A Good Country Wife

Seeing all the old and young in the stockade worrying about their livelihoods, only able to sit and wait for the men of the household to risk their lives for a fight, managing to secure their living only by committing a robbery every now and then, Lin Yue felt somewhat troubled. When she first arrived, Zhao Erhu went hunting in the mountains to support the family, and she would worry day and night, afraid of the slightest mishap. Though dangerous, the risk was still less than that of being a bandit. An auntie in the stockade wasn’t wrong when she said that no one would choose to be a bandit if they weren’t driven to desperation. Not to mention the infamy that comes with the title, but even their lives were not guaranteed.

"Oh, that sounds like an excellent opportunity, Mrs. Lin, do tell?" Huangfu Yi showed some interest upon hearing Lin Yue’s words. If this could really improve the living conditions in the stockade, he could be more at ease—not having to constantly worry about the stockade’s livelihood and being able to stay away for a while.

"It’s not any extraordinary method. If some are hoping for unearned gains, lazing around with no effort, they might not be interested in this method. The reason I bring it up is simply because I see many of the elderly, frail women, and children in the stockade worrying about their relatives who fight and risk their lives outside. I just want to secure a peace of mind for them. Listen, head of the household."

Huangfu Yi nodded, indicating he understood. "In this world, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, everything is relative. Take us bandits, for example, though we make a swift profit from plundering, we have to constantly risk our heads at any moment, and we’re also burdened with a terrible reputation. Most of the people here are ordinary folks who’ve taken to the hills because they had no other choice, with no other means to earn a living. If Mrs. Lin could afford them a stable life without having to live in constant fear, I’m sure most would be willing. So, Mrs. Lin, please share your thoughts. Regardless of whether it works out in the end, I appreciate the gesture."

"I merely feel that the aunties and daughters-in-law in the stockade are actually quite nice, without any ill intentions, which is why I speak up. In fact, this method is quite simple—it’s about reclaiming wasteland for farming." Lin Yue said, pausing briefly to see that Huangfu Yi didn’t seem to disapprove or show any inappropriate reactions before continuing.

"Though what you said may sound ordinary, it is indeed feasible. I’ve stayed in the stockade for some days now and have gotten to know the general terrain and soil quality. The land here is relatively fertile and suitable for farming. I’ve noticed that if the brothers in the stockade don’t go out, they usually idle their days away, including their women and children at home, with nothing much to do. If they were to use that time for farming, why would we ever worry about a shortage of food? Over the past couple of years, my family has introduced a number of foreign seeds for planting. Many have proven successful, with very good yields, especially crops like sweet potatoes and corn. These are not only high-yielding and undemanding, but can also be used as food in times of hunger and are also easily stored. Many people in our village have started storing these two crops as their reserves."

Huangfu Yi did indeed find Lin Yue’s suggestion quite ordinary, but not unfeasible. He had thought about it before. Longhu Mountain had plenty of land, and without the government collecting taxes, the yields were bound to be better than those of ordinary farming households. But after all, he didn’t understand farming, so it remained just an idea, yet to be proposed. The few acres that had been cleared in the stockade were only planted with some vegetables, considering it was quite troublesome to buy them from outside the mountains. Now hearing Lin Yue bring it up, especially about the high-yielding sweet potatoes, which he knew could be turned into various delicious foods, he found her suggestion interesting.