Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 2344: Chapter 2343: Trouble Caused by the Earrings

Because Teng Ya’s feet were bare, and similarly large and black, her toenails weren’t very clean, and there were some cracks on her toes.

She looked at Bai Ruozhu’s clean embroidered shoes and suddenly felt ashamed, feeling embarrassed to raise her head for the first time.

On the boat, she had seen dignitaries before, but rarely this close, and no one had ever spoken to her. Additionally, this was a sea vessel and there were seldom any women aboard, much less ones as beautiful as the fairy-like sister in front of her.

Bai Ruozhu was perceptive and quickly guessed her mood, couldn’t help but feel some sympathy, warmly reaching out to take her hand and say, ”You resemble my sister quite a bit; meeting like this must be destiny, this is a gift for you to wear.”

What she handed to Teng Ya was a purse, inside was a pair of exquisite and petite silver earrings, suitable for Teng Ya’s identity without causing trouble.

Teng Ya, who was quite cheerful due to growing up on the boat, was braver than the average girl, but at this moment, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.

No one had ever held her hand like this or spoken to her so gently; even her mother hadn’t.

This sister’s hand was so soft; it made her feel more anxious, her own hands being so rough, would she dislike it?

”You can come to play with us when you have time. We get bored on the boat; you could tell us stories about the sea,” Bai Ruozhu said with a smile.

Teng Ya snapped back to reality, nodded vigorously, ”Alright, thank you, madam!”

After Teng Ya left, Mo Beishan looked at Bai Ruozhu and asked, ”Is there something wrong with this little boat girl?”

Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him, ”Must there be a hidden motive behind everything I do? She truly resembles my adopted sister from before.”

Back in the Mountain Village, Guizhi was much like Teng Ya, tanned and working hard every day for the family. Yet, her character was cheerful, just like Teng Ya, smiling with neat teeth and her bright, black eyes.

If it weren’t for Guizhi’s mother selling her daughter and binding her, Guizhi might have remained that simple and happy.

I hope Teng Ya can continue to be simple and happy like that.

Wait, Bai Ruozhu suddenly sensed something, but it flashed away like a fleeting thought.

She shook her head secretly, perhaps she was overthinking; what could be happening?

In the evening, Zheng Xin came to ask if they wanted to buy seasickness medicine; Bai Ruozhu had already instructed Fang Luo to buy some, so Fang Luo coldly purchased a packet of drug powder.

Zheng Xin left very satisfied.

The next day, Bai Ruozhu noticed that the girl named Teng Ya hadn’t come to find her, guessing perhaps she was shy.

Yet she didn’t show up even when delivering food, maybe she was assigned some other task.

At lunchtime, when someone came to deliver food, there was a woman whose eyebrows and eyes resembled Teng Ya’s, prompting Bai Ruozhu to ask, ”Are you Teng Ya’s mother?”

The woman hesitated, then saluted, ”Replying to the madam, you are correct.”

Bai Ruozhu thought that the woman seemed quite polite, with a sense of literacy.

”Why haven’t I seen Teng Ya? I’d like her to tell me stories about the sea,” Bai Ruozhu said with a smile.

Teng Ya’s mother had a flash of worry in her eyes, lowered her head and said, ”That dark-haired girl knows nothing about stories; I’m afraid she’ll provoke the madam’s anger. If madam wants anything known, I can tell you just the same.”

Bai Ruozhu detected Teng Ya’s mother’s concealment, considered for a moment and said, ”I just feel drawn to her, perhaps she can come to my room to play later.”

The woman hesitated slightly before saying, ”I beg for madam’s forgiveness; that girl caught a cold, truly afraid of passing it on.”

”Don’t worry; I’m a doctor, I can take a look and prescribe some medicine for her,” Bai Ruozhu said.

”That- that wouldn’t be right; people like us shouldn’t trouble madam. Just sweating it out should be fine,” Teng Ya’s mother hurriedly said.

Bai Ruozhu knew she was hiding something but didn’t press further and let her leave.

After finishing her meal, Bai Ruozhu said to Jiang Yichun, ”It’s boring on the boat; I’ll go check on that little girl and see what’s going on.”

Jiang Yichun also stood up, ”I’ll accompany you.”

”I’m going to that young girl’s room; it’d be inconvenient for you to follow. You should go practice on your own,” Bai Ruozhu said, abandoning him as she walked away.

Jiang Yichun touched his nose and turned to see Mo Beishan grinning gleefully in Schadenfreude; he walked over to pat Mo Beishan’s shoulder and said, ”Mo Beishan, we haven’t seen each other in quite a while, why don’t we spar a bit?”

”Huh?” Mo Beishan felt like he was about to get beaten, but before he could object, Jiang Yichun dragged him out of the ship cabin, saying, ”Aren’t you always the one who loves sparring? I’ll practice with you today.”

As Jiang Yichun and Mo Beishan sparred, it immediately attracted many sailors and ship workers as onlookers, which made Bai Ruozhu’s path to finding Teng Ya much easier.

The people living in the galley stayed in the lower cabins; Bai Ruozhu went down two levels, searched around for quite a while, and finally found Teng Ya in a small room.

She glanced around the room; there was bedding laid directly on the floor, visually apparent that their family of three shared this small space...

Teng Ya hurriedly raised her head at the sound of movement, and upon seeing Bai Ruozhu standing at the door, her eyes widened.

”Your mother said you caught a cold; I’m a doctor, so I came to check on you,” Bai Ruozhu walked in with a smile.

Teng Ya hurriedly scooted back, scared, ”Madam, it’s dirty here, you shouldn’t enter!”

Bai Ruozhu noticed her head constantly tilted, went over quickly to grab her arm and asked, ”What’s wrong with your face?”

Teng Ya was pulled back, her head turned; Bai Ruozhu relaxed a bit on finding her face unharmed, but quickly felt stunned.

Because there was nothing wrong with Teng Ya’s face; it was her ear!

The bottom of her left earlobe had a bloodstain, severely swollen at that moment.

”What’s wrong with your ear?” Bai Ruozhu almost shouted.

The boat might face many risks, but how could it hurt an earlobe?

She quickly figured it out, held up Teng Ya and asked, ”Was it because I gave you the earrings?”

She had considered Teng Ya’s situation at the time, so didn’t opt for a more valuable reward, but rather chose two plain silver earrings, simply a delicate design resembling small daisies, honestly worth only a few currency.

Yet clearly, someone had pulled off her earrings, tearing her earlobe!

”No, it wasn’t, I just accidentally scratched it; it has nothing to do with anyone else. Madam, you mustn’t overthink,” Teng Ya said in a panicked fluster.

Bai Ruozhu knew she was surely lying; if it was really accidentally scratched, it would be simple enough to explain, why so nervous?

Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help thinking about the officer-on-lower-worker bullying cases, her heart involuntarily sinking. She thought the little girl was cute and deserving of tiny gifts, not expecting it would bring her harm!