Chapter 289 She Must Not Be Reckless!
"Mother, don’t cry," Bai Zehao said, wiping the corner of his eye.
Bai Yihong suddenly squatted on the ground, clutching his head tightly and burst into tears, "Why do I have to have this kind of older brother? I’d rather be dead!"
While Dengdeng was still crying in Bai Ruozhu’s arm, she tried to wipe her tear-soaked face. She couldn’t be confused or cry now.
At the moment, Lin Ping’er struggled to get up, "Don’t hold me back! I’m going to kill that troublemaker Bai Yibo, or I’ll suffocate with anger."
"Enough!" Bai Ruozhu shouted. She rarely raised her voice at home, so when she did, the whole family quieted down and looked at her, somewhat dumbfounded.
"Mother, you can’t go. The official spoke to Second Brother in advance, taking a risk himself. If we make a scene now, the news will spread prematurely. What if it allows the real criminal to escape? It will also give Second Brother even more blame." Bai Ruozhu took a deep breath, calming her voice down as much as she could.
Lin Ping’er was confused with anger, but she wasn’t unreasonable. After listening to Bai Ruozhu, she sat back down on her bed and burst into tears again, "So we just give up on this? I can’t swallow this anger, I really can’t!"
Not to mention Lin Ping’er, every family member had the same difficulty swallowing their anger.
Bai Ruozhu looked at Bai Zepei and asked, "Second Brother, did the officials say how they would sentence our uncle?"
"They said he not only bought exam questions but also resold them to others, so his crime is considerable. Even if he isn’t beheaded, he will be stripped of his official status, permanently barred from taking the Imperial Examination, and exiled." Bai Zepei shared honestly.
"Then let the law punish him. It would be too easy for him to die. Exile and hardship is the best punishment for him." Bai Ruozhu clenched her teeth, fearing Bai Yibo would be beheaded so quickly. That would mean he got off lightly, she wanted him to wish he was dead!
"What about you? If Master Li and their joint letter have no effect, what will you do?" Lin Ping’er stopped crying and stared at Bai Zepei, asking.
This was also a question Bai Zehao and Bai Yihong wanted to ask, but they were a bit afraid to, fearing they might upset Lin Ping’er.
"Mother, don’t overthink it, everything will be okay." Bai Zepei tried to keep calm with a faint smile, "Even if they start arresting people tomorrow, I’ll still have to go to jail. But don’t worry, once the special envoy arrives, I’ll be interrogated."
"What if your uncle talks nonsense? He’s the sort of person who would drag others down with him even if he were dying. What if he says he gave you the exam questions? Won’t the special envoy interrogate him?" Lin Ping’er broke down crying again. "What if he maliciously says you made him do it, then what?"
It had to be said that Lin Ping’er saw Bai Yibo very clearly, and her words reminded Bai Ruozhu. Bai Ruozhu’s eyes narrowed, it seemed she had to take a risk.
"Mother, don’t overthink things. The special envoy is astute; he won’t be deceived by him." Bai Zepei said.
Lin Ping’er was slightly reassured, but she continued to cry, cursing Bai Yibo continuously, wishing she could curse him to death.
"Alright, everyone needs to calm down. Things haven’t reached a point of no return. We have to stay calm first. If we all lose our heads, who will be Second Brother’s support?" Bai Ruozhu’s face was full of determination, her determined gaze showed her attitude at the moment.
Lin Ping’er stopped crying and looked at Bai Ruozhu in a daze. Although she didn’t say she wouldn’t cry anymore, at least she lessened her sobs.
Bai Yihong also got up from the ground, patted Bai Zepei’s shoulder and said, "Er Lang, I’m sorry for the trouble. It’s our father’s fault." After he finished speaking, he burst into tears. This honest farmer seldom cried, but at this moment, his face was full of tears.
"Dad, what are you saying? None of us chose who we were born to. He is not just your older brother, but also my uncle. It’s all destined, no one is to blame." Bai Zepei comforted his father, "Even if the authorities come to arrest me tomorrow, don’t resist. It’ll only complicate matters. Officer Li will ensure I won’t suffer in jail."
"Alright, Mother won’t act recklessly." Lin Ping’er nodded vigorously.
At this point, the family finally calmed down. Bai Ruozhu thought for a moment and said, "After Second Brother is arrested tomorrow, Big Brother and I will go to the Clan Chief’s house. This is not just our family’s issue; it will also implicate the entire Bai Family Sect. Dad and Mom, take all the silver at home and bribe the guards. Although Officer Li will give instructions, we should still offer the necessary courtesies. Even if we spend the money, we can earn it back."
The family nodded in agreement. Bai Zepei, however, was quite depressed. He was powerless and could only wait for help.
"After Dad and Mom finish their tasks, return to the Back Mountain Village and meet up with Big Brother and me. I want to talk to Village Chief Grandpa and see if he can write a petition for Second Brother, and get each household in the village to sign it, to testify for Big Brother," Bai Ruozhu continued.
Bai Zepei looked at his sister in surprise. He hadn’t even thought of this approach, but his sister quickly transitioned from anger to calmness and came up with this idea. She truly deserved the title of "female Zhuge"!
However, given the current situation, it was not an appropriate time to praise Bai Ruozhu.
"We’ll have to trouble you, little sister." Gathering signatures from each household and persuading them to sign was not a small project.
"Second Brother, this is not just your problem, it’s our whole family’s problem. It’s our duty to contribute. You just need to take good care of yourself in jail and send messages to us if there’s anything." Bai Ruozhu’s eyes began to redden again as she spoke. She took a deep breath; she couldn’t cry. Her family needed a pillar, and she had to stay calm.
Dengdeng was crying because all adults around were crying. Not long after getting comforted, he started crying again. Feeling sorry for Dengdeng, Lin Ping’er wiped her tears quickly and said, "Stop crying. Don’t scare the child."
"Mother, you’ve been crying the hardest, and you’re telling us," Bai Ruozhu teased Lin Ping’er a bit, but unfortunately, her mother was so preoccupied that she didn’t hear her.
Only then did Bai Ruozhu notice Fang Guizhi and Xiaosi in the room. Guizhi was already in tears. Bai Ruozhu blinked, fearing her previous guess was correct, but she had no time to mind these things now. She would have to persuade Guizhi later.
Xiaosi didn’t cry. He just looked gloomy, his eyes full of hatred. He also hated Bai Yibo, who wouldn’t hate such a horse of misfortune?
"Xiaosi, our family has some problems recently. Can you also take on the responsibility of a man?" Bai Ruozhu asked as she pat his head.
Xiaosi earnestly nodded, "I can."
"Then you are in charge of watching our house. Stay at home and practice writing, and make sure to not let any bad people in to frame us." Bai Ruozhu was worried that she wouldn’t be able to take care of Xiaosi in the next few days, and that he might run into danger if he ran around randomly. So she found an excuse to let him guard the West Courtyard, without realizing her words were prophetic...