Chapter 623 - 617_1
"There’s one more thing, before I came here, I visited the village and saw the situation there. Everyone’s homes have been raided by refugees who stole their food, and they are in an even worse state than your household, Uncle Youfu. There are even those who have starved to death. If this continues, I’m afraid we won’t be able to hold on. Since we are able to shelter those refugees, as a member of the Zhao Family Village, I cannot stand by and do nothing. So please, Uncle Youfu, could you discuss with everyone in the village that those who have run out of food can come to my house? However, the same rule applies as with the refugees: they must exchange their own labor for it, of course, they won’t be short-changed on their wages."
Zhao Youfu was actually worried about the state of the village too, but he had been refraining from asking in front of his wife. After all, she had just been angry with him over this issue and had had a falling-out with him, and now as she lay in bed, Zhao Youfu didn’t want to upset her again. Even though he was concerned, since Lin Yue had brought it up first, he naturally found a reason to get involved, and so he eagerly made an excuse.
"Of course," Zhao Youfu said, "there’s no such thing as a free meal after all. Don’t worry, Erhu’s wife, I’ll take care of this matter. I’m the village head of Zhao Family Village, after all. It’s my responsibility." When Zhao Youfu said this, he also stole a glance at his wife to make sure she wasn’t getting angry at his words and he finally let out a sigh of relief.
The village head’s wife pretended not to notice the village head sneaking a peek at her. She had been infuriated by her husband’s words earlier, compounded by her concerns about the future and a sense of despair. She’d simply found an outlet to vent her feelings, which led to those words. Now that there was no need to worry, naturally, there was no reason not to let her husband take care of the villagers. She wasn’t a heartless person; after living in the village for decades, she was troubled by the sight of her fellow villagers starving. Initially, she had to prioritize her family’s needs, but the village head’s wife felt there was some truth to what the village head said—he was indeed the head of the village, and these were his duties.
The village head’s youngest son and daughter-in-law were unaware of their mother’s thoughts. Seeing that their father, the village head, was about to attend to village affairs again, they watched the village head’s wife nervously, fearing she might become angry once more.
In Lin Yue’s presence, the village head couldn’t lose face. After Lin Yue left, the village head sat down in front of his wife and personally fed her, "My partner, how is it, have you eaten well? There is still plenty of food in the box; do you want me to serve you some more?"
"That’s enough, I don’t need any more; I am full. Save the rest for yourselves," the village head’s wife said. The village head was a traditionalist who never deigned to perform such tasks. Seeing him be so considerate and attend to her was rare, and even if the village head’s wife still harbored some anger, it dissipated at that moment. She then remembered that her husband, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson hadn’t eaten yet and hurried them to go have their meal.
"Are you sure you won’t have a little more? This porridge smells quite fragrant. How about I serve you half a bowl more? You can’t eat too much, but this small amount shouldn’t be a problem," the village head suggested, not realizing that his wife wanted to save more for them to eat, thinking instead that the village head’s wife was adhering to Madam Xu’s instructions.
"I’ve told you I’m full and don’t want any more. Didn’t you hear me? Go eat yourself. Don’t you have to arrange things for the village? It’s getting late, and you’re still dawdling here for no reason!" The village head’s wife’s words were sharp, but they hit the nail on the head regarding the village head’s thoughts; he had been seeking his wife’s forgiveness with this small act of attention so that she would not continue to be angry about him managing village affairs.