The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 397 Engagement

Chapter 397: Chapter 397 Engagement

Wang Yongzhu now knew that Song Chongjin also had a slight case of obsessive cleanliness and always wanted him to wear his fourth brother’s clothes, which made him uncomfortable.

Plus, these past few days, she wasn’t needed for drying the rice grains or stacking the straw bales, so she found some free time and managed to make a set of clothes.

Seeing Song Chongjin acting like that, she took the clothes out of the wardrobe and stuffed them into Song Chongjin’s arms, "Wear these for now, there’s another set that won’t be ready for a few days."

Song Chongjin was delighted as he took the clothes and held them up to himself, asking at the same time, "What about my purse?"

Wang Yongzhu, regretting even thinking about it, responded vaguely, "Let’s talk about that in a few days..."

"Will it be ready when we get engaged?" Song Chongjin was dead set on getting that purse.

He had heard that only one’s own wife could make this purse, and as a man with a fiancée, how could he not have one?

Seeing that she could no longer delay, Wang Yongzhu could only nod, "Alright, alright, alright, that should be fine, right?"

Song Chongjin, having achieved his goal, left with the new clothes.

When Wang Laozhu saw this in the main room, he couldn’t help shaking his head, "Wife, go to the blind fortune-teller at the village entrance tomorrow and ask for a good, recent day to set their wedding."

If they didn’t set it soon, who knew what might happen?

Old Granny Zhang nodded repeatedly, understanding the urgency of the matter.

This year’s autumn harvest was gracious, with clear skies above, generously provided by the heavens.

In just a few days, the Wang Family’s rice grains were all dried and safely stored in the granary.

Setting aside enough food for the family for a year, as well as selecting the best seeds for planting, the remainder was for taxes and to be sold in exchange for silver.

Traditionally, the Wang Family’s largest source of income came from this.

This year, with the addition of the income from the five acres of land Wang Yongzhu had, the Wang Family’s granary was piled up slowly, and opening it revealed the gleaming golden rice that brightened everyone’s mood.

Wang Laozhu remembered something, "Daughter, how much is the rent for those five acres of land? Are we paying the Wu Family in grain, or directly converting it into silver?"

Wang Yongzhu...

She had completely forgotten about this.

Song Chongjin chimed in, "Uncle, the Wu Family usually converts the rent from their lands into silver. They do a forty-sixty split, just giving forty percent of the silver to the Wu Family is fine, it’s easier for everyone."

In the current times, when renting someone else’s land, the rent was either a fifty-fifty split, or even more onerous at seventy-thirty; the Wu Family only asking for forty-sixty was quite generous.

Wang Laozhu nodded, "Indeed, Benefactor Wu is a good man."

Wang Yongzhu remained silent, thinking that if Wang Laozhu knew the land wasn’t from Benefactor Wu but was actually hers, he probably wouldn’t be calling him Benefactor Wu but would instead be scolding his own daughter.

Although the Wang Family’s grains were stored, other families had yet to finish their harvest.

In rural households, it was common at this time of year for people to exchange labor – you help at my house, and I’ll help at yours.

The Wang Family had finished so quickly this year, and everyone else was incredibly envious.

Especially envious of the Wang Family’s horse cart, many with good relations with the family came to borrow it.

They didn’t borrow for free, providing three meals a day and ten large coins for the day’s work.

This was money that came without asking, and who wouldn’t want to earn it? Old Granny Zhang immediately agreed.

Wang Yonggui initially wanted to rush to do it, thinking of the extra little bit he could earn on the side for helping others, maybe saving a bit of private money for himself.

He ended up going for one day, and the next day he swore he wouldn’t go again.

When asked why, he was extremely gloomy. It turned out that at others’ homes, for three meals a day, they ate nothing but cornbread with pickles or flatbreads with pickles.

There was hardly any meat, and each person was allotted just enough for one bite. What was the point? It was still better to be at home.

Putting aside other things, ever since he returned, Wang Yonggui, although forced to work in the fields every day, tired like a dog, truly had no plans of leaving.

For one thing, he hadn’t gotten his hands on any money yet, and for another, life at home was too good, with a bit of meat in every meal, no matter how much or little work there was.

Especially since his soon-to-be brother-in-law arrived at his home, he could always bring back a chicken or a couple of rabbits whenever he went up the mountain with his sister leisurely.

For this reason, he found himself liking Song Chongjin more and more.

After a busy flurry of nearly half a month, the taxes were paid, the grain was sold, there was grain in the warehouse, and money in hand.

Only then could the villagers of Qilidun finally catch a breath.

The Wang Family had started preparing early, finding someone to pick an auspicious day, good for everything.

They had also invited the Lizheng, the Clan Leader of the Wang family, and several respected elders in the village to witness the engagement of Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu.

The Wang Family spared no expense and ordered a large portion of a pig, more than a dozen big carp, chickens, and ducks, and even reserved a large slab of tofu from the village’s tofu seller.

The villagers who saw this all clicked their tongues in wonder, knowing the Wang Family was planning to host a grand event.

Song Chongjin was up at the crack of dawn and didn’t return until late, foraging in the mountains—and he never returned empty-handed, bringing back game, the small pheasants and rabbits to be kept for the feast at home.

The larger ones, he sold in town.

In recent days, Wang Yongzhu wasn’t allowed to do anything but make new clothes at home for herself and for Song Chongjin.

The fabric was delivered by Shopkeeper Wu, who got wind of the news, and he also declared that he would definitely come in person to the feast on the engagement day.

Benefactor Wu, along with Wu Zhongbao from the Escort Agency, Steward Lu, and Guan Yifei, had all received wedding invitations and promised to come in person to offer their congratulations.

The clothes for Song Chongjin were a dignified dark blue, while the fabric for Wang Yongzhu’s attire was the crimson cloth taken by the manager from the palace during his last visit.

She initially wanted to pick a different color, but Shopkeeper Wu had someone deliver this color, explaining that the Empress in the palace had already tried it on and liked it very much.

She was instructed to contribute more of this color to the palace, and now in the Capital City, it was already a matter of pride to wear crimson.

Therefore, there were no reservations anymore.

Wang Yongzhu bent over the sewing every day, while Old Granny Zhang outside was so busy her feet barely touched the ground.

Shopkeeper Wu didn’t just send fabric; he also lent a chef from his restaurant to be the head chef for the day.

The assistants were naturally Lady Jiang and the daughters-in-law from other families in the clan.

On the engagement day, the Wang Family also specially bought a string of firecrackers to set off, instantly heating up the atmosphere.

Two red lanterns were hung under the eaves, and with not enough room at the tables inside the courtyard, a line was set up along the outside wall.

The restaurant chef displayed his expertise with dishes like Four Happiness Meatballs, Braised Pork, Red Braised Rabbit, White Cut Chicken, plus a dish of fish, another dish of wild chicken soup, bean curd with two or three vegetable sides, making a total of ten dishes, six of which were meat—a rarely seen grand wedding feast in Qilidun for decades.

This was the banquet inside the yard reserved for close relatives.

At the outdoor banquet tables, there was also a meat dish, fried tofu meatballs, a chicken soup, scrambled eggs, and four vegetable dishes, which was more honorable than the average family’s son’s wedding feast.

Many villagers came with an egg or two or brought a couple of Large Coins, bringing their children along to enjoy the feast, leaving with greasy smiles on their faces.