The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 326: Crying for Dad and Calling for Mom

Chapter 326: Chapter 326: Crying for Dad and Calling for Mom

"Whether you’re around or not, it doesn’t make any difference to the Wang Family, and yet you have the nerve to come back? What are you here for? To swindle money from your old mother again and waste it cavorting about, eh? At your age, in the prime of your life, doing nothing proper all day long; whatever you do, you fail at it, and whatever you eat, you don’t leave a scrap. And when you come back, you still strut around like you’re hot stuff. I told you to roam about and not care about your family—your sons, daughters-in-law, parents, not even your old father. I told you, roam, just roam..."

With every scolding word, there came a thrashing.

Each and every blow landed on Wang Yonggui’s body.

Old Granny Zhang had both Wang Yongping and several grandsons to practice on, improving her skills at beating her sons to perfection. Wang Yonggui, who hadn’t experienced the loving education of his mother’s stick in a year, was rusty in his evasion skills. So, he could only be cornered by Old Granny Zhang and beaten mercilessly. His brand-new clothes were all wrinkled from the thrashing.

"Ow... Mother, please, hit me lighter... Mother, dear mother, I really won’t leave again this time. I’ll never leave in this lifetime. I’ll just stay at home and be filial to you and father, protect you and sister, and if anyone ever thinks of bullying our Old Wang Family, they’ll have to ask if Wang Laosan agrees..."

Old Granny Zhang was used to his promises and tall tales and dismissed them as hot air: "Your evil assurances mean nothing to me! When have you not made the same promises to your old mother? Your words are as good as farts, never holding any value! The last time was the same, you barely stayed for two months before you secretly racked up a gambling debt of two taels of silver."

"Your poor son was just born, and you, his father, disappeared without a trace. While your old mother was worried about your daughter-in-law’s confinement, she had to go looking for you, a good-for-nothing. Eldest Brother and Laosi went out and searched for you for a whole day without finding a sign of you. Your daughter-in-law thought you had gotten drunk and drowned in a ditch, crying her eyes out."

"As for you, without so much as a peep, you slapped your ass and ran off to hide from your gambling debts, leaving your old mother to pay them off. And you talk about being filial to your old mother? I would be lucky if that day ever comes without the sun rising from the west! It’s a miracle your old mother hasn’t been worked to death by a Debt-Collecting Ghost like you. Why hide? Hide again and I’ll switch to thrashing you with a thorny branch!"

Upon hearing that she was going to switch to a thorny branch, Wang Yonggui dared not hide anymore.

After about ten or so more lashes, Wang Yonggui was crying for his father and mother.

The neighbors, having seen Wang Yonggui beaten from a young age, all watched and laughed.

No one can fault a mother for disciplining her son.

Most importantly, Old Granny Zhang was fierce. When she beat Laosan like this in the past, some people who couldn’t stand it tried to intervene, only to be chased and scolded by her for two li until she let it go.

Ever since then, nobody dared to step in when Old Granny Zhang disciplined her own children.

Besides, truth be told, if they had a wild horse of a child like him at home that just wouldn’t settle down, they would also feel like beating him.

Wang Laosan, numbed from the beating, eventually regained a bit of his sense of being whipped and knew that begging for mercy was futile. He shifted his eyes, "Mother, these clothes I’m wearing are newly made, it’s my first time wearing them. Please be gentler, don’t tear them..."

Upon hearing that, Old Granny Zhang, having been focused on beating him, hadn’t paid attention before, but now she saw that indeed he was wearing brand-new clothes. And the color was even dyed by a maid.

Almost unconsciously, she lightened her beating. Ruining her scapegrace son’s clothes was one thing, but tearing the garments would be wasteful!

"Mother, take care not to hurt your hand. You’ve been beating me for quite some time, you must be tired, aren’t you? If you’re tired, take a break, regain your strength, and then come back to it. Your son will always be at home from now on. Whenever you feel like beating me, just beat me. As soon as you call, I will run to you at once, with a broom, fire poker, feather duster—whatever you wish to use, just use it. Just please don’t tire yourself out, that would be the height of my unfilial behavior."

Wang Yonggui’s slick words brought laughter from the surrounding neighbors.

Old Granny Zhang had almost run out of steam, her hand sore from the beating, so she paused to catch her breath.

Somehow, whenever she saw Laosan, she had an urge to beat him. Other people’s children might be lacking water or earth in their birth signs, but she felt that what her Laosan lacked was a good thrashing.

Just the sight of his face infuriated her. Ever since he was little, Laosan seemed to grow legs all over his body; he could never stay put at home for even a day, and the moment she wasn’t paying attention, he’d slip away and start fooling around.

Once out, he would never think of home until he was hungry or needed sleep.

As he grew up, she thought that getting him a wife might settle him down, but no, it was the same old story.

With three kids of his own, he’d still disappear every chance he got, as soon as he had some money.

It was as if his soul was tied to the outside world.

If he was out fooling around and made a name for himself, she would have had nothing to say.

But Laosan, that good-for-nothing, always returned home with a bunch of bad debts. Once, he even brought back a bookkeeper from a gambling den to collect debts...

As Old Granny Zhang thought about this, the anger that had almost subsided flared up again, "Speak, where did you get the money for new clothes? With your guilty look, did you steal it from someone else? Or did you do something utterly reprehensible? Tell your mother the truth. If you really did these unspeakable acts, nobody else needs to bother; I will be the first one to drag you before the authorities to save you from bringing disaster upon your family..."

Given Laosan’s character, he obviously wasn’t cut out for making money. It would have been more fitting for him to return home like a ragged beggar. His sudden neat and tidy appearance made Old Granny Zhang’s first reaction one of suspicion that he had caused some serious trouble.

Nowadays, the Wang Family’s life was a bit easier because of their daughter. If this worthless Laosan really did cause trouble that affected others, it wouldn’t matter that much, but if his actions implicated his own sister, it would be better for his mother to turn him in herself. If he ended up jailed, perhaps he’d cause fewer problems for the family.

The more she talked, the angrier she got, and the more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Old Granny Zhang felt she could beat this debt-collecting son of hers so hard that he’d no longer even recognize his own mother.

The broom in her hand flew once again towards Wang Yonggui.

Unable to dodge in time, Wang Yonggui moved to hide behind Old Granny Zhang and came face to face with a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl walking out of the courtyard.

The young girl had a plump and rosy-cheeked appearance, exuding a sense of well-being and likability, the kind that aunties and elder ladies adored; she was comforting and pleasing to the eye.

Dressed in a blue garment with white flowers, her skin looked all the more rosy, her hair was jet-black, and her eyes sparkled. Her hair was tied into a neat and tidy braid at the back of her head.

At first glance, Wang Yonggui was taken aback. Whose daughter was this, showing up in his home?

He had mingled in many places outside and seen quite a bit, not to mention the county town— it was rare to find such a fresh and charming maid.

Upon closer look, she seemed somewhat familiar, which made him mutter, "Jinhua?"

But as soon as he said it, he knew something was off. Even though he was rarely home, he knew that Jinhua couldn’t be this old.

"Your mother let you gallivant about so much that you don’t even recognize your own sister now! I’ll beat you to death, you wretch!" Old Granny Zhang exploded upon hearing Laosan mistake his daughter for Jinhua.