Chapter 61: Bai Zhenzhu

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Bai Zhenzhu

"Hey, you damned girl! I’m talking to you, are you deaf?" Bai Xiaofeng roared.

Bai Zhi put the lid on the water vat, then turned to meet Bai Xiaofeng’s ferocious gaze. She said calmly, "When one studies and practices calligraphy, a peaceful heart and a calm mind are essential. If I were to stay and grind your ink for you, I’m afraid you would find it very difficult to achieve that peace. So, in order not to hinder your studies, it’s best if I don’t disturb you."

She turned and walked away without a second glance, ignoring the fuming, shouting Bai Xiaofeng behind her. In the main house, she encountered Bai Zhenzhu coming out of her room. Bai Zhenzhu glared at her as if Bai Zhi owed her 500 taels of silver and had welched on the debt.

Right now, her mind was entirely focused on Zhao Lan; she was in no mood to bicker with the girl. Before Bai Zhenzhu could lash out, Bai Zhi slipped out of the house in a flash.

After returning to their room, Bai Zhi asked Zhao Lan, "Mom, Bai Zhenzhu always looks at me like she wants to eat me alive. When on earth did I ever do anything to offend her?"

At this, Zhao Lan couldn’t help but laugh. "Zhenzhu has hated you since you were both children. It’s for no other reason than you’re prettier than she is. Especially when you two stand together, everyone’s eyes naturally turn to you. She’s so jealous that she’s tried to scratch up your face several times. It’s a good thing I always caught her, otherwise, she would have ruined that pretty face of yours long ago."

’Seriously? Just because someone is prettier, she wants to scratch their face up? There are plenty of people in the world prettier than her. What’s she going to do, scratch all their faces?’

Seeing Bai Zhi suddenly start laughing, Zhao Lan couldn’t help but ask, "What are you laughing at?"

"I was just thinking about the poor bastard who’ll end up marrying a woman like Bai Zhenzhu. His life will certainly be... colorful." She was thoroughly amused. ’In a place like this with no TV, computers, or phones, you have to make your own entertainment.’

Zhao Lan chuckled along for a moment before her expression turned serious again. "Alright, enough of that. Didn’t you say you wanted to split our household from the rest of them? But the way they are, I’m afraid they won’t let us go easily. We need to think of a plan, and quickly."

Bai Zhi’s face lit up with a smug, knowing grin. "I already have a plan. Just you wait. By the time I’m done, they’ll be desperate for us to split from the family. They’ll be begging us to leave, not trying to force us to stay."

Seeing her daughter so full of confidence, Zhao Lan finally felt a great sense of relief. Her daughter was her rock now. If Zhi said she had a plan, then she had a plan.

"What do you need me to do?" Zhao Lan asked.

Bai Zhi smiled. "You don’t have to do anything at all. Just rest at home and pretend you’re a cripple. Enjoy having others wait on you hand and foot for a change."

Zhao Lan’s eyes lit up as she instantly understood. She laughed. "I get it. That’s a brilliant idea. The Bai family dragged me back for one reason only: to keep slaving away for them like an animal. But if I become a useless burden who can’t work, they naturally won’t want to keep me around anymore."

"Exactly. That’s the first part of the plan. All you have to do is play your part well. Don’t worry about anything else; leave it all to me." ’She had figured it out. Bai Xiaofeng held a very high position in this family. If she made her move by targeting him, how could she possibly fail?’

Just then, the sound of an old woman and Liu shouting curses drifted in from outside. The insults they were screaming were unbelievably vile; they were just short of cursing Zhao Lan’s ancestors and digging up their graves.

Zhao Lan was long accustomed to this sort of verbal abuse, to the point where she had grown numb. She said to Bai Zhi, "They couldn’t find the eggs, so they’re full of pent-up anger. They’ll definitely be coming to take it out on us any second now."