Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 2442: Chapter 2443: Two-Faced Front and Back

”I arrived early that time, and seeing my favorite flowers, I cast my vote. Later, Hui Zi came to find me and said everyone should vote for Yaxi. Hui Zi’s talk is usually straightforward, so everyone thinks she’s candid and loyal. So when she said Yaxi had the best flowers, everyone voted for Yaxi. Oh, Yaxi is the girl who just said she went to find medicine for Hui Zi. My vote was already cast, so I told Hui Zi the truth. She saw the flowers I voted for and said they were Princess Ya’an’s, claiming that Princess Ya’an had a bad character and someone even saw her threatening others to make them vote for her.”

Fangzi pouted, ”I’m not very familiar with Princess Ya’an, but I know she has a gentle personality, so I argued that the princess wouldn’t do that. Who said such a thing? Another rumor?”

Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but laugh, ”So you offended Hui Zi because it was her spreading the rumors, right?”

Fangzi shook her head, ”I don’t know, but after this, none of my former friends talked to me. Later, I found out Hui Zi told them I wanted to cozy up to Princess Ya’an and didn’t acknowledge them as friends.”

Yizi sympathetically tugged Fangzi’s hand, ”It’s not your fault. If they turn against you just for not voting, they weren’t true friends anyway.”

”I was upset for quite a while, and later I have no idea what Hui Zi said, but every time they saw me, they were sarcastic, especially Yaxi, who started to hate me. Probably she thought I wanted to cozy up to the nobility and didn’t recognize them as friends,” Fangzi said, looking somewhat gloomy.

Bai Ruozhu pointed to the distance, ”Look, isn’t that Hui Zi, and the woman holding her arm seems to be someone extraordinary in her attire; could it be Princess Ya’an?”

Fangzi glanced into the distance and looked surprised at Bai Ruozhu, ”Have you seen Princess Ya’an?”

”I haven’t, but you can guess.” Bai Ruozhu’s lips curled slightly. In her previous life as a graduate student in Mi Country, she had come across such people. There were girls who acted one way to your face and another behind your back, stirring trouble everywhere.

But that girl eventually gossiped too much, and once enough people knew, she was isolated. Who wants to be friends with someone who pretends to be your friend to your face but speaks ill of you behind your back?

Bai Ruozhu gestured to the others to stay silent. She wasn’t too far from Hui Zi and could faintly hear their conversation.

”You’ve sustained injuries like this yet insisted on participating in the conference—truly remarkable,” Princess Ya’an spoke softly, her expression genuinely praising Hui Zi.

”It’s necessary, just that my fall was too strange.” Hui Zi’s voice was rough, carrying a hint of anger.

Bai Ruozhu raised an eyebrow; could Hui Zi have sensed Fo Lanying’s manipulation?

”There were only a few people around me at the time; then suddenly Yaxi called me back. I know she prepared for a long time, determined to be the Kui Shou this time. But I really didn’t expect it; we’ve been friends for so long!” Hui Zi grew more indignant as she spoke.

Princess Ya’an looked surprised, ”Really? Yaxi shouldn’t be like that, right?”

”I hope not, but Yaxi is competitive and often fears her family doesn’t value her. She often complains about her parents. I think she is too eager to win.” Hui Zi continued.

Bai Ruozhu smirked and said to Fangzi, ”Don’t be sad anymore. Look at that girl named Yaxi who cared so much for her and even went to find medicine for her, yet Hui Zi still speaks ill of her.”

”What?” Fangzi obviously couldn’t imagine, ”Their relationship is the best.”

”She implies that Yaxi is too eager to win, hinting that Yaxi set her up.” Bai Ruozhu’s smile deepened as she caught a glimpse of Yaxi rushing over.

Fangzi and the others looked over, seeing Yaxi anxiously handing the medicine to Hui Zi, with Princess Ya’an appraising Yaxi from the side.

Hui Zi opened the medicine box, her face sinking slightly, ”This ointment is black. If I apply it, can I still see people? How can I continue with the Poetry Competition?”

Yaxi was stunned, ”But the pharmacist said this is the best bruise ointment.”

”No need. I will give Hui Zi a better ointment; you should keep this for yourself,” Princess Ya’an said, her tone somewhat protective of Hui Zi, indicating she increasingly thought Yaxi had ill intentions.

A bit aggrieved, Yaxi looked at Hui Zi, who displayed a troubled expression, as though saying the princess had a bad temper, but given her noble status, you should bear with it.

Bai Ruozhu found it increasingly entertaining and said to Fangzi, ”Just watch, Hui Zi won’t be able to be proud for long; plotting against even the princess shows she really has nerve.”

At this moment, a maid approached Bai Ruozhu and said, ”Officer Bai, please follow me to the judges’ seats to prepare.”

Bai Ruozhu stood up and said to Fo Lanying and Yizi, ”You should hang out with Fangzi below, and don’t cause trouble.”

The last four words were directed at Fo Lanying, as Yizi was more well-behaved.

Fo Lanying chuckled softly, ”Don’t worry, even if I cause trouble, I won’t let anyone catch me.”

Bai Ruozhu gave her an exasperated look; though her Divine Sense Attack indeed left no evidence, doing it multiple times would surely arouse suspicion. If the Fusang people started watching them, it would become inconvenient.

Subsequently, Bai Ruozhu followed the maid to the judges’ seats, where several others were already seated, including a middle-aged woman with a clear and thin face, an elegantly dressed lady, and even a young, handsome man.

Bai Ruozhu was somewhat surprised, thinking there wouldn’t be any men here.

The maid paid her respects and introduced Bai Ruozhu to the others, ”This is Officer Bai from Danliang Country; His Majesty the Emperor has ordered her to join you as today’s judge.”

The others greeted Bai Ruozhu, and the maid briefly introduced them before stepping aside.

The woman with a clear and thin face is a female scholar known for her fame in poetry. The elegant lady was once a talented woman of Kyoto and won the Tangfen Poetry Contest as Kui Shou. The handsome young man was last year’s Kui Shou in the Imperial Examination.

The Imperial Examination is Fusang Country’s examination system, a way to select talented individuals, which places great importance on Chinese culture.

”It’s enviable that Zhongyuan women can now become officers,” the woman with a clear and thin face said, her tone filled with lamentation and a tinge of regret for not being born at the right time to become an officer like men.

”I’ve heard your country is now promoting female education; there will surely be female officers in the future.” Bai Ruozhu replied with a smile.

The woman smiled at her gratefully, ”I hope so.”

The elegant lady chimed in with laughter, ”Teacher Nai must be strict with my girl Yaxi, to see if she has the chance to become a female officer in the future.”