A Good Country Wife
Chapter 529 - 523_1

Chapter 529: Chapter 523_1

However, Huangfu Jing still trusted Jiang Ziqi for the time being, which is why he could directly ask him, rather than harbor suspicion in his heart. Princess Yongle subconsciously noticed something too. Even as a princess born into the royal family, albeit naive, she remained sensitive to certain matters, though she didn’t show it outwardly, only responding with a smile.

"It’s not Ziqi brother. Brother Ziqi is already so busy, why would he get involved in this? I heard it’s a friend of Yueyue’s husband who is in the partnership, someone Yueyue’s husband knows. It seems to be the Princely Heir from the Marquis of Zhenbei’s household. I also heard it from my sister Roujia, but I don’t remember well and am not sure if I got it wrong."

"The Princely Heir of the Marquis of Zhenbei, Feng Yinan," Huangfu Jing inquired. With that, things became clear, easing his concerns. Although he didn’t understand how Zhao Erhu got connected with the Princely Heir of Marquis of Zhenbei, it wasn’t strange that the latter was involved in overseas business.

As the Empress Dowager’s maiden family, Huangfu Jing was quite familiar with the household of the Marquis of Zhenbei. The Princely Heir of Zhenbei faced targeted oppression by the Marchioness of Zhenbei, living extremely difficultly, with two instances nearly costing him his life. In order to retaliate and counter the Marchioness, the Princely Heir was bound to take action. This was expected and the result of Huangfu Jing allowing it to persist, wanting to create dissension between the Marquis and his son to better consolidate imperial power. Now his goal had been reached, and the Princely Heir, now capable, was gradually being entrusted with responsibilities.

At that time, the Princely Heir also received the festival gifts from Lin Yue. Since the last time she sent new year’s gifts, the food in his residence had become plentiful. Vegetables and fruits that were unavailable in winter could now be enjoyed; the dishes on the table had also become richer. Eating some simple stir-fried dishes at home felt much more comfortable than dining on extravagant delicacies elsewhere.

In the eyes of the servants, the Princely Heir, although noble, treated them well. Even they got a share of the abundance of food and fruits sent by Mrs. Lin. Though getting full was impossible due to the scarcity and high cost of vegetables this season, and the number of servants, having a taste was already a treat. So when Lin Yue’s festival gifts arrived, everyone paid close attention, eagerly anticipating what delicious things Mrs. Lin had sent this time. Upon seeing them, they were indeed not disappointed, and later, when Zhao Erhu visited the Princely Heir’s residence, he found the servants more attentive and considerate than before without understanding why.

"Princely Heir, the Zhao Family has sent quite a few good things again. I just can’t understand how Zhao Erhu’s wife manages to come up with so many varieties of food. Look at these glutinous rice balls, sweet and savory mixed together and there are twenty different flavors. And these pastries, the names of which I can’t even pronounce, you can tell they must be delicious just by their sweet scent, unlike the typical osmanthus cakes and lily cakes from other families – always the same and uninspiring." Little Jinzi presented the pastries to the Marquis of Zhenbei and always liked to express his thoughts.

The Marquis of Zhenbei, having grown up and braved hardships together with Little Jinzi since their youth, was particularly indulgent. "Which family doesn’t send gifts like this? I think you’ve just gotten too used to Zhao Erhu’s wife’s cooking and have become picky. However, since you’ve been quite diligent in your service, I’ll allow you to take one of each of the foods sent by Zhao Erhu’s wife. That should be enough for a full meal for you."

Upon hearing the Princely Heir’s words, Little Jinzi’s face lit up with a smile. "Thank you, Princely Heir! Thank you! I knew you were the best master in the world!"

"Enough of that, all you know is how to butter up. If you continue with that fawning, sycophantic expression, I’ll take back what I just said," the Marquis of Zhenbei chided Little Jinzi, taking a bite of the jam cake. The expression on his face showed enjoyment; the flavor was even better than expected, neither too sweet nor cloying, fragrant, soft, and delicious, with a rich fruit sweetness.

"No, no, Princely Heir, I really want to satisfy my craving," Little Jinzi quickly pleaded, watching his master relishing his food and swallowing his saliva. If only he could eat some right then – but he didn’t dare snatch food from his master’s table. Although the Princely Heir was tolerant, he might not take offense, but Little Jinzi understood one principle: a servant should know their place and maintain their propriety, never overstepping because the Princely Heir treats him well.

Several heavy snowfalls continued until around the twentieth day of the first month, when it gradually lessened, showing signs of stopping. By then, many houses had collapsed. The situation in Zhao Village was relatively good. Due to the improved living standards, many had built new houses the previous year, and those who hadn’t built new houses had made repairs before the new year. Only a few families’ homes collapsed. Fortunately, due to past experiences with heavy snow damaging homes, these families were cautious. Although some were injured, fortunately, no lives were lost, which was already fortunate.

Zhao Youfu, acting as the village head, didn’t just stand by. He braved the snow to help villagers relocate, but finding a place to house those whose homes had collapsed posed a problem. His house was full with his children and grandchildren returned, and without spare rooms, he had no choice but to turn to Zhao Erhu, who was the only one in the village capable of helping.

"Erhu, I know that you and your wife have already done so much for the village, and I didn’t want to trouble you further, but there’s really nowhere else to turn. We can’t just watch those families suffer out in the bitter cold with their injuries, especially since they are our fellow villagers. It would be too heart-wrenching, which is why I’ve come to seek your help."

Zhao Erhu didn’t resent Zhao Youfu’s unexpected visit; on the contrary, he felt somewhat relieved. It was rare for their village, Zhao Village, to have such a good village head who cared about the villagers, instead of letting things slide – nobody demanded that a village head must do so much. Simply putting on a show of concern to satisfy officials would have sufficed, yet he was truly dedicated to helping.

"Uncle Youfu, what are you talking about? This is nothing much for me. They are all villagers from our Zhao Village, and there’s no reason for me not to care. I will have the servants free up a few rooms right away. You can have them move in, Uncle Youfu. However, there’s one thing that needs to be stated in advance: living here is fine, but they cannot cause trouble or stir up strife. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being unsympathetic if I have to send them away," Zhao Erhu explained.

Zhao Erhu knew the families whose houses had collapsed rather well; after all, they had lived in the same village for many years, and the number of families wasn’t that many – everyone knew everyone else. He knew there were a few troublemakers among them, so he made his stance clear beforehand. If problems arose later, it wouldn’t be his fault; he had already done what was right.