The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 319 Good Son

Chapter 319: Chapter 319 Good Son

Not only was Wang Yongfu caught between a rock and a hard place, but Jindou and Jinhoo were also conflicted.

Lady Lin’s body was still very weak; how could she withstand the family law? However, without accepting the family punishment, Lady Lin would have no status in the Wang Family, and would be looked down upon by everyone.

For one’s own mother to accept the family punishment—that was something no person could bring themselves to say.

Besides, if Lady Lin’s body couldn’t survive the twenty lashes, what then if she were to lose her life?

Lady Lin clenched her teeth; she knew it would not be easy for her to return to the Wang Family. Her mother-in-law was putting her to the test, forcing her to stake her life on surviving those twenty lashes.

Otherwise, she would have to submit and follow the head of the family without status. For a day or two it might be fine, but over time, if it affected the marriages of Jindou and Jinhoo, they might grow distant.

At this point, if she hesitated, feared, or regretted, she might lose even that bit of affection the head of the family had for her, purchased at the cost of her life.

"I am willing to accept the family punishment!" Lady Lin heard her own voice speak up.

Wang Yongfu, standing beside her, grabbed her arm, a look of distress on his face, "Have you lost your mind? Your body—how could it endure twenty lashes?"

Lady Lin gave a bitter smile; she saw it clear as day. This was the test her mother-in-law had set for her. Hadn’t she said she had changed? That for the sake of the head of the family and her sons, she would be willing to do anything?

Then she would accept the family punishment!

Jindou and Jinhoo were anxious as well. Having no other option, Jinhoo knelt down, "Grandma, my mother is weak. Can I, as her son, take the family punishment on her behalf?"

"That’s right, that’s right, I’ll take it for my mother too!" Jindou’s eyes lit up.

Old Granny Zhang chuckled...

She looked at Lady Lin with profound meaning, "Lin Xinghua, you have raised some good sons—such filial piety—"

With that one sentence, Wang Yongfu could almost not lift his head in shame.

Wang Yongzhu stood up with a cold face, "Yesterday, you were all just hoping mother would agree, and now that she has, albeit conditionally, each and every one of you is making further demands. Do you think that because mother is easy to talk to, and I haven’t spoken out, you can push even further? If we give in again and agree for you to take the punishment on Lady Lin’s behalf, will you then demand that she receives an allowance upon her return? And after a while, should she also meddle in the affairs of the Wang Family?"

At those words from Wang Yongzhu, Jindou and Jinhoo’s faces changed.

Wang Laozhu tightened his clothes and unconsciously took two steps back.

Wang Yongping had long been impatient. All because of Lady Lin, his once respectable elder brother was now preoccupied with a woman who had not kept to her wifely duties, and even the two brats, Jindou and Jinhoo, were siding with Lady Lin.

Hearing his sister put it that way, he, too, dissatisfiedly said, "If you knew this day would come, you shouldn’t have done what you did in the first place. Mother being willing to let you return, considering Jindou and Jinhoo, was already generous. What more do you want? Do you expect the Wang Family to welcome you back with a grand procession?"

"You may have saved Eldest Brother’s life, but you haven’t saved the Wang Family, have you? Besides, your life was saved by the medicine given out of consideration for our little sister by the Song family brothers. What are you getting proud about? And you two little rascals, what business do you have in the affairs of adults? Get lost and stop irritating me!" With that, he grabbed Jindou and Jinhu by the scruff and flung them to the side.

Jindou and Jinhu glanced at Wang Yongzhu’s expression, then at Wang Yongping, and saw Old Wang Laozhu squinting his eyes, pretending not to hear. Instantly, a chill ran down their backs, and the two brothers exchanged a look, each seeing fear in the other’s eyes.

Wang Yongzhu had been about to speak, but with Wang Yongping cutting in like that, many words could no longer be said.

However, the effect was more or less the same. He sneered and looked around at everyone in the courtyard before finally turning to Lady Lin, "If you want to enter the Wang family through the proper channels, then go and accept the family punishment, and then I’ll think more highly of you. If you’re afraid of the pain and everything else, that’s fine too, just do as Jinhu said. Your room can split off separately. Even if Eldest Brother treats you like an ancestor, it’ll have nothing to do with us—"

As soon as he said this, the faces of everyone in the main house turned pale.

Old Wang Laozhu couldn’t hold himself back any longer, "My girl, your Eldest Brother is the Wang Family’s firstborn, and where is the justice in splitting him off while both parents and younger siblings are still at home—"

Wang Yongzhu’s cold gaze turned towards Wang Laozhu, "If father is so reluctant to part with Eldest Brother and his family, then how about father go live with Eldest Brother’s family? That way, it wouldn’t really be a split. Father and Eldest Brother’s family together, and the rest—"

Turning to look at Lady Jiang and Wang Yongping of the third branch, "Are you going to stay with mother, or are you going to go with father?"

Lady Jiang hadn’t spoken yet when Jinhua jumped up, "We’ll stay with Nanny and Old Aunt!"

Without another word, Wang Yongping immediately stood behind Wang Yongzhu when she looked his way, making his stance clear.

Old Wang Laozhu was so angry he dropped his smoking pipe, "Revolting, revolting! You all have grown wings now, I can’t control you anymore!" With that, he stormed back into the house.

Seeing this, Lady Lin realized that this was about to result in the immediate split of the main house—and how could that be allowed to happen?

Without hesitation, Lady Lin decisively stepped forward, "I’m willing to accept the family punishment! I want to return properly, I do not want Jindou and the others to be ridiculed in the future for being raised by a petty woman! Little sister is right, having made such a mistake before, I should be eternally grateful that mother agreed to let me come back, and I shouldn’t be thinking of anything more! I will accept the family punishment, but could it be deferred for a few days, until I’m a bit stronger? Otherwise, I’m afraid I won’t survive it!"

"I’ve finally been able to return, to be united with my family. I haven’t yet had enough of these days, and I don’t want to die!" Lady Lin was downright desperate, saying whatever came to her mind.

Wang Yongzhu’s expression softened somewhat, "Since we have agreed to let you come back, we aren’t petty enough to desire your life. Once you’ve recovered, you can accept the family punishment on your own!"

That settled it, with no further alterations.

No matter what Wang Yongfu, Jindou, and Jinhu thought, the matter had been decided just like that.

Wang Yongzhu, supporting Old Granny Zhang, returned to the room. Although Old Wang Laozhu had previously stormed in huffily, in truth, he had been all ears to the commotion outside. Now, hearing that the issue was resolved and that Eldest Brother’s family need not be split off, he breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Wang Yongzhu come in, he snorted unnaturally and nodded as he went out.

Old Granny Zhang was long accustomed to Old Wang’s temper and couldn’t be bothered with it. Lying on the kang bed, she suddenly felt a surge of melancholy, "My girl, this family has been a burden to you, and so have I! Had it not been for me, you wouldn’t have had to worry about this whole family, to endure all this vexation every day—"

"Mother, what are you talking about? I just feel sorry for you!" After a pause, Wang Yongzhu made up her mind to speak up, "Mother, I thought about it yesterday. If you don’t want to see Lady Lin, there’s another way. I can immediately arrange to marry a husband into our home. After the marriage, I can set up my own household and ask for a division of the family. Then I can take you to live with me; we can lead our lives separately. Mother, what do you think?"