Chapter 57: Ironclad Proof
’But if I really leave with Hu Feng today, won’t that just prove the Bai family’s claims that we’re illicit lovers?’
Besides, she didn’t want to keep leaving in humiliation only to come back the same way. If she was going to leave, she would do it after severing all ties with the Bai family.
She had to make a clean break, leaving no troubles behind.
She shook her head at Hu Feng. "Hu Feng, thank you for your kind offer, but the Bai family home is our home, after all. Yesterday, with the wind and rain, we had no choice but to take shelter in your cabin for a night. There’s no need for that today. I’ll fix up the house in a bit; it’ll be livable."
Hu Feng wasn’t worried about the house. He was just worried that if they stayed, it would be disastrous if the Bai family got vicious with them again.
Bai Zhi seemed to see his concern and said with a smile, "Don’t worry. I, Bai Zhi, am not to be trifled with. What is there to fear for someone who’s already died once? If anyone wants me dead, I’ll make sure to drag their entire family down with me." She deliberately raised her voice as she said this, making Old Mrs. Bai and Liu’s hearts pound in terror. The thought of her coming back to life yesterday still sent a chill down their spines.
Hu Feng nodded. His gaze swept over the half-collapsed wooden house. Thinking about the Bai family’s current situation, he guessed no one would help the mother and daughter repair their home, so he rolled up his sleeves and said, "I’ll help you fix it."
This was an offer Bai Zhi couldn’t refuse. The house looked like a strong gust of wind could blow it over, a testament to its usual state of disrepair. She wasn’t familiar with this kind of work, Zhao Lan was injured, and the Bai family members were completely unreliable. She had been worrying about this very issue, so Hu Feng’s willingness to help couldn’t have been better.
Old Mrs. Bai was still stewing over the six taels of silver. By now, she saw Bai Zhi and Zhao Lan as thorns in her side. If not for Zhao Lan’s injury and that scoundrel Hu Feng protecting the little vixen Bai Zhi, she would have given them a brutal beating to vent the fury in her chest.
She turned her head and saw Bai Xiaofeng standing at the door. She rushed over, pulled Xiao Feng inside, and said, "Xiao Feng, you’re educated; you must understand these things better than Grandma. Quick, tell Grandma, was what the village chief said just now true? If Grandma doesn’t pay Doctor Lu back the six taels of silver, can he really take that IOU to the government office and sue me?"
Bai Xiaofeng was thirteen this year. Priding himself on two years of schooling, he was set on passing the exam to become a Scholar and then a high official. At home, he was always arrogant, looking down on everyone—even his own grandmother, who doted on him the most.
"Grandma, you’re really getting muddled in your old age. An IOU isn’t something you can just sign casually. You even pressed your thumbprint on it—that’s ironclad proof! I was standing right at the door just now, but you didn’t even ask me. You just went ahead and pressed your thumbprint without letting me see what it said. What if he tries to use those six taels of silver to take our house?"
Old Mrs. Bai trembled with anger. "He’d dare? If that Lu Changchun really dares to do such a thing, I’ll put my life on the line and fight him to the death!"
Bai Xiaofeng shook his head and sighed. "Grandma, you should just get the silver ready. We don’t want the Bai family members being dragged into the government office. It would be humiliating, and it would affect my future exams."
To Old Mrs. Bai, her grandson was her treasure, but silver was her life.
Yesterday, she had already spent two taels of silver to treat Zhao Lan’s injuries. Now she had to produce another six taels. How was that any different from taking her life?
Bai Dabao sidled up to Old Mrs. Bai. "Grandma," he said, "you promised to arrange my marriage this month. Don’t spend all the silver meant for my betrothal. I don’t want to be a bachelor forever."