A Good Country Wife
Chapter 492 - 486_1

Chapter 492: Chapter 486_1

Speaking of Zhang Peilan, Lin Yue remembered how proud and haughty that woman was when she was in the Capital City. Yet, in just over two months, she had fallen into the dust and become one of the most despised people.

"With Prince An’s rebellion this time, who knows how many will be killed or injured. Just thinking about it makes me feel apprehensive," Lin Yue couldn’t help but sigh.

Every time there’s a case of conspiracy or rebellion, the court conducts a purge both inside and out. Those in power, in order to consolidate the throne’s authority, would rather make a wrongful killing than let anyone off. The process is extremely cruel and bloody. Currently, the Capital City is a place of great anxiety and panic. Xin’an City, being farther away, has not been so tense. Even so, some officials connected to the court are extremely cautious not to make any slight misstep for fear of being implicated. Even Ceng Lu, a good-for-nothing fond of indulgence, knows the severity of the situation and has restrained himself.

"Stop thinking about it. These matters have nothing to do with us and aren’t within our control. Besides, didn’t Doctor Jiang say that this situation is almost over? Let’s just live our lives well," she reassured herself.

Although the new servants would not arrive for another two days, Lin Yue still sent someone to notify the servant selection office so that she could have the first pick of servants and avoid the good ones being taken by other large households. However, Lin Yue’s worries were in vain this time. Not to mention that this batch of people was being sold due to their implication in the treason charge, which would make most families cautious in buying them. Moreover, the large households in Xin’an City were under the squeezing management of the current Magistrate, Ceng Lu. Their days were far from prosperous; various exorbitant taxes did not even begin to cover the silver extorted by the Magistrate. Those families with thinner bases were even contemplating dismissing some of their servants, let alone taking on new ones.

When the servant selection office received Lin Yue’s notification, they brought people for her to choose from as soon as they arrived. Haishi’s wife, who had previously served in front of a Master, had her own insights into selecting servants. Lin Yue also called her over to help make informed choices.

This time, there were indeed some good picks. In one go, Lin Yue chose twelve, all with special skills; among them, one was a nanny nurtured by an Aristocratic Family who had come out of the palace and was implicated and sold with this batch. This was a truly valuable find, and without a second thought, Lin Yue took her in. The rest included two wives with good embroidery skills; the others were maids between ten and sixteen years of age.

With the arrival of the new people, the estate became thoroughly lively. However, supporting so many people also gradually increased the pressure. Just the monthly allowances amounted to tens of taels of silver, not to mention the other expenses.

With more people, rules naturally had to be established; otherwise, the household would become chaotic. Manager Xu’s mother was the most skilled in this regard. However, since she was new and not fully understood in terms of her background and character, Lin Yue naturally couldn’t trust her completely and thus had Haishi’s wife and Manager Xu supervise each other.

Xu’s mother, too, understood that times were different. Now that she had fallen on hard times, she had to earn the trust of her current Master by proving her worth. So, when she received tasks from Lin Yue, she set out to use all her skills to manage the inner estate well. Within a few days, the maids and servants each knew their duties. Lin Yue was very pleased with what she saw and immediately increased Xu’s mother’s monthly allowance to be equal to that of Haishi’s wife.

"This old servant thanks Madam for her grace." Xu’s mother, naturally happy to receive her Master’s appreciation, showed genuine joy on her face.

When Xu’s mother first arrived at Zhao Family Village, she somewhat took issue with being bought by Lin Yue, not to mention that she had served dignitaries in the palace and aristocratic families before. She thought to herself how she, even in her fall from grace, matched up to a mere countrywoman. But there was nothing to be done—the primary goal was to survive, and life had to go on. Although she had no prospects for the future, there was a silver lining: the unsophisticated country folk would certainly be easier to deceive.

With this mindset, Xu’s mother followed Lin Yue. However, she hadn’t expected that after just two days in the estate, her thoughts changed. Not only was the estate more elegantly built than those of the wealthy families, providing a comfortable and pleasant living, but the Master herself was also capable. Lin Yue was intelligent, insightful, and dignified, easily rivaling the young ladies of Aristocratic Families. Furthermore, she had seen rare items in her previous residence that were, astonishingly, produced by Lin Yue’s family.

When Xu’s mother first learned of this, she could hardly believe it. In her previous household, an Aristocratic Family no less, only a legitimate daughter received a piece of Fragrant Soap as a monthly stipend – an extravagance the illegitimate daughters could not afford. Yet here, every servant received a piece each month; such luxury was anything but ordinary, and the quality of food and goods were top-notch, all indicating the benevolence of the Master.

Xu’s mother saw hope and worked even harder, tending to Lin Yue with increasing diligence. Having survived the cutthroat palace environment to reach her age was a testament to her abilities, and to be called upon to serve in an Aristocratic Family’s house indicated prowess beyond that of an average nanny. She had learned much in the palace, especially in the field of medicine, and her strongest suit was the care and upkeep of women.

From the moment she saw Lin Yue, Xu’s mother could tell that Lin Yue was lacking internally, having no solid foundation and experiencing neglect in her personal care. If this continued, it wouldn’t bode well for the long term. Of course, these thoughts could not just be spoken aloud, as it would please no one to hear them, especially since she had not yet fully earned the trust of the household.

Xu’s mother subtly mentioned this concern to Lin Yue a few times, but Lin Yue, being busy, did not take it to heart, leaving Xu’s mother no choice but to shake her head in resignation. Although her Master was kind-hearted and capable, her one flaw was neglecting herself, leading to careless disregard for her health.

"Madam, I notice your constitution seems weak. You must take more care of your health, especially when busy. You can’t disregard it so," she cautioned.

"Nanny, I know. There’s no need to nag me. I’m well aware of it. Being young, I can handle a bit of strain. It’s you who’s older and should take more care. You have been busy all day; go rest," Lin Yue responded.

"Then I shall take my leave first." Xu’s mother, unable to persuade her, resignedly withdrew. However, she felt genuinely touched by her Master’s concern. Such a good Master was rare, and she could not bear to see her wearing herself out. Perhaps the young Madam wouldn’t feel the effects now, but as the years went by, she would understand the consequences, a scenario all too familiar to her.

Since she couldn’t convince her Master, Xu’s mother devised a compromise by preparing medicinal meals for Lin Yue every day. This won the approval and support of Zhao Erhu, who now valued Xu’s mother even more. Before heading out in the morning, he specifically called Xu’s mother aside to commend her efforts.