Chapter 283: The Two Families Become Enemies
The next day, Lin Ping’er returned to the Mountain Village as usual, but when she came back in the afternoon, her face looked somewhat gloomy.
Bai Ruozhu furrowed her brows, took her mother’s hand, and asked: "Mother, the old mansion didn’t give you any trouble, did it?"
Lin Ping’er drew a deep sigh, "They don’t have the time to bother with me, they’re too preoccupied with their own problems. It’s just frustrating to watch."
Hearing this, Bai Yihong also came over, looking somewhat worried, and asked, "What’s happened?"
Seeing Bai Yihong’s concern for the other side, Lin Ping’er became annoyed and glared at him, "Your beloved eldest brother is about to lose all the family’s face. Only your father would protect him. If he were my son, he would have been kicked out by now. He pretends to be a scholar, but he’s wasted decades on learning only to end up with nothing. The Wang Family’s anger towards him is justified."
Hearing this, the family realized it was about Bai Yibo, and everyone shook their heads. Even though they had divided the family, the huge scene made would certainly affect the second household, and it would also affect Bai Zepei’s future.
"Scolding me won’t help. You think I want to have this kind of big brother? But I am stuck with him. I know you are unhappy about my concern for them, but my parents are still there, I can’t completely abandon them, can I?" Bai Yihong felt wronged as he muttered, but his voice was low, as he seemed less confident.
Seeing her mother’s glaring eyes, Bai Ruozhu quickly tugged at her mother, saying: "Mother, let’s not quarrel about someone else’s troubles. Just tell us what the bothersome thing is. In case there’s any negative influence, we can take precautions as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Lin Ping’er became nervous. As there were fewer customers in the afternoon, she began to explain.
"Not long after I returned home, there was noise and fighting outside. I heard that the Wang family came to claim Bai Yibo’s life and urged everyone to come and stop them. I went over to see what was going on, and I was lucky that I hid behind others and didn’t get up close. Otherwise, I would have been embarrassed."
As Lin Ping’er spoke, a look of disgust crossed her face. "There was a lot of trouble between the two sides, and it was said that Bai Yibo knew about the child Xiaosi from the very beginning. He often took silver coins that Wang Jiapo brought from her family, so he naturally sided with her and kept it a secret. When the incident happened, he also spoke for her, hoping Wang Jiapo would continue to support him. But now I’ve heard that the widow Zhou is pregnant, and he’s so ensnared by her that he wants to divorce Wang Jiapo."
Lin Ping’er was so disgusted with Bai Yibo and his wife that she started to call them by their full names, clearly showing she no longer respected these relatives.
"The Wang family had one line: if he wants a divorce, he must return the silver coins he has taken from the Wang family over the years. Mrs. Wang was quite formidable and began to tally up with Bai Yibo. She said that over the years, he had taken at least more than one hundred taels in total, and they’re willing to sell him a favor and make it one hundred taels."
In unison, the Bai family drew a sharp breath. With one hundred taels of silver, one could build a large mansion in Mountain Village. It would be enough for a farmer’s family to live comfortably for several years. Wasn’t this number astronomical?
Seeing the others’ suspicion that the Wang family was ripping them off, Lin Ping’er shook her head and continued. "The Wang family really could list every single payment: how many silver coins the old lady took to buy the desk from the Wang family, how much money she spent making the clothes she took from the Wang family, and how much money Bai Yibo spent on pens and ink from the Shubao Pavilion, and so on."
"This Wang Jiapo is truly a businesswoman; she remembers every single transaction clearly. What a good memory she has," Bai Zehao remarked with a sigh.
Bai Ruozhu speculated that Wang Jiapo might be a Taurus like her, who remembers every penny they spend quite clearly.
"You now know what kind of person our grandmother is. When Wang Jiapo demanded a hundred taels, she became angry and started arguing with her. In the end, it was the village head who came to mediate, but their argument was so nasty. They completely lost face."
"And what about my uncle? He didn’t step in and handle his business? And what was my grandfather doing?" Bai Ruozhu asked, clutching her chin. She wanted to see how Bai Yibo would handle the situation.
Whether to divorce or not, if he doesn’t give Wang Jiapo the silver she demands, she will make a scene out of it, even threatening to take it to the public court. If they don’t divorce, both families have become enemies. Can they continue to live together? Plus, judging by Bai Yibo’s behavior, he’s unwilling to give up his charming widow.
But was the child in the widow’s belly really Bai Yibo’s? Bai Ruozhu held doubts, especially after hearing about the scandalous conduct of Widow Zhou.
"Your uncle came out to apologize to Mrs. Wang, and he insisted on the divorce — even as far as claiming that he had wronged Wang Jiapo and making a deep bow to Wang Jiapo. Your grandfather was sighing on the side, and in the end, he said that he would compensate Wang Jiapo, but couldn’t afford to give the full amount."
Bai Ruozhu curled her lip, noticing Grandfather’s preference for his eldest son.
"Grandfather proposed fifty taels, but Wang Jiapo would not budge, saying no less than one hundred taels, otherwise, she would come and make a scene every day. After all, she has time to spend on tangling with the Bai family. That’s when Bai Yibo got anxious. He stated that both he and his father were scholars, and his nephew was the top student. He even knew the County Chief. If the Wang family continued to make trouble, he would have the county’s magistrate punish the Wang family for their crimes."
The whole family began to curse altogether: "What a jerk!"
"Unbelievable!"
"Even my brother hasn’t been appointed to an official post yet. If he does, who knows how much we’ll be dragged down by our uncle and his clan. I don’t think this will work. We must get away from them as soon as possible, otherwise, our whole family will be implicated!" Bai Ruozhu was more determined than ever to fly far away. She wished she could spend the rest of her life without seeing Bai Yibo or their grandfather.
"Isn’t that so? Wang Jiapo shouted publicly, claiming that it was no wonder her daughter was beaten with twenty rods by the county magistrate. So, it turned out that the Bai family was behind it all. They’re bullying innocent folks and she would go to the government office seeking justice for her daughter," said Lin Ping’er, heaving a sigh. "You see, isn’t it annoying? It’s driving me crazy."
"And then what happened?" Bai Yihong asked with a look of anxiety.
"Then, grandfather came out to mediate, saying that Bai Yibo was just talking nonsense, and that the County Chief was an upright official. How could he bend the law for personal ends? But just as he was persuading them, Sanlang from inside the house came out limping with a knife in his hand, and threatened viciously: ’If anyone lets that widow in, I’ll kill her. I’ll kill everyone, adults and children!’" Lin Ping’er slapped her chest, "Although I was at a distance at the time, I clearly saw the malicious look on Sanlang’s face. Don’t underestimate him because he’s young, he’s ruthless."
"And then what?" Bai Ruozhu filled a glass of water for her mother and urged her to go on.
Lin Ping’er moistened her throat, "Then Bai Yibo went to slap Sanlang. Sanlang, with his lame leg, lost his balance, and fell over, but somehow he managed to slash Bai Yibo’s arm and started flowing blood. The scene became chaotic afterward, and I hurriedly came back."