Chapter 864 - 866 Unusual Conditions of the Participating Teams_1
The next day, Dengdeng was still drooling, and it seemed to be getting worse, so Bai Ruozhu simply made a bib and tied it around his neck.
Unsure if Dengdeng wasn’t used to suddenly having something around his neck or just too curious, he began to pull at the bib and even put it in his mouth to chew. Because of this, Jiang Yichun didn’t spare Bai Ruozhu from scolding, and said, "You’re a mother now and should be more composed. Look at you now, our son’s mouth is all pinched and leaking."
Bai Ruozhu: "..."
It wasn’t until Dengdeng fell asleep that night that Bai Ruozhu, staring at his slightly open small mouth, suddenly slapped her head and then glared fiercely at Jiang Yichun, "Come over here now and take a look!"
Jiang Yichun was stunned for a moment, looked in the direction she was pointing, and then saw a tiny white spot on the otherwise bare gum of his son’s lower jaw. It was so small and inconspicuous that one wouldn’t notice it unless they looked closely.
"It’s because our son is teething that he’s drooling. If you don’t know, then don’t blabber nonsense. And you scolded me all day long. You’re a father now, shouldn’t you be more composed? Is this how you treat your own wife?" Bai Ruozhu instantly felt vindicated, her hands on her hips as she scolded Jiang Yichun, throwing back at him all the things he had lectured her on earlier. If it weren’t for fear of waking their son, she would’ve surely pointed at his head and cursed him out loud.
Hmph, she had been unjustly reprimanded all day, scolded by him for a whole day. Truly, she was more wronged than Dou E!
Jiang Yichun, seeing that his son was about to sprout a tooth, was very excited. But soon, he was scolded bloody by his wife, causing him to shrink his neck, and he thought to himself: In the future, he really needed to take it easy. Ruozhu could really hold a grudge.
Indeed, later when he tried to get into bed and hold his wife to sleep, Bai Ruozhu kicked him onto the floor. Luckily, as he was a martial artist used to falling, he got up and tried to get back on the bed again. Bai Ruozhu kicked him off once more, and after falling three times, she stopped kicking him when she felt it was enough.
Jiang Yichun hugged his wife from behind, wrapping his arms around her slender waist, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. Indeed, a little bit of acting was necessary in a marital spat. Could Bai Ruozhu really kick him out of bed with his martial arts skills? Could he not dodge it? He willingly fell from the bed and then pretended to be in severe pain so that his wife might soften and release her anger.
Seeing that Bai Ruozhu’s anger had mostly subsided, Jiang Yichun whispered hotly in her ear, "Wife, it is my ignorance and lack of experience that’s at fault, please don’t be mad anymore." As he spoke, his hand began to wander restlessly.
Bai Ruozhu struggled a bit, but ultimately couldn’t resist him, and soon the two were gasping for breath as the temperature in the room gradually rose, a scene of spring warmth spread...
Early the next morning, Bai Ruozhu went to check on their son’s yet-to-emerge little teeth, and Jiang Yichun squeezed in to look as well. Both of them jostled each other like children fighting over a toy, your head nudging mine, my head nudging yours, to the point where they woke their son up. Dengdeng, blurry-eyed, opened his eyes and saw his parents’ faces so close to his own, magnified many times, which he found immensely amusing. Excitedly, he raised both his little fleshy hands and slapped both of his parents’ heads at once, then giggled with laughter.
Jiang Yichun and Bai Ruozhu were thus beaten on the head by their son. They immediately got up, and Bai Ruozhu scolded him fiercely, "How dare you hit your parents, do you believe that I would spank your little butt?"
Dengdeng was scolded by his mother, looking aggrieved. Jiang Yichun immediately picked up his son and said, "It’s okay, it’s okay, the child didn’t mean it."
Bai Ruozhu rubbed her forehead, convinced that too much paternal indulgence would spoil the child.
Because today marked the opening of the Eight Academy Competition, the two didn’t dare to delay and quickly got ready to attend the opening ceremony.
Jiang Yichun, as the leading officer, had to take his place on the arranged platform, while Bai Ruozhu, being a family member, didn’t need to do so. She only had to watch from below. Of course, Jiang Yichun had already arranged VIP seating for her, right in the front row.
After getting ready, they met up with the head of the Academy and the others to see the students one by one brimming with energy. Despite being somewhat nervous, their spirits were high, their faces seemingly emblazoned with four bold characters: "Striving for First Place."
Tu Bai also came, having lost some weight due to his injury, but he still seemed in good spirits. Tu Ying supported him by his side. He said somewhat awkwardly, "I can walk by myself, sister; you really don’t need to help me."
Tu Ying rolled her eyes at him, saying, "I won’t help you once we get to the venue; for now, just save your strength. We don’t know how long we’ll have to stand."
Bai Ruozhu stepped forward to take Tu Bai’s pulse. Indeed, with a strong constitution, he recovered quite well, but he still needed to avoid overexertion. Bai Ruozhu said with some concern, "Tu Bai, maybe you shouldn’t go today. The most important thing is to recover your health."
Tu Bai shook his head, "It would be too regretful to miss the opening ceremony of the Eight Academies’ competition. Who knows if I’ll have this opportunity next year?"
The Academies only admitted those who had attained the Scholar ranking. If a Scholar passed the Imperial Examination, they could go to the Capital and study at the Imperial Academy. Of course, those who found it inconvenient to go to the Capital could continue studying at the local Academy, but then they could no longer participate in the Eight Academies’ Competition.
This meant that the Eight Academies’ Competition was exclusively for Scholars. If Tu Bai passed the Autumn Examination and became a "zhongju" next year, he would no longer be eligible to participate. Even if he didn’t pass and continued to study at Beiyu Academy, with so many talented individuals there, it was uncertain whether it would be his turn to compete again.
Dang Youshen had participated twice before because he failed to pass the Imperial Examination three years ago and had to stay at the Academy for an additional three years. His family background and scholarship were indeed good, which allowed him to be a member of the delegation repeatedly.
As for Tu Bai, he was destined to pursue the path of Martial Exam Ranking. It was almost certain that he would pass the Martial Arts section of the Autumn Examination, so when he said there might be no chance for him next year, it was understandable.
Thinking of this, Bai Ruozhu felt it was not right to dissuade him further. Everyone had their youth, and such a once-in-a-lifetime experience should not be prevented by her unwilling heart.
The group set off, and upon arriving at the Testing ground, they split into three. Jiang Yichun, along with the head of the Academy and several masters, took their seats on the platform. The delegation members stood at the designated area, while Bai Ruozhu, carrying Dengdeng, and Tu Ying headed to the VIP Seats below.
Shortly after they settled in, several ladies and young misses from Jiangnan, delicate and graceful with lovely features, took their seats nearby. Bai Ruozhu, already tall, coupled with the spirited Tu Ying, obviously did not look like southern women and immediately drew the attention of those ladies.
As some were observing Bai Ruozhu, she thought it might be a good idea to greet them and inquire about Xuanlang City. After all, it would be nice to know where they might go for some leisure.
Just as she was about to greet them, she suddenly noticed the members of other Academies’ delegations entering the venue. She was taken aback by the sight of not only male students but also three females in the group standing behind the Xuanlang Academy sign!