A Good Country Wife
Chapter 194: Feeling a Bit Guilty_1

Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Feeling a Bit Guilty_1

Chunxi and her mother-in-law, with the only man in their family gone and never returning, struggled every day to raise the children. Lin Yue pitied them greatly and always thought that if she was able, she would help them a bit, but considering Chunxi’s behavior regarding the matter of wages, it seemed that her character wasn’t very reliable. It would be wise to minimize contact with her in the future, or at least treat her only as an ordinary friend.

Lin Yue was occasionally kind, but not foolishly so. When Chunxi had taken the silver, she acted as if Lin Yue owed her help, which was simply expected. Perhaps it was because Lin Yue had been too good to Chunxi and her mother-in-law that Chunxi came to think this way. "Give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile" really did make sense. It seemed Lin Yue still had much to learn about how to behave in society. As for Chunxi, Lin Yue had no plans to be taken advantage of any longer.

Mrs. Liu became quite agitated upon hearing Lin Yue’s words, "What are you talking about? As long as you two don’t suffer losses, I, as your sister-in-law, would be relieved. I’ve never seen anyone as benevolent and honest as you two, handing over five taels of silver with just the blink of an eye. Your brother and I are really worried about you!"

"However, you’re not really telling the truth about coming over to help out, are you? Are you and Erhu just saying that to support us? Our large family already spends quite a bit on food alone, we can’t afford to trouble you and Erhu. Now the Wei Family is somewhat considerate towards Dahu, and the situation for me and the kids has gotten a lot better, life isn’t so tough anymore, there’s no need for you to..."

Being called honest by such a sincere person as Mrs. Liu felt rather strange to Lin Yue, and she was a bit guilty because her actions weren’t out of benevolence but had an element of testing the waters, which included misunderstanding the honest couple, Zhao Dahuo and his wife.

"Sis, why would I lie to you? If I invite you and Big Brother over, I can’t expect you to just sit around. You’ll know whether there’s work to do or not," said Lin Yue. If it were before, she and Zhao Erhu could manage on their own with a little hustle, but this time, with the big success of their zongzi sales, they not only made a decent amount of money but also gained connections. Now, two families aware of Erhu’s dealings with the Government Office had also made arrangements with him. Lin Yue planned to cultivate all the wasteland at home and plant vegetables that could still grow this season. If there were any suitable farmland available in the village, she wanted to buy some as well. All these tasks required manpower, and Lin Yue truly needed help.

"If that’s really the case, how could we refuse? But the wages can’t be as high as these past few days. Otherwise, even if you invited someone else, I wouldn’t agree to it," Zhao Dahuo and Mrs. Liu both had their own principles. Helping each other out as brothers was a matter of loyalty, they couldn’t just accept this as a matter of course.

"Of course, Erhu and I aren’t fools. We really couldn’t afford to pay such high wages for help, and this is a long-term matter, not just a day or two. The wages we’ll offer you are based on the normal rates, so you and Big Brother don’t have to worry about us suffering losses."

Lin Yue knew the character of Zhao Dahuo and his wife. However, some things went beyond just wages. When they came over, she would make sure the meals were better, sew a few more sets of clothes for them, and their children could learn to read with Dalang. Although Qiuqiu was a girl who didn’t need to earn a living outside, being literate was always beneficial, and she could also learn embroidery from Lin Yue. Even though Lin Yue couldn’t teach her everything, a few techniques would be enough for Qiuqiu to benefit from.

"Yes, Big Brother and Sis, please come over here and help us," Zhao Erhu chimed in as he returned from outside and overheard their conversation.

"So that’s settled, then? My wife and I will come over early tomorrow morning with the kids." Zhao Dahuo and his wife were naturally happy to work at his brother’s place. At first, they felt a bit guilty and uneasy about accepting the wages from Zhao Erhu, but since Zhao Erhu said that he was planning to hire someone anyway and that the money had to be earned by someone, the couple felt completely at ease. According to him, the key was keeping the cooking methods secret, so only trustworthy people could be hired, and who could be more trustworthy than his own brother and sister-in-law? They would never reveal the secrets of their own flesh and blood.

"Remember to bring the kids along. Big brother and sister-in-law are really good at raising children, they’re all very capable. They will definitely be a big help," Lin Yue reminded Zhao Dahuo and his wife, worried that they might deliberately leave the children behind to avoid bothering her.

Having arranged things with Zhao Dahuo and his wife, Lin Yue joined Mrs. Liu in the kitchen. Chunxi, seeing that Lin Yue and Mrs. Liu had been chatting outside for so long, felt curious, wondering if Lin Yue had come up with another money-making scheme. These past few days, she had effortlessly earned ten taels of silver with her mother-in-law, tasted the sweetness of profit, and even generously bought fabric from the city to make new clothes for herself, her mother-in-law, and the kids.

"Sister-in-law, Yueyue, what were you talking about outside? You seemed so happy," Chunxi couldn’t help probing, pretending to make casual conversation, not wanting to be left out of any good opportunities. However, the eagerness on her face was too obvious, and Lin Yue noticed it immediately, betraying Chunxi’s intentions.

Mrs. Liu knew that Lin Yue had invited Chunxi over twice and recognized her as a good friend of Lin Yue. So when Chunxi asked, Mrs. Liu was about to respond but was interrupted by Lin Yue, "Chunxi is really curious, isn’t she? It’s nothing, really. My sister-in-law and I were just chatting about ordinary family matters, nothing worth mentioning."

"Yes, indeed. It’s just some annoying family issues, nothing you can talk about without feeling distressed. Better to leave it unsaid," Mrs. Liu added. She might be honest, but she wasn’t foolish. Seeing Lin Yue cautious around Chunxi, Mrs. Liu’s impression of her changed. Chunxi must have done something wrong to make Yueyue wary; it seemed she had to be careful around this woman from now on.

"Is that so? The bond between you sisters-in-law really is wonderful," Chunxi said, sensing that neither Lin Yue nor Mrs. Liu was telling the truth and feeling unsatisfied for not getting any useful information. But seeing that Lin Yue had no intention of continuing the conversation, Chunxi kept silent and continued with her work, though planning to ask again when Lin Yue was in a better mood. Yueyue had always been kind to her, she wouldn’t reject her.

Lin Yue stripped vegetables expressionlessly, not even wanting to engage with Chunxi. The kitchen grew quiet for a while until children’s voices calling for their aunt and uncle came from outside. Lin Yue thought she had misheard; why would Zhao Yunxiang suddenly show up? She hadn’t asked Zhao Erhu to invite them. She put down her work and stepped out of the kitchen, looking toward the courtyard gate, and to her surprise, it really was Zhao Yunxiang and her family arriving, this time with the children.

"Big sister, brother-in-law, you’re here! Come in and have a seat," Zhao Erhu said as he came outside, having heard the commotion, meeting Lin Yue’s gaze with a hint of guilt.