The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 241: Relentless

Chapter 241: Chapter 241: Relentless

Even Li Jinzhi, when she first saw Song Chongjin, had her heart flutter with spring feelings, but after Song Chongjin got engaged to Wang Yongzhu and knowing that the Song Family was like a pit of fire, she knew she couldn’t bear hardship or tolerate mistreatment, so she quickly snuffed out that thought and hooked up with He Dawei instead.

Since she came to the town, she’s been constantly battling with He Dawei’s mother, that old devout woman. She didn’t know if it was out of anger or what, but her pregnancy didn’t go well.

What’s more terrifying is that three months into the pregnancy, her belly swelled up like it was inflated, her complexion turned yellowish-black, and spots appeared on her cheekbones and cheeks.

She had to apply thick makeup every day just to barely cover it up. Over time, her face became more and more unviewable; without the makeup, she dared not step outside.

That bastard He Dawei, back when she was a fresh and pretty girl, clung to her like a dog to a bone, impossible to shoo away. Now, though she was bearing his child, she was no longer as beautiful as before and couldn’t attend to him. With the town full of brazenly dolled-up temptresses, they lured He Dawei out day and night.

Because of this, the old devout woman spared no effort to belittle her, saying that He Dawei didn’t want her anymore and would drive her out once the child was born. She also cursed her for being shameless, staying at the He Family without a proper status, spewing as many ugly words as she could think of.

In the past, He Dawei would take her side, but now he grew increasingly impatient with her.

Li Jinzhi knew she had nowhere to go; He Dawei was her only lifeline, her only hope. No matter what, she absolutely couldn’t let go.

Lately, she stopped fighting with the old devout woman and just focused on keeping a tight watch on He Dawei, not allowing those flirty foxes to spirit him away.

So, after finishing work at the cloth store, when she didn’t see He Dawei at lunch, she knew he must have run off again to frolic somewhere.

With no appetite for lunch, she put down her bowl and set out to search the whole town.

Unexpectedly, she ran into Song Chongjin. Looking at herself now and then at Song Chongjin, who seemed even more handsome than before, Li Jinzhi felt both shame and annoyance. She felt it was a disgrace to be seen by Song Chongjin looking the way she did.

Awkwardly, she averted her gaze, only to discover that there was a young lady next to Song Chongjin?

Upon closer inspection, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of jealousy.

The girl looked rather plump, not the slender figure Li Jinzhi had as a young lady. Yet her breasts were ample, her waist was slim, the thin places were thin, and the plump places were plump.

Especially her face, clean and rosy-cheeked. One could tell at a glance that she was in good health, flushed with a healthy glow, her lips small and rosy, eyes large, and even the eyelashes were long!

When did Song Chongjin start seeing a girl like this?

Li Jinzhi stared intensely, growing more familiar with the girl the more she looked, especially when the girl looked her way, startled, clearly recognizing her.

"Wang Yongzhu?!" Li Jinzhi exclaimed in disbelief.

"Li Jinzhi? Didn’t you abandon your parents and family in the middle of the night to elope with the He Family? Seems like things aren’t going too well for you, huh?" Wang Yongzhu sized her up and nodded with satisfaction.

"You! How can you be with Song Chongjin like this? Didn’t you two break off the engagement? And you still have no shame, clinging to him? How are you any better than me? You’d be unwanted even if you paid someone to take you!" After hearing Wang Yongzhu’s words, Li Jinzhi immediately started hopping mad.

"I’d be unwanted even if I paid someone? Did the He Family give you any status? I’ve heard that they don’t even acknowledge you as a daughter-in-law. How dare you laugh at me with neither a marriage certificate nor a matchmaker, someone who just cohabited? How can you be so shameless? And what’s more, I’ve not been married, and neither has Song Chongjin. What’s wrong with us being together? How does it bother you? Instead of worrying about us, you should think about how to get into the He Family’s door!" Wang Yongzhu sneered.

"I don’t need your concern for my affairs! But I’ve heard that your Wang Family has fallen on hard times! It’s truly divine retribution. After what you did to our family, forcing my parents and brother to suffer in some unknown place, taking our house and land! So what if you’re getting your comeuppance now?"

"It just goes to show that justice prevails! Back in the day, your family used your second brother, the Scholar, to oppress us to this state! But your second brother is no good either, ha-ha, he avenged us! All your family’s land was sold, and now you probably can’t even lift the lid off your pot, can you? Your eldest brother is useless, and your father has had a stroke! Relying on that idiot Wang Yongping, your fate is only to starve to death! Now you can’t even lift the pot lid anymore, can you?"

"Otherwise, why would your mother, with all her careful feeding, have raised you into such a fat pig? Now that your family has no money and nothing to eat, you’ve starved to this, right? Serves you right! This is the retribution for your whole family!" Li Jinzhi, almost losing her sanity with anger, simply said whatever would make her feel satisfied.

Her loud voice drew the attention of people from both sides of the street, peering out from their shops.

Seeing that it was Li Jinzhi, and hearing that the Wang Family was involved, who wouldn’t understand the situation?

Looking at the Wang Family Young Lady across Li Jinzhi, oh dear, the poor girl, getting scolded without even knowing how to answer back.

Song Chongjin couldn’t stand listening anymore, casting a disgusted glance at Li Jinzhi, feeling that apart from Li Jinhu and Li Jingou, the honest brothers, the people of the Li Family really were detestable.

He took a step forward, intending to say something.

But he was pulled back by Wang Yongzhu. What a joke! A battlefield between two women was no place for a man to interfere.

Did they really need someone else to deal with the likes of Li Jinzhi?

"I’ve become thin, not because I deserve it, but because I have no choice! Who told us to encounter heartless beasts with no human decency like your family? With such a disaster befalling me, if I weren’t angered into losing weight, would I even be human?"

"I’m not like you, thick-faced and black-hearted! You have a brother who attempted murder, parents who daydream about selling their daughter for a good price, and a scoundrel of a husband who got you pregnant before marriage. So no, I can’t be like you, with no status or shame, sticking around at the scoundrel’s house, belly all big, and still swaggering around town though not acknowledged by the He Family, acting as if nothing’s wrong!"

"Back when you had some beauty, you looked down on my Fourth Brother, dead set on seducing the He Family. Now that you’re old and faded, I bet you can’t face people without slathering layers of powder on, right? Ah, these days my Fourth Brother is still young and strong. If you two stood together, those unaware might even think you were his aunt!"

"Let me see your face; you must have spots already, right? And this neck, so dark! Remember to powder your neck too next time! I really do understand; life must be so tough for you, it must ache your heart, doesn’t it? A bitter heart leads to a venomous tongue. Rest assured, seeing you in such a bad state makes me feel at ease! Truly!" Wang Yongzhu emphasized especially.

When the Cloth Store owner who had been drawn out heard this last remark, she couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter. This young lady, oh my, her cutting words truly spared no one!

Others around chuckled as well. Indeed, as a woman, the last thing you can tolerate is someone calling you ugly, dark, old! This young lady’s every sentence targeted those points. Didn’t you see Li Jinzhi so angry her eyes were nearly popping out?