Chapter 368: How Long Will It Take to Heat Up
Bai Ruozhu let Fang Guizhi leave, fed Dengdeng in frustration, and applied an ice-cold compress to her lips followed by a mitigating ointment before heading out to the stall.
"Why are you so late today? Have you not been feeling well?" Lin Ping’er asked worriedly.
Bai Ruozhu repeated what she had said to Fang Guizhi. Lin Ping’er sighed in relief, "I was afraid you might be tired, having to take care of the baby at night isn’t easy."
Bai Ruozhu chuckled and said, "It’s fine. I will rest at home if I get tired. I’m not the type who likes to show off my abilities."
Lin Ping’er gave her an accusing look, wiped her wet hands on a cloth, and said, "You are the last person I would trust with that, considering how often you’ve been overconfident. Didn’t the benefactor say the same about you?"
Upon being reminded of how Jiang Yichun had criticized her for recklessly trying to save Rongrong, Bai Ruozhu gritted her teeth in annoyance, She certainly didn’t need her mother bringing up their benefactor.
"Eh, why are your lips also swollen, Ruozhu?" Lin Ping’er suddenly noticed Bai Ruozhu’s lips and asked curiously.
Also...? Bai Ruozhu’s mouth twitched at her mother’s choice of words.
"It’s nothing, I just forgot to drink water and my mouth got chapped." Bai Ruozhu replied, licking her lips.
"You’re just as bad as your sister-in-law when it comes to taking care of yourself. You must drink more water at the stall. We can’t have you getting a severe case of heatiness." warned Lin Bing’er.
Wan Caiyue, who was washing dishes nearby, blushed and dared not look up.
By Ruozhu was dumbstruck. Her sister-in-law’s lips were also swollen...
She involuntarily glanced over at her brother and sure enough, his face was flushed. When Bai Zehao sensed his little sister watching him, he returned the look with a hint of puzzlement in his eyes.
Realizing this, Bai Ruozhu quickly avoided her brother’s gaze. If the brother had made his wife’s lips swell, he was sure to be very aware of the situation and might very well speculate about what had happened to her own lips.
"Tomorrow I plan to go to the Ding Family with Fu, first I need to discuss the arrangements." Bai Ruozhu quickly changed the topic and went to look for Fu with Dengdeng.
Fu was always eager to hold Dengdeng the moment she saw her. Feeling helpless about her "Blessing Child" superstition, Bai Ruozhu let her hold him. Thankfully, now that Fu was preoccupied with Dengdeng, she didn’t have time to interrogate Bai Ruozhu about her lips.
That night, Bai Ruozhu grit her teeth and began to set up traps and obstacles in her room. She knew that locking the window was useless since anyone could pry it open with a piece of wire, just like before.
Despite knowing that these traps and barriers might not do much, she refused to back down. She wouldn’t just take insults lying down, would she?
In the deep of the night, Jiang Yichun knocked lightly on the window. He smirked when he received no response, realizing that his lady was probably sulking.
After messing with the window for a bit, he easily pryed open the bolt inside. With a soft jump, he entered the room.
Upon landing, he instantly felt something off. He stepped on a few beans. He swiftly shifted his foot, only to step on more beans.
He raised his eyebrows in amusement, intentionally lost his balance and fell onto the floor with a thud.
Bai Ruozhu sat up from her bed, a triumphant smile on her face. Even experts can make mistakes. Seeing him fall made her feel significantly better.
Jiang Yichun looked at her from the floor, a secret smile playing on his lips. If a simple fall could appease her, then why not take a tumble?
Because of the dim lighting, Bai Ruozhu didn’t realize that Jiang Yichun had done it on purpose. She told him smugly, "You are not allowed to barge into my room and act as you please. Today my mother and brother started having suspicions. You want to ruin my reputation, don’t you?"
Jiang Yichun slowly sat up, laughed softly, and said, "I’ll take responsibility."
Bai Ruozhu rolled her eyes at him, "How? By confessing that you’re a womanizer and then turning yourself into the Government Office?"
Jiang Yichun stood up, nonchalantly dusting off his clothes, seemingly unbothered by the fall. Even the way he got up was attractive.
"Of course not. I’d rather marry you and then kiss you whenever and however I want. Wouldn’t that be better?" Jiang Yichun said, grinning.
Bai Ruozhu’s face turned a deep shade of red again. "Stop kidding me, there’s no chance. You’d better leave quickly and stop bothering me in the future, your actions are unjustified and improper."
Jiang Yichun knew she was just talking tough, but he still felt a bit stung. He quietly sat down at the table and lowered his voice, "Enough with the teasing. Someone will come to learn suturing in a few days. But they can’t reveal their identities, and you can’t let others know you’re teaching them. So, think about how you’ll explain this to your family. If you need any special arrangements, just let me know."
Bai Ruozhu suddenly became serious, how was she going to explain to her family that she was teaching suturing to strangers without letting anyone know?
"How long do I need to teach every day? And for how many days?" Bai Ruozhu asked after some thought.
"That depends on you and how long you think it would take to teach." Jiang Yichun replied.
Bai Ruozhu gave it some serious thought. First, she had to ensure safety. If her family found out, it could very well put them in danger. Second, she had no idea what level the strangers coming to learn suturing were at. Given that none of the people of this time had any knowledge about suturing, it was hard to predict how they would learn.
"The suturing technique mainly involves practicing the proper way to do it. I’ll spend half an hour teaching them every day, and then they can practice on their own until they get the hang of it." Bai Ruozhu planned to teach suturing during her afternoon naptime. Her family was unlikely to question her about Guizhi, and even if they did, she could simply tell them that she went to the Zhang Family because she was worried. This way, she might be able to make time for the tutoring.
Yichun agreed with this arrangement and asked, "What do we need to prepare in advance?"
"The suturing needles I gave you earlier, and we’ll need to prepare the catgut sutures in advance. I’ve already given your master the instructions on how to make them. Additionally, fresh pork for practicing suturing. Multiple parts can be selected."
Jiang Yichun nodded, "Alright, I’ll arrange for those things. The location will be the same mansion you visited last time. If you need me urgently, you can leave a message for me there. You can trust the butler, Tian Bo."
Bai Ruozhu nodded, and then suddenly asked, "Have you not been around the town frequently lately?"
Jiang Yichun noticed her concern and smiled proudly, "I will occasionally go to Beiyu City for official business, so I won’t be able to disturb you frequently."
Bai Ruozhu shot him a look, "That’s great, now I can finally sleep peacefully. Even when you’re around, refrain from disturbing me if there are no problems. It’s unjustified and inappropriate."
Jiang Yichun sighed and shook his head, amused. This woman sure knew how to play hard to get. How long would it take for him to make her heart warm up to him?