The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 760 - 759: The Cave

Chapter 760: Chapter 759: The Cave

For many years, the parents had only one precious son, who was so cherished as if they feared he might melt in their mouths or fly away from their hands.

Treasured to their very bones.

The several daughters born before him, when added together, didn’t amount to a single strand of their brother’s hair.

The birth mother of Yang Zaizhao had frequently birthed and conceived in these years, all for the sake of having a son, and her body had long since broken down, incapable of work or tilling the fields.

The family relied solely on Yang Zaizhao’s birth father, but how could one man provide for eight mouths?

Luckily, the daughters had grown up, especially the eldest daughter, already a young woman in her teens, and all the household chores fell to the sisters – cooking, washing clothes, caring for the children, as well as looking after their sick mother.

They managed everything in an orderly way, not causing anyone worry.

Seeing how hardworking and capable the daughters were, once Yang Pandi reached a marriageable age, matchmakers practically broke the threshold of the Yang Family’s door with their visits.

The dowries offered were competitive, presenting Yang Pandi’s parents with a potential path to wealth.

They betrothed Yang Pandi to the family that offered the most generous betrothal gift, whose son was a half-wit. The family intended to bring in a diligent daughter-in-law who could one day take care of their simple son when they were gone.

Yang Pandi herself was considered a village beauty, pretty and diligent, the girl of many young men’s dreams, yet she ended up married to such a half-witted man.

On her wedding day, Yang Pandi was dragged out of her home in tears.

After her came Yang Dengdi, with the eldest married off, the second daughter stepped up. She tried her best to please her parents, hoping they would spare her and arrange a decent marriage—or at least a more acceptable one.

However, no matter how much Yang Dengdi tried to please her parents and younger brother, she couldn’t compete with the place he held in their hearts. To save enough money for Yang Zubao’s future bride price, Yang Dengdi, too, was sold off to a widower to become a stepmother.

Yang Zhaodi was the most plain-looking among the three sisters, but she was the one to marry most normally. She fell into a trap while gathering wild products in the mountains but was fortunate enough to be rescued by a hunter from Yingzi Gully and spent a night in the mountains.

Afterward, the Yang Family claimed Yang Zhaodi’s reputation was ruined, forcing the hunter to pay a hefty dowry before marrying off their unremarkable and hard-to-sell daughter.

Now, Yang Zaizhao was twelve years old, and for the past two years, her parents had been looking for a family willing to pay for her.

At this point, Yang Zaizhao took a deep breath, casting an envious glance at Wang Yongzhu.

Old Granny Zhang’s fondness for her daughter was well-known in the vicinity—who wouldn’t envy her? In every family, sons were doted upon and daughters treated like grass!

But in the Wang Family, it was the four sons who were grass, while the daughter was the treasure!

Yang Zaizhao could only sigh to herself that people really were different, and it all came down to fate!

She then asked Wang Yongzhu what she was doing in Yingzi Gully, knowing that it was a place in the caves of the mountains not easy to access and rarely visited by outsiders.

If she hadn’t been there with her third sister before, she feared she might get lost.

Wang Yongzhu didn’t hide her intentions, explaining that she had previously bought some wild tea leaves from her family that had been well-received, and a customer really liked them, so she planned to go to Yingzi Gully to see if there were any left.

After thinking for a moment, Yang Zaizhao said, "Are you talking about that batch of fried tree leaves? I remember! Each family in Yingzi Gully has them! They say because the hunters eat too much greasy meat, drinking water boiled with these tree leaves can cut the grease and also refresh the mind!"

Jinhoo, who was nearby, hurriedly asked, "Where can we find these tree leaves?"

Yang Zaizhao shook her head, "I don’t know about that. I don’t go to my third sister’s place often. It’s only after meals, when my third sister insisted I drink it. I don’t like it, but after my brother-in-law made a few remarks, I remembered it."

After finishing, she looked at Wang Yongzhu apologetically, feeling sorry for not knowing more.

Wang Yongzhu quickly consoled her, "No problem! We’ll just go to Yingzi Gully and ask your sister and brother-in-law!"

With Yang Zaizhao leading the way, the carriage did not take a wrong turn, and they reached the entrance to Yingzi Gully in no time.

From here, a narrow mountain path leads in, wide enough at most for two people to walk side by side, but no more.

Of course, the carriage couldn’t drive in.

Having no alternative, Wang Yongping was left to wait at the entrance, guarding the carriage.

Yang Zaizhao went ahead with Wang Yongzhu and Jinhoo.

Upon entering Yingzi Gully and looking up, you could see the towering cliffs that seemed to touch the clouds, revealing a slit of sky, with the clifftops on both sides of the gully separated by at most a few meters, the narrowest points allowing only single-file passage.

A winding path, like a sheep’s intestines, snaked through the gully.

Following this path straight ahead, the space in front of them gradually opened up to the size of a football field, dotted with trees and bushes.

After crossing this open area, the path narrowed again. Turning a corner and walking a bit further, they heard the faint sound of people talking.

A few more steps and they saw a cave with a large opening enclosed by tall, sturdy wooden fencing to ward off wild animals.

As it was daytime, the fence was open, and not far from the cave entrance was a continually flowing stream.

A few women were at the river’s edge, washing things and talking among themselves.

Yang Zaizhao couldn’t help but call out loudly to one of the women, "Third Sister—"

The women all turned their heads, and upon seeing Wang Yongzhu and the others, expressions of surprise crossed their faces.

The women looked at one another, and a young bride stepped forward, taking two steps closer and taking Yang Zaizhao’s hand, "Little Fourth, why are you here? And who are these people?"

She spoke while warily eyeing Wang Yongzhu and Jinhoo.

Wang Yongzhu stepped slightly forward, smiling, "Elder Sister Yang, good day. I’m Wang Yongzhu from Qilidun, the next village over. I’ve come to see you and your husband on some business."

Upon hearing they were from the neighboring village, Yang Zhaodi let her guard down a bit but still regarded Wang Yongzhu with suspicion, "We don’t know you, so what business could you have with us?"

Yang Zaizhao quickly interjected, "Sister! If not for Sister Wang, I would’ve lost my life long ago!"

Yang Zhaodi had always had a good relationship with Zaizhao, almost depending on one another like sisters, so their bond was deep.

Hearing that Wang Yongzhu had saved her little sister’s life, what more was there to say?

"Then please come into our cave for a cup of tea and a meal! We’d also like to express our thanks," said Yang Pandi, shedding the last bit of suspicion, ushering them into the cave.

Wang Yongzhu followed closely behind, stepping carefully into the cave.

Only then did they see how immense the cave was, as if the belly of a mountain had been hollowed out.

Sunlight poured down from an opening above the mountain belly, both bright and gentle to the eyes.

In the center of the cave was a communal area where several children were playing at the moment.

Those who cared for appearances had hung door curtains at their entrances.

The less particular ones simply built a half-wall with stones at their doorways, and that was satisfaction enough.