A Good Country Wife-Chapter 612 - 606_1

"Yes, young man, don’t be so cold-hearted! It’s only natural for someone to want to send some grain to their starving mother outside. Letting him out just once isn’t a big deal, saving a life is still an act of kindness and virtue! Why are you taking this so seriously? It’s not like the refugees will come pouring in the moment you open the gate. We’ve all heard that representatives of the refugees are currently in the parlor negotiating with your master. They wouldn’t cause any trouble."

But who was speaking up for Zhao Cheng? It was none other than the wife of Zhao Anyu, who had moved in with Zhao Anyu. Zhao Anyu and Zhao Erhu were first cousins and generally got along well. Seeing that Zhao Erhu had some admiration for Zhao Anyu, Lin Yue felt she couldn’t ignore Zhao Anyu in such a situation, especially since he was the village scholar and well-respected. Given this, it wouldn’t do to let the refugees harm him. Those refugees didn’t care whether you were a scholar or a respected person. With Zhao Anyu being a frail scholar, he couldn’t possibly withstand the refugees, so Lin Yue had to arrange for him to move in, and naturally, she had to bring along his entire family. However, with his foul-tempered daughter-in-law, Lin Yue wasn’t particularly welcoming; without anything better to do, the woman was always looking for trouble.

Zhao Cheng pleaded desperately, and Lady Qian chimed in to help. The servant at the gate was nearly persuaded to open it, but fortunately, at that very moment, Nanny Xu came by on patrol. She intervened in time, preventing a disaster from occurring.

Meanwhile, the refugees outside were pressing against the gate, silently listening to the commotion inside, intensely hoping the servants would open the door. They were ready to rush in at the opportunity, careful not to make any sound, for fear that any noise might cause the people inside to refuse to open the gate.

"Don’t open the gate! What were the mistress’s instructions? Do you dare to defy the mistress’s orders? If the refugees outside break in, it’s a small matter if you risk your own lives and property, but what about your unwillingness to drag your family into this mess and implicate everyone in the house? That would make you nothing but thorough criminals. How could you face the mistress then, and how would you repay her kindness toward us?" Nanny Xu reprimanded harshly, glaring at the two servants. Her gaze of condemnation quickly turned toward Zhao Cheng and Lady Qian—it was ultimately they who were causing the trouble, and the servants had merely been temporarily softhearted.

Nanny Xu couldn’t bring herself to respect these two, as they were not legitimate close relatives of the mistress. Now they had engaged in such misconduct. When she spoke, her tone was less than pleasant, "You two are considered relatives of the mistress, and out of kinship, she allowed you to come in to protect your lives and property, saving you from the refugees. You ought to be grateful to the mistress. Yet you turn around and engage in acts that endanger the welfare of everyone. Is this how you repay the mistress?"

Zhao Cheng originally wanted to sneak out. Caught red-handed by Nanny Xu, his face flushed with shame, "I’m sorry, I had no intention of harming everyone. I’m just worried about my mother; I don’t know how she’s coping. I wanted to send her some grain—that was all. I thought that since the refugees had sent representatives to negotiate, they wouldn’t cause trouble right now. That’s why I hoped to take the chance to slip out. If I were to harbor such thoughts, wouldn’t I be worse than a beast?"

Zhao Cheng spoke earnestly, and he genuinely felt this way. If he had harbored ill intents or bad motives, Lin Yue would have driven his family out long ago instead of sheltering them until this point.

Lady Qian had never liked Nanny Xu, who always acted superior, relying on her mistress’s favor and status, never paying any mind to them. She had long wanted to teach the old nanny a lesson, to knock her down a peg, remembering that she was nothing more than a servant in Zhao Erhu’s household. "Nanny Xu, what is this display of aggression? Anyone who didn’t know better would think you’re someone of importance! Just a servant of the Zhao family, who do you think you are? You speak to us like this, yet we, no matter our current state, are still relatives of the Zhao family, not to be admonished by a servant like you. Besides, Zhao Cheng is simply acting out of filial piety. What harm could it be to indulge him? You make it seem as if everyone’s heart is as hard as yours. No wonder you’re said to have come from the palace, a lifelong spinster. It’s no surprise you’re a bit odd."

Lady Qian’s words were incredibly hurtful, hitting Nanny Xu right where it hurt. Even with her patience, Nanny Xu was angered beyond measure, knowing full well that Lady Qian had the temperament of a nouveau-riche. It took great effort for her to contain her anger, though her expression soured.

"I may be a servant, but I’m following the mistress’s orders. You guests aren’t behaving as guests should, and that’s truly lacking in propriety. Save your breath and stop causing trouble. Just look at the state of things outside, with everyone at home on alert, fearing that the refugees might break in and cause tragedy. Even the delegates sent by the refugees to negotiate had to be hoisted over the wall. And here you are, hoping to open the back door? It seems you do not wish for peace. Do you find life too idle?" Nanny Xu grew angrier the more she spoke. The mistress was already worried sick about the refugees outside, and yet Lady Qian had time to cause more issues, showing no sense of gratitude. Zhao Anyu seemed decent enough, and his parents were quite sensible. How had they ended up with such a daughter-in-law?

If Lady Qian had any sense, she would not be stirring up trouble every day, and even Zhao Erhu’s servants would not disdain her. Nanny Xu’s words seemed to fall on deaf ears to Lady Qian, "Don’t exaggerate the danger. It can’t be that serious! Surely you think I’m unaware that the refugee representatives are in the main hall, speaking with the mistress? They wouldn’t break in now. They would wait until negotiations have completely failed. If they go well and the issue resolves, we won’t have to worry anymore. You must think you can fool me by using scare tactics! I see that it’s because you simply can’t bear to see us in good standing. You’re using this as an excuse to have your way."

After speaking, Lady Qian turned to the gatekeeper, "Come now, young man, listen to me. Open the gate and let him go for a bit. Fulfill someone’s filial wishes. Don’t heed the old crone’s mumbo-jumbo. If your master questions you, just say it was my idea. She wouldn’t trouble you for it."

This servant wasn’t new to the job. Though his duties were to guard the gate, he was familiar with Lady Qian’s reputation. The saying "the county official is not as good as the current boss" came to mind. It wasn’t that the mistress esteemed Lady Qian, who was a distant relative at best more out of courtesy than genuine affection. Even if Lady Qian truly was kin, their ties weren’t deep. Daily affairs in the inner courtyard were under Nanny Xu’s control, so naturally, he answered to Nanny Xu and knew exactly which side to choose.