Chapter (20): The Port City Family Trip with Bai Mei – (Part 5)
Over the past few days, Bai Li had been observing everything closely. He had already noticed how tattered and worn the clothes of the Ge'ers in his family were. Even Bai Mei, the youngest daughter of the family with the most farmland in Nanchao Village, didn't have clothes that were significantly better than the Ge'ers in his own house. All of this was a direct result of the original Bai Li's former "dog-like" behavior.
Bai Li didn't care for flashy, shimmering silks. Instead, he opted for high-quality cotton—material that was breathable, comfortable, and easy to move in.
"What colors do you have in this fabric?"
The girl at the fabric counter was not the same one from the jewelry section. This girl seemed much more hospitable and welcoming.
"This variety is called Ice Bamboo Cotton," she explained. "The fabric is neither too thin nor too thick; it's cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It's very durable and doesn't tear easily. Because of that, it's a bit more expensive than ordinary cotton. It's five silver taels per bolt. We have a full range of colors, from light to dark."
Five silver taels for a single bolt of unstitched fabric was an immense sum. It was something ordinary people could never afford. However, the texture was incredibly soft—so much so that one wouldn't even think it was cotton. At a glance, it might not look different from common cloth, but upon closer inspection, its superior quality was undeniable.
Bai Li looked at Bai Mei.
"Pick two colors you like..."
Bai Mei stood there with her mouth agape. Even after her Second Brother had bought her earrings, he still wanted to buy her such expensive fabric? Her brother truly loved her.
With a joyful heart, Bai Mei chose a soft pale yellow and a light peach. Without asking Xiao Han, who was standing there with his head bowed, Bai Li proceeded to buy a large quantity for the whole family.
Consequently, Bai Li ended up spending over a hundred silver taels at the fabric shop.
Included in that hundred-odd silver taels was a set of sewing tools. This was intended for Xiao Han. Bai Li had no intention of making Xiao Han do backbreaking labor in the future. Though Xiao Han appeared fine on the surface, the number of times he had been beaten during his three years of marriage to the original Bai Li was beyond count. Therefore, Xiao Han's constitution was likely frail. Bai Li wouldn't let him do any more grueling work. To give Xiao Han something to do so he wouldn't feel compelled to refuse the rest, he decided to let him focus on sewing clothes.
Xiao Han had grown up with a stepmother since childhood, and she had never shown him any mercy. In addition to farm work, Xiao Han was forced to handle all the household chores and garment making. In these poor farming villages, clothes were typically made at home. Even though the Xiao family had a daughter and another Ger besides Xiao Han, Lei Shi had made Xiao Han do it all. How "kind" of her. Truly the quintessential stepmother's way.
The result was that Xiao Han had become highly skilled at tailoring. He was also very interested in embroidery, but how could a child from a farming village ever be taught such a craft? If Xiao Han knew how to embroider, he could have earned a bit of money for himself and the children even when the original Bai Li wasn't providing food.
There was an old memory buried in the original Bai Li's mind. Before Xiao Han was married, he had once gathered the courage to ask Xiao Liu (his father) if he could learn embroidery. But learning embroidery required a teacher and would cost a few silver taels; how could Lei Shi ever agree to that? Xiao Liu had always favored Lei Shi over Xiao Han's late biological mother, so he held little affection for the boy. No matter how much Xiao Han explained that he could earn money back once he learned, his father refused. Lei Shi had even cursed at Xiao Han for days, mocking him for dreaming of embroidering like a young lady of a great manor when he was born in a peasant village. This matter hadn't been a secret in Nanchao Village. Bai Li figured that for someone as timid as Xiao Han—who was terrified of Lei Shi—to have risked asking Xiao Liu, his passion for embroidery must be immense.
From the corner of his eye, Bai Li stole a glance at the person who was looking uneasy at the sight of so much fabric. He decided that he would soon hire an embroidery teacher. Bai Li was someone who always had a thirst for learning things he was interested in, and he always encouraged those who wanted to learn. Now that such a person was a member of his own family, how could he not fulfill that wish?
