The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 170 Decisiveness? (Revised)

Chapter 170: Chapter 170 Decisiveness? (Revised)

Old Granny Yang finally advised Old Granny Zhang to take a look at the shop, as it was indeed cheap.

Old Granny Zhang thanked her with her mouth, but she could barely keep from laughing out loud, and had to endure it.

Fortunately, Old Granny Yang and her family left after seeing the doctor, but before leaving, she clung to Old Granny Zhang’s hand, reluctant to part, "Sister Zhang, come find me when you’re in town next time, my house is easy to recognize, just walk straight and it’s the second house on the left-hand side of the second street."

After hearing a bellyful of gossip about Li Jinzhi, Old Granny Zhang felt the time was about right, and when she entered the house, she saw Lady Lin packing things up.

Upon seeing Old Granny Zhang enter, Lady Lin reluctantly explained that she hadn’t bathed in a few days, felt uncomfortable, and had not brought many things to the medical hall, which was inconvenient. It just so happened that she could go back with Old Granny Zhang that day, clean up a bit, and then bring some clothes for Wang Yongfu to change into.

Old Granny Zhang looked suspiciously at Lady Lin, feeling she was up to no good, but she didn’t say anything.

On the other hand, Lady Lin instructed Jindou and Jinhoo to take care of Wang Yongfu in the town.

She returned home following behind Old Granny Zhang.

As a result, after coming back, such an incident occurred, which finally made Lady Lin make up her mind.

In the evening, Lady Lin didn’t come out for dinner and insisted she was tired.

Jinguan, the child, was carefree and shouted at the dinner table, saying he got hurt that day and since Lady Lin wasn’t eating and since she was the one who had injured him, her portion should simply be given to him to eat.

Wang Laozhu, seeing Jinguan’s behavior, could barely stand to watch, waved his hand, and implied his agreement.

The family ate dinner in silence and then returned to their rooms to rest.

Lying on the kang, Old Granny Zhang tossed and turned, unable to sleep, "Head of the household," she asked, "do you think the Eldest Brother’s wife insisting on coming back today was about stealing some private money and then going back to her parents’ home, huh?"

Wang Laozhu, already half-asleep, mumbled unclearly in response, "Only you could think so much about it. Didn’t the Eldest Brother’s wife say she wanted to go home to get some clean clothes to change into? With Eldest Brother still lying in the medical hall, what parents’ home would she return to, huh?"

Old Granny Zhang snorted coldly, "That’s not certain. Maybe now she despises Eldest Brother for being a useless man. Isn’t staying with Eldest Brother just like living in widowhood? Doesn’t she have the right to find another man to marry?"

Wang Laozhu was startled and sat up, "What nonsense are you talking about? The Eldest Brother’s wife has already given us three grandsons. How could she think about getting a divorce and remarrying? Besides, Jindou and Jinhu are almost grown up, she just needs to hold on for a couple more years, and her good days will come. She would be a fool to remarry some unknown old bachelor from who knows where, or to become a stepmother for someone else?"

Wang Laozhu felt the Eldest Brother’s wife seemed quite shrewd, unlikely to commit such acts.

After pausing to reflect, he went on to complain, "And you, what are you messing with Eldest Brother’s bit of money for?"

Old Granny Zhang was also annoyed, turned over, sat up, and confronted Wang Laozhu in the dark, "Why shouldn’t I take it? How come, when I was your daughter-in-law, your mother, my mother-in-law, clearly stated I wasn’t allowed to save any private money without splitting the family assets. So, why is it okay when it comes to the Eldest Brother’s wife? Is it that the Wang Family’s rules are all set by women from the Lin Family, huh?"

"Besides, have I spent that money somewhere else, or isn’t it all used on Eldest Brother? What, when something happens to Eldest Brother, they don’t contribute a penny, but strip us two old folks, as well as Laosi and the daughter, clean? Wang Laozhu, you tell me clearly, what are you implying? Is Eldest Brother your only son? Are Laosi and the daughter those I secretly gave birth to from adultery? You accuse me of favoritism, but isn’t your heart biased to the extreme?"

