Chapter 52 - 052 Not Including the Child in the Family Genealogy
Chapter 52: Chapter 052: Not Including the Child in the Family Genealogy
Chapter 52 -052: Not Including the Child in the Family Genealogy
Everyone sat down at the dinner table, enjoying the braised chicken.
Afterwards, everyone had a bowl of Vegetable and Vermicelli Chicken Blood Soup.
The meal was so satisfying that even Bai Ruozhu was content to lean back in her chair, completely full.
Just then, the yard gate creaked open and a small figure slipped in.
Standing rather woodenly at the entrance of the Main Hall, it was Bai Zeqing, the fourth child of the Bai family.
“Xiaosi, don’t just stand there, come and join us for some chicken.” Lin Ping’er beckoned Xiaosi towards the table, even offering to serve him some food.
Xiaosi’s eyes were glued to the braised chicken on the table.
“I’ve had my dinner, but I want some meat,” he said.
Given how the old mansion household ate, with everyone sharing a piece of meat, it’s likely there wasn’t much left even after their elders had their portions.
Bai Yibo and Wang probably did not leave much meat for Xiaosi, who was already quite starved.
His chances of getting any of the mushrooms and beans were probably slim.
Considering his age, and the undeniable craving for meat that comes with it, the denial of that desire must indeed be a form torment.
Bai Ruozhu gestured for Xiaosi to sit beside her and served him a small bowl of vegetables, even specifically picking out some leftover meat for him from the pot.
There wasn’t much meat to begin with, especially since a third had been shared with the old mansion.
Bai Ruozhu’s family might have eaten their fill, but not from meat – mostly from the accompanying vegetables.
So it was quite difficult to scrape any remaining meat from the pot, particularly since the leftover pieces were just bony scraps.
Despite this, Xiaosi’s eyes suddenly lit up.
He held the bowl tightly while he ate, not using chopsticks but instead grabbing the meat directly with his hand and even sucking on the bones for quite a while afterwards, as if he couldn’t let even a bit of meat juice go to waste.
Seeing him like that, the family couldn’t help but pity him.
Even though his family’s resources were limited, Bai Yihong and Lin Ping’er were parents who adored their children, never letting them go hungry.
Bai Ruozhu took a handkerchief and wiped Xiaosi’s mouth.
Maybe it was because she was pregnant, but seeing the child made her feel incredibly maternal.
“Eat slowly, I’ll save you a bowl next time.” Bai Ruozhu gently said.
Upon hearing that, Xiaosi suddenly looked up at her, swallowed his food quickly, and said bluntly: “My mom says bad things about you.” Despite his harsh tone, his words were so direct that no one would mistake his intentions.
Bai Ruozhu didn’t expect Xiaosi to be unexpectedly spreading gossip, which left her momentarily speechless.
Xiaosi continued, “She said there’s no smoke without fire, and she suggested to my grandma that your child shouldn’t be included in the family tree in the future.”
“What?” Lin Ping’er jumped up in surprise, “What did your grandma say?
Why wouldn’t our child be included in the family tree?”
Xiaosi seemed to like Bai Ruozhu more.
Despite Lin Ping’er having fed him numerous times, he still chose to speak to Bai Ruozhu.
At this moment, Bai Ruozhu realized that Xiaosi’s words matched what her eldest brother had heard.
She figured that Wang must have said this after her eldest brother left.
Bai Ruozhu looked at Xiaosi, and Xiaosi finally said, “Grandma said she knows.”
Bai Yihong was so angered he slammed his palm down on the table, “How could my mother listen to the nonsense my eldest sister-in-law spouts?
This…this…”
He was at a loss for words, unable to further condemn his mother.
Lin Ping’er didn’t hold back, snapping, “Mother has grown senile!” “Chang Sheng is a resident son-in-law, and Ruozhu’s child is our Bai family’s child, how can he be denied entry into the family lineage?”
