A Good Country Wife

She had waited all evening, and Lun Qin had even skipped dinner. It was only when the mistress’s people didn’t show up that she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Surely the master hadn’t told the mistress, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to stay here so peacefully. Although the master’s words had been harsh, he ultimately had a soft spot for her. She liked to think that he still cared for her, deep down, and a glimmer of hope was kindled in Lun Qin’s heart again.

Due to Lun Qin’s personality, she didn’t get along with the other women in the embroidery room. Even when she missed dinner the night before, no one noticed. It was only when Musheng’s wife took attendance the next day and found Lun Qin absent did they learn she was ill and had not come. They granted her another day of leave, oblivious to the daring act she had committed the night before.

Once the village chief received Erhu’s confirmation, he too felt the heavy burden in his heart lift. However, knowing the character of some of those families, he called the families whose houses had collapsed and spoke seriously, "Your houses have collapsed and are uninhabitable. I’ve already spoken with Erhu, and he’s willing to free up a few empty houses for you all to live in."

The families, initially disheartened and unsure of their next steps, all showed joy upon hearing the chief’s words, "That’s wonderful, we finally have a place to stay and won’t starve in the cold and snow."

There were those amongst them who were more reasonable, who knew all this was a result of the village chief’s efforts, and they quickly expressed their thanks, "Thank you, village chief, for taking care of us."

The village chief raised his hand to quiet them down. "You don’t need to thank me. As the village chief, it’s my duty to look out for our people. What’s rare is that Erhu has a good heart and is willing to take you in. Without him, even my good intentions would be useless."

The village chief had no intention of taking the credit, but there were some who wanted to suck up to him, and intentionally downplayed Erhu’s role while elevating the chief’s status, "Village chief, that’s modest of you. You’re our Zhao Family Village’s chief, and when you speak, who would dare not to accept it? Erhu must have considered your standing. Even now that he’s well-off, he is still part of our village, a junior, who should respect you. Once you’ve issued your order, how could he dare not to listen? He’d be a fool."