As Old Granny Zhang flew into a rage, Wang Laozhu softened, trying weakly to explain, "I mean, if you’re going to take it, take it openly. If people find out about us doing it sneakily, won’t they talk behind our backs about us parents lacking dignity?"

"Pah! I’m telling you straight today. If I hadn’t taken the money first, and it had fallen into Lady Lin’s hands, God knows which scumbag she’d spend it on. Forget about Eldest Brother!"

After saying her piece, she turned over and lay down, refusing to deal with Wang Laozhu any further.

Wang Laozhu sighed twice and lay down to sleep without another word.

In the main room, Jinguan, despite his reluctance, had to obediently return to his own room to sleep when night came.

Uncle Si’s sleeping posture was too fierce. Just resting on his kang for a while in the afternoon, Jinguan had been kicked off several times, his butt bruised to pieces.

If he had to spend the whole night with Uncle Si, he felt his little life wouldn’t be guaranteed.

After thinking it over, Lady Lin had always doted on him. She had given him such a beating that afternoon, but after all, he was her own son. It was already evening; surely her anger would have subsided by now.

He tiptoed back after dinner and sneaked onto the kang, intending to go to sleep.

Having been waiting for Jinguan, Lady Lin spoke from her chair with a distant voice, "Jinguan—"

Jinguan, terrified, rolled off the kang, his body shaking like sieved chaff, "There’s—" before he could even cry out "ghost."

Then he heard Lady Lin’s voice again, "Calling what? It’s me!" she said, lighting the oil lamp.

Jinguan climbed up from the floor with a grin, rubbing his butt and complaining, "Mom, why are you scaring people in the middle of the night?"

Lady Lin, although she had truly made up her mind at that moment, began to waiver again upon seeing Jinguan.

Hearing Jinguan’s complaint, she held back for a while before finally speaking hesitantly, "Jinguan, Mom has something to ask you—"

Jinguan touched his butt and pouted, "What do you want to ask?"

Lady Lin had the words on the tip of her tongue, but still felt too ashamed to say them out loud. In the end, she only asked, "Mom is planning to go stay at your eldest uncle’s for a few days tomorrow. Do you want to come with Mom?"

Jinguan paused, halting midway as he climbed back onto the kang, then turned his head to look at Lady Lin, "Dad is still waiting for you at the clinic. Mom, why are you going to eldest uncle’s place?"

Lady Lin, already feeling guilty, became instantly angry and embarrassed by her son’s question, "You’re a kid, why are you meddling in adult’s affairs? Mom is just asking you if you want to go to your eldest uncle’s. Do you remember your eldest uncle? Their family is doing very well, and they like you brothers the most. If you go, they will definitely make various treats for you, you’ll have your cousins to play with, surely that’s better than staying at home and having to face your grandparents, right?"

Jinguan didn’t really listen to anything else; as soon as he heard there would be treats at eldest uncle’s house, he nodded firmly, "Then I want to go!"

"Jinguan, you’ll go—you’re agreeing to go?" Lady Lin was initially prepared to persuade him further, but Jinguan’s decisive agreement caught her off guard, leaving her subsequent arguments stuck in her throat.

She stood there awkwardly for a moment before regaining her composure, "You really agree to go?"

With Jinguan’s prompt agreement, Lady Lin began to second guess herself.

Carrying the wonderful hope of enjoying the treats at his eldest uncle’s the next day, Jinguan fell asleep quickly.

Lady Lin, however, tossed and turned all night on the kang, unable to fall asleep.

It wasn’t until the morning that she made up her mind, deciding to find an excuse to return to her maiden home first. Once she went back, as long as she didn’t return, everyone would eventually understand over time, right? She had slaved away for the Wang Family for many years, bearing and raising children—she had fulfilled her duties to the Wang Family. When she stood by the head of the household, she had never been unfaithful. Now that the head of the household was incapacitated, if he cherished the bond they had shared as husband and wife, he would surely agree.