A Good Country Wife
Chapter 494 - 488_1

Chapter 494: Chapter 488_1

Even though she felt uncomfortable, Lin Yue still thought of Zhang Qiusheng’s diligent and loyal services, and most importantly, his exquisite craftsmanship, which produced work that met her expectations. Therefore, she didn’t plan to make a big issue of it. Moreover, Lin Yue believed that as long as Zhao Erhu didn’t harbor those intentions, ****** would not succeed.

"Madam, I know you are kind and magnanimous, and the master is devoted to you without any other thoughts. So you don’t take the likes of ****** seriously. But you can’t be too careful with these things. Even if ****** seems no threat now, no one can predict the future, and someone might take advantage when you least expect it. Haven’t there been such examples before? There’s a saying, ’nip in the bud,’ which is exactly the point," Xu’s insistence showed that she had taken Lin Yue as her master and was wholeheartedly looking out for her best interests.

"Mom, I know you speak out of concern for me, and even though I don’t like ******, after all, she hasn’t done something too outrageous. She hasn’t acted on her thoughts yet. Not to mention it seems unreasonable to target her without cause, but there is also Zhang Qiusheng’s exceptional woodworking and his diligent work. I can’t bear to lose such a talent over this trifle. Do you understand?" Lin Yue was not ungrateful. Although she didn’t plan to adopt Xu Mom’s advice, she still explained her reasons, so Xu Mom wouldn’t overthink and believe Lin Yue didn’t trust her.

Seeing that Lin Yue didn’t agree but had listened to her and explained her reasoning, Xu Mom felt happy and became even more determined to use her skills to advise and strategize for Lin Yue, to not disappoint her master’s trust.

"This old servant understands. Nevertheless, madam, even though you would not act against ****** for the sake of Master Zhang, it doesn’t prevent you from being cautious. In my opinion, some of the rules in the estate are too lax and need tightening. Just take today’s incident with ******, though Master Zhang was working for you, Madam, ****** is neither a servant of the household nor did she have your permission. How could she just run off to the carpentry workshop without anyone stopping her? This is a lapse in the rules."

"Mom, what you’re saying makes sense. How do you think the rules should be set?" Lin Yue asked with a smile. Having a mom who came from the palace was wonderful. Although Xu Mom could sometimes be long-winded, she had talent. Not only was she adept at medicine, helping Lin Yue with her health, but she was also a savvy manager and housekeeper. In some areas, Lin Yue even felt inferior to her.

"This is easy to handle. For one, people can be assigned to guard the gate in rotation. Anyone entering or leaving must have a token, and all outings and their purposes must be clearly recorded. As for the likes of Master Zhang, though he is helping you, Madam, he is only contracted and not bonded by sale, and his family does not work on the estate. We could assign them housing outside the estate and let them live there. If there’s a need to contact someone for work, we would have the gatekeeper come in to convey the message and meet outside. This way, there is less chance of mistakes happening. As for the rest, this old servant will need to go back and carefully consider if there are any oversights and will report back to you, Madam."

"Mom, you are indeed wise and resourceful, coming up with solutions at the slightest suggestion. I will have to rely more on you for household affairs. However, as good as this method is, we are in a small place like Zhao Family Village, not in the city. The villagers are all neighbors, and it’s common for them to come and go. If we start barring entry, it may seem ungrateful and unfriendly, which could harm our reputation and affect relationships with friends and relatives."

"Madam need not worry about that. The old servant has considered it. As long as the gatekeepers are appropriately arranged and manage the relations with the villagers well, there won’t be any issues. Besides, it’s not that Madam refuses to see anyone, it’s just that people need to inform us beforehand. Once it’s clear, everyone will understand."

"If that’s the case, let’s do as you suggest, Mom. Once the rules are drafted, pass them down for everyone to follow. Tell me if there’s anything else to add, and we’ll modify them later." Lin Yue actually didn’t enjoy dealing with these matters very much. As long as she thought the general direction was right, she would entrust the tasks to Xu Mom, who was indeed willing to take them on.

In just a few days, the family’s merchandise was ready. Before leaving, Zhao Erhu visited Shanglin Village again to see Zhao Yunxiang. The following day, he set off with the family’s goods. The merchandise they had prepared earlier had been transported to the cargo ship at the docks, and now the items he was escorting were those created by Lin Yue’s family.

The moment Zhao Erhu left, Lin Yue found herself at leisure, thoroughly relaxing for several days before getting busy again. She couldn’t stay idle, and with so many people to provide for, earning more was essential. Although Zhao Erhu had gone out to sea to do business, it was his first time, and he carried the risk of sea voyages. Whether he would make money or not would only be clear upon his return. If by chance they did suffer losses, it wouldn’t affect the family’s livelihood. While they received thousands of taels of monthly profit from the capital, one could never have too much silver.

Lin Yue’s foremost concern now was the embroidery workshop. It had been set up for nearly half a month, and typically, Lin Yue taught Musheng’s wife embroidery, who in turn taught the other embroideresses. Lin Yue hadn’t checked on their progress yet and now wanted to see the results, and whether everyone’s embroidery skills had improved over the past half a month.

"Madam, you’ve come! Please come in," said Musheng’s wife when she saw Lin Yue arriving. She quickly ushered her into the room, offered a seat, and several embroideresses also came to pay their respects.

Ever since Xu Mom took over as butler, she heard various appellations within the household, with most people referring to Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue as Dongjia and Dongjia’s wife, which she found rather tasteless and vulgar. Having come from the palace and served in noble families, Xu Mom was accustomed to better manners; such titles were only used by rural landlords. Thus, she had the servants change their address to Master and Madam for Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue, with Dalang and the others naturally being called young masters. This made them finally sound like a proper grand household. How the villagers and laborers addressed her was out of her control; after all, they were not household servants.

"Madam, have you come for any particular reason? Is there something you would like to instruct us on?" Musheng’s wife wasn’t sure why Madam had suddenly come by and was worried that she may have done something amiss, nervously asking since she was a good embroideress but still just an embroideress. Previously supervised by others, this was her first time managing, and despite her best efforts, she still feared falling short and disappointing Madam.