The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 390 Severing Ties

Chapter 390: Chapter 390 Severing Ties

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Instantly, her eyes became bloodshot with rage, wishing she could pounce on Song Chongjin and scratch him twice. This little beast, she had actually thought he had reformed, but it was all an act; he had been waiting here all along.

Wang Yongzhu was the most composed, pulling Old Granny Zhang aside and calmly asking, "What else?"

Seeing the disapproving looks on each of the Wang Family members’ faces, and the shocked expressions of the onlookers, Song Tiedan also dared not gasp for air anymore, and hurriedly stated the remaining demands.

"One hundred taels of silver, and we’ll sell our Chongjin to your family as a son-in-law. From then on, his life or death has nothing to do with us. Song Chongjin will be a member of your Wang Family. Whether you want him as a visiting son-in-law or as a long-term laborer, it’s none of our business! The one hundred taels are to repay the kindness my daughter has shown by giving birth to him and raising him!"

...

There was complete silence all around.

After Song Tiedan finished speaking and saw that there was no response, he quickly added, "If you don’t agree, we’ll sue you for the attempted murder of my daughter..." By the end of his sentence, he himself felt a sense of guilt and shortness of breath.

Everyone was stunned and took a while to snap back to reality.

Old Granny Zhang murmured, "My girl, did your mother hear wrong? Pinch me quickly?"

Wang Yongzhu looked towards Song Chongjin, who had a sneer fleeting across his eyes, and mouthed the words, "Quick—buy—me—now!"

Wang Yongzhu wiped the sweat from her brow. Unbelievable!

There was such an option!

She threw Song Chongjin a look that said, "You’re ruthless."

Then she turned around and slowly said, "I’m willing to give the one hundred taels, but first you must agree to one condition. Otherwise, we’ll sue. I can accuse you of extortion!"

The Song Family members were all eagerly thinking about the one hundred taels, worried that the Wang Family would disagree. Now seeing there could still be a possibility, they eagerly asked, "What condition?"

"Song Chongjin’s birth mother, as well as the Song Family, must write a Disownment Document! It should clearly state the severance of all ties as a son and with the maternal family, that from this day forward, he’s a stranger to us! Later, nobody can make any demands of Song Chongjin under any pretense. The document must be signed and stamped by the Song Family Patriarch, our Wang Family Patriarch, and the Lizheng as a guarantor!" scoffed Wang Yongzhu. Did they really think her one hundred taels was so easy to take?

Song Tiedan mulled it over. This seemed rather troublesome. Moreover, with the guarantorship of the clan leaders and Lizheng... In the future...

But thinking of the immediate need for the silver at home, he decided to bear with it for the time being.

He nodded, "Agreed!"

"Then it’s settled. After the autumn harvest, we’ll exchange the silver for the Letter of Severance," Wang Yongzhu said without any further ado.

"No, why delay for another day when today is suitable! Let’s settle it in front of everyone today to prevent any of you from backing out on the money. Let’s go now, second brother, go invite the Clan Leader over!" Song Tiedan was afraid any delay might ruin the deal and objected immediately.

Wang Yongzhu was indifferent. She whispered a few words to Jindou by her side, instructing him to invite the Wang Family Patriarch, told Jindou to fetch Wang Laozhu, and asked Wang Yonggui to invite the Lizheng over.

After all, this was a major matter and it couldn’t proceed without notification.

Wang Yonggui was not willing at all—suddenly one hundred taels would be gone! And they were buying someone he did not fancy! Why should he?

The family’s silver coins were already known by everyone when the monthly allowance was distributed last time. The count was a hundred and twenty taels, plus the few dozens left over from buying the carriage, and those few dozens scavenged by Lady Sun, now half of the family fortune would be gone in a flash. Wang Yonggui felt like his heart was about to break.

"Go quickly, we won’t be using the family’s silver!" Wang Yongzhu raised her fist, quietly threatening.

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Wang Yonggui, half believing and half doubting, finally went on his way.

