Chapter 351: A Lively and Happy Family
Wan Caiyue widened her eyes in astonishment. It was the first time she heard the saying, "women can hold up half the sky," and she felt a surge of excitement, feeling incredibly fortunate to have married into the Bai family!
In a time when male supremacy is the norm, she had heard about girls being treated as inferiors in their husband’s family, toiling from dawn till dusk, disdained by their mother-in-law, unable to have meals at the family table, and endured the arrogance of their husbands who considered them as servants.
Yet, she was incredibly lucky. Her husband cherished her deeply. Although he blushed in the morning and dared not meet her gaze, he made sure to warm water for her to freshen up. Despite the pain lingering in her body, she dutifully served her parents-in-law tea. They were incredibly loving. Her mother-in-law not only set no regulations for her but also engaged her in friendly conversations as if she were her own daughter. She was welcome to dine with the family, and her preferences and dietary restrictions were solicited.
She had some knowledge of the congeniality of the Bai family, but the happiness bestowed upon her was so overwhelming that she thought she was dreaming.
It was a pleasant coincidence that her sister-in-law was easy to get along with. Now she also learned that in this household, women were certainly not subservient to men. Such knowledge further gratified her, and her initial anxiety before marriage dissipated entirely following Bai Ruozhu’s playful gestures.
"If your elder brother does something wrong, you can penalize him by making him kneel and scrub a washing board," Bai Ruozhu teased, giving her a wicked smile. "However, you have to do it subtly, just like when mother disciplines father privately. You must still let him save face."
Wan Caiyue laughed, "And here you are giving me ideas. Aren’t you worried about your elder brother?"
"Well, you are my sister-in-law. I will always favour the person who treats me well. If a man does something wrong, he must admit his mistakes, right?" Bai Ruozhu replied in a teasing manner, a particular ice-cold figure lingering in her thoughts. She promised herself to question him thoroughly later about whether he had ambushed her.
While the two women were chattering, Bai Zehao came out of the house, having changed into his regular work clothes.
"Ruozhu, Caiyue, I am going to chop some firewood. I will be back soon," Bai Zehao said, his face reddening again.
"Oh wow, elder brother, are you saying goodbye to your wife? What have you got to be embarrassed about?" Bai Ruozhu turned her mischievous gaze onto Wan Caiyue, handing her a basket from the side. She said, "Sister-in-law, you should go with him and help collect some pig fodder. We just need a small amount; after all, we only have one pig in the house."
Wan Caiyue blushed but still accepted the basket. She politely murmured an ’ok’ and timidly followed Bai Zehao out of the door.
Bai Ruozhu returned to the room, cradling Dengdeng in her arms and quietly whispered, "Dengdeng, soon you will have a little brother or sister to play with."
Soon, the refreshed and vigorous Lin Ping’er walked out of the house. Judging by her demeanor, Bai Ruozhu could tell that she had ceased her fretting. She glanced at the courtyard, asking, "Where are your elder brother and sister-in-law?"
"Elder brother went to chop wood, and I suggested sister-in-law accompany him to collect pig fodder," Bai Ruozhu replied, her face lighting up with mischief as she added, "Mother, get ready to see your grandson soon!"
The smile on Lin Ping’er’s face intensified, but she scolded Bai Ruozhu lightly, saying, "Caiyue is gentle-natured and not as thick-skinned as you; do not bully her too much. It makes you, as her younger sister-in-law, seem unreasonable."
"Look at this; sister-in-law has just stepped into the house, and mother is already favouring her! What would happen to my position at home when my second-sister-in-law enters this house?" Bai Ruozhu jested.
"What ’second-sister-in-law’? Are you attempting to scheme against me again?" A cold voice intervened. It was Bai Zepei who had just returned.
Lin Ping’er advanced towards him, asking, "How did it go? Your grandpa didn’t make any fuss, did he?"
