The old lady at the door laughingly greeted the Bai family with the assistance of her maids. She was finely dressed and even with her hair full of white, she still exuded an air of nobility and vitality.
Bai Ruozhu, hearing the commotion, came out of her room. Seeing that it was Madam Meng who had come personally, she quickly walked over, saying, "Why have you come, Madam? It’s not right to trouble you."
Madam Meng chuckled and said, "Can’t I visit my own courtyard?"
"No, of course not." Bai Ruozhu hastily replied, and quickly ushered Madam Meng inside.
Madam Meng brought along a maid and Nanny Lu with her. As they entered the main hall and, Lin Ping’er and the others rushed to prepare tea and refreshments. Madam Meng looked Bai Ruozhu up and down and expressed her concern, "You’ve lost weight and your complexion isn’t good either. You’ve really suffered."
Bai Ruozhu’s eyes reddened slightly as she laughed and said, "I’m okay, everything is in the past."
Madam Meng nodded, "You’ve shown great courage, something others would fear even to think about. You’re much steadier than when I was young."
Bai Ruozhu felt somewhat embarrassed by the compliment. She has lived two lifetimes and has shared two life-and-death experiences with Jiang Yichun, which naturally made her much calmer.
"Oh yes, I haven’t shown you the design patterns yet. Please wait a moment, I’ll fetch them for you right away." Bai Ruozhu said, then headed outside the room.
"You’re such a rush. Your recuperation should be the priority," Madam Meng tried to stop her, but Bai Ruozhu had already left.
After a while, Bai Ruozhu returned with the pattern book and handed it to Madam Meng. Nanny Lu also peered over, both of them captivated by the intricate designs.
"My drawing skills are not good, so this is roughly what they’ll look like. The actual outcome will be better. How about I start working on a few samples for you to review?" Bai Ruozhu proposed.
"No need, it’s already good enough," Madam Meng hastily replied, "Take your time doing it, rest before you start." She gently patted Bai Ruozhu’s back of her hand with a look of familial affection.
Soon enough, the snacks and tea were served. Despite the simplicity of the refreshments, Madam Meng didn’t complain, had some, and then announced she had to leave. Bai Ruozhu wanted to see her out but was stopped by Madam Meng.
Once she was gone, Bai Ruozhu noticed the valuable tonics and medicinal materials Madam Meng had left behind. Overflowing with gratitude, she promised herself to return the favor once she recovered.
After a while, Bai Zepei returned from outside. Bai Ruozhu was apprehensive when she met her elder brother’s stern gaze. She had been worried about how to face him - he had said in the past that he didn’t want her to have regrets. But he must regret that night,didn’t he?
Bai Zepei found it charming that his sister, who was normally so fearless, was now acting as gentle as a kitten, going so far as to lower her gaze and avoid his eyes. He couldn’t help but chuckle. He took the opportunity to flick Ruozhu’s forehead. The unexpected flick startled her and piqued her minor temper that just been suppressed.
"What are you doing, brother?" Bai Ruozhu glared at him.
"So, you have the audacity to shout at me?" Bai Zepei decided to take the opportunity to discipline her since he rarely had the chance to do so.
Bai Ruozhu sulked, after all you shouldn’t flick someone’s forehead like that. Especially without any warning - it scared the wits out of her and it really hurt!
She cast an oppressively grievous glance at her elder brother and touched her red and swollen forehead. "Go ahead and flick my forehead a few more times, brother. If I lose my good looks, I won’t be able to get married," she joked.
"Hmpf, you not getting married isn’t a problem. I’ll provide for you for the rest of your life!" Bai Zepei had to grit his teeth at the mention of her getting married.
Bai Ruozhu retracted her neck admitting to herself this was indeed her doing and she should bear the burden of the consequences.
Seeing her deflated, Bai Zepei couldn’t bear to rebuke her further. He sighed and said, "Well, it’s over now. Take good care of yourself, and Dengdeng too."
Bai Ruozhu looked over to her son being held by her mother in the main hall, and her mouth twitched. Dengdeng had clear rolls of fat forming on his legs, who were they trying to fool by saying he was losing weight? Being overweight isn’t healthy, they do know that right?
Regardless, she didn’t want to part with Dengdeng again, so she resolved to be extra careful from now on. And to also quickly start earning money to hire guards and bodyguards.
"Mm-hmm, I get it," Bai Ruozhu obediently replied.
Bai Zepei looked pleased; he seemed to really like it when Bai Ruozhu acted so obediently. He ruffled her hair affectionately.
"Brother, I thought you were on leave? Have you already started socializing after the holidays?" upon remembering that the Study Palace was on break, Bai Ruozhu asked.
"There’ve been a lot of new people I’ve met because of you, so naturally, post-holiday socializing has also increased," Bai Zepei explained nonchalantly. However, Bai Ruozhu understood the underlying message - he had owed several favors for her sake.
"You must be tired, brother." Bai Ruozhu felt deflated again.
Bai Zepei found this amusing and stole a glance at her, saying, "Let’s go inside and talk. Don’t catch a cold."
Once they were inside, they saw Lin Ping’er watching them with a gleeful look. Bai Ruozhu felt a bit embarrassed and turned her head away. Even her mother had started to enjoy her misfortune.
Bai Zepei dusted off his clothes and picked up Dengdeng from the ground. Even though he rarely stayed at home, he always made sure to hold his nephew whenever he was around.
"Brother, if you need to reciprocate any of those favors, please don’t hesitate to use the family silver. We shouldn’t hurt our relationships to save money," Bai Ruozhu suggested after giving it some thought.
Bai Zepei nodded, "I understand. We are simple folks, no need to be extravagant."
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but laugh, "That’s not how others see it. People are seeing your sister as the owner of the first weaving pavilion in Beiyu City, which is doing great business. They shouldn’t think we are stingy."
"I hadn’t thought of it that way," Bai Zepei acknowledged her point of view. Even though he didn’t manage the family business, Bai Family had a successful front-end shop that could be capitalized on.
Soon, it was lunchtime. The family gathered for a noisy and lively meal. Bai Ruozhu took Dengdeng back to her room to rest. She couldn’t lift Dengdeng herself, so her mother and Guizhi did most of the lifting.
Since she was still mid-recovery, Bai Ruozhu’s naps lasted longer. By the time she woke up, it was already time for supper and Dengdeng wasn’t by her side, probably taken by her mother for feeding.
She stepped outside and saw the wet nurse feeding Dengdeng. She was the wife of a laborer living nearby. She had just given birth two months ago and had plenty of milk.
Bai Ruozhu greeted her and then, thanking her profusely. The wet nurse was somewhat overwhelmed and kept saying, "It’s my duty, my duty."
After she finished feeding and Lin Ping’er served up nourishing soup for her, gave her some food items to bring back for her husband and older children. The wet nurse thanked them profusely and then left.
No sooner had she left than a carriage arrived at the entrance. Fang Guizhi, with sharp eyes, announced, "I’m sure it’s big brother and sister-in-law!", she exclaimed.