The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 587 - 585: Something Terrible Has Happened

Chapter 587: Chapter 585: Something Terrible Has Happened

The entrance of the Wang Family’s house.

Wang Yongan stuck his head out of the carriage and looked at the large courtyard in front of him; even his usually gentle expression stiffened for a moment.

But his eyes immediately brightened even more.

He hadn’t expected that in just half a year since he left, his family had built such a grand courtyard; they truly must have struck it rich.

All the way on the return trip, he had been keenly inquiring about news of the Auspicious Fabric Store. With his refined and handsome appearance, it was easy for him to win people over, so he indeed gathered quite a bit of information.

Among this news, there was a lot about the Wang Family.

Especially in Jing County, when they stopped at an inn, they encountered the last group of mountain goods peddlers returning home from Shiqiao Town.

Intending to inquire, he pretended to be a traveler who had been away for many years and was now returning to visit relatives. Learning that they had come from Shiqiao Town, he asked about the current situation there.

The mountain goods peddlers naturally did not recognize Wang Yongan, but seeing his scholarly and polite manner, they all took a liking to him.

It was rare to see such an amiable scholar; naturally, they told him everything they knew, holding nothing back.

As they spoke, Wang Yongan steered the conversation towards the Auspicious Fabric Store: "On my way back, I heard that our town has a cloth store whose dyed fabrics are quite famous, even sold all the way to the Capital City. I heard it even received praise from the Imperial Palace ladies. Is that true?"

The mountain goods peddlers nodded eagerly.

"That’s right, that cloth store is now very famous."

"This time on my way back, I brought several bolts of fabric from the Auspicious Fabric Store for my wife and children."

...

Wang Yongan patiently listened to these mountain goods peddlers finish talking about many unrelated things before slowly guiding the conversation back on track.

"This cloth store sounds so impressive; did they hire some year-long master craftsmen? Does Shiqiao Town really have such talented people?"

"Haha, Scholar, you’ve guessed wrong there. The dyemaster isn’t some veteran craftsman, but a young girl!"

"That’s right, to be honest, it’s no wonder Auspicious Fabric Store has become so successful; Shopkeeper Wu has an eye for talent. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gotten the chance to run the business. Originally, the Wang Family Young Lady took her patterns and fabrics not to Shopkeeper Wu but to another cloth store in town."

"That shopkeeper’s wife was blind not to see it; swayed by gossip, she turned the Wang Family Young Lady away. If she had any vision, she’d be the one making a fortune now."

"That may not be certain; I’ve heard that Shopkeeper Wu has a big backer; otherwise, his dye recipe would have been stolen long ago, and the fabric store wouldn’t have made it to the Capital City."

"I still remember when the Imperial Palace Madam sent someone to bestow gifts on the Wang Family Young Lady; oh my, such splendor..."

...

As they spoke, everyone grew more spirited, showing off how worldly and informed they were, or how much insider gossip they possessed.

It gave Wang Yongan a complete picture of what had been happening.

"I say, this Wang Family young lady is formidable. Whoever marries her would be extremely lucky! Not only does she know how to dye fabric, but do you know who supplied most of Boss Zhang’s goods this year? It was that very Wang Family!"

"So, it is that Wang Family! My, that’s incredible! Because the Wang Family intervened this year, the market price for mountain goods has gone up by twenty percent."

"Exactly, do you know Boss Qian? Even he can do nothing against the Wang Family!"

"I’ve heard about it; Boss Qian hired someone to deal with the Wang Family, but somehow the Wang Family Young Lady got to know Boss Qian’s wife. And you all know what? Boss Qian’s wife is now calling the shots over him, and word is out that from now on, the Qian Family won’t compete with the Wang Family for business..."

...

At this point in the conversation, Wang Yongan felt his heart skip a beat. The Qian Family, of course, he knew them; they were a dominant force in Shiqiao Town. But how could this be?

After hearing these peddlers’ news, Wang Yongan’s face remained like a breath of spring, but his heart grew cautious.

To think that the Wang Family was now in the mountain goods business, able to sit on an equal footing with the Qian Family, proved that it was no small operation!

Wang Yongan felt his heart warming up.

He wished he could grow wings and fly back to Qilidun, the first time he’s been this eager to return since passing the imperial examination to become a Scholar.

Fearing recognition by everyone in Shiqiao Town, he simply hired a carriage in Jing County, and rattled his way toward Qilidun.

Throughout the journey, the pampered Jinchai complained about the jolting ride, dissatisfied with why they had to travel hundreds of miles this year to spend the New Year in that poor mountain ravine.

Wang Yongan had a plan in mind, and although Lady Qian was aware of it, she dared not tell Jinchai, only vaguely urging her to endure a few more days.

At the long last, they arrived at Qilidun. As Wang Yongan entered the village, just as he was about to tell the coachman where to go, he lifted the curtain and saw a group of children playing at the entrance of the village.

Seeing a carriage entering the village, one that wasn’t the Wang Family’s own, the children curiously gathered around.

One of them, who didn’t get along with the Wang Family’s children, deliberately said, "Jinguan, look, this carriage is much nicer than your family’s."

Jinguan looked up and locked eyes with Wang Yongan, immediately becoming stunned.

Peasant children mature early, especially since the Wang Family had undergone so much change over the year, Jinguan was no longer the same as before. Although still somewhat greedy, it was just a minor fault now.

Wang Yongzhu usually didn’t keep secrets from the children when something happened in the family, allowing them to listen but forbidding them to speak of it outside.

Moreover, the two major events - his father’s injury and his mother returning to her maiden home - were always on Jinguan’s mind, even if they were not mentioned anymore because times had improved.

But upon seeing Wang Yongan, Jinguan immediately remembered that his own father had nearly been killed by the swindler brought back by this smiling second uncle.

His eyes instantly reddened.

But he was clever enough to know that this second uncle’s return was a big deal, so he sprinted home to inform his parents and the old aunt.

Jinguan ran fast, so Wang Yongan simply instructed the coachman, "Follow that child and we’ll be there."

Inside the carriage, Lady Qian complained indignantly, "How impolite! To see you and not even greet you!"

Wang Yongan glared at Lady Qian.

Did she not have a clue what he had done? And she still expected to be greeted? They were lucky not to be met with a brick.

The carriage followed Jinguan, turning here and there, until Wang Yongan saw Jinguan reach the courtyard gate and, instead of stopping, ran straight ahead, all the while shouting, "Dad, old aunt—it’s terrible—"

His face darkened immediately, and he forgot to remind the coachman to stop.

The carriage continued straight into the front of a large courtyard.

Stone walls, green tiles, wooden doors.

The walls were covered with white lime, snow-white, indicating they were newly built.

Then he saw Jinguan slip into the yard.

Wang Yongan immediately realized that this might be the Wang Family’s newly built courtyard?

His heart started pounding, and since he wasn’t sure yet, he didn’t let Lady Qian and Jinchai alight from the carriage.

He jumped off the carriage himself, attempting to tread the steps and push the gate to have a look.