A Good Country Wife
Chapter 279 - 273 Fearless_1

Chapter 279: Chapter 273 Fearless_1

Zhao Lingxiang called Chunxi into the room to talk. Having heard nothing for so long about the matter she had charged Chunxi with, her face looked rather displeased.

"Auntie Zhao, it’s not that I’m unwilling to help you with the task, but as you know, the situation in our household is different. My husband and that woman he brought in from outside, that adulterous couple, are now watching me very closely. I simply have no chance to leave the house." Chunxi, seeing Auntie Zhao’s displeasure yet unable to help, was determined not to work for nothing, benefiting Zhao Jingui and the You Family.

"Enough, I’ve heard you. Go back," said Zhao Lingxiang, dismissing Chunxi with a wave of her hand, having grown tired of her excuses.

"Utterly useless, not the slightest bit helpful. She can’t even handle such a trivial task." Zhao Lingxiang’s well-laid plans were upset, and her mood was very foul.

"Auntie, don’t be angry. That woman is clearly timid and incompetent, obviously not suited for achieving anything but failure. It’s simply not worth it for someone of your esteemed standing to be upset over such a person. Besides, if Chunxi hasn’t managed it, there are others who might. Didn’t the master give you two hundred taels of silver? With such a large sum, what can’t be accomplished?" Xiaocui was clearly coveting the two hundred taels of silver Master Wei had given to Zhao Lingxiang. As she spoke of the silver, a greedy look inevitably appeared on her face, which made Zhao Lingxiang feel more suffocated.

Far from being appeased by Xiaocui’s words, Zhao Lingxiang only grew angrier, though she kept it internal. How could she have forgotten that she had this informant, Xiaocui, at hand? The maid was not faithful, yet she knew of her affairs. If she wanted to embezzle the silver, she would have to share some to keep this maid’s mouth shut, otherwise, Xiaocui might well spill all of her secrets.

"It’s scorching hot, what kind of weather is this? Fan me quickly, you useless girl!" Zhao Lingxiang snapped irritably. It was already deep autumn, and the weather was quite cool, but she used this as an excuse to reprimand Xiaocui, which was indicative of her fiery temper and anxiety over the silver.

It made sense, after all. Zhao Lingxiang had everything well-calculated, yet one thing after another had gone beyond her expectations. The best way to describe her current situation would be: her dreams too perfect, reality too bleak! Not only had the weight of silver destined for her pocket diminished, but even a maid was trying to get a share of it. It was both infuriating and despairing.

Xiaocui, seeing Auntie in such a state, understood why she was angry. She had said those words because she had guessed Auntie Zhao’s intentions, aiming to get a cut of the two hundred taels of silver. Auntie Zhao had not misjudged her; it was not that she was overly greedy, but rather that Auntie Zhao, the mistress, was too stingy. The ten or twenty coppers she would usually give were hardly enough for her to buy snacks and seeds. Naturally, Xiaocui had to look out for herself—silver was the real treasure, coveted by all.

If her mistresses had been the likes of the lady or Auntie Zhou, Xiaocui wouldn’t dare to behave this way, as either could easily sell her off without any hesitation. One ruled the inner courtyard and the other was the master’s favorite. Auntie Zhao, however, didn’t have that kind of authority. Though she belonged to Auntie Zhao and could endure a little scolding and spanking from her, any serious punishment would require the lady’s approval. All the maids in the inner courtyard were under the lady’s command, and besides, Auntie Zhao had compromising information in Xiaocui’s hands. She had no need to be afraid; if Auntie Zhao really dared to do something drastic to her, the worst outcome would be mutually assured destruction, and Auntie Zhao wouldn’t be foolish enough to risk that. Hence, Xiaocui could be fearless.

Zhao Lingxiang sulked for a while before getting her mind back to work. Seeing that Chunxi had not managed to get the recipe, she had to think of another way. If Zhao Erhu and his wife didn’t agree, she would have to bribe their family’s long-term workers, which wouldn’t be cheap either. She decided to visit Zhao Erhu’s family first to gauge Zhao Erhu and his wife’s attitude. If she could buy the recipe from them for less, then that was for the best. Otherwise, she would have to make other plans.

Zhao Lingxiang sat for quite a while, and seeing Xiaocui, who was already having difficulties waving the fan, she finally felt a lot more comfortable. She was only a maid, after all; did Xiaocui really think she could play mind games with her without getting dealt with?

If it weren’t for the fact that she had to hurry to Zhao Erhu’s place today, she would have loved to torment Xiaocui a bit more. But there was no rush; there would be plenty of time. Did Xiaocui really think silver was so easy to obtain? Since Xiaocui had entertained such thoughts, she certainly wouldn’t be polite about it. Who couldn’t command a maid around? It wasn’t just the madam of the house who knew how to make life difficult for others.

"Enough with the fanning, you look like you barely have the energy to do it. You’re even more delicate than I am, an auntie. Go outside and get the carriage ready, I’m off to Zhao Erhu’s," said Zhao Lingxiang, who couldn’t hide her disgust for Xiaocui, hence her unkind manner of speaking.

Xiaocui really knew how to bend or stand as needed. Even when Mistress Lingxiang tormented her, she didn’t get angry. Since Mistress Lingxiang had spoken, Xiaocui had naturally prepared herself to take the brunt of her wrath. As soon as she received the order, she crisply replied, "Alright, Mistress Lingxiang, just wait, I’ll go and arrange everything right away"—her response even quicker than usual.

Li Xiaomei had just returned from Zhao Erhu’s place and saw Zhao Lingxiang’s carriage heading there on the road. She didn’t bother going home but turned around and followed it back to Zhao Erhu’s, wanting to see what Zhao Lingxiang was up to this time.

Although Li Xiaomei didn’t have any significant issues with Zhao Lingxiang, she didn’t have a good impression of her sister-in-law. The reason went back to the time when Zhao Cheng had gone to the Wei Residence and ended up getting chased away like a beggar by the servants there. Li Xiaomei was so furious; despite how she appeared to order her husband about on a daily basis, she actually harbored deep concern for him. She had held a grudge ever since, and upon hearing about the incident from Zhao Cheng, she had felt like storming the Wei Residence to see what was so great about it—just a merchant with some stinking money, full of themselves. After all, in the social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants were the lowest of the lot.

Zhao Lingxiang arrived at Zhao Erhu’s home first since she was riding in a carriage, which naturally was faster than walking. By the time Zhao Lingxiang alighted from the carriage and leisurely instructed Xiaocui to knock on the door, Li Xiaomei was just catching up, out of breath.

"Zhao Lingxiang, what are you doing here? What are you planning against my family this time? I’m not someone to be trifled with, so get lost immediately. We do not welcome you here!" Lin Yue, hearing someone at the door and realizing it was Zhao Lingxiang, stood across the entrance, showing no intention of letting her in.

This woman had stolen the sprouting bean recipe from Chunxi, selling them at a lower price to compete with their family’s business, and now she had the nerve to show up at their door? She really had some thick skin; wasn’t she afraid they would throw her out?

Zhao Lingxiang had been sent by Old Master Wei this time, and with silver in her pocket, she was far more assertive than before. Seeing Lin Yue like this, her voice seemed to come from her nose as she looked down on Lin Yue with contempt.