Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 2048: Chapter 2046: Not Worth It

”Bai Ruozhu, you did it on purpose!” Bi Tao shouted angrily, ”You’re falsely accusing me, trying to ruin my reputation. How could you be so shameless?”

Before Bai Ruozhu could argue, Luo Xiang said, ”How can the things you’ve told me possibly involve Sister Bai? She wasn’t even here at that time! Just now, you were the one instigating us to trouble Sister Bai, openly and secretly saying she was making up stories to fool us, causing us to waste half a day yesterday. Tell us, what’s your true intention?”

The other women also showed disdain, having exposed Bi Tao, yet she still refused to admit, pushing the blame onto others.

It would have been better if she admitted directly, others might even think she has some courage.

”Bi Tao, tell us, why did you do this? Was it just to meddle with my relationship with Du Juan?” Luo Xiang asked angrily.

Bi Tao looked aggrieved, ”I didn’t mean that, I just spoke wrongly. We’ve known each other for years, don’t you trust me?”

”Precisely because we’ve known each other for years, we understand your character more clearly.” Du Juan said bluntly.

”I...” Bi Tao started, then burst into tears, Jiao Ling was alerted and came over to the room to ask, ”What’s going on here?”

”Aunt!” Bi Tao called out aggrievedly, and continued crying.

After all, an elder arrived, others couldn’t say much, so Luo Xiang commented, ”Ask Bi Tao yourself, we will leave first, not disturbing further.”

Qin Qin said to Bai Ruozhu, ”Sister Bai, we’ll come find you to play later.”

”Alright, I haven’t prepared anything today, come tomorrow and I’ll give you some small trinkets.” Bai Ruozhu replied with a smile.

Everyone thanked her and then happily left.

”What’s really happening?” Jiao Ling frowned and asked.

Bi Tao, with an aggrieved look like a wronged wife, said, ”You should ask Bai Ruozhu. She told everyone I said the clan’s girls were ignorant. Now everyone ignores me, it’s all her fault!”

”How could Ruozhu harm you? She has no reason to!” Jiao Ling knew Bai Ruozhu well enough—she never initiated trouble unless provoked, and surely Bai Ruozhu had no reason to begrudge Bi Tao, right? How is Bi Tao superior to her?

”Even you don’t trust me, Aunt?” Bi Tao stomped angrily and then ran home crying.

Jiao Ling opened her mouth but didn’t call her back. She turned and smiled apologetically at Bai Ruozhu, saying, ”She’s been spoiled too much, don’t take it seriously.”

Bai Ruozhu nodded without elaborating, not because she didn’t trust her aunt but because she didn’t want to complicate things, since it involved her master’s daughter, Bi Tao.

”Where is grandma?” Bai Ruozhu asked, wanting to check Jiao Yunyun’s pulse and start treatment as soon as possible.

”She likes quiet; seeing lots of family here, she went to the Peach Forest.” Jiao Ling replied.

”I’ll go find her.” Bai Ruozhu said, lifting her dress hem and headed downstairs, walking swiftly towards the Peach Forest.

The Peach Forest was the same as the previous day, with pink peach blossoms scattered everywhere, creating an unreal impression.

It seemed her grandma especially liked this place, along with the mysterious Feng Cheng.

A gentle breeze carried fragrant air, and Bai Ruozhu breathed it in, finding herself fond of the place too.

Soon, she spotted Jiao Yunyun under a tree, sitting as she was when they first met, emitting an aura of solitude.

Feeling a pang of empathy, she slowly approached.

”Grandma, here’s the jade pendant you dropped earlier.” She retrieved the jade pendant from her space, holding it out before Jiao Yunyun.

”You’ve finally come!” Jiao Yunyun said, her eyes lost focus, somewhat dazed, catching Bai Ruozhu off guard—realizing the ”you” she mentioned was not herself.

”It’s me, Ruozhu. Grandma, wake up.” Bai Ruozhu said softly, but her heart ached, knowing Jiao Yunyun was waiting for someone else.

Jiao Yunyun reached out to take the jade pendant, her eyes gradually clearing.

”This jade pendant was originally a pair, given as tokens of love by him. Before the great elder forcibly took me away, I left the other piece with Duoduo. Oh, Duoduo is a nickname I gave your father—’Duoduo’ implies ’big bell’, mirroring Lingling’s name. That’s how I’ve called your father all these years.” Jiao Ling explained.

”Back then, when Bai Yuanqing entrusted my father to Bai Fu, he took a jade pendant, and later Bai Fu pawned it. I think that’s the one you mentioned.” Bai Ruozhu replied.

”Your father has suffered over the years.” Jiao Yunyun spoke softly, her presence felt faint, almost as if she might vanish.

She reached out her aged hand to catch a falling peach blossom, seemingly speaking to herself, ”Never having traveled, I thought Tao Hua only existed in Jiuli, so when I first saw this Peach Blossom Forest outside, I was very surprised, then encountered a young man.”

She smiled, the aged face gaining a hint of happiness.

”He was a frail youth, even younger than me, looking like a bean sprout. I was arrogant, spoke rudely, angering him and starting an argument which unexpectedly led to a tragic bond.” Jiao Yunyun mentioned, then fell silent again, thoughts drifting decades back.

Bai Ruozhu felt empathy and said, ”Grandma, there were many misunderstandings back then, including Bai Yuanqing’s schemes.”

”I know.” Jiao Yunyun answered calmly.

Bai Ruozhu was surprised, realizing she knew everything, no wonder she couldn’t let go.

”The poison in me was also caused by Bai Yuanqing; he feared I wouldn’t be easily controlled. I’ve only realized this after returning for a long time. They say ’insiders can be blind while outsiders see clearly’, I was too naive back then.” Jiao Yunyun laughed bitterly.

”But why...” Why didn’t you go find him?

”So I waited for him a lifetime, yet he never came.” Jiao Yunyun’s face was against the light, but Bai Ruozhu still saw the tears flow.

She has waited all her life, but he married another, had children, continued his legacy, while she only had this Peach Forest, lonely awaiting him.

At this instant, Bai Ruozhu resented Bai Guanghe, why didn’t he come to Jiuli, why not look for Jiao Yunyun, even if merely attempting?

Just as Jiao Yunyun dared not bring him back to Jiuli previously, he also dared not come to Jiuli, or perhaps once thought she turned her affection to Bai Yuanqing.

These words stuck in her throat, unsaid, fearing Jiao Yunyun’s distress, feeling it’s not worthwhile for Jiao Yunyun’s lifetime of waiting.

”Grandma, let’s go back, I need to treat you, first stabilizing the accumulated toxins.” Bai Ruozhu said, helping Jiao Yunyun up, when she suddenly glimpsed a pale clothing’s edge, hesitated and quickly told Jiao Yunyun, ”Grandma, I’ll find someone, be back soon. Wait here.”

She said and ran towards the edge of the clothing.

”Who are you?” Seeing the person, she immediately asked.