The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 323 The Worrisome Life

Chapter 323: Chapter 323 The Worrisome Life

Ever since Lady Lin returned, the children of the main house became more reserved, not daring to show off in front of Old Granny Zhang; as a result, Jinpan began to stand out.

Jinpan had always been clever, but in the past he was restrained by Lady Jiang, and being young, he often had his older brothers blocking his way in many matters.

Now, neither Jindou, Jinhu, nor Jinguan dared to approach Old Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu; instead, Jinpan, Jinhua, and Jinshao managed to frequently show their faces before Old Granny Zhang.

Though Jinpan seldom spoke on ordinary days, after a few occasions he drew a conclusion that to make the grandmother happy and comfortable, he must bring up the good deeds of his old aunt.

Therefore, from then on, praising the old aunt became his daily mission.

After he began to lavish praise on his old aunt, not only did Jinpan win the favor of Old Granny Zhang, but the status of the third branch of the family also rose significantly, and Lady Jiang’s confidence likewise grew substantially.

Because Wang Yongzhu had privately asked her to help with the design of dyeing valves for the dye house and promised her a commission, with fifty wen for each bolt she drew, and a share of the profits after the dye house settled accounts with Wang Yongzhu at the end of the year.

As a result, Lady Jiang was fully motivated now, the worry that once furrowed her brow had somewhat dissipated.

Indeed, after listening to Jinpan’s flattering words, Old Granny Zhang’s expression softened somewhat, "Don’t I know that? I’m just worried. Boss Zhang only gave one hundred taels of silver, and with people coming by daily, I fear there might not be enough to go round. Isn’t it better to save where we can, to stretch it out for a few more days?"

"Mother, don’t worry, I’ve got it all figured out. Nowadays, the goods that the villagers bring to sell are just worthless things like dried mushrooms, and treasures like white fox fur don’t come along more than once a month. There’s still enough silver to use, and besides, Boss Zhang has already had Steward Lu send word that they’ll send someone soon to inspect the mountain goods our family has purchased; if the quantity and quality are right, they will settle the full payment. Then you can just sit at home and collect the silver coins. As for all these other matters, I see Eldest Brother and Fourth Brother are getting increasingly adept at handling them. Just look at Eldest Brother, he’s practically on par with the shopkeeper of the town’s mountain goods store now," Wang Yongzhu, knowing what Old Granny Zhang was worried about, consoled her as she came down from the ladder.

How could Old Granny Zhang truly be at ease? She was born to worry.

If it weren’t for her daughter’s repeated instructions to let go and not interfere, she’d be sitting in the shed outside every day, watching Wang Yongfu closely, needing to keep an eye on every bit of business he did.

Ever since the business began, her heart was always in her throat. Looking over her family, there wasn’t a single reliable one among them.

The old man seemed alright when he was young, but now that the children are grown, quite a few flaws have become apparent, especially his favoritism towards several of his wayward sons, whom she had to guard against constantly.

Eldest Brother? She might as well forget it; he was the one she was most wary of nowadays. All the silver coins passed through his hands, and with Lady Lin stirring trouble behind the scenes, despite seeming compliant now, who knows what might happen if she didn’t keep an eye out? Perhaps Lady Lin would coax Eldest Brother into sneakily keeping some hidden funds for personal use.

As for Laosi, he seemed somewhat more reliable now, at least half as dependable as her daughter.

In summary, the only truly trustworthy person in the family was her beloved daughter.

Since her beloved daughter said there was nothing to worry about, she was reassured.

She glanced outside at Eldest Brother. Outfitted in the indigo cloth robe brought back by his daughter, immaculately groomed, sitting there, he did seem to have something of an air about him when he spoke and acted.

After thinking it over, she turned to warn Lady Lin, "Let me tell you, the business is now a family affair, so don’t go behind my back and persuade Eldest Brother to secretly pocket some silver for your private savings. If Old Granny Zhang finds out, you’ll be packing your bedding and luggage and getting out, understand?"

Lady Lin felt she was unjustly accused. She had been conducting herself so properly that she wouldn’t even dare to fart out of place, so why was she being scolded again?

She really wanted to clear her name and insisted that she absolutely had no such intentions. After being disciplined by the family before, her reputation had been established. Who didn’t know that? If she were to leave the Wang Family, she truly feared it would be the end for her.

Now, all Lady Lin thought about was being honest and trying to please the whole family, waiting for a few years until this incident was forgotten by everyone.

Seeing the Wang Family’s current momentum, as long as she remained sincere, better days were yet to come.

Not to mention, the day before the business started, the main house had stealthily held a small meeting saying that once the business began, the whole family needed to pitch in and help with dedication, without harboring any selfish motives.

Especially Jinhoo, who made a special point of reminding the head of the household, telling him to work hard and to absolutely avoid doing anything that would disappoint his sister-in-law or the whole family for the sake of a little money.

Lady Lin always felt that Jinhoo’s words were aimed at her, and her face burned with embarrassment. She couldn’t explain because of her past deeds; her reputation for hiding private savings was well known to everyone.

Wang Yongfu probably thought of this as well, his face reddened, and he assured the entire family that he would never do such a thing.

Upon hearing Old Granny Zhang’s warning, Lady Lin had no option but to swear and even brought up Jinhoo’s remarks from the other day, trying to convince her mother-in-law and sister-in-law of her sincerity.

Wang Yongzhu didn’t expect that the main house had discussed this issue, but on the other hand, she felt somewhat relieved. At the very least, Jinhoo and the others hadn’t gone astray.

Even Old Granny Zhang, after listening, merely hmphed, which more or less meant that Lady Lin was off the hook.

Seizing the moment, Wang Yongzhu changed the subject, "Mother, I was thinking that our courtyard is still too small. Now isn’t even the peak season for collecting mountain goods, and there’s already no space to spread things out. How will we manage during the peak season?"

Old Granny Zhang looked around the yard, which was filled with mountain goods. What used to be a clean and tidy courtyard had every nook and cranny occupied with items drying, it looked cramped and disorderly.

"Exactly, it’s such a mess. The size of our courtyard is limited; we have no other option. Later, when we have a surplus of mountain goods, the less valuable ones should be taken to the back yard to dry. Let Jinpan oversee it to prevent theft or birds carrying things away," she said.

Lady Jiang gently and softly spoke up, something she rarely did: "Mother, we’ve only been collecting mountain goods for half a month, and there hasn’t been a day without a crowd at our front gate. The backyard is close by, and I fear someone might sneak in and steal a bit. A few children might not be vigilant enough to stop it."

Old Granny Zhang planted her hands on her hips, brimming with fury, "If the little ones are useless and can’t keep watch, I’ll personally oversee it, and I’ll see which bastard dares to do it..."

Wang Yongzhu, hearing her mother’s forceful voice, shook her head, "Mother, standing guard all day isn’t a long-term solution. I’ve thought it through. Let’s endure the hardship this year and make do. After we’re done with this year’s mountain goods and have settled accounts with Boss Zhang, we’ll see exactly how much money we have. If it’s not enough, by the year’s end, my share of the dividends from the dye recipe should also be available. We can pool it together. Then we can ask father to petition Lizheng for a larger plot for homestead. When the time comes, we’ll construct a large brick house with tiled roof, surround it with a spacious courtyard, have ample space to dry the mountain goods, and everyone will have enough room to live