A Good Country Wife-Chapter 610 - 604_1

Lin Yue had her reasons for not distributing food to aid disaster victims. For one, she truly lacked the saintly compassion, believing that relief efforts were the government’s responsibility. What business did she have interfering? The grains were hard-earned by her family, and Zhao Hu had even risked danger by venturing to barbaric overseas nations to accumulate more wealth. She simply couldn’t squander their fortune that way.

Secondly, the previously mentioned concern was also very real: no matter how much grain they had, if all the disaster victims came upon hearing the news, their storage would be emptied. What would they do then? Lin Yue didn’t expect the troubles to end once the flood passed; with the weather so abnormal, who knew what disasters might follow? Without preparation, who would come to their family’s aid when calamity struck? As evidenced by earlier when the elders wanted to push their family forward, she knew that in hard times, one could only rely on oneself; others’ assistance was unreliable. In the face of disaster, everyone’s first thought was their own benefit.

Lin Yue ordered the servants to keep the doors tightly closed, neither to leave nor to allow anyone in. She had no idea what the outside world had come to, yet within her home, she was leisurely engaged in her embroidery when a flustered Aunt Chunhua hurried in.

"Oh? Someone wishes to see me and even negotiate terms on behalf of the refugees outside? I must have heard wrong!"

"Madam, you heard right. That’s what the person told this old servant. They said if you don’t agree, they will force their way in." Aunt Chunhua wouldn’t have come to report in such panic if it weren’t so. The refugees were audacious and arrogant. Though she was outraged, Aunt Chunhua knew the matter couldn’t be delayed. If the refugees really broke in, what then? She had heard that many households had already been robbed and the village was in chaos.

Just last night, the servants caught two refugees trying to scale the wall. These two had previous experience with petty theft, which is why they could overcome even Lin Yue’s high walls. However, they had a fall, ended up eating dirt, and were caught by patrolling servants; they were now tied up in the woodshed. Although they had been captured without causing harm to the family, since Lin Yue didn’t intend to starve them, she still had to provide them with food. Ironically, this benefited the two rascals since being locked in the kitchen was far better than starving outside.

Lin Yue thought to herself that the walls clearly weren’t high enough; she decided they must be heightened after this incident, and also incorporate some defensive mechanisms. Only then would her family’s safety be more secure. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

"Madam, would you like to see that arrogant fellow? He seemed quite sincere in what he said. With the increasing number of refugees lurking around our property, if we let just him in, with so many servants around, he isn’t likely to stir any trouble."

"Let’s meet him then. I’d like to hear what he wishes to discuss with me. To represent so many refugees in negotiations, and to have gained their trust, he must have some skills."

Lin Yue had imagined many scenarios. She thought it might be either a haughty demand or a humble plea, but she hadn’t anticipated either to be the case. The man who entered immediately knelt to pledge allegiance, a very unexpected gesture. Of course, Lin Yue wasn’t easily convinced—after all, she didn’t know him well enough to discern his true motives.

"Madam, I know you don’t trust me, but my intention to serve you is genuine. I ask for nothing in return but to repay the kindness you showed my family. Representing the refugees in negotiations was a desperate measure to placate them. You have no idea how dire the situation outside is. The villages have nearly been looted dry, and with nothing left to steal, people are becoming agitated. Initially, they feared your family’s strength in numbers and didn’t dare to attack, but now, driven by the will to survive, they care less for such concerns. Besides, there are many refugees, and they might not be at a disadvantage. They are quite eager to try, so I volunteered to negotiate with you, hoping to find a way to keep things under control or make them leave at the least cost."

Kindness? Lin Yue scrutinized the young man before her, certain she had never seen him before. "I think you’re mistaken. What kindness? I’ve never met you, so where does this kindness come from? Or are you trying to deceive me, planning to infiltrate and collaborate with the refugees outside?"

Lin Yue observed that the young man’s eyes were clear, not seemingly deceptive, but in the current situation, she had to be cautious, always suspect the worst in people and expect the worst in situations.

"Madam may not recognize me, because indeed, you’ve never met me, yet I do know of you. My family is from Huaihua Village—Aunt Chunhua’s maternal home. Only my grandfather and I remain in my family. Last year, I broke my leg while gathering wild goods in the mountains. With my grandfather aged and me as the sole breadwinner, medical expenses drained our savings, and we were nearly unable to make ends meet. That’s when your family was hiring workers."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue started to remember. If there was any kindness, could it be? She wasn’t sure if it was that specific act of kindness. Such a coincidence that a small good deed would lead to someone seeking to repay it seemed unlikely, but it wasn’t impossible. She knew of Aunt Chunhua’s native Huaihua Village, and that it had suffered from the disaster because it was downstream. Still unsure, she allowed the young man to continue his story.

"With no other choice, my grandfather, despite being ineligible—not only because of his age but also his strength not matching that of younger men—took a chance and went to Zhao Family Village. To our surprise, Madam, you kindly took him in, providing him with light work. Knowing his plight, you gave additional food on top of his wages: a bag of grains and sweet potatoes. It was with this work and food that we survived through the toughest times. My grandfather has always been grateful for your benevolence, on his deathbed, he begged me to repay you, or he wouldn’t rest in peace. So please believe me, I would never commit any treachery against you, or else let me be struck by lightning and meet an ill fate!"

Zhang Guo wasn’t just grateful, he was also clever; he wouldn’t have convinced so many refugees otherwise. Knowing it would be hard for Madam to trust him under such circumstances, and harboring neither betrayal nor ill intent, he resorted to a solemn oath to prove his loyalty and determination.