The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 288 Disheartened

Chapter 288: Chapter 288 Disheartened

"It can be considered as repayment for your past kindness, so you don’t get worn down by your mother-in-law when you return. In this world, you reap what you sow; if you truly have your maternal family in your heart, they naturally won’t mistreat you. But if you want to rely on your maternal family for everything, then let me make it clear today, that’s impossible! Big sister should go back and think it through, the Wang Family hasn’t wronged you, nor the Sun Family. If you hold any grudges against our Wang Family because of this, then hold them! I don’t care either way!"

After finishing, she ordered Jindou, "Open the door and see your eldest aunt out."

Wang Yongzhen couldn’t believe what she was holding, she looked up at Wang Yongzhu again.

Wang Yongzhu didn’t speak, just looked at her indifferently.

A complex expression flickered across Wang Yongzhen’s eyes; she tightly hugged the parcel and quickly left the Wang Family, head bowed.

It was only after she had gone that Wang Laozhu snapped back to his senses, "When the family had troubles back then, did your big sister send some things over? How come I didn’t know?"

Old Granny Zhang came out fuming, "What does it matter what you knew? When you got so angry that you suffered a stroke and vomited blood, she merely eased her conscience by sending a few pounds of grain and two hundred large coins. So what, you feel that your eldest daughter is the best? When you suffered that stroke, all the silver spent until now has been Zhuzhu’s doing; why don’t you think about all the good she’s done?"

Wang Laozhu showed a look of embarrassment, "I... I just...."

Wang Yongzhu had enough of Wang Laozhu’s endless probing and spoke bluntly, "Dad, stop using others as a stepping stone from now on. Let me tell you, either I am the one in charge of this family! If you let me, great; if not, let’s divide the family!"

She dropped this bombshell and went straight inside.

"What?" Everyone was stunned.

Only Old Granny Zhang was all smiles, "Right! Let’s divide up! That’s good! Everything in the house should go to my Zhuzhu, I’ll go with my Zhuzhu, and you can live with your son!"

She happily went to find her daughter.

Wang Laozhu felt darkness before his eyes; dividing the family! Absolutely not!

By the time Wang Yongping and Jinhoo got home and heard about Wang Yongzhu’s words, they were also in a panic.

One by one, they ran to Wang Laozhu’s room and started to complain, "Dad, what do you really want? Isn’t the current state of the family okay? Why must you stir things up? Will you be satisfied if you disrupt everything?"

"Indeed, Dad, little sister has been doing a great job in charge! Look at our household these days, flourishing more each day. What are you unsatisfied with? You should just enjoy your life now, visit the fields every day. How wonderful is that! So many people in our village envy you! You’re abandoning a fine life for what, just to provoke little sister? Have you forgotten—"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone shuddered. Oh my, they had nearly forgotten, the divine strength of little sister...

Even Jinguan and the others started to make a fuss, "We want Big Aunt to be in charge! Not Grandpa!"

Wang Laozhu put on a stern face, "You brats, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"With Big Aunt in charge, there’s meat to eat, and we’re well-fed! With Grandpa in charge, we’re never full!" Jinguan pulled Jinpan along, "Jinpan, isn’t that right?"

Jinpan nodded, speaking softly, "With Big Aunt in charge, when we go out, everyone fights to play with us—"

Wang Laozhu’s face turned ashen; he had not expected that even his grandsons didn’t think highly of him.

Then for whom had he been breaking his heart into pieces?

Suddenly, he felt utterly disheartened.

Jinhoo struggled to hold back laughter as he dragged his two brothers out.

After a long while, Wang Laozhu waved his hand, "Go out—"

Wang Yongping was still worried, "Dad, have you come to a clear understanding? Are you going to stir things up in the future or not?"

Wang Laozhu, red-faced with annoyance, shot back, "Get out! I won’t interfere anymore, is that not enough?"

Everyone felt relieved.

Jinguan, overhearing from outside, clapped her hands, "Father isn’t in charge anymore! We’ll have meat to eat again! That’s wonderful!"

Jinpan and Jinshao also began to laugh, truly a celebration for the entire family.

From that day on, Wang Laozhu never brought up the matter of taking charge again, and naturally, nobody else did either.

Wang Yongzhu let out a sigh of relief, too busy creating new dyes every day to bother with Wang Laozhu.

During these days, she had successfully created a deep red dye and dyed an entire bolt of deep red fabric. The day the fabric was dyed, it astonished everyone in the Wang Family.

As for dyeing patterns, Wang Yongzhu remembered that Shopkeeper Wu had sent word through someone, suggesting that she prepare some bolts of fabric with elegant patterns to accompany the newly dyed deep red fabric, as they would be useful later.

Wang Yongzhu speculated that perhaps Shopkeeper Wu was planning to target the high-end female market.

Initially, she had intended to have Lady Jiang do the drawing, but after some thought, decided to do it herself.

She had learned traditional Chinese painting, fine brush painting, and also studied oil painting for several years. Knowing she needed patterns that were elegant and refined, she pondered for several days before completing two pieces—one depicted white plum blossoms under the moonlight, blossoming from branches and petals dancing in the air, from sparse to dense.

Another was of magnolia, a single slanted branch of magnolia quietly blooming, simple and unadorned.

These two paintings alone took Wang Yongzhu two careful days to complete, and then she and Lady Jiang tied the fabric tightly and threw it into the dye vat.

When the two bolts of dyed fabric were thoroughly washed and dried, Old Granny Zhang was stunned.

She hardly dared to touch them.

"My girl, did you draw these?" Old Granny Zhang hadn’t expected her daughter to be so skilled.

"Yes, it’s all thanks to my sister-in-law’s good teaching. It seems I have a bit of a talent for painting. How is it, Mother, aren’t my drawings pretty good?" Wang Yongzhu boasted shamelessly.

"Beautiful! My daughter’s drawings are always beautiful!" Old Granny Zhang was moved for quite some time, and that evening she said something nice about Lady Jiang for a change, "You’ve taught her well. Tomorrow, have Zhuzhu get some fabric for you, to make some new clothes for yourself, don’t disgrace our Old Wang Family!"

Even though the tone wasn’t particularly warm, it still deeply touched Lady Jiang.

Having been married into the family for so many years, this was the first time she heard her mother-in-law praise her, and she was even offered fabric to make clothes for herself, something she had never dared to hope for before.

Since the dyes and fabrics were quite important this time, Wang Yongzhu decided to personally deliver them to Shopkeeper Wu and, by the way, inquire how the preparations were going at the dye workshop and whether the dyes she had sent were working well.

Unexpectedly, just as she had finished packing up in the morning, she heard a knocking at the door, "Miss Wang, is Miss Wang at home?"

The voice sounded familiar.

Wang Yongping opened the door to find Shop Assistant Xiao Sanzi, Shopkeeper Wu’s subordinate, knocking frantically.

Upon seeing the door open, he rushed inside, "Is Miss Wang at home?"

Wang Yongzhu walked out from the house, "Younger brother Xiao Er, what’s the matter?"

"Miss Wang, come quickly, follow me!" Had Wang Yongping not been standing in the middle, Xiao Sanzi would have probably tried to drag her away himself.

Wang Yongzhu was startled, "But what has happened?"

"It’s... it’s great news!" Xiao Sanzi was so anxious he stamped his foot, "Miss Wang, please come with me quickly! Don’t worry, it’s good news! Our Shopkeeper won’t harm you!"