A Good Country Wife
Chapter 490 - 484_1

Chapter 490: Chapter 484_1

Lin Yue listened as Zhao Erhu clarified the situation, "So it turns out, by a lucky coincidence, our family has gained a few good hands. Such trained servants are hard to come by; typically, only aristocratic families cultivate them from a young age, or else they are from the jianghu. It seems we’ve stumbled upon a bargain."

"Yeah, now that we have these people at home to protect your safety, I am also relieved. Originally, there were not only these four, but two others as well; however, I felt that those two did not seem very righteous. Such people, already skilled in martial arts, could cause even greater trouble than ordinary people if they decided to act up. Even if they signed a contract of servitude, they couldn’t be trusted."

"What you did was right. There’s a saying: better to have none than to have something shoddy. Besides, four people are not few. In the future, we can slowly buy more and teach them. Family wealth is accumulated bit by bit. By the way, I see that none of them are young; they should all be married by now. What about their families? Were they sold along with them, or what happened?" Lin Yue now had some experience and knew that although she held their indenture contracts and could control their lives, to retain their loyalty, she had to win their hearts and make them feel a sense of belonging to this household.

Zhao Erhu was not surprised by Lin Yue’s question, as he had considered this as well, "Except for Zhang Kui who is unmarried, the other three have families. However, their family members were also arrested and sold by the government. They were sold off in batches, so they were not together, and they were sold to different places. I brought them back here first. As for their families, I have asked Master Feng from the Hongwei Escort Agency to inquire about them, trying our best to bring back their families so that they could be reunited."

"To them, this is also an adversity through no fault of their own. Servants have no way to meddle in the treason planned by their masters; we can only do our best." Lin Yue and Zhao Erhu continued their talk, while Haishi and the others, having finished their meal, came over. They were quite quick, but they ate a lot, because Wang Dachuan had cooked a big pot of noodles in a rush, and they ate every last bit.

"Have you brothers finished your meal so quickly? Since Erhu brought you here, we are family from now on. Aside from the necessary rules, there is no need to be overly reserved. You will understand how our household is after staying for a while."

"We understand. Brother Wang and Xixi have told us the Dongjia and his wife are generous. We brothers have fallen on hard times, and we owe it to the Dongjia for taking us in. From now on, our lives belong to the Dongjia, and we will serve the Dongjia and his wife with devotion." Haishi, the friend of Master Feng, took the lead among the group, expressing gratitutde with another bow to Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue. He understood that the Dongjia taking them in was a risk and was partially out of respect for Master Feng. Otherwise, he feared he might still be languishing in jail, tormented by Lord Wei.

Zhao Erhu helped them up, "I brought you back because I value your skills and character. From now on, settle down here with peace of mind. Regarding your families, I have already sent someone to find out where they are, and we will try our best to bring them back."

Haishi and the others had just gotten up when they heard Zhao Erhu’s words and knelt down again, deeply moved. Even these tall, sturdy men had tears in their eyes. People are not emotionless grass or trees; what they care about most now that they are out of their plight is their families. They were grateful that the Dongjia was willing to buy them and dared not hope for more, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. Unexpectedly, the Dongjia turned out to be truly benevolent, having thought of their situation in advance.

"Dongjia, there is no way we can repay your great kindness. In the future, we will work like oxen and horses to repay the debt of gratitude."

"All right, all of you get up. Since you are going to work for our family from now on, this is only right. Only when you’re free from worries can you work with peace of mind. However, we don’t yet know where your families have ended up, nor their conditions. I can only promise to do my best."

"Of course, we’re already moved to tears by the Dongjia’s actions."

Watching this scene, Lin Yue felt a touch of sadness and interrupted their continued thanks, "Enough, no need to say more. You brothers must have suffered a lot these past days, eating poorly and sleeping badly. Before we discuss anything else, you all should go clean up and rest. I’ve had someone clean and prepare the place where you’ll be staying. Let Xixi take you there to settle down."

"Thank you, Dongjia’s wife, for your thorough arrangements. Then this servant will go down now." After enduring physical and mental torment for days on end, Haishi and the others were truly exhausted and, thanking Lin Yue, they followed Xixi to rest.

Thinking about the condition of Haishi and the others, coming out of jail with nothing but the clothes on their backs, Lin Yue had someone prepare several sets of clothes, shoes, socks, and some daily necessities for them.

Now that there were a few more people in the house, like Haishi and the others, it was not appropriate to assign them farming work or typical servant tasks. With Zhao Erhu at home and Lin Yue not going out, they didn’t need their protection, so they stayed busy with Erhu, handling the various matters of the household, and those capable were put in charge of some business affairs.

Qian Feng had returned for over ten days, and the first batch of fur he collected had already been brought over. Most of these furs were hunted and skinned by hunters in the mountains, crudely treated and dried without tanning. The furs Zhao Erhu collected back were similar.

As it happened, Zhao Erhu had learned the skill of tanning furs from an old hunter, an ancestral craft superior to the common tanners’. Therefore, the furs no longer needed to be sent elsewhere for tanning. Zhao Erhu made space in the yard, prepared the necessary tools, and began tanning the furs himself.

After examining the tanned furs, Lin Yue found some of high-quality. She left the intact furs as they were and picked out some with damage or not so good looking, combining them with fine cloths she brought from the capital. She made clothes, capes, shawls, and gloves in the European style, some even in matching sets. Lin Yue thought they looked quite attractive, but with foreign fashion not yet popular, she wasn’t sure if they would sell well.

Several more days passed, and news came from Master Feng and Manager Liu; they had located the families of Haishi and the others. The news was not entirely good; those sold earlier had already been purchased by others, and two had succumbed to hardships and died en route—Haishi’s parents and Musheng’s younger sister. Those few not yet sold had been brought back by Master Feng’s people.