Chapter 612 - 606_1
"Yes, young man, don’t be so cold-hearted! It’s only natural for someone to want to send some grain to their starving mother outside. Letting him out just once isn’t a big deal, saving a life is still an act of kindness and virtue! Why are you taking this so seriously? It’s not like the refugees will come pouring in the moment you open the gate. We’ve all heard that representatives of the refugees are currently in the parlor negotiating with your master. They wouldn’t cause any trouble."
But who was speaking up for Zhao Cheng? It was none other than the wife of Zhao Anyu, who had moved in with Zhao Anyu. Zhao Anyu and Zhao Erhu were first cousins and generally got along well. Seeing that Zhao Erhu had some admiration for Zhao Anyu, Lin Yue felt she couldn’t ignore Zhao Anyu in such a situation, especially since he was the village scholar and well-respected. Given this, it wouldn’t do to let the refugees harm him. Those refugees didn’t care whether you were a scholar or a respected person. With Zhao Anyu being a frail scholar, he couldn’t possibly withstand the refugees, so Lin Yue had to arrange for him to move in, and naturally, she had to bring along his entire family. However, with his foul-tempered daughter-in-law, Lin Yue wasn’t particularly welcoming; without anything better to do, the woman was always looking for trouble.
Zhao Cheng pleaded desperately, and Lady Qian chimed in to help. The servant at the gate was nearly persuaded to open it, but fortunately, at that very moment, Nanny Xu came by on patrol. She intervened in time, preventing a disaster from occurring.
Meanwhile, the refugees outside were pressing against the gate, silently listening to the commotion inside, intensely hoping the servants would open the door. They were ready to rush in at the opportunity, careful not to make any sound, for fear that any noise might cause the people inside to refuse to open the gate.
"Don’t open the gate! What were the mistress’s instructions? Do you dare to defy the mistress’s orders? If the refugees outside break in, it’s a small matter if you risk your own lives and property, but what about your unwillingness to drag your family into this mess and implicate everyone in the house? That would make you nothing but thorough criminals. How could you face the mistress then, and how would you repay her kindness toward us?" Nanny Xu reprimanded harshly, glaring at the two servants. Her gaze of condemnation quickly turned toward Zhao Cheng and Lady Qian—it was ultimately they who were causing the trouble, and the servants had merely been temporarily softhearted.
Nanny Xu couldn’t bring herself to respect these two, as they were not legitimate close relatives of the mistress. Now they had engaged in such misconduct. When she spoke, her tone was less than pleasant, "You two are considered relatives of the mistress, and out of kinship, she allowed you to come in to protect your lives and property, saving you from the refugees. You ought to be grateful to the mistress. Yet you turn around and engage in acts that endanger the welfare of everyone. Is this how you repay the mistress?"