"No, I simply told him that if he died, I wouldn’t be allowed to take the Imperial Examination for three years. But that wouldn’t matter much, as I am just eighteen years old. A three-year wait would just give me time to focus on my studies and allow me to accumulate more knowledge. Who knows, I might score at the top of the list after three years! However, the same does not apply to our uncle. If he returns from the frontier in a couple of years without grandpa’s protection, and no longer considered a member of the Bai Family Sect, he may end up begging on the streets," Bai Zepei stated flatly.
Bai Ruozhu’s lips twitched. She was sure the actual words were not as polite and likely contained veiled threats. She always knew her second brother was more cunning than herself.
"After listening to me, grandpa unexpectedly relieved his rant and obediently went to have his meal," Bai Zepei added.
Lin Ping’er scoffed, "What has he got to fuss about these days? Now that he has a tribe leader protecting him, Mrs. Zhou cannot bother him any longer. Does he really want to pick fights with Mrs. Zhou intermittently?"
Bai Ruozhu exchanged a glance with Bai Zepei. It turned out their mother assumed that the tribal leader had sheltered their grandfather in Fengye Village to prevent him from causing trouble with Mrs. Zhou.
Bai Ruozhu subtly gave her brother a knowing look. It was best for their mother to think this way. They must keep her from learning about their grandfather’s intent to save Bai Yibo; otherwise, it would cost her peaceful nights and her health.
After a while, Fang Guizhi came back from the East Courtyard. She had spent the night there because she could not stay overnight in Back Mountain Village. She had been guested by Yu Hongxiu who was afraid that she would be frightened being alone in the West Courtyard at night. So, she stayed to keep Yu Hongxiu company. She then found herself helping with tailoring baby clothing broadened into making butterfly clothes for Dengdeng that Bai Ruozhu had once asked her to make, and before she knew, she had completed it.
"Ruozhu, you all have returned! Where is your sister-in-law? I have yet to pay my respects to her," Fang Guizhi said cheerfully.
Bai Ruozhu shot her a secretive look, "I asked her to accompany my elder brother to fetch some firewood. They are newlyweds, it’s good for them to spend time together."
Fang Guizhi chuckled delightfully, "Sister Caiyue is in luck to have married into your family. You, as a younger sister-in-law, are so thoughtful."
Seeing that the women were chit-chatting, Bai Zepei excused himself to his mother and headed towards the East Courtyard of the Xie Residence. As Fang Guizhi conversed with Bai Ruozhu, she stealthily stole glances at his receding figure, a trace of sorrow flashing in her eyes.
Having observed all this, Bai Ruozhu pretended not to notice. Her intelligent second brother must have noticed it as well, she thought. His attempts to avoid Fang Guizhi were quite revealing.
After a short while, Bai Zehao and Wan Caiyue returned. Bai Zehao carried the chopped firewood and held onto Wan Caiyue’s basket. He didn’t show any signs of exhaustion; joy was the only emotion he couldn’t hide.
Upon seeing Fang Guizhi, Wan Caiyue was taken aback. Village gossip previously suggested that Bai Ruozhu had sold out her close friend, but Bai Ruozhu gave no detailed clarifications. Wan Caiyue believed in Bai Ruozhu’s good nature, but, now seeing the relaxed Fang Guizhi, her assumptions were further confirmed.
"Sister-in-law, it was my plan to make it appear to Mrs. Xie that Guizhi had disappeared. Now she is an adopted daughter to my parents, essentially making her your younger sister," Bai Ruozhu clarified, seeing that Wan Caiyue was unfamiliar with the circumstances.
Wan Caiyue took hold of Fang Guizhi’s hand, saying, "That’s wonderful. I now have two additional sisters. We should gather more often to chit-chat."
Observing the lively atmosphere at home, Lin Ping’er was overjoyed. She glanced at the time and declared that it was time to prepare dinner. However, everyone stepped forward to do the task. In the end, the responsibility fell onto Bai Ruozhu as she was the best cook in the family.