The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 372 - 373: Delivering Food

Chapter 372: Chapter 373: Delivering Food

Over here, the conversation of the three Wang men carried faintly on the wind to Song Chongjin’s ears.

Accustomed to hunting, he found harvesting rice a completely new experience, like a bride getting on her bridal sedan for the first time.

Initially, he felt a bit awkward, but after watching how others did it for a while, he soon picked up the knack.

His speed consequently increased.

He just happened to overhear the few words, a shadow passing over his eyes; Wang Laozhu’s words indeed reminded him of something important.

Behind them, Old Granny Zhang and Lady Jiang were tying up the bundles of rice. Seeing that it was about time and noticing Lady Lin had finished harvesting one ridgeline completely and was now helping Jindou and Jinhoo, the two brothers harvest their own.

"Okay, it’s getting late. Those from Eldest Brother’s and Laosan’s households, hurry back to start cooking!" Old Granny Zhang instructed.

"Braise that pheasant for lunch, and we’ll have rabbit for dinner."

Lady Lin and Lady Jiang readily agreed, did a quick tidy up, wiped the sweat from their brows, and then climbed up the ridge toward home.

Halfway home, Lady Lin, glancing at the figure ahead, couldn’t help herself and nudged Lady Jiang with her elbow: "Sister-in-law, isn’t that our little sister ahead?"

Lady Jiang looked up and there, under the distant pagoda tree, stood none other than their youngest sister-in-law.

"It looks like her. Why has Zhuzhu come here?" they approached to greet her.

Upon closer inspection, they saw Wang Yongzhu carrying a wooden bucket in one hand, a bamboo basket in the other, and another basket strapped to her back.

Inside the wooden bucket was a bucketful of bright green mung bean soup that seemed to dispel the heat at first glance.

Lady Lin hastily took the wooden bucket: "Sister, what’s this for?"

With a straw hat on her head and dressed in a blue cloth shirt, with her hair tightly tied back, Wang Yongzhu looked refreshingly cool.

Seeing Lady Lin and Lady Jiang, she smiled: "You’re just in time. I’ve prepared lunch and was just about to bring it over to you."

"What?" Both Lady Jiang and Lady Lin exchanged a look, uncertainty in their eyes.

Lady Lin was bolder and, seeing the bamboo basket covered with a clean white cloth, she couldn’t resist but lift a corner slightly: "That’s perfect. Let sister-in-law see what delicious food you’ve made."

As soon as a corner of the cloth was lifted, a fragrant aroma wafted out, redolent with the richness of chicken soup and the freshness of green beans and eggplants, making Lady Lin involuntarily swallow.

With that scent, the food must be close to ready, Lady Lin thought. The young sister-in-law had really become savvy, able to earn money, embroider, and now even cook.

Lady Jiang also took the other bamboo basket, and the three of them headed back to the fields.

Old Granny Zhang, seeing the two daughters-in-law return so soon after leaving, frowned deeply: "Didn’t I tell you to go back and cook? What are you doing back here? There are so many at home waiting to eat. Can’t you even manage this one thing?"

The moment Lady Lin saw Old Granny Zhang, she felt like a mouse who had just seen a cat: "Mother, wasn’t I just heading back with my sister-in-law when we ran into our little sister? She had already prepared the meal and even boiled a bucket of mung bean soup for us..." as she spoke, she pushed the wooden bucket she was carrying towards Old Granny Zhang.

Old Granny Zhang was at first surprised; her daughter cooking?

Then as she looked down at the bucket of mung bean soup, the limpid green allure was instantly appetizing.

Her face broke into a smile: "Well done, my daughter. What a clever idea, knowing how hot it is and boiling mung bean soup for us to drink. This mung bean soup looks like it’s been cooked beautifully!"

Wearing an expressionless face, Lady Lin really wanted to retort: You haven’t even tasted it, how would you know how well it’s been cooked?

Meanwhile, Lady Jiang and Wang Yongzhu, each carrying a bamboo basket on their backs, had already come over.

