A Good Country Wife
Chapter 574 - 568 - _1

Chapter 574: 568 Chapter_1

When Lin Yue unwrapped the cloth bundle, she was genuinely surprised. She hadn’t expected her grandmother to truly leave behind a few valuable items for her. Inside was a set of hair accessories made of silver, quite heavy in weight, and there was even a delicate gold hairpin and a pair of gold earrings.

Although these objects meant little to Lin Yue at her current standing, for the average person, even the dowry of a lady from a small city family might not include gold items, let alone the Lin Youfu family, who had to sell their daughters for Silver Coin to fund their sons’ education. This showed that, although the family was better off than the average tenant farmer, they were far from wealthy. Mrs. Zhou probably possessed at most a couple of silver items—let alone a gold hairpin. Even a set of silver hair accessories would be enough to dazzle her eyes. No wonder the grandmother entrusted these items to her aunt for safekeeping.

However, the fact that the grandmother had entrusted these items to her aunt spoke volumes of the trust she had in her, and her aunt, in turn, honoring this trust by handing them over to Lin Yue, was a credit to her. After all, the grandmother had been gone for six or seven years, and without her aunt mentioning it, who would know about these items? Moreover, no one could prove they were left for Lin Yue. Yet the aunt had preserved them all this time and now handed them to Lin Yue.

Lin Yue looked again at her aunt, who had shown no sign of surprise when the silver headwear and gold hairpin appeared, suggesting she had known what was in the bundle all along. Seeing her aunt’s plain, patch-mended clothes, it was clear that she herself was not wealthy. Despite this, her aunt hadn’t been tempted by the treasure, earning Lin Yue’s profound respect.

Seeing Lin Yue’s astonishment, the aunt didn’t forget to speak a few words on behalf of her older sister, "Er Ya, when your grandmother passed away, what she worried about and couldn’t let go of most was you. She was very ill at that time, and in order to save money, your parents were unwilling to hire a good doctor from the city, only hiring a so-so village healer to treat her.

Your grandmother had been a maid in a wealthy family and had good embroidery skills, which pleased the master greatly, and she was rewarded with many valuable things. Because your great-grandparents had sold her into that wealthy household to support the family, they always felt indebted. So, they never asked for any of her earned rewards, giving them all to your grandmother as her dowry. I knew your grandmother still had some precious items, and at that time, I urged her to sell them to afford a proper doctor, but she refused, saying they were to be saved for Er Ya’s wedding dowry and couldn’t be touched! And so, your grandmother departed."

The aunt had always been well treated by her sister, the grandmother, and speaking of her still brought tears, even after so many years, as she constantly dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Auntie, besides asking you to give these to me, did Grandmother leave any other instructions?" Lin Yue held the bundle, feeling grateful for this elderly woman she had never met, who had loved the original owner of this body so dearly. Lin Yue’s own grandmother had passed away when she was very young, and she barely remembered her, only knowing from her grandfather’s mutterings how kind and loving she had been. Now that the original owner was no longer here, she could still feel the old woman’s nurturing love.

"She gave her last instructions to you before she died; it’s just that you don’t remember now. The only thing left was these items you were too young to keep safe, so she asked me to take care of them for you. If your grandmother knows from beyond how well you’re doing now, she’ll surely rest in peace."

"I’ll visit her grave soon to tell her about what has been happening these days, to tell her I married a good man, and that life is going well." Lin Yue had not believed in ghosts and the like, but after traversing from the modern world into this body, such supernatural events had indeed happened, forcing her to believe. She had other things she wanted to say to her grandmother’s grave, hoping that if her grandmother’s spirit truly existed in heaven, she would know the real Er Ya was gone. Maybe they had already met in the afterlife.

"Good, good, that’s how it should be. You should visit and burn incense for your grandmother, it’s only right considering how much she cared for you."

"I must thank you, Auntie. Though the things Grandmother left me are merely icing on the cake now, they are her memories left to me. Auntie, it’s quite special that you’ve kept your promise to Grandmother for so many years and have delivered these items to me. Er Ya is not ungrateful, and I thank you very much."

"Look at what you’re saying. Your grandmother treated me well in life, and if I coveted what she left for her own granddaughter, I’d be less than nothing. I know Er Ya, you’re wealthy now, but you should cherish what your grandmother left. That set of silver headwear was the dowry your maternal grandparents gave your grandmother. The gold hairpin and earrings must have been awarded by her master’s household, taken to the Lin Family as her dowry as well. Keep them all safe; your grandmother in the afterlife will bless you."

"I will keep them safe." Lin Yue assured solemnly. Although these items weren’t very costly, they held significant meaning. She planned to pass them on to her own children one day, explaining their value to them. After all, this body was still of her grandmother’s lineage, and it would serve as a consolation for her grandmother.

After handing over the items to Lin Yue, the aunt seemed restless, chatting briefly before saying she needed to get home. Her son and daughter-in-law were busy with work, and their small grandson, who she usually looked after, had been left with neighbors because of the visit and because the items were delicate and she feared the loose lips of children. She needed to return quickly; otherwise, those two rascals would turn the world upside down without her.

Since this wasn’t Lin Yue’s own home, she didn’t insist on her aunt staying longer once she mentioned her family’s situation. It would be inappropriate to delay her aunt’s affairs. "Auntie, please go back earlier if you have matters at home. My husband’s eldest sister needs just a few more days of care, and I will frequently visit Shanglin Village in the coming days. In two days, I’ll come to see you, Auntie, and see your little grandson, too."

"Alright, I’ll head back now. When you come to Shanglin Village, visit my home. My son and daughter-in-law are dutiful and watched you grow up; they would be more than happy to see you. Your cousins, too, they all care for you. If they hadn’t been out, they would have come to see you with me. Don’t be a stranger in the future," the aunt said heartily with a laugh.