A Good Country Wife-Chapter 611 - 605_1

Lin Yue indeed guessed correctly; it was the old man’s grandson. She wasn’t much given to charity, and it had only been after hearing Sister Chunhua mention the old man’s family circumstances that she felt pity for him. He had gone through such hardship, yet never thought to rely on others’ handouts. Instead, he wished to survive on his own labor, even taking up work at such an advanced age. It was such character that had earned Lin Yue’s respect, and so she had offered help—a mere trifle for her—without realizing the old man would take it to heart so deeply, even instructing his grandson to repay the favor.

Lin Yue thought thus because she already believed Zhang Guo’s words. Not only because of the curse he’d sworn—people of this era took such curses very seriously and would not cast them lightly—but also because of the genuine sincerity in Zhang Guo’s words.

"Alright, I am willing to believe in you. We have not ventured outside for many days and only know that it is chaotic, without knowing the details. Can you tell me what the situation is like?" Having chosen to trust him, Lin Yue’s expression softened as she invited Zhang Guo to sit and talk.

As Zhang Guo revealed the situation outside, Lin Yue found it was even more severe than she had imagined. No wonder the refugees could hardly hold themselves back any longer. Had Zhang Guo not come to inform them under the guise of negotiation, and had the refugees burst in unawares, the consequences would have been dire. At this moment, she felt somewhat fortunate. Helping out was indeed the right thing to do—as they say, good deeds bring good rewards!

"Madam, what should we do now? If things are as this Young Master Zhang has said, and those refugees break down the main gate and flood in, causing a breach, there’s no telling how many more will follow. Even with so many servants, we won’t be able to hold them back. We need to think of a solution right away! We also need to reinforce the guards at both the main and back gates. No, I should go and oversee it myself to be at ease. Madam, there isn’t much else I can do to assist you or offer advice; I can only do what I am capable of. It’d be better to lead the guards at the gates myself, to prevent the servants from becoming complacent and neglecting their defense, which could allow the refugees to storm in!"

Lin Yue was indeed worried and agreed to let Nurse Xu go and oversee the outside to prevent any of the servants from shirking their duties and causing trouble. "Then I’ll have to trouble you, Nurse Xu. I can rest easy with you supervising. However, you must also take care of yourself and not overexert. If anything needs doing, just have the servants handle it; your presence alone will be enough to deter everyone."

"Do not worry, Madam. This old body of mine is still quite robust! There’s no need for you to fret over me. Just concentrate on discussing with this young man for workable solutions to deal with the refugees outside. That will truly solve the problem," Nurse Xu reassured, before heading out with her people to patrol the courtyard, adjusting any oversights she found. They prevented some potential hazards and stopped an incident that, driven by personal selfishness, could have implicated everyone. If the refugees had managed to breach the back gate, any countermeasures Lin Yue and Zhang Guo might have devised would have come too late.

Although most of the refugees were willing to trust Zhang Guo and let him negotiate with Lin Yue on their behalf, a small minority resented him, considering his actions unnecessary. They argued that no one would willingly relinquish their own interest to help others, and even if terms were agreed upon, the Zhao Family would not give in to their every demand; there’d surely be many conditions, which wouldn’t be straightforward or pleasing. They thought it better to find an opportunity to storm in and take what they wanted by force; their logic and thinking had turned akin to that of bandits after becoming accustomed to plundering these past days. However, this was only a minority view, or else Zhang Guo wouldn’t have been in Lin Yue’s courtyard. Most people were simply desperate without other means to secure a livelihood for themselves and their families; they were willing to settle things peacefully if possible.

At this time, behind Lin Yue’s house, Zhao Cheng held a bag of grain, pleading with the gatekeeping servant to let him make a trip outside to deliver the food to his mother from the Wei Family. In his heart, it was the tenderness and protection his mother had previously shown that had melted his resolve.

Zhao Cheng by nature was very filial. Had the Wei Family’s favoritism not been so extreme, he wouldn’t have ended up in the current predicament. The rare kindness from his mother had moved him, and as the chaos raged outside, his worry had intensified. Thinking his mother likely had little grain left, and with many in the village already robbed, it seemed possible she had been too. Without grain, how would she cope? His eldest and younger brothers were far from filial, only considering their own interests and likely to abandon their mother. He felt compelled to check on her personally and deliver some grain.

Since Lin Yue had previously issued a strict order barring anyone from leaving or entering, Zhao Cheng dared not defy her and risk bringing disaster to everyone. But seeing Zhang Guo representing the refugees in negotiations with Lin Yue, he thought that the refugees would wait for the outcome and probably not make any moves. Seizing the moment to slip out and return swiftly should pose no problem.

Knowing that his wife, Xiaomei, would oppose his decision, Zhao Cheng kept his intentions hidden, not uttering a word about it in her presence. Once he returned after completing the task, with no more need to worry about his mother, he wouldn’t have to harbour any more anxiety. Then, no matter what Xiaomei said, even if she scolded him, it would be bearable.

Moreover, Zhao Cheng knew his wife had a sharp tongue but a soft heart; she might scold harshly but held goodness toward him deep down. Her significant grievances against his mother stemmed from his mother’s persistent partiality and mistreatment. If not for his past actions causing a rift, the two women, who were relatives, wouldn’t have become estranged—his mother had previously favored Xiaomei among the daughters-in-law before they grew distant. This situation also explained why he was so indulgent towards Xiaomei, even though others mocked him for fearing his wife. In his heart, however, he wondered how many others could match Xiaomei’s devotion, willingly enduring hardship alongside him without a word of complaint since they left his family’s home.

"Young man, I beg you, please help me. With the situation being so dire outside, I worry that without this grain, my mother will truly starve to death out there. You have loved ones too, so you should understand my feelings. I’ll only be gone for a brief moment, quickly deliver the grain, and return at once. There shouldn’t be any delay. Besides, the refugees have already sent a representative to negotiate with the madam, so they should not cause trouble for the time being. Please, have a heart and let me go out just this once!"