Chapter 23 - 0 The Villagers’ Speculation
Chapter 23: Chapter 023: The Villagers’ Speculation
Chapter 23 -023: The Villagers’ Speculation
It wasn’t until Du Zhongshu took his leave that the rest of the Bai family seemed to regain their senses.
Lin Ping’er looked at Du Zhongshu’s retreating figure and hesitated before asking Bai Ruozhu, “Ruozhu, should we see him out?”
“There’s no need for such formalities.
We’ll have plenty of chances to meet in the future.” Bai Ruozhu said with a smile.
Her hand rested on her belly and she had a particularly radiant smile on her face, as if… she was a well-fed and content little fox.
Bai Zehao was also still in shock.
He looked at Bai Ruozhu and asked, “Little sister, did Master Du really agree?
What does that thirty percent mean?”
Bai Ruozhu’s smile became even more triumphant.
“For example, if the Du Family Clinic makes a hundred taels in profit this month, they have to give me thirty taels.
If they make a thousand taels, I get three hundred,” she explained.
At her words, the three others in the room inhaled sharply.
Three hundred taels, that was enough to cover a peasant family’s expenses for several years.
And that was only a month’s worth.
Bai Ruozhu chuckled to herself.
They were already shocked by three hundred taels and she was confident that the future profits would be far more than that.
“A thousand taels?
That much?
Is that even possible?” Lin Ping’er gaped in disbelief.
Bai Ruozhu just laughed, her face full of confidence.
Both Lin Ping’er and Bai Zehao were taken aback, while Bai Zepei, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up: “Mom, big brother, if little sister says she can, then she definitely can.”
Out of everyone in the family, Bai Zepei had received the most education and had the widest breadth of experience.
Therefore, once he spoke, both Lin Shi and Bai Zehao had no reason to doubt him.
Bai Ruozhu hadn’t expected her second brother to trust her so much.
She gave him a grateful smile, then seeing his slightly pursed lips, suddenly understood.
Bai Zepei suffered from severe oral ulcers and gum inflammation, making him the one most able to appreciate the effectiveness of the toothpaste.
Just then, the sound of the courtyard gate opening signaled Bai Yihong’s return.
Bai Yihong had had a bit to drink.
The village head invited him to dinner and even toasted him in the presence of a few village elders.
The village head had asked his opinion on opening a school and luckily, his daughter had given him advice beforehand.
When he gave his opinion, both the village head and the elders immediately praised him.
Everyone was full of compliments for him.
Happy, Bai Yihong had a few extra drinks.
Fortunately, he was someone who knew his limits when drinking.
He would never get drunk and he was good at holding his liquor.
Since Bai Yihong began to understand the world, all the money in the house had been used for his elder brother’s education.
He had begun working to support the family at a young age, feeding the pigs, collecting firewood, and working in the fields.
But no matter how hard he tried, his parents always valued his elder brother the most.
His words never held as much weight as his brother’s.
Also, in the village, when people talked about his elder brother, they would always say how promising the Scholar’s son was.
About him, they would only say that he was steady and nothing more.
Although he felt a slight sadness about this, he never harbored resentment towards anyone.
He thought this was just his fate.
Perhaps if he was asked to study, he might not even have the ability to do so.
But recently, he had suddenly become the focus of the village.
The village head and elders praised him for being reasonable and flexible.
Even the villagers looked at him differently, with a touch of reverence in their gaze.
However, he knew this was all thanks to his daughter.
Ever since she was bullied by Liu San’s wife and gave up on Chang Sheng, she’d become more cheerful and her mind seemed to be functioning more impressively.
Thinking about it made Bai Yihong appreciate his daughter even more as the treasure of their family.
“Mother, I heard on my way home that we had an important guest visit our house.
It wasn’t my oldest aunt who came back, was it?” Bai Yihong asked happily.
His oldest aunt was Bai Yihong’s elder sister, Bai Yun.
She had been given in marriage to a family in Beiyu City due to her status as the eldest daughter of a scholar.
