The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 191: Giving It All

Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Giving It All

"Mmm, Mother, I’ll listen to you! I won’t tell anyone!" Wang Yongzhu nodded and wiped her tears.

Then she stood up, "Mother, rest assured, although I won’t tell anyone else, I will definitely find a way to get our land deed back! Even if I can’t retrieve it, I will work hard to earn money and buy even more land than before! I won’t let Mother suffer!" This was the most resolute thought in Wang Yongzhu’s heart at the moment.

For Old Granny Zhang’s sake, she also had to work hard to earn money! To compensate for what her former self had caused the Wang Family to lose.

Old Granny Zhang nodded, "Mother believes you!"

Though losing the land deed was heartbreaking, seeing her daughter so sensible made Old Granny Zhang feel a less painful sting.

The mother and daughter comforted each other for a while before they began to discuss serious matters.

"Now that we have no silver in the house, what about the medicine expenses?" Old Granny Zhang worried.

"Mother, I still have ten taels of silver. It can cover the medical expenses for two days. I’ll go find Fourth Brother and see if we can get the deed and the silver back," Wang Yongzhu immediately offered her private savings.

Lady Zhang was hesitant to take it at first, but considering the situation at home and the urgent need for silver, she nodded after a moment of hesitation, "Consider it a loan from Mother, I’ll return it to you later!"

Once Wang Yongzhu had taken it out, she had no intention of taking it back, "This money can be considered compensation to the family. I have no face to ask for it again!"

Seeing her eldest daughter speak with such resolve, Old Granny Zhang didn’t push the issue further.

She would save it for her eldest daughter when the time came.

With the issue of the silver temporarily resolved, the rest was easier to manage.

After tidying up the room together, Old Granny Zhang fumbled around in the corner of the heated brick bed for a long time until she found two fragments of silver totaling about one tael in weight.

Wang Yongzhu was stunned, was this Old Granny Zhang’s private savings?

Seeing her eldest daughter’s dumbfounded expression, Old Granny Zhang couldn’t help but impart her wisdom, "What are you staring at? What woman doesn’t save some private money? If you didn’t do that, whom would you turn to at times like this? I’m telling you, as a woman, you’re born to save private money, never let the men know! Don’t be foolish and save up too much at once; it’s easier to be found out. After you’re married, you must keep the family silver and provisions in your hands, understand? Whenever there’s silver or money passing through your hands, secretly keep back a coin here and there. Over time, when you’ve saved enough, quietly exchange it for silver and hide it away. Silver takes up less space and is easier to hide. Don’t be like Lady Lin, that fool, saving big jars of Copper Coins, with such a big target, it’s easy to be found! Got it?"

These were lessons from experience.

Wang Yongzhu nodded in awe, "I got it!"

"Also, when you save your private money, don’t naively put it all in one place. If discovered, you’d lose everything at once! Hide it in several places, so even if one is found, you’ll have others. After saving, don’t keep thinking about it and touching it every day. Over time, that’s bound to give you away. Once you’ve hidden it, pretend it’s not there. That way, you decrease the chances of being discovered," Old Granny Zhang was imparting a lifetime worth of experience in saving private money.

Wang Yongzhu didn’t think she would need this knowledge, but learning it couldn’t hurt.

She memorized it carefully.

However, it was only towards the end that she suddenly realized, "Then Mother, do you still have——"

"Tsk tsk tsk, what nonsense are you talking? Mother has nothing. You go out and see if the meal is ready, and once we’ve eaten, we’ll leave!" Old Granny Zhang turned her face away, denying it.

Wang Yongzhu had a figure in mind and finally felt a bit relieved; at least she had not stolen Old Granny Zhang’s private savings!

Coming out, she saw Lady Jiang still looked dazed, sitting with Jindou in the yard, seemingly lost in thought.

Feeling guilty, Wang Yongzhu stepped forward, "Sister-in-law, hurry and cook. We need to eat and then go to town."

Lady Jiang snapped back to reality, mumbling an acknowledgment even as she appeared dazed, nearly bumping into the wall.

Wang Yongzhu knew that, since she still hadn’t earned enough silver, nothing she said would matter. Any promises or assurances were just empty words that couldn’t provide any comfort or guarantees to anyone. It was better to hold back and discuss it after returning from the county town.

Holding back her emotions, she returned to her own room, packed two sets of clothes, and then searched for all her private savings—a couple of five-tael silver ingots and more than a dozen large coins.

That was all of Wang Yongzhu’s possessions.

She set the silver aside, which she would later give to Old Granny Zhang. As for the large coins, Wang Yongzhu would keep them for herself. She still had to go to the county town, and definitely would need money, so she earmarked it for travel expenses.

At lunch, everyone ate in a daze, the food tasteless in their mouths.

Old Granny Zhang couldn’t afford to worry about these things either and instructed Jindou and Lady Jiang in her room to take out a bag of flour, "Conserve this food when you eat. There are still some sweet potatoes in the cellar. Just get by without going hungry!"

Lady Jiang and Jindou silently carried the food to the kitchen.

Old Granny Zhang packed two baskets, one for clothes and one for grain.

"Mom, why are you bringing food too?" Wang Yongzhu couldn’t understand.

"If we bring our own food, we can cook it using the clinic’s stove. It’s cheaper than joining a communal meal," Old Granny Zhang said as she lifted the basket of grain.

Wang Yongzhu beat her to it, shouldering the basket herself.

Old Granny Zhang knew her daughter was strong and didn’t argue, taking the remaining basket and cautioning, "You all better stay at home and don’t go out if it’s not necessary in the next few days. If people gossip, don’t pay them any mind, especially the kids. Keep them in line for me. If I come back and find out anyone has been wandering around aimlessly, I’ll break their legs, understand?"

She looked particularly at Jindou, a warning for him to keep a close eye on Jinguan.

Jindou hurriedly nodded, "I’ll take good care of Jinguan!"

Wang Yongzhu also gave a warning, "Be extra careful at night when you sleep. Jindou, you’re an adult now. The household is in your hands!"

Jindou felt the weight of the responsibility; frightened but knowing that if he didn’t stand up and support the family now, no one would. So, he nodded seriously, "Don’t worry, Auntie!"

Only then did Old Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu leave with ease.

They reached the clinic just as it was getting dark.

In the side room, Wang Yongfu still lay in a deep sleep, while Wang Laozhu was awake, gesturing for Jinhoo and Wang Yongping to go to the clinic’s entrance frequently to check for the arrival of Wang Yongzhu and Old Granny Zhang.

It was a great relief when they finally spotted the two figures.

Old Granny Zhang was very efficient in her actions. Upon arriving at the clinic, she immediately went to speak with Doctor Ma, convincing him to lend them the kitchen every day without even charging a penny.

Knowing that nobody had eaten, she quickly washed some rice and started cooking porridge for the patient first.

The rest settled for a simple meal paired with the salted vegetables they had brought, finally getting to eat something warm.

After dinner, the whole family crammed into the side room, and Wang Laozhu began to ask vaguely about the situation at home.

Old Granny Zhang, having been told by her eldest daughter that the head of the household’s illness meant he couldn’t get stressed or upset, evaded the question.

Meanwhile, Wang Yongzhu pulled Wang Yongping and Jinhoo aside, "There’s been trouble at home, but we can’t tell dad. It’s enough that we’re aware of it."