Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1235: Chapter 1237: Can’t Bear to Leave Son _1

At this time, filial piety was highly valued, and if relatives volunteered to repair your deceased parents’ graves, and even tended to the ancestral tomb as well, it was generally frowned upon to refuse; such a person would be seen as unfilial.

Even if it meant incurring debts of gratitude and money, you still had to owe it and look for ways to repay it. Moreover, since Yang Tianhua did not press Wa San to repay the money, merely asking Wa San to work for him, even Wa San’s clan thought of Yang Tianhua as a great benefactor and believed that Wa San should not refuse.

Bai Ruozhu shook her head helplessly, it all boiled down to the lack of money—if Wa San had the money to repair the grave himself, he wouldn’t have to be ”beholden to others.”

”I’m not forcing you to leave the Yang Family, but having known you for so long, I must remind you; do not get involved with Yang Tianhua. He is too arrogant and presumptuous, frequently challenging the imperial family’s authority and was once a supporter of Yang Fei. You should take care of yourself,” Bai Ruozhu hinted as clearly as she could without being explicit, that was as much as she could warn.

Wa San nodded vigorously, ”I’m trying to find a way, and it’s my fault for being too eager for quick success in the past. But I’ll soon stop working for them.”

”Be extra careful, and try not to offend the Yang Family. I’ll be leaving the Capital soon and won’t be able to look after you,” Bai Ruozhu said with some concern.

”You have been kind, Miss. I will be careful,” Wa San’s eyes shone with determination.

”And what’s with you always visiting Guizhi? It doesn’t matter for you, but Guizhi can’t withstand idle talk from others; she’s of age to discuss marriage this year,” Bai Ruozhu added.

Upon hearing this, Wa San became anxious, ”I, I...” he fidgeted with his hands, ”once I am free from the Yang Family, I will... propose marriage, alright?”

”That will also depend on what Guizhi wants. We won’t force her,” Bai Ruozhu smiled. She had initially thought Wa San was somewhat unworthy of Guizhi, but had to admit that Wa San cared for Guizhi the most, much more than Qin Kaichang who exploited her.

Wa San did indeed have a family heritage in choosing and raising horses, which was evident from how much Yang Tianhua valued him. As long as Wa San was diligent and earnest, he would surely be able to take good care of Guizhi in the future.

Of course, what Bai Ruozhu thought mattered not—it all hinged on Guizhi’s willingness.

Bai Ruozhu once again urged Wa San to be more cautious lately and to refrain from visiting the Beauty Pavilion again, lest he and Guizhi get into trouble. Wa San nodded with embarrassment, promising he would no longer act impulsively.

Afterwards, Bai Ruozhu instructed Jianqi to quietly see him out.

At night, Bai Ruozhu relayed Wa San’s matters to Jiang Yichun, and he too was surprised upon hearing it. However, he also felt that Wa San and Guizhi were a better match, far superior to the sweet-talking swindler Qin Kaichang.

In the following days, Bai Ruozhu packed up quite a few things to take on the road. Although the truly important items were stored in her Space, she still had to make a show of preparing some commonly used herbal medicines on the outside.

On the other hand, she arranged her businesses and invited Gu Xue’an and Leng Wanhua to her home for a gathering.

”Ruozhu, you don’t know that Xue Xue came to me yesterday, saying she wanted to hold a farewell banquet for you and asked me to organize a party. She offered to assist me,” Leng Wanhua spoke forthrightly.

”Xue Xue?” Bai Ruozhu had a good memory and quickly recalled who that was.

Xue Xue was the sister of Xue Wenqian, the Young Duke of the Xue Family. They were both children of the Duke’s first wife, and Jiang Yichun’s birthmother, Gai Yalai, had remarried into the Xue Family, later giving birth to a son, Xue Wenxun, who was seven years old this year.

When Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun first entered the Capital, Xue Wenqian had taken the initiative to be friendly and invited Bai Ruozhu to a buffet banquet at the Xue Family. Later, at the Empress Dowager’s Birthday Banquet, Bai Ruozhu learned of this connected relationship.

