A Good Country Wife

Lin Yue waved her hand, "No need to worry, things haven’t gotten that serious yet. The master is currently working on behalf of the Emperor, and serving the ruler is like accompanying a tiger. If the task is not completed well, the Emperor will surely place blame. We should not trouble him with such minor matters. The master is a family man and would rush back as soon as possible once his duties are fulfilled."

Although Madam Xu was worried, seeing Lin Yue’s determination, she didn’t press any further. However, she planned in her mind to discuss with the Manager of the outer courtyard to increase the number of guards on rotation to keep watch over the estate, to prevent any opportunity for evildoers.

Not only did Lin Yue notice, but the small village of Zhao Family, where everyone lived and grew up on the same land and knew each other well, had become vigilant with the frequent appearances of strangers, especially after the refugee incident when the villagers’ sense of alert was greatly heightened. It was later observed that these strangers were all targeting Zhao Erhu’s home, loitering outside and peering in with clearly ill intentions.

Speaking of the past, the villagers’ regard for Zhao Erhu’s family was mostly superficial, with little genuine gratitude. But that changed after the refugee incident. The type of gratitude that came from being saved from despair cannot be compared to small favors in ordinary times. Hence, most of the villagers were now worried about Lin Yue, fearing that Zhao Erhu’s family had attracted trouble. While they conveyed warnings to Lin Yue, they also did not forget to create some trouble for those strangers lurking outside Zhao Erhu’s residence.

So in this period, Lin Yue received many reminders and expressions of concern from her neighbors. Even the village chief came personally to ask if there was a need for everyone in the village to help drive those strangers away, an offer Lin Yue declined, appreciating everyone’s care for their own good.

"Erhu’s wife, you know the intentions of everyone in the village; if you do run into trouble, don’t try to shoulder it alone. We can all work together to find a solution – there is strength in numbers. Not to mention that before Erhu left, he asked me to look after you and the children. And during this refugee incident, if it weren’t for your brave actions providing a lifeline for everyone in the village, we all would have starved to death. You saved our lives, and the villagers are not afraid of getting into trouble; they are willing to risk their lives for you!"

"Uncle Youfu, I understand everyone’s intentions, but this matter isn’t so simple, nor can it be resolved with force. Even if we drove these people away, the trouble would still exist and may result in the villagers being resented. That wouldn’t be worth it."

"Is that really the case? Your words make some sense, Erhu’s wife. But never just shy away from asking for help because of fear of trouble."

"Don’t worry, Uncle Youfu; if the time comes when I need to ask, I will not hesitate to do so and will not exclude everyone. Please go back and tell them not to act rashly. I have a plan and a way to deal with this, and I’m grateful for everyone’s concern. It’s etched in my heart!"