A Good Country Wife
Chapter 427 - 421_1

Chapter 427: Chapter 421_1

The 28th of July arrived in the blink of an eye, and since Lin Yue had invited the young ladies from various households to participate in the banquet, she got up early to prepare. Only after ensuring that everything was in order, and that there were no oversights, did she breathe a sigh of relief. And with Aunt Chen supporting her, she felt quite at ease.

"Thank you, Aunt Chen, this is my first time handling such events, and I’m still not very familiar with it all. You’ve been a great help."

"Madam Lin, no need for politeness. This is as the Family Head wishes, and besides, I greatly admire you, Madam Lin. It pleases me to be able to help you," Aunt Chen replied.

Lin Yue knew that Aunt Chen coming over was Jiang Ziqi’s doing. Thus, after exchanging a few polite words and hearing what Aunt Chen had to say, she simply smiled without adding much more. Aunt Chen’s butler skills were not bad; she was very organized, and now that she was in charge of Jiang Ziqi’s inner courtyard, she had her ways to keep the servants in line. Indeed, she was capable, so Lin Yue felt relieved to delegate some tasks to her.

It was appropriate for someone like Aunt Chen to oversee the servants and organize things, but greeting and attending to guests was another matter. No household would assign a dishonorable aunt to do such tasks. It would be a loss of status. Therefore, the two Misses from the Jiang Family also came over. They joined Lin Yue at the main entrance to welcome the guests. After all, Lin Yue had only met some of them once and wasn’t familiar enough to remember everyone. The Jiang Family’s cousins had grown up in Capital City and often moved in these circles, which was perfect for introducing Lin Yue.

The earliest arrivals were Chen Ruyu and Zhang Peilan, who had arranged to come together. They were accompanied by a few young ladies from smaller households who sought to curry favor with Chen Ruyu and Zhang Peilan.

Upon noticing that the two Misses from the Jiang family were helping Lin Yue to host the guests, Chen Ruyu couldn’t hide her disdain. They were, after all, the Jiang Family’s cousins and here they were, eagerly fawning over a farm woman. Furthermore, when Zhang Peilan saw Miss Snow and Miss Blue, her first thought was that this farm woman must indeed have a close relationship with the Jiang Family. Anyone related to the Jiang Family was someone their Zhang Family must certainly strike down with all their might. It seemed her coming today had been the right choice.

Chen Ruyu had previously heard from a servant that Lin Yue’s family was renting their residence. Hence, seeing that Lin Yue’s house seemed not too small and was in a nice location, she wasn’t particularly impressed. Especially when she noticed the plaque above the mansion gate bearing the large characters "Zhao Residence," her face showed a barely concealed mockery. Indeed, she thought, such country folks had no sense, renting a house and even changing the plaque at the entrance. With the thought leading to sarcastic sentences spilling from her mouth, she said,

"Oh, this house doesn’t look too bad, does it? The monthly rent can’t be cheap, right? But there are things you don’t understand, Madam Lin. When you’re renting someone else’s property, you’re not supposed to change the plaque at the gate; it’s disrespectful to the owners. Besides, when the lease is up and you have to hand back the house, the plaque will have to be replaced. What’s the point if you’re just satisfying a whim for a few months, deluding yourself? After all, the house still belongs to someone else." Chen Ruyu deliberately raised her voice to ensure everyone could hear, intent on embarrassing Lin Yue.

Zhang Peilan, who held some status in the Zhang Family, unlike Chen Ruyu—a mere woman of the inner quarters—was better informed. She knew the house had been recently purchased and had even involved Jiang Ziqi. Being smarter than Chen Ruyu, she realized upon seeing the characters "Zhao Residence" that the property had indeed been bought by Lin Yue’s husband.

Zhang Peilan felt somewhat astonished that this couple from the countryside had some capability. It was not just any house that could be secured; even if the Ministry of Household sold it to favor Jiang Ziqi, it wouldn’t have been for tens of thousands of taels. And since the Family Head of the Jiang Family paid them special attention, there must be something particularly worth engaging with.

Although the Zhang Family’s influence was waning, they had once been part of the Aristocratic Family. Zhang Peilan would not naively assume, like the foolish Chen Ruyu, that the Misses from the Jiang Family and Aunt Chen were eagerly accommodating this farming couple. Their repeated assistance to Lin Yue must be on Jiang Ziqi’s orders. The women Miss Snow and Miss Blue were quite proud; they would not have agreed to such a task without instructions from the Family Head.

Lin Yue found Chen Ruyu’s speech somewhat amusing. This woman’s mind was always so simplistic, and her pettiness was such that she would make trouble without inquiring clearly, not even fearing to become a laughing stock. "Miss Chen, what do you mean by that? I’m not quite sure I understand. Perhaps Miss Zhang, who has always been close to you, could explain?" Lin Yue asked.

Unable to bear Lin Yue pretending to be oblivious, Chen Ruyu spoke out, "What’s there not to understand? I’m saying you’re too..."

"Ruyu, stop talking!" With such a senselessly foolish and pig-headed ally as Chen Ruyu, Zhang Peilan felt ashamed. She quickly pulled her aside as Chen Ruyu, still completely clueless about the situation, intended to continue. Although Zhang Peilan had never truly considered Chen Ruyu a friend, at the very least they stood on the same side. Chen Ruyu’s foolish words were just as embarrassing for her.

Chen Ruyu looked dissatisfied with Zhang Peilan pulling her back, "What? Can’t I say it? Are you afraid people will know about her being poor? In the whole Capital City, there isn’t a single prestigious or even marginally wealthy family that lives in rented houses."

The more she spoke, the more triumphant Chen Ruyu felt, unaware that those around her had begun to look at her strangely. While Chen Ruyu, standing next to Zhang Peilan, was too obtuse to notice, Zhang Peilan could feel the full force of their embarrassment. Instead of causing trouble for Lin Yue, they hadn’t even entered the house and had already lost all face.

"Ruyu, don’t talk nonsense. This house has indeed been bought by Madam Lin’s husband; it happened just a while ago," Zhang Peilan announced, seeing that Chen Ruyu still seemed completely out of the loop. She knew that if she didn’t make matters clear, things could get even more embarrassing.

"What? How is that possible! With their status as country farmers from a small place, how could they have bought this house!" Only then did Chen Ruyu realize something was amiss. Observing the surrounding gazes, with the Zhao Residence’s servants looking at her as if she were an idiot, her mind went blank, and she suddenly felt things going awry. Had Zhang Peilan not been holding her back, she might have caused more of a scene.

"I’m sorry to disappoint you, Miss Chen, but this house has indeed been purchased by my husband," Lin Yue said, still smiling.

"Ruyu, stop making a scene. If you keep it up, you’ll only embarrass yourself. Let’s go inside the residence first," said Zhang Peilan, pulling Chen Ruyu into the house regardless of her agreement, followed by a few other young ladies who had come with them. Their private thoughts remained unknown, but on the surface, they were undoubtedly siding with either Chen Ruyu or Zhang Peilan, as their families had long instructed them to curry favor.

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