The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 338: Tied Up for a Day and a Night

Chapter 338: Chapter 338: Tied Up for a Day and a Night

Old Granny Zhang spat in Wang Yonggui’s face, "If you want to buy a concubine, why should I cough up the money for you? If I had that silver, I could buy two pigs to raise and sell for meat at the New Year. That’s better than bringing home some useless concubine and wasting the family’s food."

"Moreover, even if we give her the ’servitude money’, didn’t she just say that she was giving it all to you? We haven’t even divided the family assets yet. If you get this money, do you really think you can keep it as your secret stash? Wouldn’t you still have to hand it over to me?"

Wang Yonggui was led somewhat astray by Old Granny Zhang’s reasoning and thought, indeed, Ahfu said she would give the ’servitude money’ to him, and since he hadn’t separated from his family yet, any income would definitely need to be handed over to his parents, which meant the ’servitude money’ would have to be given to them.

This logic was flawless.

But why did it feel like something was off?

When Sun Ahfu, who was standing nearby, heard this, she nearly fainted from anger. Was this her eagerly offering herself to the Wang Family, and yet the ’servitude money’ also going to the Wang Family?

Was it the same as selling herself for nothing?

Sun Ahfu couldn’t accept it; feeling a surge of blood rush to her head, she swayed and passed out.

Wang Yonggui, scared, held onto Sun Ahfu, shouting for her repeatedly.

Old Granny Zhang’s eyes slanted fiercely, "Lady Lin, go and strip that vixen of her clothes and put on her some of your unwanted clothes. If she wants to be a concubine in our Wang Family, she shouldn’t dress so seductively. Who is she trying to impress? Also, take out the hairpin from her hair. Even the family’s own lady doesn’t wear gold or silver, and a bought concubine dares to? Is she trying to climb up on someone’s head to make a nest?"

Lady Lin, hearing this, was only too pleased.

With an affirmative response, she stepped forward to grab Sun Ahfu. Wang Yonggui tried to stop her but was suddenly hoisted up by Wang Yongzhu.

"Ow, Little Sister, what are you doing? Put me down quickly!"

Wang Yongzhu ordered Jinguan, "Go fetch a hemp rope."

Jinguan hurried inside to look for a rope while Lady Lin had already dragged Sun Ahfu to the side, quickly stripped her of her outer clothes, and pulled down the hairpin from her hair, wrapping them into a bundle and handing them to Old Granny Zhang.

Wang Yonggui watched, heart torn as if by knives, and in his panic, he started to curse and swear.

As soon as Old Granny Zhang heard this, she came up and slapped him, causing Wang Yonggui’s mouth to split at the corner.

"Laosan, if your mouth keeps spouting filth, take your sister and see if I don’t beat you to death today!"

If Wang Yonggui were to say whom he feared most in the Wang Family, it would be Old Granny Zhang. Seeing his mother truly enraged, he immediately shut his mouth.

Wang Yongzhu’s expression darkened as she dragged Wang Yonggui directly under the jujube tree in the courtyard. This tree was decades old and about as thick as a pot.

No matter how Wang Yonggui struggled, Wang Yongzhu’s hands held him firmly, wrapping his arms behind him around the jujube tree. She then took the rope that Jinguan passed over and deftly tied Wang Yonggui’s hands behind his back.

Wang Yonggui was extremely frightened, "Little Sister, what are you doing? Why are you tying me up? Dad—Dad—"

Knowing it was useless to plead with his mother, Old Granny Zhang, he had no choice but to call for Old Wang Laozhu.

Old Wang Laozhu coughed, "My daughter, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Wang Yongzhu huffed coldly, "As a son, he does not honor his parents above or care for his children below. For the sake of a woman outside, he’s willing to go to his death, loudly insisting on going with her, utterly unfilial. Since he is unfilial, as the head of the house, I sentence him to stand embracing this tree for one day and one night as punishment, considering it a favor for our sibling relationship. If Dad thinks my punishment is too light, maybe we should resort to the family law?"

When the matter of invoking the family law was mentioned, Lady Lin shuddered first.

