Chapter (16): The Port City Family Trip with Bai Mei
After leaving the Bai household, Bai Li let out a heavy sigh, realizing he had forgotten to give them the basket of offal. It seemed as though Zhou Shi and Su Shi existed solely to torment others.
In truth, Bai Li had already planned to buy a small gift for every member of the Bai family once they reached the port city. But who could have known those two would be so impatient? Now, even if he were to buy gifts for everyone else, he would certainly exclude those two after such an ugly scene.
Bai Li knew that Bai Jiang and Bai San would likely not misunderstand him, yet he was well aware that suspicion is something that germinated slowly. For that reason, he would have to keep his distance from Zhou Shi and Su Shi.
Bai Zhang was a simple man, and Bai San was obedient and gullible; if malicious whispers were to prick at their ears, it wasn't as if these two brothers would remain entirely unaffected. After all, the original Bai Li had spent his entire life buried under the skirts of women. No matter how well the current Bai Li conducted himself, in the eyes of others, the actions of the original remained his indelible past.
Bai Li couldn't help but sigh again. He only wanted to live a peaceful life, so why did those two have to be part of the Bai family?
On the carriage, Bai Mei was also shouting in indignation. She claimed she had never seen such shameless people in her life and asked Xiao Han why he hadn't scolded them. From the corner of his eye, Bai Li saw Xiao Han give Bai Mei a faint, gentle smile. This made him wonder: Does Xiao Han truly not care about this at all? One could argue they were trying to cling to his husband. Wasn't he jealous?
However, he didn't blame him. Who would ever be jealous over such a wicked husband?
The carriage eventually arrived at the Village Head's house. It was still early, so the Jiang family had not yet departed for the fields. When the Village Head saw Bai Li and his group arrive, he spoke up.
"Second Family of the Bai house, it's not that I don't want you to sit and stay, but since you have children with you, it's best to move as quickly as possible this morning so you can rest during the midday heat. Leaving now would be just right."
Bai Li understood the Village Head's kindness.
"I understand, Village Head. We shall head out now."
Bai Li then took the letter of recommendation provided by Village Head and tucked it away. Seeing Du Shi stepping out of the house, he said:
"Auntie Jiang (Du Shi), I forgot to leave these organ meats at my mother's house. They've already been cleaned and parboiled. If it's convenient for you, Auntie, could you deliver them to the Bai house?"
Bai Li had originally intended to share some with the Jiang family anyway since there was so much. However, he knew his mother would share them with her good sister without him even asking. Therefore, he said nothing more on that matter.
In the past, Du Shi would have been repulsed by offal, but after tasting the delicious organ dishes last night, her perspective had shifted. Moreover, since these were already cleaned and boiled, they wouldn't have any unpleasant odor.
"That's no trouble at all. Leave them here; I'll drop them off before I head to the fields."
Du Shi hesitated for a moment, as if debating whether to speak, before finally saying:
"You must be careful on the road. You're the only sturdy man among you. The other four are just a young girl and Ge'ers. You must stay alert."
Though the current times were peaceful and bandits hadn't been seen in a long time, who could foresee misfortune? As an elder, she felt compelled to warn him. In the past, Du Shi wouldn't have cared what happened to Bai Li. But now that he was striving to change, her attitude toward him had softened as well.
Bai Li accepted Du Shi's advice.
"I understand. I'll be careful on the way. Don't worry, Auntie. Also, please tell my mother not to worry if we stay for a few extra days. I'm looking for a high-quality bow, so I might have to wait for it."
At that moment, Du Shi grew suspicious. Since Bai Li had come to pick up Bai Mei, it was obvious he had just come from the Bai house. To forget both the basket of offal and his message for his mother was strange. Something must have happened.
Sensing this, Bai Mei pulled Du Shi by the hand to a slight distance and recounted everything that had occurred at the Bai house. While one shouldn't expose family scandals to outsiders, Du Shi was Bai Li's mother's best friend. Their two families were close enough to know each other's private affairs. Furthermore, Bai Mei knew her mother was far too kind-hearted to discipline her pregnant daughters-in-law. She wanted Du Shi to advise her mother on how to handle them.
After listening to Bai Mei, Du Shi's expression became unreadable. She glanced over at Bai Li, who was talking to the head of her household. The young man had changed significantly compared to before. His eyes were clearer, and he smiled more often, looking like a genuine and cheerful youth.
While Du Shi couldn't reconcile the old Bai Li with the current one, she knew this version was better for everyone. And now that her dear friend Mo Hua was finally finding peace after her wayward son had turned over a new leaf, Du Shi didn't want her to be distressed by the daughters-in-law's mess. Thus, she promised Bai Mei she would give the mother some advice.
Just then, Village Head looked over at them.
"What are you two whispering about? Let them leave before the sun gets too high. Don't dally. If you have more to say, save it for later."
Du Shi realized her husband's "later" carried a teasing undertone, and she shot him a sharp look. Was this old man mocking her, perhaps jealous that she was getting along so well with her future daughter-in-law?
Nevertheless, she ended the conversation with Bai Mei and walked back to the carriage.
Bai Li climbed back onto the carriage, then remembered something.
"Village Head, Auntie, if you need anything from town, just say the word. I'll buy it for you."
Both elders said they needed nothing. Bai Li hesitated, glancing into the house, and seeing no sign of Jiang Qin, he spoke up:
"Village Head, Auntie, our Wu'er will likely return to school next spring. What about your Qin'er?"
