A Good Country Wife

"Alright, there’s nothing special about that. Every landlord uses these; don’t act like a country bumpkin with no experience, making others laugh at us for nothing." Lin Youfu said this, but he himself sat in the chair with a big swagger and even deliberately **ed twice. The chair didn’t budge, and he thought to himself, what a sturdy chair this is.

"Who’s laughing? There’s no one here! I even sent Qingqing back to his room." Madam Zhou’s mood dampened significantly when it came to her son. She sighed, "If you ask me, this child is just too simple and honest. Look at how he stood up to us in front of that wretched girl earlier, and just now, what was he saying? He even threatened me. This child really... he almost angered me to death! I think our son has been made foolish by the teachers at the academy, always doing these foolish things that benefit others."

"Nonsense! What do you mean ’made foolish’? That’s a woman’s perspective. Qingqing attends the best academy around here. It’s said that Songshan Academy is extremely famous throughout Dazhou, with students from other places coming here to study. How could their teachers not be good? It’s not a bad thing for Qingqing to be the way he is now; he’s not like us common folks. Saving face is the most important thing. What foolishness? That’s integrity. People who study should have such integrity."

"That’s true, our son will be an official in the future, so integrity is indeed crucial. Now that you mention it, I’ve seen officials who act just like that." Madam Zhou became more convinced as she spoke. She had never really seen any officials; at most, she had encountered a few runners from the government office.

"Good that you understand. So in the future, avoid discussing messy affairs in front of Qingqing. He’s always been stubborn and protective of his sister. We don’t want him to get upset over these things and lose his concentration. Then how will he find the peace of mind to study? Do you think I didn’t continue talking just now for no reason?" Lin Youfu was certainly more astute than Madam Zhou. His words were also a hint to her that it was okay to do whatever was needed as long as they kept it from Lin Qing.

Only then did Madam Zhou remember, and she curiously asked, "Speaking of which, head of the family, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have thought of it. Just now, why did you talk about helping out that wretched girl? They have so many servants; they don’t need our help. Why bother putting in the effort? Can’t you just enjoy your peace here? That wretched girl can deny it all she wants, but we are her biological parents after all, with our own flesh and blood living here. What’s there to be uneasy about? Don’t go seeking that kind of trouble."

"That’s what I’m saying, you’re shortsighted. Do you think I just want to go there to work? Your mind is full of trivial matters. What are they worth?"

Madam Zhou, still confused by Lin Youfu’s words, asked, "Ah? Then what do you mean, head of the family? Is there some scheme involved? You know I’m not clever, tell me clearly so I can understand and help you."

"Just look at those managers in our second daughter’s house. Every one of them who has a bit of authority to manage people and things dresses up fine and dandy! And that’s just the surface; who knows how many perks they’ve secretly gathered, all tucked away in their pockets. Remember Old Li from our village? His daughter married into a landlord family as a concubine and got a job in procurement. With silver coin flowing in and out, the profits were thick, and within a few years, they bought a house in the city and moved there. The servant staff at our second daughter’s place outnumbers that of any landlord, not to mention how much wealthier they are. Naturally, the perks there can’t be compared to those of a landlord’s."

"Head of the family, you really think fast. I never thought about that. Now that you say it, it does make sense. I remember being envious of Old Li back in the day, wondering what good fortune his daughter had embroidered in her past life to be able to provide for him like that."