15
I Forgive You for My Ancestors
Bai Jingshu let out a perfectly timed sob and continued, “It was her parents who secretly switched me with Bai Jingchu back then!
They used a golden eagle to abduct me, swapped our swaddling clothes, sent their own daughter into the Bai family, and abandoned me at a nunnery.
Thankfully, heaven has eyes—her parents died young, and before their deaths, their conscience stirred, leaving me a final letter that allowed me to return to your side.
All of this was caused by her family! She is the root of all this! Why should I forgive her?”
After venting her grievances in one breath, Bai Jingshu threw herself into Lady Bai Chen’s arms and began to sob softly.
“You only see me targeting her, but you have no idea how much suffering and hardship I’ve endured all these years, with no one to rely on!”
Bai Jingchu had never imagined things would turn out this way.
No wonder even Lady Bai Chen’s gaze seemed to pierce her like nails.
So, Bai Jingshu knew about her own origins.
She remained motionless, wanting to see whether, in this life-or-death moment, Lady Bai Chen and Bai Jing’an would abandon her because of Bai Jingshu’s instigation.
Lady Bai Chen gently patted Bai Jingshu’s back. “My child, you’ve suffered.”
Bai Jing’an remained silent for only a moment before reaching out to Bai Jingshu again. “These were the mistakes of the previous generation. Jingchu is innocent. Give me the medicine!”
Bai Jingshu muffled a cry, “Mother!”
Lady Bai Chen hesitated. “This medicine… Jingchu took it herself…”
Bai Jingchu’s heart couldn’t help but ache sharply.
Bai Jing’an grew both angry and anxious. “The Bai family is facing internal and external troubles right now. How can you still find the leisure to stir up trouble out of sheer willfulness?”
“Mother, look—in my brother’s heart, I’m still not as important as this Bai Jingchu. It’s as if she’s your real sister.”
Bai Jing’an, frantic with worry, pulled Lady Bai Chen aside and whispered a few words to her.
Lady Bai Chen was clearly taken aback. “How could she, a fool, possibly…?”
“It’s true!” Bai Jing’an insisted urgently. “I made an excuse that I’d forgotten my silver needles and came back to retrieve them—that’s how I managed to slip away. Right now, our only hope rests with her.”
“Hmph, I knew Grandfather had lost his mind, disregarding the ancestral rules and teaching our family’s secret techniques to an outsider!”
Bai Jingchu heard this clearly and suddenly understood why Bai Jing’an was so protective of her.
Human hearts truly cannot withstand testing. What was she still hoping for?
Lying on the cold floor tiles, her heart grew just as cold.
Upon learning the reason, Lady Bai Chen turned and scolded Bai Jingshu half-heartedly, taking the pill from her hand and passing it to Bai Jing’an.
Bai Jing’an ordered the maids to help Bai Jingchu up, shoved the pill into her mouth, and forced her to drink tea.
Bai Jingchu immediately began to cough violently, seizing the opportunity to secretly spit out the pill and hide it in her sleeve alongside the previous antidote for a hundred poisons.
“Brother?”
“Are you alright now?” Bai Jing’an feigned concern.
Bai Jingchu whimpered pitifully, “I feel awful—dizzy and nauseous.”
“You were poisoned earlier. Luckily, Jingshu had the medicine to save you.”
Bai Jingchu responded indifferently, “Oh… Is Sister alright now? Did you find out who poisoned her?”
Bai Jing’an replied awkwardly, “That’s not important right now. Tell me, do you really know the Bai family’s Thirteen Ghost Gates Acupuncture?”
Bai Jingchu nodded earnestly, “Yes, I will. None of you believe me anyway.”
“Big Brother believes you!” Bai Jing’an’s eyes lit up. “Come with me for a moment.”
Bai Jingchu remained seated. “Then do you believe that I didn’t poison Sister Jingchu?”
“I believe you, of course I do!” Bai Jing’an declared firmly.
“Then why did Sister Jingshu get poisoned? If this isn’t cleared up, I won’t leave! Mother will be angry and hit me.”
