The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 570 - 568: It’s Hard to Keep It a Secret from Me

Chapter 570: Chapter 568: It’s Hard to Keep It a Secret from Me

Lady Lin initially wanted to discuss the dowry issue, but Wang Yongfu, knowing her all too well, firmly prevented her from speaking up.

The journey home was shrouded in silence, and by the time they reached the Wang Family, it was completely dark outside.

Fortunately, Wang Yongzhu had been prepared, equipping the carriage with a vital oil wind lamp for illumination, ensuring their safe return.

Wang Yongzhen’s fever had subsided, but she remained unconscious.

She was still not awake by the time they arrived at the Wang Family.

Old Granny Zhang had been worried since they left and had simply decided to wait in the main room for news, with Lady Jiang and the children also gathered around, listening to any sounds from outside.

Wang Laozhu was alone in the back courtyard and couldn’t sit still, so he went to the front courtyard, intending to chat with Old Granny Zhang and ease the tension between them.

But at that moment, Old Granny Zhang, upon seeing Wang Laozhu, felt such a strong hatred she wished she could bite a chunk out of him—how could she show him a cheerful face?

Especially after nightfall, her worry intensified.

In this winter with the strong winds, and all on mountain roads, if anything happened, the entire family would suffer.

Thinking of this, Old Granny Zhang glared at Wang Laozhu fiercely, "I tell you, if Yongzhu and the others have arrived home safely, I might let it go. But if something has happened, you watch how I’ll fight you to the death!"

Not just Old Granny Zhang, Lady Jiang and the children were all anxious too; the house’s decision-makers were all out, and their not coming back at this time made everyone unnerved.

Even Wang Laozhu began to grow uneasy.

Lady Jiang had no desire to prepare dinner, and nobody was in the mood to eat either.

When they heard the sound of the carriage at the door, and Wang Yongping’s familiar loud voice, everyone involuntarily sighed with relief.

Jinguan rushed to open the gate.

Everyone was so exhausted as they got off the carriage. Sun Mutou lifted Wang Yongzhen down, unsure of what to do next.

Wang Laozhu, upon seeing Sun Mutou holding Wang Yongzhen, burst into tears under the lamp’s light, distressed by how his daughter had withered away so noticeably in just a few days.

Seeing Sun Mutou standing there looking clueless, he quickly said, "Quick, carry your mother to—" and then he remembered he hadn’t arranged a place for his eldest daughter and grandchild.

His instinctive reaction was to look towards Old Granny Zhang.

Old Granny Zhang was preoccupied with worrying about whether Wang Yongzhu was alright, whether her hands were warm, and whether she had gotten cold.

Meanwhile, she was ordering, "Laosan’s House, why aren’t you going to cook—"

Lady Jiang, seeing that everyone had returned safely and feeling reassured, hurried into the kitchen.

Liu Xiaoqiao was clever and knew her father-in-law wanted to settle her eldest sister-in-law. Not fond of this situation, she quickly said, "I’ll go help my sister-in-law," and pulled Wang Yongping away with her.

Wang Laozhu looked around, indeed wanting his eldest and youngest daughters to share a room, but he knew that was impossible.

Not to mention there was also a grandchild involved.

After some thought, he said to Wang Yongfu, "Clear out two rooms for your elder sister and Mutou to stay in."

Although Wang Yongfu had his reservations, this was a minor issue, and he was about to agree when Lady Lin objected.

"Dad, we don’t have any spare rooms in this yard. Jindou and Jinhu occupy the east and west wing rooms, and Jinguan is next to us. Where is there another room available?"

Sun Mutou’s face turned pale immediately, he was not foolish; he had noticed along the way that this great-aunt had been giving him and his mother hostile glances.

Now, hearing Lady Lin refuse to find them an empty room, he felt both a pang of sorrow and a sense of grievance and hurriedly lowered his head, "Grandpa, there’s no need for all the trouble, just any room will do. I need to stay with mother tonight."

He was clear in his heart that the only one in the Wang Family who truly welcomed them, mother and son, was Grandpa Wang Laozhu.

But he didn’t blame the uncles and aunts; considering the things he and his mother had done in the past, anyone would not show them a friendly face. That the Wang Family could put aside past grievances and take his mother back, while solving all their future troubles for them,

were already acts of great kindness. If he were to demand more, wouldn’t he become like his grandmother?

Wang Laozhu was momentarily choked by Lady Lin’s words; he certainly couldn’t ask his eldest grandson to make room for his eldest daughter, could he?

After thinking it over, he looked to his side where he had planned to find Laosi. Since Laosi’s family didn’t have children, they had plenty of empty rooms which would be perfect.

But Laosi and his wife had slipped away at some point, leaving him no choice but to turn to Wang Yonggui.

Wang Yonggui didn’t mind at all. They had already taken in the people, so what did it matter if they used an empty room for one night?

They would talk about it after dinner.

Seeing that Wang Yonggui had no objections, Wang Laozhu had Jinhua take Sun Mutou to the third courtyard.

The rest of them naturally went to the main house.

Once in the main house, Wang Yongfu retold the events and then gestured for Lady Lin to bring up the dowry.

Lady Lin reluctantly tossed the dowry, which was wrapped in cloth, heavily onto the kang.

"What’s this?" Old Granny Zhang asked.

"These are the good things we dug out of Old Lady Sun’s coffin; all the dowry items our eldest aunt took over when she got married. The best stuff had been hidden by Old Lady Sun in her coffin. We found them today and brought them back!" Lady Lin said with a sarcastic tone.

Wang Laozhu’s face stiffened in an instant.

Old Granny Zhang, after hearing Lady Lin’s words and then seeing Wang Laozhu’s expression, well understood the situation.

Without waiting for Wang Laozhu to speak, she unwrapped the cloth bundle, staring solemnly at the silver ingots that rolled out, along with a few silver hairpins, and several bolts of cloth.

After a long while, she gave a wry smile, looked at Wang Laozhu and said only one sentence, "You have kept me in the dark so bitterly!"

After that, she took a deep breath and began to pack things up in the room.

"You, what are you doing with this?" asked Wang Laozhu, with guilty panic.

"Didn’t we agree earlier? After the Spring Festival, once your eldest daughter returns, we split the household. I am packing now, and tonight I will be staying with Zhuzhu. I’ll clear out the main house for your eldest daughter!" Old Granny Zhang said coldly.

"What are you blabbering about? Isn’t your eldest daughter already arranged for?" Wang Laozhu exclaimed in a panic.

"Am I blabbering? Wang Laozhu, ask your conscience when Yongzhen married out, what did I say? Or did I meddle with her dowry? You were the one who told me at the time, you said Yongzhen was the eldest daughter and left by the former head, it would look bad if the dowry was meager, so you’d give a bit more, also for my reputation’s sake."

"I thought you were considering my feelings at the time! Without hesitation, I agreed, and even told you, once a girl is married off, she belongs to another family. Giving more would ensure she has an easier life later. You told me to put four silver ingots in Yongzhen’s chest, totaling four taels, all’s well that ends well! Did I ever say no?"

"And yet, it turns out you’ve been deceiving me from that moment! How many are there? How many?" Old Granny Zhang picked up the silver ingots and hurled them at Wang Laozhu’s face.

Wang Laozhu gasped in pain from the hits and, in front of his children and grandchildren, having his private intentions called out, couldn’t bear the loss of face.

He stood up at once, "All this is stale sesame and rotten millet from years past, why bring it up now? I’ll see if Yongzhen has woken up." With that, he walked outside, feeling he could no longer stand to be in the room.