Chapter 396 - Widow Zhou Changes Her Mind
Although Bai Ruozhu lived for twenty-six years in her past life, she had never experienced anything like this. She truly feared that if it kept going, she would be consumed and worn out by it all.
Seeing her frightened look, Jiang Yichun sobered up a bit, cursing himself for getting too emotional and scaring her. He forcibly suppressed the reluctance in his heart and slowly moved a little distance away from her.
"Don’t worry, I’ll ask your parents for their blessing," Jiang Yichun said softly.
Bai Ruozhu thought about the rules that said a woman must wait three years after her husband’s disappearance before remarrying, and frantically said, "This... this doesn’t follow proper etiquette."
Jiang Yichun showed displeasure. "Then I’ll fetch that Chang Sheng back so you can divorce him," he stated.
Bai Ruozhu thought this solution wasn’t bad either. Cutting the knot quickly would resolve her troubles, and she nodded, saying, "Alright, but you need to help me prevent him from taking Dengdeng away."
She didn’t even notice that her tone had carried a hint of coquetry by the time she reached her final statement.
Jiang Yichun’s heart began to race again, but this time he restrained himself, simply reaching out to hold her hand. As he softly stroked her fingertips, he softly said, "Alright, I’ll help you, I won’t let anybody take Dengdeng away."
The next morning when Bai Ruozhu woke, she was still a little dazed. If it weren’t for the slight numbness and pain in her lips, she would have thought last night was just a dream, albeit a relatively agreeable one.
Thinking about Jiang Yichun’s promise, her heart felt as sweet as if she had drunk honey water. But recalling Jiang Yichun’s background, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him and expressing sympathy for his experiences in his youth.
Even though Jiang Yichun had casually mentioned that he became a beggar shortly after his father’s death, she could imagine how unbearable that period was for him. Including when he later joined the government office as an apprentice, he must have suffered a lot. The scars on his body were enough to give her a clue.
Fortunately, she would be there to love him in the future. Gradually, a sweet smile appeared on the face of Bai Ruozhu.
In the morning, after she had washed up and again fed Dengdeng, she planned to go to the stall with her mother. Recently, Bai Yihong had to return to Mountain Village to manage the fields, so their attendance at the stall had slipped. Bai Ruozhu suggested he also rent out the fields in the village, to which Bai Yihong replied he would think about it for a few more days.
The mornings were busy, so Bai Ruozhu went over to lend a hand and also chatted with Fusa for a bit. Soon enough, the busiest time of the morning passed, and she was ready to leave.
"Mother, once my second brother finishes his exams in a couple of days, we should go back to the village to hold a couple of banquets. We can thank those who helped out at Big Brother’s wedding," Bai Ruozhu mentioned before leaving.
Lin Ping’er hurriedly nodded in agreement, "You’re correct. I’ve been thinking about this too, but we’ve been too busy lately to make arrangements."
"Then I’ll think about the menu. Let’s purchase the ingredients ahead of time," Bai Ruozhu said with a smile. She bid her family goodbye and was about to leave when she saw Zhou Deshun’s wife rushing towards them from afar.
"Auntie, are you looking for us? Do you need something?" Bai Ruozhu stopped in her tracks. Zhou Deshun’s wife coming to their house likely meant there was something urgent going on.
As soon as Zhou Deshun’s wife saw Bai Ruozhu, she grabbed her hand and said, "Come, let’s go find your mother. I’ve got something important to tell you both."
Seeing her urgency, Bai Ruozhu quickly followed her back to the stall.
"Lady Deshun, what’s going on?" Lin Ping’er asked in concern as she and Wan Caiyue approached.
Although Zhou Deshun’s wife was panting from her run, she immediately blurted out, "Your family’s elder intends to invite the widow Zhou into your household!"
Lin Ping’er, Bai Ruozhu, and Wan Caiyue all stared, dumbfounded. Not too far away, even Bai Zehao was stunned. Has the old lady gone mad?
"Bai Yibo was removed from the family records, but he’s still your relative. If your mother accepts her into the house, it will tarnish your family’s reputation," Zhou Deshun’s wife said anxiously, stamping her foot. "Your family’s elder is really blinded by money to agree to such a thing."
Hearing this, Lin Ping’er also grew anxious. "My husband went to the village to work on our fields. I wonder if he knows about this. If he does, he will definitely try to dissuade the elder."
Zhou Deshun’s wife shook her head. "Your husband’s all about his work; where would he get the time to hear about these things? When he comes back later, discuss this with him and figure out how to prevent it."
Bai Ruozhu had been silent this whole time, thinking about the guarantee letter from before. If the Widow Zhou insisted on marrying into the Bai old mansion, and the old lady didn’t agree, the old master would have to go to prison.
Bai Yibo’s future was ruined, so under normal circumstances, Widow Zhou would not want to step into the Bai Family old mansion. But now it was clear that she had changed her mind.
"Thank you, Auntie. We will return tomorrow to persuade her," Bai Ruozhu said. In truth, she felt that persuading the old lady wouldn’t work. The only way was for Widow Zhou to be unwilling to marry into the household, and also considering the old master’s guarantee letter, it would be tough for them to prevent this. However, she didn’t want to dampen the spirits of Zhou Deshun’s wife who had made a special trip to inform them.
Lin Ping’er wanted to treat Zhou Deshun’s wife to some cakes, but the latter adamantly refused. Finally, after persuasion from both sides, she agreed to have a bowl of hot soup.
After Zhou Deshun’s wife left, Lin Ping’er started sighing.
"Mother, don’t overthink it. If we have to, we will tell Granny that if she lets Widow Zhou into the house, we will stop sending her monthly support money," Bai Zehao said indignantly.
Lin Ping’er shook her head. "If the villagers found out, they would critique us for not supporting the elderly."
Bai Ruozhu patted her mother’s arm and said, "None of you should worry anymore. Let’s get a broader perspective. She’s not entering our main door after all, and we won’t even see each other frequently in the future." She said this with a hint of sarcastic laughter, "Even if Widow Zhou really does enter the house, she won’t stay for long."
"Ah?" Lin Ping’er looked at Bai Ruozhu in confusion. "Why would she even consider entering?"
Bai Ruozhu raised an eyebrow. "Because she’s pregnant. Without a family to take her in, she’d need someone’s help when she gives birth. Who else would she rely on if not the old mansion? Moreover, the hundred taels of silver she had are gone. Can she stand to lose face like that? She’s probably just trying to get into the house and take all of the old mansion’s wealth."
Listening to those words, both Lin Ping’er and Bai Zehao agreed that Bai Ruozhu’s analysis made sense.
"That’s why we shouldn’t give additional money to the old mansion. It would just end up in the pockets of others," Bai Ruozhu remarked dismissively.
Lin Ping’er sighed, "If I knew this would have happened, I should never have agreed to give the old lady more money."
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but laugh, "You’ve only increased it for one month so far, and there aren’t many more months she can squeeze us for. Sooner or later she’ll have to rely on someone else."
She comforted them with those words, but the Bai family still closed their stall early that day to return to the old mansion and try to persuade the old lady, mainly because Bai Yihong was becoming increasingly anxious.
By the time they reached the old mansion, Bai Yihong’s face had nearly frozen over from his worry, but the old lady was beaming with delight. She was even dressed in a brand new, brightly colored gown that made her seem years younger. But where in the village would you find an elderly woman dressed so flamboyantly? Even the matchmaker from the neighboring village didn’t wear such clothes.