Chapter 580 - 582: There is still a person in the Hot Spring Mansion
The words that Bai Ruozhu seemingly let slip by accident had become a thorn in Madam Bai’s heart. Now, she wasn’t worried about Lin Ping’er fighting with her over the rooms. Consequently, she stepped out into the yard and began to visit every household, with her main intention of gaining information.
The Zhang and Lin families were not fools. They knew she wanted to gain information, but without Bai Ruozhu’s approval, they dared not say too much about the events of that night. As a result, in Madam Bai’s eyes, everything seemed even more suspicious.
Bai Ruozhu and her mother were feeding Dengdeng in the room when they saw the old lady jumping up and down energetically. Lin Ping’er murmured softly, "Your grandmother said she was ill and couldn’t get out of bed this morning; she even made your dad clean up her chamber pot. She seems very lively now."
The corners of Bai Ruozhu’s lips twitched. She felt sorry for her father. She felt nauseous even from a distance at that smell, yet her father had dumped it out.
Adults who become mothers generally don’t have excessive aversion to uncleanliness, how much more fuss could they make around changing baby diapers every day? It’s just that generally, people dispose of waste right after it has been produced, unlike the old lady who stores it for two, three days.
"Mom, pretend you don’t know about it and let her do whatever she wants. I’ll handle this situation." whispered Bai Ruozhu.
Lin Ping’er nodded, "Let’s get rid of her quickly. We can’t afford to have such a huge nuisance around us."
"Who says she’s here because we invited her? She clearly invited herself here." Bai Ruozhu said laughing.
Dengdeng was a real foodie. No coaxing was required to get him to eat his supplements, as he gorged down the food quickly. After finishing, he would play with the spoon for a while as he was curious about everything.
Watching Dengdeng, both of them had smiles blossoming on their faces. With this child around, they could put any troubling matters aside.
"By the way, I asked something in the Wu Residence today, was that fine?" Asked Lin Ping’er as she recalled.
Bai Ruozhu shook her head, "It’s fine. Mr. Wu is very upright, it’s just his daughter’s a little..."
"I think Miss Wu is in mourning. Is she thinking of marrying your husband after leaving widowhood?" Lin Ping’er was quite sensitive, and her guess hit right on the mark.
"She has barely been in mourning for half a year now, and her late husband was Mr. Wu’s senior disciple." Bai Ruozhu curled her lips.
Lin Ping’er also curled her lips, her impression of Wu Wanqing worsened even more.
Just then, Bai Ruozhu heard someone sneaking towards the room from outside. She immediately guessed that it was the old lady. She quickly shot a knowing look at Lin Ping’er, and deliberately whispered: "Mom, don’t let my grandmother find out about the matter. She has a loose tongue - once the news gets out, who’d dare to rent a place with us? We’ve still got a room vacant in our yard."
Lin Ping’er understood and lowered her voice further, "I get it. If your grandmother asks me about it, I’ll put on an act and pretend ignorance."
Outside, Madam Bai frowned. There really was something going on! But what was it? Was it a robbery? Was their yard being targeted by a crook that no one dared to rent a room here anymore?
When Bai Zepei came home in the evening, the old lady took Bai Zepei aside and tried to prod information indirectly. Bai Zepei immediately realized that Ruozhu had started her act, so he completely cooperated, not revealing anything and even appearing somewhat evasive.
After he left the main house, he straightaway headed to Bai Ruozhu’s room. Just as expected, the old lady sneaked out to eavesdrop.
"Little sister, did you tell grandma something? Why is she incessantly asking about everything?" Bai Zepei questioned with a tone that seemed to reprimand her, but a smile was evident on his face since the old lady couldn’t see him.
Bai Ruozhu barely managed to stop herself from laughing at her brother’s humor. She glared at Zepei resentfully, blaming him for causing her to nearly expose the act with his unseasonable laughing.
"It’s because Dengdeng was crying, and in my anxiety, I accidentally let it slip." Bai Ruozhu explained, then with a hint of panic surfacing in her voice she added, "I shouldn’t have treated that court official’s wound. Now I’ve ended up offending those people, and god knows where that man’s fled to. What will we do if he comes back?"
"Even if you hadn’t treated that court official, you’d still be held guilty. Unfortunately, we have no way out of this situation. I wonder if granny will face trouble since she’s in the main house. They directly captured your mom from the main house last time and even hurt you. I’m afraid if they came back, they might target the lady of the house." Bai Zepei reasoned, his voice calm and steady, just the way he spoke usually.
The old lady, eavesdropping outside, shuddered severely. She cursed Lin Ping’er internally for being a heartless woman, scheming to give up the prime room just so that she, Madam Bai, could face the danger in her stead!
The old lady grew more and more angry at the thought, almost to the point of cursing out loud, but she was also curious about who Bai Ruozhu was referring to. As a result, she suppressed her anger, hoping to figure out a clearer picture.
The following morning, Lin Ping’er and Bai Yihong took the members of the Zhou family out for a stroll. Bai Ruozhu did not accompany them since her health wasn’t good, and Bai Zehao wasn’t in a rush to run his business but was taking care of Wan Caiyue at home.
Bai Ruozhu asked Wei San to accompany Lin Ping’er and the others for a tour downtown and to hire a carriage for her on the way.
She held Dengdeng and boarded the carriage straight to the Hot Spring Mansion.
The location that Jiang Yichun mentioned, it certainly must have been the Hot Spring Mansion because that was the property he gifted her.
She was feeling much better these two days, so she was able to carry Dengdeng around conveniently. Regardless, she still found it a bit strenuous as Dengdeng was a chubby kid and heavier than he appeared. She reluctantly spread out Dengdeng’s blanket in the carriage and let him lay comfortably on it.
Dengdeng, who was no longer a fan of lying down, wanted his mother to pick him up and show him the outdoor scenery. He expressed his discontent by crying. Bai Ruozhu touched his little nose helplessly and explained, "Mommy’s internal injuries have not healed. If I carry you again, I might vomit blood."
Whether the kid understood or was just being mindful, he stopped wailing and, putting all his efforts in, turned over to lie on his stomach.
Fortunately, the roads in Beiyu City were very flat, and the official road outside the city was also well made. The carriage reached the entrance of the Hot Spring Mansion without much disparity.
Fearing the absence of a carriage ride back, she generously tipped the coachman with some extra silver to wait for them outside for their return journey.
She carried Dengdeng and knocked at the gate of the Mansion. It was Fubo who answered the door. As soon as he saw Dengdeng in Bai Ruozhu’s arms, he was taken by surprise. His eyes welled up with tears and, choking on his speech, he said, "This must be the little master, isn’t it? He looks exactly like how our young master looked as a child! I didn’t think that I, Fubo, would get to witness the sight of such a young master. The master would be delighted to know about this."
Bai Ruozhu thought that Fubo must be aging and having poor vision. How could Dengdeng resemble Jiang Yichun when he was a child? They didn’t even look remotely similar!
Seeing the old man so reasonably excited, she didn’t have the heart to disappoint him with the truth.
"Fubo, is Yichun around?" she asked.
Fubo wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and quickly responded, "He’s here. The young master has been waiting for you since yesterday. He said when you arrived, you should be ushered in immediately."
Bai Ruozhu was pleased to hear this. She thanked Fubo and, holding Dengdeng, entered the Mansion.
She called out softly, "Jiang Yichun!"
A shadow inside the room flickered but there was no reply. Suspicion crept into her mind. It seemed as though there were two people. Did Fubo fail to mention if there were other people in the yard? With this thought, she couldn’t help but lighten her steps.