Bai Ruozhu patted her mother’s shoulder, “Mom, don’t be mad,” she said, “Their words don’t count for anything.
Grandpa is a scholar, he didn’t read all those books for nothing.
Hearing her daughter’s words, Lin Ping’er seemed to calm down.
Over time, she noticed her daughter had really grown up and was becoming quite adept at managing the family affairs.
Bai Zepei, who usually had a calm expression, suddenly spoke.
“Mom, younger sister, don’t worry.
I will pass the Rural Examination.
After that, eldest aunt wouldn’t dare to trouble us too much.”
It wasn’t the first time Bai Zepei had said this.
He had also mentioned it previously in front of his grandfather, reflecting his determination and confidence.
Bai Ruozhu realised that her second brother wasn’t just trying to prove a point; he was confident of his success and had only kept quiet so as to not unnecessarily worry the family.
Upon realizing this, Bai Ruozhu thought that her second brother was truly a genius.
With so many people studying, the Imperial Examination is notoriously difficult, even for well-bred scholars with renowned tutors.
Given that her second brother had none of these privileges, and still had his current abilities, there’s no other word that fit him but genius.
After he finished his meal, Xiaosi appeared stunned as he thanked them.
Without wiping his mouth, he prepared to leave but Bai Ruozhu called him back.
She wiped his mouth and hands before letting him go.
Having eaten quite a lot, Bai Ruozhu decided to take a walk to aid digestion.
Lin Ping’er initially wanted to accompany her but was asked to stay back by Bai Ruozhu.
“Mom, it’s still daylight outside.
I’ll only be away for a while and will be back soon.
You can’t really think I’m that delicate.
We don’t have much help; we all have responsibilities to fulfill.
I don’t want to take up too much of your time,” she said.
In the yard, Bai Yihong and Bai Zehao were doing some carpentry work.
The tables and chairs they were building for the school were halfway done.
Bai Ruozhu noticed her dad carving flowers onto a table.
Curiosity piqued, she walked over and was pleasantly surprised by her father’s carving skills.
When he finished carving a pattern, Bai Yihong took a break and noticed his daughter standing behind him, watching.
He smiled and asked, “Isn’t it boring to just watch?”
Bai Ruozhu gave her father a thumbs-up.
“Dad, you’re really skilled at carving.
You could easily make a living as a carpenter with this skill,” she said.
“When you were little, I was a carpenter during the slack farming season.
A master craftsman even specially taught me for a short time, so I learned some skills.
You may look at your dad as a rough man, but I learn things very quickly.
That carpenter master had actually planned to formally accept me as his apprentice, but your Grandpa didn’t agree, saying that as part of a scholarly and agricultural family, there’s no need for us to become craftsmen,” Bai Yihong fondly recalled his past, seeming unusually talkative after a satisfying meal.
Bai Ruozhu rolled her eyes, “What’s so bad about being a craftsman?
There are hundreds of professions, and success can be found in any of them.
I think having a skill is the best approach since it prevents one from starving, no matter the circumstances.”
“Hundreds of professions, success can be found in any of them?” Bair Yihong pondered, repeating her words under his breath.
He thought her viewpoint was pretty sensible.
“But dad, does the teacher’s desk at school really need such intricate carvings?” Bai Ruozhu questioned.
Bai Yihong wiped off the wood scrapings from the desk leg and replied, “This table is meant for the teacher.”
Hearing about the teacher, Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but recall the news she heard from Xiaosi earlier about her eldest uncle wishing to become the school teacher.
She asked her father, “Dad, I heard my eldest uncle wants to be the teacher at school.
What do you think about that?”
Bai Yihong’s hands paused, seemingly losing interest in continuing to carve.
He moved to sit on the bench beside him and said, “It’s probably your grandfather’s idea.
Your uncle is quite ambitious, he probably wouldn’t approve.”
Bai Ruozhu shrugged, “Let’s hope so, it’d be a shame to mislead the kids.”