Chapter 503 - 505: Someone is Helping Du Fuling
Bai Ruozhu hurried back to her room and applied perfume to Wang Caiyue and Fang Guizhi’s faces. She then gently patted them dry and applied the face cream she had prepared earlier, massaging gently until the cream was absorbed.
"Alright, now feel for yourselves, or have a look at each other’s results." Having finished, Bai Ruozhu collected the bottles and jars.
Fang Guizhi and Wang Caiyue touched their own faces and then each other’s, feeling delighted, particularly Caiyue. Thinking about her husband’s bright-eyed look upon seeing her earlier, she felt both shy and happy. She only wished he would be there that evening to compliment her beauty.
Thinking about this, Caiyue revealed a sweet smile.
Lin Pinger, who had been observing on the side, praised her: "This truly is wonderful, Ruozhu. Your skills in conjuring up these things means we’ll never have to worry about getting by in future. Everyone in our yard won’t ever go hungry with your plentiful ways."
Bai Ruozhu gave a mischievous grin. What they had so far wasn’t enough. Her second brother’s future exams would require substantial fees. There were additional expenses with maintaining social relationships, and she also dreamed of buying a large mansion, hiring servants for household chores and workers for the shop. All that would be needed was for the family to supervise things so they could live comfortably.
"Mother, don’t stand idle over there. Go, wash your face. I’ll give you a facial too," urged Bai Ruozhu.
Lin Pinger quickly refused, "You said these things are rare. Don’t waste them on this old woman’s face. They are better suited to you young ladies."
Bai Ruozhu chided her, saying, "Even when being frugal, you can’t miss out on this. Go, take care of yourself, otherwise, if our family becomes rich in the future, father might complain you’ve aged."
Lin Pinger spat out in indignation, "He wouldn’t dare!"
Caiyue was reminded of when she first entered the household and how her father-in-law had kneeled, and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
"Your head is filled with nonsense. Your father isn’t that kind of man." After chastising her, Lin Pinger poked Bai Ruozhu’s head but eventually went to wash her face. Apparently, women of all ages wish to stay youthful and resist the touch of time.
After finishing their mother’s skincare routine, Bai Ruozhu fed little Dengdeng, then played with him for a while. Little Dengdeng was now able to roll over and raise his head very strongly while lying on his belly, so everyone in the family praised how well he was growing.
Xiaosi came to find Bai Ruozhu with a piece of paper. Seeing Little Dengdeng lying on his belly, he too lay on the edge of the bed, played by looking into Little Dengdeng’s eyes, and then passed the paper in his hand to Bai Ruozhu.
"Sister, do you think my handwriting has improved?" Xiaosi asked.
Bai Ruozhu cast a glance and could not help but show an appreciative look, smilingly she said, "You have indeed improved quite a lot. Your sister couldn’t write this well when I was your age."
Xiaosi blushed and laughed, revealing two small dimples. Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but think of Niu Pazi’s daughter, Niu Cuicui, who had the same shallow dimples when she smiled.
It is said that sons resemble their mothers. Xiaosi would probably grow up to look a lot like Niu Cuicui, wouldn’t he?
Bai Ruozhu drew back her wandering thoughts, took Xiaosi’s hand and had him sit on the kang with her as they started to chat.
"Xiaosi, after the New Year, I think I want to send you to a private school to study just like Second Brother. Going to school every day and having some schoolmates you could learn more. Would you like that?" Bai Ruozhu asked.
Xiaosi nodded vigorously, saying, "I want to go. I want to earn a degree like Second Brother and bring honor to our family!"
Bai Ruozhu thought that Xiaosi had become a lot more cheerful these days, especially after having Rongrong and Niuniu as his playmates. But she still hoped Xiaosi could be more open and not overly precocious.
"Xiaosi, I don’t want you to study for others. I don’t want you to feel like you’re studying to bring honor to our family. I hope you study because you enjoy learning. I hope you work hard for your own future. Even if you don’t gain an official rank in the future, I won’t be upset because studying can expand your horizons and enrich your life in many other ways."
Bai Ruozhu spoke gently to Xiaosi, fearing he would burden himself too much and become overly studious, resulting in him being labelled a bookish child.
Xiaosi seemed to not fully understand what Bai Ruozhu said. He pondered quietly for a while before saying, "Sister, I understand. Thank you."
Hearing Xiaosi’s thank you made Bai Ruozhu’s heart ache. He was truly precocious. At his age, most children would be hopping and climbing around the yard, not necessarily paying attention to what their older siblings were saying, let alone thanking them so thoughtfully.
She ruffled Xiaosi’s hair, completely messing it up. Ignoring his frown, she said, "You should spend more time playing with Rongrong and the others. Once the New Year is over and you’re in private school, you won’t have as much time to play. Even if you don’t feel like it, you can still accompany them for a bit."
Xiaosi agreed, packed up his writing, and went off to play with Rongrong and the others.
Although Xiaosi mostly stood by watching while playing with Rongrong and the others, Bai Ruozhu felt that he seemed most like a six-year-old boy during these moments.
...
In the You Ran Residence of the Meng Family, Wang Miaoshuang did not have the proud aura she had before. Her expression had softened considerably. She pleaded to the Old Madam, saying, "Mother, you know our family. They are deeply grateful to Bai Ruozhu for saving my nephew. In contrast, the Du Family’s girl lost a tooth due to a conflict with Bai Ruozhu. This girl, who isn’t even engaged yet, now spends her days at home crying her heart out. It’s simply unbearable to see."
Old Madam Meng slightly raised her eyelid, adjusting her shawl. Of all her belongings, she liked this shawl the most. When she met with her old friends and sisters, they all expressed their envy and said they would have one commissioned from Hua Xiangrong themselves.
"Little Ruozhu doesn’t seem like the type to start conflicts," she said lightly.
"They’re saying it was all a misunderstanding. It was when Miss Bai was treating Du Zhongshu and had to undress him, Fuling got upset, saying a man and a woman should not touch each other. As a result, she fell and lost her tooth," Wang Miaoshuang continued, quickly adding, "That girl was simply being silly. In a matter of life and death, what does it matter if a man and woman touch?"
Old Madam Meng’s eyes flickered slightly. It was understandable when doctors needed to provide treatment. She remembered when Bai Ruozhu treated a guard in the residence and had to undress him to treat his chest wound.
The gender boundaries in Danliang Country seem not to be as stringent. Otherwise, things could get quite difficult for that child," she thought.
"Mother, I’ve been thinking that it’s better to solve disagreements rather than let them fester. Bai Ruozhu and the Du Family are also business partners in the toothpaste enterprise. It would be great if you could persuade Bai Ruozhu to fix that girl Fuling’s tooth. How else could she go on with a missing tooth?" suggested Wang Miaoshuang.
The old madam thought for a while without speaking. Finally, she gave a slight nod and said, "Alright, I’ll broach the subject with Ruozhu."