The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 268 Warning

Chapter 268: Chapter 268 Warning

"Nowadays, our family’s business in mountain goods and the silver needed to buy back the land all rely on Zhuzhu! She said early on that this business belongs to our family, and through it, she hoped to help us live better lives. You all have accused me of favoring your sister, of thinking only of her! But this time, I am guilty of favoritism—I’ve favored you all! Otherwise, after the business took off, who wouldn’t be envious of the flowing silver coin? Who wouldn’t want it pouring into their own purse?"

"But for the sake of this family, for the sake of you brothers, I had to agree! Why? Because you are all my children, and I always hope for your wellbeing and happiness! Not to mention anything else, just tell me, even if I favored your sister these years, how much silver have I actually spent on her? Let’s not even talk about the profits from the business, just the money Zhuzhu has earned and handed to me recently—do you know how many times it has multiplied compared to what was spent?"

Everyone knows the score; nobody is a fool. How much silver could the Wang Family have had in the past? Even if Old Granny Zhang helped her daughter, what could a few tasty morsels and several new dresses amount to?

So they all nodded silently.

"It’s us parents who are incompetent, now having to rely on our daughter! My wife must have accumulated virtues in her past life to have such a filial daughter in this one, who gives everything she has for the sake of our family! Now tell me, do you feel ashamed? Are you satisfied or not?"

With these words, who wouldn’t feel ashamed? Who would dare to say they aren’t satisfied?

Wang Yongfu quickly expressed his position: "Dad, Mom, Little Sister! After our mountain goods business becomes successful, let’s use the profits to first repay what Little Sister has spent recently, and when we earn more in the future, let’s also save more for Little Sister!"

Wang Yongping also followed suit: "In the future, what’s mine is Little Sister’s—all for Little Sister!"

Upon hearing this, Lady Jiang saw everyone had expressed their commitment, leaving only the third branch of the family to speak up. She anxiously rubbed her hands: "As long as our family can provide for us, our branch, we won’t ask for anything else!"

That should do it!

Then she felt Old Granny Zhang’s piercing gaze finally shift away from her.

"Remember, it’s important to acknowledge Zhuzhu’s contribution! This mountain goods business was said to be for the family, and it will be for the family! I’ve decided on behalf of Zhuzhu that in the future, whatever we earn, there’s no need to talk about compensating! It was hers to begin with, and I suppose she won’t claim it all for herself, right?"

Wang Yongzhu, seeing Old Granny Zhang winking at her, understood immediately, "What Mom said is right! We are all one family, there’s no need for such clear divisions! When times were good in the past, Mom favored me as the youngest sister, which wronged the few brothers and sisters-in-law; now that I am able to give back to the family, this can be considered my apology to the brothers and their wives!"

Having done a good deed and spent the silver, why not speak a few good words for herself at this time, expressing gratitude? Otherwise, wouldn’t that betray Old Granny Zhang’s painstaking efforts for her daughter?

Once Wang Yongzhu finished speaking, everyone’s faces looked a bit brighter.

Wang Laozhu nodded in satisfaction; his eldest daughter understood the big picture after all! No matter how capable a young lady, she still needed the support of her family, right? Generosity was necessary because if they let silver coins wear down their relationships, who would stand up for them in times of need?

Old Granny Zhang spat in her heart, everyone’s words were sweet, and with that, her decision was further solidified.

"Zhuzhu is sensible and understands the ways of the world, but you can’t pretend to be confused when you’re really clear-headed. The business with the mountain goods may go to the family, and I, Old Granny Zhang, have no objections. She sold the dyed cloth and made some money, aiming to redeem our family’s land—that’s the top priority, and that’s why I shamelessly accepted the silver! But let me say this upfront today, from now on whatever cloth Zhuzhu dyes and whatever profits she shares with Shopkeeper Wu, you all better not get any ideas about taking it!"

Now everyone finally understood what Old Granny Zhang was getting at.

Wang Laozhu frowned. The girl hadn’t yet married—no, to be precise, she hadn’t brought in a son-in-law, nor had the family been divided—so naturally, the money she made should belong to the family, right?

Once she gets married and brings in a son-in-law, wouldn’t it be just like with the other sons, with the whole family sharing the expenses? That would be fine, right?

What did she want to do with such a large sum of silver, if not give it to the family?

Lady Jiang, though timid, was not stupid. She immediately realized that her mother-in-law was warning the whole family that Zhuzhu’s contribution to the family was already significant, having given them a lifeline.

From now on, the money Zhuzhu earned would be her own, and nobody else should even think of taking advantage of her!

Lady Jiang had no objections to her mother-in-law’s idea. According to the arrangements made between her mother-in-law and Zhuzhu, every branch of the family was involved; the money earned was shared among all branches. As long as the business continued, Jinhua’s marriage, Jinpan and Jinshao’s education, and the establishment of their own families would all be taken care of by the family.

This was already an unexpected blessing! Without Zhuzhu, based on herself and her own man, they wouldn’t even dare to dream of such things.

Therefore, she was the first to speak up: "Mother, we... our third branch has no objections! With the mountain goods business, we have already taken advantage of our younger sister. The dyed cloth was entirely her own idea and effort. She managed to bring in silver to redeem our land—that alone is remarkable! We all have hands and feet, the land is about to be redeemed, and come autumn, there will be more business to do. As long as we’re not lazy, we won’t starve!"

Old Granny Zhang was a bit surprised, not expecting the third branch to be the first to stand up. She had underestimated Lady Jiang.

Wang Yongping deeply understood Song Chongjin’s instructions—to be Zhuzhu’s most loyal lackey and to always consider her interests first!

When he heard what Lady Jiang from the third branch had said, he also felt that the family had already taken enough advantage of Zhuzhu. The deal was negotiated by Zhuzhu, and the land was about to be purchased with her earnings. The entire family was supported by her. Weren’t they all capable and not crippled? How could they possibly expect to live off Zhuzhu for a lifetime?

He immediately jumped in: "I think what my sister-in-law said is right! I, a grown man, cannot earn money to honor my parents and support the family but instead have burdened my younger sister. Our family’s current well-being all depends on her; how can we continue to take the silver she earns? Would that even be human?"

Seeing his brother and sister-in-law making their stance clear, Wang Yongfu quickly nodded in agreement: "Mother, we have no objections! The money Zhuzhu earns in the future will be hers alone. As her brothers, although we are not very capable, we can’t be dragging her down! Mother, rest assured, not just me, but even Jindou and the others will definitely not think of taking Zhuzhu’s silver in the future!"

Wang Laozhu turned white with frustration. They were all idiots! Was this about money? They hadn’t even grasped the real purpose of their wife’s words—she was preparing to separate their daughter from the Wang Family in advance.

Without their daughter being tied to the Wang Family, in the future, if something were to happen, she wouldn’t be as devoted or as close to the Wang Family!