The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 552 - 550 Welcoming the Bride

Chapter 552: Chapter 550 Welcoming the Bride

"I heard that Brother Wu is planning to go to the capital next year to take the imperial exams. He won’t settle his heart to study if we don’t allow him to fulfill this wish. If Benefactor Wu trusts us and can make up his mind, he might as well consider my advice."

"Brother Wu has indeed agreed to let Wu Zhongbao go. He likes to go hunting in the mountains, doesn’t he? After spring starts next year, I can take Wu Zhongbao into the mountains. By that time, staying in the mountains with the hunters from Chongzi Gou for ten days or half a month, after enduring hardship, he will naturally realize the comfort of being at home."

Wang Yongzhu could see that Wu Zhongbao might not truly enjoy hunting. Perhaps it was nothing more than delayed rebellion.

If he really went to the mountains and followed the hunters around, being pampered as the prized son of the Wu Family from birth, could he endure such hardship?

"To take ten thousand steps back, if Wu Zhongbao is genuinely passionate about martial arts and still remembers his original intention after a trip to the mountains, with his heart set on taking the military examination. Then Benefactor Wu would also have to consider it, wouldn’t he?"

After Wang Yongzhu finished proposing her idea, Benefactor Wu really took it to heart, "I will consider your suggestion further."

Meanwhile, someone called for Wu Zhongbao to come over, and after listening to Wu Zhongbao’s complaints for a while, they couldn’t help but cover their ears to bid farewell.

When Steward Lu heard that the two were delivering New Year’s gifts, he hurriedly came out to greet them personally.

After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Yongzhu inquired about Wang Yongan’s situation before taking her leave.

Once they left the Lu household, the two checked the list of items to purchase. With the New Year approaching, many people were shopping, especially a long queue in front of the store selling pastries.

The two were not in a hurry and waited patiently in line.

Suddenly, they overheard a conversation in front: "Have you heard? Something happened over at the Sun Family Village..."

"What happened?"

"It is said that there was a notorious shrew in Sun Family Village who had established a family connection and was always taking advantage of her in-laws. When the in-laws were building a new house, her whole family ran over to have meals, and they were driven out by the in-laws. On their way home, when they were almost back to the village, she accidentally fell, hitting her head on a rock. She seemed fine at the time, with no swelling or broken skin. She just slept and wouldn’t wake up. The next afternoon, she woke up without saying a word and started vomiting!"

"It’s said that the filth she vomited was several feet high, and after vomiting, she was out of breath! Don’t you think it’s strange?"

"Now that you mention it, it does seem strange. No swelling, no broken skin, how could she just die like that? Could there be other reasons?"

"Who knows? But I heard that mother-in-law is something else, saying it was the daughter-in-law who brought bad luck..."

...

Upon hearing this, Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin exchanged a look, both understanding the other’s thoughts. Could the person in front be talking about Sun Daming?

Song Chongjin discreetly moved closer out of curiosity and asked a few more questions. The person only had this much to say, treating it merely as a strange and unusual story without paying attention to other details.

Neither felt like buying pastries anymore. Since they had almost finished purchasing other items, they simply drove the carriage home.

Seeing Wang Yongzhu’s solemn face, Song Chongjin consoled, "This has nothing to do with our family. Besides, Sun Daming is dead, and the Sun Family hasn’t sent any message. It seems likely your elder sister stopped them."

Wang Yongzhu wasn’t thinking about blame but guessed the cause of Sun Daming’s death. Probably the fall had caused internal bleeding in his brain, increasing intracranial pressure. It looked harmless on the outside, but it was very dangerous.

But symptoms should have appeared. Didn’t the Sun Family notice? Didn’t Wang Yongzhen notice? Didn’t they seek a doctor?

However, these were all matters for the Sun Family. Wang Yongzhu only instructed Song Chongjin, "When we get back, let’s pretend we didn’t hear anything. If the Sun Family doesn’t send word, we’ll act as if we know nothing. The day after tomorrow is Fourth Brother’s big day; it has to go smoothly."

