17 The Token of Appreciation (1/2)
When young lord Bai arrived with his family to his mother's shop where his sister was found, he was surprised to see his younger brother on the floor. His first aunt and uncle rushed to their child.
”Bai NianZhu! Oh, my sweet child! Who did this to you?” A lean lady with heavy make up wailed, bending down near her son to examine him.
”Who?! Who did this? Who dares go against the Bai family? Show yourself!” The lean lady's husband bellowed.
None of the servants, who were still stupefied by what the young girl had done, dared to speak up.
XieRong just stood the side with FeiHong and ChuHua next to her.
”First brother, calm down. Something must have happened,” A handsome man in white said, entering the store.
”I demand an explanation second brother. Why has this happened to my son in your wife's store?”
Bai Minzhe ignored his brother and looked to his daughter. He smiled in relief when he saw she was okay and happily munching on a steamed bun, however he was surprised to see that she was holding a young girl's hand while doing so. ChuHua hardly spoke to strangers, let alone hold their hands.
”ChuHua, come to father,” he said, waving her over.
ChuHua ran up to him happily, pulling his sleeves, signalling that she wanted to be picked up.
”Father and mother were so worried ChuHua! What if something happened?”
ChuHua giggled as her mother fussed over her.
XieRong smiled.
”Mother, stop. That Jie Jie over there brought me here, she also gave me a steamed bun for being a brave girl!” ChuHua said, proudly.
”Will you just ignore this insult to my son, Minzhe? This is not just an insult to me, but to the Bai family. Are you going to let it go so easily?”
XieRong shook her head. This man was asking for trouble.
”First brother, I just reunited with my daughter after she was lost for more than a Shi Chen. Can you blame me for being relieved to see her? Why don't you take care of NianZhu while I deal with this?”
The first master grit his teeth, but kept silent.
”Young lord, I demand justice for my NianZhu,” the lady next to NianZhu said, kneeling in Bai Minzhe's direction.
Bai Changying was furious at her husband. How dare he back down so easily when it was their son in question here? If he couldn't get justice for her son, then she would.
”Mother, it was that witch who did something to me!” Bai NianZhu said pointing at XieRong.
XieRong didn't retaliate. She waited for the effects of Tanhuan berry to wear off and that of Gua wood to come into effect and judging from the way the second young lord had started to itch his arms it had already started to.
XieRong calmly took FeiHong by the hand to greet Lord Bai.
”BaiHua greets Lord Bai, Lady Bai and first young lord Bai,” XieRong said, bowing at the waist.
”FeiHong greets Lord Bai, Lady Bai and young lord Bai,” FeiHong said, following after her sister.
”Rise. Tell me little girl, are you the benefactor of my daughter?”
”Lord Bai, this miss will not lie to you. Indeed this miss wanted to help ChuHua find her family, but this didn't bring her here knowing that this shop was owned by Lady Bai or that Chu Hua was the young miss of the Bai family. It was simply a lucky coincidence that this wanted to buy weapons and this shop happened to be the only one open today.”
Lord Bai was pleased at this little girl's honesty.
”Is the second young master's accusation towards you true, little girl?”
”This miss indeed did talk to the second young lord, however it was the second young lord who approached this miss first with the intention of harming this miss. When this miss dodged, the second young lord fell to the ground. All the people who were present in the shop at the time can serve as witness to this.”
”Uncle, that witch is lying!”
XieRong calmly turned to where the second young master was sitting on the floor furiously scratching his arms.
”Second young lord, how could this miss do anything to the second young lord when this miss didn't even touch him? All the people who were present at the time can serve as witness to this fact. Are trying to tell Lord Bai that while all of us lie, the second young lord alone tells the truth? Is this young lord sure he has not eaten something bad?”
”Father, mother, believe me!” The second young lord said beginning to scratch his back and neck,”she's done something to me, it's so itchy!”
XieRong turned back to face Lord Bai.
”Lord Bai this miss has no cultivation. How could this miss, a seven year old girl, with no cultivation and no martial art skills harm the second young lord?”
Bai Minzhe had temporarily forgotten that before him was just a little girl and not a young woman. The Lord was impressed with the way she represented her case. He, being the west prime minister, had seen many people much older than this girl present their cases before him, but few hardly ever possessed the same calmness.
”Young miss, why are you hiding your cultivation and presence if you are not a cultivator?”
”Lord, this miss and her sister just recently learned to hide their cultivation and presence. We are to leave with Young Lord Bai today for the west province. If we happened to encounter danger on our way, then this miss and her sister will become easy targets, that's why we had no choice but to learn how to hide our cultivation.”
”Father, what this miss says is true. I received a note that a girl named BaiHua and her little sister will be travelling with us,” the first young lord Bai said. He was prepared to help this girl from the moment he found out that she had helped his sister, however not only had she not needed his help, she'd also let him see a good show.
”Minzhe, how can you trust this girl's words over my son's?” NianZhu's father finally said.