A Good Country Wife
Chapter 234 - 230 Reluctant Evil Intent_1

Chapter 234: Chapter 230 Reluctant Evil Intent_1

In the past days, the work on the land was completed, and even the canals had been dug. All that was left was to connect the final section with the valley, and irrigation would be possible. However, because the secret of the valley must not be disclosed, Zhao Erhu was the only one who could dig through this last part.

Everyone worked for twenty-three days, earning thirty coins a day, amounting to six hundred and ninety coins per person. Lin Yue saw that everyone had worked hard during these days and decided to round up the wages, giving each person seven hundred coins. Everyone was overjoyed, repeatedly praising Dongjia for being generous.

Working here was not only well-paid but also included lunch. Although initially, it was just plain rice, which these sturdy men could easily consume in large quantities, an expense no household could sustain, later on they were provided with mixed grain buns to their satisfaction, along with porridge enriched with meat and eggs. They were also given snacks in the afternoon. No other employer offered such treatment. The workers were filled with gratitude for Zhao Erhu’s family and considered Dongjia to be a benevolent and righteous employer. Those who had once envied Zhao Erhu’s sudden prosperity now had no more resentment or ill-will. Everyone spoke well of Zhao Erhu’s family, and when leaving, they made sure to remind him not to forget them if he needed workers again, even if the wages were less.

After the day laborers left, Zhao Erhu spent a few days opening up the water source. It wasn’t a long stretch, but it took quite an effort to maintain secrecy. On the day the water was connected, Zhao Dahuo and his wife were amazed, but they carefully avoided asking where the water came from.

Out of the over one hundred acres, ten acres were allocated to grow sweet potatoes, leaving more than one hundred and twenty acres for other crops. Farming was a major undertaking, and neither Zhao Erhu nor Lin Yue planned to lease out the land. Since the season for planting rice had passed, other families did not have extra silver to buy seeds for vegetables, which could not serve as staple food and might not even bring a return when sold in the market. Hence, they were not inclined to rent, and it wouldn’t be profitable for Lin Yue and his family either if the rent was too low. Thus, they decided to hire several long-term workers for their household.

Zhao Erhu already had some candidates in mind for the long-term positions. Among the day laborers who had worked at his home, there were a few decent, hardworking, and reserved individuals who would be ideal. Zhao Erhu visited each to discuss the offer, and out of seven, five were willing to come. The other two had a few acres of their own and did not want to work as long-term laborers for someone else.

Zhao Erhu thus made agreements with these five individuals. They would receive a Tiao of silver as monthly wages with board included, and an additional two hundred coins for food allowance each month. The terms were quite generous. As long as the workers were suitable, neither Zhao Erhu nor Lin Yue minded paying a little extra.

In fact, Lin Genfa had also performed exceptionally well during the work period. If it wasn’t for his complicated relationship with their family, Zhao Erhu would have considered him too. But Lin Genfa’s sister, Sister Zhao Yunxiang, was not someone easy to get along with, especially with the younger daughter-in-law, as they never saw eye to eye. If Lin Genfa were hired and Zhao Yunxiang followed, it would upset the young daughter-in-law, which Zhao Erhu felt was inappropriate, so he never mentioned the possibility to Lin Genfa.

Lin Genfa was staying in the vegetable field’s shed with Zhao Dahuo and was somewhat aware of Zhao Erhu’s plans. Lin Genfa had worked hard labor outside for years, selling his physical strength for meager earnings in arduous conditions. His tenure with Zhao Erhu had been the best in terms of treatment.

Zhao Erhu’s offer to become a long-term worker tempted Lin Genfa, but he also knew his family’s situation. A short-term stint was manageable, but if it became long-term, it would be surprising if Yunxiang could resist moving over as well. And Yunxiang harbored a mentality, believing that since she had treated Zhao Erhu well in the past, anything he did for her was expected and anything less would be ungrateful. With such an attitude, how could she get along well with others?

Lin Genfa did not want Zhao Erhu and his wife to have conflicts over his wife’s behavior. Besides, Zhao Erhu had given him fifteen taels of silver, which Yunxiang ultimately used to buy four acres of land in the village, securing some property for the family. If they cultivated their land well, the family would have enough to eat without needing to work outside. He didn’t see the necessity to work elsewhere. Considering this, Lin Genfa felt grateful to Zhao Erhu yet again and couldn’t comprehend his wife’s relentless dissatisfaction. If only she could understand some reason and get along with her sister-in-law, it would be so much better for the relatives to live in harmony, instead of the current discord.

The hired hands were recruited, but there was certainly no place for them to live in the house, so they designated a strip of wasteland specifically for building houses. As they would be hiring more people in the future, they built a few temporary dwellings for now and planned to construct more gradually.

