The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 128 Complaining

When it came to silver, Old Granny Zhang realized something, turned around to close the firewood shed door, and then said nervously, "When do you plan to sell these?"

Wang Yongzhu thought for a moment. These Yellow Pine Mushrooms were delicate, and if they were kept for longer, she feared they might catch some disease or other, which would be terrible. It would be better to harvest them now and sell to Shopkeeper Wu—only with silver in hand would it be safe!

Thinking this, "Mother, the sooner the better, this stuff is valuable, and every extra day is an extra risk. Today is already late, I’ll go to the town first thing tomorrow morning—"

Old Granny Zhang slapped her thigh, "I think that’s a good idea! Here’s what we’ll do, don’t make any noise about it. Tomorrow morning I’ll go with you to town, we’ll just say we’re going to see your eldest brother, and we’ll settle the matter quietly. You mustn’t feel like your mother is keeping it from them. Let me tell you, with our family’s current situation, there’s never enough silver to spend. If everyone knew you sold the mushrooms for silver, not to mention anything else, that wretched woman Lady Lin, heaven knows how many schemes she’ll come up with to trick you out of your silver."

Wang Yongzhu opened her mouth to say something, but Old Granny Zhang did not give her a chance to speak, "Don’t be foolish and tell everything, or when the time comes, Jindou and them will kneel before you asking for silver to treat Eldest Brother’s illness. Are you going to give or not? Aside from you and your brainless Fourth Brother, who in this family doesn’t have a bunch of tricks up their sleeve? If they knew you earned so much silver, wouldn’t they all try to target you? If you give to this one, should you not give to another? Spoil your brothers, upset your sisters-in-law, no matter how much you give, they’ll never be satisfied and there will be no end to it! So it’s settled, you listen to your mother, I won’t harm you!"

What could Wang Yongzhu say? At this time, it was not good to say anything.

In this family, the only one who truly cared for her without any ulterior motives or expectations of repayment was Old Granny Zhang.

Old Granny Zhang had her best interests at heart, and if she truly hurt her feelings for the sake of others, that would be utterly despicable.

Moreover, Old Granny Zhang had a point; she had to think carefully about how to spend the silver. She couldn’t just ignore her brother’s family, and she couldn’t just turn a blind eye to her Third Brother’s pitiful situation, could she? If she didn’t give, what would her sister-in-law think? She wouldn’t feel right about it herself.

And Fourth Brother couldn’t be forgotten, could he?

If the silver was given away and it caused trouble rather than doing good, it would be a loss rather than a gain.

Thinking this way, Wang Yongzhu nodded decisively, "I understand, Mother, I’ll listen to you!"

Only then did Old Granny Zhang nod with satisfaction. Her old daughter was obedient and listened to everything she said.

Old Granny Zhang instructed her again and again not to leak any news, and to quickly take advantage of the empty courtyard to harvest the Yellow Pine Mushrooms and store them in her own room, so as to avoid being seen by others the next morning. Then she happily returned to her room.

Lady Jiang saw Old Granny Zhang in a good mood and finally breathed a sigh of relief. She released the children who were confined in the room and let them go outside to play, while she hid in her room to do embroidery, not daring to show her face.

Jindou and Jinhoo had alcohol for the first time in their lives and even though it was just a small cup, they were too young to handle the effects of the drink. They had climbed onto the kang bed early and were lying down, snoring loudly.

Jinguan felt wronged. Seeing his two brothers passed out drunk again, and the third room’s Jinpan and Jinhua were detained in their room by their aunt and not coming out, he sneaked out the door when Old Granny Zhang entered Aunt’s room and went off to play with his friends.

Wang Yongping, having drunk a couple of extra glasses to accompany guests, had not slept or eaten well for the past few days because of his eldest brother’s situation. The alcohol soon hit him, and he staggered back to his room to sleep it off.

Seeing that there was nobody in the courtyard, Wang Yongzhu found a small bamboo basket and went to the vegetable garden to pick a few large vegetable leaves. Then she cautiously made her way to the firewood shed, where she carefully took out the Yellow Pine Mushrooms, neatly arranged them, and sprayed them with diluted Genetic Liquid. She loosely covered the top with the vegetable leaves.

She then checked on the mushroom beds. The Primary Mushroom Cultivation Book had mentioned that if the weather was hot and there was no ventilation, the mycelium would die.

By now it was early summer, in May or June, and the days were getting hotter by the day. After this harvest, she feared that the mycelium would not survive.

But, if it allowed her to earn her first pot of gold, then it was a worthy sacrifice.

Comforting herself this way, Wang Yongzhu silently returned to her room with the back basket, placing the Yellow Pine Mushrooms neatly in the corner without disturbing anyone.

The courtyard was unusually quiet.

Wang Laozhu returned home full of anger. Seeing the courtyard’s silent state just made him more irritable.

Entering the room, he saw Old Granny Zhang locking something away in a chest. He couldn’t help but complain, "What treasure is it that it needs to be locked away in broad daylight? You openly asked Second Brother for something in front of everyone today, and you took away his face. He already keeps his distance from us, and this is only going to drive him further away. How can we rely on him in the future?"

The implication of his words was a veiled accusation that Old Granny Zhang’s favoritism had pushed their son away.

Old Granny Zhang would never admit it.

After locking the chest with a snap, she turned around, her nose and eyes twisted in a scornful sneer, "I’ve given up on Second Brother. Do you think I don’t know my own child? With Second Brother’s nature, even if I biasedly gave him all of our assets, he’d still be unsatisfied, complaining we hadn’t sliced off our own flesh for him! He looks down on us, disdainful of his mud-splattered farmer mother and father. And you still dream of him prospering and showing us filial respect? Pah, who knows what grudge he has suffered outside, coming home to pick fights with his own mother—"

Wang Laozhu was stunned into silence, heaving a sigh, then sat down on the edge of the kang, smoking. After a long pause, he said, "Given the state of our family now, with the eldest having turned out that way, and us getting on in years, how many more years can we work? Only Second Brother has some prospects we can rely on, and you know he’s sensitive. You slapped his face in front of others, how can he not resent us? When we’re old and unable to work, we’ll still have to depend on him, so perhaps we ought to step back—"

Old Granny Zhang huffed, "Even if I have to beg, I won’t go to Second Brother’s door! I bore so many sons, and even if the eldest is no good, and Third Brother can’t be relied upon, don’t we still have Fourth Brother? Besides, I have a daughter too. My girl has a great destiny; she will marry into a good family. Just a slip from her finger would be enough for this old woman to live in comfort. Why should I look at Second Brother’s miserable face?"

"Nonsense, who relies on a married daughter for support in their old age!" Wang Laozhu, choked on his smoke, coughed nonstop.

As Old Granny Zhang pat Wang Laozhu’s back to ease his cough, she said, "Even if we don’t rely on our daughter, aren’t there Jindou and Jinhoo from Eldest Brother’s family? Our family would have spent all our savings on their father’s treatment. How could they dare to be unfilial to us in the future?"

Wang Laozhu felt these words align with the thoughts in the depths of his heart, and he bowed his head, remaining silent.

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