Chapter 866 - 868: Agree to Compete_1
The woman who had previously mocked Bai Ruozhu and another lady let out a cold laugh and said, "Gu Xue’an, stop putting on that pretentious act of superiority. It’s no wonder Lin Xufei doesn’t fancy you. If it weren’t for the decree of your parents and the matchmaker’s words, he would have called off the engagement long ago."
The other ladies all chuckled softly upon hearing this, and someone whispered, "Indeed, what kind of man is Young Master Lin? How could he fancy such a rigid and dull woman like her?"
The woman addressed as Gu Xue’an showed little change in her expression and said indifferently, "My engagement with Lin Xufei is none of your concern, Xu Panrui. Don’t make yourself sound too sour."
Xu Panrui’s flirtatious smile instantly turned into a scowl as she retorted, "Do I need to be sour? I want to see if you can really marry into the Lin Family!"
Seeing the two women on the verge of an outright argument, the ladies nearby hurriedly stepped in to mediate, hoping to avoid an all-out feud.
Gu Xue’an stood straight-backed and ignored Xu Panrui, but Xu Panrui, mindful of the day’s special occasion, said nothing more.
Bai Ruozhu had pulled Tu Ying not too far away, and thus heard the entirety of their exchange. She had some impression of Gu Xue’an, who indeed had not mocked them like the others. But she hadn’t expected that this woman would be Lin Xufei’s fiancée.
Thinking of Lin Xufei’s handsome looks and his dimples, Bai Ruozhu felt Gu Xue’an’s appearances would pale in comparison. However, she had a good impression of Lin Xufei, who didn’t seem like someone to judge by looks. Why wouldn’t he like his upright fiancée?
Bai Ruozhu sneaked a glance at Xu Panrui, who was speaking with such acid tone, and thought perhaps this lady was envious of someone else’s good fortune in marriage.
"Ruozhu, we can’t just leave because we’re upset. Let’s go back. I’ll show you how I’m going to deal with her later," Tu Ying whispered after making sure no one overheard their conversation.
"There’s no need to stoop to their level. I just heard what the chancellor and others were saying on the stage. I’m afraid they’re going to ask us to represent Beiyu Study Palace in the competition," Bai Ruozhu repeated the dialogues to Tu Ying.
Anger tightening her grip into fists, Tu Ying exclaimed, "I was so angry at that woman that I didn’t pay attention to what was said on stage. You’re so much more observant. We’ll agree to compete and must show them a thing or two, so they don’t think the Northwest can be humiliated easily."
After finishing, her face suddenly fell, and in anxiety, she scratched her head, disheveling her carefully arranged hair.
"This won’t do, Ruozhu. I’m the worst at studying; I won’t be of any help. If I knew this day would come, I would have studied hard and not slacked off," she lamented.
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but laugh, as Little Dengdeng mischievously grabbed a lock of ruffled hair to play with in her arms. Bai Ruozhu gave her son a stern look and gently tapped his small hand, chiding, "You mustn’t bully your Aunt Tu Ying."
Little Dengdeng pouted and dared not pull Tu Ying’s hair anymore.
"Isn’t the competition divided into the Literary Test and Martial Test? Just focus on martial arts," Bai Ruozhu said with a smile.
Having thought it over, Tu Ying felt relieved and replied, "That’s right, you’ll handle the Literary Test then."
Bai Ruozhu smiled wryly, "I’m only decent at literature; I’m not good at the rest." She had already decided to cheat by relying on the ancients’ wisdom—after all, she remembered plenty of Tang and Song poetry.
"Not all events require women to participate. We just need to avoid disgracing Beiyu City. Oh, and I’m decent at Chess Skill. I’ll compete in archery on horseback and chess," they decided and were about to head back to their residence. Bai Ruozhu sent a message to Jiang Yichun through Muyu, and then they left first.
Since they were participating on short notice and didn’t have the uniform of the Beiyu Study Palace delegation, they had to start preparing immediately due to the time crunch.
Soon, Muyu returned, reporting that the dean had instructed that they take the clothes left by Du Xueru and Qin Kaichang from his room and make some alterations, to make do for the afternoon.
At the mention of Qin Kaichang, Bai Ruozhu’s expression dimmed somewhat, the dean must also not believe that Qin Kaichang could return, right? Otherwise, why would he so casually have his clothes altered?
"I’ll hire an embroiderer to make another set in a rush," Bai Ruozhu said earnestly, "The one belonging to Qin Kaichang should still be kept for him." She still hoped in her heart that Qin Kaichang would be found.
Bai Ruozhu then sent Muyu on an errand to fetch the clothing of Du Xueru, and afterwards to meet up with them at the clothing store so they could purchase fabric according to the material and color of the clothes.
However, when Muyu returned with the clothes, he had a worried and distressed look on his face. Chilling wind only sighed upon seeing him, thinking to himself, not more trouble, right?
"What’s wrong?" Bai Ruozhu raised her eyebrows and asked.
"Madam, I was wrong, I was in such a hurry to get the clothes that I knocked over the dean’s inkstone, and it was a good one too," Muyu said with his voice getting smaller, shrinking his neck, waiting for punishment.
Bai Ruozhu’s mouth twitched and she let out a resigned sigh, "No worries, I’ll talk to the dean later, and we will compensate him with a new one."
Muyu looked pitiful, "It’s only because Madam is kind-hearted, had it been the master, he would have whipped me by now."
Chilling wind glared at him fiercely, "You still have the audacity to talk, after all this time you still haven’t outgrown your clumsy habits."
Bai Ruozhu and Tu Ying chose the right fabric according to the clothes and also hired an expert and nimble-fingered embroiderer. Then they returned to their residence by horse carriage.
In order to finish quickly, Bai Ruozhu also helped the embroiderer with the work. Tu Ying was responsible for entertaining Dengdeng, and luckily, since they were making thin summer garments, it was not too complex. By lunchtime, they had finished the job.
Tu Ying mentioned that she was tall, so Du Xueru’s clothing didn’t need much alteration and generously offered Bai Ruozhu the new clothes to wear.
Bai Ruozhu thought for a moment and said, "You are still an unmarried girl, it’s not proper to wear the clothing of other men."
Tu Ying waved her hand dismissively, "We martial artists don’t have those kinds of scruples. It’s also easy to alter his men’s clothing for me, but it would be troublesome for you. What would you do if your husband, Jiang Yichun, got jealous?" She even shrank her neck as if Jiang Yichun would wring her neck.
Bai Ruozhu’s mouth twitched, the image of her husband, Yichun, as a jealous type was deeply imprinted in Tu Ying’s mind, probably never to be forgotten for many years.
The dean hurried back at noon and when he saw that their clothing preparations were mostly completed, he immediately gave them a deep bow of gratitude and said, "I thank you both on behalf of all the teachers and students of Beiyu Study Palace."
Bai Ruozhu quickly gave a light support, "After all, we have never truly studied at the Study Palace, how well we can perform is still a matter of luck."
"Your willingness to take on this task already fills me with endless gratitude, regardless of the outcome," the dean said gratefully. "From now on, you are the named students of Beiyu Study Palace and, after turning twenty, you will also be esteemed guests of the Study Palace. Should you have any needs in the future, do not hesitate to let me know."
Bai Ruozhu and Tu Ying exchanged looks, though they didn’t know what use there was for being esteemed guests, it was certainly a good thing, and it might even bring blessings to future generations.