Song Chongjin naturally wouldn’t object.

When they returned home, nothing on their faces betrayed what they’d heard.

Seeing their family’s happy expressions, they knew that no one from the Sun Family had come, and for the moment, they could set aside their worry.

The next day, Wang Yongping, along with Song Chongjin, Wang Yongfu, and the matchmaker, rushed to Chongzi Gou in the horse-drawn carriage.

Logically, Wang Yongzhu should have also gone, to receive the bride and accompany her on the journey to prevent her from being afraid.

But Wang Yongzhu was preoccupied with concerns, fearing that if someone from the Sun Family suddenly turned up, and she wasn’t at home to keep things in order, it might disrupt Wang Yongping’s wedding. Thus, she found an excuse to decline.

Wang Yongping naturally wouldn’t suspect anything, as his heart was set on hurrying to Chongzi Gou to bring his bride home.

Song Chongjin drove the carriage all the way, with Wang Yongping sitting inside. He still felt they were moving too slowly and wished he could take the reins himself.

Wang Yongfu managed to pull him back to his seat.

"Don’t you have any sense of shame? I know you’re eager to fetch your bride, but is it really necessary to be this frantic? Do you think she’s going to run away or something?"

The matchmaker by their side chimed in, "Don’t worry, we’ll make sure the new bride crosses your threshold."

Wang Yongping could only blush and laugh foolishly.

They didn’t arrive at Chongzi Gou until later in the afternoon.

People from the Liu Family had been looking out from the entrance of the village since morning.

As soon as they saw the shape of the carriage, especially with the red cloth balls hanging from it, they knew it was the Wang Family’s bridal procession and hurried indoors to spread the word.

Before they could enter the village, the children of Chongzi Gou were already cheering and swarming around the carriage, begging for treats.

The Wang Family had come prepared, and the matchmaker threw out longans, peanuts, and such.

The children shouted and laughed as they scrambled for the treats.

After grabbing what they could, they conscientiously made way for the carriage to pass.

Until they reached the front of the Liu Family home.

Today, the Liu Family had also hung two strips of red cloth at the entrance, with a red "happiness" character affixed.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Wang Yongping scanned for Liu Xiaoqiao’s figure, but was quickly surrounded by local hunters of Chongzi Gou who grabbed him to drink.

Although everyone treated Wang Yongping as a brother, he was getting married to a "flower" of Chongzi Gou, a thorny one at that, so they definitely couldn’t let him off lightly.

Song Chongjin and Wang Yongfu were also dragged along.

The matchmaker, too, was taken aside, naturally accompanied by someone for a meal.

Liu Xiaoqiao had been anxiously waiting in her room, her heart racing as she looked forward to Wang Yongping coming to fetch her.

Waiting from morning until noon, her anxiety became increasingly unbearable, and just when she could hardly sit still any longer, the Wang Family finally arrived, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Mother Liu glared fiercely at her: "Behave yourself today, and you are not allowed to see Yongping, got it?"

Liu Xiaoqiao, though unable to see Wang Yongping, could faintly hear his voice, and at this moment, her heart settled down as she obediently nodded.

The drinking continued from afternoon straight through to the evening. If it weren’t for Song Chongjin, Wang Yongfu, and the Liu brothers stepping in on behalf of Wang Yongping, he probably wouldn’t be able to get up the next day.

Even so, Wang Yongping was still dizzy. As soon as he stood up, he tried to go find Liu Xiaoqiao.

With a suppressed chuckle, Father Liu promptly dragged him to the guest room and tossed him onto the kang bed.

Even Song Chongjin had drunk a bit too much, his usually calm eyes now tinged with a hint of confusion.

However, as soon as the Liu Family members came to assist him, that confusion quickly disappeared.

Helping the completely collapsed Wang Yongfu, they managed to gather themselves into the room where Wang Yongping was sleeping and muddled through the night.