The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 850 - 849: Scheming Dog

After much effort to separate the two, they finally sat down as guest and host, and each was served a cup of hot tea, barely bringing the situation under control.

Old Madam Ding cautiously approached and asked the host what to have for dinner and if the guests would stay, suggesting early preparations.

Looking at the sky, she thought of how much help Gu Zikai and Ninth Master Lee had provided when Old Granny Zhang was sick and didn’t feel like entertaining guests before.

Today, it was rare for both of them to be at the Song Family estate. Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu exchanged a glance and decided to invite the guests for dinner.

Hearing this invitation, Ninth Master Lee and Gu Zikai were somewhat flattered; after dealing with Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin for so long, they had never been invited to a meal before.

Moreover, both were somewhat reluctant to leave the small courtyard, forgetting their usual formalities.

Ninth Master Lee said, "Alright, just in time to taste your kitchen maid’s cooking—"

Gu Zikai added, "To decline such a kind invitation would be impolite—" freewebnøvel_com

After inviting the two for dinner, Song Chongjin thought they might at least be polite, but to his surprise, both Ninth Master Lee and Gu Zikai agreed so straightforwardly.

This left the planned courteous words unsaid.

Since it was decided to keep them for dinner, Song Chongjin stayed in the courtyard with the guests, while Wang Yongzhu and Old Madam Ding went to the kitchen to get busy.

After Imperial Doctor Du’s check-up, Old Granny Zhang returned to her room to rest. Hearing about the dinner guests, she immediately asked Old Granny Wu to help.

The three women busied themselves in the kitchen while the three men outside enjoyed a pot of tea, two plates of pastries, and chatted excitably about various topics, including local customs and reading experiences.

Being esteemed guests, they could not be neglected.

Wang Yongzhu first sent Old Granny Wu to buy some food. They usually had only four or five people at meals and weren’t prepared for guests. Not to mention Gu Zikai’s and Ninth Master Lee’s entourage, including Lang Hao, Wang Cai, and several personal guards, adding up to more than a dozen, which required more food than they had.

Observant Gu Zikai kept an eye on the kitchen. Seeing Wang Yongzhu instruct Old Granny Wu to buy food, and hearing fragments about spending generously, he understood and signaled Lang Hao to approach, whispering something to him.

Lang Hao took the order and sneaked out of the Song Family courtyard, heading to the front yard.

Soon, Old Lady Li knocked on the door, murmuring about not seeing her master return, and hearing laughter from the backyard, came to check.

She naturally joined the kitchen to help.

With Old Madam Ding and Old Lady Li, both kitchen experts, there wasn’t much for Wang Yongzhu to do.

Feeling a bit useless, she left the kitchen awkwardly.

Seeing her come out and noticing a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, Song Chongjin quickly took out a handkerchief for her to wipe and handed her a cup of warm tea, nearly feeding it to her.

Used to this, Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin didn’t find it unusual.

But to Ninth Master Lee and Gu Zikai, it was particularly irritating.

Ninth Master Lee, feeling uneasy, couldn’t help but provoke, "Brother Song, how can you bear to have Lady Wang, so capable, confined to household duties, taking care of you?"

Gu Zikai, hearing this for the first time, was puzzled, "What do you mean confined to household? Is there something wrong? If you need help, just ask."

Ninth Master Lee, gleefully seeing Gu Zikai unaware, explained Wang Yongzhu’s decision to quit business and return home. Gu Zikai, momentarily stunned, then said, "Lady Wang’s filial piety will surely bring about a speedy recovery for her mother!"

Wang Yongzhu quickly responded, "Thank you for the kind words, Scholar Gu!"

Ninth Master Lee rolled his eyes, "Hypocrite!"

Ignoring Gu Zikai, he continued, "Brother Song, you might not know, but with Lady Wang’s business acumen, given the right space and time, she could become the greatest female trader in history!"

Gu Zikai, frowning, interrupted, "What nonsense are you talking about? Lady Wang quitting business is great! Moreover, her filial piety is not something we can question."

Ninth Master Lee’s expression changed, nearly slamming the table.

Yet Gu Zikai, turning towards Song Chongjin, said, "But if Lady Wang truly has the talent, it would be a pity to waste it! If there’s a lack of assistance at home, Lang Hao’s mother can help during the day. She’s usually idle, and as close neighbors, there’s no need for formality!"

Song Chongjin, speechless with all the points covered, looked at Wang Yongzhu and raised a brow.

He slowly replied, "Both of you misunderstand. Whatever my wife decides, I will support! If she wants to stay home to care for my mother, I naturally agree. When my mother recovers, if Yongzhu wishes to return to business, I will fully support her!"

"What matters is her happiness! A man should protect his woman, letting her do whatever she desires."

To Song Chongjin, any of Wang Yongzhu’s decisions and requests always had his unconditional support.

Hearing this, both Ninth Master Lee and Gu Zikai looked displeased, and the atmosphere grew silent.

Thankfully, dinner was ready, and two tables were set in the courtyard.

One table for Song Chongjin and his group, the other for the guards.

The guards, starving, couldn’t help salivating at the food’s aroma.

When the dishes were served, a basket of steamed buns was placed in the center.

There wasn’t much difference between the two tables; the guards’ table was just more substantial, with large bowls filled with food perfect for dipping the freshly steamed buns, enough to eat to their fill.

The previously lively three men fell into an over-quiet meal.

Ninth Master Lee, silently eating, was dissatisfied.

He had been in high spirits today, secretly hoping to impress and make her realize what she missed by not marrying him.

Especially with Gu Zikai’s hypocritical praise of Yongzhu’s filial piety, quickly followed by keenly trying to win her favor by offering his household’s services, his ulterior motives clear.

But all this paled before Song Chongjin’s casual remark.

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