The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 596 - 594: Wang Yongan, Pay Back the Money!

Chapter 596: Chapter 594: Wang Yongan, Pay Back the Money!

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Sighing from a parched mouth, she glanced mockingly at the tiny silver lilacs adorning Jinhua’s ears, her voice tinged with disdain, "Your studs are so small; they’re hardly noticeable. What’s the point of wearing them? How about this—you wash my clothes, and I’ll give you a pair of earrings much prettier than those?"

Her clothes from yesterday were still strewn about somewhere, and in this cold weather, she had no desire to touch the freezing water.

In the past, it was Jinhua and Lady Jiang who helped with the laundry when she returned. This time, her parents had instructed her not to order her cousins around.

But surely an exchange of goods was acceptable?

Jinhua was taken aback before realizing that Jinchai fancied herself a young lady of means—did she think Jinhua would wash her clothes in exchange for trinkets, as though Jinhua was a maid?

Jinhua had always had a fiery streak about her, but in the past, without the backing of the third branch and with Lady Jiang bearing down on her, Jinhua had gritted her teeth and endured for Lady Jiang’s sake.

Now, with Wang Yonggui standing on his own and the family split apart, aside from her aunt and grandmother, she was afraid of no one.

Upon hearing Jinchai’s words, Jinhua bristled with irritation, sparing a sarcastic glance at the hairpin atop Jinchai’s head before retorting, "If you give me a hairpin like the one Aunt wears, I might consider washing a couple of your dresses. Otherwise, forget it! You’re not some pampered young mistress. A pair of silver earrings is hardly something to boast about—aren’t you afraid of being laughed at? You brag about your parents currying favor with the County Magistrate like dogs; yet you wear such shabby hairpins. Why aren’t you adorned with jade and gemstones like those esteemed young ladies you talk about? Your parents claim they’ve made plenty of money; could it be they’re too stingy to spend any on you? And yet you flaunt your wealth before me?"

Blushing with humiliation at these words, Jinchai’s eyes teared up, close to spilling over.

She had never expected that Jinhua, whom she used to boss around like a maid upon her return, would be so unforgiving with her words.

Lady Qian, overhearing the exchange, was seething inside, but managed to force a smile and tried to smooth things over, "Oh dear, it’s our Jinchai’s fault! I’ve spoiled her too much; her father too says she’s bound for great fortune, which is why she has such a temperament and isn’t good with words. Jinhua, don’t be angry with Jinchai!"

At the same time, she scolded Jinchai, "What are you saying? Jinhua is your cousin, not your maid; how can you ask her to wash your clothes for you? And to offer her something in return—as if she were a maid? How can you be so thoughtless?"

Lady Jiang intended to add her own rebuke, but as she struggled to find the right words and with Lady Qian already placating the situation, she decided it was better not to speak.

Only then did Lady Qian continue the topic previously broached by Jinchai, gracefully transitioning into her own narrative.

She recounted how on most days she socialized with the wives of officials, which had broadened her horizons; only through them had she come to understand what life was like for daughters of noble families.

Even the act of drinking tea followed strict customs—washing the tea, the teapot, and boiling the water to a precise temperature, all carried out with meticulous care.

She went on to say that even the water for brewing tea varied according to the type of leaves, be it water from the heart of a spring, from the center of a river, or morning dew collected from flower petals and winter snow atop plum blossoms.

Mealtime was another grand affair, with attendants at the ready for all three meals a day. A mere glance could communicate her desire, and a maid would serve her choice of dish, followed by mouth rinsing services afterward. Between meals, there were exquisite snacks that couldn’t be bought outside.

Then there were the clothes—she described how the wife of the County Magistrate had multiple ensembles each day, never repeating the same outfit.

And the names of those fabrics were as appealing as the clothes themselves: Heavenly Water Azure, Purple Rose, the color of the sky after the rain...

The materials shimmered with luster, and the embroidery was exquisite, as if it were alive.

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"Such fine clothes, after just being washed twice, if the color fades, they are never worn again."

Not to mention the official’s madams, what they wear on their heads are gemstones and gold hairpins, a single jade bracelet alone can be worth several hundred taels of silver.

And then there are those official’s madams, truly living a life where food comes to their open mouths and clothes to their extended hands, without having to lift a finger, they are comfortably tended to by the maids.

Even the concubines of the County Magistrate’s family, adorned with gold and silver, commanding servants and maids at will, hold even more dignity than the ordinary mistress of the house.

Lady Qian spoke with a mild and meaningful voice, and her eloquence painted the luxurious and comfortable lives of those official’s madams vividly.

Wang Yongzhu looked and saw that aside from herself and Old Granny Zhang, Lady Lin and the others were all listening enchanted.

The world Lady Qian described was beyond their imagination.

Only then did they realize that the lives of those living in the city and related to officials were so enviable, and not as they had imagined - that the County Magistrate’s wife would eat from golden bowls, throwing away more meat than she ate.

As Lady Qian spoke, she subtly observed everyone’s expressions, noticing envious and yearning looks from several sisters-in-law and the eldest daughter, whereas the mother-in-law and the youngest sister-in-law, Wang Yongzhu, seemed as if they hadn’t heard a thing.

She couldn’t help but say, "Those concubines, originally daughters of peasant families, were only a bit more beautiful and caught the eye of a noble patron. Suddenly, they rose to the top like a phoenix flying to the highest branch. The clever ones even coaxed the noble patron to lift up their own families; those families are now prominent figures in the county town! Their lives have changed from day to night, with many envying them!"

Upon hearing Lady Qian’s words, Wang Yongzhu sensed something amiss and frowned, "If you envy being someone’s concubine so much, why don’t you become one yourself? If you can’t, then send your own daughter! Why come to our house to spill such indecent talk? Our Wang family does not have the custom of sending our daughters to be someone’s concubine!"

With a single sentence, Wang Yongzhu left Lady Qian speechless.

She was left with no choice but to lower her head and apologize, "It’s my fault for speaking thoughtlessly! It’s my fault for speaking thoughtlessly! Our family isn’t like that at all!"

Wang Yongzhu had no patience to listen to Lady Qian’s insinuations any longer, while on the other side, Wang Yongan kept on bragging incessantly about the glory of serving the County Magistrate as his master.

Wang Laozhu was also becoming more and more enthralled as he listened.

In his heart, he really didn’t want to mingle with this crowd any longer.

He stood up immediately, "Alright, let’s talk about serious matters! Wasn’t today the day the two hundred taels of silver were to be returned? Where’s the silver note? We are all waiting."

"Yes, yes, yes, where’s the silver note?" Wang Yongping, while listening to Wang Yongan’s boasts, was just feeling drowsy.

Wang Yonggui had actually listened a bit more attentively, after all, he was a man who hoped to be the father of a scholar and graduate.

The eldest, Wang Yongfu, seemed much more stable today, not spewing any more foul language, just sitting coldly to the side like a piece of wood.

At Wang Yongzhu’s words, everyone immediately perked up, their eyes focused intently on Wang Yongan.

Especially Wang Yonggui, who even rolled up his sleeves, looking ready to search Wang Yongan’s body for the money if he didn’t produce it.