Chapter 965 - 967: A Relative Who Appeared Out of Nowhere_1
After the meal, Bai Lu discussed the matters of ancestral worship with Bai Zepei and the others; Bai Ruozhu, being a woman, didn’t need to participate and was happy to relax.
Since all the items had already been prepared by Bai Lu’s family, Bai Zepei only needed to pay attention to the procedures, which made Bai Ruozhu’s family even more grateful to Bai Lu.
These were things originally the responsibility of Grandpa himself, yet it was the second grandpa who had taken care of them.
"Clan leader Grandpa, we won’t be staying long this time. I’m afraid we’ll have to move the entire family to the Capital City soon," Bai Ruozhu spoke up, "My second brother can attend the Imperial Academy, and I’ve also opened a shop in the Capital. We’re not worried about expenses.
Bai Lu showed a relieved expression, "Good, good, the Capital is a good place. Zepei will become an officer in the future, too."
"If our Bai Clan is to develop and progress, it’s not enough for just one person to become an officer. I want to fund the education of the children in our clan." These were things Bai Ruozhu had discussed with her parents and brothers early that morning. Before, when their family didn’t have much money, they didn’t dare to take on too much financial responsibility. Now that they were not worried about finances, they could help the young people and children in the clan. If a family was to thrive, it needed to start with the children, primarily through education and learning skills.
Bai Ruozhu originally wanted her father to discuss this with the clan leader Grandpa, but Bai Yihong adamantly refused, saying the money was earned by you, the idea was yours, and naturally, you should be the one to bring it up.
Bai Lu’s face showed excitement, but he quickly became worried, "These children are quite naughty, I’m afraid they won’t learn anything, and the silver coin will be wasted."
Bai Ruozhu smiled and said, "Studying doesn’t necessarily mean pursuing the Imperial Examination path. Even if they can’t become officers, learning more knowledge and raising their awareness is good too. Even for those not suitable for the examinations, I can arrange for someone to teach them a skill, such as accounting or doing business, or some other craft. Ultimately, the clan has to rely on these children to prosper.
"Good, good, it’s considerate of you to think this way. I’ll thank you on behalf of the children in the clan!" Bai Lu said, about to bow in gratitude, but Bai Ruozhu quickly stopped him.
"Our family thinks it’s better to teach someone to fish than to just give them fish. What do you think, clan leader Grandpa?" Bai Ruozhu asked with a smile.
Meeting Bai Ruozhu’s bright eyes, Bai Lu’s heart skipped a beat; he understood what she meant, which was for him to make sure not just anyone in the clan would be after "fish."
Bai Lu understood this principle well; it wasn’t about whether Bai Ruozhu could afford it, but rather that such arrangements could harm the Bai Family. Should the descendants of the Bai Family lose their motivation, only waiting for others to help them, the Bai Family would truly never have a chance to rise again.
"You’re right to think like this. Rest assured, I, as the clan leader, will fully cooperate," Bai Lu said earnestly.
Bai Ruozhu’s family trusted and respected Bai Lu greatly and were reassured by his words.
Bai Lu’s family vacated rooms in advance, with Bai Ruozhu and Dengdeng getting the best treatment—a small room just for them. Bai Yihong and his sons shared one room, while Bai Lu’s family squeezed a bit, but no one seemed at all displeased.
After a good night’s sleep, everyone got up early the next day to prepare for the ancestral rites. Soon, Bai Zeji’s family came back from Mountain Village in a donkey cart, bringing the Old Master and the third brother.
Regardless of whether people liked these two or not, it would not be appropriate to exclude them from the ancestral worship.
Bai Yihong came forward to greet the Old Master, "Mom, how has your health been recently?"
The Old Master gave him a sidelong glance, "I’m doing fine. You haven’t died, how could I die first?"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the yard fell silent. Bai Lu, infuriated, glared fiercely at the Old Master. What a mess, as if Bai Yihong’s family owed them a great debt.
Bai Yihong cleared his throat twice, and to avoid trouble, he simply held back and said no more.
Sanlang’s eyes kept darting around the yard unsettlingly. Even the people from Bai Lu’s household didn’t want to have anything to do with him, so they all subtly avoided him.
Bai Ruozhu glanced at Sanlang and noticed he had grown taller, almost catching up with her older brother in height. He had also filled out a bit. Previously broken, his leg had healed, but he walked slowly, as if he still had some residual issues.
His eyes were even more venomous than before, never looking at someone squarely. It was as if he considered everyone in the Bai Clan his enemy.
The memory of Sanlang beating up Xiaosi filled Bai Ruozhu with a vengeful desire to knock him down and confine him to bed once again.
"Where’s that bastard? Didn’t you treasure him like a gem? Why don’t you dare to bring him back?" Sanlang suddenly spoke, his tone both frivolous and sinister, as if he would beat Xiaosi the moment he saw him.
For the first time, Bai Ruozhu truly felt furious. She should have killed him before!
"You’re not worthy to even mention Xiaosi! You were the one who used to beat him the worst. You’ve suffered retribution and still refuse to repent," Bai Ruozhu gritted out through clenched teeth.
Sanlang’s expression twisted into something monstrous, "Bai Ruozhu, it was you who caused my broken leg, wasn’t it? It must have been you, you bitch!"
A figure flashed by, and with a smack, Sanlang’s face was struck by a slap. Jianqi then stepped back behind Bai Ruozhu, saying with a cold face, "The master is a prospective elder of the Commerce Association. To insult her is punishable by death! Considering you’re the master’s relative, this time it’s just a lesson. But if it happens again..."
Jianqi’s voice trailed off as his sword shot out of its sheath. No one saw how he had moved, but the tip was already pressed against Sanlang’s throat, piercing his skin ever so slightly and bringing forth a bead of blood.
"Ah, murder! Call the officers!" The Old Master screamed like a banshee. Before she could scream for help, Jianqi’s sword was already back in its sheath. It was merely a warning to Sanlang.
Bai Ruozhu gave Jianqi an approving look. His ability to intimidate was truly unrivaled by Muyu.
Sanlang, a coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong, had already turned ashen with fear, stammering, "You, how can you dare to kill your own cousin?"
"Are you dead? Or would you actually like to try?" Bai Ruozhu asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You..." Sanlang was so angry he could only glower, but, being afraid of Jianqi, he didn’t dare say another word.
Bai Lu didn’t want the ancestral ritual ceremony spoiled by Bai Fu’s kin and quickly said, "Alright, let’s all get ready. The ceremony is about to start."
Bai Lu’s daughters-in-law then set up the altar and offerings before silently withdrawing to the side. Bai Ruozhu also stood to the side, holding Dengdeng and watching. Bai Lu lit incense candles and spoke before the ancestral tablets, saying typical things like how Bai Lu, the head of the Bai Clan, was leading the Bai Family Sect in paying respects, and how Bai Zepei had passed the Imperial Examination, bringing glory to the Bai Clan, etc.
After he finished speaking, Bai Zepei stepped forward to kneel and kowtow. Then he stood up, took the incense candles from Bai Lu’s hand, and placed three sticks of incense before the ancestral tablets.
At that moment, a knock at the gate interrupted them, and a somewhat hoarse male voice called out, "Is this Bai Lu’s residence? I’ve come on behalf of my Grandpa to acknowledge our kin!"
The people from Bai Lu’s household looked at each other in bewilderment. Who was this out-of-the-blue relative?
----
Four Chapters today, striving for five Chapters tomorrow, trying to update as early as possible~