Chapter 497: Chapter 491_1 Chapter 497: Chapter 491_1 Lin Yue received a letter from Zhao Erhu yesterday, sent shortly after he departed from the docks, telling her that everything was fine and the journey would surely be smooth sailing. He urged her to take good care of herself at home and not to worry.
Although it was just a routine letter of well-being containing no substantial content, Lin Yue still felt much more settled after reading it. All she hoped for was Zhao Erhu’s safe and swift return. More than wealth and honors, Lin Yue yearned for her family’s safety and well-being. Actually, she did not want Zhao Erhu to go to sea at all, given the risks involved, not to mention a journey to such distant places fraught with unknowns. However, she understood his determination to make something of himself and thus had not tried to stop him.
“Madam, in the humble opinion of this old servant, Master is someone who plans carefully. He’s skilled in martial arts and manages affairs meticulously. He will certainly return safe and sound without fail. You need not worry too much, Madam. Look, the Master has even sent a letter of well-being to reassure us that all is well,”
Since Zhao Erhu’s departure, Lin Yue had not shown it outwardly, but how could the astute Nurse Xu not discern her thoughts? Taking the opportunity provided by the arrival of Zhao Erhu’s letter, she naturally offered her counsel.
Lin Yue was willing to share some of her thoughts with Nurse Xu. “I know what you mean, Nurse, but after all, he’s gone a great distance. If it had been within Dazhou’s borders, it would have been alright. But this trip is to a foreign tribe overseas. It’s only normal for me to worry a bit. Don’t worry, Nurse, it’s just some passing thoughts. He’s already gone anyway, and life must go on as usual. Besides, it’s just a matter of a little over two months. It’s not that long, and time flies when you’re busy.”
“What you said is true, Madam. That’s just my point. I know you’ve kept yourself busy to take your mind off things. Still, you must take care of yourself. The Master repeatedly instructed me to ensure your well-being before he left. Should he return to find you’ve grown thin, he would certainly blame me for negligence,”
“Nurse, you always know the right thing to say. By the way, it’s time to harvest the sweet potatoes in the field. I heard from the servants that someone has been stealing them. Although only a small portion was taken, if we don’t address this, others might follow suit and the situation could worsen,”
“I’ve heard about this too. The manager, Liu Aniu from the outer yard, came by earlier. He probably wanted to report this matter, but you were not around at the time, Madam, so I asked him to return later. Since you’ve brought it up, why not call Aniu over? He’s the most informed about this.”
Liu Aniu was fretting over the theft of the sweet potatoes from the field, wondering whether to deploy some people to patrol the area before the harvest. However, he needed to ask Lin Yue first. So, he’d been waiting outside. When Xixi came to call him, knowing that the Madam wanted to see him, he quickly followed her into the inner yard.
Liu Aniu shared his thoughts with Lin Yue, and she agreed. It was the best they could do for now. Although they couldn’t completely prevent theft, it was generally not a major issue.
“Proceed as you suggested. Once we’ve harvested all the sweet potatoes from the field, there’s no need to worry about this anymore. How was today’s harvest in the field? How much sweet potato can we dig up from one acre?” Lin Yue, having been busy with her own affairs, had not yet had the chance to visit the fields and was thus not fully aware of the situation. However, today’s weather had been favourable, and the crops had been well-tended, ensuring the harvest wouldn’t be lacking.
Indeed, mentioning the harvest immediately brought a joyful smile to Liu Aniu’s face, as if his own fields had yielded a bountiful crop. “Madam, this year’s harvest has been very good. One acre can yield over three thousand pounds of sweet potatoes. Everyone is amazed at how good the harvest is,” he replied.
Lin Yue was not surprised to hear about the harvest. She did not express much joy but rather concern. Last year, they had planted fewer sweet potatoes than this year, and Zhao Erhu, along with trusted people, had managed the harvesting. He also specifically instructed not to publicize it, so the villagers were largely unaware of the yield. This year, however, there was a significant increase in the sweet potato crop, and the activity in the fields was too conspicuous to conceal. People would have noticed, and surely the entire village was now aware of the sweet potato yield.
Seeing that Lin Yue did not react with the joy he had anticipated, Liu Aniu was somewhat puzzled. Nevertheless, he recognized that their Madam was astute, and her thoughts were not for the likes of them servants to fathom. “Madam, is there anything amiss? The Master instructed me to support you fully before his departure. If you have any plans, just order me and I shall endeavor to carry them out.”
“There’s nothing amiss. I was just reminded of a few things. A bountiful harvest is a good thing. Just oversee the workers and gather the sweet potatoes. You can go now. If I need anything, I’ll have someone call you,” Lin Yue said, waving her hand dismissively. Some matters could only be discussed with Zhao Erhu, and since he was not around, she had to make decisions on her own,
“Xixi, prepare some things for me. I’m going to visit the village chief’s house,” Lin Yue told Xixi. Xixi had been by her side for some time now, and without any further instruction, she knew exactly what to prepare.
“Oh, Erhu’s wife, you’ve become quite the busy bee lately. It’s rare to see you around these days, so what brings you here today?” the village chief’s wife teased with a chuckle upon seeing Lin Yue.
“Look at you, talking as if I’ve become a stranger. I’ve just been a bit busy and haven’t been able to socialize much lately. Please don’t think I’ve been neglecting you. Do come over to my place when you have time. As neighbors, we should visit each other often,” Lin Yue said as she handed over the items she had brought to the village chief’s wife, who, accustomed to receiving Lin Yue’s generosity, did not refuse as she might have in the past.
The village chief’s wife saw that, despite Lin Yue’s newfound affluence, her character remained as good as ever. Lin Yue treated her with great respect and did not look down on others because of her family’s wealth. This added to her esteem for Lin Yue. With such virtuous qualities, it was no wonder Zhao Erhu cherished and spoiled her like a precious treasure.
“As long as you don’t disdain my company, I’m always willing to visit. You’ve probably come over for a particular reason though, haven’t you?” The village chief’s wife knew better than to think Lin Yue had come over just to chat because she had too much time on her hands.
“Yes, I need to discuss something with Uncle Youfu. Is he in?” When the Zhao Family was still in poverty, Lin Yue had always referred to the village chief with his title to avoid any implication of ingratiating intentions. Now that they had become wealthy, she addressed him more familiarly. The village chief felt honored by how Zhao Erhu and his wife treated him, so different social statuses warranted such changes.