Chapter 606 - 608: Too Cliche, Framing Her?
Wang Miaoshuang showed signs of irritation in her eyes. As to what should be said and what should not, since it had already been mentioned in front of everyone, who could stop her from speaking now?
After a while, Wang Miaoshuang managed to hide her displeasure and said, "Miss Bai, please proceed."
Bai Ruozhu looked towards Lady Du and said, "Please convey a few words to Old Master Du on my behalf. If seeing a patient is to be determined strictly by gender, shouldn’t Du family’s young miss be married to the guard who assisted her with her tooth replacement last time?" Her laughter became all the brighter. "I, for the record, did not lay a finger on Young Master Du. But to replace Miss Du’s tooth, the guard had to touch her face."
Of course, she dared to say this, knowing full well that the Du family would not marry Du Fuling off to a mere guard. Du Fuling boasted a certain charm and had her own plans to execute. Even if she was to be given away as a concubine, she would serve her purpose elsewhere.
Lady Du’s expression was priceless, she stammered, "I...I wasn’t aware of such a matter."
Bai Ruozhu smiled again and said, "You weren’t present that day when the tooth was replaced. Miss Du was restless and uncooperative, so we had to ask a martially skilled guard to help hold her down. It was also this guard who assisted while nailing and fixing the new tooth. Did you think reattaching a broken tooth was simple?"
The people who heard this gasped. A lost tooth could be reattached? Bai Ruozhu truly deserved the title of a divine doctor!
Dental care in Danliang Country was far behind. Even for wealthy women, if they knocked out a front tooth, they could do nothing but leave the spot empty, covering their mouth with a handkerchief when speaking or laughing.
Lady Du’s expression was extremely unpleasant. It seemed as if she had been struck by a frost spell. Her face swelled with a grimace, but she cowered as if her very soul had been drained. She even briefly considered leaving the feast immediately, but that would mean disrespecting her hosts. Therefore, she had no choice but to sit there, enduring the praises lavished upon Bai Ruozhu from the people around her.
Tu Ying, who was sitting next to Bai Ruozhu, sent her a knowing look and whispered, "I think I heard that the toothpaste sold by the Du family was developed in collaboration with you, using your formulas for that, right?"
Bai Ruozhu nodded, "Yes, back when I was in Anyuan Town, I signed a cooperation contract with the Du family’s third son."
"A toothpaste, made the Du Family prominent in Beiyu City overnight where they were unheard of before. It’s ridiculous that instead of expressing gratitude to you, they’re plotting against you. That is utterly despicable!" Tu Ying couldn’t help but humph coldly.
Fearing that Tu Ying might get agitated, Bai Ruozhu gave her a comforting smile. "No worries, they won’t be able to get to me."
Because of this small incident, many ladies showed curiosity and initiated discussions with Bai Ruozhu. Some even boldly showed her their teeth and complained about chronic toothache, seeking remedies. Bai Ruozhu noticed that some of them had tooth decay and advised with a smile, "My dear lady, it appears that you have a preference for sweets. The condition could be treated, but you must understand the importance of protecting your teeth. Otherwise, even if they are cured, they are easily susceptible to decay again."
The lady kept nodding and said, "I will send you an invitation in a few days to request your presence at my residence to look into my dental problems."
"Sure," Bai Ruozhu said, nodding with a smile.
Seeing Bai Ruozhu becoming the center of attention at the banquet, Wang Miaoshuang and Lady Li were uncomfortable. They only wanted her to show up; in fact, they even wished to raise Bai Ruozhu’s status in the society as high as possible so when Du family’s marriage proposal comes, Bai Ruozhu for her reputation would have to oblige.
However, they underestimated Bai Ruozhu. As someone from the modern world, would she sacrifice her happiness in favor of some trivial gossips?
