Chapter 421: Returning to the Village
Chapter 421: Chapter 421: Returning to the Village
Bai Suihe nodded solemnly. "I have already acknowledged Nanny Pang as my teacher, so I will naturally provide for her in her old age."
For some unknown reason, Nanny Pang didn’t like being called ’Master’, and Bai Suihe could only comply.
Mrs. Bai turned to Nanny Pang. "Sister Pang, I leave my unaccomplished daughter in your care. If she misbehaves, please don’t hesitate to discipline her."
Nanny Pang’s eyes crinkled with a smile. "Rest assured, Mrs. Bai. The young lady is intelligent and even more gifted than you."
The emotional farewell Mrs. Bai had been building up was nearly ruined by this blunt remark. "Your tongue is as sharp and straightforward as ever. I guess I don’t need to worry anymore. At least no one will dare to give you a hard time.
"However, you two should take it easy. Try to mix fewer medicines, alright?"
Thinking of the hefty bundle they had just shoved into her hands—filled with medicinal powders labeled for all sorts of uses—Mrs. Bai couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. In the past, Nanny Pang liked to tinker around on her own, and since the estate was filled with their own people, she could do whatever she pleased. But now, with Bai Suihe joining in, the two of them concocting drugs together... if this continued, who knew what kind of chaos they would cause?
"Don’t worry, Mother. Those are just my practice works," Bai Suihe said. "Remember to jot down the results after you use them so I can see how effective they are. I’ll improve the formulas accordingly."
In her arms, Gu Xingyang was laughing so hard she was practically snorting. Bai Suihe felt a jolt in her mind and spoke to her telepathically, "Baby, stop laughing. Is it really that funny?"
"Mother, what do you think my grandmother is thinking right now?"
"Of course she’s reluctant to part with us," Bai Suihe replied. "We’re about to be separated."
"You really are grandmother’s good daughter."
Bai Suihe played dumb. "And you are my good daughter too."
On the other side, Gu Kaiyuan was receiving all sorts of lectures from his father-in-law and his two brothers-in-law. He was practically thumping his chest, swearing to treat Bai Suihe well.
He had initially thought his father-in-law would buy some land here, but Bai Jingwen had only taken a cursory glance and dismissed the idea. On second thought, it made sense; with the Bai Family’s wealth, these plots were likely beneath their notice. However, Bai Jingwen was quite interested in the mountain behind Tian Village. He suggested that in a few years, the two families could find a way to mine it together, even promising to handle the sales distribution himself.
As for why they couldn’t start now? Both families were still not fully settled, and their networks hadn’t been properly established. They could only plan for the future.
Standing not far away, the concubines and illegitimate children watched with burning envy. The divide between legitimate and illegitimate was simply too vast. No matter how resentful they felt, they had to endure it. The master and his wife were mutually respectful, and even if Bai Jingwen occasionally showed a bit of favoritism, nothing could shake the unassailable position of the main wife.
Out of all the valuables they had brought along this journey, they didn’t know how much had just been secretly passed to this eldest daughter. She was already married, yet she kept taking things from her maiden family. The master and his wife were truly biased!
Bai Suihe’s gaze swept over the concubines and half-siblings, but she didn’t take their glares to heart. If they had a problem with it, they could take it up with her father. As a married daughter, it was none of her business. They had lived in peace while at the estate, and it would be best if things stayed that way. Besides, she had heard her mother mention yesterday that once the family settled down, they would divide the household. By then, they would be two separate families, making it even less necessary to keep in touch.
"Alright, we’ve said enough. Let’s get moving, or we won’t reach the post station in time," Bai Jingwen urged, glancing at the sky. "Everyone, get in the carriages."
No matter how reluctant Mrs. Bai felt, she could only pat her daughter’s hand and steel herself to turn around and board her carriage. Bai Jingwen followed closely behind her. As long as they were in public, no matter how much he doted on his concubines, he always upheld his main wife’s dignity.
As the convoy slowly moved forward and disappeared into the distance, Bai Suihe turned back, feeling dispirited.
"Don’t worry. Lingnan has been mostly cleared out, and the situation in Quangang is the same. Once they send us their address in a few days, we’ll write to them," Gu Kaiyuan comforted, seeing her depressed mood.
"I know all that," Bai Suihe said. "It’s just that with them gone, I suddenly feel so empty. Staying in the city is boring anyway. How about we go live in Tian Village for a while?"
The courtyard had been so lively these past few days, and she really didn’t want to go back and face the sudden, deafening silence.
"That works too. The weather is warming up now, and they’ve already started planting fruit trees on the mountain. We’ll also plant some around the house. Are there any specific fruits you’d like to eat?"
"We have to plant a little bit of everything! That way, we can pick fresh fruit without even leaving our home." Things she wouldn’t have even dared to dream of in the past could now become a reality.
"Mother, we can also go play in the mountains! Father promised me before," Gu Xingyang’s crisp voice chimed in the couple’s minds.
Bai Suihe’s eyes lit up, but Gu Kaiyuan’s face immediately fell. Taking them into the mountains wasn’t an issue in theory, but now that spring had arrived, all the snakes and creeping bugs were out. Both mother and daughter were delicate; if they really went into the woods, they would likely suffer.
He was just trying to come up with an excuse to brush the idea aside when Bai Suihe nodded excitedly. "That’s right, I completely forgot about that! Nanny Pang, didn’t you promise to take me into the mountains?"
Despite studying so much, Bai Suihe still lacked a practical understanding of many medicinal herbs. Some of the illustrations in the medical books were rather abstract, so it would be far better to observe the real plants in person.
"Alright. Once we get back, I’ll take you up the mountain," Nanny Pang agreed. Aside from her desire to spoil her young lady, she knew that studying medicine required hands-on experience. Moreover, since Bai Suihe had been learning pulse diagnosis for a while, she needed to practice in the real world. Now that they were returning to the village, she could start by taking the pulses of the local villagers. With Nanny Pang supervising her from behind, the locals would be more than happy to volunteer.
Having decided to go back, they immediately turned the carriage around and headed for Tian Village.
Tian Village was currently bustling with activity. In addition to tending to their own fields, the villagers also spared some manpower to do odd jobs for the Gu Family. After all, the family was paying real silver for their labor, which was much easier than traveling to the county town or elsewhere to find work, not to mention the pay was better.
The moment they entered the village, members of the Gu Family living at the entrance immediately spotted them. However, they merely glanced over without paying much attention. Although Gu Kaiyuan and his immediate family weren’t living in the village, quite a few people were staying at their courtyard. Since they were currently developing several mountain peaks, there was a constant stream of people coming and going every day, and carriages frequently made trips into the city for supplies.
Assuming this was just another routine supply run, the villagers took one look and then lowered their heads to continue working their fields.
Only a few individuals were still harboring resentment, feeling that Gu Kaiyuan wasn’t being generous enough. Since he had helped them so much before, how could he just stop helping them so abruptly? They had merely sided with his father, and everyone was only doing it to live a better life and secure a good future for their descendants. Why couldn’t he understand that?
Furthermore, Gu Kaiyuan’s behavior was simply too unfilial. No parent was ever truly in the wrong, and it wasn’t like they had some deep-seated, life-and-death vendetta. Why did he have to make things so tense and drag them down with him?