The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 403 Completely Torn Open

Chapter 403: Chapter 403 Completely Torn Open

Old Granny Zhang was jumping up and down, cursing Song Chunhua, while the onlookers chimed in with relish. After all, if it wasn’t for Song Chunhua and the Song Family dragging him down, there would be quite a few families willing to marry their daughters to Song Chongjin if he were alone.

Now that the truth is known, which mother’s heart wouldn’t be troubled?

Such a fine young man, and he was sold off by his foster mother to be a live-in son-in-law.

Spittle flew from Old Granny Zhang’s mouth onto Song Chunhua’s face, who grew increasingly feeble in anger. She was muttering something indistinctly, but no one bothered to listen.

Wang Yongzhu squeezed Song Chongjin’s hand, then broke free and approached the Lizheng, "Second Uncle Li, you heard everything. Today, Auntie Song spilled the truth. Brother Song isn’t her biological son. As for whether he was picked up or stolen, who can know what truly happened back then based only on her words?"

"However, regardless of the reason, since Auntie Song is not Brother Song’s biological mother and signed a Letter of Severance a few days ago, plus with Brother Song having supported Auntie Song since he was a small child for about eight or nine years, including that one hundred taels of silver, wouldn’t that count as repaying any debt of upbringing? Wouldn’t you say that’s the case?"

The Lizheng and several respected elders exchanged glances, unable to refute.

Everyone had seen Song Chongjin’s contributions, taking on the responsibilities of a family since he was barely in his teens. If he had been her biological son, that would be one thing, but now they knew he wasn’t.

Moreover, everyone now felt that Song Chunhua was too scheming. She claimed he was found, but he might as well have been stolen!

If he was indeed a child stolen from another family, that would be a serious matter. Far from owing her any gratitude, she would be nothing but an enemy!

So nobody spoke up, except for the Lizheng who coughed twice before saying, "Yongzhu, what are you suggesting?"

After glancing at Song Chongjin, Wang Yongzhu replied, "My suggestion is to ask Second Uncle Li, along with all the uncles and grandpas here today, to clarify in front of everyone that Brother Song is not the flesh and blood of Auntie Song and has no ties with her. Also, to move Brother Song’s household registration out separately. So that in the future, Auntie Song can’t use this to threaten him!"

The Lizheng hesitated, but an old man couldn’t help interjecting, "No matter what, Chunhua raised Chongjin for over a decade. Isn’t this a bit too heartless?"

Old Granny Zhang exploded, "What did that wretched Song Chunhua raise? It was our Chongjin who has been taking care of her! What can she do with neither the strength to lift nor hands to carry? Nothing but a sickly burden, a bottomless pit! Even a biological son wouldn’t serve her as diligently! And not to mention anything else, just the one hundred taels of silver for support money, who could afford that? One hundred taels of silver, enough to maintain Song Chunhua until she’s under the ground come next Qingming Festival! Is that what you call heartless?"

"Third Great-Uncle, show me someone who isn’t heartless then? Your own son sure isn’t heartless, having been until now still..."

"Alright, alright, you make sense; I was just saying a few words!" Upon hearing this, the Third Great-Uncle’s face changed, and he quickly backed down.

His own son’s lack of accomplishments was well-known in the village; to have it brought up in public would make it difficult for him to save face afterward.

The Lizheng wasn’t foolish either. With the Wang Family on the rise, they might prove useful in the future and certainly weren’t to be offended. The Song Family, with Song Tiedan’s household not having a single worthy person, not to mention Song Chunhua.

So he readily agreed.

Jinhoo, quick-witted as ever, produced paper and ink from inside the house and wrote down the whole sequence of events clearly, signed his name, and the elders did the same, stamping their approval. One copy was given to Song Chongjin while the Lizheng retained another for the records.

He also made a special note, "Come to my place when you’re free tomorrow, and we’ll move out the household registration."

It was a move to completely sever Song Chongjin from Song Chunhua.

From now on, Song Chunhua and the Song Family could no longer use the lie that Song Chongjin was of the Song bloodline to manipulate him.

Wang Laozhu and Old Granny Zhang, along with Wang Yongzhu, took Song Chongjin and busily offered drinks to thank the Lizheng.

Even the muddleheaded Song Chunhua came to her senses at this point, recognizing that today’s revelation meant she had completely lost her son.

Instantly, she covered her face and burst into loud sobs.

Song Chongjin looked at Wang Yongzhu, who nodded her head. Walking up to Song Chunhua, Wang Yongzhu pulled out a purse from her bosom, "Auntie Song, whatever the truth was all those years ago, whether you stole him, bought him, or truly just found Brother Song! So many years have already passed. This silver is my way of saying thank you for all these years, for even though you despised Brother Song, didn’t care whether he lived or died, you still never had the heart to poison him, letting him die young!"

"From now on, if you, Auntie Song, have even a shred of conscience, please leave Brother Song alone, and stop seeking him out! Otherwise—" she said with a faint smile, as she pulled out two ingots of silver from the purse, placing them in her palm and gently squeezed.

The two silver ingots were squashed into two round disks.

Not only did Song Chunhua’s back turn cold, but everyone else felt their back hairs stand on end, then they remembered, right, this Wang Family Girl, she was the one who had single-handedly dismantled the dam in Jinhoo Village during the fight for water.

Song Chunhua, both scared and relieved, gritted her teeth, snatched the two silver ingots and tucked them into her bosom, weakly saying, "I will never seek out Chong... him again!"

With that, she scrambled up and ran outside.

As soon as Song Chunhua left, there was an awkward silence in the courtyard, fortunately, Lizheng and the others were smooth operators, and Shopkeeper Wu and his ilk immediately put on unchanged faces and happily raised their cups to toast Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu, as if nothing had happened.

Although everyone really wanted to grab the person next to them and have a good gossip, they forcibly restrained themselves.

The yard suddenly came alive with noise.

As soon as lunch was over, the guests started to grow restless and began to take their leave.

Having had their meal and drinks, sitting there would just be awkward. It’s better to go home and gossip.

This year, there was so much excitement in the village, from the Wang Family to the Li Family, from the Li Family back to the Wang Family, and then out comes a matter with the Song Family.

The people of Qilidun truly found their leisurely lives enriched.

The Wang Family had no intention of keeping their guests, so they courteously saw them off.

Leaving behind a messy courtyard.

Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu wanted to help clean up, but Old Granny Zhang stopped them.

Seeing how lost and pitiable her son-in-law seemed, she knew he was deeply hurt, how could she let him do any work?

She pushed him into his daughter’s room, asking her to keep him company and console him.

Even Wang Yonggui, the most deceitful and crafty one, didn’t object, looking at Song Chongjin with eyes full of sympathy.

He had always thought his life hard, unloved by his father and rejected by his mother, but now, compared to his brother-in-law Song Chongjin, oh boy! How fortunate he was, right?

Indeed, a good life is all about comparisons!

Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin sat in the room with big eyes staring at small eyes, the window slightly closed, and the door half-open, while the Wang Family people outside quietly tidied up, making the room even quieter.

Wang Yongzhu didn’t know how to comfort him, this kind of blood-drenched past, encountering such a foster mother, the hurt received wasn’t something that a few words could soothe.

Hence, she just sat quietly with Song Chongjin.