Chapter 598: Parting
Bai Suihe coveted the opportunity when she heard the news. She wanted to kick them while they were down, but unfortunately, they didn’t have such strong power right now. It would probably be very difficult to find such a good opportunity in the future, so this matter needed to be planned long-term.
“Unless the Rong Dynasty’s soldiers step in,” Gu Kaiyuan said. “They have over a hundred thousand troops, so there is no way we can defeat them on our own.”
Bai Suihe hadn’t hidden her thoughts, but Gu Kaiyuan poured a bucket of cold water on her plans, instantly waking her up to reality.
Bai Suihe sighed. “We still have to figure something out. We can’t let them develop. Otherwise, they’ll become a massive threat to our continent in the future.”
“It shouldn’t be that serious, right? It’s just a mere island nation…” Gu Kaiyuan said nonchalantly. “As long as we pinpoint their location, the emperor can send any random general to wipe them out.”
Bai Suihe couldn’t explain it to him clearly, so she could only analyze the situation for him. “You know they are just an island nation. Their land isn’t large, but they have a lot of natural disasters.
“I heard that if it’s not earthquakes, it’s typhoons, and they have volcanic craters. Living in such an unstable place, what do you think they would be thinking?”
Gu Kaiyuan put himself in their shoes. “They might want to find another place to live.”
Bai Suihe threw her hands up. “And where else would be more tempting than our continent?”
Gu Kaiyuan’s expression darkened. “That’s actually possible. Even if they won’t do it in the short term and lack the power right now, what if?” He thought of the surrounding small countries. Whenever they couldn’t survive or yearned for the prosperity of this continent, they would wage war.
Seeing that he had finally figured it out, Bai Suihe didn’t say much more. The seed had been planted, and it would eventually take root and sprout. She didn’t expect to wipe these people out in one fell swoop. However, since she had come to this world, she would use a different method to nip certain evils in the bud. Who knew if this race would develop like they did in later generations? They might not live to see it, but their future descendants would have to face it head-on.
After touring around, Bai Jiannan also selected a relatively large island. He planned to send some people over to clear the wasteland and start farming as soon as he returned. During this trip, the weather changed in the blink of an eye. After an autumn rain, everyone had to put on extra layers of clothing. Right after disembarking, Bai Jiannan rested for just one night before leaving in a massive hurry, taking the recipe Bai Suihe had given him and several carts of chili peppers.
However, he left Bai Jianbei and Mrs. Bai behind because he still needed his third brother’s help with his upcoming tasks.
Bai Jianbei was somewhat reluctant. He had been carefree and unburdened, but now this responsibility was being forced onto his shoulders. Despite all his complaints, the moment Bai Jiannan slapped a contract down on the table, he sycophantically patted his chest and promised, “Jiannan, don’t worry. Just go handle your business. I’ll definitely manage everything here perfectly for you.”
Although he wasn’t the Family Head, the two brothers had been raised and trained together, so he still had the necessary foresight and tactics. Jiannan had simply given him too much; he couldn’t resist the offer.
Seeing that they were all on the right track, Mrs. Bai thought about returning to Quangang.
Bai Jianbei grunted and said, “Mother, why are you going back? It’s so desolate and lonely at home.
“If you go back, you’ll just get dragged into their petty squabbles. The family assets have already been divided anyway, so just let them make a fuss.
“Isn’t it better to enjoy the peace and quiet here? If you’re bored, we can build a house here and live next door to you and Kai Yuan.”
Mrs. Bai replied, “You rascal, that’s still our home base. There’s no need to let their trivial matters affect our lives.
“When they come to the door to cause trouble, they just want me to act as an impartial judge. I simply treat it as free entertainment when I have nothing better to do. At most, it costs a little tea; it doesn’t cost us a single coin.”
Bai Suihe almost burst out laughing. She truly wondered if those concubines, illegitimate brothers, and illegitimate sisters would still come knocking if they knew what their mother was thinking.
“Even so, you still don’t need to go back,” Bai Jianbei argued. “If worse comes to worst, we can just move the Bai Family over here, and we can look out for Suihe.” He really couldn’t understand why his father had chosen to settle there back then. Although they had properties there, it wasn’t to the extent that they needed to guard them constantly.
“Stop making a fuss,” Mrs. Bai said. “Anyway, as long as I’m alive, I’ll guard it for you two brothers. As for what you think or where you want to develop your careers, that’s entirely up to you.”
They could indeed move away, but Mrs. Bai was still unwilling. If they left, it meant the properties left behind would have to be prioritized and sold to the Bai clan members, which was something she didn’t want to see.
Although Mrs. Bai was very reluctant to part with her children and granddaughter, she knew she had to go back. If she stayed away for too long, it might embolden certain people’s ambitions. On the third day, she packed her things and bid farewell to the siblings. Before leaving, she didn’t forget to nag Bai Jianbei, “Listen to Suihe and Kai Yuan’s advice more often, and take more guards with you when you go out…”
“Mother, you’ve said this so many times these past few days.” Bai Jianbei sighed helplessly, his ears practically growing calluses. “Why don’t you lecture Suihe for a change?”
“I’m very at ease with Suihe.” Mrs. Bai now looked at Bai Suihe in a completely different light. The Gu Family’s disaster had forced this daughter to mature; it could be said that it was a blessing in disguise. Although it felt a bit unethical to think this way, the Gu Family had brought it upon themselves. They had a perfectly good life but insisted on making a mess of things until they ended up in their current state.
However, remembering the news she had just received, she called Bai Suihe over. “Your father-in-law’s family has moved here now. They are staying in the same county town, so I’m afraid it won’t be long before you bump into them. If you can’t handle the Gu Family’s affairs well, just leave it to Kai Yuan. There’s no need to take on a bad reputation for nothing.”
This was the first time Bai Suihe had heard this news. She naturally knew that the Gu Family had come to Lingnan, but she hadn’t expected them to flee to this exact location. To think they would still end up in the same place—what a damned, twisted fate. However, the two branches had already separated from the main clan. Given the Gu Family’s current situation, they wouldn’t be able to cause any real trouble; at most, dealing with them would just be a waste of breath.
“Did you hear what I said?” Mrs. Bai asked, somewhat dissatisfied when she didn’t get a response.
Bai Suihe hastily replied, “Mother, I understand. I’ll try my best to interact with them as little as possible.” She knew that once they ran into each other, it would be unavoidable. She just hoped that family would know what was good for them.
After sending Mrs. Bai off, the siblings both let out a long sigh of relief. After all, they were adults now; neither of them wanted to be lectured every day.
“Suihe, when are we going out to sea again?
“Kai Yuan is a bit biased. He didn’t even take me hunting last time. My Martial Arts are quite good; I definitely wouldn’t drag you down.”
All the complaints Bai Jianbei hadn’t dared to voice over the past two days poured out at this moment. When he found out how fulfilling Jiannan’s trip had been, he felt a bit regretful. If he had known, he wouldn’t have fought with Jiannan over the first sea voyage.
“What’s the rush?” Bai Suihe said. “Some minor details still need to be tweaked. Besides, we’ll be traveling farther next time, so we need to prepare some cargo for the ship…”