Chapter 256 Du Zhongshu’s Younger Sister
"Sir, I’m afraid this may not be appropriate." The masked man who had been silent all along finally spoke, "This woman’s brother is the new prime suspect, and he is close to Li Shunsheng. Her master is a favorite of the governor of the Anxi Residence. Won’t this action bring unnecessary trouble?"
The leader of the assassins turned to look at the speaker, pondered for a moment, and said, "Leave her alone for now, keep investigating, and don’t overlook anyone else."
"Yes!" The two replied in unison.
...
Bai Ruozhu had no idea that she had narrowly escaped death. If she had known, she would have regretted her lack of caution, realizing that there were still many areas where she needed to be careful in the future.
After the Bai Family closed their stall in the afternoon, Bai Ruozhu went to the kitchen of the Xie Residence to prepare dinner. Yu Hongxiu walked in with a smile, saying, "Ruozhu, why don’t you invite your family to dinner tonight? Du Zhongshu’s sister is here, so we can all have a lively meal together."
"My parents have already eaten in the West Courtyard, so there’s no need to call them." Bai Ruozhu said with a smile. This was the excuse repeatedly told by Lin Ping’er and Bai Yihong. The couple from Xie family were kind and always invited them to dine together. But they felt uncomfortable living off others’ hospitality and eating their food without giving anything in return.
"Are you being polite to me again? It’s more lively when everyone is together, and the food tastes better that way." Yu Hongxiu pouted dissatisfiedly.
Bai Ruozhu laughed and said, "Isn’t there also a guest coming? It will be just as lively. If anything, I can keep you company."
"Alright, then make that Jinxianyou Tower. I was just praising this dish to Fuling, and she was drooling just hearing about it." Yu Hongxiu explained, "Fuling is Du Zhongshu’s sister. She’s sixteen this year, pretty and with a good personality. I’m sure you will get along well."
Bai Ruozhu had always thought Du Zhongshu was quite good-looking, so she was also curious about what his sister looked like.
After chatting with Yu Hongxiu for a while, Yu Hongxiu went back to the Flower Hall to entertain the guests. Bai Ruozhu continued cooking and made some Jinxianyou Tower as requested by Yu Hongxiu. She then sent the maid to serve the dishes and removed her apron to join the others.
There was a burst of female laughter from the Flower Hall. Yu Hongxiu seemed extremely happy, speaking louder than usual.
Bai Ruozhu walked briskly into the Flower Hall, but when she saw Du Fuling, her steps faltered.
"What’s this village woman doing here?" As soon as Bai Ruozhu appeared, Du Fuling saw her and spoke up first.
Since Bai Ruozhu had been running a stall, she hadn’t changed her clothes even after returning to the Xie Residence and getting busy in the kitchen. Though her clothes weren’t dirty, they certainly weren’t formal. Du Fuling’s gaze was not only irritated, it was disdainful.
Seeing the tension between the two, Yu Hongxiu quickly walked over and took Bai Ruozhu’s arm. "Fuling, you know Ruozhu? She’s the friend I was just telling you about."
Du Fuling gave Yu Hongxiu a surprised glance, her expression seemed to be questioning: how could you, a lady of a reputable family, be friends with this kind of person?
With a restrained arrogance on her face, Du Fuling said to Yu Hongxiu, "Sister Hongxiu, your kitchen maid is really bold. She’s out running a business during the day. When I respectfully asked her for something, she gave me a nasty look, and in the end, she refused to tell me."
Yu Hongxiu’s face turned awkward. She sincerely considered Bai Ruozhu as a friend. But introducing Bai Ruozhu as someone who came by to help cook may not have been the best idea. She loves food and doesn’t think the cook’s work is as good as Bai Ruozhu’s. Also, previously when she tried to invite the Bai family to stay in the West Courtyard and they repeatedly refused, she brought up the idea of Bai Ruozhu coming over to cook. Little did she know that this would lead to a misunderstanding about Bai Ruozhu being a kitchen maid in the Xie Residence.
Over time, this misunderstanding became a point of ridicule for Bai Ruozhu, and made it seem like Yu Hongxiu was treating her as a servant.
"Fuling, what are you talking about? I told you Ruozhu is my friend. How could she be a maid in my house?" Yu Hongxiu forced an awkward smile. "I’m sure there must be some misunderstanding between you two. Ruozhu is always easy to talk to."
Looking surprised that Yu Hongxiu was defending Bai Ruozhu, and not quite reconciled, Du Fuling began telling Yu Hongxiu about her grievances with Bai Ruozhu.
"On the day I arrived, I went for a stroll in the streets. I was almost hit by a runaway mule cart. Thankfully, a gentleman saved me. My father always taught us to reciprocate kindness, so I wanted to properly thank my savior. But I didn’t get his name. Then, when I saw him talking to her, I asked her to tell me, but she just refused."
Listening to all of this, Bai Ruozhu, who had been silent, had already cursed her luck. How coincidental could it be? The town was neither big nor small. Why did this miss have to come to the Xie Residence and also happen to be Du Zhongshu’s sister? Wasn’t this a little too melodramatic?
"I’ve already explained to Miss Du this afternoon. I really don’t know his name or address. Miss Du, you’re rich and powerful. Would I dare to deceive you?" Bai Ruozhu’s tone had completely changed. She had previously noted that Du Fuling was somewhat spoiled and wilful, but now the disdainful look in Du Fuling’s eyes made her feel nauseous.
Du Fuling’s face turned into a aggrieved expression. She looked at Yu Hongxiu and said, "Sister Hongxiu, look at her attitude. If it wasn’t for her being this way, I wouldn’t have been so antagonistic."
Having spent some time with Bai Ruozhu, Yu Hongxiu knew that Bai Ruozhu was not the kind of person who would give attitude without reason. But after all, Du Fuling was Du Zhongshu’s sister and also had some connections to Mr. Meng, so it wouldn’t be good to annoy her either. For a moment, Yu Hongxiu was at a loss, but she never let go of Bai Ruozhu’s arm.
Just then, Mr. Xie came in with Bai Zepei and Du Zhongshu. He said cheerfully, "Is dinner ready? We have a feast tonight, but it must have been hard work for Ruozhu." Only after saying that did he notice Du Fuling’s presence and looked curiously at Yu Hongxiu.
"Husband, this is Du Zhongshu’s sister, Du Fuling. She was entrusted by Lady Du to come visit us," Yu Hongxiu introduced with a smile.
However, Du Zhongshu frowned, looked at Du Fuling, and said, "Fuling, why are you being disobedient? Didn’t I tell you not to bother Mr. and Mrs. Xie?"
Du Fuling pouted displeasedly and said, "Since when did visiting Mr. and Mrs. become a disturbance? Brother, you’re just in a hurry to send me back to Beiyu City, aren’t you? I didn’t interfere with your studies."
Mr. Xie laughed and said, "Zhongshu, you’re being a bit too harsh. Since she’s here, let’s all sit down and have dinner together."
"Yes, let’s all sit down for dinner. The food won’t taste good once it’s cold," Yu Hongxiu chimed in. Then, looking apologetically at Bai Ruozhu, she said, "Ruozhu, sit next to me."
Du Fuling’s face changed. She looked as if she had just been bullied. On one side of Yu Hongxiu was her husband, and on the other side was Bai Ruozhu. So where was she supposed to sit?