The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 318

Chapter 318: 318

Old Granny Zhang withdrew her gaze and looked towards Wang Yongfu, "This second item, some days ago, I had planned to discuss with you all, but because of the matter of fighting over the water, I momentarily forgot. Today is the perfect opportunity to clarify it in front of everyone. Our family’s business will start in the autumn, and right now, everyone in the family is busy with it. A while back, Zhuzhu discussed with me that once the business starts, each month, according to the number of people, we will give out some pocket money. Adults will get one hundred wen a month, Jindou and Jinhu will get thirty wen a month, and Jinguan and Jinhua, Jinpan, who are still young and can only help with limited tasks, will get ten wen a month. Jinshao is too young, but she will also be given five wen each month."

"Later on, once the business picks up and we have a surplus, we will increase everyone’s pocket money each month. By the end of the year, each branch of the family will also receive a bonus."

Upon hearing this, everyone’s eyes lit up; starting from autumn, adults would get a hundred wen each month, and even children would have money, plus a year-end bonus—such good fortune was unimaginable.

Wang Laozhu frowned. His wife had mentioned this matter to him the night before, and he had disagreed. With parents still alive, why should children be given pocket money? The money earned should all be contributed to the public institution and allocated when they separate households in the future.

Giving them money now, wouldn’t it just spoil everyone?

But now he knew that he no longer had a say in the family matters; even if he voiced his opinion, no one would listen, especially seeing how everyone’s eyes sparkled at the mention of money, it seemed whatever he said would fall on deaf ears.

Since Wang Laozhu did not object, naturally, no one else did either.

Everyone quickly calculated their own accounts in their heads, and even Lady Lin couldn’t help but swiftly tally up—her branch, the main branch, had two adults, totaling two hundred wen, plus Jindou and Jinhu’s sixty wen, and Jinguan’s ten wen. In one month, that would be two hundred and seventy wen!

A huge sum! With twelve months in a year, that would amount to around three taels of silver annually. Lady Lin’s heart was burning hot with excitement.

"However, Lady Lin, you don’t get this money!" Old Granny Zhang’s words instantly dampened Lady Lin’s spirits.

"Mother, why?" Wang Yongfu asked blankly.

Old Granny Zhang looked at Wang Yongfu with a half-smile, making his face turn red, and he lowered his head.

Lady Lin also felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles. In the past, she might have felt it unfair and argued about it, but now, she lacked the confidence and didn’t dare to think further.

Fearing a refusal would mean she couldn’t step into the Wang Family house again, it was just a hundred wen less; without her share of a hundred wen, the family would still have a hundred and seventy wen a month. She should be content.

"Mother, I don’t want it! As long as the family is willing to accept me, as long as I’m given food to eat and a place to stay, I will ask for nothing more!" Having experienced the nightmare-like days at the Lin Family, Lady Lin had now become very sensible and hurriedly agreed first.

"Good that you understand! Rest assured, if you behave well and are willing to work hard, I won’t mistreat you. Apart from not having this money, whatever others in the family have in terms of food and clothing, you’ll have too! Only this one point—you won’t get this pocket money. Also, you mustn’t interfere in any family matters, big or small! Understand?" After delivering a blow, Old Granny Zhang offered a sweet date, only to follow it with another strike.

Lady Lin’s face paled, and she nodded her head with gritted teeth, agreeing to whatever was asked just so she could enter the Wang Family and not return to those miserable days.

"There’s one last item left. Everyone here remembers how you left our Wang Family initially. As the saying goes, it’s difficult to gather spilt water or mend a broken mirror. Although you saved Eldest Brother’s life and he can accept you, for the entire Wang Family to accept you, you still need to receive the Wang Family Law once. That will truly acknowledge your mistake and accept the lesson the Wang Family is giving you."

No sooner had Old Granny Zhang’s words fallen than everyone turned their eyes to her.

Family Law? That supreme law is being brought up?

Although Old Wang often shouted, "Family Law attends to it," in jest, Family Law was not something to be invoked lightly, was it?

It was only used when clan members committed serious offenses—light punishments resulted in injuries, severe cases could lead to death.

The faces of Lady Lin and Wang Yongfu paled, Jindou and Jinhu were dumbfounded. They too knew about the existence of the Family Law, but since birth, they had never seen it enacted at home.

It took a good while before Wang Yongfu stammered through clenched teeth, "Mother, do we really have to invoke the Family Law?"

Old Granny Zhang glanced nonchalantly at her troublesome white-eyed wolf of a son. "You don’t have to invite anyone, then Lady Lin won’t be considered the Wang Family’s daughter-in-law. She could either be a concubine you bought or even a maid; as long as you think it’s fine, just don’t let people end up saying that Jindou and his siblings were raised by a mistress!"

Lady Lin was stunned.

The members of the Wang Family were dumbfounded.

Wang Yongzhu was brought to his knees!

Good heavens, was there really such a maneuver? So this was the ace up the old woman’s sleeve!

It took a while for Lady Lin to come back to her senses, and she looked at Wang Yongfu with confusion. Why was it that without suffering a beating according to family law, she had become either a concubine or a maid?

Although they were peasant folks, they understood that both concubines and maids were not considered people, but rather things.

Besides, she was married to him through a proper wedding ceremony. Suddenly being demoted to a concubine, a mere thing, wouldn’t that mean Jindou and Jinhu were indeed born of a mistress?

"Mother, Xinghua was properly wed into our Wang Family. Even if we did divorce, as long as the letter of divorce is taken back, she is still my wife. How did she become a concubine?" Wang Yongfu didn’t understand this tactic either.

Old Granny Zhang sneered, "Oh, that? You can go out and ask the clan, or in the village if you like. Decades ago, the neighboring village had a similar situation. A couple divorced, and later, the woman regretted it and came back. The man just lived with her ambiguously, and when the man’s family became wealthy, they disapproved of her and he married another. At the time, when the woman’s family came to make a fuss, the man’s family said that only a wife brought home through the formal engagement procedure counts as the legitimate wife. Those who divorce or elope with men are treated as concubines."

"If the woman comes back without the approval of her clan and parents, without a betrothal gift, isn’t she a concubine? Even her children are implicitly considered of lower status. This incident was so well known it spread all over town. The older generation has heard about it. It’s said the woman went to the Yamen, and the government office judged it the same way. Supposedly, the woman couldn’t take it and drowned herself in the river!" After saying this, she gave Lady Lin a meaningful glance.

Lady Lin was at a loss and looked to Wang Yongfu for guidance.

Wang Yongfu looked to Wang Laozhu. He had never heard of such things, and, hearing Old Granny Zhang speak with such certainty, he looked helplessly towards his father.

If not for the old woman mentioning it, Wang Laozhu would have entirely forgotten this matter.

Thinking about it, he realized the old woman had been meticulous. Otherwise, had they carelessly taken Lady Lin back, what would she have counted for?

Lady Lin would have deserved a thousand deaths just for bringing trouble upon his three grandchildren.

Wang Laozhu nodded in agreement.

Wang Yongfu was shocked. If his own father confirmed it was true, then what were they to do?

Did Lady Lin really have to face the family discipline?

The Wang Family’s discipline was no light matter; it involved using a thorny branch to lash the offender twenty times. After the punishment, clothing would be torn and not a patch of skin would be left unscathed.

Even the most disobedient men of the Wang Family wouldn’t dare to face such a trial lightly. Having Lady Lin, a woman, endure this family law, especially in her current state, she likely wouldn’t survive it.

But if they didn’t, Lady Lin would be without status, following him, and their three children would suffer as well.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Wang Yongfu didn’t know what to do.