Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1570: Chapter 1570: No Need to Blame Yourself_1

”Ruozhu!” Jiang Yichun called out softly, his gaze alert as he looked around before coaxing her, ”You go back first, we’ll talk later, don’t let anyone hear.”

Bai Ruozhu snorted coldly, shook off his hand, and walked away. She didn’t head for Cining Palace but instead left the Palace and went straight back to the Bai Residence.

The Empress Dowager had been looking for Bai Ruozhu, and upon asking, someone mentioned she had left the Palace looking troubled. Thinking she was frightened by the execution, the Empress Dowager simply issued an imperial decree allowing her to rest at home for two days to recuperate.

As evening approached, a drizzle began to fall from the sky, bringing a chill with the autumn rain, making the previously hot weather suddenly cool, even giving hints of the deep autumn’s cold.

Bai Ruozhu added a wrap for Little Dengdeng and held Dengdeng as she looked at the picture book she had drawn. Little Dengdeng, pointing to the Big Bad Wolf, said, ”Mom, why can’t this big bad wolf ever die? Why is he so powerful?”

”Little silly, it’s because Pleasant Goat and his friends are kind. They just teach the Big Bad Wolf a lesson, they wouldn’t kill him,” Bai Ruozhu said with a smile, thinking to herself that if the Big Bad Wolf died, and the goats lived happily ever after, wouldn’t the story come to an end?

Little Dengdeng clenched her little fist and said, ”I don’t like them anymore, they all get eaten by the Big Bad Wolf yet they’re still so soft-hearted, too stupid!”

Bai Ruozhu was taken aback. Should she educate her child on what is true, good, and beautiful? But in a world where it’s the survival of the fittest, she really feared that teaching her child to be too soft-hearted would lead to big losses in the future.

Would the Emperor also feel that sparing Concubine Xu was being too soft-hearted?

She couldn’t help but think of Concubine Xu and Concubine Lü. She felt that she hadn’t wronged Concubine Lü in any way. Originally proposing the bet to treat Concubine Lü’s illness was Wei Pengbo’s idea. Moreover, Wei Pengbo even secretly harmed Concubine Lü to make her lose the bet. She was a victim herself, wasn’t she?

Not to mention the help she provided to Concubine Lü before, but even afterwards, it was she who saved Concubine Lü. Why should Concubine Lü blame everything on her? And why should she harm Concubine Xu just to hurt her?

Bai Ruozhu sneered. Concubine Lü was just a crazy, stinking bitch. She waited to see how Concubine Lü would live a life worse than death.

”Mom, Mom!” Little Dengdeng saw that his mother was distracted, and he shook her vigorously, asking worriedly, ”Mom, are you unhappy?”

Bai Ruozhu quickly put on a smile, ”No, mom was just lost in thought. What’s wrong?”

”Finished it, are there any new ones?” Little Dengdeng looked hopeful.

”Uh... Mom has been quite busy recently and hasn’t had the chance to draw new ones, but there will be some in a few days,” Bai Ruozhu said, her lips twitching slightly. She was drawing the picture books herself for her child to look at, but she needed many days to finish just one. Plus, she wasn’t trained in drawing and often couldn’t create the images she had in her mind. And yet, Little Dengdeng could finish looking through a picture album in less than half an hour; she simply couldn’t keep up with her son’s reading speed.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She could hire a group of people, not necessarily highly skilled artists, but as long as they had basic drawing skills and some creativity, they could help her create picture books. Then she could open a bookstore specializing in children’s picture book stories—wouldn’t that be innovative?

Even if it didn’t make money, it would be a great thing to help enlighten the children of Danliang.

Bai Ruozhu’s previously low spirits lifted at the idea of making money, and she immediately ran to find Xiaosi and Zhanna to share her idea.

Xiaosi had a natural talent for painting and had loved it from a young age, so he was very interested. Zhanna, being unable to move her legs, had recently stayed indoors reading, writing, and painting, which fortunately gave her something to do.

Bai Ruozhu took out the picture books she had previously given to Little Dengdeng for them to look at, while Little Dengdeng watched with an expression of reluctance, whispering, ”Be gentle with them, don’t damage them.”

Xiaosi couldn’t help but laugh loudly, ”Alright, uncle won’t damage them for our Little Dengdeng. I’ll draw a new book for Little Dengdeng later, about adventures in River Jiang.”

Bai Ruozhu’s lips twitched; that subject seemed hardly appropriate for children’s literature...

She then explained the concept of the picture books to them, saying that the drawings didn’t need to be very detailed but rather simple, easy to understand, and cute so that children would find them accessible and likable. The stories naturally had to be positive and healthy, such as teaching children good habits and some moral lessons, and so on.

Xiaosi and Zhanna listened with shining eyes, as if a new Main Gate had opened before them. Seeing their quick comprehension, Bai Ruozhu simply set them assignments to mull over and then show her once completed.

Xiaosi’s assignment was about a child brushing their teeth, while Zhanna’s was about enjoying a delicious meal by oneself.

Both of them went back to their respective tasks with great enthusiasm. Bai Ruozhu thought it best to get Zhanna involved, so that in the future Zhanna could help her manage the creation of the picture books, and as for Xiaosi acquiring an additional skill he loved, that was naturally the best outcome.

At night, Bai Ruozhu put Little Dengdeng to bed and then returned to her own room to wash up before going to bed. Not long after, Jiang Yichun barged in drenched.

She felt some irritation in her heart, but seeing that his hair and clothes were wet, she couldn’t bear to be harsh. She got up and said, ”I’ll have someone bring in hot water, so you can wash up and change your clothes to avoid catching a cold.”

Jiang Yichun’s somewhat chilly hand pressed against her shoulder as he smiled and said, ”Don’t get up. It suddenly became much cooler today, and you might catch a chill. I’ve already told the servants.”

Her heart warmed slightly, so she lay back down, her large eyes scrutinizing him somewhat.

He started taking off his damp clothes while speaking, ”I secretly drugged Consort Lv. She confessed quite a bit, although she was not originally planted by Prince Duan. Instead, it was her handmaiden who provoked her. But that handmaiden wasn’t Prince Duan’s confidant either; she was lured by an old eunuch. However, I have yet to act against that old eunuch, having someone secretly watch over him, for fear of startling the snake in the grass.”

”Oh,” Bai Ruozhu responded dully. What’s the use? The beautiful Xu has already died. If I had known it would turn out this way, I would have risked everything to stop the execution.

He had already removed his top, with only a damp pair of ancient underwear left on his lower body. He turned his head and saw her looking dejected, stepped to the side of the bed quickly, and grabbed her soft hand, whispering, ”Don’t blame yourself. There was no way you could have stopped the execution alone.”

”But at least I would have tried and had a clear conscience,” she said, her voice choked with a sense of wrong and self-reproach as if she were a child unsure of what to do.

He held her tenderly, pulling her into his embrace, her face against his chest. His skin was slightly cool, yet it brought her a sense of tranquility that had been missing.

”Don’t take Consort Lv’s words to heart. She was simply jealous of the beautiful Xu and said those things just to make you unhappy,” said Jiang Yichun, his eyes flashing coldly. If Ruozhu hadn’t told him that she had already dealt with Consort Lv, he would have truly wanted to twist Consort Lv’s neck himself. But he refrained, knowing he had to let her vent the hatred in her heart.