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."