After purchasing the fabric, Bai Li led his family out of Yu Lian Hua and took them to a shop selling literary supplies. Bai Wu had been forced to drop out of school because of the original Bai Li, and it went without saying that he no longer had a complete set of supplies. Thus, Bai Li bought the "Four Treasures of the Study" and other necessities for both Bai Wu and Jiang Qin.
Following that, Bai Li led his family from shop to shop. He went on a shopping spree, buying everything in sight like a man possessed. Xiao Han's heart ached as if it were bleeding, tallying up the mounting silver taels, but Bai Mei and the little Ge'ers were overjoyed. For lunch, Bai Li even took them to a grand restaurant.
While they were eating, Bai Li took the purchased goods back to the inn. After their meal, he took them for a boat ride.
Besides the large harbor where cargo ships entered and departed, the city also had areas for pleasure boating. Safety limits were strictly enforced and the weather was carefully monitored, so even though they were on the sea, it was perfectly safe. Xiao Han, Bai Mei, and the little Ge'ers had never touched seawater before, let alone experienced a pleasure cruise. It was just a boat ride on the sea, and the price was quite steep, but Bai Li still wanted to pamper them. As long as the little Ge'ers were happy with the novelty, money meant nothing.
After the boat ride, Bai Li took them to a quiet stretch of the beach to play. While Bai Mei and the little Ge'ers happily played on the shore—collecting seashells and chasing the small waves—Bai Li and Xiao Han sat a short distance away, watching over them.
Under the golden-red hue of the sunset, the silhouettes of the children running and the sounds of their joyful laughter were incredibly soothing to the ear. Looking at his happy sons, Xiao Han found it hard to believe how much things had changed in just a few days.
It had clearly only been a few days, yet it felt as though their lives had transformed beyond recognition. All of this was because of the man beside him, who was currently sitting with a relaxed expression, unearthing a seashell buried in the sand.
This man had treated them terribly for three whole years, and then, suddenly, he was bringing them all this happiness. Xiao Han no longer knew what this man wanted or what he was thinking. However, for these present moments, he was truly grateful.
Since Bai Li had already brought a change of clothes for the children when he returned to the inn earlier that afternoon, he let the three of them play until evening. Afterward, he had them change into dry clothes and took everyone back to the inn for dinner. Once they had finished eating, Bai Mei and the little Ge'ers hovered around Bai Li, chatting and acting affectionately toward him.
They were so happy today and had laughed so much that their voices had grown a bit raspy. Moreover, they understood that all of this was thanks to Bai Li. Looking at the three of them who wouldn't stop talking by his side, Bai Li said indulgently:
"Alright, go to sleep now. We have to head back to the village tomorrow. If you enjoyed coming to this city, I'll have you visit again in the future, okay?"
The little Ge'ers didn't quite understand everything yet, but seeing the joy of their leader—their young aunt—they were happy as well.
The blissful day thus came to a peaceful end, leaving behind beautiful memories. Early the next morning, two carts overflowing with goods departed from the port city, heading toward Nanchao Village.
Bai Li had already mentioned at the weapons shop that he would be returning today, so they didn't have to wait for him.
By Bai Li's own preference, he wouldn't have been in a hurry on the way back since he was with the children, but since there was a cart delivering items from the weapons shop, he had to take their schedule into account as well.
The two carts traveled at a steady pace, and according to Bai Li's estimation, they arrived at the small town around ten in the morning. Bai Li spoke to the men with the other cart:
"Boys, if you escort me all the way to my village, you'll be late getting back. I'll hire a cart here in town. Just help me transfer the goods to that cart."
The two young men hesitated slightly at Bai Li's words.
"Would that be alright, sir? Manager Qiao strictly instructed us to see you safely to your village."
