Chapter 313: Who is Annoying Who?
Bai Zepei was not alone; Mr. Xie and... Jiang Yichun wearing a mask were following behind him.
"I’m glad that both Mr. Xie and Benefactor are here. Please come inside," Bai Ruozhu collected herself hastily and hid her surprise. She thought it was normal for Jiang Yichun, who had aided her second brother along with Mr. Xie and Lord Li, to pay a visit to her house.
However, as she turned her head, she ran into her brother’s seemingly teasing gaze and quickly shifted her eyes away, pretending not to see it.
Alright, her brother must have noticed something. It was all Jiang Yichun’s fault for always being so conspicuous. At this thought, she gave Jiang Yichun a discreet glare, and although his face was hidden behind the mask showing no expression, there was a hint of teasing in his eyes.
Bai Ruozhu felt a pang in her heart; she was truly aggrieved by this!
She quickened her steps to lead the way, distancing herself from the sight of Jiang Yichun and decided to ignore him.
Lin Ping’er and Bai Yihong came out to meet the visitors upon hearing the noise and expressed their gratitude effusively to Mr. Xie and Jiang Yichun.
Mr. Xie, long familiar with the Bai family, laughed and said, "No need to thank me. I only told the truth. I couldn’t just stand by and watch Zepei be framed by his own uncle, could I?"
"Regardless, we still owe you and Benefactor our gratitude," said Bai Yihong, his smile warm and sincere.
"So I thought of inviting both the lord and Mr. Xie over for a drink," said Bai Zepei, glancing at Ruozhu, "and give the lord a taste of my sister’s cooking as well."
Seeing the conversation shifting towards Jiang Yichun and then herself, Bai Ruozhu hurriedly asked Mr. Xie, "Mr. Xie, why didn’t Sister Hongxiu come along?"
Mr. Xie’s face showed worry: "My wife is suffering from severe morning sickness, she had just vomited again, and decided to rest in the room."
"I’ll go and check on Sister Hongxiu. Our meal is ready, so please enjoy it while it’s hot." After these words, she skillfully took off her apron, handing it to her mother, and without waiting for any response, she darted off.
Lin Ping’er found it strange that her daughter had not greeted their guest, it was quite rude of her.
"Our daughter is concerned about Mrs. Xie’s health. Lord Jiang, please don’t take her lack of manners to heart," Lin Ping’er said to Jiang Yichun with an apologetic smile.
"No matter," Jiang Yichun said indifferently. Understanding his nature, the Bai family did not think any further about it.
In fact, Jiang Yichun was rather upset. It took effort for him to find an excuse to see her, but she had been avoiding him as if he were contagious. Was he that terrible?
His enthusiasm had been doused by her cold response, how could he possibly feel good about it?
Meanwhile, Bai Ruozhu was puffing with pride as she strutted off to the East Courtyard. You dare to provoke me? Do you really think I won’t fight back?
However, she truly wanted to check on Yu Hongxiu’s condition. If Yu Hongxiu’s morning sickness was severe, she would not be able to eat properly, and the children in her belly would risk malnutrition, especially considering she’s carrying twins.
Upon seeing Yu Hongxiu, Bai Ruozhu was startled. Yu Hongxiu’s face had lost its usual rosy complexion and was now waxen yellow.
"Sister Hongxiu, you look very pale," Bai Ruozhu quickly approached, and without waiting for her reply, she took her pulse.
Seeing Bai Ruozhu, a smile flashed across Yu Hongxiu’s face. "I’ve been throwing up whatever I eat these past few days, and I’m always hungry, but as soon as I eat, I throw up again, even the acid reflux is coming up."
"Morning sickness varies from person to person; some are worse, others mild. Don’t worry too much about it. I’ll make you a nourishing soup to try. Even if you still vomit, at least it can nourish your stomach and make you feel better," said Bai Ruozhu, heading to the kitchen.
Yu Hongxiu called out feeling a bit guilty, "Thank you," to Ruozhu’s retreating figure.
Bai Ruozhu soon returned with a light soup. Since she was worried about Yu Hongxiu throwing up again, she didn’t dare to add too many ingredients, only enough to soothe her stomach.
Yu Hongxiu frowned when she took the soup, carefully blew on it, and then began to consume it slowly.
The soup was bland, which didn’t suit her current tasteless palate. But it was Bai Ruozhu who made it; she couldn’t refuse it, could she?
So, after finishing the soup, she realized she didn’t feel like throwing up, and she was overjoyed. "Ruozhu, I didn’t throw up! I didn’t throw up!"
Seeing her enthusiastic reaction, Bai Ruozhu quickly reminded her, "Don’t get too excited. Let’s wait and see."
Before she could finish, Yu Hongxiu furrowed her brows and vomited into the sputum dish next to her.
"Next time, drink less, eat smaller meals, and try to keep your mood steady. Don’t get up too quickly after eating, and you should be better," Bai Ruozhu said as she soothed Yu Hongxiu.
Although Yu Hongxiu had vomited again, it wasn’t as severe as before. She wiped her mouth and said to Bai Ruozhu, "Okay, I’ll follow your advice."
Bai Ruozhu took out a piece of paper and pen, wrote down the recipe for the soup, and handed it to Yu Hongxiu to look at. She said, "You don’t have to drink this soup all the time. Just one bowl a day would suffice; you still need to eat regularly, just eat less each time. As you adjust, it won’t be as easy for you to vomit."
"Also, if you feel greasy from meat, eat some fish and eggs to keep up your nutrition," Bai Ruozhu added.
As she felt slightly better, Yu Hongxiu looked more spirited. She took Ruozhu’s hand gratefully and said, "Thank God you’re here! I visited the Fushou Hall the other day, but the doctor there told me there was no solution for this morning sickness. It seems like their medical skills fall short compared to yours."
"I just happen to know this recipe but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m superior to them," Bai Ruozhu modestly declined. Then, she stood up and said, "We have guests at home, I should go back and check on them. You should rest well."
Although Bai Ruozhu was purposefully avoiding Jiang Yichun, she didn’t plan on staying away for real; she hadn’t even had her meal yet.
When Bai Ruozhu returned to the West Courtyard and entered the main hall, both Mr. Xie and Jiang Yichun’s eyes brightened.
"Ruozhu, have you checked on Red Sleeve? How is she doing?" Mr. Xie, worried about his wife, asked impatiently.
"I made a therapeutic soup for Sister Hongxiu. Although she did throw up once after drinking it, she said it was much better than before," Bai Ruozhu said with a smile. "I’ve written down the recipe for her. From now on, you can ask the kitchen to prepare it for her."
Mr. Xie was very grateful upon hearing this, he expressed his gratitude to Bai Ruozhu in a bow, "Thank you for caring for Red Sleeve."
Bai Ruozhu stepped aside hastily, "Mr. Xie, you are too polite. Sister Hongxiu is my friend; it’s only right that I help her. Please sit down, or else my second brother will blame me for distracting you from your drink."
Mr. Xie was not a fussy man, he took a seat next to Jiang Yichun and explained, "Lord Jiang, my wife has severe morning sickness. She’s been looking pale these past few days. It’s all thanks to Ruozhu’s excellent medical skills."
Jiang Yichun’s mood had lifted ever since he saw Bai Ruozhu’s return. Hearing praises about her made him happier.
"I haven’t been sleeping well recently. Could I ask Miss Bai to check my pulse later?" Jiang Yichun said.