A Good Country Wife

Zhao Erhu had scarcely left when Lin Yue began to immerse herself in work. Even though she had promoted two smart and loyal maids to assist her, the technical aspects inevitably required her attention. Moreover, some things could only be understood intuitively rather than conveyed through words. Lin Yue, who was determined to maintain quality, busied herself so much that she worked herself to a point of exhaustion, occupying her days with the production of Fragrant Soap and other items and her nights with lamplight embroidery. Although the maids, instructed by Zhao Erhu, were eager to advise her, Lin Yue’s decisions were unwavering and beyond the persuasiveness of the maids.

"Madam, the Dongjia specifically instructed you before he left not to overwork yourself. You are so busy day and night that it will take a toll on your health. Better to rest early, or Dongjia might reproach us for not taking good care of you when he returns and sees you’ve lost weight."

"I know," Lin Yue said. "There’s nothing much left to do here, you may go and rest. I have a clear idea of what to do, and you don’t need to worry." Lin Yue’s embroidery required meticulous attention, and after hearing the maid repeat her concern twice, she became somewhat impatient and sent her away. The emptiness in her heart after Zhao Erhu’s departure, and the children’s absence, as they were all attending educational institutions, including the fourth son who didn’t pass the entrance exam for Songshan Academy but was enrolled in another academy, made her deliberately seek out more tasks to fill the void.

"Dongjia’s wife, these are a few items made according to the designs you drew. They are finished, and I’ve brought them specifically for you to see if you are satisfied with them?" Zhang Qiusheng, although speaking modestly, carried a tone tinged with pride, content with his own craftsmanship.

Lin Yue examined the finished items brought by Zhang Qiusheng and nodded in satisfaction. Initially, she simply thought it was a waste to discard the leftover scraps of wood from making boxes, especially since they came from precious timber. Yet, since those scraps couldn’t be used for crafting anything substantial, she had a sudden inspiration and drew several patterns for Zhang Qiusheng to create small items like hair clasps and bracelets. The detail in Lin Yue’s designs combined with Zhang Qiusheng’s skilled hands truly turned waste into treasure. Lin Yue was so enamored with the creations that she kept several for herself in her vanity case.

"Not bad, Old Zhang, your craftsmanship is unquestionable, which is why I value you so greatly. I’m not a stingy Dongjia. You’ve been working diligently since you joined us, and I’m aware you take extra work home to add to your workload at night. Even Brother Fuquan, who’s honest and hardworking, doesn’t put in as much effort as you. From now on, for every item you complete, I will give you a bonus that varies with the size and difficulty of the work. You won’t have labored in vain."

Having recently joined, Zhang Qiusheng had shown his loyalty a few times, but Lin Yue still wanted to observe and test him over a period of time. Therefore, she was well aware of his daily activities and naturally very pleased with his hard work, deserving of reward and encouragement to maintain his zeal.

Zhang Qiusheng’s earnest efforts were partly out of a sense of loyalty, and also because Lin Yue’s designs were so ingenious that they excited his artistic impulses, eager to carve them into reality and feeling a profound sense of achievement. Now, with his efforts recognized and the generous Dongjia’s wife promising him extra pay, his motivation soared even higher.

"Thank you, Dongjia’s wife. Since the items I’ve made please you, I’m relieved. You’re busy, Madam, so I will go back to work," he said.