A Good Country Wife-Chapter 619 - 613_1

"Uncle, please, let me get in line. My mom and I have been hungry for two to three days. If we don’t get something to eat, we’ll starve to death. Please let me line up with you," the boy pleaded, his face yellowed and emaciated from hunger. In these past days, following his mother and wandering from place to place, he was filthy, his clothes sticky with dirt and everywhere smeared with grime, his face was also dirty, and his hair was a complete mess, looking utterly humble as he begged.

"Go away, go away, isn’t everyone here hungry? Scram, and if you cause any more trouble, see if I don’t beat you." The man said, even raising his fist to threaten the boy. The boy’s mother had already followed over and shielded her son behind her. However, instead of leaving with her child, like her son, she started begging too. She wasn’t even afraid of actually taking a punch from the man. She understood in her heart that this was her only chance for survival; if she failed, she and her son would starve to death in a foreign land, to say nothing of waiting for the day they could reunite with the boy’s father.

"Big brother, please have mercy. We are just standing in line; we won’t get in your way," the woman said, her heart also filled with resentment toward the man’s bullying. But a weak woman with a child was already at a disadvantage and couldn’t provoke the man by herself. She could only swallow her pride and plead in a soft and gentle voice.

The women, children, and elderly who had initially stayed away, not daring to approach, now also began to gather around. Despite feeling hopeless, people have an instinctive desire to live, and they were unwilling to give up at the sight of even a sliver of hope.

"How can you not get in the way? If the master sees you all and thinks you only serve as burdens who don’t have the strength to work, he might get unhappy. What if he changes his mind? That would ruin everyone’s chance at work," the man retorted. He wasn’t an inherently evil person, just rather selfish, and didn’t want women and children to interfere with his opportunities.

Not everyone, however, was so heartless. Although they shared the man’s reluctance to have these women, children, and elderly affect their chances, compassion and sympathy prevailed. "Let’s just let them stand in line behind us. If the master doesn’t want them, the people in charge of the registry will refuse them."

"Humph, who knows? It’s hard enough to find a way to survive. I don’t want any complications," the man grunted, obviously not appreciating the kindness of others. In these times, it was difficult enough to take care of oneself; there was no energy left to worry about the lives or deaths of others. freёwebnoѵel.com

Liu Aniu, the man who was keeping the place in order, noticed the commotion and came over. It didn’t take much effort to understand what was happening. While it was true that the lady of the house had said everyone needed to earn their food through labor and no one should expect something for nothing, the conditions of these women, children, and the elderly were different. In his heart, he felt that the lady was kind and would not disregard their plight. But given the man’s words, Liu Aniu still felt he couldn’t decide on his own and needed to consult the lady first.

Liu Aniu was afraid something might happen if he left, especially since these first few days required close attention to the movements of the refugees. So, he stayed at the scene and sent a servant back to report the situation. To his surprise, Lin Yue came over in person.

Lin Yue was also moved upon hearing about the miserable condition of the women, children, and elderly. Moreover, after hearing from the servant that the scene was orderly and under control, and having been cooped up inside for days, she decided to head over with a few people. This would also allow her to see things for herself and correct any oversights promptly.

Upon learning that Lin Yue intended to go to the scene herself, the nanny was definitely opposed and strongly attempted to dissuade her. "Madam, there are so many refugees outside. How can you ignore your own safety? What if something unexpected happens? Ever since that incident in the city, the master disciplined everyone severely, and he has been particularly concerned about your safety before you leave the house. If something were to happen to you again, I wouldn’t have the face to meet the master. You should stay home and wait. If there’s anything that needs to be done, just give an order, and the servants will handle it. Please don’t take any risks on your own."

"Nanny, don’t worry too much. I know my limits. Now that the situation is stable, I dare to go out. Plus, some things can’t be decided by Manager Liu and the others alone. I need to see for myself to understand the situation before giving orders. The refugees have been causing trouble in the village for so long, and I don’t even know what state the village is in now. I had wanted to have the village chief move into our home. But the chief worried about the welfare of everyone in the village and insisted on staying at his place, leaving me with no other option. I must go and see his condition for myself and offer help wherever possible," Lin Yue said, feeling somewhat emotional about Village Chief Zhao Youfu’s sacrifice for the village. Zhao Youfu had truly been a diligent village chief, putting the welfare of Zhao Family Village above his own family’s safety. Although Lin Yue thought this behavior was a little ’foolish,’ she greatly admired it.

Seeing that Lin Yue had made up her mind, and since the refugees had indeed been calmed, Nanny Xu didn’t try to dissuade her further. It seemed the madam had grown bored with staying inside the house embroidering all these days. A walk outside might be good.

"In that case, Madam, be sure to take more people with you when you go out. It’s best to bring along all the guards from home, in case one or two refugees have bad intentions and take the opportunity to harm you," Nanny Xu, realizing she couldn’t stop her, focused on ensuring Lin Yue’s safety as she knew some matters indeed required Madam’s personal intervention.

Lin Yue had no intention of taking unnecessary risks and nodded her agreement upon hearing this. With the recent danger dissipating, she felt a sense of relief and was more relaxed, even making a joke, "I do need to take more people to ensure my safety, so no one tries to take me hostage and exchange me for food. That would be quite the event. But we don’t have to take everyone; I’ll bring some people with me, and the rest can stay at home to keep watch. The house can’t be neglected either."

The women, children, and elderly had seen all sorts of treatment in their struggle to survive. Aside from their lack of strength compared to the men, they were capable and smarter than the average person. Otherwise, even with good luck, they might not have survived to this point. Seeing a lady dressed beautifully, with an elegant demeanor, appearing almost like a fairy, they knew that this almost divine figure was the one who could save their fate. They rushed forward and knelt before Lin Yue.

"Madam, please save us. Although we are not very strong, we can still work. We know we won’t be able to do as much as others, and we don’t ask for wages. We’re just begging you for a mouthful of food," the boy who had tried to queue up earlier showed his shrewdness. Hearing Liu Aniu calling her ’Madam,’ he followed suit, kneeling on the ground and pleading sincerely.