The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure

Wang Yongan’s face flushed with rage, and he slapped Lady Qian to one side, spitting out angrily, "Great! Every day I have to go out and invite doctors, and I also have to wait at the docks for mother and my little sister to come. I left you in charge of the household affairs, repeatedly emphasizing and entrusting you to take good care of father, and this is how you look after him?"

"If it weren’t for my early return today, wouldn’t I have been deceived by you again? Ask yourself, how have I, Wang Yongan, treated your parents? You always say that you are the only daughter of your parents, and if we don’t look after them, your parents would hardly be able to make ends meet. Because I feel sorry for you, I haven’t even taken care of my own parents, and wherever I go, I bring your parents along! My father has lived with us for so many years, yet he has only stayed for a few days, and this is how you treat him? Huh? How can you do this and still be worthy of me?"

"..." Lady Qian was at a loss for words and couldn’t speak.

On the other side, Father and Mother Qian’s faces were flushed with shame, wishing they could burrow into the ground.

After scolding Lady Qian, Wang Yongan turned to Father and Mother Qian, "Father-in-law, mother-in-law, you saw what happened today! My own father, after so many years, has come to our house for the first time, and in less than a month, he was treated like this. In the dead of winter, he wasn’t even given a heated bed! Is this your family’s way, the Qian family’s rules?"

Father Qian, too ashamed to lift his head, pleaded in a low voice, "My good son-in-law, Ruyue was just confused for a moment. For nothing else but for Jinchai’s sake, could you forgive her this one time? I, on her behalf, apologize to you and our in-laws! It’s our fault for not teaching our daughter well—it’s our fault—"

While begging, he tugged at Mother Qian’s sleeve, giving her meaningful glances.

Mother Qian saw her daughter covering her face as she cried and looked at her with pleading eyes. Looking at the Wang family members, especially her son-in-law’s furious face, she suddenly felt a pang of guilt and shortness of breath.

Now that they, as an old couple, were relying on their daughter and son-in-law to get by, what would they do if their daughter were really sent away?