Chapter 1507: Chapter 1608: Nonsense or Confession?_1
In the evening, during dinner, Bai Yihong and Bai Zehao ca back ho earlier than expected, saying that with so many hands at work, the farming was already done.
“We were thinking about Dengdeng and Chenxi a lot, so we hurried back,” Bai Yihong said with a chuckle. Bai Zehao held his daughter in his arms as if she were the rarest treasure, smiling with narrowed eyes by his side.
“It’s better to finish the work early and rest. Ti waits for no one, don’t push yourself too hard,” Lin Ping’er chided Bai Yihong.
Bai Yihong wasn’t pleased to hear this, “Why talk about ti not waiting for anyone? I’m still in good shape. It’s not moving that makes you rust.”
“Look at your father, he gets anxious as soon as you say sothing; I know he cos from a farming family and can’t sit still,” Lin Ping’er teased Bai Ruozhu.
But Bai Ruozhu was sowhat distracted. If you think about it, her father was not supposed to be from a farming family, but a scholarly one, alas, fate had been rough on them.
He had already been hurt once by Bai Fu and the Liu Family, did he have to learn his own origins and be hurt by his biological father again?
The truth is that the matters of those years boiled down to the ignorance of Bai Guanghe’s parents and the insidious malice of the concubine from the Kuai Family they took in. But in the end, it was Bai Guanghe’s inability to protect his wife and children, even less so than his elder brother Bai Yuanqing.
Yet… her gaze fell on her father’s face. Could her father bear a resemblance to Jiao Yunyun? Should she keep these matters from her father?
“Ruozhu, why are you staring at your father? Why the troubled expression? You haven’t diagnosed so illness in your father, have you?” Lin Ping’er asked, nervous.
Jiang Yichun quietly tugged at Bai Ruozhu’s sleeve under the table and said to Lin Ping’er, “Mother, it’s nothing, father is in robust health.”
“Yes, mother, I was just thinking about the Comrce Association matters, got a bit sidetracked,” Bai Ruozhu quickly made an excuse.
Relieved, Lin Ping’er laughed, “Look how nervous I got, being older does make one worry unnecessarily.”
As she spoke, Lin Ping’er began to lant, “My spirits are obviously not as they were before, there’s nothing to worry about with good food and good living these days. I just want to help you look after the children. Now, what I’m most looking forward to is the second one’s.”
Bai Zepei’s face stiffened, “Mother, in just a few months the emperor will grant marriage.”
“Good, I’ll be waiting,” Lin Ping’er’s mood brightened again.
After dinner, Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun returned to their room. When he asked about her unusual behavior today, she didn’t hide it from him and relayed what Qingyan had told her.
“I can’t believe the Minister of Rites is such a useless coward,” Jiang Yichun clenched his teeth after hearing it. If Bai Guanghe hadn’t been so cowardly, would the Bai family have suffered like this?
“Don’t breathe a word of this, I need to think about whether or not to tell my parents,” Bai Ruozhu said.
Jiang Yichun nodded in understanding; he too wouldn’t want to speak of it, it truly wasn’t anything good.
The two called for the maid to fetch water, planning to wash up and settle down when suddenly, a flustered guard ca from the front yard to report that the head of the Jiang Family had arrived, urgently requesting to see them both.
“It isn’t Elder Jiang Ge who’s gotten into trouble, is it?” Bai Ruozhu raised an eyebrow, she had no sympathy for Elder Jiang Ge, but mourning could be troubleso.
“We’ll know when we get there.” He asked Nanny to tuck Dengdeng into bed early and, after throwing on an overcoat, he followed Bai Ruozhu to the front yard.
Jiang Xuexiang looked extrely anxious. Upon seeing them, he imdiately stood up and walked over, saying, “Yichun, Ruozhu, I’m sorry to bother you at this hour, but father’s condition has worsened, and he keeps asking to see you both.”
“Where’s Uncle speaking such courteous words; let’s set off,” Bai Ruozhu said urgently, seeing Jiang Yichun’s frosty face and not wanting to make Jiang Xuexiang feel awkward.
“Alright, alright, we’ll leave now,” Jiang Xuexiang, who had thought the two might refuse and was ready to make a further plea, didn’t expect Bai Ruozhu to agree so readily.
The horse carriage headed for the Jiang Residence. The sumr night was especially dry and hot, and it was very stuffy inside the carriage. Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but lift the carriage curtain and gaze out at the bright moonlight, lost in thought.
The sound of cicadas chirped in her ears, and Jiang Yichun, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, said, “Don’t worry, it is said that good people don’t live long and calamities persist for a thousand years; he won’t die so easily.”
Bai Ruozhu gave him a look, “Take your hand away, aren’t you hot?”
She missed the modern tank tops. Even short sleeves would be better than the clothing of the ancients, right?
“Who said I was worried? I’m just wondering if it’ll cause any trouble,” Bai Ruozhu said with a pout.
“It won’t, I’m here,” he said softly but with unwavering conviction, as if carrying a persuasive force.
Yes, with him by her side, she did feel much more at ease; even if he did nothing, just being with her, she felt more supported and less fearful.
It wasn’t long before they arrived at the Jiang Residence. The lady of the house greeted them with a son and a daughter. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they went to see the old master.
As soon as she entered the room, Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but frown – there was a sll of feces and urine in the room, indicating that the old master had lost control of his bladder and bowels.
“Open the windows,” Bai Ruozhu ordered with a stern face after glancing at the tightly shut windows.
Jiang Xuexiang said with so embarrassnt, “The sll is indeed unpleasant, but it’s not that strong, and I fear that opening the windows might cause a draft.”
“I’m not asking to open the windows because of the sll, but because keeping them closed like this keeps the air stagnant and allows disease germs to proliferate, which could worsen the old master’s condition,” she said, her innate doctor’s instinct taking over for a mont.
“Moreover, letting sunlight into the room during the day can kill germs, but when the sun is too strong, don’t open the windows to avoid heatstroke for those inside. When the temperature drops at night, you can open windows to ventilate,” she added.
Disease germs? Temperature? Jiang Xuexiang had never heard these terms before, but he more or less guessed their aning.
“Alright, I will instruct the servants to pay more attention to it,” Jiang Xuexiang replied.
Elder Jiang Ge, who was lying in bed with his eyes closed, woke up when he heard the noises. His murky eyes stared fixedly at Jiang Yichun, but his pupils seed unfocused, which was sowhat unnerving to see.
“Xuerui, you’re back? You’ve finally returned!” Elder Jiang Ge suddenly showed a childlike delight, laughing joyfully.
“Father, this isn’t…” Jiang Xuexiang couldn’t finish his words before Elder Jiang Ge interrupted him, as Elder Jiang Ge began to cry, startling Jiang Xuexiang.
“I know you won’t forgive , and won’t acknowledge as your father anymore, but it’s hard for too,” Elder Jiang Ge spoke as if talking nonsense while crying, “I couldn’t keep you, I couldn’t let down the ancestors of the Jiang family!”
Jiang Yichun stood coldly to one side, not speaking or moving closer.
Elder Jiang Ge looked at him, his eyes filled with sorrow, like an old farr staring at a barren field. The depth of his sorrow was touching.
“I know you bla , and I know you’re wronged, but I can’t keep you. Having raised you for more than thirty years, how could I not have feelings? But fate has played its cruel hand… fate has played its cruel hand…”
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