Chapter 804 - 806: Scandal? Bastard?_1
As soon as Bai Ruozhu heard it, she knew who had made that discordant sound and what the matter being referred to was. But was that issue caused by Jiang Yichun? Tu Ying and Tu Bai were quite reasonable; how could their mother be this kind of person who made such groundless associations?
Of course, she believed that there definitely were people spreading rumors about Jiang Yichun’s origins behind his back, to discredit him as a young upstart. But to hear someone blurt it out in public was indeed a first.
Originally, Bai Ruozhu had no intention of clashing with Madam Tu, but now that she had spoken those words, Bai Ruozhu could no longer hold back. Otherwise, the onlookers would think she and Jiang Yichun were admitting defeat, or even that she was mistakenly siding with Tu Lie.
Bai Ruozhu looked straight at Madam Tu and asked, "Is Madam talking to herself, or does she want to join our conversation?"
It was already impolite to eavesdrop on others, but to interject with sarcasm was even more discourteous. Therefore, with Bai Ruozhu’s retort, many looked at Madam Tu with disdain.
Madam Tu’s face changed, and she puffed up her chest saying, "What’s wrong? I’m simply stating facts. If you’re afraid of being talked about, don’t show your face and embarrass yourself!"
On the other side, Elder Meng frowned upon hearing Madam Tu’s words but still sat back down. She could help Bai Ruozhu for a moment, but not for a lifetime. She had given guidance and reprimanded where it was due, the rest was up to Bai Ruozhu herself.
"Who is Madam Tu referring to? I was considering giving you some respect as an elder, but your incoherent remarks could easily be misconstrued by those unaware of the situation," Bai Ruozhu hit back unabashedly.
Madam Tu strode up to Bai Ruozhu, hands on her hips, and said, "Who doesn’t know about the affair in the Capital City years ago? The second son from Elder Jiang Ge’s household committed such heinous, unfilial acts. Your husband is his son, and he too is a disgrace who was thrown out of his family home. What is there for you to flaunt here?"
Bai Ruozhu was so angry she laughed, hearing such accusations for the first time.
"Madam Tu must not have read much, for your logic truly makes no sense. Do you have any clue about the actual events of that year? If there’s any accounting to be done, it should be by Elder Jiang Ge himself, so why are you overstepping your bounds? Even if my late father-in-law did something, that was the older generation’s business. How does it relate to my husband now? Moreover, speaking so harshly of someone who has passed away, don’t you think you are being too cruel?"
As she spoke, a cold smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. Combined with her bright and beautiful face, it had a kind of captivating allure.
"Don’t you become fearful when you dream at midnight?"
Madam Tu was so angry that her chest heaved with each breath. Coming from a military family, she indeed hadn’t read much. As a child, she followed her father to safeguard the border and had no proper tutor, learning only some horsemanship and archery from her brothers. Now, often mixing with families of civil officials, she least appreciated being criticized for her lack of education.
Seeing that Madam Tu was about to erupt, Bai Ruozhu became cautiously guarded. She had heard that Tu Ying’s martial arts were learned from her mother. If she could swagger around Beiyu City, it indicated Madam Tu’s own martial arts skills were also formidable.
"Humph, no one can change the fact of having committed such disgraceful deeds. Jiang Yichun is his son, and he is no better. He was also expelled from his home with his father; he’s nothing but a scourge!" Madam Tu said loudly, her voice carrying a killing intent.
Bai Ruozhu raised her eyebrows and said, "There was indeed something fishy about the incident with my father-in-law back then; it’s just a pity that Elder Jiang Ge valued rules and reputation so much that he expelled the person from the family without a thorough investigation. And my husband was merely a twelve-year-old child then, yet he knew his father was innocent. He knew that as a son, he should never abandon his father and should look after and comfort him. If we go by what Madam Wu said, does that mean that a filial person ought to be looked down upon instead? If one day you were wronged by your husband’s family, would you expect your children to abandon you, too?"
"Even as a twelve-year-old boy, my husband bravely took care of his father, so what crime did he commit? The affairs of the Jiang Family should be handled by the Jiang Family members themselves. Why should outsiders bother to take up the cudgels on their behalf? Ever since my husband drifted away from home at the age of twelve after his father died in depression, he has always refused to return to the Jiang Family because he firmly believes his father was innocently victimized. We will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly in the future, and I hope Madam Wu remembers her words today and offers us a proper apology when the time comes."
Seeing that enough was enough, the Elder Meng stepped forward and said, "Alright, Madam Wu, don’t listen to those idle gossips. Jiang Yichun is the legitimate son of the second wife of the Jiang Family. No matter what misunderstandings there are between the older generations, they should not be tied to the child’s birth. Don’t let the words of those spiteful people cloud your judgment."
When the others heard Elder Meng speak up, they also started to smooth things over.
"Yes, Madam Wu is just outspoken. It’s all good if we discuss it openly, so there are no more misunderstandings."
"Right, right, let bygones be bygones. Military Officer Jiang also has a filial heart."
Madam Wu knew she could not continue making a fuss, otherwise, she would be disrespecting Elder Meng and merely causing trouble. But feeling resentful, she clenched her teeth and looked at Bai Ruozhu, saying, "I will not be wronged by my husband’s family; that day will never come."
Bai Ruozhu let out a cold laugh but did not respond. However, Madam Wu felt a hint of chill from her derisive laughter, causing her heart to skip a beat and a feeling of unease to settle within her.
After more peacemaking from everyone, the matter was finally put to rest.
Bai Ruozhu picked up some food and found a place to sit. Meng Jinse came over with a tray and sat down, whispering, "Sister Ruozhu, don’t be upset with Grandma for not taking your side at first. She was afraid she could only help you for a moment, which might lead more people to disrespect you."
Bai Ruozhu smiled and patted the back of Meng Jinse’s hand, saying, "Silly girl, do you think your sister is that foolish? Only by standing my ground against those people will it be of any use. Otherwise, they would still look down on me."
Meng Jinse smiled awkwardly. The words exchanged earlier were quite unpleasant, and she truly feared that Bai Ruozhu would lose her composure out of anger. It turned out that Bai Ruozhu had a clear understanding of the situation; she had been overly concerned.
While they were talking, a cry of alarm came from the other side. Bai Ruozhu turned her head and saw Meng Jinxia clutching her chest and collapsing to the ground, knocking askew a stand that had food on it. The food spilled all over the ground, and quite a bit of it fell on Meng Jinxia, making her look particularly disheveled.
Meng Jinse called out and rushed over. Bai Ruozhu also quickly got to her feet and hastened to her side.
All that could be seen was Meng Jinxia lying on the ground with her little face pale as a sheet, devoid of any color, looking like a fragile porcelain doll. Her hairpin had fallen out, and her black hair was scattered about. It was a scene of desolation and embarrassment yet carried a breathtaking sense of flawed beauty.
The bag beside her was dirtied, and the little goldfish she had was stained with soup. When she woke up and saw it, she would surely be heartbroken, wouldn’t she?