The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 58 - Who Dares to Say No
58: Chapter 58: Who Dares to Say No?
58 -58: Who Dares to Say No?
“That’s good, let’s have breakfast!
After eating, we’ll go to the Li Family!” Old Granny Zhang ordered.
After breakfast, they waited for someone from the Li Family to come over to extend an invitation.
Wang Laozhu pulled Wang Yongping to the backyard, and the father and son whispered things to each other that no one else could understand.
Old Granny Zhang pulled Wang Yongzhu into the room, secretly took out the Five Taels of Snowflake Silver she received yesterday, showed it to Wang Yongzhu, and whispered, “Don’t worry, your Fourth Brother’s marriage won’t need so much, Five Taels of Silver is enough to marry a good bride in our countryside.
With the remaining five taels, your mother will prepare a dowry for you when the time comes, ensuring that you get married in style.”
Ever since her own elder daughter’s marriage was broken off, Old Granny Zhang’s heart was set on saving up a larger dowry for her wronged daughter, so she wouldn’t be aggrieved in her marital home.
Wang Yongzhu was both moved and amused.
According to her own temperament, she definitely wouldn’t want to use the money for her dowry.
It was something that her Fourth Brother had obtained with his dignity and face, and she would have to be incredibly brazen to accept it with pride.
But now she couldn’t refuse and ruin the image, she just hugged Old Granny Zhang’s arm, “Mother, you are so good to me, but this money came at such a great cost to Fourth Brother.
Shouldn’t we first find him a new bride to put an end to the rumors about the Wang Family?
If there is any leftover after the marriage, you keep it first.
It’s still early for me to leave the family, and how much dowry I get is still up to you!”
Old Granny Zhang was beaming with joy.
Her elder daughter was right, as long as the silver was in her own hands, how it would be divided was still her own decision.
Who would dare to object to that?
The mother and daughter had a warm and affectionate chat in the house until nearly noon, when Li Jinhu was sent over by the Li Family to invite Old Granny Zhang.
Going inside, Old Granny Zhang saw Wang Yongping talking to Wang Laozhu, “The Li Family has sent someone to invite us, and the He Family has already arrived.
Head of the family, should I go alone or should we go together?”
Both families would definitely require the parents to personally attend a broken-off engagement.
Wang Laozhu hadn’t slept all night, leaving his eyes bloodshot, and his health wasn’t always good.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have learned carpentry, which was somewhat better than constantly working the fields, mainly because it wasn’t as exhausting or tiring.
In his youth, Wang Laozhu had worked hard to build a foundation for the family, earning money at the cost of his health to support a large family.
Now that he was older, he felt his health declining, and he did less strenuous work in the fields while occasionally directing his grandsons and sons on what they missed.
Staying up all night had left his complexion waxen, and he looked quite unwell.
As a result, he just shook his head, “You go.
We are in the right, and judging by Li Dagui’s nature, since he already gave half the silver yesterday, he isn’t likely to back out today!
When you go, you might as well speak gently.
Now that the matter is settled, at least we have to keep up appearances.
If the He Family says something unpleasant, don’t worry about it—Eldest Brother and Fourth Brother will accompany you to protect you, and it could be an opportunity to teach the He Family a lesson!”
Wang Yongzhu was thoroughly impressed with Wang Laozhu’s arrangement!
Indeed, with age came wisdom; he knew they were in the right and had received compensation, so being magnanimous could garner some good reputation and mitigate some of the negative impact on the Wang Family.
At the same time, they were prepared for any trouble from the He Family.
If they picked a quarrel, her Eldest Brother and Fourth Brother were outside, ready to rush in and teach them a lesson if need be.
Naturally, Old Granny Zhang had no objections and nodded her head, indicating she understood.
Lady Lin stood at the door, also wanting to follow them to the Li Family’s.
How nice it would be there—there would be tea to drink, snacks to eat, and she could wail from time to time to scare people, without the need to work in the fields or endure the scorching sun.
So, hearing Old Granny Zhang get up, she naturally followed behind her.
Old Granny Zhang turned around and glanced back, waving her hand impatiently, “Why are you following me?
Is the backyard turned over?
Didn’t your man borrow someone’s donkey yesterday?
How can you return it without cutting some grass to feed it?
Do you have no work to do, always trying to skimp and be lazy?
Did you get addicted to playing after hanging out with me all day yesterday?”
Lady Lin shamelessly responded, “Mother, I’m just trying to bolster your courage.
Having one more person adds more weight, and we of the Wang Family can’t afford to lose face.
It’d be helpful if I ran some errands for you, right?”
She tossed and turned last night, unable to sleep as she thought about those five gleaming taels of silver.
In the countryside today, a good marriage could all but deplete five or six taels of silver, and that’s quite decent.
This time, her brother-in-law’s broken engagement seemed like a blessing in disguise; managing to secure ten taels of silver as compensation felt like a fortune.
Even if they found another girl for him to marry right away, it seemed impossible to spend it all.
Now that the Wang Family hadn’t split their household, if her brother-in-law couldn’t spend it all, wouldn’t it mean that Jindou could be on his way to finding a bride?
Perhaps by the end of the year, she could become a mother-in-law.
Thus, in Lady Lin’s eyes, the remaining five taels of silver were already earmarked for Jindou, and there was no way she’d rest until she saw them with her own eyes and safely brought back home.
Old Granny Zhang guessed that Lady Lin must have had her own schemes, but didn’t bother responding.
As her daughter had said, as long as the money was in her hands, wasn’t it her call to decide how to spend it?
Since Lady Lin wanted to go, that was fine too; more people meant the Li Family and He Family wouldn’t look down on them.
Thinking this, she called out, “Laosan’s House, get ready.
Jindou, Jinhoo, you all follow as well.
Let them see that the Wang Family is thriving and not to be bullied by anyone.”
Lady Jiang was stunned for a moment, then quickly snapped to attention, as this was the first time her mother-in-law had proactively invited her to participate in such an important family matter.
Immediately, she excitedly agreed and went back to her room to get ready.
Wang Yongzhu also wanted to go and kept tugging on Old Granny Zhang’s hand, shaking it so fervently that it melted Old Granny Zhang’s heart.
With no choice, she poked Wang Yongzhu’s forehead with her finger, “Alright, you’re the ancestor!
Go then, but let’s get one thing straight—once we’re at the Li Family, you don’t speak without my permission, got it?”
Although her eldest daughter had seemed to be much better behaved recently, things could get messy if she spoke out of turn, especially at the Li Family’s home.
It was best to give her a warning in advance.
Wang Yongzhu readily agreed without hesitation.
Seeing everyone but her grandfather was going, Little Bean also clamored to join.
Old Granny Zhang glared, “Go, go, go, all of you!
A bunch of Debt-Collecting Ghosts!
You are only allowed to stay outside the Li Family’s home, don’t go in!
Children should stay out of adults’ affairs, you hear me?”
Content just to witness the commotion, Little Bean and the others agreed cheerfully, not minding where they stayed.
The people of the Wang Family set off in a grand procession, heading straight for the Li Family’s home.
Along the way, the villagers who saw them knew this meant business with the Li Family about the broken marriage and also followed behind.
By the time they reached the Li Family’s doorstep, it was as if the Wang Family had brought along nearly half the village.
Li Dagui’s eldest son, Li Jinhu, wore a troubled face, unsure how to explain to his parents.
They had repeatedly instructed him to keep a low profile and not to stir up trouble.
