The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 820 - 819 Soulless

Why did he come back so eagerly? Wasn’t it because he missed Wang Yongzhu and couldn’t bear to be apart?

Initially, he thought that this time he came back, he could only stay for a few days, then he would have to return to the county town alone, spend lonely nights, cold bedding, and tea that was cool. Having a wife or not having a wife made no difference; talking too much about it would only bring tears.

Unexpectedly, there was such a pleasant surprise?

Thinking like this, he felt grateful to Wang Yongfu and Lady Lin. If it weren’t for their fuss, the mother-in-law wouldn’t have been bothered enough to want to go to the county town.

If the mother-in-law didn’t go to the county town, Yongzhu naturally wouldn’t go either. Although saying it was quite embarrassing, cough, cough, for a man, as long as the wife could follow him back, the reason didn’t matter.

Immediately, he eagerly stepped forward: "Yongzhu, is there anything you need my help with? I’ll help you pack."

Wang Yongzhu looked at Song Chongjin’s eager expression, unable to bear it.

However, she knew that Song Chongjin was happy, so she let him be.

The young couple, directing each other as they packed, even such a trivial task as packing luggage became sweet and enjoyable.

While packing, Song Chongjin told her about going to town today.

Wang Yongzhu nodded: "Thanks to Lizheng today; once things are settled tomorrow, we must thank him properly! As for the clerk coming from town, we should also host them well tomorrow."

Song Chongjin could only nod.

At dinner, Wang Yongzhu shared the news that a clerk was coming to town tomorrow for measurements, and Old Granny Zhang quickly came up with a plan.

"Tomorrow, let’s invite Lizheng over and cook some good dishes! Early in the morning, we’ll buy some fish and meat, slaughter one of our chickens, and use the preserved flavors from last year to prepare a banquet. Chongjin also got some wine today, so we must treat them well."

After everyone agreed on the plan, they didn’t mention it again.

The next day, around noon, the clerk arrived in a rented cart and, upon seeing Song Chongjin waiting at the village entrance, he quickly jumped off the cart with a humble attitude.

He grabbed Song Chongjin’s hand and called him "virtuous brother."

Apparently, he had done his homework yesterday, learning that Song Chongjin was now a scholar. His wife was that formidable girl from the Wang Family, whose dyed cloth was favored even in the palace. They say that this year, the town is considering incorporating Lady Wang into the county history.

With such a prominent family, how could a mere clerk dare offend them? Hence, he hurried over at the crack of dawn.

Knowing he wouldn’t be able to return today, the clerk had instructed the driver to come back the next day to pick him up.

He took a small package from the cart and prepared to pay the driver.

Though Song Chongjin wasn’t very talkative, he understood social etiquette. Naturally, he wouldn’t let the clerk pay; he pulled out a handful of Copper Coins and handed them to the driver, telling him to return around noon the next day.

Seeing the handful of Copper Coins, the driver, earning more than he usually would in one or two days, grinned cheerfully and eagerly agreed before leaving.

The clerk followed Song Chongjin into the village, and after turning a few corners, they arrived at a large courtyard.

The sight of the high walls and the courtyard left the clerk stunned; it was as impressive as any house in the town.

He wondered if this was the Wang Family.

Indeed, Song Chongjin led him straight to the back courtyard of the Wang Family.

In the back courtyard, tables and chairs had already been set up. Lizheng and the Three Wang Brothers, who were accompanying them, were chatting idly in the courtyard.

Seeing the clerk arrive, the diligent Jinhua quickly brought a basin of water over and invited the clerk to freshen up.

When the clerk came out, the table was already laden with dishes, with Lizheng, Song Chongjin, and the Wang Family Brothers standing beside, ready to greet him.

On the table, at its center, was a pot of old hen soup, oily and golden yellow, emitting a tempting aroma with a layer of green scallions sprinkled on top.

Pan-fried egg pancake with green peppers, golden yellow pancake was dotted with finely chopped green peppers.

Fish head stew with tofu, the fish head pan-fried to a golden hue, and then simmered to make a creamy soup. The tofu, cut into small square pieces, absorbed the delicious broth.

Thinly sliced sausage, a clear amber color, with five-layered three-flower preserved meat, steamed until the fat turns translucent and the lean meat is firm and chewy. Underneath, potato chunks soaked up the dripping oils from the sausage and preserved meat.

Several small dishes complemented the banquet, which was not only impressive for a peasant family but would also stand out in town.

The clerk’s family’s financial situation was modest, relying mostly on his modest salary, calculated carefully for daily expenses.

Though he’d had a good meal at the inn yesterday, this simple, rustic, and unpretentious farm food was even more tantalizing.

Everyone took seats according to their social status, pouring a cup of wine for each person. The clerk declined several times, saying he had to go further into the mountains, and drinking would hinder the affair.

Song Chongjin didn’t insist but the chicken and fish soups the clerk drank avidly, finishing two bowls, his mouth glistening with oil, beaming with satisfaction.

After the hearty meal, they brewed some tea to cleanse the palate. Sitting in the courtyard, the clerk couldn’t help but feel that this peasant family’s life was so prosperous, making the town folks seem less fortunate by comparison.

He only sighed slightly, then looking at the time, remembered the main task and volunteered to enter the mountains.

Upon hearing that their sister and brother-in-law were buying a mountain to make a tea plantation, the Three Wang Brothers, though not fully understanding, trusted their sister’s good instincts and busied themselves arranging things.

For such an important task, the Wang Family Brothers decided to leave Yongfu at home to collect mountain goods, while Yonggui and Yongping, along with Song Chongjin, accompanied the clerk into the mountains.

Lizheng, considering his desire to foster closeness with Song Chongjin, decided to help wholeheartedly and joined the trip into the mountains.

The group carried dry rations, plus flint, knives, and bows as they ventured into the mountains.

The clerk initially found the trip interesting, pointing out things he didn’t recognize and asking questions. He even had a bout of poetic inspiration, reciting some pretentious verses to the mountains.

Though pleased with himself, the Wang Family Brothers, barely literate, had heard such things from Yong’an before but forgotten them, leaving Yong’an to never mention it at home.

Naturally, they didn’t understand poetry, wondering why scholars couldn’t just speak normally. What on earth was poetry anyway? They could hear each word clearly but couldn’t grasp the meaning when combined.

Lizheng, who had some scholarly knowledge and a son studying poetry, recognized it as poetry but couldn’t understand it, only knowing it should be good. He eagerly praised it.

The clerk looked expectantly at Song Chongjin, knowing he was the only one who could appreciate his poetry among them.

Others’ praise meant nothing! It was just flattery!

With a blank expression, Song Chongjin looked at the expectant clerk, closed his eyes, bit his teeth, and forced out a dry compliment: "Good—"

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