The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 277: It’s Either Him or Me

Chapter 277: Chapter 277: It’s Either Him or Me

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"Father, you cannot say that! It’s clearly stated here that if there is a transfer, it needs both your and mother’s approval. If we follow what you’re saying, does that mean I should be wary of my mother? It’s just that our family’s situation is different. You must see it this way, should mother favor me and want to give all the land to me, it wouldn’t work without your consent, right?"

"Besides, mother has been with you through thick and thin for decades. She has both contributed and suffered. I am her daughter, and now that I’m earning money and adding mother’s name to it, that shouldn’t be too much, should it? Father, are you saying that after all these years mother has spent with you, bearing and raising children, caring for you when sick, she’s not worthy of having her name on the land deed?" Wang Yongzhu retorted.

Old Granny Zhang initially softened when she heard the beginning, looking at her daughter with increasing fondness, as no amount of gazing seemed enough, thinking how considerate her daughter was for her sake.

Leaving other things aside, the future daughters-in-law of the Wang Family would have a tough time claiming the lands smoothly if they didn’t cozy up to her, their mother-in-law.

Only her daughter was so caring for her, taking such pains to ensure her own future would be comfortable.

But upon hearing the latter part, her face darkened instantly, and she looked at Wang Laozhu with disapproval: "Well, if it isn’t Wang Laozhu! Your mother married into your Wang Family, slaved like an ox and horse, gave birth to a den of ingrates, and now that we’re old, my daughter is the one putting her money in, and you say her mother can’t even have her name on it? Who are you being cautious of? It’s me you’re watching, isn’t it?"

What could Wang Laozhu say to that?

After some thought, he finally said, "The land... in the future... how to divide..."

Wang Yongzhu smiled, "Since you asked, Father, there are some things that I would feel uncomfortable not saying."

"Getting our family’s land back wasn’t easy! Having been duped once, naturally, we must learn from it! Now, Wang Yongan is still listed in the family registry, he’s still your son, and his name remains in the genealogy book. What if he comes back someday, clings to your legs, cries, and talks about how he was forced to do what he did, and you, Father, take pity and forgive him, what then?"

"Consider this, you feel both the palm and the back of your hand are flesh, wanting to treat your sons equally and divide the house and land among them. How would Eldest Brother, whom he almost got killed, feel? What about me, who worked hard to earn the money and carefully redeemed the land?"

"Father! Today, in front of everyone, I will make my stance perfectly clear! Regarding the land that we’ve reclaimed this time, no matter what, I, Wang Yongzhu, don’t want a single part of it! When the time comes, the land can be divided among the three brothers, or the two of you elders can keep some for retirement. I don’t mind! However, if anyone says that Wang Yongan should get a share, no way! In this lifetime, in this family, if he’s in, I’m out! If I’m in, he’s out!" This was the first time Wang Yongzhu clearly expressed her position.

She certainly didn’t want the land she’d struggled to buy to end up benefiting Wang Yongan; that would truly be a cause for vomiting blood.

Wang Yongfu, along with Jindou and Jinhu, listened and couldn’t help but look at Wang Yongzhu with eyes full of gratitude.

These words, they as brothers could not say, and as the younger ones, they could not speak either.

But resentment isn’t so easily dissipated, so hearing Wang Yongzhu speak up for them, they were extremely grateful.

Now, aside from Wang Laozhu, everyone in the Wang Family probably hated Wang Yongan to the core. Hearing what Wang Yongzhu said, they all felt a particular sense of vindication.

"You... after all, he is... your own brother..." In these past days, Wang Laozhu’s household had been slowly improving, with the land now redeemed. Thinking of Wang Yongan, he didn’t harbor such strong resentment anymore.

After all, he’s his own flesh and blood, whom he had relied on for so many years. Even if he still felt bitter and resentful inside, when it came to truly cutting ties, Wang Laozhu couldn’t bear to do it.

He also wasn’t playing favorites. As a parent, even if his child was in the wrong, he couldn’t just write them off, could he? He always hoped his children could get along well, hopefully warmly and intimately for life, never splitting the family. To have four, or even five generations under one roof, expanding into a large clan, wouldn’t that be wonderful?

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Looking at the several children in the room, Eldest Brother and the children’s faces were dark with resentment. Laosi also frowned, and although Laosan’s family didn’t speak, the way they hung their heads suggested they were unwilling as well.

Sigh – once the unity is lost, it’s hard to lead the team!

I never expected that even before I died, these children wouldn’t be able to maintain even the semblance of peace among themselves!

Let it be, let it be! Let them bicker as they wish!

Wang Laozhu sighed and closed his eyes, realizing that the excitement he had felt when he just found out that the ancestral land had been redeemed was almost completely gone.

Wang Laozhu felt somewhat listless, but Old Granny Zhang didn’t care.

She was beaming with joy as she held the deed, dragging Wang Yongzhu into her room. She scrutinized the deed over and over, touching it again and again. Just seeing her name on it, she couldn’t help but burst with happiness.

Wang Yongzhu watched Old Granny Zhang’s delighted expression and couldn’t help but purse her lips in a smile. She reached into her bosom, took out another deed, and handed it to Old Granny Zhang, "Mother, take a look at this."

Old Granny Zhang’s eyes widened as she looked it over. She couldn’t recognize anything else, but she definitely recognized the name Wang Yongzhu.

Looking at the area of five acres and a bit listed below, she was immediately overjoyed and tried to keep her voice down, "What’s this?"

Wang Yongzhu whispered, "This is another piece of land I bought, Mother, keep it for me! Don’t worry, I’ve got everything under control!"

She was comforting Old Granny Zhang, aware that she herself didn’t have to worry.

Old Granny Zhang’s lips curled up in satisfaction. She had been worried about her daughter being too straightforward, giving all the money she earned to the family without keeping any for herself.

Now that she saw the land her daughter had secretly bought for her, she finally felt at ease, her daughter was as shrewd as herself!

After looking at it carefully again, she tucked it into her bosom, "I’ll keep it for you, and make sure nobody knows—You bought this without Laosi and the others seeing, right?"

Wang Yongzhu shook her head.

Old Granny Zhang was finally reassured and beamed with joy, "Now I’m at ease. Oh my, Zhuzhu, you must be tired today, tell me what you want to eat and I’ll make it for you!"

Wang Yongzhu had, in fact, recalled the day’s events and gave a rough account of them before saying, "Today, thanks to the generosity of the Wu Family, I noticed Uncle Wu likes dried meat. Mother, let’s gather up the leftover dried meat we have and send it to the Wu Family tomorrow. And the meat sauce, let’s prepare two jars too, send one to the Wu Family and one to Shopkeeper Wu, owing to their help in mediating today."

Old Granny Zhang nodded repeatedly, "Don’t you worry, I’ll get it ready for you tonight!" She would never drag her feet on anything big or small that her daughter requested.

"I was thinking, with this land purchase, no matter what, we owe a favor to the Wu Family and Shopkeeper Wu. If we only send these little things, it might seem too meager! We can’t afford to offer anything valuable. After much thought, the wolf pelts we skinned last time should be ready, how about we send one to each? Mother, what do you think?" Wang Yongzhu had been pondering this issue on the way home, both as a token of gratitude to the Wu Family and Shopkeeper Wu and as a way to foster a good relationship.