Old Granny Zhang wiped the mud from her hands, patted the dust off herself, rinsed her face with the water from the ditch, and climbed on the ridge, her eyes brimming with affection as she looked at Wang Yongzhu: "Didn’t I tell you not to cook? On such a hot day, and to cook for so many people, how can your frail body handle it? Haven’t you become overheated? Aren’t you exhausted?"

Turning her head, she scolded, "Blind thing, didn’t you see your sister is still carrying something on her back? Don’t you know to take it from her?"

Wang Yongzhu pulled a handkerchief out of her bosom to wipe Old Granny Zhang’s sweat while smilingly saying, "I find cooking quite interesting. Mother, wait until you taste my cooking."

"Of course! My daughter’s cooking is bound to be delicious!" Old Granny Zhang set the tone early on.

"Mother, let everyone come up for a meal and take a break!" Wang Yongzhu looked up at the sun overhead; it was midday, and the workers were still sweating profusely in the fields.

Only then did Old Granny Zhang turn back and shout to the people in the fields, "Everyone, come up for a meal!" Saying this, she headed towards a tree beside the field ridge with Wang Yongzhu.

"Come over here; the midday sun is too harsh. Don’t get sunburned."

Lady Jiang and Lady Lin also hurriedly carried the food to the shade of the tree.

Hearing that it was time to eat, the children rushed over first, surrounding Wang Yongzhu, "Auntie, Auntie, what delicious food do we have today?"

Ousted by Old Granny Zhang, who disdained them, "Each one of you looks like a mud monkey; go wash yourselves now."

Wang Laozhu was assisted by Wang Yonggui, with Wang Yongfu and Song Chongjin following slowly behind up the field ridge. Lady Sun was last, carefully following behind after seeing that everyone was getting ready to eat.

Everyone had washed their hands and faces; now they couldn’t be too particular and simply sat down on the ground.

From afar, Song Chongjin had already heard Lady Lin say that today’s lunch was prepared by Wang Yongzhu, and he couldn’t help but glance furtively at the bamboo basket.

Seeing that everyone had gathered, Old Granny Zhang uncovered the white cloth from the bamboo basket, and instantly, a rich fragrance spread out.

Everyone around couldn’t help but swallow their saliva; it was too fragrant.

Inside the bamboo basket was a large basin filled with noodles and bright green beans, stewed until soft eggplants, and dried mushrooms that had absorbed the essence of the chicken broth.

The snow-white noodles, saturated with chicken broth and vegetable juice and glistening with an oily sheen, looked incredibly appetizing.

"Wow, it smells so good!"

The several children exclaimed in unison.

Old Granny Zhang handed out bowls and chopsticks, which Wang Yongzhu had brought, to everyone, instructing them to help themselves.

Because Song Chongjin had helped out, he was given a large bowl especially for him, filled with a generous portion of noodles topped with several pieces of chicken meat.

"Chongjin, try this; it’s made by our Zhuzhu," she said.

Song Chongjin took the bowl and chopsticks, lifted a strand of noodle into his mouth. The noodle was springy and smooth, wrapped in chicken broth, incredibly savory, complemented by the fresh aroma of beans and the soft, mushy texture of the eggplants, catching everyone’s attention.

After one bite, he couldn’t stop eating.

The others nearby all had taken a bowl for themselves and started slurping it up eagerly.

In the neighboring field, others were also being served their meals. Smelling the aromatic dishes of the Wang Family, those with thick skins couldn’t help but come over with their bowls.

"Uncle Wang, your family’s cooking smells really amazing! The aroma has spread all over the area; what delicious food have you made?"

Getting a closer look, envy was written all over their faces.

"Uncle Wang, your family is living quite well! Eating chicken and all white noodles, tsk tsk..."

If it had been any ordinary day, Wang Laozhu, who loved to keep up appearances, might have offered a taste before letting them go.

But today’s noodles, so chewy and smooth, were just too delicious.