The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 223 Needs

Chapter 223: Chapter 223 Needs

"This is simple, I’ll go to the village entrance tomorrow morning, talk to those old mothers, and by evening, I guarantee the whole village will know! As for the nearby villages, Laosi and Jindou can just go around making the announcements. Now that it’s summer, it’s the perfect time. First, we’ll clean out the wing rooms, set up some shelves to keep the bugs and dampness away from causing any mold..." From the moment Old Granny Zhang declared they would start a business, her mind was constantly churning over it all day and night, thinking of everything her daughter had thought of and even what her daughter hadn’t.

Wang Yongzhu looked at Old Granny Zhang with gratitude. She indeed hadn’t thought about these details; right now, her main concern was about managing personnel and the procurement process.

"Who in our family knows how to judge the quality of mountain goods? We can’t just buy people’s stuff without distinguishing between good and bad, can we?" Wang Yongzhu had no clue herself.

When she first envisioned the business, she had thought it too simple. Only now, when it was time to actually put things into practice, did she realize how much there was to consider.

Luckily, there was Old Granny Zhang, old but sharp, and still knew a bit about everything, which could really be a big help.

Before Old Granny Zhang could speak, Wang Yongping spoke out with a resounding voice, "Actually, Eldest Brother is the expert in this! It’s just a pity—"

"Eldest Brother?" Wang Yongzhu was somewhat surprised.

At this point, Old Granny Zhang didn’t object, snorting coldly, "If your Eldest Brother wasn’t knowledgeable, he wouldn’t have been lured to the mountain by that shameless Lady Lin..."

Wang Yongzhu really had no recollection of this and looked at Wang Yongping.

Wang Yongping explained, "Eldest Brother was known as Wang Yishou in our village; with just a touch, a sniff, he could tell the quality of mountain goods, whether they were from this year or last."

"Eldest Brother has this skill? How come I didn’t know?" Wang Yongzhu genuinely didn’t know. So, Wang Yongfu, whom she thought only knew how to farm, had this skill too?

"Your grandfather used to do this, he used to work for a trader in mountain goods, which is where he honed this skill. His eyes, hands, and nose—never once could someone trick your grandfather with substandard goods. Unfortunately, his boss later offended someone, and all his possessions were lost without a way out. Your grandfather was clever; sensing things were wrong, he took the money he had saved over the years and returned to Qilidun. Later on, when someone asked your grandfather to come out of retirement, he refused. Since your Eldest Brother was born early, your grandfather had nothing else to do and taught Eldest Brother all his skills. It was just that your grandfather feared Eldest Brother’s honesty could lead him to being pushed out by a boss to take the blame for something, so he didn’t want Eldest Brother to seek a way out..." Old Granny Zhang explained to her daughter, who was completely baffled; being born later, her daughter didn’t know many things from back then.

Later on, she restrained herself, didn’t get close to her sons, so naturally, she didn’t know Eldest Brother had this skill.

It just never occurred to her that the skill Eldest Brother should have learned in vain might come in handy today. It seems that heaven still watches over the Old Wang Family.

Yet, when thinking of Eldest Brother’s current physical condition, even if he had the skill, it was wasted.

"Why didn’t Dad learn at least a bit of it?" Wang Yongzhu looked at Wang Laozhu, her father. This was a family skill; why didn’t he learn it, instead of becoming a carpenter?

"Your dad has the least patience for this. Your grandfather did want to teach him after coming back, but he wasn’t interested. After a few attempts, your dad just didn’t get it, which really frustrated your grandfather. Thankfully, I then gave birth to Eldest Brother, and your grandfather could let your dad off the hook! Just think, if you had learned this skill from Dad back in the day, wouldn’t that have been great?" Old Granny Zhang felt regretful thinking about it. If she had known today’s situation would arise, she would have compelled the head of the house to learn; if he didn’t learn, she could’ve learned it herself, right?

Wang Yongzhu looked at Wang Laozhu who currently couldn’t even speak clearly, and thought that even if he had learned it, it wouldn’t have been much use.

"Why don’t we have Jindou and Jinhu learn from Eldest Brother?" Old Granny Zhang suggested. It seemed Eldest Brother was no longer reliable, so their hopes rested on the two grandsons. Hopefully, Eldest Brother wouldn’t keep secrets from them.

Wang Yongfu’s eyes were downcast, his jaws clenched tightly. He didn’t know what to feel. If only, if only he were fully able-bodied, how great that would be!

Wang Yongzhu pondered for a moment before speaking, "Big brother, you teach Jindou and Jinhu first. This skill must be passed down. As long as our Wang Family relies on Dahei Mountain for a living, this skill is our golden rice bowl! Don’t feel too sad about your leg, we’ll find other solutions. There’s always a way!"

His words brought tears to the eyes of Jindou and Jinhu. Their greatest fear was that, given the family’s current situation, they would give up on treating their father’s injury.

Now, their aunt in her business endeavors hadn’t forgotten about them and had personally stated they would look for other solutions. No matter if their father’s leg could be healed or not, they were touched by her sentiment.

Opening his eyes, Wang Yongfu, whose expression had been lifeless since the divorce from Lady Lin, now shone with a new light. "Little sister, don’t worry! If I can still be of help to you, I’ll be happy! Not only Jindou and Jinhu, but I’ll teach all the children in our family. Matters of quality control must be left to our own people! As long as you trust your big brother, I’ll give it my all, even if it costs me my life, to make sure Jindou and the rest are well trained!"

A kind word can warm three winter months, while a harsh one can chill even the heat of June.

Betrayed by Lady Lin and tormented by regret to the point of numbness, Wang Yongfu felt stirred upon hearing Wang Yongzhu’s affirmation and need for him, more so than any promise of seeking treatment for his injured leg.

He had thought he was useless now, a burden on his family, yet he dared not die—what would happen to his children then?

He just endured from day to day, from dawn until dusk.

Every day was spent in regret.

He had resigned himself to a future of muddling through until he could see Jindou and the others settled, then he could be free.

But his little sister’s words acted like a shot of adrenaline. As long his teachings reached the next generation, it was worth the family’s investment. He wouldn’t be dragging the family down; instead, he could still be helpful!

For a man of his stature, not being a burden on the family and still remaining useful was more than enough to be content.

Knowing what Wang Yongfu needed most at that moment was encouragement, Wang Yongzhu nodded eagerly, "Quality is the most important aspect of our family business. Fortunately, we have big brother; otherwise, if we carelessly accepted substandard or stale goods, how could we explain it to the big clients? If that happened, wouldn’t our business be ruined? Big brother, you must teach the children well. Even if the business fails, as long as the kids have learned the skill, they definitely won’t starve in the future!"

Wang Yongfu nodded vigorously, "Little sister, rest assured! I will surely teach them well!"

Meanwhile, Jindou, Jinhu, Jinguan, and their sister Jinhua, the three siblings, all felt a chill down their spines, completely unaware of their bleak future.