The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 586 - 584 Apologize

Chapter 586: Chapter 584 Apologize

"It’s also my fault, I shouldn’t have mentioned the division of family assets in front of you, letting it weigh on your heart!" Mother Liu spoke and as she did, her own eyes reddened.

"When Laosi comes back, I will apologize to him, I didn’t teach my daughter well—" Father Liu said with a stern face.

"Head of the family! This won’t do! Right now, Laosi still doesn’t know about this, and if you tell him, what if it creates a knot in his heart? You must not harm our daughter!" Mother Liu quickly interjected.

Liu Xiaoqiao also looked anxiously at Father Liu; she knew that if Fourth Brother found out that she had once harbored such thoughts, he would surely be disappointed in her.

Just thinking of Wang Yongping showing a disappointed expression, Liu Xiaoqiao felt she couldn’t bear it.

She looked at Father Liu with pleading eyes.

Father Liu let out a long sigh, what could he do? She was his own daughter, his own responsibility!

"I will not bring it up today; when you go back, find an opportunity to apologize to your sister-in-law and mother-in-law in private! If they forgive you, then all will be well! My daughter, in life, our conscience must be clear! Being ungrateful and betraying kindness are things we must never do!" Father Liu said earnestly.

Liu Xiaoqiao nodded briskly, "Dad, I understand! When I go back, I will apologize to my sister-in-law and mother-in-law! It was my mistake this time, and I will absolutely not make it again in the future!"

"Alright, dry your tears now, don’t let Laosi see them!" Father Liu ultimately couldn’t help but feel compassion.

Liu Xiaoqiao hurriedly wiped her tears and then used a damp cloth to cool her eyes until they were no longer noticeable, only then did she feel reassured.

When it was time to leave, feeling guilty, Father Liu and Mother Liu quickly gathered a pile of game and a fine fox skin to take with them, specifically instructing that the fox skin was for Wang Yongzhu.

Wang Yongping didn’t think much of it, but Liu Xiaoqiao understood clearly that this was her parents’ way of offering an apology.

She bit her lip, realizing that even after she had married, she still caused her parents to worry, truly unfilial!

With this thought, she couldn’t help but feel her eyes redden.

When Wang Yongping noticed, Liu Xiaoqiao made the excuse of having been in the wind and barely managed to pass it off.

Upon returning home, Liu Xiaoqiao first took the game to the kitchen; this year, everyone still ate together, so these items were naturally shared.

Leaving the fox skin aside, she found an opportunity to visit Wang Yongzhu’s room.

When Wang Yongzhu and Old Granny Zhang saw Liu Xiaoqiao coming in alone, with something in her hands, they both roughly understood why.

They quickly asked her to sit down, and Old Granny Zhang inquired after the Liu family’s well-being.

Liu Xiaoqiao first thanked Old Granny Zhang, and then, steeling herself, began to speak, "Sister-in-law, I have come to apologize to you! On the day of the division, because of my own selfishness, I didn’t... didn’t speak a fair word, I really let you down!"

"Whether as your sister-in-law or based on our past relations, my actions were too ungrateful! I know I was wrong, and you can rest assured that from now on, I will never act like this again! Truly!"

Liu Xiaoqiao spoke with a choke in her voice, now recalling the event, she felt herself to be utterly despicable.

Old Granny Zhang saw that Liu Xiaoqiao was sincerely remorseful, and her expression softened somewhat.

Wang Yongzhu hurriedly pulled Liu Xiaoqiao to sit on the kang and passed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears: "Fourth Sister-in-law, it’s okay! We’re family, I won’t take such a matter to heart!"

Old Granny Zhang consoled Liu Xiaoqiao with a few gentle words, allowing her emotions to stabilize.

It was only then that Liu Xiaoqiao remembered the fox fur by her side, which she quickly handed to Wang Yongzhu, "This is a skin specially reserved for you by my parents, a rare red, most suitable for you!"

After half a year in the mountain goods trade, Wang Yongzhu had honed her ability to judge quality. One glance at this fur, and she knew it was top-notch, with glossy hair that shone like a blazing fire.

It was a premium fox fur, such a complete skin would be worth at least ten taels of silver, if not more. If sold in the Capital City, it could fetch no less than thirty taels of silver.

This must be a treasured item from the bottom of the Liu Family’s chest, brought out to apologize to Liu Xiaoqiao.

Such is the heart of all parents in the world!

"Fourth Sister-in-law, we are family, no need for formalities! I have received your kind gesture, but I cannot accept this gift, it’s too valuable! Please take it back to your father and mother," Wang Yongzhu naturally couldn’t accept. Such a fur was a rare find, and an ordinary hunter might not encounter one in a lifetime.

Liu Xiaoqiao, of course, also knew the fur’s value, but she understood even more clearly that her parents took out such a valuable item as an apology to remind her of the lesson.

Therefore, she insisted on giving it, and after much back and forth, Old Granny Zhang, seeing that Liu Xiaoqiao was sincere, finally spoke up, "Alright, this is your sister-in-law and her parents’ sincere gesture, you should accept it. Consider it an early addition to your dowry!"

That provided a way out of the impasse.

Leaving behind the fox skin, Liu Xiaoqiao felt a sense of relief, and her steps lightened significantly.

As soon as Liu Xiaoqiao left, Old Granny Zhang picked up the fox fur, stroking it while saying, "At least she has some conscience! But her parents-in-law are also good. After the New Year, when they return to her parents’ home, we’ll add more to the gift as thanks to them for being so understanding."

Wang Yongzhu smiled, "Of course, Fourth Sister-in-law is still young, pampered by her parents at home, and it’s natural for her to take time to adjust to our household. Uncle and Auntie Liu are reasonable people, with them looking after her, how could she be treated poorly? I think Fourth Brother is indeed a lucky man!"

Old Granny Zhang pursed her lips. The luck of Laosi in this life was having such a good sister like Yongzhu and marrying a decent wife.

Looking at the fox fur in hand, "This fur is nice, it could be made into a neckwrap or something, both good-looking and warm."

Wang Yongzhu also touched the fox fur, unable to let go, "Hmm, I’ll think about how to make it look nice, so I can wear it for the New Year."

In the kitchen, Lady Jiang and Liu Xiaoqiao were sorting out the game, all of which were dried and just needed hanging from the kitchen beams.

Liu Xiaoqiao was discussing with Lady Jiang to take some out to prepare for dinner that night, leaving the rest to hang.

She also muttered that they needed to get a few cats from other families next spring, and also to bring back a couple of dogs to raise.

With the house doing business and storing so many mountain products, what would they do if the mice damaged them?

Last year, due to the lack of space at home, they had to take the goods to town to sell after only a few days’ storage. But now that they had built a warehouse, they needed not only to keep cats but also to raise two dogs to guard the front and backyards.

While the sisters-in-law were talking, Jinhua ran in gasping for breath, her face filled with panic, "Mother, Mother, it’s terrible, Second Uncle, Second Uncle, they’re back—"

"What?" Lady Jiang dropped the game in her hands to the floor, too anxious to bother picking it up.

But it was Liu Xiaoqiao who reacted more swiftly, pushing Lady Jiang, "Third Sister-in-law, you go and tell Third Brother and the others, I’ll go inform Mother and Yongzhu!"

Then, Lady Jiang came back to her senses and hurriedly picked up the game, placing it on the kitchen counter before running inside.