Gai Yalai did not acknowledge Jiang Yichun, even avoiding him like one would a plague. She did not take to Ruozhu either. With a skeptical mind about the siblings’ intentions and the complexities of their relationship, Bai Ruozhu did not wish to associate with them.

”Ruozhu isn’t even close to her, why is she so enthusiastic?” Gu Xue’an, who had recently returned to the Capital, grew acquainted with its affairs and was also aware of the awkwardness between Bai Ruozhu and the Xue Family.

”Exactly, hence I turned them down, saying that Ruozhu was busy, and with the Imperial Decree, there mustn’t be any delays. There would be no banquets to distract her,” Leng Wanhua smiled cunningly; her refusal was very tactful.

Bai Ruozhu nodded, ”I have no idea what those siblings are plotting now. They couldn’t possibly be helping the Gai Family to get closer to us. Are they thinking of roping me in to help them fight the Gai Family? That’s ludicrous.”

Leng Wanhua lowered her voice, ”The Duke of Xue is still in good health; it’s unlikely that he will step down in the next decade. Ten years from now, who knows if the young Duke of Xue will be able to succeed the title.”

”Isn’t it usually the eldest son who succeeds the title?” Gu Xue’an asked, puzzled.

”You said it’s usually, but who can predict what might happen? In the Capital, it has happened before. In one family, the eldest son committed a grave error, and the title passed to the second son. There have even been instances where both sons died unexpectedly, and a nephew was adopted to succeed the title,” Leng Wanhua was most familiar with the Capital’s stories, and she opened up a treasure trove of anecdotes.

All of a sudden, Bai Ruozhu felt her heart skip a beat as if something inside her had been unlocked, but the feeling was fleeting. She must be overthinking; the Jiang Family were merely scholars; although Elder Jiang Ge was an elder, he did not have a title to pass on to his descendants. It’s unlikely that Achun’s father was harmed for that reason.

Besides, if someone indeed intended harm, it would be Jiang Xuexiang, the eldest son, who posed a greater obstacle, wouldn’t it?

”Ruozhu, what are you thinking about?” Gu Xue’an shook Bai Ruozhu’s arm, and only then did Ruozhu snap back to reality, chuckling, ”Nothing much, just pondering over Xue Xue’s intentions.”

”Don’t bother with them. Just ignore it; after all, you’ll be away from the Capital for quite a while,” said Leng Wanhua, decisively turning down the topic.

”Right, just remember to miss me,” Bai Ruozhu said, beaming.

While the women gathered here, there were also many men drinking and dining over there, holding a farewell banquet for Jiang Yichun, far more crowded than Bai Ruozhu’s side.

Not only were Jiang Yichun’s colleagues present, but also Lin Xufei, Tang Xu, and others.

On the second day, the Bai Family invited the Bo Family and Bai Zhi’s family for a meal at their home. Ding Feisheng also attended, but Jiang Yichun did not give him a warm welcome.

After several busy days, the day of departure finally arrived.

Early in the morning, Bai Ruozhu woke up and, looking at her son still deep in sleep, could not help feeling a touch of moisture in the corners of her eyes. She truly did not want to leave her darling son behind and wished she could take him with her right away.

But she couldn’t. The journey to the Western Regions would not only be arduous, but also fraught with danger. Bringing Little Dengdeng along would be unsafe, and even the slightest acclimatization issue could affect the child’s growth.

She reached out to caress her son’s smooth little cheek, wondering whether to wake him or to sneak away while he was still asleep.

If she woke her son, he would surely cry a storm when she and Achun depart. But if she left without saying goodbye, he might cry even more bitterly upon waking, maybe even feeling that his parents had abandoned him.

With that thought, Bai Ruozhu softly called out Little Dengdeng’s pet name, silently hoping that the mental preparation she had done with her son over the past few days would prove somewhat effective.