Meanwhile, Yu Hongxiu from the neighboring table rose and announced, explaining that bearing a child put her at a disadvantage, she would return to You Ran Ju ahead of others. Hearing that Yu Hongxiu was temporarily residing in You Ran Ju, many showed envy.
Bai Ruozhu, surrounded by several ladies, couldn’t excuse herself. So she instructed Shuxin, who accompanied Yu Hongxiu, to take good care of her.
Yu Hongxiu also politely informed Wang Miaoshuang, whose response was lukewarm, showing that she did not think highly of Yu Hongxiu.
As soon as Yu Hongxiu left, Wang Miaoshuang began to speak, "Seeing the plum blossom is rather boring today, how about we play a little game?"
The ladies asked enthusiastically about what kind of game and how to play when they heard. Wang Miaoshuang smiled and explained, "Let’s play a wine game. Let the maid beat the drum. Whoever the flower falls to, she has to write a poem. It does not have to be challenging - a poem about plum blossom, how about that?"
The ladies applauded at her suggestion except for Tu Ying who muttered quietly, "Writing poetry again, isn’t this just tormenting me?"
Bai Ruozhu narrowed her eyes. The ones who they wanted to embarrass were none other than her.
Soon, the maids brought the drum and the flowers, and the game began. A maid would beat the drum facing the other way. When the drumbeat stopped, a young lady who had accompanied her mother had the flower. She blushed as she stood up, "Then, I will present my humble attempt at poetry and beg for your forgiveness if I make any mistake."
"The spirit lacks without snow and plum. People are vulgar without snow and a poem. Poetry is written at sunset and snow falls again. Together with plum blossoms, it’s an unparalleled scene of spring." (Snow Plum by Lu Mei Po, Mouka is not good at writing poetry and can only borrow ancient ones. Just read along.)
"Excellent, what a lovely poem!" Wang Miaoshuang exclaimed, followed by, "Miss Lu took the first place, this East Pearl is for you."
A maid immediately handed a brocade box to the young lady who just recited her poem. The young lady hastily thanked Wang Miaoshuang, her face full of joy.
Soon, the game continued with the beat of the drum and the passing of the flower –and when the drumbeat stopped again, the flower fell into Bai Ruozhu’s hands.
A smile played on Bai Ruozhu’s lips. Following a lady who was highly literary and had composed a good poem, it was her turn. Even if she came up with a poem, if it was mediocre, it would be enough for people to laugh at her for a while.
Wang Miaoshuang really knew how to seize the opportunity to embarrass her.
However, wasn’t this too underwhelming? For someone like Bai Ruozhu who had read plenty of ancient novels in her previous life, she thought the whole setup was too clichéd, too childish. Did they really think they could embarrass her?
She was armed with the knowledge of her predecessors. How could she be trapped by a simple plum blossom poem?
Tu Ying, not knowing Bai Ruozhu’s literary talent, was most afraid of writing poems. Slapping her chest, she said, "It was just about to be my turn. That scared me to death." Finished, she looked at Bai Ruozhu worriedly and whispered, "Do you have any good ideas?"
Bai Ruozhu nodded to her, then stood up and said, "Then, I will make a fool of myself."
"A few branches of plum stand at the corner of the wall, braving the cold to bloom alone. From afar, I know it’s not snow but the scent that gives it away."
For a moment, the banquet fell silent. Everyone was savoring these lines. Except for women like Tu Ying who didn’t like poetry, everyone else listened fascinated. The young Miss Lu who had just composed a poem couldn’t help but stand up and applaud, "Excellent poem, Miss Bai’s poem is far superior to mine."
Bai Ruozhu nodded at her, "Miss Lu, you are too modest."
A lady by her side said with a laugh, "Both the poems are masterpieces, both wonderful, what should we do next?"
Wang Miaoshuang looked at Bai Ruozhu and said begrudgingly, "Indeed a good poem, but..."
Before she could finish, a maid rushed over in panic, crying out, "Madame, a disaster has happened!"