The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 159: Displaced Anger

Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Displaced Anger

She avoided having her daughter do too much work because she feared her destructive capabilities were too powerful; she worried that their home tools and such wouldn’t be able to withstand her havoc.

As her daughter grew older, she increasingly cautioned her not to exert too much strength in front of others and cajoled her by saying she was born under a lucky star and was meant to live a life of luxury. Why would she need to do any rough work?

Indeed, her daughter took these words to heart. As she grew up, she noticed that although her daughter was gluttonous and lazy, the natural strength she’d had since childhood seemed to have disappeared.

Moreover, the girl herself seemed to have completely forgotten about her unusual strength. Whenever asked to do something, she’d complain of pain in her hands, back, and head—everywhere really.

Anyone else would have gotten angry, wondering what was the use of raising such a daughter, but Old Granny Zhang was thrilled. She could finally rest easy, her daughter was just an ordinary person. Maybe that great strength was just due to her healthy growth as a child, resulting from her random thrashing about, perhaps?

Time passed, and she’d fully convinced herself that her daughter was just like everyone else. Even when her daughter had a tantrum and trashed their room last time, Old Granny Zhang remained extraordinarily calm. Since the kang bed wasn’t destroyed, she was deeply grateful, and almost wanted to stew an Egg in celebration for her daughter.

But Wang Daxiu, that wretched woman, caused such a commotion, the girl’s divine strength was forced out again.

What a mess!

Old Granny Zhang wished she could drag Wang Daxiu over for a good thrashing to vent her anger.

On one hand, she was worried; her daughter was grown up now, and those old excuses wouldn’t work anymore.

On her way to catch a chicken, Old Granny Zhang was fretting about how to explain things to her daughter, when her daughter, unable to contain her impatience, asked first.

Luckily, she reacted quickly and took her daughter back home without letting outsiders overhear.

Lying on the kang bed, she hadn’t yet thought of how to properly explain things to her daughter when the girl began tossing and turning, unable to sleep, longing for closeness yet not daring to seek comfort from her own mother.

It was pitiful to see! Old Granny Zhang’s heart, filled with maternal love, was about to break from the pain!

In her frustration, she vented her anger at her own family and the people from the third household: "Originally, your natural super strength was gone, and you were just like the other girls, but that blind Wang Daxiu had to cause trouble in our house! Not a single man in our family is useful when it really matters, we mother and daughter are better off on our own! And that third household, they’re useless as well, all they do is cry, cry, cry, not even knowing to dodge when faced with a knife, legs as limp as noodles. I really don’t know what bad karma I must have accumulated in my past life—"

Wang Yongzhu was completely speechless at this sudden turn of events.

Relief washed over her; it was good not to be suspected, so she didn’t have to think of an escape plan. Although the Wang Family was in a bit of trouble now, that was at most a difficult mode.

But if she were truly suspected, she figured she would instantly be plunged into nightmare mode.

Hearing Old Granny Zhang’s scolding actually sounded incredibly pleasant to her ears. After a pause, she couldn’t help herself and nudged Old Granny Zhang’s arm: "Mom, I’m not afraid! As long as you don’t despise me, I have nothing to fear!"

Old Granny Zhang’s heart instantly melted, and she hugged Wang Yongzhu’s neck, calling her all sorts of endearments like ’darling,’ ’precious,’ and ’little ancestor’: "Oh, my little ancestor, my dear, I will never despise you in this lifetime! Go to sleep, your mom is here. I will protect you, don’t be afraid—"

She said, gently patting Wang Yongzhu’s back to lull her to sleep.

Wang Yongzhu relaxed completely and, amidst the continuous reassurances of "don’t be afraid" from Old Granny Zhang, she drifted off to sleep.

But just before falling asleep, a thought flashed through her mind, as if something wasn’t quite right?

※※※

The following morning, as Wang Yongzhu woke up, daylight had already flooded the sky.

The yard was quiet, and Old Granny Zhang beside her had already gotten up, leaving only a trace of warmth behind.

Wang Yongzhu felt that this was the most peaceful sleep she’d had since arriving here, to date.

She felt completely refreshed.

She pushed open the door, and although the courtyard gate was open, there wasn’t a person in sight, nor any activity in the kitchen.

Could it be that everyone was still scared from yesterday and asleep?

Wang Yongzhu got up and went to the well to draw water and wash up, guessing that her movements had startled the others awake.

Jinhua stuck her head out from the window of the third room, and seeing that Wang Yongzhu was up, she hurried out with a clatter. "Old Cousin, you’re awake, did you sleep well?" she asked, looking attentively at Wang Yongzhu’s complexion.

While twisting her towel to wipe her face, Wang Yongzhu nodded, "Not bad, how about your mother and Jinshao? Are they okay? Did they have any nightmares last night?"

She had slept soundly through the night and didn’t know if Lady Jiang and Jinshao had woken up frightened.

Especially Jinshao, being so young, waking up crying from nightmares would be expected after a scare, right?

When Jinhua heard the question, her face fell, "Jinshao woke up crying several times last night. My mother and I consoled her until she finally settled down this morning. Mother was also frightened, so she couldn’t get up today! But Old Cousin, don’t worry, I’ve already prepared breakfast, and it’s still warm. I’ll go get it for you!"

Saying this, she scurried to the kitchen and brought over a bowl of white rice porridge, a small dish of salted vegetables, and a boiled egg.

Wang Yongzhu sat down and saw the breakfast. So lavish?

"What about the others? Have your grandpa and grandma eaten yet?" Wang Yongzhu felt hungry too and unceremoniously took a sip of the porridge.

It had been a long time since she’d tasted such pure rice porridge, thick and fragrant, with a layer of rice oil congealed on top that melted the moment it touched her tongue.

Accompanied by the salted vegetables, it stimulated her appetite.

"Grandpa and Fourth Uncle went today to oversee the Li Family as they escorted Li Dagui’s family away, expelling them from our village. Grandma said she was going to town today to pay my eldest uncle’s medical expenses, and my eldest and second brothers went along too. Jinguan ate breakfast and disappeared somewhere! Old Cousin, Grandma made your breakfast, it’s been kept warm on the stove, and she told me to serve it to Old Cousin when you woke up."

"Then what did you all have for breakfast?" Wang Yongzhu paused, her chopsticks mid-air, and asked.

"We had sorghum porridge this morning," Jinhua honestly replied.

Wang Yongzhu was stunned. Was her mother treating her differently in broad daylight? She likely thought Wang Yongzhu was frightened yesterday and needed nourishment today, right?

In a peasant’s home, a mother’s affection for her children often showed through food.

After finishing the porridge, Wang Yongzhu peeled the egg, broke off a piece of the white, and was about to pop it into Jinhua’s mouth.

Jinhua quickly stepped back, dodging Wang Yongzhu’s hand, shaking her head continuously, "Old Cousin, you eat the egg. You used so much strength yesterday, you definitely need to replenish. Don’t worry, this egg was laid by one of the hens we took from the Li Family yesterday, so it doesn’t count as our own. Grandma said, after you exerted so much, you need to nourish yourself to recover. From now on, all the eggs laid by our chickens will be saved for Old Cousin to strengthen yourself!"

Wang Yongzhu’s hand froze. She knew this was a lie Old Granny Zhang had made up to provide for her own nourishment.

For a moment, she didn’t know whether to expose the lie or just go along with it.