Chapter 350: Women Can Hold Up Half the Sky
Back then, there were no washboards in the village, so they would usually wash their clothes by beating them with a stick on a large rock by the riverside. After moving to the West Courtyard, Bai Ruozhu had asked her father to make a washboard and she had shared the benefits of using one with her family.
Lin Ping’er praised the washboard after using it. She found that its edges were helpful in scrubbing the clothes clean, and it was much less taxing than beating them with a stick. Now that her daughter had mentioned the washboard, Lin Ping’er immediately remembered having to kneel on its harsh edges - quite an uncomfortable experience.
"That’s a good idea," Lin Ping’er beamed, her mood improving significantly.
Seeing that Wan Caiyue didn’t know what a washboard was, Bai Ruozhu smiled and said to her, "Sister-in-law, wait till we return to the West Courtyard, I’ll show you."
Wan Caiyue agreed, but she was inwardly marveling at Ruozhu’s audacity to go so far as to have her father kneel as punishment.
Bai Yihong, who had been pacing back and forth in the yard, sneezed twice. He had no idea that he was being set up, and he was currently wondering how he should apologize to his wife and daughter. Otherwise, he would feel too ashamed to live in the same household.
How could his father do such thing? It was simply foolish. Did he wish to sabotage the Bai Family for the sake of Bai Yibo?
At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Zhou Deshun and Zhou Dehai, the two brothers, had arrived. Bai Yihong rushed to open the door and saw Zhou Dehai, his eyes rimmed with dark circles, standing at the entrance, while Zhou Deshun wore an icy expression.
"Yihong, Dehai came to apologize to your daughter Ruozhu," Zhou Deshun said without preamble.
Bai Yihong wanted to say that their families had been acquainted for so long, and there was no need for such formal apologies. However, remembering that he had upset his daughter, he didn’t dare to act arbitrarily on her behalf and said nothing.
Zhou Deshun interpreted Bai Yihong’s silence as anger towards Zhou Dehai, which prompted a helpless sigh. His brother’s family had indeed acted unfairly this time.
Zhou Dehai’s face turned red as he said, "Brother Yihong, I failed to watch my tongue, and even worse, I failed to raise my daughter properly. I’m here to apologize to you and to Ruozhu."
Bai Ruozhu walked out of her eldest brother’s room upon hearing the voices. She greeted the two men with a smile, saying, "Uncles, what are you talking about? Quickly come inside and have a cup of tea."
Seeing Ruozhu’s still cordial smile, Zhou Dehai’s heart lightened tremendously, but it simultaneously stirred a deeper sense of guilt.
Entering the Main Hall, Zhou Dehai didn’t hurry to sit down but bowed toward Bai Ruozhu and said, "Ruozhu, I said too much while drunk and told people about your plans to buy the land. I never imagined that Tao Hua would use that information to threaten you and tell others..."
Bai Ruozhu cut him off, "Uncle Dehai, you and Tao Hua are not the same. Indeed, you made a mistake in talking too much while drunk. Just be more cautious in the future, I won’t blame you. But Tao Hua’s vindictiveness, you should correct her, otherwise she will surely suffer in the future."
Her voice faltered momentarily, "Also, she should visit Fushou Hall for her health problems. No matter what she tries, I won’t treat her anymore."
Zhou Dehai’s face had turned the color of a ripe tomato. Recalling the tearful plea Tao Hua’s mother had made earlier, he couldn’t even lift his face in front of Bai Ruozhu.
"I will discipline her properly and ensure she won’t trouble you again," Zhou Dehai promised, his head hung in shame.
Bai Ruozhu let out an indifferent laugh, stood up and said, "Then you uncles stay here and chat with my father. I need to help my mother pack, we will be returning to the True Fit soon."
"Alright, alright, we won’t disturb your work," Zhou Dehai said with an apologetic smile.
As Bai Ruozhu left, she quietly sighed. She did not want her relationship with Zhou Dehai to become like this, nor did she want an elder who had once aided her to speak so deferentially towards her. However, Tao Hua’s behavior had made it impossible for her father to live with dignity. Regardless of her unchanged attitude towards Zhou Dehai, he was likely to resent himself on the inside.
Seeing Bai Ruozhu return, Lin Ping’er asked what had happened. Bai Ruozhu roughly explained and seeing Wan Caiyue didn’t fully understand, she further explained the incident where she treated Zhou Taohua’s foot and then was threatened by Zhou Taohua.
"Ah, so that’s how the widow Zhou found out." exclaimed Wan Caiyue in surprise, "Taohua always seems so gentle and obedient, who knew she could be so petty? Just to save some medical expenses, she has done such despicable things."
Bai Ruozhu shrugged, "Maybe she thinks that since her father helped keep my secret, I owe her family. Whatever she tells me to do, I have to obey, or else I would seem ungrateful."
"What kind of twisted thinking is that? If she doesn’t change her ways, she won’t have a good future," Wan Caiyue said indignantly.
Seeing that Wan Caiyue could have a good conversation with Bai Ruozhu, Lin Ping’er’s face broke into a relieved smile. Having a newcomer in the family is a joyous event, but she was also worried about potential personality clashes causing unnecessary friction and hurting feelings.
Now it seems that Wan Caiyue has a good temperament and can chat with Bai Ruozhu, so she doesn’t need to worry so much.
The family packed up their things and prepared to return to town after bidding farewell to Bai Yizhong and his wife, Jin. At this time, Bai Zeji arrived, he had not stayed in Mountain Village last night but had sent his aunts and sister, Bai Lianhua, back to Fengye Village and stayed there overnight.
"Uncle, aunt, you’re going back to town?" Bai Zeji said.
Bai Yihong nodded, "Yes, we need to tidy up before getting back to business tomorrow."
Bai Zeji opened his mouth, seemed hesitant, but finally said, "Grandpa has been refusing to eat at my house. Why don’t you send someone to check on him?"
Bai Yihong frowned, not knowing what to do.
"I’ll go talk to him, you all return to town first. I’ll take the cart back later," Bai Zepei suddenly said with a somewhat helpless tone.
No one objected. It seemed that even when Grandfather harbored special hatred towards the second branch of the family, he was a bit nicer to Bai Zepei.
Bai Ruozhu did not object either, just looking deeply at her second brother. Her second brother’s craftiness far surpassed hers. After his visit, Grandpa would surely dare not kick up a fuss again.
The family returned to town. Until they reached the West Courtyard, Lin Ping’er hadn’t spoken a word to Bai Yihong. Later, when Bai Ruozhu and Wan Caiyue went to tidy up, Bai Yihong, seeing no one else around, bashfully approached Lin Ping’er and said, "Wife, I was wrong, can you stop being angry with me?"
Lin Ping’er ignored him and continued her task.
"Ping’er, what should I do for you to stop being mad?" Bai Yihong anxiously rubbed his hands, his face full of appeasement.
Lin Ping’er finally gave him a cold look and said, "You want me to stop being angry? Go kneel on the washing board."
"What?" Bai Yihong was dumbfounded, was his wife joking?
In the yard, Wan Caiyue and Bai Ruozhu were talking. She finally saw the legendary washing board and was eager to give it a try. Just as she thought about washing a few clothes, her father-in-law walked by like the wind, picked up the washboard and went back into the room.
Wan Caiyue was dumbstruck, the words Bai Ruozhu had said echoed in her mind: Make dad kneel on the washboard.
Bai Ruozhu smiled smugly at Wan Caiyue and said, "Our family doesn’t have the rule where a woman bows to a man. In our home, a woman can indeed hold up half the sky."