The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 745 - 744 - Jealousy

Chapter 745: 744 Chapter Jealousy

Wang Yongzhu ruthlessly closed the system panel, "No purchase! Save it for later viewing!"

Facing such a cold-hearted and unreasonable host, Xiao Tiantian could only silently roll back to the small dark room.

After examining the newly acquired formulas, which were all extracted from natural plants, Wang Yongzhu had a clear idea in mind.

He stood up and had only taken a few steps.

Although Song Chongjin was watching the children, she had been paying attention to this side the whole time. Seeing Wang Yongzhu rise, she hurriedly handed the children to Wang Yongping and quickly came over.

"Are you well-rested? Do you want to take a walk with me?"

Wang Yongzhu nodded, it was a good opportunity to see if there were any materials nearby.

The pair wandered aimlessly not too far before Song Chongjin noticed that Wang Yongzhu was always looking at the colorful plants, and immediately understood, "Are you thinking about dye formulas again?"

Ever since their initial agreement, Wang Yongzhu had always been honest with Song Chongjin, "Given our current situation, I’ve thought it over, and our biggest backer is still Consort De in the palace! I want to make it so that Consort De only wears fabrics dyed by me in the future!"

Song Chongjin naturally understood that Wang Yongzhu was preparing for the future.

If he truly passed the exams, he would have to attend the metropolitan exams next year and inevitably go to the Capital City.

Going to the Capital City, he probably couldn’t avoid the Song Family’s Weiguo Duke Mansion!

Even if he became a Graduate, he was just that, a Graduate. In the countryside, he would be an incredible person, but in the Capital City, he would be nothing.

Without any strength or backing, once in the Capital City, it would be Song Hong’s playground, and he could manipulate them at will!

Thinking of this, Song Chongjin couldn’t help but feel a surge of mixed emotions—sour and sweet, accompanied by some guilt, "It’s all because of me—"

Wang Yongzhu glared at Song Chongjin, "Husband and wife are one body, why distinguish between you and me? Besides, with a ready-made thigh like Consort De to cling to, only a fool would speak of integrity and tarnishing one’s reputation. It’s said, ’Acquire the arts of the scholar and the warrior to serve the Emperor’s family.’ You strive hard in your examinations, and someday you will sell your talents to the Emperor. I will work hard on dyeing fabrics, selling all the fabrics to Consort De! This way, we as husband and wife are in harmony, a perfect match!"

By the end, even he laughed.

Song Chongjin was moved, and as he remembered a thought in his mind, he couldn’t help hesitating.

Before he could come to a conclusion, Wang Yongzhu, thinking that it was rare to come to the mountains, recalled what Jinhoo had said about wanting to pick Yellow Pine Mushrooms. The contract they had signed was for three catties a year.

After thinking it over, he released Xiao Tiantian again, "Xiao Tiantian, can you scan the area for Yellow Pine Mushrooms?"

Xiao Tiantian, speechless and choked up, felt himself, a High-Level Farming System, relegated to scanning duties.

But having a task was better than doing nothing at all.

Xiao Tiantian quickly agreed, and a few seconds later, a detailed map with locations of Yellow Pine Mushrooms within ten miles appeared in Wang Yongzhu’s mind, clear and straightforward.

Wang Yongzhu looked at the map, and just ten meters away from his location, it showed Yellow Pine Mushrooms.

His heart leapt with joy. Pretending to be casual, he walked over, then crouched down and exclaimed—

Song Chongjin, seeing the cluster of Yellow Pine Mushrooms on the ground, couldn’t help but glance at Wang Yongzhu, thinking how lucky he was!

The Wang Family heard the exclamation and hurried over, gathering around the cluster of Yellow Pine Mushrooms.

Song Chongjin carefully used a bamboo spatula to gently dig up the mushrooms.

Then he wrapped them carefully in leaves and weighed them in his hand, light as could be, probably about one to two taels.

This was already quite impressive.

The children and Wang Yongping, having seen the Yellow Pine Mushrooms, grew restless.

