Chapter 326: Chapter 326: Roadside Encounter

Although Cheng Yijin didn’t speak loudly, Yi Roujing was sitting just two rows ahead of them, so she could still hear it. That remark was definitely a jab at her, right?

"Mom, they’re just jealous of you." Yi Roujing was just about to retort, but before she could, Baozi spoke up first.

"Why’s that?" the elderly woman suddenly asked Baozi with a smile.

"Because they look older than my mom, they’re not as pretty as my mom, and they don’t have a cute baby like me, so they’re jealous." Baozi rattled off a long sentence without pausing, leaving Yi Roujing stunned.

"Oh my, what a clever little thing." The elderly woman was delighted. "Young lady, you’ve raised a good one here, knows how to care for people already."

Yi Roujing lifted Baozi onto her lap and kissed him. "Mm, thank you, sweetheart."

Cheng Yijin felt a bit unhappy about being rebutted, but she cared about saving face, not wanting to make a scene with a child in public.

Baozi’s words didn’t contain any insults, just compliments for his own mom, only making a comparison with them, which Zhou Zeqiu and Cheng Yijin had done first, leaving them with nothing to say now.

"This kid isn’t very old, but he’s got quite the mouth." Cheng Yijin valued face, but Zhou Zeqiu didn’t, "I wonder how he’s raised at home."

"Our Baozi has been clever since he was little; like me, and like his dad, unlike some others who are older but still don’t know how to speak properly. No idea how their families taught them." Yi Roujing wasn’t one to be pushed around; she looked Zhou Zeqiu straight in the eyes and retorted mercilessly, her lips curling into a sarcastic smile.

"Opening your mouth without criticizing others is basic etiquette, right? If there was another person with a child on this bus today, I wouldn’t even take it personally. You might as well have just said it to my face; I’d think you’re more straightforward that way."

"You..." Zhou Zeqiu was at a loss for words, rendered speechless by Yi Roujing’s response, his face flushing with anger.

"Zhou Zeqiu." Cheng Yimo was getting a bit annoyed; Zhou Zeqiu had no choice but to put down his pointing finger, "And you too, Yijin, talking about people behind their backs isn’t like you. What’s going on today?"

"Third brother, I didn’t mean any harm, I..." Cheng Yijin’s face paled slightly, her eyes filled with panic, "I’m sorry, madam."

Cheng Yijin directly apologized to Yi Roujing, but in Yi Roujing’s eyes, she just looked like a big white lotus; due to Cheng Yijin’s apology, Cheng Yimo’s expression eased a bit.

"I’m sorry, madam, they’re just spoiled by their families; please forgive them. Once we return, we’ll make sure their families educate them properly."

"Yimo, how could you just side with her like that?" Zhou Zeqiu was a bit angry.

"Alright, Yimo’s not wrong. What’s wrong with you, arguing with a child?" Although Deng Yilun said this, his gaze toward Yi Roujing wasn’t friendly.

For the rest of the journey, Yi Roujing ignored them. Baozi was very energetic, peering out the window from time to time. Especially after leaving the city, Baozi was captivated by the scenery outside; it was his first time seeing such vast fields, even if the land was charred and the trees weren’t lush green. For Baozi, taking his first conscious trip far away, it was incredibly attractive.

"Mom, are those the fields? Why are they black?"

"Yes, as for the black color, it’s likely because the crops were harvested, and the leftover dried branches and leaves got burned, mixing into the soil. The ash helps fertilize the fields," Yi Roujing explained.

After a one-and-a-half-hour bus ride, they finally arrived at Maple Forest. Coincidentally, the elderly woman also got off at this stop. Unfortunately, so did Cheng Yijin and her group.

"Don’t mind her, let’s go." Zhou Zeqiu grunted and walked off first, with Cheng Yijin and the others following closely.

"Young lady, do you want to come to Auntie’s house for a while? Have lunch at my place." The elderly woman warmly invited Yi Roujing and Baozi.

"Auntie, you’re too kind. We brought lunch with us."

"Mom—"

"Auntie, that must be your daughter, you should head home." Yi Roujing watched the elderly woman being helped back home, then took Baozi’s hand and headed into Maple Forest.

"Mom, aren’t you upset?" Baozi suddenly asked.

Yi Roujing understood what Baozi meant. "Why would I be upset? They’re not important. Besides, my son already stood up for me. What anger could I have left? Our Baozi is really something."

"Dad said we can’t let anyone bully Mom. The two little men in our family now have to protect Mom," Baozi said seriously, his cute face further softening Yi Roujing’s heart.

Yi Roujing felt that she and Cheng Yijin were just destined to clash. As she led Baozi for a twenty-minute walk, she spotted Cheng Yijin and her group surrounded by some people.

The location was bad, right at a corner. If she had seen it earlier, Yi Roujing would’ve planned to steer clear, considering she had Baozi with her. But now, she couldn’t avoid getting involved because...

"Boss, there’s another pretty woman coming over, this one’s even prettier, and she’s got a kid with her. Look at their clothes, they’re rich folks too."

A young man around twenty-five years old, standing about 1.75 meters tall, with permed hair, a turtleneck sweater with a floral shirt over it, approached Yi Roujing, eyeing her up and down.

"Boss, you don’t exactly look like you’re short on money either." Yi Roujing replied with a straight face.

"Oh, you have an eye for things. Boss, what should we do? She’s seen us. If she goes to the Cheng, Deng, or Zhou families to report, what then?"

"Hey, do you know the three families I just mentioned?" the floral shirt guy asked after speaking.

"Deng, Zhou? Which Cheng?" Yi Roujing slightly furrowed her brow, thoughtfully asking back. If she immediately claimed ignorance, that would be suspicious. If she couldn’t answer, responding with a question was the best option.

"Boss, seems like she doesn’t know them." The floral shirt guy laughed, "And she’s got a little kid too. Maybe we should just let it go? After all, we’re just here to teach them a lesson. It’s not like it matters if they see us."

"Jiang Bomeng, what do you really want?" Cheng Yijin turned her head left to angrily scold the floral shirt guy, then looked to the right with a face full of grievance, "Yan Qing, are you just going to stand by while they bully me?"

Only then did Yi Roujing notice a man not far away, obscured by the circle of people. He wore an army green long trench coat, high-booted shoes, had a crew cut, a strong jawline, wheat-colored skin, and was leaning against a tree with his hands behind his head.

"Boss, that wretched woman bullied me terribly before." Jiang Bomeng pretended to sob as he ran over to Ni Yanqing, burying his head in his shoulder, "I didn’t like her, so she spread rumors about me preferring men. Do you think that’s bad? Boss, she even tried to have a go at you, right? This woman is no good."

Yi Roujing twitched her lips; she didn’t expect that to be the reason.