A Good Country Wife
Chapter 548 - 542_1

Chapter 548: Chapter 542_1

"Why would I lie to you? I remember you said you were going to deal with me, now that you’re sober, let’s discuss it. How do you plan to ’deal’ with me?!" Lin Yue finished speaking and raised an eyebrow at Zhao Erhu, clearly indicating that the time had come to settle scores.

Although Zhao Erhu was drunk at the time, he now had some recollection of what happened, and seeing his little wife looking to settle accounts, he chuckled and feigned ignorance, "Wife, you know I was drunk. I don’t remember what I did, let’s not quibble over it."

Lin Yue was still assessing whether Zhao Erhu’s attitude was forgivable when the nursemaid had already brought over the prepared lunch. Lin Yue, having been busy dealing with matters and taking care of Zhao Erhu all morning, was genuinely hungry, so she let the matter slide for now. The couple went hand in hand to eat together.

"By the way, did you buy that piece of mountain land and woods?" In their home, they didn’t adhere to the etiquette of ’no talking at meals or in bed,’ so Lin Yue asked Zhao Erhu during the meal. Tea sold well in the west, especially their homemade tea, which sold even better. However, the small tea forest in the mountains simply wasn’t enough to produce a substantial amount of tea. Therefore, Lin Yue wanted to plant tea trees and establish a tea garden, and she had sent Zhao Erhu to buy the piece of mountain land she had her eye on, planning to plant not just tea trees, but also flowers.

"I took care of everything, even signed the contracts. How else would I have gone to drink? That piece of mountain woods you liked, and the mountains connected to it, as well as the two barren mountains behind, I’ve bought them all for you. The mountain land was cheap, and it all cost just five thousand taels of silver in total," Zhao Erhu said with a hint of pride, as if seeking credit.

Lin Yue was truly satisfied. Those mountains were close to their location, perfect not just for planting tea trees and flowers but also for fruit trees. In due time, she planned to offer to buy fruit trees and tea trees above market price, which would surely attract many people to come to them. To the villagers, these things were considered worthless, and even with a set price, there were few buyers. Digging them up didn’t guarantee a sale and success depended on luck. The key was that these items were abundant in the mountains; it only took effort to find them. Now that the Zhao Family was buying any type of fruit trees, regardless of the quality of the fruit, as well as tea trees and pretty flowers of all kinds, anything they deemed useful was bought up. Once people heard the news, they instantly went to the mountains to dig up trees, fearing if they were too late, the Zhao Family would stop buying. After all, obtaining these plants by digging them up meant not wasting money.

Actually, if they only needed a few, they would have brought people to dig in the mountains themselves. But their family needed more than just a few, and even clearing all the nearby mountains might not be enough. Furthermore, Lin Yue was willing to give villagers the chance to earn some money. Life was tough for the common folk, especially under the negligent governance of Ceng Lu. Their family could afford it, and the money spent wouldn’t be much, with ordinary plants costing mere dozens of coins each. Even though they offered a higher buying price than the market rate, it was still very cheap.

Meanwhile, Feng Yinan’s trusted envoy had raced to the Zhao Family village, arriving on the sixth day. He first passed the letter Feng Yinan had entrusted him with to Zhao Erhu, "Mr. Zhao, this is a letter from our Princely Heir, regarding a matter of great urgency. He instructed that you should burn it immediately after reading."

Zhao Erhu was somewhat surprised to see the emissary. Having had extended dealings with the Marquis of Zhenbei’s Princely Heir, he recognized the man as the Princely Heir’s confidant. The Marquis had not only sent a confidant with a letter but also stressed the importance of the contents, advising to burn it after reading. It was evident that this was no trivial matter. Could there be an issue with the goods shipped back from overseas? Or some other problem? Nevertheless, it was most likely related to maritime affairs.

"Does the Princely Heir have any other instructions?"

"None at all. He simply charged me to personally deliver this letter to you, Mr. Zhao, and not to allow it to pass through anyone else’s hands."

"I understand," said Zhao Erhu, who then instructed the servant to show the envoy where to wash and rest, and ordered the kitchen to prepare a good meal. Since the emissary was the Princely Heir’s confidant, he knew the Zhao Family’s meals were good. Thinking about the delicious food in the festival and yearly gifts from Zhao Erhu’s home, he had only ever had a small share of them, so he was determined to enjoy several good meals this time. As for reporting back, as long as he delivered the letter promptly, there was no rush for the rest.

After the man left, Zhao Erhu began reading the letter. His face was solemn at the start, but as he continued, he progressively relaxed and even looked pleased. The Emperor valued him and was willing to entrust him with matters, which was both a challenge and an opportunity for him. If he could handle the task to the Emperor’s satisfaction, he needn’t worry about his future prospects.

Zhao Erhu knew the difference between working with the Marquis of Zhenbei’s Princely Heir and working directly with the Emperor. The Emperor could offer him what the Princely Heir could not. His aim in doing business wasn’t merely to make money but to establish a real career, to have the means to protect his wife and children one day. And there was no greater backbone in the world than the Emperor. Although the Emperor was exalted and seemed unreachably high, the concept of partnering in business with the Emperor was something he would not have dared to dream of in the past.

However, the Emperor was eager to find new sources of revenue, and he had to set sail at least twice a year. This meant less and less time to stay at home with his young wife. Thinking of his wife, she was still in the dark about all this. Zhao Erhu decided to take the letter to the inner court and let the little wife read it before burning it. His wife wasn’t just anyone, and showing her the contents wouldn’t cause any trouble. If he couldn’t trust his own wife, what was the point of all his busywork? Moreover, with Lin Yue’s breadth of mind and perspective, she might even offer some valuable advice.

Lin Yue was also surprised upon reading the letter. The Emperor had now gotten involved in business as well, but considering the palace dynamics and the current situation, it made sense. The Emperor had not long ascended to the throne and was likely still cleaning up the mess left by his predecessor. Plus, with the national treasury being tight, it was understandable for the Emperor to act this way. Although it seemed beneath the Emperor’s dignity to get involved in such business dealings, the most important thing was to reap the benefits and solve problems. With the state treasury’s current dire condition, adhering to status was secondary. In Lin Yue’s view, such actions were fitting for a wise sovereign genuinely seeking to benefit the Court and the people.

"Wife, what do you think about this matter?" Zhao Erhu asked Lin Yue after she finished reading the letter, and proceeded to burn it.

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