The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure -
Chapter 712 - 711 Who am I doing this for?
Chapter 712: Chapter 711 Who am I doing this for?
However, she still took the deed and looked it over back and forth for a while. Although she had never been educated, at least the whole family used to recognize a few characters with Wang Yongan, including her own name and numbers.
When she saw the "nine thousand five hundred taels" written on it, Old Granny Zhang’s knees went weak, her hand trembled, and she nearly dropped the deed, but then she clutched it tightly again.
"Daughter... mother isn’t dreaming, am I? Or has mother become old and can’t read anymore?"
Almost ten taels of silver was, to Old Granny Zhang, an unimaginable sum. She had never dared to dream of a thousand taels, let alone ten thousand, even if she knew her daughter could make money, she had never dared to dream of it.
You see, just half a year ago, Old Granny Zhang was still proud of having saved up several dozen taels of silver, which was considered well-off in Qilidun.
Not to mention after the family disaster that nearly led to their ruin, there was a time when she wished to split a single penny in two to spend.
Who would have dared to dream of such immense wealth?
This, isn’t this the equivalent of a mountain of silver? If the daughter lay on this mountain of silver for the rest of her life, she would never have to worry about food and drink!
Thinking of this, Old Granny Zhang turned her shock into joy.
She quickly stuffed the deed into Wang Yongzhu’s hands, "Quick, put it away quickly, don’t let the wind blow it away! Amitabha Buddha, truly the Bodhisattva’s blessing! Could it be that my Zhuzhu is actually the reincarnation of the god of wealth’s daughter?"
Looking around at all the items in the courtyard, she no longer felt it was wasteful or extravagant.
Feeling joyful, she intended to make some delicious food for her daughter, but as she arrived at the kitchen doorway, she remembered the mourning period was not over yet.
Still, she stoked the fire in the stove, boiled water, cooked a few poached eggs, and poured a good amount of brown sugar on top before serving them to Wang Yongzhu: "Daughter, you have worked hard. Eat some eggs quickly, mother added two spoonfuls of sugar, guaranteed to be sweet!"
Wang Yongzhu had been discussing business at the restaurant for half the day and was already hungry, plus the physical exertion from shopping had taken its toll on her.
The hunger was unbearable by now, but seeing Old Granny Zhang had only made one bowl for herself, Yongzhu quickly scooped up a poached egg with a spoon and brought it to Old Granny Zhang’s lips, "Mother, eat first. I won’t eat until you do!"
Old Granny Zhang couldn’t refuse, her face scolding but eyes brimming with a smile.
After quickly swallowing a few bites, she got up, "You haven’t eaten lunch, right? I’ll go make you something to eat." As she walked to the kitchen, her steps were light as if treading on cotton, her head spinning with delight.
Wang Yongzhu ate two poached eggs and stored all the items from the courtyard in Old Granny Zhang’s room.
She sorted and arranged them.
When Old Granny Zhang finished cooking and called Wang Yongzhu to eat, she saw the kang bed was full of items, and her daughter was holding a pair of Gold Bracelets with Leek Leaf Design.
As soon as Old Granny Zhang entered, Wang Yongzhu slid the bracelets onto her hands without a word, "Mother, these are for you. Try them on, do they fit?"
Caught off guard, Old Granny Zhang’s wrists were suddenly adorned with two gleaming bracelets.
Squinting in the light, she admired but eventually took them off, "Your father’s mourning period isn’t over yet, we need to be discreet and not raise eyebrows. Besides, the son-in-law is about to take the imperial examination. Even as an old lady, I know that reputation is of utmost importance, we must not hold Chongjin back!"
"Mother, I accept your sentiment; I’ll keep the bracelet and wear it when the mourning period is over," said Old Granny Zhang. As she spoke, Old Granny Zhang caressed the gold bracelet again but ultimately placed it back in the box to keep.
Wang Yongzhu knew Old Granny Zhang spoke sensibly, reminding her that she had been too proud and gotten a little carried away!
She nodded hastily, "Mother is right, I’ll remember that!"
"Alright, let’s have our meal!" Old Granny Zhang patted Wang Yongzhu’s hand, fully aware of her eldest daughter’s filial love.
Midday, it was just the two of them, and they were in mourning, so Old Granny Zhang prepared a simple meal of egg and scallion pancakes, fragrant and glistening with oil, served with a dish of homemade pickles, making for a most comforting and warm meal.
Wang Yongzhu had only eaten a few egg pouches and was not hungry, but the aroma of the egg and scallion pancakes made her mouth water, and she tore off a small piece to accompany Old Granny Zhang in eating.
As Old Granny Zhang ate, she remembered something, "Zhuzhu, about the silver, have you decided how to talk to Chongjin about it?"
Wang Yongzhu joked casually, "Why tell him? This is all my secret stash! Only our mother-daughter pair knows, and no one else need find out!"
Old Granny Zhang stopped eating and gently tapped Wang Yongzhu’s hand with her chopsticks, "Nonsense!"
Now tender-skinned, Wang Yongzhu’s hand showed a red mark from the tap, making Old Granny Zhang feel distressed.
While massaging and blowing on it, Old Granny Zhang said, "You foolish girl, since you’ve married Chongjin, you are family! How can you keep such important matters from him? Moreover, the contracts are written plainly in black and white. With the dye workshop and fabric store gone, wouldn’t Chongjin have suspicions? Why should you harm the harmony with Chongjin over some inanimate silver?"
Old Granny Zhang paused, then added softly, "You silly girl, with the silver in your hands, even if you just mention it to Chongjin, you could secretly save ten taels today, a few hundred taels tomorrow, are you afraid you won’t have your own secret funds?"
"Mother?" Wang Yongzhu looked at Old Granny Zhang in surprise, not expecting her to say such things.
Since Chongjin became engaged to her, Old Granny Zhang seemed to dote on him even more than her own son, especially after they were married; she held nothing but good words for Chongjin.
At times, she felt that her position as the once most-favored daughter had shifted.
But hearing Old Granny Zhang now, it was clear her heart still favored her own.
"Mother, I thought you cherished Brother Song more than me!" Wang Yongzhu pouted; she had been spoiled by Old Granny Zhang to the point of greed, wanting to always be the most cherished and loved daughter, with no one, not even Chongjin, ahead of her.
Old Granny Zhang slapped Wang Yongzhu gently, laughing and scolding at the same time, "Calling you silly is an understatement! You came from my womb, my own flesh, who would I care for if not for you? My kindness towards Chongjin is for whom? Isn’t it for you, my antagonist?"
"Chongjin, that child, has lacked the love of his parents, and only now has learned of his origins. For twenty years, he’s never enjoyed parental love. If I show him extra affection and kindness, and he turns out to be grateful and thoughtful, naturally, he will treat you even better! Even if you have some shortcomings, he will give you leniency out of regard for how I’ve treated him, won’t he?"
"All my efforts are for whom?" Old Granny Zhang looked at her daughter nestling in her arms, and her heart couldn’t help but soften, the last pat on Wang Yongzhu’s body too gentle to kill even a mosquito.
Wang Yongzhu hugged Old Granny Zhang tighter, embarrassed by her needless jealousy.
Yet her heart settled down.
As long as Old Granny Zhang, her birth mother, was by her side, she felt like she had roots in this
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