The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 254: Rob Him

Chapter 254: Chapter 254: Rob Him

I had been to the Wang Family Courtyard before, and at that time, besides this jujube tree, there was nothing else.

But now, the courtyard was full of flowers and neatly arranged grasses, with a hint of floral fragrance in the air.

In the corner, several large jars were very conspicuous, and on top of them lay a piece of white cloth Wang Yongzhu had just thrown down.

...

Wang Yongping quickly boiled a pot of water and poured a large bowl for Li Jinzhi, thinking about how she hadn’t had a drop to eat or drink all day. He hesitated for a moment, then reached for a leftover mo (bun) from noon from the cupboard in the kitchen and brought it out as well.

He saw Li Jinzhi sitting obediently on the stone bench, and when she saw him bringing out the water and mo, tears welled up again, "Thank you, Fourth Brother! I... I’m fine with just water; I don’t... need the mo..."

Wang Yongping shoved the mo into Li Jinzhi’s hand, speaking gruffly, "Eat quickly, and then leave!"

Li Jinzhi, with tears slipping down, devoured the mo, and not long after finishing it, she drained the bowl of hot water too. Not daring to stay any longer, she got up to express her gratitude, "Thank you, Fourth Brother, for today! I will keep your kindness in my heart. There will be a time to repay you in the future!"

With that, she walked outside.

Wang Yongping’s mouth twitched as he looked at the sky. The sun had already set, and she, a heavily pregnant woman, where was she going? Was she really going to walk back to town over night?

However, giving her some water to drink and something to eat today was the last bit of kindness he could afford to show Li Jinzhi. As for the rest, he couldn’t manage.

Just as Li Jinzhi reached the doorway, she heard Jinhoo’s voice, "How dare you come to our place? Look at that, the Li Family still has the nerve to show their face in our Wang Family’s home? How thick can your skin get? Hasn’t our family suffered enough because of you? What are you doing here? He Dawei doesn’t want to marry you, and you’re thinking of coming here with a big belly to foist yourself on my great-uncle? Get lost! Go on, scram! Don’t dirty our Wang Family’s ground—"

Li Jinzhi, scolded by a young man in her condition, covered her face and ran away.

Jinhoo, carrying the washed roots of medicinal herbs, had just walked in when she saw that bothersome Li Jinzhi and immediately felt irked beyond measure.

After driving Li Jinzhi away with a few harsh words and stepping inside, she was about to question why Li Jinzhi had come to their home when she saw her doltish great-uncle standing dumbly in the middle of the courtyard, still looking out the door expectantly.

Her face instantly darkened.

She set the medicinal roots aside and asked impatiently, "Great-uncle, why did you even let someone from the Li Family into our house? Our Wang Family and their Li Family are sworn enemies! Seeing that wretched woman from the Li Family, shouldn’t you have slapped her twice instead of standing there doing nothing?"

Wang Yongzhu, hearing the commotion outside, stepped out and sneered, "Your great-uncle has been bedazzled, wishing he could rush to act like a cheap father to the child in her belly! Would he even have the heart to slap her?"

"Great-uncle! Haven’t you forgotten how Li Jinzhi cuckolded you back then?" Jinhoo looked at Wang Yongping as if he were a fool.

Wang Yongping’s face turned beet red: "I didn’t mean that! It’s just hard for her, being pregnant like that!"

"That’s not your seed!" Jinhoo cut in sharply.

Wang Yongping was left speechless.

Old Wang Laozhu, although dozing off earlier, had become aware of Li Jinzhi’s entrance, and at that moment had wanted to erupt in anger. However, he couldn’t well come out from the room, and as a man, he couldn’t exactly scold a girl like that, so he restrained himself.

Now that Li Jinzhi had left, Old Wang Laozhu started cursing from inside, "Laosi... Rolll... Come in..."

Wang Yongping obediently rolled in and knelt in front of the kang (heated bed), at which point Old Wang Laozhu, overcome with anger, grabbed whatever was at hand and hurled it at Wang Yongping.

Wang Yongping didn’t dare to dodge and was honestly hit by the objects.

Wang Yongzhu couldn’t be bothered to persuade him, no matter whether Wang Yongping acted out of sympathy or couldn’t forget his old feelings, being soft-hearted towards Li Jinzhi today meant he deserved to be scolded!

Big room’s Jindou and Jinguan also came out, and so did Lady Jiang from the third room with her children; they all stood in the courtyard and listened to the smashing inside, not a single person stepping in to intervene.

The children were even making faces at each other, and Jinhua, who thought things through more thoroughly, sidled up next to Wang Yongzhu, "Older cousin, you don’t think Fourth Uncle will really become someone’s cheap father, do you?"

Her eyes were filled with panic, and the other children also looked on, especially those from the big room, with faces full of anger and resentment.

The Li Family had harmed their father, and they could never forgive them—what if Fourth Uncle really went blind to it all, what would they do then?

Thinking back to the Wang Family’s recent pitiful and wretched days, Jinhua was the first to take a stand: "Older cousin, if Fourth Uncle insists on being someone’s cheap father, then we’ll just disown him!"

"That’s right! We won’t acknowledge Fourth Uncle anymore!"

...

Lady Jiang wished she could cover her precious child’s mouth—good heavens, were these the words to be spoken carelessly? Although she was also infuriated, this wasn’t something for them to comment upon!

"What do you mean ’you won’t acknowledge your Fourth Uncle anymore’? What has he done now?" As soon as Old Granny Zhang entered the courtyard, she saw the family standing there, not understanding what they were up to.

And then she heard them saying they wouldn’t want Laosi anymore?

Upon listening again, she wondered what the commotion was inside the house, the sounds of smashing—were they demolishing the house?

Jinguan’s eyes flickered; he knew the household now had to look to Grandma and the older cousin for approval, especially with Fourth Uncle acting this way again, seemingly enchanted by that witch from the Li Family. No, he had to tattle to Grandma and let her discipline Fourth Uncle!

His little mouth babbled away, recounting the story from beginning to end.

Upon hearing this, Old Granny Zhang’s face darkened, and she picked up a broom before entering the house.

Seeing the head of the household trembling with rage, with belongings strewn all over the floor, and that shameless man still kneeling there, her anger was ablaze.

Old Wang, seeing his wife back, immediately pointed at Wang Yongping, "... Beat him ..."

Wang Yongping wanted to ask Old Wang, am I not your own son?

He then saw his own mother approaching with a broom, her presence exuding murder, and he felt his skin tighten all over: "Mother—Mother, I know I was wrong! I won’t dare to do it again! I was just confused for a moment, felt sorry for her, brought her into the courtyard, and handed her a bowl of warm water to drink before letting her leave, I didn’t do anything else!"

"That’s not true, Fourth Uncle even gave that witch from the Li Family a steamed bun to eat!" Jinguan, from outside, cried out as he tattled.

That little scoundrel, just wait and see how I take care of him later! Wang Yongping clenched his teeth.

Before he could deal with Jinguan, a broom struck his back, almost causing Wang Yongping to jump up.

"You disgraceful and spineless thing! Have you never seen a woman before? Have you forgotten how that whore from the Li Family put a green hat on your head? The humiliation they heaped upon our Wang Family in the past, trampling your face and the Wang Family’s pride under their feet, you’ve forgotten all that? Your eldest brother is still bedridden and can’t move, and you’ve forgotten that too? Our Wang Family was almost brought to ruin by them, yet look at you, swayed by a few tears like cat pee, forgetting even your own surname, is that it?"