The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 368 - 369 Confidence

Chapter 368: Chapter 369 Confidence

After everyone had finally fallen asleep, Wang Yongzhu lay on the kang bed, and Xiao Tiantian couldn’t wait any longer, jumping out without waiting to be summoned.

"Host, host! Quick, quick, upgrade!"

"Hold on, let me think for a moment!"

"What’s there to think about? Once the system is upgraded to level four, there will be even more functions and rewards. It will be even more helpful to the host!" Xiao Tiantian couldn’t understand. With enough points, why not upgrade?

"Upgrading to level three requires 100 points. How many points are needed to go from level three to four?" Wang Yongzhu felt that the last sudden upgrade made by Xiao Tiantian, disappearing for half a month, was really unreliable. It was better to ask clearly first.

"From level three to four, it requires eight hundred points."

That means upgrading within one category needs two hundred points.

"How about from level four to five?"

"2000 points."

Wang Yongzhu silently swallowed the question she initially wanted to ask about how many points would be needed for level six. She thought it was better not to know.

"How long will it take you to jump two levels this time?"

"If there are no accidents, twenty days."

"That won’t do, no upgrading for now." Wang Yongzhu flatly refused.

...

The Xiao Tiantian System was nearly driven to a system crash out of frustration.

Wang Yongzhu indeed had the points and was confident about it, thinking about cooking for the family tomorrow. She leisurely found a primary level home cooking cookbook in the system mall, which only needed two points.

She bought it without hesitation.

Seeing that Wang Yongzhu really seemed determined not to provide it with points for upgrades, Xiao Tiantian also started to panic and spoke up cautiously, "Host, if you really can’t bear to be without the system’s company, I can complete the upgrade ahead of schedule. You just need to give up an additional hundred points. Within ten days, I assure you, host, that you will be able to see the system."

With a cold snort, Wang Yongzhu thought to herself, was she a fool? Were points so easy to earn? She didn’t need Xiao Tiantian very often; there was no such attachment. To spend a hundred points just to shorten it by ten days? Even with plenty of points, she wouldn’t waste them like that!

"What’s the rush? When it’s time for you to upgrade, I will upgrade you. It’s just that I need your help with something right now. Don’t worry; it won’t be too long. When it’s time to upgrade, you can take as long as you want; I won’t mind if you don’t come back at all." Wang Yongzhu’s reassurance lacked conviction.

What could Xiao Tiantian do? It was desperate too!

With a sense of grievance, it agreed. It had no choice; without the host’s consent, the system couldn’t forcibly upgrade itself!

Having gotten Xiao Tiantian’s agreement, Wang Yongzhu was at ease.

She drifted off to sleep filled with satisfaction at having a substantial amount of points.

※※※

Early in the morning, before the sky had even lightened, the whole of Qilidun started buzzing with life.

Every household had their lights on; diligent women were busy in the kitchens, while men prepared the farming tools they would use in the fields shortly.

Any children who were reluctant to leave their beds were lifted by their parents from the kang, given a couple of smacks on their buttocks, and they started crying and got up.

The elders busied themselves with preparing offerings to be used shortly, and the entire village sprang into activity.

The Wang Family was no exception. Everyone woke up early, Lady Jiang already bustling in the kitchen. Wang Laozhu and Wang Yongfu, together with their two grandsons, were taking off the canopy of the horse cart to use it later for hauling grain.

Wang Yongping was watching the children, making sure they didn’t cause any trouble.

Old Granny Zhang had prepared the items needed for the sacrifice, and when she entered the courtyard, she saw that everyone had arrived except for Laosan and Lady Sun.

Fury suddenly flared within her. Hadn’t she exhorted them repeatedly yesterday to get up early today? The children even knew to wake up and help, yet Laosan and that wretched woman were still lying in bed?

She kicked open the door to Lady Sun’s little room, where Lady Sun was still lost in dreams. Her face had been scratched the day before, and after a painful half-night, she had used a handkerchief to continuously apply water to the wound before finally falling asleep late into the night.

The sound of the door being kicked open startled her. She sat up in a panic, still groggy: "What’s the matter? Has something happened?"

Without a word, Old Granny Zhang grabbed Lady Sun’s hair and delivered two resounding slaps: "Shameless hussy, you think you were sold to the Wang Family to enjoy yourself? Didn’t this old lady make herself clear yesterday, or are you deaf? The head of the household is already up, and you, a mere concubine, are still lying in bed? Do I need to come wake you? Did you run off with some man last night, or were you out stealing?"

"Old Granny, I’m getting up...right now, right now..." Lady Sun said, covering her face, her expression indiscernible, but she was quick to admit her fault.

This made it difficult for Old Granny Zhang to continue berating her. She snorted: "Stop playing the witch, or you’ll get a taste of a big slap!"

She flung her arm and left the room, heading straight for the third chamber.

In the third chamber, Wang Yonggui was still sprawled on the kang bed, snoring like thunder.

Old Granny Zhang felt even more aggrieved than when she saw Lady Sun. She fumbled around the room until she found a nearly bald chicken feather duster.

Picking it up, she began to lash at Wang Yonggui, but mindful that today was the important day of the autumn harvest, she restrained her strength somewhat to avoid injuring him seriously, lest he use it as an excuse not to work in the fields.

At the touch of the chicken feather duster, Wang Yonggui yelped and leaped from the kang without even opening his eyes, shouting, "Who’s the wretched sneak attacking your grandpa Wang—"

This only stirred up a hornet’s nest, and Old Granny Zhang no longer held back her strength: "I’ll whip you to death, you little brat. Who’s your grandpa? Huh? I happen to be your grandma!"

Realizing who it was, Wang Yonggui was shocked: Oh dear, my dear mother!

He scurried away, darting out of the room like a rat.

Wang Yongzhu had gone early to the kitchen to help Lady Jiang, while also learning how to use the firewood clay stove.

Seeing that Wang Yongzhu was earnest about learning, Lady Jiang taught her seriously and still worried: "Little sister, why don’t I come back to cook at noon? It won’t delay things."

Lady Lin, who habitually disagreed with Lady Jiang, chimed in: "Right, little sister, working in the kitchen in this weather is suffering. You should simply rest well. If it’s really not possible, I can come back with the third sister-in-law at noon to cook. With two people, it will be faster."

Lady Lin wasn’t sympathizing with her young sister-in-law; she was worried.

During the autumn harvest, the hardest time for workers, the only thing to look forward to was three square meals a day, full and hearty, with meat and fish.

Nothing else matter, but cooking, that’s where Laosan’s House had real skill. Every year at harvest, she did the cooking, and everyone was used to it.

But this young sister-in-law, ordinarily, she wouldn’t lift a finger if an oil bottle toppled over. And she wanted to cook?

Lady Lin thought about her sister-in-law’s formidable strength and worried that a careless move might break the pot. What would the family eat then?

She’d rather tire herself out and join Laosan’s House than to plead with her young sister-in-law to spare the kitchen.

Wang Yongzhu knew they just didn’t trust her, so she didn’t bother to say much more. Once everyone had left, with just her and Fourth Brother in the room, wasn’t she free to cook as she pleased?

Just then, she heard people in the courtyard calling for Uncle Chongjin; it seemed that Song Chongjin had arrived.

Brushing the dust off her clothes, she got up and left the kitchen.

Behind her, Lady Lin and Lady Jiang breathed a sigh of relief.