A Good Country Wife

Just by imagining, one could guess what the scene would have been. The human heart, it’s not that doing a good deed will necessarily be rewarded. If it’s an ill-conceived kindness, not only will there be no return, but it could also invite disaster. When that time comes, it won’t just be their family that can’t settle things well, even the village will be dragged down with them.

Of course, Lin Yue wasn’t completely indifferent. She still took in a few suitable people to work, or those who were honest, capable, or possessed a special skill and were willing to pledge their service to her family. Lin Yue left these people to stay, which did not impact her family and the village and also provided them with hope for survival. Even if pledging service was a last resort and they lost their freedom, working for Lin Yue, as long as they did so for a while, they all knew she was a good mistress and willingly stayed.

"Magistrate, the number of refugees in the city is increasing. Those troublesome people have caused unrest since entering the city, not only stealing chickens and dogs, but also brazenly engaging in robberies. The citizens are in a state of panic. Many families from aristocratic households have come to the Government Office to lodge complaints. The situation is very fierce indeed. I had to report to you, Magistrate, because I can’t hold out any longer. Please instruct me on what to do."

Ceng Lu had no mood to enjoy wine, dance, and the beauty of women at this moment. He had just received a letter from the Capital City, which said that the Emperor was very angry about the embezzlement of the relief funds by the officials in Jiangnan, and many had been dealt with already. While the situation in Xin’an City wasn’t severe, it was still a disaster-stricken area and under the Emperor’s close scrutiny. Ceng Lu was advised to restrain himself lately and manage Xin’an City well, avoiding any serious problems at this critical moment. The Ceng Family’s foundation was not as strong as those of the aristocratic families, who can confront the Emperor with their power backing them. Even if the Emperor was enraged, they wouldn’t be affected much. The Ceng Family was entirely reliant on imperial favor; only because an Empress from their family was in favor did they have today’s glory. Once the Emperor unleashed his anger, not only would the Empress be implicated, but the Ceng Family would also face a catastrophe.

Since taking office, Ceng Lu had been inactive and only knew to indulgently accumulate wealth. This was the first time he took interest in administrative affairs. In the past, he would leave such matters to his advisers.

"How could this be! Our disaster situation isn’t that severe, so why are there so many refugees causing trouble in the city? Haven’t you ordered the constables from the Government Office to patrol and maintain order in the city?"

Ceng Lu initially thought that managing a small place like Xin’an City, which wasn’t severely affected by disasters, would be quite straightforward. Now, hearing that the situation had become so serious, he truly felt it was a thorny and troublesome issue. He could not think of a solution, but the letter from home had repeatedly emphasized the urgency, and even though he had been careless in the past, he knew that this time, he couldn’t afford any slip-ups. This wasn’t like the fights he got into in the Capital City, where his family back him up and clean up the mess. If he messed up this time, not only would he suffer, but his entire family would also be dragged down with him.

"Sir, I’ve assigned more constables to patrol the streets, but it’s useless. The refugees are too many. Not just from inside Xin’an City, but some come from other disaster-affected areas. They have banded together and caused trouble. It’s truly detestable. Ordinary families dare not leave their homes now. Even when they’re at home, they block their doors with heavy objects, fearing these refugees might break in."