Bai Li replied with his signature smile.
"It's fine. It's another two-hour journey to my village. If you guys deliver us all the way there, you'll be traveling back in the dark of night. The next time I go to the port city, I'll tell Brother Qiao that this was my decision. You don't have to worry."
Finally, the two young men accepted Bai Li's reasoning and helped load the goods onto the hired cart. Then, after bidding Bai Li farewell, they headed back.
Because it was fully loaded with goods, the cart rental to Nanchao Village cost a hundred copper coins. The two carts, overflowing with supplies, immediately drew the full attention of the villagers at the entrance. Bai Li didn't stop at the main Bai house but went straight to his own home. The hired driver helped unload the goods from the carts, took his payment, and departed.
However, the moment Bai Li opened his door, his eyebrows furrowed.
Their hut wasn't very large, and before leaving, he had placed the items he bought in the small town a few days ago on the table and the brick bed (kang). But now, everything was gone.
In reality, Bai Li's house didn't have a fence yet, nor did the house have a lock. Previously, since there was nothing in the house, it wasn't a concern. Even if there were things, this was a very peaceful village. How could there be any break-ins or thefts? Thus, Bai Li had left with a peace of mind. But who would have thought that upon his return on the third day, every valuable item in the house would be missing?
Just as Bai Li was wondering if the Bai family had taken the items for safekeeping out of concern, the members of the Bai family, having heard that Bai Li and the others were back, left their nearly finished field work and rushed over to his house.
At that moment, Xiao Han, who was helping Bai Mei and the little Ge'ers down from the cart, didn't yet realize that the items were missing. When Bai Mei saw Mother Bai, she wanted to run over and tell her about their experiences in the port city. But the moment she saw Mother Bai's face—dark and gloomy like thunderclouds—she immediately became alert. It seemed this wasn't the right time for such stories.
Bai Li also noticed the grim expressions on Mother Bai and the rest of the family, and he guessed that they were likely connected to the disappearance of the items from his house. It seemed something bad had happened.
However, no trace of emotion appeared on Bai Li's face as he moved the table from inside the house to the outside. The hut was too cramped, and since some nosy villagers had also gathered, it was better to speak outside.
By the time Bai Li finished setting out the chairs, the Bai family had arrived, and Mother Bai's face was completely distraught.
Bai Li said, "Mother, is the harvest finished? Come, sit down first. We just got back, so I haven't brewed any tea yet."
Mother Bai looked at her smiling second son, and her mood grew even worse. When her son was being wicked, people condemned him. They told him to repent. But now that her son had changed, people were trying to bring him trouble again.
Mother Bai sat down but said irritably, "We are in no mood to drink tea right now."
Father Bai's face was also tense and stern. Just as Bai Li was about to say something, he saw the Village Head's family arriving as well. It was now absolutely certain that something terrible had occurred.
Village Head Jiang had also come over immediately upon hearing that Bai Li was back. His expression was equally grim, and Du Shi looked extremely sullen, which even made Bai Li feel a bit tense. So, was his house really burglarized?
The elders sat in a circle, but no one spoke first. Jiang Qin looked as though he desperately wanted to speak but didn't dare to under his father's watchful eye. Bai Li glanced around at everyone. They all looked like bombs about to explode; he knew that if he asked them to speak, it would be a chaotic mess of anger. Therefore, his gaze landed on the silent Bai Wu.
"Wu'er, what went wrong while we were away?"
Bai Wu hadn't expected his second brother to pick him out of the crowd. Though slightly surprised, now that he had been asked, he had no choice but to explain. He thought for a moment about where to begin.
"It's like this... When Second Brother and the others went to the city, the family was busy with the harvest and couldn't keep an eye on your house all the time. Around the afternoon of the day you left, Aunt Rong came and told us she saw Lei Shi and her sons carrying bundles out of your house. When we came to check, we found that all the items you bought from the town the other day were gone."