Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1708: Chapter 1708: More Formidable than the County Grandfather

After returning to Mountain Village, Bai Ruozhu rested at home for seven or eight days, but she didn’t sever ties with the outside world. During this time, she sent Jianqi and others to the Commerce Association to constantly gather news, and finally received a secret message from her master, saying that he had helped her save Fang Guizhi and Wa San.

Bai Ruozhu excitedly shared this good news with her parents, and five days later, she received more good news, a letter from Zhang Liliang, saying that they were already on their way to Mountain Village.

These two pieces of good news made Bai Ruozhu eat an extra bowl of rice, and even her morning sickness disappeared. Lin Ping’er couldn’t help but exclaim that a good mood is the most effective for a pregnant woman.

Meanwhile, some rumors about Bai Ruozhu began circulating in the village. It was unclear whether they originated from the old mansion or if someone else deliberately spread them. Bai Ruozhu couldn’t be bothered with them, and she had no desire to have any contact with the old mansion at all.

In the Main Hall, Wan Caiyue quietly said to Lin Ping’er, ”Mom, today when I went out, I heard more bad things, and some people even made jabs at me, saying Ruozhu was divorced and sent back home. I almost got into a big fight with them. I’m just worried that if this rumor reaches Ruozhu, and with her worrying about her brother-in-law, wouldn’t she be even more upset?”

Lin Ping’er, who had restrained herself quite a bit in the Capital City for the sake of a noblewoman’s image, felt her innate combative spirit stirring again after returning to the village.

”Who? Who said it? I’ll bring people and tear their foul mouths apart!” Lin Ping’er shouted.

Wan Caiyue quickly pulled her, gesturing for silence, ”Mom, don’t let Ruozhu hear this.

Lin Ping’er thought about her daughter resting for pregnancy and immediately suppressed her anger, mumbling, ”Forget it, it’s not worth fussing with them. Our Ruozhu is a Chief Doctor personally appointed by the Emperor, who dares to divorce her? Even if a divorce happens, she’s the one initiating it against Xiaojiang.”

Wan Caiyue was amused, ”Mom, my brother-in-law treats Ruozhu so well, why would she divorce him?”

Thinking of her son-in-law who was devoted to her daughter, not taking any concubines nor visiting Liu Alley as those fancy young men in the Capital, Lin Ping’er squinted her eyes with a smile, ”I was just saying it casually.”

But less than two days later, the rumors intensified, with people saying that Lin Ping’er didn’t dare let out a fart and definitely kept quiet because the rumors were true and she had no face to confront them.

At this time, someone in the village encountered the old mansion’s Madam Liu and curiously asked, ”Aunt Bai, I heard your third granddaughter was divorced? It’s not true, right? Isn’t it said that your second son is doing well, so how could your daughter be divorced?”

Liu’s eyes rolled, and she snorted, ”My grandson-in-law is from an aristocratic family in the Capital, and his grandpa is an elder statesman. It was only due to an unexpected turn of events that he married Ruozhu when he was down on his luck. But big families have many rules, and with Ruozhu’s wild nature, it’s likely she doesn’t fit in.”

”Oh, so it’s true, she got divorced?” The gossiping woman looked excited. She had seen Bai Ruozhu from afar, and Ruozhu’s aura had made her green with envy.

”How would I know? Once kids make a name for themselves, they look down on us.” Liu said carelessly, then walked away with small steps.

The gossiping woman quickly spread these words around the village, saying Bai Ruozhu was definitely divorced, and some even said it was retribution for Bai Yihong’s family being heartless after gaining wealth.

Bai Ruozhu didn’t ask Jianqi about this, and the dark guards there, even if they heard idle talk, couldn’t care less, nor would they report it to their master. But that didn’t mean others would sit idly by.

Wan Caiyue’s mother, Wan Su’s wife, being the daughter-in-law of a clan elder, was known in the village for her eloquence and helpfulness to various families, earning her great popularity.

She first pretended to encounter the gossiping woman on the street. In front of Wan Su’s wife, the gossiping woman didn’t dare talk nonsense, after all, the Bai Family and Wan Family were related by marriage.

”Oh, isn’t this Zhao family daughter-in-law? Why aren’t you in the fields yet?” Wan Su’s wife greeted with a smile.

”I’m going soon.” The gossiping woman replied.

Wan Su’s wife chatted idly with her for a bit and then said smilingly, ”My Caiyue really has a good life. Her in-laws’ younger brother and sister both became officials, and the Emperor and Empress Dowager even sent them gifts that made their way to her. Those things are so rare that I’ve never even seen them.”

Zhao family daughter-in-law mused, thinking that Wan Su’s wife didn’t usually flaunt like this. Wait, she suddenly realized, what did she mean by brother and sister both became officials? Wasn’t it just Bai Yihong’s second son who passed the exams?

Curiosity gnawed at her, and she hastily asked, ”What sister became an official? Can women become officials?”

Wan Su’s wife wore a ”you really don’t know” look and laughed while explaining, ”It’s Ruozhu, not only is she a conferred Lady, she’s also the Chief Doctor in the Palace, managing all the female doctors with a fourth-rank position, you know? Our county magistrate is only seventh-rank.”

The Zhao family daughter-in-law was already dumbfounded, listening to Wan Su’s wife continue, ”Our Ruozhu treats the Palace’s nobility, her medical skills are so outstanding that even the Emperor values her. Her husband is also a close minister of the Emperor, they are both very capable. Most importantly, her husband, although an aristocratic young master from the Capital, doesn’t have those chaotic habits. All this time, he hasn’t taken concubines or bedchambers, Ruozhu really is lucky.”

Wan Su’s wife seemed to murmur to herself afterward, ”A fourth-rank official, with numerous bodyguards, who are those foolish enough to gossip blindly not afraid of being dragged out for a beating? You can’t even gossip about the county magistrate, let alone a much higher official.”

The Zhao family daughter-in-law was already speechless, what? Beating? It couldn’t be that serious, right?

As she left in a daze, Wan Su’s wife smiled slyly before visiting several other households to recount the same story, continuing until her mouth went dry, and finally, happily returning home.

Bai Ruozhu was unaware of this incident until the next day, when she went for a walk in the village and noticed that the people she met looked at her with strange expressions, part curious, part apprehensive. She wondered what was going on.

So she instructed Jianqi to investigate, and soon Jianqi clarified everything and reported it all to her.

Bai Ruozhu was unconcerned about the villagers’ conjectures but was very grateful for Wan Su’s actions and thanked her profusely when she met her sister-in-law Wan Caiyue at dinner that evening.

After this, the rumors in the village indeed subsided considerably, though some still said Bai Yihong’s family was not filial, even encouraging Bai Fu to file a complaint against Bai Yihong, but Bai Fu just listened and did nothing.

A few days later, an inconspicuous horse carriage drove into Mountain Village and stopped at the Bai Family’s main gate. When Bai Ruozhu saw the visitors, she couldn’t help but widen her eyes...