Chapter 269: Opening Celebration and Arrogant Little Girl
Bai Ruomei said in disbelief, "That can’t be. Grandpa won’t be that angry. Er Lang aced his case study. He’s the first in our Bai family to do so. Grandpa cherishes him the most."
Bai Ruozhu chuckled, "Grandpa cherishes big uncle the most. Don’t you get it yet?"
Bai Ruomei felt a bit awkward and dared not look at Bai Ruozhu. She knew it in her heart. She merely phrased it that way to sound better. Perhaps if Er Lang apologized to grandpa, he could persuade him.
But why should others apologize to grandpa for your mother? Moreover, your mother vexed others, even had the Wang family smash others’ stalls. Who would serve you happily if they became stupid? Bai Ruozhu thought disdainfully.
Bai Ruomei wanted to say some nice words but when she lowered her head, she found out that while she was busily talking to Bai Ruozhu, Lu Donghai secretly drank the bone soup and even stole the bread in her hand.
"Oh, no, I said you couldn’t eat. How could you sneakily eat?" Bai Ruomei shouted anxiously, "You just started to heal. What if your disease gets worse?"
Bai Ruozhu laughed nervously and said, "Ruomei, you should quickly take the child to see the doctor. Ask the doctor whether eating such greasy food is okay. Don’t let the child’s illness relapse."
Bai Ruomei had no mood to argue at this point. She pleaded with Lin Ping’er, "Auntie, please help my mother. Although she’s not perfect, she’s skilled. If someone else takes over, I can’t assure you."
Bai Ruozhu glanced at Bai Ruomei, thinking, "she’s quite witty. She knows how to grab a person’s heart, but why can’t she take care of her child?"
Bai Ruomei left with Lu Donghai after a while. Fusa curiously asked, "What happened to the child in your family? Any illness?"
Bai Ruozhu almost laughed. Fusa’s question was about Lu Donghai lying on the ground crying. It seemed she was quite angry too. After all, they only had Niuniu, their precious child. Why would someone pull her hair randomly?
"There’s not much, they just spoiled him excessively. He ate so much that he got fat and developed the Thirst-quenching Syndrome," Bai Ruozhu replied.
"Ah? That serious?" Fusa startled. In ancient times, Thirst-quenching Syndrome was a deadly disease. She felt sympathetic towards Lu Donghai.
Bai Ruozhu quickly explained, "Thirst-quenching Syndrome in children is not incurable, but if it’s not properly taken care of, it can become deadly. Alas, it’s their fault. They pampered their child and fed him too much, either oily food or sweet cakes. He’s already overweight at this young age. How could they not expect him to fall ill?"
"Yeah, in our ordinary families, we won’t encounter such diseases because we don’t feed our children that well," As she looked at Bai Ruomei’s clothes, Fusa guessed that her husband’s family had a good financial situation.
Bai Ruozhu sneered. People at that time always thought the fatter the child, the better their upbringing. But everything has a limit. If a child is too fat, it’s an illness.
Lin Ping’er also patted Niuniu’s little head, asking, "Does it still hurt, Niuniu?"
Niuniu shook her head with red eyes, "It doesn’t hurt anymore."
With a sense of apology, Lin Ping’er said to Fusa, "Our younger generation lacks manners. Sorry for the inconvenience caused to Niuniu."
"It’s normal for children not to understand manners. Aunt, please don’t be so polite." Fusa had already let the matter go. It was not right to hold a grudge against a child in the first place, let alone a sick child.
After Bai Ruomei had left, Niuniu and Xiaosi again stood brightly in front of the hat stall. Both were very attractive, like the golden boy and jade girl beside the goddess Guanyin, quickly attracting the attention of the passers-by.
Bai Ruozhu also held Donghai, intending to join in the bustle. Donghai was not crying or causing a fuss. He gazed around with wide eyes, looking especially adorable in his little tiger hat.
Soon, another woman came over to ask about the price of the hats. She pointed curiously at the hat on Xiaosi’s head and asked, "Why is this hat designed like this? It’s quite unique."
Bai Ruozhu explained with a smile, "Sister, the extra parts on both sides of the hat are designed to protect the ears. They prevent the child’s ears from getting chilled in cold weather."
The woman’s eyes brightened, "This idea is good, my son is about the same age as your child. Show me some hats of this size."
Fusa quickly presented some, and the woman, who was decisive, quickly chose a navy-blue one. She said with a smile, "My boy’s too naughty. It would be better to get him a dirt-resistant one." After that, she looked at the hat on Niuniu’s head and asked, "the bonnet for this little girl looks good. Do you have any for a three-year-old girl? I want to buy it for my niece."
"We have some. Let me show you." Fusa enthusiastically brought out the bonnets for three-year-old girls. The woman sang praises and even bought two at once, saying, "Girls should be dressed prettily."
Seeing more money rolling in, the smile on Fusa’s face expanded. She nudged Bai Ruozhu’s arm and said, "Looks like our business is good. We’re sure to make a big profit."
Bai Ruozhu also had a smile on her face. Things were going more smoothly than she had thought.
"From now on, I’ll let my husband make tofu. I’ll focus on making hats," Fusa said delightedly.
"Don’t overwork yourself. There’s always money to be made, but your health is the most important. If you ruin your health, the money earned won’t even be enough for your medical expenses." Seeing Fusa’s excitement, Bai Ruozhu quickly advised her.
Fusa nodded and said, "Alright, I’ll listen to you and make sure not to work myself too hard."
After a while, two more hats were sold. Then, a lady, well-dressed and distinctly different from others, passed by with her daughter. When she saw the hat on Niuniu’s head, her eyes lit up. Pulling her daughter, she said, "Xiuxiu, let’s go check out what they sell. It looks quite exquisite."
Bai Ruozhu took a quick glance at the pair. The lady didn’t have a maid following her, suggesting she wasn’t a grand lady. But judging by her elegance, she was likely from a wealthy local gentry family.
The young girl called Xiuxiu was pretty and around the same age as Niuniu. Although she wasn’t as delicate as Niuniu, she had good skin and, despite her young age, wore a pearl hairpin. She also moved with an air of elegance, showing that she was pampered at home yet had been taught manners from an early age.
However, her arrogance at such a young age made her less lovable.
"What could be so great? Everything from this marketplace is vulgar. Mother, you’re not thinking of buying for me to wear, are you?" the young girl said disdainfully.
Fusa glanced at Bai Ruozhu. Her look seemed to say, "See? We have a troublesome child here."
Bai Ruozhu didn’t get angry at the girl’s words. She simply smiled and took something from behind the stall to show to the girl. As anticipated, the girl’s face changed dramatically.