The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 286: Scrounging

Chapter 286: Chapter 286: Scrounging

"What’s most important for a girl? Her reputation! If a girl stays quiet and keeps to her home, embroidering and sewing every day without stepping outside, such a daughter will be liked by her future in-laws and men, and will have good suitors coming to propose marriage."

"Your mother indulged you in the past, and you couldn’t do anything at home, never sewed a stitch and only knew how to play all day; she still put you in charge of the family’s silver coin—what kind of behavior is that?"

"Little sister, you’re not young anymore. Which girl your age doesn’t have a household of her own? But look at you, finally settling a marriage, only to have it cancelled! You already had an unfavorable reputation; with this fuss, if you don’t restrain yourself, how will you marry in the future?"

"Right now, the most important thing for you is to get married. What kind of image is it for a grown woman to remain unmarried at home? Matters of managing the household, business, silver coins—that’s none of your concern, just leave it to Father and your brothers to handle. If Father and your brothers are doing well, then you’ll have support when you marry, won’t you?"

"Listen to your elder sister: for the next half year, don’t go out. Learn some needlework, cooking, laundry, and take care of a few nephews at home. These are the proper matters for a girl to handle. By then, once your reputation improves a bit, your big sister guarantees to find you a good family! When the time comes, Father will also provide you with a generous dowry. If you marry into a family and respect your in-laws, treat your sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law well, and have a few children, then you’ll be firmly established, and life will be smooth." Wang Yongzhen felt she had worried herself sick over her natal family and this sister.

Wang Yongzhu touched her chin and sneered, "I had no idea that elder sister spent her days worrying so much for our natal family. Since elder sister cares so much, why didn’t you step up and think of the family when you made Father so angry he suffered a stroke and spat blood? Instead, you just left? Leaving behind a mess for Mother and Jinhoo, a child barely grown up?"

"When the Wang Family was about to fall apart and had nothing to eat, you elder siblings each had your own difficulties and expected me, the younger sister, to manage everything. Now that the family’s days are better, you find me, the younger sister, too meddlesome?"

"Mother indulged me, and her indulgence helped me support the entire Wang Family! If Mother had taught me what elder sister is saying, when disaster struck our family, why would I recklessly strive to save people and earn money? I should have just stayed home, cried, and made noise! Oh, right, I could have taken the opportunity to find a family to marry into. Once married, I’m like water poured out, I wouldn’t have to care about the natal family anymore! Isn’t that what elder sister did? Isn’t it, elder sister?"

Wang Yongzhen was ashamed, angry, and in a panic. This maid, with her remarks, was just like their mother, her words sharp as a knife without mercy.

"You! I am your elder sister, no matter what! Do you speak to your elder sister like this? You—"

The rest of Wang Yongzhen’s words were suffocated when Sun Daming, sensing trouble and rushing out, covered her mouth.

As he covered Wang Yongzhen’s mouth, Sun Daming apologized to Wang Yongzhu, "Ah, little sister, I’m really sorry, really sorry! Your big sister, she just can’t keep her mouth shut, saying whatever comes to mind! Don’t take her seriously; she didn’t mean any harm, she’s just worried about the natal family!"

"Pah! Sun Daming, does it not make your face turn red saying such things? When our Old Wang Family needed concern, none of you showed even a shadow! Now that the Wang Family is having better days, you need to be concerned? Go fool some ghost with that talk; don’t think I can’t see through the Sun Family’s ulterior motives. Aren’t you just eyeing the Wang Family’s improved fortune and coming to take advantage?"

"If you want to pay respect and get something from us, then come respectfully, speak softly, and show that you’re asking for a favor. You really think you’re the mistress of the house, returning to your natal home with such airs, picking on me, as if you’re something special? If I’m angered, I’ll sweep you out with a big broom!"

Old Granny Zhang could not hold back any longer and stormed out from the inner room, berating from the start.

A married woman acting so overbearing, as wanting her daughter to be, has she lost her mind?

Sun Daming’s face changed. As the eldest son at home, he had always been pampered. Even when the Sun and Wang families fell out, he was never scolded to his face by Old Granny Zhang.

He wanted to get angry, but upon recalling what his mother at home had instructed—that the Wang Family now had money, and if he could just get on their good side and engage in some business with them, the earnings would be enough to find Mutou a bride—he held back.

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For his son, he grit his teeth and endured it.

He even forced a smile, "Mom! Yes, yes, yes! It’s our attitude that’s wrong! Wife, quickly apologize to dad and mom, and to our little sister!"

He saw things more clearly than Wang Yongzhen did.

After inquiring a few questions while in Wang Yongfu’s room about the current situation of the Wang Family, and combining what Wang Yongzhen had said outside, he realized that surprisingly, his own little aunt was now in charge of the household.

On one hand, he found it inconceivable, and on the other, he worried that if Wang Laozhu were in charge, given his understanding of his father-in-law, all he would have to do was cry a few times about his own mistakes, weep a few more times about the hardships at home, and then show a little, his wife having lacked a mother from a young age, and now if without the father-in-law’s care, the Wang Family wouldn’t have a place to stand.

With such an approach, Wang Laozhu would have softened his heart.

But now that the little aunt had taken charge, although he had not had much interaction with the little aunt, the fact that she could at a young age cause her own mother’s birthday celebration to end in unhappiness, severing the relations between the Sun and Wang families, along with her own mother, Old Granny Zhang, he knew was not an easy one to deal with.

Therefore, when he heard his own wife outside persuading the little aunt to relinquish power, he did not come out.

But later, upon hearing that the tone of the little aunt’s words was not right, and that his foolish wife had not yet perceived it, still thinking of using the elder sister’s money, he immediately rushed out.

So even now, as he was scolded by Old Granny Zhang, he endured it.

He wasn’t like his foolish wife, Wang Yongzhen, who could not see the situation clearly. Now that Old Granny Zhang, his mother-in-law, and the little aunt were in charge, pleasing them, as long as he could pull the Sun Family out of this conundrum, was not out of the question.

He immediately suppressed the displeasure in his heart and squeezed out a full-faced smile, apologizing profusely to Old Granny Zhang, while completely agreeing with her words and starting to compliment Wang Yongzhu.

Statements about how the little aunt was capable, even stronger than other families’ sons.

How the little aunt was filial, earning money first to redeem the family land.

...

Praising her continuously, Sun Daming himself felt that this little aunt was indeed remarkable. Should she be a girl from another family, she would try every possible way to be brought into a family as a daughter-in-law, and the family could rely on this wife for sustenance without falling into poverty.

Had someone else given such praise, Old Granny Zhang might have had her anger quelled, but although he was Sun Daming, wasn’t he?

Old Granny Zhang had a deep grudge against the Sun Family, and with Wang Yongzhen touching her raw nerve—Wang Yongzhu—how could she possibly be appeased by a few flattering words that didn’t cost a penny?

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