The next day, Gu Yankai came to the main courtyard and told Bai to take good care of the mansion, saying he was going back to the border. Bai thought of Concubine Xia and asked, "My Lord, please take Concubine Xia with you when you go to the border this time."
Gu Yankai seemed to have not expected Bai to ask this question. In the past, he had only had Qin as his wife, and no concubines or maids. After getting married, he had never considered such matters, but now it was different.
Bai was undoubtedly beautiful, but beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. No matter how beautiful the Jiangnan women were, Gu Yankai felt that they could not compare to Qin, who shared the same feelings with him.
Qin had just passed away, and although Gu Yankai had already married and taken in concubines, he still had to observe filial piety. Gu Yankai waved his hand and said, "It's not convenient for a woman to go to the border," completely forgetting that he had taken Qin to the border for several years.
Bai had only asked casually; she didn't care whether Gu Yankai brought Concubine Xia with him or not. After the two of them finished their conversation, they ran out of things to say. Gu Yankai took a sip of tea and said, "I'm leaving." Without waiting for Bai's response, he strode out of the hall.
The tall and straight figure quickly disappeared outside the door. The faint smile on Bai's face turned into calmness. She knew that once Gu Yankai left, the fourth and fifth rooms would come to her house to cause trouble. Now was different from the past, and Bai was looking forward to it.
The sky was still gray on the day Gu Yankai left. Before leaving the mansion, he kowtowed three times at the Ningyuan Marquis's courtyard and left immediately. The Bai family had no involvement in his packing. In his previous life, the Bai family had prepared it once, but Gu Yankai hadn't even glanced at it.
Concubine Xia appeared just in time, on Gu Yankai's path, offering him a piece of clothing, claiming it was embroidered with patterns designed by Qin. Gu Yankai immediately accepted the bundle of clothing. Bai had woken up early to hear Chang'er's news and wasn't surprised at all. Concubine Xia was indeed Qin's backup plan, always finding ways to annoy Bai without making it difficult for anyone to find fault.
In her previous life, Bai Shi hadn't noticed that Concubine Xia had ever harmed her, so in this life, Bai Shi had no intention of doing anything to Concubine Xia. As long as she kept to her duties, Bai Shi would pretend she didn't exist.
When Bai was paying her respects to Ningyuan Marquis, the fourth and fifth wives arrived. The fourth wife was the first to speak out: "I say, Bai, you didn't even see Yan Kai off to Bianli Mansion, and Concubine Xia even gave him needlework. How can you, a lady like you, behave like this?"
After respectfully performing the ceremony, Bai stood in the hall and replied without taking a seat, "Aunt, it was Dalang who told me not to go, not because my niece was too lazy to go. Aunt Xia sent the gift as a token of my late wife's love. If I compare my niece with the late wife, I'm afraid my niece can't compare."
Unexpectedly, a little merchant girl dared to contradict her. The Fourth Lady scolded her harshly, "The husband is the leader of the wife. Bai, you are of humble origins, so you must serve your husband well and not slack off."
Putting away the smile on her face, Bai said solemnly, "Aunt, everyone knows how I became the legal wife of the Ningyuan Marquis's son. If you despise my background, you shouldn't have come to the Bai family to propose marriage."
The fourth room's wife pursed her lips, signaling the fifth room's wife to speak. The fifth room's wife stared at the green-glazed teacup in her hand, as if she wanted to stare out a flower, and did not respond to the fourth room's wife.
Ning Yuanhou, who was sitting in the main seat, said, "Everyone go back."
The fourth and fifth wives left the house first, followed by Mrs. Bai. When they left the Ningyuan Marquis's courtyard, Mrs. Fifth stood on the path that Mrs. Bai had to pass by, as if waiting for someone.
Bai nodded to the Fifth Lady as she passed by, and was about to continue walking when she was stopped by the Fifth Lady: "Niece-in-law, wait a minute."
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