The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 355 - 356 The Background of Lady Sun

Chapter 355: Chapter 356 The Background of Lady Sun

The autumn harvest is the most critical time of the year; if the family isn’t well-fed, they won’t have the strength to work, and that could delay important matters.

Old Granny Zhang was quite clear-headed at critical moments.

Wang Laozhu chose to ignore any underlying implications in Old Granny Zhang’s words.

In his heart, he was actually a bit moved. The Old Maid was beyond reproach in her treatment of everyone in the family, from him to the nieces and nephews.

She was fair and impartial.

She led everyone in the business from the very beginning, handling everything inside and out, worrying about all aspects, until gradually everyone got the hang of things, and only then did she let go.

Still, she remained the backbone of the business dealing with the mountain goods, making decisions on matters big and small.

Eldest Brother had nearly become a wasted man, stricken by a stroke, and she supported the entire family without ever giving up.

Aside from being a bit headstrong and not listening to his advice, there wasn’t truly anything to fault her for.

If she had been a son, she would have been the pillar of the Old Wang Family!

It’s just a pity she’s an Old Maid.

Daughters are outward-looking, and even if one says to bring a son-in-law into the family, once married, she would likely focus on her own small family. And after having children, it would probably be even less likely that she would devote herself wholeheartedly to the Old Wang Family.

While Wang Laozhu was lost in thought, Wang Yongzhu was already discussing with Old Granny Zhang what to buy in town tomorrow.

※※※

Early the next morning, Wang Yongzhu, carrying a basket on her back, left the house with her breakfast.

At the junction, Song Chongjin stood quietly, and when he saw Wang Yongzhu, his eyes lit up, and he stepped forward to take over the basket she was carrying.

Wang Yongzhu asked in a low voice, "The thing you mentioned the night before last that you’d found out, did you find out about Lady Sun’s origins?"

Song Chongjin nodded, "The villagers talk too much; let’s talk on the road."

Wang Yongzhu looked around and saw that indeed, not far away, there were people pointing and whispering about them.

Ever since the incident over the water, everyone could see that Song Chongjin had feelings for Wang Yongzhu. Many people mocked him behind his back, saying that Wang Yongzhu had begged to marry him, crying and shouting, but he had refused and even broke off the engagement.

Now that he had broken off the engagement and realized her worth, he was shamelessly trying to rekindle the relationship—how shameless.

There were also many who asked Old Granny Zhang whether there would be a wedding feast for both families, which she flatly denied.

Everyone guessed that with the Wang Family’s good conditions and Wang Yongzhu slimming down and becoming more beautiful, who would want to get tied with the Song Family again?

So, most of them thought it was Song Chongjin who couldn’t let go and kept pestering Wang Yongzhu.

These rumors flew, but Song Chongjin regarded them as if they were the wind beside his ear, too lazy to explain.

As for Wang Yongzhu, even the most gossipy grannies now dared not wag their tongues in front of her, so she acted as if she had heard nothing.

The two of them walked past the watchful eyes of the villagers, until they had gone far away and reached the deserted mountain path.

Song Chongjin carefully relayed the information she discovered.

This Sun Ahfu, according to the records on her identity papers, was not originally from the town of Jing County. Instead, she came from Sunjia Dem below Jing County. Just upstream of Sunjia Dem was Jing River, the main watercourse of Jing County. Around the time when Lady Sun was seven or eight years old, the Jing River burst its banks, nearly submerging Sunjia Dem.

All the crops in the fields were destroyed by the flood, leaving nothing to harvest. To survive, Lady Sun’s parents fled with her to the town. At first, they survived by begging, but later on, both parents fell ill, and she sold herself to a wealthy family to become a maid.

But even with the silver earned from selling their daughter, her parents couldn’t save their lives and passed away not long afterwards.

From then on, Lady Sun was alone and could only honestly serve as a maid. The life of a maid was bearable; despite being scolded and beaten by her masters, she was well-fed and clothed. For a girl who had lost her parents, this was already considered quite fortunate.

Who knows if it was bad luck or something else, but she changed several masters within a few years. As she grew older and became somewhat attractive, at the age of fifteen, she seduced the male head of the household she was serving, became pregnant with his child, and naively hoped to become a concubine, provoking his wife in the process.

The wife of that household was quite formidable. She directly forced an abortion potion on Lady Sun, and after losing the child, she sold Lady Sun for a mere hundred large coins to a notorious drunkard and gambler in Jing County to be his wife. The old lecher, being middle-aged and suddenly having a beautiful young wife, was initially overjoyed and treasured Sun Ahfu.

However, Lady Sun had spent those years carrying on with the male master, so she had lived a more elegant life than a legitimate wife in a wealthy family. Now, with the destitute condition of the old lecher’s house, where there was a lack of everything, it did not meet her expectations.

She constantly sought death, and on several occasions, she even snuck out to find that former master of hers.

The old lecher was never a good person. At first, he was fascinated by her beauty for a few days, but after Lady Sun looked down upon him and even attempted to make him a cuckold, who would tolerate that?

Moreover, being out of money and egged on by his dubious friends, he eventually forced Lady Sun to start running a hidden brothel. At first, Lady Sun wouldn’t comply and fiercely resisted.

She was confined at home by the old lecher, beaten, scolded, and starved. The former master was no longer within hope’s reach, and after being forced to drink by the old lecher, she became groggy and was taken advantage of by men brought by the lecher.

After that incident, Lady Sun gave up resisting and began to actively work in the business.

She dressed flamboyantly every day, accommodating clients brought in by the old lecher, drinking with them, and sleeping with them.

Lady Sun was young and beautiful, and after she threw caution to the wind, she also became more accommodating. Despite the lecher’s poverty, he did know people from all walks of life, and he managed to bring in a lot of customers.

In a few years, they even bought a small courtyard.

The old lecher was extremely fond of drinking, and with money now available, he spent his days inebriated, caring only about having alcohol. Later on, as Lady Sun’s reputation grew, people sought her out without needing the old lecher’s help.

As long as Lady Sun provided him with money for his daily drinking, the old lecher cared about nothing else, completely indifferent even when openly insulted.

In a few years, the old lecher drank himself to death, leaving Lady Sun alone with the courtyard. The business she had built did not falter, but she became somewhat more discreet.

Wang Yongzhu pondered for a moment upon hearing this and expressed her skepticism, "Did the old lecher truly die from drinking?"

Upon hearing Wang Yongzhu’s question, Song Chongjin’s eyes gleamed terrifyingly, and she smirked slightly, "Whether he did or not, perhaps only Lady Sun herself knows. However, it’s clear that Lady Sun is not a simple woman, so you must be careful and on your guard."

"Half a month ago, your Third Brother ended up in Jing County, stole some steamed buns from Liu Ji Baozi Shop, claimed his identity as the younger brother of Wang Yongan, and then Lady Sun stepped forward to pay for the buns and took your Third Brother home."

So that’s how it was.

While Wang Yongzhu felt sorry for Lady Sun’s tragic background, when it came to Lady Sun going against her family, she couldn’t muster any sympathy.

Lady Sun was just a woman, a widow. After the old lecher died, she managed to keep a house in the town and lived quite comfortably, which proved she wasn’t a simple woman.

"Does Lady Sun have no remaining family from her parents’ side? What about the old lecher’s side? Does he have any remaining relatives?"