They scattered in all directions, searching around for more.

Although they didn’t find any more Yellow Pine Mushrooms, Dahei Mountain was rich in natural resources, far wealthier than Qili Slope had been over the years.

It was just that because of the wild beasts in the deep mountains and forests, fewer people ventured in.

Although the children lacked experience, Dahei Mountain was so bountiful that almost none of them came back empty-handed.

Wang Yongzhu looked at the map Xiao Tiantian had scanned.

After all, they were at the foot of the mountain, so there weren’t many Yellow Pine Mushrooms, and they were far away. Now, with the sun nearly setting, it was time to descend the mountain earlier rather than later.

After gathering the foraged mountain goods, they realized that Jinhoo had vanished—there was no sight of him.

After calling out several times into the deep mountain, they faintly heard Jinhoo’s voice.

Not long after, Jinhoo ran out, beaming with happiness, "I found Yellow Pine Mushrooms!"

As he spoke, he pulled out two Yellow Pine Mushrooms from his bamboo basket to show off, then quickly stored them in his bamboo basket and covered them with fresh large leaves.

He then waited for everyone’s admiration and envy.

However, to his surprise, not a single person praised him. Instead, they were all praising Old Auntie?

"The Yellow Pine Mushrooms the second brother found are too small!" Jinguan grumbled.

Jinhoo got upset. He had worked so hard to find Yellow Pine Mushrooms, which seemed like a blessing from his ancestors, and now they were criticized for being too small?

"What do you know? It’s good enough that we found them at all! We’ll take them back and leave them for a night, and we can eat them tomorrow," Jinhoo said, feeling very experienced at the moment.

Everyone descended the mountain cheerfully and, upon entering the village, quite a few girls and young wives took the chance of a spring outing to crowd around and watch Song Chongjin.

Ever since the funeral of Wang Laozhu, Song Chongjin and his family moved to the city, and then the folks from Qilidun realized that Song Chongjin was actually a Scholar!

It was rare for someone from Qilidun to attain the title of Scholar over so many years.

Moreover, considering how pitiable Song Chongjin’s past was, and knowing the love of parents for their daughters, who would willingly push their child into such a dire situation?

Now they knew that Song Chongjin was so impressive, having become a Scholar!

They were envious to death and back! If they had known earlier that Song Chongjin would be so successful, they would have sought a marriage without a dowry, even adding a bridal gift, just to establish a familial tie.

Now, it was too late for regrets!

Only the girls and young wives felt unsatisfied in their hearts, resenting that Wang Yongzhu had moved too quickly, and they pondered that Song Chongjin, now the Scholar Master, was probably even more dashing than before.

So, they gathered near the road at the foot of the mountain where the village began, almost as if by some unspoken agreement.

As soon as Song Chongjin descended from the mountain, the girls and young wives by the roadside were stunned.

The day was almost dark, and the clusters of them not returning home, crowding at the roadside, what were they planning?

From afar, as soon as they spotted Song Chongjin, the girls and young wives of Qilidun whispered to each other, "Here he comes, here he comes! He’s coming down!"

When Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu walked side by side up to the onlookers, those who had previously spoken sourly were rendered speechless.

It had been barely half a month since they last saw each other, and although it was just a stay in the city, somehow he looked different than before.

The somber clothes due to the mourning period inadvertently highlighted their extraordinary presence.

Standing together, they looked as if they were glowing.

The modest girls, feeling abashed, clutched their handkerchiefs and returned home.

Then there were those young wives who once fancied Song Chongjin, but unfortunately couldn’t defy their families and married men from their own village, their naivety and purity already worn away by married life.

Seeing Wang Yongzhu, who was once considered nothing more than a fat, stupid, and love-struck fool, now having transformed into the belle of Qilidun, and having married their dream man, Song Chongjin, astonished them.

Her appearance now surely indicated a blissful married life, without the duty to serve parents-in-law or the company of annoying sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, especially with Song Chongjin being a Scholar Master.

How could they not be jealous?