Chapter 235: Ruozhu is a Beautiful Woman
Mr. Li twitched the corners of his mouth. This child was the son of the Bai Family, and hence his adoptive brother Bai Zepei’s nephew. He had to keep a close watch, lest this officer became displeased and tossed the child out.
Thus, the room was filled with Jiang Yichun amusing himself by playing with the child, while Mr. Li nervously kept his gaze fixed, as if fearing that the blink of an eye would put the child in danger.
After an unknowable length of time, just when Mr. Li’s eyes and neck had grown sore, Dengdeng suddenly furrowed his small eyebrows and began crying.
Startled, Mr. Li sat straight up. Oh no, the child was crying. Would this officer lose his patience and throw the child out because of this? With this thought in mind, Mr. Li hurried to his feet and asked, "Why is the child crying? Shall I hold him for a while?"
Jiang Yichun shot a glance his way, and the hand that Mr. Li had extended trembled, as if it had been scalded. He quickly pulled it back. He shivered, admonishing himself for forgetting how unacceptable this man was to cross.
Even Jiang Yichun himself didn’t realize that his look was defensive, as if his treasure was being stolen.
"I will take the kid to find his mother. Do you have anything important to do?" Jiang Yichun had already stood up, carrying Dengdeng as he walked towards the exit.
Mr. Li shrank his neck back, "No, nothing." With the child crying like that, how could he dare to provoke further?
Without saying another word, Jiang Yichun disappeared swiftly. Mr. Li blinked, a growing sense of dread in his heart. Was this man a human or a ghost? That was too fast!
In fact, Dengdeng’s crying was not loud, he was hungry, but not to the brink. Jiang Yichun knew that a few cries from a child were not a big deal. With his agility, he could bring the child to his mother in a few moments. However, he urgently felt that as soon as the child started crying, his heart was squeezed.
How Jiang Yichun appeared at the stall, Bai Ruozhu didn’t see clearly. She just felt him suddenly appear there. Of course, she first heard Dengdeng’s cry. As she was making pan bread, she thought, whose child was crying? It sounded so much like her son’s cry! When she looked up and saw Jiang Yichun holding the child, she found it amusing. Wasn’t that her son?
"When did you get here, benefactor?" Lin Ping’er was also apparently startled by Jiang Yichun, who seemed to appear out of thin air, and she couldn’t help asking.
Jiang Yichun, with a child in one hand, pointed to the sky. His mood seemed rather poor.
Bai Ruozhu quickly called her mom over to make the pan bread, then she stepped forward quickly to take the child. "He’s hungry. It’s good that you brought him at just the right time. Otherwise, when his short temper flares up, his crying wouldn’t be this minor."
"A child’s loud crying indicates good health," Jiang Yichun stated coldly.
Bai Ruozhu raised an eyebrow. Why did she feel like this man was speaking up for Dengdeng? As his mom, she hadn’t even said anything yet, why was this outsider so anxious?
"Thank you," Bai Ruozhu said, and then carrying Dengdeng with a nursing towel, she went outside.
Jiang Yichun wanted to leave too, but he couldn’t help recalling the scene he saw when he landed on the roof eaves last time. He subconsciously wanted to touch his nose, but this time he held it in. So, he decided not to leave, lest he seemed like he wanted to spy on others as soon as he performed light body gong skill.
"Benefactor, wait a moment. Let me make a pan bread for you," Lin Ping’er enthusiastically said.
Jiang Yichun felt ’Benefactor’ was a strange title, but he couldn’t think of anything else. His identity was not something to reveal casually.
Soon, Lin Ping’er finished the pan bread for the client, then made a meat and egg pan bread for Jiang Yichun. Jiang Yichun was not hungry at all, but he didn’t want to reject her enthusiasm, so he accepted the bread and started eating anyway.
He wasn’t sure if it was because he wasn’t hungry, or there was some other reason, but he thought the pan bread made by Bai Ruozhu’s mother didn’t taste as good as the one Bai Ruozhu made. However, he soon dismissed it as an illusion. It was the same ingredients, the same method, he must have just gotten used to her cooking.
Before Jiang Yichun had finished his bread, Bai Ruozhu returned with the child. She gestured discreetly to her mother to keep quiet, indicating that Dengdeng was sleeping. She placed Dengdeng in the basket, covering him with a small blanket. The child was sleeping extremely soundly, looking like he saw something happy in his dream, even showing a small smile.
Jiang Yichun’s eyesight was very sharp, and he could see clearly even from a distance. The corners of his lips behind the mask slightly turned upward. This little guy must have been exhausted from playing and thus fell into such a sound sleep.
Bai Ruozhu walked over to Jiang Yichun and bowed, saying, "Thank you, benefactor. Dengdeng has been in a good mood today."
"Didn’t you say that I don’t know how to take care of children?" Jiang Yichun’s tone was elated, his voice very low, but Bai Ruozhu could still hear the smugness concealed within.
She wrinkled her nose and said with a conciliatory smile, "I am short-sighted and underestimated you." She thought, for the sake of his help, she could force herself to say something nice.
Jiang Yichun gave a light hum, which was filled with a smile, like a soft laugh, expressing his good mood at that moment.
Bai Ruozhu again bowed to him, then went to the stove to replace her mom and continued her work.
Jiang Yichun sat for a while, sipping the soup leisurely. When he looked up, he saw Wang Luji and Wan Minglu patrolling not far off. His mood soured a bit, but then he thought it was for the best as there wouldn’t be any trouble for Bai Ruozhu’s family.
Satisfied that everything was safe here, after giving a glance to the soundly sleeping child, Jiang Yichun got up and left.
Without saying goodbye this time, once Bai Ruozhu noticed he had left, she felt it was inappropriate to call out. That’s when she noticed a bunch of copper coins left on the table, probably more than twenty, which definitely far exceeded how much he consumed.
"Goodness, why did the benefactor leave money again? The silver he gave us last time was enough for many meals," Lin Ping’er saw the copper coins on the table and sighed worriedly.
Bai Ruozhu also felt a bit awkward. Even if she hired a babysitter to take care of the child in modern times, not only would she need to provide for her meals, she would also have to pay a salary. But now, not only did she not show hospitality, but she also accepted money from him. Wasn’t she just taking advantage of him?
Thinking of this, she decided to prepare some dried fish when she got home and give it to him as a thank you gift next time. She wasn’t the kind of person to casually take advantage of others.
Noticing that Jiang Yichun was out of sight, Fusa from the neighboring stall came over with a gossipy look on her face. She took Bai Ruozhu by the shoulder and whispered, "Did I just see him carrying your son over awhile ago?"
"Yes. He helped me look after him for a while," answered Bai Ruozhu.
Fusa laughed rather creepily and said, "So do you know what he looks like? I see him treating your Dengdeng especially well. There’s something quite unusual about it!"
Bai Ruozhu shot her a glance, "What are you trying to imply? He’s an officer, and he and Dengdeng’s savior. Don’t go spreading rumors."
Fusa was not afraid, tutted twice, gave Bai Ruozhu a once over, and grinned, "Our Ruozhu is absolutely gorgeous. If I were a man, I would be attracted too!"