A Good Country Wife
Chapter 457 - 451_1

Chapter 457: Chapter 451_1

Zhang Qiusheng was deeply ashamed when Lin Yue questioned him. "I, Dongjia’s wife, I apologize. I also know that I’ve been too selfish, but there really wasn’t any other way out. Moreover, I’ve heard that the Wei Family’s old master, Zhao Fuquan, has a concubine named Zhao Lingxiang who is siblings with Dongjia. I just thought that since the old master currently favors Zhao Lingxiang the most, he might spare us for the sake of his concubine’s connection and not hold a grudge against Dongjia, thus letting our family off the hook. Even if the old master still refuses to let us go, he probably wouldn’t make things difficult for Dongjia, after all, Dongjia is the concubine’s family."

The reason Zhang Qiusheng had followed Zhao Fuquan and appealed to Lin Yue was clearly after some inquiry, but he had obviously not gathered comprehensive information, so he was unaware that Zhao Lingxiang and Zhao Erhu were half-siblings who shared the same father but different mothers, and even less aware of the antagonistic relationship between them, which was worse than that between strangers. Otherwise, Zhao Lingxiang wouldn’t have always tried to trample over Zhao Erhu and his wife, even though she had never succeeded.

"So, in such a short period of time, Master Zhang has inquired about my household’s affairs. You probably don’t know, Master Zhang, my husband and the Wei Residence’s concubine are indeed siblings, but they are actually half-siblings who share the same father but different mothers. My husband was driven out penniless from the family by his stepmother. So, you can probably imagine the relationship between the concubine and us. The fact that the concubine doesn’t come after our family is already quite remarkable, let alone anything else."

"I..." Upon hearing Lin Yue’s words, Zhang Qiusheng’s slim hope, to which he had desperately clung like a straw, vanished. Despondently, he slumped to the ground. Was it that, in the end, he would have no choice but to send his daughter to serve as a concubine to the old master of the Wei Family? The Wei patriarch was already advanced in age, and his daughter, just coming of age and as beautiful as a flower, would be soiled. Overwhelmed by the moment, he could not hold back his tears any longer.

Lin Yue watched Zhang Qiusheng in silence, sipping her tea, feeling that it was about time to speak again. "You needn’t be so disheartened. I say this not because I’m afraid of the Wei Family. The Wei Family has coveted what belongs to my family more than once, yet they haven’t been able to do anything to us up to this day."

After the disillusionment came renewed hope, though Zhang Qiusheng couldn’t quite identify his feelings. Being advanced in age and having worked in his profession for many years, he had developed a keen eye and intellectual acumen. It seemed he had indeed found someone capable of countering the Wei Family—and not by depending on the concubine’s connection, but with their own support to back them up. Otherwise, their talk wouldn’t be so confident. This situation was even better than what he had anticipated. After all, relying on the relation with the concubine would still leave ultimate control in the old master’s hands. Now, if he could demonstrate significant worth that appealed to Dongjia, he could secure Dongjia’s protection and escape the grasp of the Wei patriarch.

Despite these prospects, Zhang Qiusheng was aware that whether Dongjia’s wife was willing to help still remained an uncertainty. Clearly capable, her earlier speech was merely a display of dissatisfaction with his selfishness, likely to leverage conditions from him. If he couldn’t satisfy Dongjia’s wife now, the outcome was predictable.

"I beg Dongjia’s wife to help, to save our family. If only my daughter could avoid being seized by the old Wei patriarch, I would do anything for you, Dongjia’s wife, even if it means working like an ox or a horse," Zhang Qiusheng pleaded on his knees, his gaze filled with hope, staring intently at Lin Yue, waiting for her to set the terms.

Lin Yue watched Zhang Qiusheng, rather pleased with his understanding. Setting aside his admirable carpentry skills, the man had some sense as well. Initially, upon discovering the issue involved the old Wei patriarch, she had been ready to intervene— not for any reason other than the desire to cause the patriarch discomfort, making her inclined to assist Zhang Qiusheng. Seeing that he had already committed himself, Lin Yue no longer wished to trouble him.

"Enough. Get up, Master Zhang. You, at your age, kneeling to someone of my youth—I cannot bear it. Please, rise," she said.

Zhang Qiusheng was overjoyed at Lin Yue’s response, "Does Dongjia’s wife agree?"

"I can accept your request, but the conditions must change," Lin Yue declared decisively, leaving no room for negotiation in the current circumstances, and Zhang Qiusheng had no option to refuse.

Zhang Qiusheng clearly understood this reasoning, though he could only think of wages as the subject of negotiation, "Just say the word, Dongjia’s wife. I’ll comply with anything within my ability, even if the wages are lower. All I want is to secure a way out for my family."

"I won’t cut your pay; you’ll receive what you’re owed," Lin Yue answered. "But the two years of work you mentioned, that has to change to ten. During this time, you can only take work from my household. What do you say—can you agree to this condition?"

Lin Yue didn’t feel in the slightest that taking advantage of the situation was wrong—it depended on the individual. Zhang Qiusheng had initially set terms for his own family’s survival and had deliberately concealed certain facts, not considering the potential harm to her family. With that being the case, she felt no need to be lenient; otherwise, she might be exploited as a fool. If Zhang Qiusheng sought the survival of his entire family from her, he naturally had to pay a price. Now that the terms were laid out, it was up to him to decide.

"This...?" Zhang Qiusheng hesitated, wrestling with whether to agree. The condition seemed harsh, and despite his mental preparation, he found it hard to accept. Agreeing would mean spending the next ten years under Dongjia’s wife’s rule, with no recourse if she made things difficult or exploited him.

Others might be happy about the prospect of a steady income, but Zhang Qiusheng was different. With his skills, if not for the Wei patriarch’s despicable tactics, he could have lived well; his offer of two years was based on the hope that the Wei patriarch might forget about his family in that time, and he could find a good match for his daughter to return to their previous way of life. Little did he know Dongjia’s wife would present such a demand.

"I have always been reasonable, and this matter is by mutual consent. If you’re unwilling, I won’t force you. Just consider it as if you never visited today, and I won’t trouble you for refusing. Take your time to think it over and inform me when you decide, but the sooner, the better. I can’t delay my own affairs, and if necessary, I will find someone else," Lin Yue said nonchalantly, though she was confident Zhang Qiusheng would consent. After all, accepting her terms would be surely preferable to sending his daughter to an old rake as a concubine.

Indeed, Zhang Qiusheng didn’t hesitate long. "No need to think it over. I accept Dongjia’s wife’s conditions, but I don’t know if I can move over quickly. The old Wei patriarch is growing impatient, and I fear if his patience runs out, he may come to snatch my daughter away."

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