When discussing the construction of the new houses, Zhao Erhu had a different idea from Lin Yue’s—he wanted to move into the new houses themselves and let the hired hands live in their current residence, but Lin Yue disagreed.

"Better not, let the hired hands live there. I think that spot is just right. Besides, I’ve gotten used to living here and don’t want to keep changing places. In the future, we’ll build our own house next to the valley. And while we’re at it, you should also fix up our latrine and bathing room this time. It’s really not convenient otherwise."

Lin Yue truly wasn’t keen on moving; ever since she arrived here, she had personally tended every plant in the courtyard and the fruits and vegetables in the fields, which made it feel different. Moreover, if they were to build a new house for themselves, she didn’t want it to be done hastily or carelessly. She wanted to design the rooms and courtyard herself before having the craftsmen build according to her vision. The current construction, which was mainly for the hired hands, could be thrown up quickly using bricks, tiles, and mud without much fuss. There wasn’t a need to hire specific craftsmen for such simple houses, as employing craftsmen was a luxury reserved for the building of grand estates.

"Fine then, I was actually looking forward to living in a new house, but if my wife doesn’t want to, so be it. The household expenses are quite significant right now. Let’s wait until we have more surplus silver, and then we’ll build a grand house by the valley side. After that, our family can move in."

Building houses for the hired hands was easy. Zhao Erhu took care of ordering the construction materials like bricks, tiles, and lumber. There was no need for extra help. With just a few hired hands to assist him, they worked tirelessly for several days, and in just seven or eight days, two houses were built. Connected, each house had the same structure: four rooms, a kitchen, a latrine, and a bathing room. With eight rooms available in total, there was enough space for everyone at the moment.

Among the hired hands, two were from neighboring villages and would definitely stay on site. Zhao Erhu had asked the other three, who were from the same village, and apart from Liu Aniu, who needed to go home daily to care for his elderly mother, the other two were willing to stay. The newly built brick-and-tile houses were not only comfortable but also spacious. Besides, living there spared them from dealing with the minor daily squabbles back home. Two of the men even moved their wives and children in.

Lin Yue had no objections but laid down a few conditions and rules. Zhao Dahuo and his wife, who were usually out from dawn till dusk, would still return to the old Zhao family house to sleep. Seeing that there was extra space in the new dwellings, they mentioned it to Zhao Erhu and his wife and promptly moved in with their children, further decreasing their contact with the old Zhao residence.

As long as Zhao Dahuo and his wife paid their dues on time and in full, Wei Family turned a blind eye to everything else. However, Jin Family and Li Family, the wives of Wei Family’s sons, along with their children, were highly displeased with Zhao Dahuo and his wife moving out. They had been taking care of everything at home, working hard and exhausting themselves with the expectation that Zhao Dahuo’s family would come back soon to take over some of the chores. Now, not only were they not coming back, but they were also moving out. The two families were not at all pleased. As for the silver coin earned by Zhao Dahuo and his wife, it was all in Wei Family’s possession and didn’t benefit them in the slightest. They still ate the same food as before; in short, they saw no advantages from the situation. Unfortunately, since Zhao Dahuo and his wife were working for Zhao Erhu’s household, they couldn’t very well interfere with their work.

"Zhao Erhu, are you heading to the city?" Lin Yue was in the middle of washing her hair when she saw Zhao Erhu driving the ox cart out. She hurriedly called him to stop, holding her wet hair as she came over. Lin Yue was also troubled by her long hair, which was indeed inconvenient—washing and drying it was such a hassle.

"Yeah, I got a message from the Tooth House—several retired military horses have arrived, and I’m going to take a look. Haven’t you always wanted a horse-drawn carriage? The ox cart really isn’t convenient, too slow when hauling things. If I find the right ones, I’ll buy a couple to bring back. It will be more convenient for delivering vegetables and provisions to others." As Zhao Erhu replied, there was still plenty of time, and he wasn’t in a rush to leave for the city. He put down his whip and walked over to Lin Yue, intending to help her wash her hair.

"Why are you washing your hair this early in the morning? Didn’t I tell you to do it in the afternoon? You just don’t like listening to me, do you?" There was a superstitious belief that washing your hair or bathing in the morning could wash away your body’s yang energy. Zhao Erhu was somewhat a believer and would grumble a little each time Lin Yue washed her hair in the morning. Nonetheless, Lin Yue didn’t believe in such things and seldom heeded his advice. Yet, Zhao Erhu still tried to reason with his young wife on many occasions.

"I can’t stand not washing it. I sweated last night, and my hair feels itchy and uncomfortable. I can’t wait another minute. Zhao Erhu, why don’t you come and help me wash it? My hair is so annoying; it always tangles together." Zhao Erhu was fond of her coquettish behavior, and Lin Yue enjoyed being playful and acting spoiled with Zhao Erhu. Her voice was tender and sweet, enough to soften Zhao Erhu’s mood.

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