Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 656 - 654

Chapter 656: 654

"Tsk, they should take a good look at themselves before even dreaming that I would apologize to her! Ridiculous! There’s no such thing in the world!" Mrs. Shen was even more furious when she heard this.

"Clearly, you’re the one in the wrong. You hurt the child’s feelings. What’s so bad about apologizing?" Mr. Shen was moved by Shen Jingwen’s words. As the saying goes, there’s never a feud that lasts overnight between a father and son. Perhaps the third branch was indeed waiting for them to come and apologize, providing a step for them to descend gracefully!

Mr. Shen was scared by the hardship he had been through in the past few years! Truly scared!

What’s the value of face? Can it be eaten? Compared to the hardship he had endured, face is nothing! If it’s lost, then it’s lost! He wouldn’t care about losing face if he could get his two filial sons back.

He never thought that, in old age, and when it was time for his grandson to marry and have children, he had to work the fields himself. And when farming was temporarily done, he had to go to the pier to do hard labor to support a big family!

He couldn’t stand this kind of life anymore. He absolutely would not want to go through this again.

The third branch was his lifesaver, and he wouldn’t give up no matter what!

Mr. Shen thought, if Mrs. Shen was unwilling to apologize, he would go by himself! He would plead with Shen Chengyao to take him in! Anyway, he wouldn’t care about these people anymore, he was too old to manage them anymore!

Hearing these words, Mrs. Shen got even angrier. If she couldn’t have a good life, she’d make sure others couldn’t too.

"Shen Rengui, you shameless man, I didn’t do anything wrong, so why should I apologize? If you want to apologize, you go yourself. I’m certainly not going. I’m not like you, putting on airs! I have dignity! You never spoke a word for those ungrateful sons before. Now, after suffering for a few years, you can’t take it anymore and want to swallow your pride, lose face, and cling to them again?!"

Being targeted, Mr. Shen’s face flushed red, and pointed at Mrs. Shen, "She’s being downright unreasonable!"

Mr. Shen was infuriated by Mrs. Shen’s words! Him putting on airs? Him lacking dignity?

Can dignity be used to fill one’s stomach?

This family, lazy as they are, menservants more like lords. They were incompetent at doing any work and never satisfied with any food. And he, an old man, was supposed to take care of them? She, of course, has dignity. She doesn’t need to do anything, sitting all day on the kang bed mending some old clothes!

He wanted to see if she still had dignity when he stopped caring about them!

Seeing Mrs. Shen acting like this, Shen Jingwen started to feel anxious. If Mrs. Shen didn’t apologize to the third branch, how could his dream of being in authority be fulfilled?

No, he had to find a way to convince Mrs. Shen, but this couldn’t be said in front of Mr. Shen.

"Grandfather, I’ll persuade Grandma. I guarantee she will go apologize to Uncle three’s family!" Shen Jingwen said.

Mr. Shen nodded, without much hope. Mrs. Shen had always been strong and proud throughout her life.

He didn’t want to watch anymore, picked up the tobacco next to him, and walked out.

Shen Jingwen sat next to Mrs. Shen and whispered in a voice that only they could hear, speaking for a while.

Mrs. Shen’s indifference gradually changed to wide-eyed surprise, and then she became so excited she almost screamed!

"Wen’er, is what you said true?"

"Absolutely true!" Shen Jingwen nodded seriously!

"This ... ha ha ha ... ha ha ha ... Heaven is finally treating me fairly! I will be a noblewoman soon!" Mrs. Shen couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

"Shhh, Grandma, we shouldn’t make this public. Nothing must be revealed before things are settled!" Shen Jingwen quickly covered Mrs. Shen’s mouth.

"Mmm ... mmm ...". Mrs. Shen hurriedly nodded, indicating she understood.

Upon seeing this, Shen Jingwen released his hand.

"Then Grandma, remember to lower our high noses, to flatter Uncle three’s family. We can act when they lower their guard."

"I understand. As the grand matriarch, I know what to do! In order to step on the third branch under my foot, there’s nothing I can’t endure or do!"

Mr. Shen hadn’t walked far out of the house when he noticed the village women carrying plenty of things and heading towards the top of the village. By the sounds of their conversation, they were all going to the third branch’s house.

Mr. Shen thought this was a golden opportunity! He hurried back home. Since everyone was going to the third branch’s house, he would go with them. Even if the third branch’s daughter-in-law didn’t like him, she would have to think twice before refusing to let him in.

Mr. Shen pulled out all the drawers and cupboards at home to find something presentable to take with him. There were no chickens at home, let alone chicken eggs. Mr. Shen couldn’t help cursing, "A bunch of lazy folks!"

Mr. Shen searched the kitchen and the granary, but couldn’t find anything presentable to take along. There was still half a jar of brown rice in the rice jar, but how could he present that!

Mrs. Shen walked out: "Old man, what are you looking for?"

"People in the village are all carrying things on their way to the third branch’s house, and I want to go too."

Mrs. Shen’s eyes lit up when she heard this: "Oh, don’t bother. We have nothing at home. Those half jars of brown rice, I guess they won’t appreciate it. The fact that we can visit them is a huge concession. Let’s hurry up! We’re going now! Jingwen, come out quickly and go with Grandma to your Uncle three’s house!"

Shen Jingwen rushed out when he heard this.

Everyone, who had been hiding in their quilt because of the cold, crawled out when they heard Mrs. Shen’s words.

From each room came the sound of, "Mother, wait for me!"

Mr. Shen felt relieved at this sight: as long as they knew to correct their mistakes, the third branch wouldn’t abandon them.

...

After lunch, Xiao’er and his family returned home. Mrs. Liu remembered asking Xiao’er to pay attention to the girls at the birthday feast. Everyone was too tired yesterday, so she didn’t ask. This morning she was busy running around, and only now did she have time to remember.

"Xiao’er, at your grandmother’s birthday party, which girl do you think has a good character?"

"Mother, it’s not appropriate to ask me. Why not ask my elder brother?" Xiao’er replied with a meaningful smile.

Mrs. Liu was puzzled by this and was about to ask why, when a servant came to report that many women from the village had arrived carrying lots of items to pay a visit.

Hearing this, Mrs. Liu quickly went out to greet them without putting on airs.

All the people who had just received Mrs. Liu’s handwritten note had come. Each of them was holding a hen that had been raised for five years, and a basket. The basket was filled with eggs, dried vegetables, cured meat, and mushrooms collected from the mountains. The basket was full; though these were all produced at home, they were their heartfelt offerings.

The women in the village were embarrassed to have received so many letters from Mrs. Liu, but when they invited her for a meal at their house she said she was going to Shen Renfu’s house. Therefore, they had brought out all the items presentable from their homes.

"Daughter-in-law Chengyao, I have raised this old hen for five years. You can use her to make soup to nourish your body."

"Daughter-in-law Chengyao, this cured meat is freshly dried this year. It smells so good, you should try it."

"..."

"Daughter-in-law Chengyao, these eggs of mine are all double-yolk eggs, they’re very nourishing, you should try them."