Bai Qi secretly searched for her flaws, but when she took care of her, she was meticulous and thorough. Her patience and care made it difficult to find any fault with her.
Forced to suppress his anger, he sighed softly, "Sigh, my headache is still awful. It seems I'll have to trouble you again. I'll need you to stay by my side for the rest of the night..."
Before he could finish speaking, several people suddenly rushed in through the doorway.
Bai Yujing, who was leading the way, strode in and said with concern, “Mother is unwell, how can we, as her children, sleep peacefully? I have already summoned my elder brother and sister-in-law. Mother, you don’t need to worry. With us taking care of you, I believe you will recover soon.”
Bai Jinxiao, the eldest son of the Bai family, chimed in, "Indeed, Mother. You've always been healthy, so why are you having a persistent headache today?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than he felt his wife, Yang, pinch him in the shadows.
Bai Qishi, who was lying on the bed, was startled by the sudden noise of them entering the room, and her heart raced. She almost sat up to scold them.
Fortunately, she managed to hold back in time, and said in a tired and weak voice, "What are you all doing in here? I just have a bit of a headache, it's nothing serious. Yujing's wife has taken very good care of me. You should all go back now. What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket in the middle of the night?" Although her voice was weak, it revealed an undeniable authority.
As soon as Yang stepped over the threshold, she said with concern, “How can we children be at ease when Mother is unwell? Why don’t we let our daughter-in-law stay and take care of Mother together?”
Upon hearing this, Bai Yujing resolutely replied, "I will stay as well."
Immediately afterward, Bai Jinxiao followed closely, his tone firm: "Since Second Brother does not intend to leave, there is no reason for me to leave either."
Witnessing this scene, Bai Qi was so angry that her eyes almost popped out of her head. She gritted her teeth and suppressed her anger. Finally, she couldn't help but shout, "Get out of here! I'm not old yet, and it's not your place to take care of me like this!"
Ms. Yang asked softly, "So, has your headache been relieved at all?"
Bai Qi replied irritably, "After taking the medicine, I no longer feel any pain."
Bai Jinxiao was overjoyed: "That's wonderful! Now that Mother is alright, we won't disturb your rest any longer."
As soon as he finished speaking, he left the room with Madam Yang.
Bai Yujing also took Jiang Huaiyu's hand and stepped outside. "My wife, you must be exhausted today. Go and rest first. I'll chat with my mother for a bit more, then I'll come back to keep you company."
Jiang Huaiyu nodded obediently, then returned to her room alone.
She understood that Bai Yujing had stood up for her earlier to support her. This deep affection stirred something within her, and she thought to herself: Jiang Wenyuan's judgment was indeed exceptional; he had chosen the wrong person.
With everyone gone, only Bai Qishi remained alone in the empty house. At this moment, Bai Yujing tiptoed in.
Bai Qi glanced at him, her tone tinged with anger: "They've all left, why are you still lingering here?"
Bai Yujing tentatively asked in a soft voice, "Does Mother have any dissatisfaction with me?"
Bai Qi said indignantly, "How could I dare to be angry with you? It's just because of your new wife, whom you treat with such utmost care!"
Bai Yujing sighed and slowly said, "Mother has actually been pretending to be unwell since this morning, hasn't she?"
Bai Qishi did not answer, but remained silent.
Bai Yujing picked up the teapot, poured her a cup of fragrant tea, and gently advised, "Why are you so persistent?"
However, Bai Qi suddenly became agitated, forcefully shoving his hand away and raising her voice: "How dare you lecture me! Who am I doing this for?"
“Your new bride is nothing but an adopted daughter, and she has no money, no dowry, and she has entered our Bai family empty-handed. The Bai family has been bullied to this extent, how can I tolerate this humiliation?”
Bai Yujing sighed softly.
He continued, "I've learned everything about what happened this morning from the old village chief. The truth isn't what you say. The ten boxes of books that my wife brought are worth far more than money, and the letter of recommendation she has is a treasure many people dream of. We are incredibly lucky that she brought these priceless treasures to the Bai family."
Bai Qi gave a disdainful sneer, her eyes revealing her dissatisfaction.
"Even so, did you witness her arrogant demeanor today? Showing off her charms in front of everyone, where is the dignity of someone's daughter-in-law?"
Her tone was resolute, burning with anger: "I absolutely cannot tolerate this, I must teach her a lesson for her arrogance!"
"Mother!"
Bai Yujing frowned, her voice tinged with reproach, "My wife has done nothing wrong. Aren't you afraid of gossip and ridicule about our family's upbringing by tormenting your new daughter-in-law like this?"
He stood up abruptly, his tone firm, "Next time you feel unwell, take your medicine first. If you still feel unwell after taking the medicine, I will immediately take you to the county town for medical treatment in the middle of the night. I will absolutely not allow you to act unreasonably towards your bride like you did today!"
He turned and left as soon as he finished speaking.
Watching his broad back disappear into the night, Bai Qishi felt a surge of resentment and pounded the bed board a few times to vent her anger.
Just then, Xie Wenyin tiptoed in.
Seeing Bai Qi's gloomy face, she immediately stepped forward to pat her back and soothe her, gently comforting her, "Aunt, please don't be angry. Cousin Yujing had no intention of arguing with you."
Madam Bai sneered again, "Yujing certainly didn't do it on purpose. He's always been filial and almost never argues with me. Today's situation must be the result of that new bride stirring up trouble behind the scenes!"
Her words were filled with dissatisfaction and suspicion towards her daughter-in-law.
"It can't be that bad, Aunt. I've observed that my second cousin-in-law is quite talented and kind. Today, everyone outside was completely convinced by what she said."
Xie Wenying shook her head slightly, her tone revealing a hint of confusion.
Mentioning what happened during the day ignited a fire of anger in Bai Qi's heart.
"She's nothing but a silver tongue! I've never heard of such a thing before. How can a new bride force her mother-in-law to submit before even stepping into the house?"
"However, when she learned that you had a headache, she rushed over immediately, which shows that my second cousin's wife is essentially a filial daughter-in-law."
Madam Bai wrinkled her nose dismissively. "I am her mother-in-law. How dare she not fulfill her filial duties?"
"She was quick-witted and didn't give me any chance to find fault, but my anger still couldn't be quelled. She made me lose face in front of everyone. If I don't teach her a lesson, how will I be able to manage the household effectively in the future?"
Bai Qi's tone was resolute, and her eyes gleamed with an undeniable light.
Xie Wenyin deftly poured a cup of fragrant tea and handed it to Bai Qishi, saying gently, "Auntie is absolutely right. You are, after all, our elder."
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