Chapter 604 - 606: Can We Speak the Same Language?
Just then, a vibrant red figure appeared like a gust of wind, walking so swiftly, her horse-riding costume specifically outlined her full-figured silhouette, as the wind blew against it.
Bai Ruozhu squinted her eyes. Wasn’t she the same Miss Tu who always hangs around her second brother?
She had been thinking about finding an opportunity to inquire about Miss Tu’s circumstances and did not expect to run into her at the banquet so soon.
Tu Ying moved very quickly, she came to Wang Miaoshuang and bowed, saying, "Madam Meng, I apologize for my lateness."
Wang Miaoshuang wore a smile, very politely said, "No worries. Please take a seat quickly."
Tu Ying’s seat was also at the main table. The maid had already added a chair for her, but unexpectedly, when she glanced around the main table and saw Bai Ruozhu, her eyes suddenly lit up.
She strode towards Bai Ruozhu, speaking nonchalantly, "Miss Bai, may I sit with you?"
Bai Ruozhu was a little taken aback, before she could answer, Tu Ying turned to Fang Guizhi and said, "Miss, would you mind switching seats?"
Fang Guizhi was left dumbfounded, not knowing how to respond for a moment.
"This is my little sister Guizhi. It’s her first time coming with me, and she is not familiar with other people, so it would be really inappropriate to switch seats," Bai Ruozhu quickly said.
Tu Ying slapped herself on the forehead and said, "How thoughtless of me." She then turned to Doctor Du’s wife next to her and said, "Doctor’s wife, would you mind switching seats with me? You should be capable of taking care of yourself, right?"
A look of embarrassment crossed Doctor Du’s wife’s face, and she thought, did the Miss of the Tu family know how to speak properly? What did she mean by saying she could take care of herself? As if she had an option to decline, moreover, given the status of the Tu family, she was not in a position to offend them.
But on second thought, she hesitated when she recalled the matter assigned to her by Madame Doctor Meng and quickly turned her eyes to Wang Miaoshuang. Wang Miaoshuang silently cursed in her heart but kept a smile on her face, and said, "Mrs. Du, please take care of the sisters."
Only then did Doctor Du’s wife stood up and gave up her seat.
Bai Ruozhu observed everything and couldn’t help but sneer in her heart, so it turned out Doctor Du’s wife was a part of the plan too. Had it not for Miss Tu’s straightforward personality that disrupted it.
After Tu Ying sat down, she smiled cheerfully at Bai Ruozhu, showing off her clean white teeth. Bai Ruozhu’s fondness of her increased. As a dentist, Bai Ruozhu had a particular liking for neat, white teeth.
When Tu Ying noticed Bai Ruozhu’s gaze at her, she chuckled and said, "Thanks to you, Bai Ruozhu, the trend of revealing teeth when smiling is widespread among female in the city. My mother used to scold me a lot for showing teeth when smiling, but now, even she likes to reveal her white teeth when she smiles."
Bai Ruozhu was oblivious of this matter. She thought people merely admired her natural and generous smile and used her toothpaste, and took it as a symbol of nobility to show off their teeth. Everyone was too embarrassed to tell Bai Ruozhu about this, except for the straightforward Tu Ying, who directly informed Bai Ruozhu.
Wang Miaoshuang had maids replenishing the tea, and a variety of dim sums, with plum blossom as the main theme, were served, such as freshly baked plum blossom cakes, warm plum blossom wine, and a few fish cakes shaped like plum blossoms. While it wasn’t as grand as a typical wine feast, it was exquisite in its own way.
The plum appreciation banquet officially began, and the guests began to chat and laugh. Tu Ying, casual as always, continued to converse with Bai Ruozhu, "I forgot to introduce myself earlier. My name is Tu Ying, and my father is the captain of Beiyu City. My brother, Tu Bai, is classmates with your second brother at the Study Palace in Beiyu. Once I joined their gathering, I heard Brother Zepei singing your praises non-stop. I’ve been wanting to befriend you, and wasn’t expecting to run into you today."
This surprised Bai Ruozhu. "Oh? My second brother actually praised me?"
Tu Ying suddenly burst into laughter, trying to mimic Bai Zepei’s voice, made her voice deliberately rougher and said, "My little sister is smart and capable. It’s a pity that women cannot walk the path to officialdom, otherwise, she would definitely outperform than me."
Bai Ruozhu was stunned. "Did my second brother really say that?" It didn’t quite sound like something her second brother would say.
Tu Ying wrinkled her nose and said, "It’s true! Isn’t it that he only began talking after being forced to down a couple of drinks by my brother and his friends?"
Bai Ruozhu almost laughed out loud right there and then, "You must tell your brother not to bully mine ever again," Bai Ruozhu said, smiling with slightly pursed lips.
After hearing this, Tu Ying pat on her chest and said, "With me around, would my elder brother dare? I would have beaten him until he can’t get up!"
Speaking in such a loud voice, she inadvertently drew the attention of everyone at the table. A little embarrassed, she laughed and lowered her voice significantly.
"Ruozhu, the vest you’re wearing is really beautiful. Could you make one that fits over the horse-riding costume for me? I want it in red," Tu Ying said excitedly.
"Sure, stop by my shop later to get measured." Bai Ruozhu smiled back.
Tu Ying’s eyes twinkled, "I’ve heard from my brother’s classmates that you cook delicious food and your culinary skills are top-notch. Could I bother you for a meal at your place?"
Bai Ruozhu almost burst out laughing; Miss Tu asking for a meal was false, wanting to see her second brother was probably true, right?
The thought of her second brother being annoyed by Tu Ying made Bai Ruozhu feel unusually thrilled. Seeing that Tu Ying appeared to have a good personality, she readily agreed.
Tu Ying was so overjoyed that she almost cheered. If not for Fang Guizhi sitting in the middle, she might have lunged over and hugged Bai Ruozhu.
Meanwhile, Fang Guizhi’s face has turned rather gloomy. As a sensitive young girl, how could she not notice Tu Ying’s special concern towards Bai Zepei? She felt choked up, but Tu Ying kept talking to her from time to time with sincerity and enthusiasm. She did not have the heart to ignore Tu Ying, although she felt a tinge of sadness.
Perhaps, it was time to let go completely...
Bai Ruozhu thought about how Tu Ying had mentioned that even her brother couldn’t defeat her, and couldn’t help byt asked, "Tu Ying, are you good at martial arts?"
Tu Ying flexed her fist with satisfaction, saying, "Although I’m not good at music, chess, literature or painting, among my peers at home no one can beat me, not even my cousins."
Bai Ruozhu was cheered up by this, "If you have the chance, could you teach me a few moves? I want to be able to defend myself better, some time ago I almost got beaten up by an old hag."
Hearing this, Tu Ying immediately said, "Your brother is my brother’s classmate, so you are my friend. If anyone dares to bully you, let me know, I will help you to fight back. As for teaching you martial arts, it’s not a problem, but you must be able to withstand hardship, or else you won’t learn much."
Bai Ruozhu nodded emphatically, Tu Ying was speaking the truth, martial arts study required hard work. She had once thought of asking Jiang Yichun to teach her, but they seldom got to meet and all that they wanted to do when they met each other was to express their affection, who then had the time for martial arts?
However, she secretly took another glance at Tu Ying and thought: With no interest in music, chess, literature or painting, could she find common ground with her second brother?