"If you don’t tell the truth, we can’t give you the silver. Who knows if you’re just trying to smear my aunt?" Bai Zehao said intimidatingly. Being brawny and taller than Niu Pazi by half a head, his fierceness indeed frightened Niu Pazi.
"My cousin looks exactly like my aunt. How could he not be her own son? Your words are simply unbelievable," Bai Ruozhu added, curling her lips disdainfully and shaking her head.
"I don’t want to hear your nonsense. Let’s go to the County Government Office immediately. Let’s see if you can still keep your mouth shut after receiving twenty canings!" Lin Ping’er interrupted harshly.
"Er Lang is acquainted with Officer Li, he can explain our situation," Bai Yihong timely chimed in, "Are you aware that my younger brother has recently passed the imperial examination, and even secured the top position?"
Niu Pazi shuddered. Had she known this, she would never have dared to provoke them.
"Alright, I’ll tell, I’ll tell!" screeched Niu Pazi, "The doctor’s surname is Fu. Six years ago, his hair had already turned white, and he practiced at Fushou Hall. I don’t know whether he’s still there now."
Finding someone with the surname of Fu should not be difficult, but Bai Ruozhu was somewhat worried about whether the doctor was still alive.
"So, the child was really picked up by you? You don’t know his origin?" Bai Ruozhu asked, fixing her stare at Niu Pazi.
Niu Pazi shivered, the girl before her was only about sixteen or seventeen, yet her gaze felt so piercing, as if it could see into her very soul. She could feel the hair standing on end all over her body.
"I don’t know who left him at my doorstep. What a sin." Niu Pazi muttered, lowering her head.
Not only did Bai Ruozhu notice her discomfort, but everyone from the Bai family also picked up on it. Nonetheless, Bai Ruozhu did not question further. She took out two taels of silver and gave it to Niu Pazi, then left with her family.
"Ruozhu, she is not telling the whole truth, why didn’t you question further?" Bai Yihong anxiously asked as soon as they stepped out.
Bai Ruozhu shook her head, "She will not tell us even if we pressure her further. We will have more opportunities later."
Bai Ruozhu left unsaid what was actually on her mind. She knew that Xiaosi was not the biological child of the Wang family. For her, that was a relief. She was somewhat afraid of knowing Xiaosi’s true identity, or to be precise, she was afraid that Xiaosi might leave due to uncovering his real identity.
"I never understood why my aunt could ignore Xiaosi. Today, I finally got it," Bai Zehao commented with a sigh.
Lin Ping’er too was feeling emotional. "I always said that the old lady’s mistreatment would cause some problem. Anyone else would have raised a fuss by now. But my sister-in-law settled for some silver. It is clear that she doesn’t care about him probably because he is not her own son. "
At this moment, Bai Ruozhu felt a flicker of excitement, even hope. Although it seemed unfair to Xiaosi, having parents like Bai Yibo and Wang was undoubtedly worse than being an orphan.
"Once we return to the town, we shall track down Dr. Fu, persuade him to testify for us, then sue Niu Pazi at the County Government Office for falsely accusing my aunt and extorting our silver." Bai Ruozhu’s eyes gleamed with determination. She planned not to merely kill two birds with one stone, but three if possible.
Bai Yihong, being rather soft-hearted, asked hesitantly, "Are we really going to file a lawsuit? Didn’t she confess to us already? Wouldn’t it be better if we avoided getting involved in a legal dispute?"
"But she hadn’t told us the full truth, has she? How are we going to expose my aunt without accusing her? How are we going to uncover the mystery behind Xiaosi’s origins? I know that this may hurt Xiaosi, but it’s better to face the pain now than in the future. The sooner he gets away from my aunt’s family, the healthier his growth can be." Bai Ruozhu’s tone cooled, "Don’t forget about San Lang. His leg will eventually heal. Once he’s up and about, he will undoubtedly continue tormenting Xiaosi."
Thinking of the cruel-hearted San Lang, a cold smile surfaced on Bai Ruozhu’s face. Breaking his leg was just a small lesson. Soon, she would teach him an even bigger one.
"Father, I agree with Xiaomei’s thoughts. Niu Pazi is also not a good person. This kind of person deserves to be punished." Bai Zehao stood by his sister’s side once again.
Lin Ping’er echoed, "And yes, we can’t simply waste our silver."
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but laugh. She felt that she had passed on her love for money to her mother, "Mother, we will certainly get our silver back."
Upon hearing this, Lin Ping’er’s face broke into a wide grin, "It’s not about being greedy for money, it’s just that we shouldn’t let the fruits of our hard work be benefited by such a person."
The whole family burst into laughter. It was clear that she was indeed fascinated by money, wasn’t she?
Once back home, the family updated Bai Zehao and Fang Guizhi about the information they had extracted. Both Bai Zehao and Fang Guizhi were initially as surprised as everyone else, and sympathized with Xiaosi’s situation. But soon, they began to feel happy for Xiaosi.
"Ruozhu, what do you think grandpa would do if he found out Xiaosi isn’t a blood relative of the Bai family?" Lin Ping’er asked anxiously, "If they decide not to keep Xiaosi, can we raise him instead?"
Bai Ruozhu nodded vigorously saying, "Definitely. Even now, they hardly pay any attention to Xiaosi, considering him a disgrace to the Bai family. If they find out Xiaosi is not their own, wouldn’t they care even less?"
"Then we should take Xiaosi in. No one cares for that child, but we will." Bai Yihong said decisively.
"We should treat Xiaosi as our own son, he would be a true little brother to you guys," Lin Ping’er agreed.
Bai Ruozhu’s eyes filled with tears. Undoubtedly, her parents were the best parents in the whole world. They not only showered their three children with unconditional love but also respected and genuinely cared for the less fortunate, like Xiaosi and Guizhi.
She must have suffered a great deal in her previous life which is why God gave her such wonderful parents and family in this life. No matter how much effort it took, she would certainly live up to their expectations in this life.
When she got home, Bai Ruozhu fed Dengdeng, and then, taking her brother along, she went to Fushou Hall. Upon inquiring, they found out that Dr. Fu had retired due to poor health two years ago, but fortunately, he still lived in the town.
Bai Ruozhu told the shopkeeper at Fushou Hall that they were friends visiting Dr. Fu, so he kindly gave them Dr. Fu’s address. Bai Ruozhu looked at the address and was surprised. Bai Zehao looked at it too and seemed equally surprised.
What a coincidence! Dr. Fu’s residence was located on the same street as the Xie Residence, and quite nearby too.
"We might have passed by Dr. Fu or his family members these past few days without noticing." Bai Zehao said.
"Let’s go and check his residence." Bai Ruozhu suggested.
Following the address, the two arrived at Fu’s residence. After knocking on the door, a woman answered, looking guarded, "Who are you looking for?"
Understandably, it was getting dark, and people naturally tend to be more cautious.
"Aunt, we are here to visit Dr. Fu. Is he home?" Bai Ruozhu said politely.
A hint of annoyance flashed across the woman’s face, "My father-in-law is of advanced age and no longer treats patients. You may leave now."