The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 37 - Are you born in the year of the Dog
37: Chapter 37 Are you born in the year of the Dog?
37 -37 Are you born in the year of the Dog?
As he spoke, a pair of old eyes rolled and looked over Song Chongjin’s shoulder.
Song Chunhua stood up awkwardly, “Chongjin, you’re back, have you eaten?
Mother will cook for you!”
Song Chongjin just felt an indescribable sense of exhaustion and weakness surge into his heart, but he said nothing.
He simply handed the medicine in his hand to Song Chunhua, “This is the medicine for the past half-month.
I’m tired, I’m going to rest in my room.”
Without giving Song Chunye a glance, he entered his own room.
Song Chunye’s eyebrows shot up, she wanted to swear but held it in, her face drooped, “Fine, Chongjin is back, I don’t have to worry about you being scared alone, I’m leaving.”
As she spoke, she was about to leave, taking two steps before turning back to pour a plate of sunflower seeds left on the table into the front of her clothing and walked away with them in tow.
Song Chunhua muttered as she held the medicine, watching Song Chunye leave, wanting to catch up and say something, but looking towards the wing room apprehensively; although there was no sound from her son’s room, and it was very quiet.
But at that moment, Song Chunhua subconsciously knew that her son was unhappy.
She didn’t dare to ask more, didn’t dare to say more, just stood in the main room for a while before dejectedly taking the medicine back to her room.
※※※※※
The atmosphere at the Song Family wasn’t good, but the Wang Family’s home was bustling with activity.
The Wang Family’s youngest son, Wang Yongping, had returned.
In Wang Yongzhu’s memory, Fourth Brother Wang Yongping was 19 years old this year, tall and burly with a body of lean muscle, a strong worker indeed.
But he was also hot-tempered, the type to resort to fists when words failed.
He was a main force in the village clan during the summer water-fights or brawls every year, brazen and reckless with his life.
He was known as a famous bullhead in the neighboring communities.
Old Granny Zhang could almost strut around Qilidun because she had such a headstrong son; it was definitely one of the main reasons.
Why, then, was such a useful laboring son not at home during the busy spring season?
Of course, there was a reason.
Ever since Wang Yongping could walk, he had embarked on a journey of life where he would throw a punch rather than babble on, essentially undefeated in Qilidun.
However, he was still somewhat restrained on normal days.
Fights in his own village were somewhat considered sparring, and since everyone knew his temper, they would run away at the sign of real trouble.
Minor injuries and such, with Old Granny Zhang’s clamorous arguments, coupled with the advantage Wang Yongping brought during the summer water-fights, ensuring Qilidun never lost, were tolerated to an extent.
That was until last year, when Wang Yongping broke the leg of an only son from another village.
That family had a lineage of three generations with this single heir, and with their son’s leg broken, they refused to let the matter rest.
But fortunately, that sole heir was no saint himself; he had come to Qilidun to visit relatives, spoiled in his own household and a bit of a rake, he whistled at a decent-looking village girl and made a few passes at her.
As it so happens, Wang Yongping witnessed this, and among the girls being flirted with, was the Li Family’s Daughter to whom Wang Yongping was betrothed.
Wang Yongping, who would look for an excuse to pick a fight and flex his muscles even when unprovoked, could not tolerate seeing his future wife being teased.
The resulting ruckus, with Old Granny Zhang’s manipulative interference and the fact that the Li Family truly had no justifiable cause, was settled with some compensation.
Old Granny Zhang was firstly distressed about the compensated money; secondly, she felt that having her youngest son idle at home during slack farming season was just asking for trouble.
Wouldn’t it be better for him to go out and earn money?
Not only did idling at home become a problem, but it also led to compensating others.
Because although Wang Yongping was a good-natured fighter, he was the only child in the family who had learned Wang Laozhu’s carpentry skills to a great extent—about seventy or eighty percent.
With this set of skills, Old Granny Zhang had someone find a job for Wang Yongping in the neighboring town, to work as a shop assistant doing odd jobs, effectively kicking her youngest son out and declaring that he was not allowed to return unless he earned enough to repay the money Old Granny Zhang had lost.
And he’s managed to save up that money in less than a year?
Old Granny Zhang’s first reaction upon hearing the voice of her troublesome, prodigal son in the courtyard was exactly this.
When Wang Yongzhu came out of the firewood shed, she saw a tall young man surrounded by a group of Little Beans.
“Uncle, Uncle, did you bring us something tasty to eat?”
“Uncle, my slingshot is broken, can you make me another one?”
“Uncle, Er Gouzi from next door has been taking advantage of your absence to snatch our bird-catching territories again.
Uncle, can you take back our territory tomorrow…?”
…
The tall young man let out a hearty laugh, scooped up the smallest, Jinshao, and bounced him in his arm, replying with an especially good-natured tone, “Alright, alright, Uncle will make each of you a new slingshot tomorrow and then take you to confront Er Gouzi.
Let’s see if he doesn’t hand the territory back to our family obediently!”
The Little Beans squealed with excitement, clinging to Wang Yongping like little puppies that hadn’t been weaned yet. freewēbnoveℓ.com
It was Old Granny Zhang who finally came out, kitchen spatula still in hand, waving it to shoo them away: “Stop bothering your uncle; he’s been traveling all day.
Let him rest a bit.
He’ll eat later.”
After speaking, she assessed Wang Yongping with a displeased look and said disdainfully, “What a waste, are you born under the sign of the dog?
The very day we have some good food at home, you come running back.
Now go change your clothes quickly so you can eat properly, will you?”
Wang Yongping wasn’t offended by the scolding; he feigned happiness as he dragged the Little Beans toward his own house.
Taking a few steps, he ran into Wang Yongzhu who had just come out of the firewood shed.
Wang Yongzhu smiled faintly, taking the initiative to greet him, “Fourth Brother, you’re back!”
Wang Yongping was taken aback.
On ordinary days, this little sister, who relied on being the youngest and most pampered in the family, typically carried herself with a haughty demeanor, rarely ever speaking to him in such a pleasant tone, unless she needed something from him.
Nevertheless, Wang Yongping was a cheerful young man around his family, uncalculating and not one to hold a grudge, already brainwashed by Old Granny Zhang since childhood to always be good to his little sister, to always think of her first, and to ensure she had priority over anything good to eat, drink, or enjoy—this had become almost a habit and instinct.
Seeing his little sister’s pleasant expression for a change, Wang Yongping felt overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, awkwardly touching his head and displaying an ingratiating, simple smile, “Little sister, Fourth Brother brought you something delicious, and he also bought you a bright head ornament that all the girls in town have—”
As he spoke, he reached into his chest to pull something out, producing a paper-wrapped package.
He handed it to Wang Yongzhu, still warm to the touch.
Upon Wang Yongzhu opening the wrapper, two neatly packed rice cakes appeared, stark white and emitting a sweet fragrance as soon as they were unwrapped.
The nearby Little Beans, lured by the scent, could not help but swallow their saliva, eyes fixed unblinkingly on the rice cakes in Wang Yongzhu’s hands.
Even so, the youngest, Jinshao, did not dare to make a fuss asking to eat one.
Everyone had grown accustomed to the fact that such treats were meant for the eldest girl in the family.
After taking out the wrapped rice cakes, Wang Yongping fumbled in his chest for a long while before he managed to pull out two silk flowers, one pink and one red.
To Wang Yongzhu’s taste, they were undoubtedly garish.
But in the eyes of Lady Lin, Old Granny Zhang, and Jinhua, these were fresh and attractive head ornaments, the kind that only girls from the cities would have.
