The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 252: What a Coincidence

Chapter 252: Chapter 252: What a Coincidence

Event after event, Li Jinzhi was left utterly dumbfounded.

Who would have thought the Wang Family could actually turn things around because of that despicable Wang Yongzhu! The heavens are blind!

Bowing her head, in a place invisible to Wang Yongping, Li Jinzhi’s eyes overflowed with jealousy and resentment.

Why? Despite all the troubles that befell the Wang family, why do their days keep getting better? Now they’ve even gained the favor of a Noble Patron and are about to engage in big business?

If the Wang Family had just continued to decline, she could have comforted herself by saying that the heavens were just, that the Wang Family got what they deserved!

But now, with the Wang Family’s ever-increasing glory, to outsiders, wouldn’t the Li Family be seen as getting their just deserts?

Her Li Family had fallen to their current predicament, with her eldest and second brothers splitting off and barely surviving, dependent on their wives’ families.

Her own parents and younger brother are now who knows where, their fate unknown.

She, who was supposed to have married He Dawei in a respectable wedding and been the proud Shopkeeper’s wife, is now pregnant without status. A former village belle, now reduced to a haggard woman.

Why? Didn’t the Wang Family also have a wastrel like the Wang Family’s Scholar? So why are they able to bounce back?

While the Li Family is utterly ruined!

The man she once looked down on now seems to be living a better life than her. Wang Yongzhu, who everyone scorned and ridiculed behind her back, turned out to be the Wang Family’s treasure, still held in high esteem!

Especially since Wang Yongzhu, after slimming down, became so good-looking! Jinzhi couldn’t accept that someone who used to be inferior in every way was now living a better life than her!

Jealousy gnawed at her heart, distorting her face with its intensity.

Wang Yongping noticed Li Jinzhi’s complexion was off. Had it been any other time, perhaps he would have stopped speaking, but remembering the disdainful look she had given him that day, as if she saw him as nothing more than a beggar,

Now, his family’s good fortune was causing her to reveal eyes filled with envy and jealousy. The way she looked at him was no longer casual, but rather with a hint of fawning despite not liking what he said, enduring it with a forced smile on her face.

This brought Wang Yongping a mixture of gratification and discomfort.

It felt exhilarating to have turned the tables on her, to think, "You’re having your day too!"

And also, could it be that when his own family was prosperous and their days were good, even the once high and mighty Li Jinzhi had to curry favor with a smile?

Wang Yongping was enjoying this feeling so much that, before he knew it, he let slip some of Wang Yongzhu’s recent secretive endeavors, adding confidently, "...My sister, although I don’t know exactly what she’s up to, she’s always been the luckiest. I presume that once she reveals her plans, our family will have even better days ahead..."

Indeed, those days would be better, further highlighting the Li Family’s plight.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinzhi inexplicably recalled the day when Wang Yongzhu had emerged from the Cloth Store after their argument, and the Cloth Store’s Shopkeeper sided with her.

Could it be that Wang Yongzhu had some kind of plot with the Shopkeeper of the Cloth Store?

Not to mention anything else, but Li Jinzhi now saw the He Family’s store as her own. They sell various materials brought back by He Dawei’s brother-in-law, and the business is booming, having stolen much of the Cloth Store’s business.

Won’t I ensnare myself along with Wang Yongzhu if I can’t keep this Cloth Store running?

No, she had to see what Wang Yongzhu was really doing at home; she couldn’t rest easy otherwise.

With that thought, she patiently listened to Wang Yongping boast a few more sentences about Wang Yongzhu and even proudly revealed that his mountain goods business was in the early stages of preparation before she wiped a tear, "Hearing you talk about your sister like that, I’m really envious! I truly regret now. I was foolish before, offended my elder and second brothers, and now I don’t even have a family home anymore."

Wang Yongping comforted her without much concern, "What’s there to worry about? What kind of family holds grudges? Just apologize to your elder and second brothers, surely they won’t really hold it against you?"

A look of gratitude flashed across Li Jinzhi’s face, "Fourth Brother, thank you for reminding me! Now, you’re the only one who doesn’t hold a grudge against me. In this life, I’ve wronged you. In the next life, I’ll be your ox and horse to repay you—"

After speaking, she gave Wang Yongping a mournful glance, covered her eyes with a handkerchief, and scurried off with a quick trot.

Wang Yongping opened his mouth and, as he watched Li Jinzhi’s retreating figure, he really wanted to remind her: Be careful with the child in your belly—

Ultimately, he said nothing. Seeing Li Jinzhi reduced to her current state, he didn’t know why, but the earlier feeling of satisfaction quickly faded, and instead, he felt increasingly uncomfortable.

Even upon returning home, he was somewhat distracted.

Walking along the road now, he found himself thinking of Li Jinzhi again, not sure what he was feeling.

As he neared the entrance to the village, preoccupied with thoughts of Li Jinzhi, he noticed a woman walking slowly from the village with her head down and a rounded belly. It looked like she was extremely tired; her whole body was swaying.

Wang Yongping felt a sense of familiarity with this figure, especially her clothing, which seemed familiar. Could he have seen it somewhere before?

However, whether he had seen her before or not, one couldn’t just stand by and watch a pregnant woman seemingly in distress.

He quickly approached her, and then his eyes widened in shock: if this wasn’t Li Jinzhi, then who was it?

How did she return to Qilidun?

Seeing Wang Yongping, Li Jinzhi also showed a surprised look, "What a coincidence! Did you go to town?"

Wang Yongping frowned, "What are you doing here?"

Li Jinzhi’s expression froze; her smile twisted briefly before she lowered her head and said, "You advised me yesterday that family doesn’t bear grudges. I thought I’d come today to apologize to elder brother and second brother. I didn’t expect to find it so hard to walk these dozens of miles of mountain roads with my heavy body! If I’d known you were going to town today, I would have waited and returned with you!"

Wang Yongping thought her words sounded odd but didn’t dwell on it.

Seeing Li Jinzhi’s pale face and sweat-soaked hair, he couldn’t just turn around and leave.

He helped her sit down on a stone at the village entrance, then asked, "When did you come back? Why are you heading back to town already?"

Tears streamed down Li Jinzhi’s face, "This morning, I bought gifts, thinking of visiting my elder and second brothers in the village to apologize! After all, we’re family; a broken bone still mends back to the tendon. I had barely stepped inside when my sisters-in-law saw me, they started cursing and threw the gifts I brought outside!"

"They even said that I was no longer their sister! Claiming that both my brothers have become their family’s sons-in-law, not bearing the Li surname anymore. Saying that a daughter married off is like spilled water; a son-in-law who has entered the door is no longer a member of the Li family. They told me never to come back again, not to dirty their doorstep!"

"My two brothers, they just watched as their wives drove me out, not even daring to breathe! What exactly did I do wrong? It wasn’t me who caused this family to be like this! I was just scared and timid at the time, and I just fled into the night! But haven’t I realized my mistake and returned to apologize, to make amends? Why can’t they just forgive me!"