The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 280: Big Sister (Extra - for 1300 Monthly Votes)

Chapter 280: Chapter 280: Big Sister (Extra Chapter for 1300 Monthly Votes)

Shopkeeper Wu did not know that by promoting Wang Yongzhu’s meat sauce specially after seeing Old Man Wu, he had indirectly caused Old Man Wu to go home and beat his normally pampered only son.

At this moment, he was sipping some light liquor, snacking on dried meat and peanuts, talking intermittently to Xiaosanzi, "Xiaosanzi, do you think those dyeing materials have reached the Family Head’s hand by now?"

Xiaosanzi responded with a smile, "If we go by the journey, they should have arrived! But whether the Family Head will fancy them or not, who knows? Uncle, you say they are really that good, but just make sure you don’t end up losing money when the time comes, yeah?"

"Pfft—" Shopkeeper Wu laughed, flicking a peanut off Xiaosanzi’s head, "What do you know, kid? Let me tell you, one day, these might just be the thing that turns your uncle’s life around!"

As he spoke, he hummed a tune and slowly sipped on his drink again, but the eager look in his eyes was not as calm as he appeared.

※※※

Wang Yongzhu was oblivious to everything happening in town.

She was just taking advantage of the good weather; since the beginning of summer, it had been getting hotter and hotter, and it hadn’t rained a drop for over a month.

Qilidun, being close to Dahei Mountain, had a river flowing by the village from upstream. Although the water level had dropped some, it did not greatly affect the village.

Wang Yongzhu took the opportunity of the dry weather to mix new dyes.

Ever since Old Granny Zhang announced the conditions for marrying into the Wang Family, their doorstep had been quiet for a few days.

Wang Laozhu was recovering quickly, thanks to his daily work in the fields. Now, if one didn’t look closely, it was almost impossible to see the slight unsteadiness in his walk; and if he spoke slowly, he sounded almost normal.

Due to the hot weather, Wang Laozhu was worried about the crops. Every morning after breakfast, he would go to the fields to check on them before returning home.

One morning, right after breakfast while everyone was still in the courtyard, they heard the door being pounded so hard it shook.

And a voice called in, "Dad, open the door, it’s Da Ni, I’m back!"

Da Ni? Who’s that? Wang Yongzhu was confused and looked at Old Granny Zhang.

Old Granny Zhang’s face darkened, her lips twisted, "Family Head, your precious daughter has returned to her maternal home!"

Wang Laozhu remembered the voice outside the door all too well. He recalled that when he was gravely injured, lying in the infirmary alongside his eldest son, this eldest daughter of his came. Without a word of concern for his health or for that of his Eldest Brother, she had aggressively demanded to know about the family land.

Her words insinuated that he had allowed his sons to squander the family’s fortune.

After leaving him angry enough to vomit blood and suffer a stroke, she had not even passed wind before returning to her in-laws. Remembering it now still chilled his heart.

Hearing his eldest daughter’s voice now, he simply could not muster up a pleasant façade.

Yet Wang Laozhu knew the importance of face, especially now, when so many were watching, so many eyes were fixed on the Wang Family, eager for any excuse to mock them.

He certainly could not afford to give his detractors anything to talk about.

After a moment of thought, he gestured to Jindou, "Go open the door for your auntie."

Jindou was reluctant, but he couldn’t go against Wang Laozhu’s wishes and slowly opened the door.

He saw a woman in her forties enter, wearing a pale watermelon-red dress that had been washed a bit too much. She had gained some weight, her face was slightly pointed, and she had thin, long eyebrows which gave her a compliant appearance. The lines of her face were eroded by the hardships of life. Her large feet were noticeable, and her hands, rough, carrying two packages of pastries.

Behind her followed a tall, thin man, all smiles and a face full of creases. He greeted cheerfully as he entered, "Dad, mom, younger brother, fourth brother——"

After all, it wouldn’t be right to immediately turn away a son-in-law who had come to visit, so Wang Laozhu, with a stern face, asked, "Why have you come?"

Wang Yongzhen, Wang Laozhu’s eldest daughter, glanced at the man behind her, then said, "We heard that the family has redeemed the land, and that’s certainly something to be happy about. Naturally, I had to come back to congratulate Dad!"

Old Granny Zhang, sitting coldly to the side, spoke up at this point, "What does the Wang Family’s joy have to do with the eldest daughter? To use your own words, a married daughter is like water thrown out—no longer part of the Wang Family. Even if the Wang family were to buy hundreds of acres of land, possess tens of millions in silver, that would all belong to my sons. What does it have to do with the eldest daughter? What reason does she have to celebrate?"

Wang Yongzhen’s eyes reddened. "Mom, I know I misspoke last time, but wasn’t that out of anxiety? Who wouldn’t worry upon hearing their family’s land had been sold off?"

Wang Yongzhu’s memories of his eldest sister were few and not particularly fond. At festive times of the year, whenever the eldest sister visited, Old Granny Zhang definitely wouldn’t show her face; she’d stay in her own room, skipping meals, and wouldn’t let herself go out either.

So, at first glimpse of Wang Yongzhen, Wang Yongzhu barely recognized her.

Seeing Old Granny Zhang’s unkind words, Wang Yongzhu understood there must be deep-seated animosity between his mother and this stepsister.

From the time Wang Laozhu had been so angered that he spat blood and had a stroke, Wang Yongzhu’s impression of his elder sister hadn’t improved either.

Turning his head, he noticed Lady Jiang’s expression was rather strange as she looked at Wang Yongzhen, her face marked with confusion?

Glancing at Wang Laozhu, though his expression was displeased, after all, Wang Yongzhen was the only bone and flesh left by his first wife. Seeing Wang Yongzhen wiping her tears, carrying pastries home early in the morning, her skirt hem wet from the dew and stained with dusty soil, looking somewhat bedraggled, his heart softened.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

Wang Yongzhen didn’t respond, but her brother-in-law hurriedly approached with a smile, "Of course not! We only heard this good news yesterday. Yongzhen couldn’t sleep all night and left before dawn; there was no time for breakfast."

"Laosan’s wife, make something for your sister-in-law and her husband to eat," Wang Laozhu ordered.

Lady Jiang hesitated, glancing at Old Granny Zhang. She knew all too well about the grudge between her mother-in-law and eldest sister-in-law, and didn’t dare move a muscle.

It was then Wang Yongzhu who seized Old Granny Zhang’s hand, "Mom, let’s help sister-in-law at the stove——" She dragged Old Granny Zhang to the kitchen with Lady Jiang hurriedly following behind.

It was best to avoid Old Granny Zhang blowing up on the spot.

In the kitchen, while Old Granny Zhang huffed and puffed as she started removing items from the cupboard, Wang Yongzhu asked Lady Jiang, "Sister-in-law, I thought your expression when looking at our eldest sister earlier was a bit odd, is something not right?"

Lady Jiang hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Younger sister, I don’t know if I saw it wrong! Back when father-in-law and uncle were injured and had to go to the clinic, and we were left alone at home with only Jindou and the others to watch over the house. Didn’t you urge us not to go out for no reason? We didn’t even open the main gate for several days. But one day, early in the morning, I heard a noise in the courtyard. When I went out from the room, I saw a half-bag of grain and a package of copper coins abandoned there."