The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 301 Follow Me

Chapter 301: Chapter 301 Follow Me

Wang Family’s Second Child actually did such an outrageous thing, swindling all the money for our parents’ coffins and then skipping town?

And the Eldest Brother, how did he become disabled? What exactly happened during this last year he was away from home?

It’s natural that Wang Yonggui has survived all those years of debauchery without being beaten to death, he must have some street smarts.

At that moment, his eyes darted around, and he began to wail loudly, "Is everything you folks are saying true? I am Wang Family’s Third Child. Just this half year, I went out of town to talk business with someone and got swindled of all my money. I begged my way back, intending to borrow some travel expenses from my second brother’s home, but when I went there, someone came out, asked me a couple of questions, and then set their dog on me."

"I’ve been running for half a day, starving to the point where I couldn’t take it anymore, that’s why I stole the boss’s steamed buns to eat! Are you uncles and aunties telling the truth? Did my second brother really do something as despicable as an animal, swindling all the money for our father and mother’s coffins? Oh my! This heartless fiend! This turtle’s son! None of the four brothers in our family ever went to school, our whole family emptied our savings just to support one person’s education, truly hoping he would study hard, become a Scholar, a Graduate, and bring honor to our ancestors, and maybe later pull up a few brothers and nephews too. But who would have thought, he turned out to be worse than a beast, doing such a thing. Dad, Mom, you probably still don’t know what has happened at home, your son is unfilial, not being by your side..."

A grown man, crying as soon as he spoke, with tears and snot smearing his face.

Looking as heartbroken as it gets.

Those who were soft-hearted couldn’t help but start wiping away tears themselves.

In recent days, the matter involving Wang Yongan from the Wang Family has been the talk of Jing County.

Speaking of it, who wouldn’t sympathize with the Wang family? To have invested everything in raising a Scholar and not yet reaped any rewards before the Scholar son turned around and sold the ancestral property, it’d drive anyone to fury.

It’s just that no one mentioned it after a while, and the people of Jing County slowly forgot.

Now hearing this beggar claiming to be that Wang Yongan’s brother, isn’t he also a victim of the Wang Family?

Wang Family’s Third Child?

It’s said that the Wang Family seems to have four sons, right?

Someone then took up the conversation, "That’s right, with your father bedridden, your family sought Wang Yongan but couldn’t find him..."

Wang Laosan cried even more grievously, and while crying, he tried to leave, "Thank you, uncles and aunties, for the news. I must go home and see how my father’s illness is."

With that, he attempted to slip away.

But Old Liu Tou was not foolish; no matter how fanciful the speech or pitiable the crying, the money for the steamed buns still had to be paid.

"You want to go? Pay for the steamed buns first before leaving."

Wang Laosan pleaded with a pained expression, negotiating, "Boss, can I owe you for now... you know my name now, when I come next time, I’ll definitely repay. I really don’t have any money on me right now."

"Tish! If you don’t pay for the steamed buns, no matter how eloquently you speak, you’re not leaving today." Old Liu Tou loved to take advantage of widows without losing a penny, but as for this beggar, he was not willing to freely give away two meat buns.

Some onlookers could not bear to watch and started persuading, "Boss, look, Wang Family’s Third Child is quite pitiable, and given his family’s situation, he truly has no money. Giving him the steamed buns for free isn’t really anything big."

"Right, Old Liu, considering all that his family has suffered, it’s just two steamed buns. Why be so stingy?"

"Me, stingy? You can talk, but will you pay for his steamed buns?" Old Liu glared. If today he pitied Wang Laosan and gave him buns for free, by tomorrow, he feared the streets would be full of beggars flocking to his shop to steal buns. If they could just cry pitifully and get off scot-free, who wouldn’t do it?

At that moment, Lady Sun entered the crowd with a breeze of fragrance.

She counted out six Large Coins and passed them to Old Liu Tou, "Alright, Big Brother Liu, I’ve paid his bun money for him."

Old Liu glanced at Lady Sun, who kept darting her eyes towards Wang Laosan; looking at Wang Laosan, despite his beggarly appearance, one could still discern his fine features and youth beneath the grime.

He speculated that perhaps Lady Sun had taken a fancy to the beggar?

Some unutterable thoughts made him reluctant to take Lady Sun’s money, "Lady Sun, you don’t even know this beggar, why pay for him? Who knows if what he says is even true? You might be getting deceived..."

Old Liu’s family at the back quickly pulled him aside and swiftly grabbed the coins, "If Lady Sun wants to do a good deed and accumulate virtue, why are you meddling so much?"

Lady Sun covered her mouth with a handkerchief and chuckled, then said to Wang Yonggui, who was still wailing and attempting to gain sympathy from the ground, "My good brother, stop crying. I see you’ve been bitten by a dog, you need to tend to that wound quickly, beware the sickness of rabies, or there’s no saving a person. Come with me, let’s get that wound treated at my place and change into some clean clothes."

Wang Yonggui had never encountered such a distinguished young lady speaking so tenderly and considerately, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Hearing Lady Sun inviting him to her home to treat his wound and change clothes, how could he refuse? He nodded repeatedly.

He got up and sidled up to Lady Sun.

Lady Sun sashayed ahead while Wang Yonggui, with eyes wide and dazed, followed mesmerized.

They left behind a crowd of onlookers, who started gossiping among themselves.

"Look at that minx, she couldn’t even last a day without luring another man to her house!"

"Lady Sun must have been eyeing that Wang Family’s Third Child for his strapping physique, eh?"

"Exactly, when one’s been alone for long, naturally, they’d seek out some young and strong company..."

...

※※※

"What? Still planning to squat by our door and refuse to leave? Let me tell you, Lin Xinghua, have some shame. While it’s still early and there aren’t many people around, go away quickly. If you don’t, once it gets busy, don’t blame me for speaking rudely. You’ll make it so you can’t stay anywhere for miles around!" Old Granny Zhang, seeing Lady Lin clinging to the doorway, grew impatient.

Especially when she saw the look in Eldest Brother’s eyes, what did she think? That he was a simpleton to take advantage of, to consider reuniting with her as husband and wife again?

At this moment, Lady Lin was making a last desperate effort; she had no other options left, only by staying with the Wang Family did she have a chance of survival.

Without caring for much else, she knelt down on the threshold, "Brother Yongfu, I was wrong! I truly was wrong! For the sake of our three children, for the sake of our past as husband and wife, please forgive me, won’t you?"

"I was deceived by Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law! They lied to me, saying that if I kept staying with the Wang Family, I would definitely be cursed as a jinx by mother, and that the Wang Family’s fortunes can’t be turned. They said if I wanted what’s best for the children, I should remarry, and in the future, I might even be able to help Jindou and the others. Believing their lies, I was momentarily bewitched!"

"I truly regret it now. I was duped by my Eldest Brother to divorce you, and when I went back, they treated me like a maid, ordering me around to cook, wash clothes, chop firewood, and work the lands! They only gave me a vegetable bun a day, and at night I had to make do with sleeping in the firewood shed. That’s when I knew, they just wanted to trick me into returning to be their servant, to wait on their entire family!"