A Good Country Wife
Chapter 398 - 392_1

Chapter 398: Chapter 392_1

"Butler Jiang, as newcomers, we are not familiar with the situation in your mansion, so could you please tell us about it? I will be staying at your residence for some time and I would not want to inadvertently offend anyone," Lin Yue also wanted to make things clear. Since they were staying at the Jiang Residence, it was only right to pay a visit to Jiang Ziqi’s elders; otherwise, it would seem quite impolite. As for whether they would receive her or not, that was their decision. She also wondered if it was customary to prepare gifts for each household within the mansion. Lin Yue thought about this with a headache; she was not very skilled in these matters, which was one of the reasons why she did not want to stay at the Jiang Residence in the first place.

"Madam Lin, you needn’t worry, the old Family Head and the master of the house are very amiable, and since they keep a low profile and rarely appear, you will hardly see them. As for the others, you really do not need to take them into consideration. Madam Lin is a distinguished guest invited by the Family Head; you may do as you please in the residence. If anyone dares to slight you, the Family Head certainly will not let them off easily," replied Butler Jiang. He was trusted by two generations of Family Heads, not only for his skills but also because he was a cunning person. Let alone the fact that the Family Head had given instructions in advance, just considering that the Family Head had personally retrieved her to stay at the mansion, and arranged for her to be a guest in Qiwu Courtyard, he would treat her with the utmost respect no matter her status.

"Thank you, Butler Jiang, I understand now. As a newcomer to the Jiang Residence, I suppose I must pay a visit to the old Family Head and the master. I just don’t know if it would be convenient for the two elders. Please arrange it for me," Lin Yue said.

"Rest assured, Madam Lin, I will inquire about the old Family Head and the master’s intentions. If they are willing to meet Madam Lin, I will make the arrangements," Butler Jiang reassured her.

"Then I’ll have to trouble you, Butler Jiang. I have brought some local products and homemade ingredients from my home. If you do not mind, please accept them. It’s not much, just a token of appreciation from my husband and me," said Lin Yue. Since she was going to stay in the Jiang Residence for a while, it was natural to tip Butler Jiang. She had originally planned to offer silver as a tip, but she was unsure about the going rate in the Capital City; too little would seem inappropriate, while too much would be painful to part with. It seemed better to give some of the local produce they brought, which were good enough to be sent to the palace for the nobility to use, so they were certainly not inferior for Butler Jiang.

Zhao Erhu was out taking care of some business. Upon his return, Lin Yue shared her thoughts with him. Zhao Erhu agreed, feeling that his wife had been more considerate than he was. He was not very familiar with the affairs of such a big household, but with Butler Jiang’s guidance, there should be no problems.

"Brother Erhu, what do you think would be a good gift to offer when we visit the old Family Head and the master? Simply giving the local products we brought seems somewhat insufficient, considering their status. After all, they are Jiang Ziqi’s elders, and we should give something more valuable," Lin Yue said.

Zhao Erhu pondered, "Wife, those treasures you found in Longmen Town, is there anything suitable among them? You said they were all valuable items. Why not select a few pieces to present to the old Family Head and the master?"

"That idea coincides with mine. I was thinking the same, but we should ask Ziqi to appraise these items before we give them away with confidence," she replied.

Lin Yue was always decisive, and having been occupied with settling in the previous day, she didn’t have time to address the matter. Now that she remembered, she immediately summoned a servant of the Jiang Residence. "Your name is Xiaofang, right? Could you please go to your master’s quarters and ask if he has time to come over? I need his assistance with something," Lin Yue said.

"Yes, Madam Lin, I will go right away," Xiaofang responded respectfully, not showing any contempt for Zhao Erhu and his wife due to their status, unlike many other servants in the house. The reason Jiang Ziqi assigned her to serve Lin Yue was precisely because he saw that she was clever and sensible.

Since it was Lin Yue’s first time at the Jiang Residence, Jiang Ziqi, fearing she might not adjust well, deliberately stayed at home instead of going out. He wanted to be available in case Lin Yue needed him. It wasn’t long before Xiaofang left that Jiang Ziqi arrived at Qiwu Courtyard with her.

"Yueyue, what do you need my help with?" Ziqi asked.

"Ziqi, I bought a few items in Longmen Town and, fearing my judgment might not suffice, I wanted your help to appraise them," said Lin Yue casually. It was only because she initially didn’t want to stay at the Jiang Residence that she had been formal with Ziqi. Now that she was living there, she felt no pressure, treating him much the same as always without letting his status affect their interaction.

Ziqi was pleased with this; Yueyue still knew his heart best. Even Erhu had become slightly more respectful toward him than before, which he found rather helpless. He gestured for his maid and attendants who followed him to step back. "What are these items? Bring them to me to have a look. Your taste has always been good, and if you chose them, they must be fine pieces," he said.

Hearing this, Zhao Erhu carefully took out Lin Yue’s finds from Longmen Town and placed them on the table, "These are the ones."

"Yueyue, you have excellent taste! These are indeed valuable, especially this white jade brush pot from Hetian. It has a great color and texture. How much silver did you spend on it?" asked Ziqi, curious, something he would not ask just anyone, but he knew Lin Yue wouldn’t mind.

Lin Yue did not answer directly but made a gesture with her hand for Ziqi to guess.

Ziqi raised his eyebrows, "One thousand five hundred silver?"

"Wrong, it was three hundred silver. In total, this brush pot and the other items cost me only one hundred fifty silver. How about that? I am pretty good, right?" boasted Lin Yue, quite pleased with her haul. Her tone was braggartly, seeing Ziqi’s indulgent and doting gaze, which mirrored Erhu’s. She didn’t notice how Ziqi looked at her.

To Ziqi, there was little he hadn’t seen before in terms of fine goods; these items were barely eye-catching. But seeing Lin Yue so happy, he gladly indulged her, "Impressive! These items together have earned you thousands of silver. It’s amazing how you got them when so many people passed them by."

"That just shows how good my eye is, or why else would I have got them?" Lin Yue, feeling proud and a bit haughty, replied, basking in Ziqi’s compliments.

"My wife is the most amazing," Zhao Erhu said, affectionately patting Lin Yue’s head, proud of her skills. Seeing Zhao Erhu do this, Ziqi also longed to pet Yueyue but, having no place to do so, reluctantly shifted his gaze to the items Lin Yue had brought back, picking out a very exquisite snuff bottle.

"Yueyue, could you sell me this item? My Family Head father is fond of collecting snuff bottles. This one is very delicate and he would surely like it. As for the price, I won’t let you down," he offered.

On hearing that the Family Head collected snuff bottles, an idea crossed Lin Yue’s mind. "This snuff bottle is indeed exquisite, but I really can’t sell it to you; I have another use for it."