Chapter 397: Bai Ruolan’s Plea
The old lady looked at Bai Yihong and smiled, then when she turned her gaze to Lin Ping’er, her pupils rolled upwards and she squinted, saying, "When choosing a wife, one should keep their eyes open. Look at my daughter-in-law. I’ve been married to her for years and she has never given me good clothes. Look at Pa Ying, she hasn’t even set foot into our house yet and she knows to give me good things."
Everyone understood that Pa Ying must be the childhood name of the widow.
Lin Ping’er knew the old lady was targeting her, which infuriated her. She had just given a portion of filial piety money, along with a piece of fabric to the old lady. She chose a thin cotton fabric that villagers preferred, in an attractive purple color. But, it seems, it wasn’t considered to be a good piece of clothing. Was she supposed to present something flamboyant and extravagant?
Bai Ruozhu chuckled on the side. Let the old woman wear what she wants, she thought. She looked forward to seeing how the village people would laugh at her dressed like a newlywed in her twenties when the old man was not home.
Bai Yihong quickly glanced at his wife, worried that Lin Ping’er would get angry. He hastily changed the subject, saying, "Mother, how could you agree to let the widow into our home?"
As soon as he said that, the old lady got up in a huff, "Why shouldn’t I agree? Do you want me to throw my grandson out instead?"
Bai Ruozhu thought what she really meant to say was "could I really throw the money out?" The old lady had her eyes set on the few acres of land that the widow owned. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize that she was no match for the widow.
"This woman can’t come in, it would tarnish our family’s reputation. We will just bring the child home." When Bai Yihong heard about the child, his tone became more intense. He had heard many rumors about the widow’s unseemly behavior, and if the child was even Bai Yibo’s was another matter entirely.
The old lady gave him a disdainful look and smoothed out the cloth of her dress, fearful that it had somehow accidentally creased.
"Your father signed a guarantee letter with them. If you don’t agree, your father will have to go to prison. Would you would rather replace your father and go to jail yourself? Or pay them the one hundred taels of silver?"
Bai Yihong was taken aback. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
Bai Ruozhu gave her mother a signal; reluctantly, Lin Ping’er, gave this month’s filial piety money to the old lady. She tried to soften her tone to persuade the old lady, but every sentence the old lady uttered was full of barbs, as if she bore resentment against her.
Bai Ruozhu then stood up, saying, "Father, Mother, let’s go. There is no need for a wedding banquet for a second marriage. Even if there were one, we wouldn’t come. Grandma, take good care of your belongings, lest you be tricked by others in the end."
The old lady snorted in response, ignoring Bai Ruozhu’s words.
The family left the old mansion. As they exited the yard, Bai Ruozhu glanced back at Sanlang’s tightly closed window. She wondered what kind of desolate state Sanlang was in. Unfortunately, Sanlang would never appear to give her the chance to make fun of him.
At this moment, Bai Ruolan emerged from the house, looking intently at Bai Ruozhu. There was something peculiar about her gaze.
Bai Ruozhu shrank her shoulders, and nudged her mother with her elbow. Lin Ping’er turned around and looked over, she too found it strange after seeing the scene.
Once they were out of the yard, Bai Ruozhu said, "It’s rare that Ruolan didn’t look at me with hatred. I thought she’d lost her mind."
"Yes, she stared at us so intently, it was a bit frightening." Lin Ping’er pouted.
The family then went to the Wan’s house. The two families were relatives, so of course they had to visit when they returned to the village. It was also a good opportunity for Wan Caiyue to see her family.
The people in the Wan Family were delighted to see Bai Yihong’s family. Although they had already had dinner, they set the table again, insisting that Bai Yihong’s family stay for dinner and drinks. Compared to the old mansion, where they had not even been offered a meal, the Wan family was much more welcoming.
Perhaps to not upset the Bai family, the Wang family did not utter a word about the widow’s intention to marry into the old mansion. They chatted about work in the fields and children. The conversation lasted long into the night. If they hadn’t worried about the difficulty of the Bai family traveling in the dark, they would surely have stayed longer.
The next morning, the Bai family started their normal business at the stall, but were visited by a relative.
The appearance of Bai Ruolan made Lin Ping’er somewhat hesitant. Lin Ping’er didn’t like Bai Ruolan, not only because of her parents but also due to her past attitude towards the second family.
However, Bai Ruolan had a palm print on one side of her face, her eyes were swollen like peaches, and her face was streaked with tears. Seeing her this way, Lin Ping’er could not bear to send her away.
"Aunt, I want to see Ruozhu." Bai Ruolan’s voice was somewhat hoarse, clearly showing that she had been crying.
Bai Zehao frowned and said, "Ruozhu is at home taking care of the child. If you need anything, just let us know and we can relay the message for you."
Wan Caiyue quietly pulled at Bai Zehao on the side, signaling him not to be too aggressive.
Bai Ruolan’s eyes reddened again, followed by teardrops falling down, she sobbed and said, "I know you all don’t like me, I blame myself for not understanding things in the past, but now, I’m really helpless. If no one helps me, I won’t be able to survive."
Seeing her desperation, Lin Ping’er couldn’t help but sigh and ask, "Who hit your face?"
"It was Sanlang. When I bring him medicine, if he gets angry, he hits me. I am afraid to go into his room." Bai Ruolan cried even more fiercely.
Bai Zehao frowned upon hearing this, "He always used to hit Xiaosi. Now that he can’t reach him, he even dares to hit his own sister. Doesn’t Grandma care?"
"Grandma is only reliant on this grandson now. She just says a few words, but when Sanlang gets angry, he still hits me." Bai Ruolan wiped her eyes, and continued, "I want to ask Aunt’s family for help, to arrange a marriage for me. I really can’t stand it anymore."
She said this with her head down, her cheeks flushed.
Girls at this age are usually shy about discussing their own marriages. If the elders discuss it, they are supposed to avoid the topic, let alone ask others to arrange a marriage for them, otherwise, they would be ridiculed. Bai Ruolan spoke softly when she mentioned it, but one could hear her determination and helplessness. She was clearly desperate.
Seeing that Lin Ping’er didn’t say anything, she forgot about her shyness. With a pitiful look, she looked at Lin Ping’er and said, "Once the widow enters the house, will I even be able to get married?"
Lin Ping’er couldn’t help but sigh. The widow’s reputation is notoriously bad. If Bai Ruolan were to spend time under the same roof, her reputation would also decline. Who in the nearby villages would dare to marry her?
However, Lin Ping’er also knew that Bai Ruolan was proud. She didn’t dare to help casually, for fear that she would end up arranging an unsuitable marriage, and then Bai Ruolan and her in-laws would resent her in the end
"Why don’t you try to find your mother? In your father’s absence, she can also decide your marriage affairs," Wan Caiyue quietly suggested on the side.
Bai Ruolan sobbed again upon hearing this, "I did try. My mother was frightened in her sleep and now she doesn’t recognize anyone, not even me."
Lin Ping’er and the others did not know that Bai Ruozhu had disciplined the Wang Family, and were astonished by this news. However, no one felt sympathy for the Wang family.
"How about this, you go home first. I’ll talk it over with your uncle and see what we can do," Lin Ping’er suggested.