The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 457 - 446: Want to steal it back

Chapter 457: Chapter 446: Want to steal it back

Bai Erlang cried for half the night, and the next morning he got up with red eyes, listlessly grabbed his book box, and headed out the door, not even eating breakfast.

The attendant, worried sick, could only go to the kitchen to pack some pastries and follow him.

By the time Mrs. Bai had someone send over the silver, Bai Erlang had already left.

Rarely, he was the first to arrive at the school today, even before Manbao and Bai Shanbao, making it the first time in history.

As soon as the two of them arrived at the school, the first sight that met their eyes was Bai Erlang, sitting motionless on the stone steps in front of the classroom.

They couldn’t help but exchange a glance and went up to him with concern, asking, "What’s wrong with you?"

Seeing his red eyes, Manbao asked with concern, "You weren’t beaten, were you?"

Bai Erlang’s tears flowed as he sobbed, "My mother stole my money."

Bai Shanbao and Manbao both widened their eyes, clearly shocked beyond words.

Between them, whether it was the well-born Bai Shanbao or the poor-born Manbao, neither had ever encountered a thief.

So neither of them could come up with any solutions on the spot.

Manbao frowned and said, "But she’s your mother, you can’t just report her to the authorities, right?"

Bai Shanbao said, "Reporting her won’t help either, mother is supreme, if Bai Er were to complain it would just be seen as unfilial, and the authorities wouldn’t get involved."

Manbao put herself in the situation and thought, if Ms. Qian took her money—then just let her mother have it! But it seemed like her own mother wouldn’t take her things without asking, this kind of thing usually only happened with her father.

So Manbao said, "You should complain to your father. Every time my father raids my Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother’s private funds, they go and complain to my mother."

"I did complain, and my father is on my side, but my grandmother backs up my mother, and my father can’t do anything about her."

Manbao then sighed and said, "Then I’m out of ideas, because I’ve never met my grandmother."

She and Bai Erlang both looked towards Bai Shanbao.

Bai Shanbao also frowned in distress, "I’m out of ideas too, because my mother also likes to listen to my grandmother, but she wouldn’t steal my things."

Bai Erlang cried in hurt, and his two friends could only comfort him together.

After a while, Bai Erlang wiped away his tears and said, "I know where my mother hid the money, I’m going to take it back."

"But isn’t that still stealing?" Bai Shanbao said, "That’s not right, how can a good person become a thief?"

Manbao also nodded, "Or else, after school let’s go and reason with your mother together? I think your mother is quite nice usually."

Bai Shanbao also nodded, "She always gives us all kinds of treats."

Manbao: "And she’s very kind."

Bai Erlang, frustrated, asked, "Whose side are you on after all?"

"Your side!" the two said in unison.

Bai Erlang looked at them doubtfully, "Really?"

"Of course, we don’t lie," Manbao stood up and said, "But before that, we need to make some preparations. Let’s ask our teacher. If a mother steals from her child, as the child, how should we reason with our mother?"

Bai Shanbao hadn’t seen such examples in his books either and felt they had to consult Mr. Zhuang.

Mr. Zhuang, Mr. Zhuang was also puzzled.

Having just finished the morning class, he was surrounded by three children and presented with such a challenging question.

Mr. Zhuang thought, the Dragon Boat Festival, no, it’s really not a good time to teach classes during festivals.

After thinking for a while, Mr. Zhuang said, "You must give your teacher some time to think, I’ll tell you when I have it figured out."

The three looked at him eagerly, asking, "Will it be long?"

Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment and said, "Before dinner?"

The three felt disappointed, "Teacher, can’t you tell us before school is over?"

Mr. Zhuang smiled, "I’ll try my best."

The three then went to class with heavy hearts, but soon they had no energy left to dwell on their troubles, for Mr. Zhuang’s lessons had intensified. It seemed he was testing the limits of the three children, yet none of them knew it.

So to keep up with the teacher’s pace, they had to concentrate even more in class, and then review the textbooks after class to solidify what they had just learned.

After lunch, Mr. Zhuang did not join them for a nap today; watching them half-dozing off, Mr. Zhuang quietly left the small courtyard.

The sun was high in the sky, scorching hot.

Heading directly towards the Bai Family’s residence under the blazing sun, Mr. Zhuang was sweating profusely by the time he saw Old Master Bai.

Mr. Zhuang said with a wry smile, "My apologies."

"Not at all," Old Master Bai invited him in to cool off, asking, "What brings Mr. Zhuang here under the hot sun?"

After drinking a cup of tea, Mr. Zhuang shared the three children’s issue with Old Master Bai.

Old Master Bai’s face showed some embarrassment, and he said with a wry smile, "Mr. Zhuang has seen a joke on us. My wife lacks foresight, but last night I had already persuaded her, and this morning she returned the silver, only Bai Erlang was too impatient; he didn’t sleep well last night and rushed off to school without breakfast."

Mr. Zhuang, relieved, smiled and said, "That’s good, that’s good."

He paused, then with a smile said, "There’s an old saying among the common folk that doesn’t quite hit the mark but still holds some truth, though it might offend Old Master Bai and Mrs. Bai."

"Mr. Zhuang, please speak."

Mr. Zhuang paused and then said, "It goes, ’dragons breed dragons and phoenixes breed phoenixes.’ In my view, it’s not only about inheritance; the main thing is that children will learn from their parents. Even the wicked always try to teach their children to be good, yet they forget that leading by example is the most powerful teacher in this world."

"Children listen, observe, and think. Bai Erlang is simple and direct by nature, still too young to discern right from wrong, so going forward Old Master Bai should take even greater care in teaching his son."

Understanding Mr. Zhuang’s underlying message, Old Master Bai’s face turned red as he agreed and kept apologizing as he saw Mr. Zhuang out.

After Mr. Zhuang left, he turned to the attendant who had served tea and said, "Go to the back yard and report exactly what Mr. Zhuang said during his visit to the lady of the house."

The attendant responsible for serving tea and fanning: ...

He trudged toward the back yard.

Meanwhile, Bai Erlang, who had barely made it through the afternoon class and was ready to return home with a sense of self-sacrifice, was stopped by Mr. Zhuang, who smiled and said, "Go back to your room first when you get home, then go and apologize to your mother, understand?"

Bai Erlang gaped, "Teacher, how is it that I am also wrong?"

"How are you not?" Mr. Zhuang said, "As a filial child, no matter what, you shouldn’t yell and scream at your parents. If you have a case, you should state it calmly; what’s with all this tantrum throwing and bawling?"

Bai Erlang wanted to argue, but Manbao asked from the side, "Teacher, have you visited Old Master Bai and Mrs. Bai?"

Mr. Zhuang remained silent with a smile.

Bai Shanbao also asked excitedly, "Did Mrs. Bai return the silver to Bai Er?"

Mr. Zhuang still didn’t say a word, but Bai Erlang also realized what had happened and joyfully said, "Really? Is it true? Teacher, you are amazing!"