The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 218: In the Wrong

Chapter 218: Chapter 218: In the Wrong

Lady Lin had no sooner left the yard than Old Granny Zhang called for the doors to be shut and threw water on the ground.

She was cursing under her breath, continuously mumbling about bad luck.

The faces of Jindou and his brothers all looked rather unpleasant, knowing their grandmother was angry about their father and mother keeping the bracelet matter from her, and for a while, no one dared to speak.

It was Wang Yongfu who struggled to climb down from the chair, crawling on the ground.

Jindou and Jinhu hurried to help Wang Yongfu up.

But he pushed them away, propping himself up with his hands, and started to kowtow heavily towards Old Granny Zhang, raising dust off the hard ground with each bow.

"Mother! It’s all my unfilial fault! I was wrong! I truly realize my mistake! I was foolish back then, Mother cared for me with all her heart, yet I allowed my heart to be clouded, taking Mother’s kindness as ill-intent. To marry Lady Lin, I forced Mother to compromise, causing you sorrow and disappointment! It’s all my fault! I was blind, erring in judgment of character, deceived by the wrong person! Hence, I ended up in this plight! Mother made me swear an oath, and though I vowed it aloud, I didn’t take it to heart, this is all the retribution I deserve! I have nothing else to say, only to kowtow and admit my mistakes to Mother! These years, I’ve wronged you, Mother! You can beat or scold me, for I’m nothing but a scoundrel, worthless! For a woman’s sake, I defied my own mother! All this is deserved, it’s karmic retribution!"

He cried and kowtowed, the thuds heavy and loud, and after just a few, his forehead was cracked open, displaying faint streaks of blood.

Watching Wang Yongfu like this, Jindou and his brothers felt both heartache and discomfort, their eyes reddening.

Lady Jiang and the children from the third branch also watched with expressions of sympathy, especially Lady Jiang, who found it hardest to see such scenes, turning away.

However, Wang Yongping could not care about that much, rushing forward to hold Wang Yongfu, kneeling beside him, pleading with Old Granny Zhang, "Mother, look at elder brother, he’s like this now, he knows he’s remorseful, Mother—"

Only Wang Yongzhu remained silent, standing quietly behind Old Granny Zhang in support.

Old Granny Zhang’s expression was very complex at the moment of seeing Wang Yongfu kowtow.

But after hearing Wang Yongfu’s words, her face instead revealed a somewhat mocking smile, and though Wang Yongfu’s forehead bled from kowtowing, she just quietly looked on without saying a word.

It was only when Wang Yongping knelt beside Wang Yongfu, pleading on his behalf, that Old Granny Zhang finally lifted her eyelids and said indifferently, "Get up."

Then she walked into the house with a flick of her sleeve.

Everyone was stunned, unsure whether Old Granny Zhang had forgiven elder brother or not.

Even Wang Yongfu himself was taken aback—his mother’s reaction, without scolding, only made him feel more uneasy and uncertain.

His anxious gaze wandered around and then settled on Wang Yongzhu.

If anyone in the family truly understood Mother, it was definitely the youngest sister.

Wang Yongzhu smiled and motioned for Jindou to come forward, "Quickly help Father up. Do you still care about your body after all this turmoil? Don’t worry, Mother won’t hold these things against elder brother. Didn’t you see she wasn’t angry? What mother and son hold a grudge overnight? Elder brother, go back to your room and rest at ease!"

Hearing Wang Yongzhu say so, everyone also calmed down, and with much ado, they lifted Wang Yongfu, washed his hands and face, and took him back to his room.

Wang Yongzhu finally walked into the house. Although Old Granny Zhang had not spoken, Wang Yongzhu knew that Old Granny Zhang had not forgiven her eldest brother. It was just that her brother, dragging his disabled body, had kowtowed and apologized to her. If she still claimed to not forgive him, it would seem to others that Old Granny Zhang was being unreasonable.

So she didn’t speak and went straight into the house.

As her own flesh and blood, it was natural for her to clean up this mess for her mother.

After tidying up, she still had to coax her mother into being happy.

Sure enough, inside the room, Old Granny Zhang threw a silver bracelet in front of Wang Laozhu, "You know about this bracelet, right? The whole family has been keeping it a secret from me, haven’t they? Wang Laozhu, search your conscience and tell me, been anything but dutiful since marrying into your Wang Family, bearing children, and taking care of the household? Tell me, haven’t I married into your family as the legitimate wife through a proper wedding? I have slaved for your Old Wang Family for decades, and you still hid this matter from me? Do you think I’m your servant?"

Wang Laozhu’s face showed an awkward expression.

This matter was indeed his fault. Before his mother had passed away, after entrusting her last words, she had sent everyone out, especially entrusting this matter, saying that since his wife was married later, she shouldn’t share a grave with him, and this bracelet should, by rights, be given to the mother of his eldest daughter.

But who could blame her for having a frail life and dying early? A wife that came later naturally couldn’t compare to the first wife.

Therefore, he didn’t give it to his wife but gave it to Lady Lin instead. After all, Lady Lin was the wife of the eldest grandson. Even if it had been given to Old Granny Zhang, ultimately, it still had to be passed on to Lady Lin; it just skipped the step involving Old Granny Zhang.

Wang Laozhu felt somewhat uneasy at the time, but since the bracelet was already in the hands of his daughter-in-law, how could he, as a father-in-law, force his daughter-in-law to give it up? Wouldn’t that hurt the harmony?

So he simply pretended not to know, keeping it a secret from his wife to avoid her blowing up on discovering the truth.

These dozen or so years had passed, and he hadn’t expected for everything to be exposed today.

Trying to explain, he stumbled over his words, beads of sweat appearing on his anxious face.

It was just at this moment that Wang Yongzhu came in and saw Wang Laozhu with his face red and neck thick from agitation, gesturing with his eyes for her to step in and persuade.

Taking note of Old Granny Zhang wiping tears on the side, not wailing out loud, but the more she did this, the more Wang Yongzhu knew that her mother was truly heartbroken.

After marrying into the Wang Family for decades, enduring all hardships, bearing and raising children, and then to be denied the very bracelet that acknowledged her as a Wang Family wife!

This completely negated her decades of hardship.

Anyone would be heartbroken in her place.

Wang Yongzhu picked up the silver bracelets lying on the kang bed, looked at them with contempt, and then casually tossed them aside, "Mother, it’s just a pair of silver bracelets, what of it? When the time comes, your daughter will have a pair of two-tael gold bracelets made for you! In the future, give these bracelets to whichever daughter-in-law you fancy. Who in future generations will remember this pair of silver bracelets? If they remember anything, it will be the gold bracelets that you gifted to the daughters-in-law of the Wang Family, those that can truly become family heirlooms! The heritage of the Wang Family’s daughters-in-law will start from you!"

With these words, Old Granny Zhang’s tears stopped. She wiped away her tears, "My daughter is right! I don’t expect anything in this life but to rely on my daughter! I’ll wait for my daughter to make me big gold bracelets to wear! Darling, don’t worry, if others don’t regard me as a Wang Family daughter-in-law and treasure that silver bracelet, let them forget about the gold bracelets in the future. Everything of mine will be yours, my daughter. As for sons and daughters-in-law, let them be someone else’s concern!"

Wang Laozhu’s face turned green. The future family heirlooms of the Wang Family would be passed down from his daughter and wife, and the Wang Family men would have nothing to do with it. How would he face his ancestors in the future?

His wife and daughter were trampling the Wang Family’s reputation underfoot, and his fault made it so he couldn’t say anything, even if he wanted to: he simply could not articulate it.