Old Wang Laozhu was silent then, and Wang Yonggui stopped shouting as well.

He only pleaded in a low voice, "Little sister, dear sister, it’s all Third Brother’s foolishness, Third Brother misspoke just now. You can beat me to vent your anger, but don’t tie me up here in front of the children, what would it look like?"

Wang Yongzhu gave a smile, "Third Brother, are you sure you want me to beat you to vent my anger?"

Before Wang Yonggui could nod, Wang Laozhu hurriedly spoke up to stop her, "Just tie him up! Bind him for a day and a night, let him reflect on his unfilial behavior. This disgraceful thing he has done, and he still wants to maintain face in front of the children? Don’t bother with him!"

Wiping a cold sweat from his brow, Laosan, though tactless, was his flesh and blood after all. What a fool, to actually let his daughter beat him up, would he still be alive afterward?

Wang Yonggui felt wronged. Was this his real father? Only a year had passed without his return, and the household had turned upside down, now everyone sided with his sister?

Of course, Wang Yongzhu knew exactly what Wang Laozhu was thinking. Anyway, she didn’t want Wang Yonggui’s life, just to teach him a lesson.

Those slick ones who mixed outside, beating them wouldn’t work as pain in the body was useless. Once the body was fine, the wound would heal and the pain forgotten. He needed to learn a lasting lesson.

She ordered, "For this one day and one night, don’t give him any food, only water to drink! If anyone dares to sneak him food, they will stand with him for a day and a night. Do you hear me?"

Several of the youngsters, including Lady Lin and Wang Yongfu, shivered throughout their bodies, "We heard, don’t worry!"

Jinhua, who hated Wang Yonggui to the extreme, even added a sentence, "Old cousin, rest assured, I’ll be watching in the courtyard. If anyone gives him anything to eat, I’ll tell you!"

"I’ll be watching too!" Jinguan wasn’t afraid of a high stage when watching a drama.

He was wilting from a blow to his head from Wang Yongfu.

Lady Jiang wanted to say something but hesitated, and Wang Yongzhu pretended not to see.

Assisting Old Granny Zhang back into the house, they reached the doorway when Old Granny Zhang suddenly remembered, "From Eldest Brother’s and Laosan’s houses, clear out that little room next to the pigsty, bring in a couple of bundles of straw, and throw our family’s purchased concubine in there, don’t let her stay in the courtyard and bother me!"

Lady Lin agreed with a response, seeing Lady Jiang still conflicted, she kicked her lightly.

Only then did Lady Jiang snap back to reality and quietly agreed.

Lady Lin, who was unwilling to clean out a room for the concubine of a third branch widow, also knew her mother-in-law disapproved, so she made a perfunctory effort by moving things around to make space for a person to sleep, joined by Lady Jiang with a bundle of straw for bedding, and they threw Sun Ahfu into the small room, shutting the door.

Seeing this, the others didn’t dare to speak up and retreated back to their own rooms silently.

Having come out, Lady Jiang and Wang Yonggui exchanged glances. Wang Yonggui mouthed to her, "Xiao Lian, come here—"

Jinhua made a gesture to Jinpan, "Jinpan, I think mother seems unwell, you quickly take mother and Jinshao back to the room to lie down, I’ll watch over things here—"

Jinpan pulled, Jinhua pushed, and together they pushed Lady Jiang into Laosan’s house.

In the entire courtyard, only Jinhua and Wang Yonggui were left, staring at each other.

After a long while, Wang Yonggui spat out a mouthful of saliva, "Jinhua, go see if your Aunt Sun has woken up yet?"

Jinhua shot Wang Yonggui a disdainful look and pretended not to hear.

Inside the house, Old Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu witnessed this scene and exchanged glances. Old Granny Zhang snorted coldly, "A good-for-nothing who can’t be propped up, even Jinhua is better than him."

Wang Yongzhu browsed through the identification papers and the indenture contract in her hand, and the Xiao Tiantian System notification sounded in her ears, "Congratulations to the host for completing the side quest: Discovering a Commercial Spy. You have successfully controlled a commercial spy in your grasp, awarded 30 Points."