A Good Country Wife-Chapter 603 - 597_1

What was Lin Yue busy with? She was busy buying and transporting food from all over the place to store away. Because she was buying in large quantities and did not want to attract attention, causing unnecessary trouble, she could only bring it home little by little when others didn’t notice, and then kept it stored in the house.

As for the storage location, thanks to the top-grade aunt of Zhao Erhu from those years, Lin Yue, afraid of having the grain seized when she was away, had gone through great pains to hide things. She did more than just dig a small underground storage room. Eventually, it became a habit, and when she saw a new residence, she didn’t forget to leave several storerooms and secret chambers just for emergencies. This was because Lin Yue, unfamiliar with ancient times and lacking a sense of security, combined with reading too many novels and history, found such actions comforting. She hadn’t expected they would indeed come in handy. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

Why did Lin Yue hide food? It was merely out of caution, fearing the potential bad scenarios she envisioned, better safe than sorry. Besides, with so many servants in their household, having more food was not an issue. They consumed a lot themselves, and if they couldn’t finish it, they could sell it.

Last winter’s weather was slightly abnormal, with heavier and longer-lasting snowfalls causing snow disasters and many casualties. Even the Emperor used his private silver to help the victims. The state treasury was depleted, so they came up with the idea of overseas trade. That’s why Zhao Erhu was urged to set sail so early. Originally, Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue had planned to make one sea voyage a year to earn enough, but now, with the Emperor’s command, they had no choice but to carry it out, willingly or not!

Only just getting over last winter’s disaster, Erhu hadn’t been gone for a few days when the incessant rain began, showing signs of increasing by the day. It had been raining continuously for six or seven days with no sign of stopping. Lin Yue heard from the old farmers in the village, who had years of experience with the weather, that the rain was unlikely to stop soon and might even lead to flooding in the low-lying downstream areas. That year, the rain kept falling, rivers swelled, and the downstream villages were submerged. Not only were the crops destroyed, but many homes made from mud and adobe were also washed away or collapsed after being soaked.

This was an event from many years ago, unknown to the younger generation in the village, but the old folks might still remember, for the situation back then was too tragic. Although Zhao Family’s village was on higher ground and wasn’t affected by the flood, it wasn’t far from the disaster area. After the flood, refugees who had lost their homes came one after another, and many incidents occurred as a result. After all, those destitute refugees, penniless and without food or drink, resorted to stealing and robbing to survive, making the village restless.

Lin Yue was always vigilant, and after hearing the old farmer talk about this, seeing the relentless rain, she began to prepare. Since ancient times, whether in droughts, floods, or wars, the one thing most needed was food. Fortunately, Erhu had stored quite a bit of grain at home before he left, so Lin Yue’s continued storage was just a precaution. She even had Liu Aniu secretly transport and hide grain in the empty houses in the city.

Lin Yue’s actions were all based on signs, but why had Erhu stored grain before leaving when it wasn’t even raining and it was impossible to predict the future? It has to be said that at heart, Erhu was from a farming background, and despite any changes, he retained the farmer’s nature, particularly his affection for and sense of security from grain. Erhu always felt that only after stocking up on enough grain at home could he leave with peace of mind. No matter what happened, as long as there was food at home, they wouldn’t starve.

"Madam, we’ve stored so much grain already, should that be enough? Do we still need to transport more from other regions? Isn’t this too much of a hassle? And although it’s raining now, it’s far from a flood disaster. Could Madam be worrying too much?" Seeing Lin Yue continue to secretly procure and store such a large quantity of grain after already accumulating so much, Nurse Xu felt that to fuss so much based on an unsubstantiated claim of an old farmer seemed rather ill-considered.

Nurse Xu came from the palace; although she was knowledgeable and skilled, that was in sophisticated upper-class affairs. She knew little of lower-class matters, such as agricultural yields and cultivation techniques. She had never suffered from poverty nor did she posses the household farmer’s profound understanding of disaster and hunger, which was why she thought Lin Yue was overdoing it. To any ordinary farming household, no amount of grain would seem excessive, only more reassuring. There’s a saying that goes, "With grain in your house, you don’t panic."

Lin Yue did not argue with Nurse Xu on this matter. They fundamentally disagreed, but in her heart she understood that if there were no flood, that would be best. If her unfortunate prediction came true, then even the vast amounts of grain she had stored would be insufficient. When people from ten villages and eight hamlets sought refuge, she couldn’t ignore them and would need to make some arrangements.

It wasn’t because she was kind-hearted but because hunger can drive people to extreme acts, even murder and arson, in order to survive. Their family was now wealthy and well-known, and who within ten villages and eight hamlets didn’t know of their riches and grain supply? That had its advantages and disadvantages.

On normal days, people respected their family’s influence, but in desperate times, they might start by begging earnestly. If Lin Yue refused, that begging could turn to outright robbery. Their family might be wealthy with numerous servants, but however many servants they had, could they stand against the multitude of desperate, starving flood victims? If the angry mob burst into their home to loot grain, it wouldn’t just be a financial loss. Having come from a poor background herself, Lin Yue could imagine some things without having to experience them firsthand.

"Nurse Xu, I have my own ideas about this, so please leave it be," Lin Yue said with an uncharacteristically firm tone when she saw Nurse Xu ready to nag further. Lin Yue usually maintained her authority in front of the servants, but she was approachable and especially polite to a few close ones, and to a senior like Nurse Xu, she rarely spoke harshly because she respected her. This indicated how resolute Lin Yue was. Nurse Xu was skilled at reading the mood and knew that if the master had made up her mind, further persuasion would be unwelcome and might even provoke annoyance.

Sure enough, events proved Lin Yue’s decision was correct. Another ten days passed, and the rain still drizzled endlessly.