Chapter 972 - 974 Rumors About the Old Lady_1
"Mother, wake up!" Bai Yihong hurriedly rushed over to help the old lady on the ground, only to see her face ashen, several scratches on her face oozing blood, and the swollen wounds still bleeding. She actually looked somewhat pitiable.
Bai Ruozhu wanted to help Liu Family’s matriarch regain consciousness, but remembering she might start creating a commotion again, she simply said to her father, "Father, let’s quickly lift grandmother into the carriage and take her home for treatment."
Bai Lu originally intended to suggest that they take her to his house, but after hearing Bai Ruozhu’s words, he didn’t speak up. It was definitely better to get Liu Family’s matriarch back quickly; otherwise, who knew what further trouble she might stir up.
Carefully, Bai Yihong and his son lifted the old lady into the carriage they were seated in, and Bai Ruozhu took Dengdeng to Bai Ruolan’s carriage. She didn’t seem frightened at all, after all, Ruolan wasn’t usually prone to lash out and harm anyone.
"I heard that it was this old lady who insisted on letting that Zhou widow into the house, causing her granddaughter to be driven to hang herself. They managed to save her, but her head wasn’t right afterward. Such a nice girl reduced to this state."
"Even allowing a woman like that Zhou widow into their home, this old lady isn’t any good either!"
"That’s right, had she not cursed at her granddaughter like that, the child wouldn’t have suddenly lost her wits. In the end, it’s her own fault. When someone is ill, the family should be cautious with their words. Who does it like that?"
...
As the horse carriage moved further away, the sounds of discussion grew more distant. Bai Ruozhu reached out and checked Bai Ruolan’s pulse. She was still unconscious, and her pulse was in disarray; it seemed she would need a period of careful treatment.
Lamei silently wiped away tears beside them. If only she could speak, she would have been able to counsel Lady Ruolan. Why bother getting angry over such people? It’s utterly unworthy.
Unfortunately, even if she could speak, Bai Ruolan might not understand what she was trying to say.
When the carriage reached Mountain Village, it naturally attracted the villagers’ onlookers. Bai Yihong and his sons alighted from the carriage to greet everyone. Bai Zepei timely mentioned that the old lady was ill, and they needed to take her home first. Hearing this, the villagers made way, saying they would visit Bai Family’s second branch’s yard later.
Zhou Deshun’s wife made eye contact with Bai Ruozhu, who quickly instructed the coachman to stop and let her onto the carriage as well.
"What happened to Ruolan?" Zhou Deshun’s wife, seeing Ruolan’s condition was not right, couldn’t help but be startled.
"Don’t even mention it, just as we were about to get into the carriage, the old lady started shouting and scolding Ruolan, who was provoked by her and also injured her. She’s still unconscious," Bai Ruozhu sighed and said. Had she known this would happen, she should have arranged for Bai Yixiao and the Jin Family to share a carriage with Bai Ruolan.
As for her bringing Dengdeng, that was definitely not convenient. Dengdeng was active at the moment, and like a child, Bai Ruolan too enjoyed moving around. Being in one carriage would lead to bumping into each other, which was undesirable.
"Your grandmother is truly a troublemaker!" Zhou Deshun’s wife said through clenched teeth before lowering her voice, "I heard some things when I returned to the Village. They weren’t pleasant things to say, but I felt it wouldn’t be right not to tell you. At least if you know, you’ll be prepared."
Bai Ruozhu felt apprehensive; surely nothing else had happened at the old mansion? Sigh, she really didn’t want to get involved, but she was worried it could affect her second brother’s future. It wasn’t easy for him to get where he was today, and she couldn’t let anyone or anything influence her brother.
"Aunt, you’re right. Please, just say it."
"Your Scholar is still mixed up with that widow Zhou, but she has an ambiguous relationship with several men in the village. She let it slip during a secret rendezvous that the boy she bore isn’t Bai Yibo’s offspring. As to whose it really is, even she’s not clear, but according to the dates, it definitely isn’t Bai Yibo’s," Zhou Deshun’s wife said with evident embarrassment. She found it difficult to even speak of such matters.
Bai Ruozhu had considered this. With the widow’s lack of virtue, only a fool like Bai Yibo would believe her lies. Her aim to cling to Bai Yibo was probably because he had become a Scholar and she wanted to be the wife of one.
"I’ve washed my hands of the old mansion’s affairs. Even if I mentioned it, my grandma wouldn’t believe me. Let Bai Yibo deal with the bitter consequences himself," Bai Ruozhu said.
"There’s something else," Zhou Deshun’s wife began, stammering as though it was extremely difficult for her to say.
Bai Ruozhu looked at her, indicating that it was alright for her to speak.
"That widow Zhou has a real father living in the neighboring village. Ever since she gave birth, he’s been frequently visiting the old mansion and stays for quite long periods. Some people have even seen him getting cozy with your grandmother."
Just then, the horse carriage arrived at the entrance of the old mansion. As the carriage stopped and everyone got out, Zhou Deshun’s wife said no more, whereas Bai Ruozhu stepped out of the carriage looking utterly shocked, her expression somewhat dazed.
She despised the old lady for her favoritism, stinginess, unreasonableness, and tendency to stir up trouble. She had never imagined the old lady would stoop to the same level as widow Zhou. Being of such an advanced age, wasn’t she afraid of being exposed?
She glanced at Zhou Deshun’s wife again, aware of her good standing and well-informed nature within the village, and her highly cautious personality. Zhou Deshun’s wife would never spread rumors without cause. Regarding her mention of "getting cozy with the old lady," it was likely someone actually saw the old lady and widow Zhou’s father engaged in a tussle.
Considering widow Zhou’s character, her father was probably no better. While the head of the household was absent, his constant visits without any concern for propriety spelled nothing good.
Then, thinking about the old lady’s attitude towards the master of the house, usually she was quite afraid of the master, but today she impatiently mentioned things like "he dumped me" and "I was sold out," with a clear shift in her demeanor.
Could it be...
Bai Ruozhu felt a wave of nausea. If this spread throughout the village, the Bai Family’s reputation could be destroyed, harming her second brother’s reputation as well, even complicating his chances of marriage.
With that thought, Bai Ruozhu felt she could no longer leave the old lady in the village. It was better to keep an eye on her, finding a way to prevent her from causing trouble or disasters. That had to be better than letting her out of sight, where she might bring shame to the family name, right?
Before long, the old lady was carried back to her room. Widow Zhou and Scholar emerged one after the other, and Bai Yihong frowned slightly upon seeing them come out of the same room.
"Ah, what happened to my dear grandmother? How could she be injured the moment you return?" Widow Zhou’s voice was loud as if she wished the entire village to hear.
Bai Yihong preferred not to engage with her, feeling that even speaking to her could tarnish his reputation, and quickly distanced himself.
Bai Ruozhu glared coldly at widow Zhou and said, "Stop causing trouble here, or get out." After finishing her words, she looked at Muyu and commanded, "If that woman speaks again, just throw her out, and make sure it’s far."
Scholar tried to chime in but was silenced by a stern glare from Bai Ruozhu. She had truly frightened him with her previous actions, and he didn’t understand how Bai Ruozhu had become so formidable.