Bai Jing’an clenched his jaw. “Jingshu, explain it clearly to Jingchu.”
Bai Jingshu couldn’t understand why Bai Jing’an and Madam Bai Chen’s attitudes had suddenly changed. Seeing that she had been exposed, she reluctantly admitted, “Fine, it was my own carelessness, alright?”
Bai Jing’an looked eagerly at Jingchu. “It was all Jingshu’s fault. Mother already knows she misunderstood you. Can we go now?”
Bai Jingchu shook her head. “Mother said that if you make a mistake, you must be punished, or you won’t learn. What if you accidentally poison yourself again next time?”
Madam Bai Chen had no choice but to go along with it. “I’ll make her kneel in the ancestral hall later!”
Kneel in the ancestral hall? Wasn’t that just a show for her benefit?
Bai Jingchu gave Bai Jingshu a pitying look. “Sister is sick. Kneeling in the ancestral hall would be too hard on her.”
She tilted her head thoughtfully. “How about this—just kowtow to me instead. I’ll forgive you on behalf of our ancestors.”
Bai Jingshu nearly jumped up in fury, screeching, “How dare you!”
“But before, when I made a mistake, Mother made me kneel and apologize to you too.”
As the saying goes, saving a life is as urgent as putting out a fire.
Bai Jingchu could afford to delay, but the patient couldn’t wait.
Madam Bai Chen understood the stakes and coldly ordered, “Jingshu, kneel to your sister!”
Bai Jingshu was so aggrieved that tears welled up in her eyes. “Mother, are you favoring her too? Have you forgotten…”
Madam Bai Chen narrowed her eyes and snapped sharply, “Do it now!”
Bai Jingshu’s heart trembled. No matter how unwilling she was, she could only drag herself out of bed, her face pale with rage as she glared hatefully at Jingchu.
Gritting her teeth, she knelt down.
Bai Jingchu stood up, patted the dust off her bottom, and then casually patted Jingshu’s head. “Sister, you’re so silly. How could you take the wrong medicine?”
Her hand landed right on the “bump” on Jingshu’s head, causing her to flinch in pain as she slapped Jingchu’s hand away.
Bai Jingchu let out an exaggerated cry, “Ah! My hand! Sister, that hurt so much!”
Her hands were now the Bai family’s most treasured asset.
Bai Jing’an immediately scolded, “Jingshu! Are you still not convinced?”
Since returning to the Bai family, Bai Jingshu had never suffered such humiliation. Her eyes reddened with rage.
“I was wrong. I wronged you. Is that enough?”
Bai Jingchu was very pleased and said with a smile, “You’re lucky it was me. If it were anyone else, Mother would definitely make you kneel in the ancestral hall. That would hurt so much!”
Bai Jingshu would have gladly knelt in the ancestral hall! After all, Madam Bai Chen wouldn’t actually make her kneel for long—it was still better than kneeling to this fool.
Bai Jing’an could no longer contain himself. “Jingshu has already apologized to you. Come with me, and I’ll buy you treats from Zhenxiu Zhai.”
At the mention of food, Bai Jingchu immediately perked up, nodding eagerly like a pecking chick. “Yes, yes!”
She eagerly tugged Bai Jing’an away.
Bai Jingshu burst into loud sobs. “Making me kneel to a fool—how can I ever show my face here again? Even the servants will look down on me now.”
“I should just go back to the nunnery. Life may be harder there, but at least I won’t be toyed with by a fool like this—beaten for no reason and still having to apologize to her.”
Madam Bai Chen’s face was also livid with anger, but she had no choice but to coax gently, “For now, this girl still has some use. Your elder brother and I have no other choice. Don’t worry—once this turmoil passes, I’ll send her away immediately! I’ll lock her up in the Mad Tower for the rest of her life!”
Bai Jingshu sobbed and wailed, “Mother, do you not love Jingshu anymore?”
“How could that be? You are the flesh of my flesh. Just listen to me these next few days—don’t pay any attention to that foolish girl or get angry with her. I will definitely avenge you.”