Chapter 322: Climbing the Knife Mountain, Descending into the Sea of Fire
Bai Ruozhu felt a bit bad for seeming harsh, but she had subtly probed her second brother. He showed no interest in Guizhi, and if Guizhi didn’t back off soon, she would be the one to suffer.
If Guizhi’s feelings for her second brother deepened, it could strain their relationship with the Bai Family. Hence, Bai Ruozhu decided it was better to play the villain now and help Guizhi realize the truth.
Tears welled up in Fang Guizhi’s eyes, but she stubbornly held them back.
Bai Ruozhu pretended not to see her distress and complimented Guizhi’s cooking as she ate her noodles. By the end of the meal, Bai Ruozhu herself was feeling emotional, on the verge of tears.
What young girl doesn’t fall in love? It was natural that Guizhi would be attracted to the accomplished Bai Zepei. But this was not modern times where you could secretly admire someone without consequences. If Guizhi’s feelings were discovered by Lin Ping’er, Bai Ruozhu was certain that her mother would swiftly arrange for Guizhi’s departure.
It wasn’t that Lin Ping’er disliked Guizhi, but she couldn’t force her son to marry someone he didn’t love. It was better to handle this situation sooner rather than later.
Soon, Fang Guizhi also started eating, her tears dropping into the bowl and making the noodles taste bitter.
After dinner, Bai Ruozhu took Dengdeng, her child, to their small business stall. She didn’t dare face Guizhi after what happened. Despite having reasons to act as she did, she still felt a pang of discomfort.
Upon reaching their stall, Bai Ruozhu told her parents about Bai Zehao getting slapped by the old master. If she had kept it, they would definitely be upset with her when they saw Bai Zehao’s face later.
"What right does he have to hit my son? My son is an upright person, obedient, and respectful. He is infinitely better than his own degenerate son. What right does he have to hit Zehao?" Lin Ping’er was furious, even suggesting going to the mountain village to confront the old master.
"Mother, should we bring a kitchen knife with us?" Bai Ruozhu asked, barely able to hold back her laughter, as she went to grab a kitchen knife.
At the mention of the knife, Lin Ping’er’s face turned red, and her anger receded. She recalled her intensity that day and felt embarrassed by it. She was afraid the villagers would label her as a fierce woman.
Bai Ruozhu put the knife back with a chuckle and said to Lin Ping’er, "Mother, with my eldest brother’s wedding soon, let’s not cause any more fuss. We should let the old mansion have its way."
She knew her eldest brother didn’t want to stir up trouble. If he did, he would have made a fuss himself rather than just walking away in silence, right?
Thinking about it, Lin Ping’er decided to hold her tongue, but she was still a bit disgruntled.
"How did business go today?" To prevent her mother from getting too worked up, Bai Ruozhu changed the subject. But that only made Lin Ping’er even more upset.
"How else could it be? It’s definitely not as good as before, all thanks to the Wang Family!"
"Look at you, getting upset again. Didn’t Ruozhu say to stay calm and see how things go? Even if it doesn’t work out, we still have our farms. We won’t go hungry." Bai Yihong reasoned with her.
Bai Ruozhu felt her mother was too hasty, which could lead to heartache. She also chimed in, "Yes, Mom, you need to calm down. If you get distressed over everything, it will put your health at risk."
Lin Ping’er inhaled deeply and said, "All right, all right. You both complain about my temper. I’ll try to control it, okay?"
Bai Ruozhu gave her a comforting squeeze. "I knew my mother was the best at heeding advice."
Lin Pin’er playfully smacked Bai Ruozhu’s arm. "Stop flattering me. You’re probably thinking I’m hotheaded."
"Of course not, you have the best temperament." Bai Yihong said, smiling foolishly. Lin Ping’er blushed at the compliment and shot him a glare.
Bai Ruozhu tried to suppress her laughter. With such a loving relationship between her parents, maybe if her mother’s health improved, she could have a younger sibling or two in the future.
The thought made Bai Ruozhu giggle mischievously.
By afternoon, business at the Bai Family’s stall improved slightly. Their regular customers came, as well as some new faces who asked about the prices but didn’t eat, probably deciding to go to the Wang Family’s shop instead. Bai Ruozhu remained unfazed, treating the whole situation as a break.
After closing up the stall, she left Dengdeng with Lin Ping’er and went to visit Yu Hongxiu in the east courtyard, cooking dinner for her and Mr. Xie.
Meanwhile, Lin Ping’er and Bai Yihong spoke with Bai Zehao about the situation at the old mansion. Seeing their son’s swollen face, both parents were extremely worried. Bai Zehao winced inwardly, thankful for his younger sister’s medicinal aid. Otherwise, his face would have been even more swollen, and his parents would have been furious.
At night, Bai Ruozhu bathed Dengdeng early and sent him to bed. She started wondering whether Jiang Yichun would come by. Realizing this, she chastised herself for her pragmatism. He should not get upset over her previous hostility, right?
She left a gap in the window and lay on her bed fully clothed, trying to fall asleep. But she couldn’t, so she settled for listening for any movement outside. However, if Jiang Yichun didn’t knock on the window, would she even hear him coming with his superior lightfoot skill?
The sky darkened entirely, and there was a light tapping on the rear window. Bai Ruozhu immediately sat up and looked at the window.
Jiang Yichun noticed the window was open and hopped inside, meeting Bai Ruozhu’s twinkling eyes as soon as he landed.
His lips twitched, and he asked quietly, "You didn’t call me here for something, did you?"
Bai Ruozhu was caught off guard, and she laughed awkwardly. "I do need a favor from you."
Jiang Yichun didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he walked towards the table and picked up a teacup. He held the cup in his hand but didn’t pour any tea.
Did Bai Ruozhu not understand his cues? She got up, walked over to the table, and poured him a cup of tea.
"Go ahead," Jiang Yichun said, satisfied. He crossed one leg over the other and leisurely sipped his tea, seemingly enjoying himself despite the tea being cold.
Bai Ruozhu felt annoyed but had no choice but to keep her composure. "Before I explain, will you help me or not? If not, I won’t bother telling you about it and avoid further complications."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yichun could not help but laugh because Bai Ruozhu’s tone had a touch of anger as well as a hint of coquettishness. It was the first time he’d heard her speak to him this way. In the past, she was either audacious or cunning. He hadn’t expected to see this side of her.
"Of course I will help. I won’t hesitate to climb mountains or dive into seas for you," he said, giving Bai Ruozhu a blink.
Bai Ruozhu felt her eyes threatened by the intense shine. He was already handsome, so could he not flash that mesmerizing smile for no reason? Did he want to take her life?
Besides, was his clear teasing supposed to warm her heart and speed up her heartbeat?