Everyone in the village knew how much Jiang Qin hated going to school. That was why Bai Li didn't say this in front of the boy. However, since that boy was his future brother-in-law, a little "scheming" for the sake of his sister's future was perfectly fine. Hehe.
Village head and his wife were surprised by the news but quickly connected the dots. The Bai family had spent the money saved for Bai Wu's education because of Bai Li. It was only right that now, with Bai Li having money, he would pay for Bai Wu schooling again. Their opinion of Bai Li improved further, and the Village head said:
"Then he must go back to school too! That brat stopped going the moment your Wu'er stopped, claiming it was pointless. Now, let's see how he tries to refuse."
Village head immediately told Du Shi to fetch some money to ask Bai Li to buy the necessary supplies for Jiang Qin's return to school, but Bai Li declined the money.
"I have to buy things for Wu'er anyway, so I'll just buy extra. You can pay me back when I return."
With that, Bai Li bid them farewell and drove the carriage away.
Du Shi agreed with Bai Li's suggestion. Since Bai Li had money now, if he bought the items first, she would reimburse him. However, she didn't quite trust him enough yet to hand over her own house's money in advance.
Bai Li didn't rush since there were children involved, but Bai Mei and the little Ge'ers were incredibly excited. Bai Li occasionally stole glances at Xiao Han, who sat quietly. He was trying to discern if Xiao Han was naturally reserved or simply afraid to speak.
The journey was smooth, and they reached the port city before the sun began to set.
Bai Li first went to an inn and rented two rooms. Had it been just them, one room would have sufficed, but with Bai Mei along, two rooms were more comfortable and less cramped.
Bai Li told the young girl and the Ge'ers that he would take them sightseeing the next morning and left them at the inn. He ordered some food for them and instructed them not to open the door until he returned. Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.
The port city was generally peaceful, but "there is no water that is 100% pure." With so many people coming and going, his concern was only natural.
However, if a high-quality bow wasn't readily available, he might have to wait, so it was better to place an order now. He quickened his pace and entered the state-owned weapons shop.
Weapon laws in this country were strict but not overly so; as long as one was honest, purchasing was relatively easy.
As he entered the shop, before Bai Li could say a word, a middle-aged man looked at him twice and exclaimed:
"Hey! Aren't you the lad who was selling those wild boars the other day?"
Bai Li hadn't expected to be recognized. The 'wild boar lad'? What a title. But this worked in his favor. Since they knew he sold boars, he wouldn't have to explain much about being a hunter.
He smiled and said, "Yes, Brother. This is a recommendation letter from our Village Head. I plan to work as a hunter from now on, so I'd like to buy a high-quality bow."
The middle-aged man had already suspected Bai Li was a hunter when he bought the boars, but he still checked the letter carefully. Since one couldn't collect weapons at will in this country, they had to verify these documents.
After confirming the letter, the man called out to two youths in the shop:
"Hey boys! Bring out the good bows for Great Hunter Bai here. Make sure they're the high-quality ones!"
Because the letter contained the village name, the Village head's name, the Bai family name, and Bai Li's name, the man had immediately given Bai Li that moniker.
The man then patted Bai Li on the shoulder and said:
"Brother Bai, as someone who sells weapons, I know best. There isn't a single skilled hunter in this entire region. Only a few villagers come by in their spare time to buy mediocre bows just to find some food. I heard later that you were the one who killed both those wild boars. What a formidable hunter you are! In the future, the meat supply for the people in this area will depend on you!"
Bai Li remembered how people that day had asked if the villagers had ganged up to kill such large boars. The people from the Bai and Jiang houses had simply pointed at him while he was butchering the meat. It wasn't surprising this man knew.
So, this was why the man was being so friendly. Since there were no hunters in the area, he wanted to build a relationship with a talented one. Aiya... the "face" of those wild beasts is quite useful.
However, Bai Li replied humbly:
"Not at all. Those two boars were fighting at the foot of the mountain that day, and I just took advantage of the opportunity."
But the man wouldn't hear it.
"Regardless, by my estimation, you must be quite capable. Don't be so humble! Come, come, see if there's anything you like. Take your pick."
He pulled Bai Li toward the bows, and Bai Li began testing them. He strung them and tried a few practice shots, but he couldn't find one he liked. Just as he was considering ordering a custom one, the middle-aged man asked:
"What? You don't like any of them?"
The man had been watching Bai Li's expressions and realized the youth didn't even care for the shop's best stock. Suddenly, as if reaching a decision, he spoke to the boy who was preparing more weapons:
"Go. Fetch that bow from the shelf in my room."
The boy was startled but did as he was told.
When the man saw the bow in the boy's hands, a look of immense satisfaction crossed his face.
To tell the history of this bow: He had a friend who joined the army and returned as an Assistant Commander. At that time, he shared a drink with his long-lost friend. While drinking, he bragged about how beautiful his sister was and teased his friend about marrying her. But that rascal had asked how beautiful she could possibly be, arrogantly claiming she probably wasn't even as beautiful as his bow.
Since the middle-aged man managed the weapons shop, he knew his friend's bow was excellent, but he couldn't accept that it was "more beautiful" than his sister. The two friends had argued while drinking. And what happened next?
After seeing the sister, that rascal begged to marry her and had to "surrender." It wasn't just a literal surrender; he ended up losing his weapon too. The man had always approved of the match between his friend and sister, but out of spite, he said he would only agree if the friend gave him that bow. And so, the friend tossed the bow to him.
Later, he kept the bow on a shelf in his room as a trophy, looking at it whenever he was bored to enjoy his victory and have a good laugh.