The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 315 Can’t Go Back on Your Word

Chapter 315: Chapter 315 Can’t Go Back on Your Word

Lady Lin awoke again with a dull ache in her head and a softness in her body, opening her eyes to the familiar ceiling above. She turned her head to behold the well-known arrangement of the room, and the soft mattress beneath her made her momentarily believe that she was dreaming.

This was her own room where she had lived for over a decade; she knew the placement of the furniture even with her eyes closed.

Unable to resist, she pinched herself—ouch!

She wasn’t dreaming!

She was not dead; had she been taken back to the Wang Family? Recalling the last moment before she lost consciousness, she had heard Wang Yongfu agreeing to her terms, as long as she lived, she would still be his wife.

So, now that she was alive, was she, really?

Fear gripped Lady Lin’s heart.

There was no one in the room, but Wang Yongfu’s voice could be heard from the courtyard. Lady Lin couldn’t help but listen attentively.

In the courtyard, Wang Yongfu kneeled in front of Old Granny Zhang and Wang Laozhu, covered in mud and Lady Lin’s blood, looking both pitiable and terrifying.

His leg was still aching, but he could not attend to it at that moment.

Lady Lin had nearly lost her life saving him, if Doctor Liu from next door hadn’t arrived just in time to stop the bleeding, and if the Song family brothers, who had followed their younger sister and received word, hadn’t given a pill believed to replenish Qi and blood to Lady Lin, she might very well be gone.

At this instant, Wang Yongfu had forgotten all the terrible things about Lady Lin, everything that was wrong about her. As long as she was alive, that was all that mattered.

However, Wang Yongfu understood that the decision of whether Lady Lin stayed or left was not his to make. Therefore, after ensuring she was attended to and knew she would recover once awake and had replenished her Qi and blood, he struggled to plead with his parents.

Seeing Wang Yongfu having grown noticeably thinner overnight, in clothes he had forgotten to change, his hair a mess, and his eyes bloodshot, Wang Laozhu felt both distressed and angry.

Why couldn’t his son extricate himself from Lady Lin?

"Father, Mother, I know it’s inappropriate for me to bring this up now, but Xinghua saved my life, and I made a promise in front of everyone that as long as she’s alive, I’ll want her! I...I can’t break my word, and I can’t be ungrateful. Please, Father and Mother, consent to my plea," said Wang Yongfu, grinding his teeth, braving his parents’ murderous gazes.

Jindou also knelt down, the sight of Lady Lin lying before him covered in blood had truly frightened him. Regardless, they couldn’t just watch her die, could they?

"Grandpa, Grandma, please let my mother come back! She nearly lost her life for Dad, she must have changed. Grandpa, Grandma, after all, she is our own mother—" Jindou couldn’t help but collapse to the ground, weeping profusely.

Jinguan, shocked silent when Lady Lin was brought back covered in blood and clutching Jindou without letting go, now also started crying uncontrollably seeing Jindou cry.

Jinhu stood on the side, his face showing struggle, but eventually, he too knelt silently, "Grandpa, Grandma, my mother was willing to give her life for my dad. If we don’t accept her now, we might as well be pushing her towards death! As an unfilial grandson, I can’t just watch as my mother is forced to die. If you, Grandpa and Grandma, don’t wish to see my mother, our main household can—can leave—" Jinhu made up his mind, "I know that ever since Dad got injured, our main household has been dragging down the rest of the family. Most of the family’s silver has gone to Dad’s treatment. Even the miracle medicine that healed Dad, Uncle Song gave it to us out of respect for Auntie. The medicine that saved Mom, it was the same, we keep all these favors in mind."

"I understand it’s difficult for you, Grandpa and Grandma, to accept my mother. I also know my mother has her faults and has been disrespectful to you. So, if you can’t accept her, then let our main household leave. We will slowly repay the silver for Dad’s treatment and remember Auntie’s kindness. I beg you, Grandpa and Grandma, to grant us this favor!" Jinhu’s words implied that the main household was willing to give up their inheritance rights and live separately.

Old Granny Zhang hadn’t said anything yet, but Wang Laozhu was the first to leap up, his eyes red with anger, "You, what nonsensical things are you all spouting? Have your wings grown stiff, huh? Bringing up dividing the family every time you open your mouths? I’m not dead yet! What family is there to split?"

Wang Yongfu and the three brothers Jindou only knelt on the ground, kowtowing without speaking.

Wang Laozhu looked at his eldest son and eldest grandson kneeling before him, and found himself unable to say anything else; now, he faced two choices.

If he didn’t accept Lady Lin, the eldest son and grandson would split off and live separately.

Accepting Lady Lin was another matter, it would stick in his craw—taking back a divorced daughter-in-law...

But then again, Lady Lin did make a significant contribution to the village this time. If it hadn’t been for her shouting and firmly grabbing hold of that person, perhaps the village’s efforts over the past few days would have been in vain.

He heard that the Lizheng and several clan leaders had gone to demand compensation from the village that stole the water.

Bringing back such a daughter-in-law should not bring shame, especially since, during the two days Lady Lin was unconscious, quite a few families had come to visit her with eggs, and their conversations had begun to express that Lady Lin wasn’t bad at all.

Lady Lin indeed suffered her injuries because of her defense of Eldest Brother, nearly losing her life in the process. To truly kick her out would risk being accused by others of the Wang Family being ungrateful and bullying Lady Lin.

After much thought, Wang Laozhu couldn’t help but soften his stance, "You bunch of fiends, I’m too tired to deal with you—"

Nowadays, when he steps out the door, isn’t everyone praising him? They praise his brave little girl; without her, the entire village would have no water.

They also laud his good daughter-in-law, who bravely saved her son and preserved the village’s water supply.

They’re both heroes.

Even for this reason alone, it wouldn’t be right for him to oppose it anymore.

Wang Laozhu wasn’t opposed anymore, but the final say in the family wasn’t his, it was crucial for Old Granny Zhang to agree.

Old Granny Zhang hadn’t spoken for a long time, only looking at Wang Yongfu.

Wang Yongfu felt uncomfortable under her gaze and looked at Old Granny Zhang with a pleading expression, "Mother—"

Old Granny Zhang let out a sigh, "Back then, when you wanted to marry Lady Lin, you knelt before this old lady just like this, begging me to agree. More than a decade has flown by, and to think, this old lady has to go through it again—"

Wang Yongfu stiffened completely, almost too ashamed to lift his head to see Old Granny Zhang’s expression.

If he could, he would go back and strangle his former self.

Jindou and Jinhoo bowed their heads as well, not daring to speak further.

The courtyard was terrifyingly silent.

Inside the house, Lady Lin, hearing this, felt a chill run through her body. All these days outside the Wang Family’s home, listening attentively and gathering bits and pieces from others’ comments and the occasional words from the brothers Jindou, she clearly understood that now the Wang Family was decidedly ruled by the mother-in-law and younger sisters-in-law.

Even if her father-in-law agreed, as long as the mother-in-law and sisters-in-law disagreed, it was very likely that she would still not be able to return to the Wang Family.