A Good Country Wife-Chapter 593 - 587_1

Lin Yue had initially wanted to say that she would prepare a set of glassware for Liao Ruyan for distillation purposes, but considering that although Master Xue could produce small pieces of glass, making glass apparatus was still quite challenging. Thinking it would be disappointing if she mentioned it now and failed to deliver later, she decided it was better not to say anything. She thought it would be better to give Liao Ruyan a surprise when the glassware was ready. By then, with the right equipment, the distillation process could be greatly improved, and the purity of the essential oils would definitely be better than they were currently.

The matter of the goods was left to the people sent by the Emperor, and Zhao Erhu didn’t even think about profiting from it. Doing so not only saved him trouble but also prevented any potential suspicion from the Emperor due to any issues that might arise later. Instead, he stayed at home, helping Lin Yue manage domestic affairs, tending to the two barren mountains, planting trees, and organizing farm work.

Because the Lin family offered high prices, the number of people bringing various fruit tree saplings had significantly increased. Since they had bought several mountains, there was no lack of planting space. Aside from those who deliberately brought substandard goods to cause trouble, Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue accepted all offerings at the agreed prices. During these days, they had managed to plant both barren mountains considerably. One was used to grow tea trees, and the other to grow fruit trees.

Considering the season, it was still a bit early to plant trees; the weather had begun to cool. However, the conditions turned out to be favorable, with on-and-off rainy weather, which was most suitable for tree growth. Moreover, the temperature was higher than in previous years. That day, as Zhao Erhu was busy in the mountains as usual, a servant came to report that someone was looking for him at home and the lady asked him to return.

"Did you ask what their business was?" Zhao Erhu, hearing that his wife had sent for him, put down his work and asked as he began to leave.

"I did not dare to inquire about the master’s matters," the servant replied. "But I overheard a bit, and it seems to be about selling fruit tree saplings. The lady has welcomed the visitor into the main hall." freewёbnoνel.com

"Oh, if the lady has invited them into the main hall herself, there must be a reason. It’s certainly not just any local coming to sell saplings. Then we should hurry back," Erhu said, quickening his pace.

On Lin Yue’s side, she had heard that the visitor had a large batch of fruit tree saplings for sale, and they were of various species that could be planted on their land. She was somewhat interested, which was why she had invited the visitor into the main hall for discussion. There were many saplings, and the details of price and delivery needed to be carefully negotiated. These weren’t small numbers that could be decided casually. Since Erhu was at home, naturally, she wouldn’t need to worry about these matters. And it seemed that her husband didn’t want her to be so publicly involved, so she sent for Zhao Erhu. The following issues would be handled by him once he returned.

When Zhao Erhu came back and met with the visitor, he understood the situation. It turned out that the fruit merchant had already found a buyer for the saplings, but the buyer had reneged on the deal at the last minute, even forfeiting the deposit and refusing to take the saplings. The fruit merchant, in desperation, had heard about the Zhao Family’s interest in saplings and approached them like a drowning man clutching at straws, filled with relief and immediately seeking them out. He hoped that Zhao Erhu would take the saplings off his hands, willing to sell them at a slightly cheaper price.

After Zhao Erhu returned, Lin Yue went to the inner courtyard. She waited until he finished negotiating and came in, which took more than half an hour. This indicated that Zhao Erhu was indeed interested in purchasing the saplings. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have discussed for such a long time, and there might have been other issues.

"You’re back. Did you come to an agreement with that Mr. Chen, the fruit merchant? Why did it take so long? Was there anything inappropriate?" Lin Yue approached him and asked as she took Zhao Erhu’s coat and hung it on the rack.

"We’ve struck a deal, but I still feel uneasy. The business looks fine on the surface, yet I can’t help feeling that the fruit merchant’s words are not completely forthright, as if he’s hiding something. Perhaps there’s some trickery involved. I went out of my way to find out where the fruit merchant is staying; Xin’an City isn’t that large. Although he is reluctant to reveal who the original buyer was, I’m sure I can use my connections to find out. Once I do, I’ll ask more questions to see if there’s anything amiss," Zhao Erhu said, his brows slightly furrowed as he pondered the issue.

Lin Yue wasn’t surprised by Zhao Erhu’s decision. Even in normal business dealings, it’s necessary to gather information beforehand so as not to be cheated—let alone when a deal comes knocking at your door with some mysterious aspects. Although their family could withstand a small loss, who would willingly be the sucker?

"Are you planning to go to the city to gather information? When do you plan to leave?"

"The fruit merchant is pressing for a quick delivery; it’s clear that he wants to complete the transaction soon. I’d rather find out everything sooner rather than later. I’m going to change into a different set of clothes and head to the city," Zhao Erhu replied. He never procrastinated when it came to getting things done. Once he made up his mind about something, he liked to resolve it quickly and put his mind at ease.

"It’s almost noon. Why not have lunch before you leave? There’s no need to rush this very moment. I’ll have the kitchen prepare the meal a bit earlier. Otherwise, if you head out at this time, and since you don’t like to eat out, you’ll probably just make do with a quick bite for lunch."

Zhao Erhu didn’t really care whether he ate lunch or not; getting his work done was what mattered. There was still so much to do at home. However, seeing the determination in his young wife’s eyes, he readily agreed, "Alright, I’ll listen to you, my wife. I’ll go after lunch."

Seeing that Zhao Erhu was amenable to her suggestion, Lin Yue nodded in satisfaction and added, "You’ve been busy all morning. Why don’t you rest on the lounge for a bit? I’ll go to the kitchen to check on things and have them prepare lunch earlier, along with making a couple of dishes you enjoy."

It had been a long time since Lin Yue had cooked herself—being busy was one reason, and besides, with servants in the house and the excellent culinary skills of Uncle Wang in the kitchen, there was no need for her to cook. But now, she felt inspired to personally prepare a couple of dishes as a reward for Zhao Erhu’s positive attitude.

Upon hearing that his young wife was going to cook for him, Zhao Erhu’s eyes lit up; he was clearly delighted. While Wang Dachuan’s cooking skills were good and Zhao Erhu was satisfied, making him quite picky—he even found fault with dishes from the larger restaurants outside—he had been teased about it by his young wife a couple of times.

Although her cooking skills might not be better than Wang Dachuan’s, the meaning behind her personally cooking was different. Back when their household was poor, he could eat her cooking every day. Now that they were doing much better, Zhao Erhu was reluctant to have his wife labor in the kitchen, which made her homemade dishes an even rarer treat. He sometimes missed it deeply. Moreover, for Zhao Erhu, his young wife’s cooking held additional significance—it signified her care for him, her willingness to personally make soup and meals for him. Of course, Zhao Erhu was too embarrassed to admit this secret affection.