept the incident to herself, not mentioning it to her mother. Not only was it embarrassing, but she didn’t want to upset her mother by bringing up anything related to Chang Sheng.
Soon, the school’s opening ceremony concluded. Many people with their children came forward to greet Scholar Wu, hoping to secure a place in the school for their children. Due to the school’s limited initial capacity, just twenty students would form the first cohort, enabling Scholar Wu to select the most suitable students for admission.
Bai Yihong managed to squeeze out of the crowd. Several people greeted him and gave him a thumbs up, to which he responded modestly before striding over to Bai Ruozhu and her mother.
"Mother, Ruozhu, was my speech alright?" Bai Yihong scratched his head, his face still somewhat flushed.
Lin Ping’er scolded him, "Can’t you tell if it was good or not? So many people praised you."
Bai Yihong chuckled. He still had a dreamlike feeling, as if everything unreal—like a dream. Growing up, his parents had never appreciated him. He had worked tirelessly yet had few friends in the village, with Zhou Deshun being one of the exceptions. He had never been complimented in the village; hard-working and capable, as was the case with everyone else, so where was anything special?
From the day his daughter proposed the idea for the school, it gradually took shape and brought him recognition from the villagers. People used to refer to him as the second son of Scholar Bai or Bai Yibo’s younger brother, but now, they simply called him by his name, Bai Yihong.
"Where are your elder and younger brothers?" asked Bai Ruozhu, surprised to see no one else with her father.
"Your brothers have been pulled away by Minglu and his group of youngsters. They said they wanted some time together," said Bai Yihong, chuckling.
Bai Ruozhu nodded and responded, "We should head to the old mansion then. I wouldn’t want any criticism for getting there late, and they are probably expecting me to cook too."
Zhou Deshun’s wife grumbled, "They’re hosting a party but don’t even have someone to cook? They’re asking you to return from so far away just to prepare the meal? Taking care of a child and running a business is not easy – you finally have a day off but still have to serve them."
Bai Ruozhu smiled and said nonchalantly, "I’ll be cooking for the Bai family relatives and the villagers, I’m just doing my bit."
"Ruozhu truly understands the bigger picture. Your grandfather really doesn’t know how to appreciate people," said Zhou Deshun’s wife. She quickly added, laughing awkwardly, "I have matters to attend to back home, so I’ll head out first."
Perhaps because Bai Yihong’s father was still angry with him, even though he had invited many villagers to the old mansion, he had consciously left out Zhou Deshun’s family—Bai Yihong’s closest friends. Since the banquet was being held by his father in their family home, Bai Yihong couldn’t really interfere with the guest list. However, his family felt apologetic towards Zhou Deshun’s family and promised to make it up to them by inviting them for a meal at the town someday soon.
Bai Ruozhu, her mother, and father headed towards the old mansion. Many Bai family relatives had already arrived, and eight tables had been set up in the yard. It seemed like a grand gathering. Bai Ruozhu’s grandfather and Bai Yibo were cheerily welcoming the guests while receiving compliments from them.
Their expressions changed slightly when they saw Bai Ruozhu’s family arrive, but they quickly turned away, acting as though they hadn’t noticed them.
Bai Ruozhu thought to herself that her grandfather did care about appearances. It seemed that today wasn’t about causing trouble for them. Unexpectedly, neither her grandfather nor grandmother had asked her to cook. The kitchen was already emitting tantalizing smells.