Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1549: Chapter 1549: Offering You a Place of Refuge_1

Many people looked toward Bai Ruozhu. Elder Jiang Ge hadn’t appeared yet, so what would Lady Jiang do?

The doorman hurried over with a shameful look on his face and said, ”Miss, it’s my fault for being useless. I’ve been unable to send them away. I can’t just push them or hit them, and I really have no other way.”

The two dancing girls both looked up at Bai Ruozhu simultaneously, their faces filled with pitiful expressions. Bai Ruozhu found their identical expressions utterly bizarre and couldn’t stand such a situation.

Behind the dancing girls, the steward said loudly, ”It’s good that Lady Jiang has come. The gifts that our National Duke sent to Elder Jiang Ge were actually stopped at the gate. Does the Bai Family mean to be disrespectful to our National Duke, or are they disregarding Elder Jiang Ge?”

Bai Ruozhu snorted, ”You’ve said it yourself, this is the Bai Residence. If you truly regard Elder Jiang Ge highly, you should have sent the gifts to the Jiang Residence instead.”

The steward was at a loss for words and hastily replied, ”Elder Jiang Ge is recuperating, and it wouldn’t be proper for us to disturb him. Since Elder Jiang Ge is temporarily staying at the Bai Residence, naturally we must deliver the gifts directly to him.”

”Very well, then you can wait for Elder Jiang Ge and personally deliver the gifts to him to show your sincerity,” said Bai Ruozhu calmly.

”Since when does one block gift-bearing guests at the doorstep? Does Lady Jiang not even know this much courtesy?” the steward said, puffing out his chest confidently.

Bai Ruozhu turned her head to give him a cool glance and said indifferently, ”Jianqi, how should a servant who is disrespectful to a fourth-rank officer and attempts to lecture them be dealt with?”

”Send them to the Government Office to be punished with twenty heavy blows,” Jianqi answered with a stern face, very seriously.

”Good, this person has no manners at all, sighting me but neither greeting nor addressing me with due respect, and even has the audacity to gesture and point fingers. The bystanders here can all testify. Have someone send him to the Government Office to be dealt with by Officer Fan,” Bai Ruozhu said, then let out a sigh, adding, ”The Residence of the National Duke is known for its strict protocols. How could they have such a servant? Could it be that anyone dares to impersonate one? Take him away quickly, we mustn’t let such imposters tarnish the reputation of the National Duke’s Residence.”

”How am I an impostor? I have an identification plaque!” the steward cried out as he tried to show his identification plaque, unfortunately, he had already been taken away by Jianqi’s men, and his plaque had consequently fallen to the ground.

A dark guard deftly kicked the identification plaque into a corner when no one was watching, and Bai Ruozhu subtly signalled Jianqi, who quickly had someone hide the plaque.

Seeing the steward being taken away, the crying of the two dancing girls suddenly intensified. Then, they both knelt before Bai Ruozhu and said in unison, ”Please spare our lives, my lady. We were sold and cannot decide for ourselves. If you cannot take us in, we certainly have no way out. We beg you to have mercy on us!”

Wow, the lengthy speech was uttered in unison, and the two were especially synchronized. This is truly interesting!

Onlookers exclaimed in surprise, commenting on how the two must indeed be of one mind.

Bai Ruozhu’s lips curled into a somewhat sarcastic smile. She knew there were tales of twins who could communicate thoughts and even of supernatural abilities, but these weren’t something one would encounter too often. Given the situation today, she was more inclined to believe the performance had been rehearsed in advance.

If the National Duke and the Grand Princess had sent them, they must have anticipated the Bai Family might refuse to accept them. And if refused, what then?

It would be for them to act pitiable and seek Bai Ruozhu’s sympathy.

”You both have such beautiful appearances that my heart melts at the sight. If you truly were sent by the National Duke, even if you were to return, the National Duke wouldn’t have the heart to blame you,” Bai Ruozhu said and then suddenly sterned her expression, ”But the National Duke and the Grand Princess have always been upright and honest. They certainly aren’t the sort of people who indulge in pleasures, so why would they rear dancing girls to give to court officials? Isn’t this the doing of someone using the National Duke’s Residence’s name to smear them, just so the censors can impeach them at tomorrow’s court session?”

Both dancing girls were dumbfounded, having prepared themselves on how to act pitiful, how to beg Bai Ruozhu, and even promising that once they entered the Residence, they would dutifully serve her, their mistress. However, unexpectedly, Bai Ruozhu said they weren’t sent by the Zheng National Duke, so how should they respond?

”We beg the lady to shelter us; we just need a place to stay. We will surely serve the lady and master well, and will definitely heed the lady’s words,” both of them said in unison.

Bai Ruozhu thought to herself that these two were quite quick-witted, certainly not stupid. But not being stupid also meant they might not be honest, as truly honest people would have been scared silly by now, wouldn’t they?

”You are quite pitiful, after all, at the mercy of others,” Bai Ruozhu inquired in a leisurely manner, showing a face full of sympathy.

Both of the stunning dancing girls were somewhat excited; surely, Madame Jiang’s heart had softened.

”Tell me, what can you do? I won’t promise you wealth and prestige, but I can ensure you have enough to eat,” Bai Ruozhu said with a smile.

Jianqi twitched his mouth in the back. His mistress was showing that expression again; whenever she smiled like this, someone was bound to be unlucky.

”In response to the lady’s question, we have been trained in dance since a young age; our dance is passable and can entertain the lady and master with song and dance on ordinary days,” both responded together.

Bai Ruozhu pursed her lips, ”Hmm, not bad, I do quite like watching people dance, especially dancing girls as beautiful as you two.”

The two became excited; it seemed they would be able to enter this door.

”However, how can one watch a dance without good wine and good food? It would be unfair for just my husband and me to enjoy such luxury. With your looks and dancing talent, you could perform for the guests, for example,” Bai Ruozhu said with exceptional kindness. ”Don’t worry, I wouldn’t want you to tire yourselves out. Performing two or three shows a night will be enough; from now on, you’ll live at the place of welcome, where you’ll be provided with both food and lodging, and you’ll get paid monthly along with the other workers. You will receive new clothes every season, and of course, since you’ll be performing, you’ll get a few extra outfits.”

The two dancing girls were stunned. Weren’t they supposed to enter the Residence to serve as consorts for Elder Jiang? Why were they going to perform as dancing girls at the place of welcome?

The two of them had been purchased by the Zheng National Duke with a hefty sum of money and had only performed in the homes of the nobility before. How could they be content performing for common folk like ordinary dancing girls?

”Please do not send us away, lady. We will serve you with proper conduct!” This time the two did not speak simultaneously; it seemed they were panicking, and the one on the left shouted out first.

Bai Ruozhu appeared puzzled and said, ”Didn’t you say that a place to stay would suffice? What’s wrong with the place of welcome? There’s food and shelter, you’re not left on the streets, and you even receive a wage. Why are you still not satisfied?”

Both dancing girls were dumbfounded once more and quickly said, ”We, we don’t wish to always be in the public eye.”

”But your greatest skill is dancing, and you are, after all, dancing girls. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to perform? Even if you were to work in my Residence doing menial chores, could you do it well with your slender arms and legs?” Bai Ruozhu deliberately feigned ignorance.

---

There’s more to come~ Seeing as how Mouka has been quite diligent today, let’s all throw our monthly tickets her way, hehe~