However, Bai Yun rarely returned to Mountain Village after her marriage.
It was a good year if she even visited once.
But in ancient times, it was rare for a woman to frequently visit her maternal family after marriage, especially when there was a significant distance involved.
Lin Ping’er hurriedly beckoned to Bai Yihong, “My dear, quickly come inside and talk.”
Once Bai Yihong had entered the room, Lin Ping’er quickly summarized Du Zhongshu’s proposal of the business cooperation to him.
Bai Yihong’s eyes sparkled as he listened and he instantly sobered up.
However, he soon furrowed his brows, looking at Bai Ruozhu and asking, “Darling, is that improved formula you talked about really worth thirty percent of their profit?”
Bai Ruozhu knew her father was an honest man.
Upon hearing about the possibility of earning money, his first thought wasn’t how much they could make but whether they truly deserved to take so much from others.
He was a man who knew his place.
“Dad, don’t worry.
The potential for the toothpaste to improve is big, and that’s no exaggeration.
And rest assured, it will definitely help the Du Family earn a lot of money.
When the time comes, they’ll likely be thanking me profusely,” Bai Ruozhu said cheerfully.
“That’s good then.” Upon hearing his daughter’s words, Bai Yihong immediately felt relieved.
A smile once again spread across his face.
“Our Ruozhu is becoming more and more competent.
She’s truly the Female Zhuge of our family.”
Lin Ping’er took Bai Ruozhu’s hand, saying proudly, “My daughter has been smart since she was little, isn’t that obvious?”
“Yes, yes.
Our daughter surely takes after you in her cleverness,” Bai Yihong cheerfully agreed.
Laughter filled the room as they all reveled in this joyful atmosphere.
In the end, Bai Ruozhu reminded everyone not to disclose the business partnership with the Du Family Clinic to others.
This was to avoid arousing feelings of jealousy or envy in those with ulterior motives.
Everyone consented without objection.
If the people from the old mansion found out, they’d surely try to make a fuss and interfere, which would be nothing but trouble.
When Du Zhongshu left, he said he would find a lawyer to draft a contract.
Once it was ready, Bai Ruozhu would need to sign it.
With a written agreement, there was no fear of the Du Family reneging on giving her the promised share of the profits.
However, Bai Ruozhu didn’t disclose to her family that if the profits become substantial in the future, the Du Family might inevitably harbor other intentions.
Human nature always has a greedy side.
Even if Du Zhongshu is an upright gentleman, it doesn’t mean every member of the Du Family is the same.
So she knew clearly that to protect her own interests, a written contract isn’t enough.
She had to possess enough power herself, so that she wouldn’t be deceived, bullied, or manipulated by others.
Recently, the apricots in the village had started to ripen.
Bai Ruozhu prepared ceramic pots and ingredients, planning to make apricot preserves with her little friend, Fang Guizhi.
However, when Fang Guizhi arrived at the Bai family home, she brought some news with her.
“Ruozhu, there’s been a lot of talk in the village.
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They say…” Fang Guizhi hesitated for a moment.
Bai Ruozhu instantly guessed what she was talking about and asked with a smile, “Are they saying a distinguished guest visited our house, who arrived in a horse carriage?
What else did they say?”
Fang Guizhi nodded, “They’re saying that Chang Sheng came back to your house and that he’s met a benefactor outside and is completely transformed.”
Bai Ruozhu was stunned for a moment.
She knew the villagers would speculate about Du Zhongshu’s identity, but she didn’t expect them to mistake him for Chang Sheng.
How ridiculous was that?
But she quickly understood.
In the past, her father rescued an unconscious Chang Sheng without knowing his identity.
Seeing that he was extremely good-looking, he asked him to blacken his face.
Even when they had a quarrel with Liu San’s wife before, she described Chang Sheng as having a black and dark face, so the villagers didn’t know what Chang Sheng actually looked like.
But Du Zhongshu was quite fair-skinned.
How did the villagers associate the two of them?