A Good Country Wife
Chapter 317 - 311 The Foolish One Harms_1

Chapter 317: Chapter 311 The Foolish One Harms_1

Jiang Ziqi rode in a carriage and arrived ahead of Lin Yue. Seeing that the gate of Lin Yue’s family courtyard was wide open, he frowned slightly. Little Yueyue was always cautious; it made no sense that she would leave the gate open, especially when there were important things stored in the house. Could it be that a theft had occurred?

Immediately taking Axin with him into the courtyard to inspect, Jiang Ziqi saw Liu Aniu and Li Chang’an sitting at the entrance to Lin Yue’s house, one on the left and one on the right. With Jiang’s keen eyesight, he could quickly discern the nature of both men. Raising his eyebrows, he thought, what is happening here? The small village of the Zhao Family is indeed full of surprises, with all sorts of messy events occurring, and all kinds of strange creatures lurking.

Liu Aniu and Li Chang’an were long-term workers recruited by Zhao Erhu and naturally did not recognize Jiang Ziqi.

"Who are you, and are you here to see our Dongjia?" Liu Aniu questioned as he watched Jiang Ziqi and his servant enter, since they did not knock before entering, his tone was somewhat blunt.

Upon seeing Jiang Ziqi’s attire, Li Chang’an realized he came from a wealthy family and thought Liu Aniu lacked discernment. Such a person should be fawned over, so he quickly stepped forward to greet Jiang Ziqi and his servant, "This young master, you must be looking for our Dongjia. He’s gone out and won’t return for a while."

However, Jiang Ziqi chose to ignore Li Chang’an, who was shamelessly currying favor, and instead turned to Liu Aniu, "Your Dongjia will be back soon. Lead me inside to sit and wait for his return."

Liu Aniu hesitated, uncertain of who Jiang Ziqi really was. How could he let a stranger into the house when the Dongjia was not at home? Yet, he feared offending a true friend of the Dongjia by being inhospitable.

Li Chang’an didn’t mind being snubbed and, seeing Jiang’s instructions ignored by a static Liu Aniu, chastised him, "Liu Aniu, you fool, what are you waiting for? Didn’t you hear what the young master said? Are you going to snub the Dongjia’s honored guest? Just wait and see how the Dongjia deals with you when he returns!"

"How should I know whether he really is the Dongjia’s honored guest? With the Dongjia away, I must properly guard the house and not allow strangers in. Besides, the young master said the Dongjia would return soon. It won’t make a difference if we wait a little. Maybe I should carry a stool out here for the guest to rest in the courtyard while we wait for the Dongjia’s return." Liu Aniu decided it was best not to let Jiang Ziqi and his servant inside. Given the recent unrest, if someone with ill intentions took advantage or noticed something they shouldn’t, he couldn’t fail the Dongjia’s trust. Hence, he came up with this compromise.

"Let’s do that then, please trouble yourself to bring out a stool for me," replied Jiang Ziqi, not wanting to make things difficult for Liu Aniu. Servants like these, who were loyal and dependable, were essential for protecting a master’s home. While Liu Aniu might be stubborn, he showed some flexibility by thinking to bring out a seat, which was commendable for an uneducated countryman. One couldn’t expect too much.

As for the other one, with his shifty-eyed, cringing demeanor despite his burly appearance, he rushed to ingratiate himself upon seeing wealth, obviously not to be trusted. There must have been some shady dealings afoot while they sat there, Jiang reflected. How could Yueyue, so clever and capable, retain such servants? Was Zhao Erhu unaware, or was there a hidden motive for keeping such a person around?

"Young master, why don’t we return to the carriage to rest for a bit?" Axin spoke with some dissatisfaction. When had their young master ever been treated with such disrespect? He didn’t think highly of the uncouth country bumpkin, Liu Aniu.

"No matter, sitting here is just fine. The air in the courtyard is fresh, and it’s nice to bask in the sunlight. After sitting in the carriage for so long, it feels stuffy," Jiang Ziqi said with a smile, his mood still quite good, "Axin, go pour me a cup of tea."

Hearing Jiang Ziqi’s words made Liu Aniu realize he had been remiss, even forgetting to serve the guest tea. He was about to head to the kitchen when he saw Axin sprint towards the carriage by the gate, pulling out a set of tea utensils, with the tea still warm, likely intended for guests during the carriage ride. Axin meticulously cleaned a nearby stone table, spread a cloth, and arranged the tea set before carefully pouring a cup of tea for Jiang Ziqi and serving it to him.

Watching how Jiang Ziqi and his servant behaved, Liu Aniu feared that they might indeed be friends of the Dongjia, and awkwardly apologized, "Sorry for the inconvenience. The Dongjia asked me to keep a close watch on the house in his absence. I can’t just let people in, especially since many of the house’s items are confidential and should not be seen by outsiders."

Liu Aniu intended this as an explanation for Jiang Ziqi, but people of different statuses think differently, even servants, and the same words are understood in different ways.

Axin bristled upon hearing Liu Aniu’s words; look at this unsophisticated country fellow’s speech—they were being guarded against! Their young master had seen all manner of things; even the Imperial Palace was accessible to him at will, and now to be regarded with such suspicion by a boorish countryman was an insult, infuriating indeed.

"Hmph! An ignorant country bumpkin. What status does my young master have? He has no interest in your Dongjia’s trinkets. Even if you offered them to us, we wouldn’t deign to accept them. My young master has traveled far and wide, and never once has he been slighted in such a manner," Axin burst out, perhaps being irrationally provoked by Liu Aniu’s offensive words, seeing him as nothing but a fool.

"You’re right, young master. This Liu Aniu is just clueless. Don’t trouble yourself over him,"

"Get lost, get lost! I don’t need your service. What even are you, trying to cozy up without considering your own status? Do you really think you can ingratiate yourself with our young master?" Axin disliked the straightforward Liu Aniu, finding him too dense, and had even less fondness for the sycophantic Li Chang’an. Recognition of such types came easily to him; he’d seen enough people to guess Li’s intentions without a second thought.

"I, I didn’t mean that. With the master away, I cannot let you in just like that," Liu Aniu knew better, but his verbal articulation was truly clumsy, his explanation raw and unpolished.

"Enough, Axin. Liu Aniu is merely doing his duty. Don’t make it difficult for him," Jiang Ziqi stopped Axin, who was about to continue, from speaking further. After being reprimanded by his young master, Axin glared bitterly at Liu Aniu—this foolish man was to blame.

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