"Bullshit! Do you think I don’t know you’ve been sleeping with my son-in-law? My daughter’s scandal has only been public for a month, and you’re already carrying an illegitimate child. Do you take us all for fools?" Wang Chen’s said, violently spitting. The saliva hit Zhou the widow before she could dodge it.
Zhou the widow pulled a disgusted face but calmly wiped herself clean with a handkerchief, then leisurely tossed it on the ground. It was clear that she deemed the handkerchief too dirty to use after wiping off Wang Chen’s spit.
These subtle actions irritated Wang Chen’s to the point of nearly losing her breath. Bai Ruozhu struggled to suppress her amusement at how Zhou the widow’s behavior far surpassed that of Wang Chen’s.
Infuriated and about to claw at Zhou the widow’s face, Wang Chen’s was held back by Bai Lu. He motioned to several women to separate her from Zhou the widow and to soothe her words.
"What, are you protecting Bai Yibo’s mistress now? You won’t allow me to fight her?" Wang Chen’s challenged Bai Lu.
Bai Lu frowned, "I can’t interfere with your family matters, but if you cause turmoil in Fengye Village—even if it results in a death—I won’t interfere. The government office will handle it. But how can I, as an elder, ignore you making such a scene in Fengye Village?"
"Fine. How about this? Let this cheap woman leave the village right now. I promise she won’t disrupt the peace of Fengye Village anymore," Wang Chen’s shouted.
However, Zhou the widow laughed all of a sudden, "My house is here, I’m not going anywhere. If you make a scene again, I’ll report it to the authorities."
"You think you scare me? Go ahead, tell the authorities! Let the officers decide how to punish you for adultery!"
The argument began again, leaving Bai Lu with a throbbing headache. He decided not to intervene further, knowing that the others could handle the situation for now.
He stepped next to Bai Ruozhu and whispered, "Ruozhu, today is supposed to be the day of Dengdeng’s induction into the family registry. I didn’t expect such an incident to happen. I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you."
"Grandpa, please don’t say that. We are already grateful that Dengdeng could be registered in the family record. We couldn’t prevent this from happening, and it’s not anyone’s fault," Bai Ruozhu reassured.
Bai Lu nodded, "You always understand. But why not go back to eat something first? We don’t want the child to be disturbed."
Bai Ruozhu, engrossed in the spectacle, wasn’t eager to leave. Seeing as her child Dengdeng was also lively, she said, "We’ll stay a while longer, and join Grandpa for dinner later."
Bai Lu didn’t say anything else and walked back to the front.
"Ah, these two won’t stop fighting. What outcome do they expect from all this arguing?" Bai Zehao shook his head in disapproval.
"Maybe they’ll stop when they’re tired," Bai Zepei coldly chimed in.
Bai Ruozhu turned to look at them and asked, "Will this incident involving my uncle affect our family’s reputation or even Zepei’s performance in the Imperial Examination?"
"Not significantly," Bai Zepei responded in the same indifferent tone, but Bai Ruozhu could sense a hint of influence.
In ancient times, even the slightest issue might result in collective punishment, involving up to nine of the culprit’s kin. Having an immoral uncle would inevitably tarnish the family’s reputation. When Bai Zepei applies to the Study Palace, they are bound to consider his family background and their conduct. It would likewise affect his prospects in the government office.
Bai Ruozhu sighed quietly, hoping that Bai Yibo would not stir the pot too much and the episode could come to an end soon.
"Once uncle arrives, everything will end soon." Bai Zepei, guessing what she was thinking, said in a low voice.
Bai Ruozhu hummed in response while wondering if Bai Yibo, a selfish man, would appear at all.
To her surprise, Bai Yibo made an appearance shortly after, having been alerted by Zhou the widow’s party. He arrived in such a rush that his hair was in disarray, his robe covered in dust, and sweat was dripping from his forehead.
He wiped his sweat and, panting heavily, disregarded decorum to stand before Zhou the widow. Defending her from Wang Chen’s he said, "Mother, this has nothing to do with Zhou. The real problem is that Xiuxiang deceived us for so long. How could she randomly bring in a child to mess up our Bai family’s bloodline?"
"Don’t try to fool me, you’re standing up for this widow and want to divorce my daughter!" Wang Chen’s glared at Bai Yibo, her eyes seeming to shoot arrows at him.
Bai Yibo plastered a smile across his face, "It’s not divorce. It’s separation."
"You, you..." Wang Chen’s was so angry that she nearly choked. She gasped for breath while a woman who had come with her patted her back and quietly suggested, "Stop wasting your words on him. First, break this slut, then gradually settle the score with the Bai family."
A fierce glare flashed in Wang Chen’s eyes. She wasn’t worried about the punishment from the government office anymore, she was determined to avenge her daughter!
"Yes, attack! Let’s destroy this vixen’s belly!" Wang Chen’s gave the order, charging at Zhou the widow first. Her accompanying group also yelled and followed suit. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough of Bai Lu’s female family members to stop them.
"Oh, what on earth do we do now? Are they seriously going to kill someone?" Lin Ping’er fearfully watched Zhou the widow’s still-flat belly and asked.
Bai Ruozhu also frowned, but this was too big of a matter for her to intervene.
"Everyone, stop!" Bai Yibo suddenly shouted like a madman. He fell onto his knees, prostrating three times in Wang Chen’s direction until his forehead turned blue from the impact.
"Mother, I know you’re angry, but you should vent on me, not Zhou. I won’t retaliate at all, but if you dare harm her today, I – I’ll fight you to the death!" As he spoke, he pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and brandished it wildly.
Seeing the gleaming blade in Bai Yibo’s hand, people began to retreat out of fear.
"You, you, have you been bewitched by this vixen? Fine, if you have the guts, then stab me, your wife!" Wang Chen’s thrust her neck forward, pushing it against the dagger in Bai Yibo’s hand. This move caused Bai Yibo to retreat hurriedly in shock.
Old lady Bai, seeing the dangerous situation, rushed forward ignoring everything. She clung onto Wang Chen’s waist to prevent her from further rushing onto the blade and pleaded, "Please, let’s talk this out calmly."
Wang Chen’s halted her movements after being pulled back, calming down and no longer trying to thrust herself onto the dagger. The crowd heaved a sigh of relief.
Seeing Bai Yibo holding a knife from afar, Bai Ruozhu was filled with shock. She could not believe that the usually selfish Bai Yibo would stand up for Zhou the widow, even to the point of risking his own life. Has he truly fallen for her?