The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 494 - 492: Clarify

Chapter 494: Chapter 492: Clarify

"Eldest Brother, as the Wang Family’s eldest son and grandson, you’ve never been mistreated. The year you married, the household was still doing well, and your grandmother was still alive. Plus, you married Lady Lin, who was always her favorite. The wedding was the talk of the village—so lively! Who else’s marriage that year could compare to the spectacle of yours? Have you forgotten all this now?"

"As for the second brother, that inhuman beast, he became a Scholar, and his wedding was the most extravagant because of it. Yet we also received many gifts, which helped to recover from the famine in the previous years. Talking about him now is meaningless; as far as I’m concerned, I might as well not have given birth to that brute!"

"Laosan, your mother knows you feel resentful, no wonder—your wedding was the most modest among the three brothers, which embarrassed you. But why don’t you reflect on the fact that less than a year after you married, you ran off without a trace, and your wife gave birth and raised the children with the support of the family? Over the years, have you ever contributed a single Large Coin to the household? Have your brothers said anything? Have your father and I ever driven your wife and children out? Think about it carefully with your conscience—having supported your wife and children for seven or eight years, isn’t that more than enough to make up for the shortfall at your wedding?"

After this speech, both Wang Yonggui and Lady Jiang blushed and were at a loss for words.

"As for Laosi’s wedding this time, the dowry is more valuable, but that’s only proper! He’s the youngest among you brothers, yet he’s been working in the fields since he was just over ten. He had an arranged marriage that got called off, and before we could find another match for him with the compensation Silver, our family faced a crisis, and that money was fully spent on the family’s needs. Over the years, Eldest Brother and Laosi have been the main labor force of the household. Yet while Eldest Brother works to earn money for his own family, Laosi has contributed all his earnings to the household."

"You two, as his elder brothers, tell me with your conscience—hasn’t this money been spent on you? Hasn’t it been spent on your children? Now he’s getting married, and in a few years, your younger sister will be getting married too. Your father and I are getting old, and we’ll probably divide the household soon. You two, as elder brothers, the family has raised your children until they’re seventeen or eighteen, and even helped them with their marriages for Eldest Brother’s family, but when it’s Laosi’s turn, his children might just start walking, and he’ll have to leave."

"Calculating all this, isn’t Laosi at a disadvantage? He’s the one who’s suffered the most in our family! You as his elder brothers, instead of looking out for this disadvantaged brother, are busy calculating against him? Isn’t that heartless? How shameless of you, Laosan, to claim you feel aggrieved. What do you have to be resentful about?" Old Granny Zhang pointed at Wang Yonggui’s face and asked.

Wang Yonggui’s face turned as red as pig liver, and he, usually so quick-witted, found himself at a complete loss for words.

He had always felt that his parents favored the others, and that his own branch was the least favored. But now that his mother had laid out everything clearly and accounted for it all, he wished there was a crack in the ground he could crawl into.

Lady Jiang, standing next to Wang Yonggui, also hung her head in shame. She still remembered the kindness of her in-laws during the hard times, when they managed to feed the children and keep her from starving. She had been content with that.

But now that life had improved, why had she harbored such unfilial thoughts?

Even Wang Yongfu and Lady Lin felt their faces burning upon hearing this.

Some things go unnoticed when not spoken of, but once Old Granny Zhang brought them to light, all those petty thoughts they had in the past became painfully obvious.

With a cold snort, Old Granny Zhang slapped the edge of the kang bed: "Today, I’ll say it upfront. Laosi’s wedding must be done with enthusiasm and grandeur, firstly to compensate him, and secondly because now our Wang Family can’t be seen as petty or unable to hold our heads high, just like before."

"Moreover, in the bride price, I’ve included a pair of silver bracelets for Laosi’s wife. This is a little token from me, his mother-in-law. Eldest Brother’s family already has the Wang Family heirlooms, so I won’t waste silver there. It’s just Laosan’s family that doesn’t have any. Rest assured, as a mother-in-law, I’ve always been fair. When the time comes, I’ll have Laosan’s silver bracelets made together with Laosi’s!"

Wang Yongzhu couldn’t help but curl the corners of her mouth up when she heard this. Old Granny Zhang still harbored resentment about that incident where Old Lady Lin had taken the silver bracelet destined for the daughter-in-law and given it to Lady Lin.

So she deliberately gave each of the remaining daughters-in-law a pair to slap her in the face.

Sure enough, the faces of Wang Laozhu, Wang Yongfu, and Lady Lin became quite a sight to behold.

Lady Jiang was both frightened and overjoyed, momentarily at a loss for words.

The entire room fell deathly silent, with no one daring to speak.

Old Granny Zhang flatly spoke her mind that day, "You all say I play favorites, and yes, I do play favorites! What’s the use of having a bunch of sons? You’re just like debt collectors, each one of you. I raised you through hard work, got you wives, and gave you grandchildren. And what good has that done me? What blessings have I enjoyed? And still, each of you harbors resentment against me for who knows how many years! Do you think I am blind, to give my heart to a bunch of ingrates like you?"

"I’ve done my duty as a parent to all of you brothers by getting Laosi a wife. Go ask around the village, see how others handle marrying off their daughters. Are there fewer famines? You should be content! I’ve given what I should; don’t even think about what I shouldn’t give! Whatever is left, no matter how much, is for your sister! Don’t even think about swindling the silver from me in the future, thinking about getting a granddaughter-in-law or whatever. Let me tell you, there is none! Not a single Large Coin!"

This statement was pointed, and Lady Lin immediately wished she could sink her head into her crotch, and even Jindou and Jinhoo’s faces were burning.

Wang Yongfu glared at Lady Lin. With all her scheming day in and day out, did she think no one could see through her petty tricks?

"Mother, don’t worry, when Jindou and Jinhoo get wives, it’s for the sons to worry about. We wouldn’t let father and mother trouble yourselves about it!"

It was Wang Laozhu who saw that his wife’s scolding was enough, and he coughed, "Alright, your mother is telling you all this so you know what’s what. When Laosi’s wife enters the house, and we have one more mouth to feed, it’s better to make things clear now to avoid arguments and disputes later on. As parents, we love each of you the same, how could we deliberately treat anyone unfairly? We just hope you brothers will live in harmony, and work together unitedly."

"As the old saying goes, brothers fight tigers together, and fathers and sons take the battlefield. If brothers don’t stick together, we can’t hope for prosperous days. It’s getting late now, let’s all disperse!"

As soon as Wang Laozhu said this, everyone as if granted amnesty, hastened to leave, pulling and dragging each other out.

Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin were also about to leave when Old Granny Zhang called out to them, "You two, don’t go. Check the list with me, we are going to the town tomorrow, and we’ll buy the most urgent things first."

Wang Yongzhu had to come back with Song Chongjin, and they pored over the list with Old Granny Zhang and Wang Laozhu for a while before finalizing the gifts to be purchased the next day.