Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Puzzled_1
Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Puzzled_1
“Mother, why bring this up? Yueyue is a virtuous person; there is no need for you to worry so much. Otherwise, Erhuzi wouldn’t be this good to her.” Chunxi, fearing that Lin Yue might be upset, spoke out. In the time she had known Lin Yue, she had never heard Lin Yue mention her own family. It seemed Lin Yue was resentful towards her kin for being unfeeling, so why bring it up out of the blue?
Lin Yue didn’t really care but indeed did not like to listen to Zhao Sun’s ramblings. Feeling that it was about time, she said, “Then I’ll have to trouble Sister Chunxi with this matter. I had intended to go to the Embroidery Store myself, but my Erhu simply doesn’t feel at ease letting me go to the city alone. And just so happens, he has been too busy these days to accompany me. I have no choice but to ask you for your help.”
“This is no trouble at all. I also need to take my finished embroidery pieces to the Embroidery Store to sell. It’s just a matter of doing it along the way. There’s nothing troublesome about it; you just leave it to me.”
“Moreover, I would like to ask Sister Chunxi to help me inquire at the Embroidery Store which embroidery pieces sell well and what the prices are like, so I can embroider some and send them next time.”
“No problem, I’ll make sure to inquire for you.” Anything Lin Yue asked for was a small matter within Chunxi’s ability, and there was nothing Chunxi wouldn’t do. Chunxi’s embroidery skills were average, and she usually only embroidered small items like sachets to sell at the Embroidery Store. Lin Yue’s inquiry was something Chunxi was not very clear about but intended to understand after her next visit to the Store.
Having delivered the items and completed the task, Lin Yue said her goodbyes to Chunxi’s family. As she was leaving, Zhao Sun slipped the last two large radishes from her home into Lin Yue’s bamboo basket. These radishes were spared by Zhao Sun out of love for her grandson and were not sold, so she saved them for Zhao Xiaoquan to eat on ordinary days. Now that Lin Yue had brought so many good things, there was really nothing else at home worth giving. They could only let Lin Yue take the two big radishes back with her to eat.
After leaving Chunxi’s home and walking for a short while, Lin Yue arrived at the village chief’s house, where the village chief’s wife was taking advantage of the good weather to sun the bedding in the courtyard. Seeing Lin Yue carrying things, she did not refuse but accepted them.
“Oh, let’s see what good things Erhu’s wife has brought to honor her aunt today.” The village chief’s wife was very straightforward, speaking her mind without concealment. She took the items and, right in front of Lin Yue, pulled away the floral cloth that covered the basket. Seeing that the basket was filled with quality goods made her happy, and she felt even more that Lin Yue was generous.
“They are not anything special, just some food I made when I had some free time at home. Don’t disdain them, aunt.” Lin Yue knew the village chief’s wife’s character and said cheerfully. She had given these gifts partly as a token of thanks for using the village chief’s millstone and also to build relations.
Even though the village chief was just a minor official and hardly counted as one when taken seriously, he held absolute authority in Zhao Family Village. There’s a saying that the local authority trumps the distant government; in the village, the chief’s word carries the most weight. For any significant or trivial matter, one had to go through the village chief. Building a good relationship with the village chief was always the right move. Even if there was no immediate need, one could not be certain when the day might come that they would seek his favor. With a good relationship established over time, one is more likely to receive consideration.
“Look at Erhu’s wife’s sweet words; this is indeed quality stuff, don’t belittle it. You’re just being modest. Coincidentally, just yesterday your uncle was complaining about feeling unwell from eating salted vegetables and meat every day. You’ve come just in time with these fresh vegetables, easing my worries.”
Lin Yue, having finished delivering the items, was on her way back home when she encountered Zhao Erhu returning. He was carrying a large bag and had a relaxed smile on his face, which puzzled Lin Yue.