The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 335: To the Utmost Benevolence and Righteousness

Chapter 335: Chapter 335: To the Utmost Benevolence and Righteousness

The more she promised, the more Wang Yonggui knew, the greater Widow Sun must have been scheming. He racked his brain but couldn’t think of anything valuable on himself.

His second brother had ruined his reputation in the county town and nobody knew where he had gone. Could it be that his brother’s enemy, unable to find him, was coming to the Wang Family for revenge? That was Wang Yonggui’s guess.

In those days, apart from sweet-talking Widow Sun at home, he took the opportunity to go out gambling and drinking every day to inconspicuously gather information.

Before long, he heard about the current situation of the Wang Family, and most importantly, about the Auspicious Fabric Store. Widow Sun had mentioned it several times, both directly and indirectly, and had praised the quality of the fabric.

He became curious and discreetly inquired about it, and what do you know, the fabric sold there was said to be dyed by his own little sister? Rumor had it that even the ladies in the palace had given their approval—wow, his little sister had really struck it big.

Wang Yonggui was not a fool. It became clear as a mirror to him that Widow Sun was probably after his sister’s dye recipe.

Having been out and about for many years, he was well aware of these tactics and knew that there must be someone behind Widow Sun. Exposing her might lead to the Wang Family facing even more threats.

Instead, he thought it better to just agree to Widow Sun’s proposal, keep an eye on this woman himself, and when he brought her back to the countryside, he would sign the paperwork to make her his concubine. Where could a woman, with no help from heaven or earth, possibly run to?

Not to mention, he would be gaining a fortune for nothing.

And to sleep with such a striking widow for free—he considered it all to be to his advantage.

Having made up his mind, Wang Yonggui verbally appeased Widow Sun. They liquidated the small courtyard in the county town, packed up the widow’s accumulated valuables, bought various gifts for the family, hired a horse carriage, and casually made their way back.

Wang Yonggui thought that this was another form of making a fortune. Even if taking a concubine was not approved by his family, he was willing to risk getting beaten to get her into the house first, then explain to his family later.

Unexpectedly, his family opposed so strongly that he feared he would indeed be thrown out of the house if he persisted, forcing him to reveal the truth.

Wang Laozhu heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this—not because his son was truly rebellious and unfilial, but because it was easier to deal with.

Old Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu exchanged a glance.

Wang Yongzhu shook her head, gesturing for Old Granny Zhang to keep quiet, and spoke herself, "I appreciate your intentions, Third Brother! But don’t worry, she won’t be able to steal the recipe. I shouldn’t let a stranger into our home and hurt Sister-in-law’s feelings over this—that would be my mistake."

The recipe had long been secured in her storage trunk, unreachable by anyone else. As for the person behind this scheme, not daring to act openly, there must have been reasons for their caution, creating a headache with one acting in the open and the other in the shadows.

Reason told her that keeping Widow Sun around and tracing the conspiracy back to its mastermind would be the way to save heartache.

But she simply couldn’t do that!

She couldn’t allow Lady Jiang to be hurt over this.

How innocent was Lady Jiang? Moreover, this was probably one of Wang Yonggui’s excuses. Compared to Widow Sun, Lady Jiang was like a burned pancake, the weathered housewife at home, nowhere near as charming as Widow Sun.

Wang Yonggui surely didn’t want to give up this piece of good fortune that had fallen into his lap, managing to kill two birds with one stone, by earning his family’s favor and getting a young concubine for nothing.

Old Granny Zhang, naturally aware of the character of her sons, could see through Laosan’s calculations. Was he expecting his daughter and the family to owe him favors?

Pah! Therefore, when Wang Yongzhu refused, she remained silent.

Wang Laozhu was somewhat hesitant; he wasn’t coveting Widow Sun’s wealth, but he thought, if they sent Widow Sun away and angered the person behind her, what would they do if that person attacked the Wang Family? Better to keep her, what harm could a woman do?

As soon as Wang Yonggui heard that Wang Yongzhu was refusing, he widened his eyes, "Sister, are you—?" He swallowed the word fool.

He struggled for a while before speaking again, "If we drive Ahfu away, who knows what other tricks there might be afterward? Who can guard against a thief every single day? Besides, by keeping Ahfu here, we get a hefty sum of silver for nothing, plus someone to take care of our parents. With Ahfu around, we can free up our hands to look for the person behind her, right?"

He looked at Old Granny Zhang, "Dad, Mom, little sister doesn’t understand the intricacies of these matters; we can’t let her have her way. Who knows if driving Ahfu away will provoke the person behind her, and what if they launch a sneak attack on our family later?"

These words touched Wang Laozhu’s heart.

"Laosan has a good point, but she’s just a widow; we just need to keep a close eye on her—"

Wang Yongzhu firmly refused, "I disagree! This is not the way to do things! To speak frankly, everyone benefits; Third Brother gets a concubine for free, along with her wealth, and I don’t have to worry about sneaky tactics from behind or the family recipes being leaked. But have you thought about Third Sister-in-law and the children’s feelings? If Widow Sun stays, won’t they be the ones who suffer the most? I’d rather lose those recipes than do such a thing!"

What about Lady Jiang and the children in this situation?

If Widow Sun really stayed, it would be easy to invite a deity over but difficult to send it away.

Lady Jiang’s tears burst forth, and she looked at Wang Yongzhu gratefully.

As soon as Wang Yonggui finished speaking, her heart went cold; she knew that Widow Sun was likely here to stay.

Initially, opposition could be claimed as fearing Third Brother was bewitched by an outsider Vixen Spirit, but now, with Wang Yonggui using the pretense of looking out for the family’s best interests, this concubine would stay, whether they liked it or not.

Unexpectedly, it was her sister-in-law, who stood up for her, considering her and the children’s well-being.

It was said that nobody cared about Lady Jiang’s pain, but speaking of the children also choked up Wang Laozhu.

Wang Yonggui’s eyes darted around, knowing the key to this matter now lay in Lady Jiang’s stance.

If Lady Jiang agreed, even opposition from his parents would be futile.

He sidled over to Lady Jiang with a teasing smile, "Xiao Lian, you’ve heard everything. I always keep you and the children in my heart. Ahfu is just an outsider, a bad woman sent by others to steal our family recipes. How could I really like her? I am just deceiving her, my true wife will always be you."

Lady Jiang remained silent, looking down.

Wang Yongzhu could hardly bear to watch. Alas, at this moment, it was not her place to say more, so she would seek comfort from Old Granny Zhang instead.

Old Granny Zhang patted Wang Yongzhu’s hand, watching coldly as Wang Yonggui sweet-talked Lady Jiang.

Today, she had backed Lady Jiang up and made her stance clear. Even her daughter had stated her position, preferring the recipes be stolen than letting Lady Jiang be humiliated.

As a mother-in-law and a sister-in-law, they had done all that duty required.

If Lady Jiang still lacked clarity and was fooled by Laosan’s sweet talk into agreement, then she would have only herself to blame for her despicable weakness, beyond anyone’s help.

Wang Yongzhu shared this sentiment; now it all depended on Lady Jiang’s choice.