As for Wang Yongfu, it wasn’t too bad. Song Chongjin had once saved his and Lady Lin’s lives, so he felt that spending one hundred taels of silver was worth it.

Lady Lin felt nearly as much pain as if her own flesh and blood had been cut from her, yet she dared not speak of it, though a hint of her feelings could still be seen on her face.

Lady Jiang, however, had confidence in her younger sister-in-law. Back when they had nothing at all, her younger sister-in-law had managed to earn their current living. Now that their family was better off and the fields were yielding a harvest, she calculated that they would get by, so she was particularly calm.

The several children, not fully understanding, simply stood by and watched.

The harvest season was busy enough as it was, and then there was this incident between the Song and Wang families. The Song Family Patriarch felt that he had lost face—for the sake of one hundred taels, to sell... well, admittedly only a half-member of the Song family, but still someone bearing the Song name, to the Wang Family?

The Wang Family Patriarch, on the other hand, wasn’t too troubled; his family had many descendants and plenty of hands, so they could afford this temporary delay.

Especially since it appeared that the Wang Family was getting the short end of the stick, spending one hundred taels to acquire a son-in-law, while the Song Family was being downtrodden by the Wang Family—this was considered a face-saving situation.

So, he came over in high spirits.

Along with the Lizheng. To the Lizheng, the Wang Family’s successive dramas, though irritating, were not his family affairs. As long as both parties agreed, he merely watched the excitement as a bystander.

When they reached the designated place, nearly everyone from the neighborhood had come to spectate.

The Wang Family Patriarch, with the Lizheng by his side, chatted amiably and smiled, while the Song Family Patriarch felt a sense of disgrace and sat off to one side with a dark expression.

It wasn’t long before Wang Laozhu arrived. On the way, he had listened to Jindou recount the whole episode, and Wang Laozhu had nearly fainted.

He had planned to oppose the arrangement, but as he walked and thought about his daughter’s tactics and strength, and the potential of having Song Chongjin as an excellent son-in-law in his family, his anger dissipated by the time he arrived, and he instead looked forward to the union.

Since neither side had objections, it did not take long for the Lizheng to quickly draft a Letter of Severance. It noted that Song Chunhua, on behalf of the Song Family, and Song Chongjin were to sever the mother-son relationship and maternal family ties. It also stipulated that Song Chongjin was to give one hundred taels of silver to Song Chunhua as a support fee for elderly care. Upon signing the document, they would no longer have any relations and would become as strangers.

Song Tiedan was the first to press his fingerprint onto the document, followed by Song Chunhua’s eldest and second brothers also imprinting their fingerprints.

It was Song Chunhua’s turn, and she hesitated, glancing at Song Chongjin as if she wanted to say something. After receiving a glare from Song Tiedan, she quickly lowered her head and hastily pressed her fingerprint, retracting her hand back into her sleeve, where the palm had been pinched until it bled.

Song Chongjin, without a word, stepped forward and pressed his print too. Then the two Clan Leaders signed and sealed the document, followed by the Lizheng. With three copies made, the matter was settled.

"What about the silver, when are you giving it to us?" the people of the Song Family asked impatiently.

No one paid any attention to Song Chongjin and Song Chunhua.

Song Chunhua was pushed aside by her eldest brother and stumbled into Song Chongjin, opening her mouth to say, "Chongjin, your mother—"

Old Granny Zhang was standing nearby and sneered, "Nowadays, Chongjin belongs to our family. He has nothing to do with your Song Family, not even a penny. What are you shouting for? What kind of mother are you?"

Song Chongjin stepped back, positioning himself behind Old Granny Zhang, thus indicating his stance.

Meanwhile, Wang Yongzhu told everyone to wait and hurried back to the Wang Family home. He made a show of taking silver from the house, then thought it over and switched half of it for a silver note. He bundled up a few silver ingots along with some Silver Pieces, making the total one hundred taels.

Then he returned to the site with it.