A Good Country Wife
Chapter 493 - 487_1

Chapter 493: Chapter 487_1

"The wet nurse came out of the palace, knowledgeable and capable; her future health will be in your care. Some things the mistress is too young to understand the seriousness of, so it’s up to elders like you to advise her more. You’ve been with us for some time now and have gotten to know the mistress’s temperament. She just doesn’t take her health seriously enough, so you can’t just let her have her way. You must speak up when necessary, even if the mistress is unhappy about it. Just do as reason dictates, and remember I’ve got your back."

Zhao Erhu said these words deliberately in Lin Yue’s presence. Before, there was no one in the family who could counsel the young wife, and the servants invariably obeyed her every command. If the wife said something, no one dared argue. When he was home, things were fine, but when he wasn’t, nobody kept an eye on her. Now that they had a loyal and competent wet nurse like Nurse Xu, Zhao Erhu was more than grateful. He made his stance clear to give Nurse Xu his backing.

"Old servant understands. From now on, I will take good care of the mistress. With the master cherishing her so, it’s indeed the mistress’s good fortune," Nurse Xu cheerily agreed, genuinely happy for the mistress. In her view, no matter how strong a woman is, she is ultimately no match for a man who cherishes her.

Lin Yue could see through Zhao Erhu’s intentions and knew he meant well for her, but it meant having yet another person nagging her, which she somewhat resented. She poked Zhao Erhu, "Zhao Erhu, you are literally buying Nurse Xu as your informant right in front of me."

"Since you know Nurse Xu will be my informant from now on, be good and take care of your health for me. Don’t make me disapprove. Also, this medicinal cuisine from Nurse Xu is pretty good; not only can it help you recuperate, but it also tastes nice. You’re to have a bowl every day without fail. Did you hear me?" Zhao Erhu said, thinking that in a few days he’d be away on a long journey, at least for over two months, and couldn’t help but give a few more stern reminders.

"I heard you, so don’t worry. You’re not leaving for several days, and you’re already fussing," Lin Yue replied.

"Ungrateful little thing, I’m doing this for your benefit, and you’re getting impatient with me? All right, I won’t say anymore. I’m off to check on Zhang Qiusheng and see if he’s finished the last batch of items." With that, Zhao Erhu ruffled Lin Yue’s hair before heading toward the carpentry workshop.

Zhang Qiusheng was putting the finishing touches on the last item Lin Yue had entrusted to him. Upon seeing Zhao Erhu, he put down his work and stood up. "Dongjia, have you come to check on the progress? I know you’re leaving soon, so I worked overtime last night. Everything is ready now, just pending my final inspection before delivery."

Zhao Erhu nodded in satisfaction, "You’ve worked hard. Once these things are done, you should also take a good rest for a couple of days."

"Father, father, I... oh no!" Xiao Yu rushed in, hopping and bounding. Despite the lesson from last time, she hadn’t changed much. She was still impulsive and didn’t look where she was going, crashing into Zhao Erhu without a moment’s hesitation. Xiao Yu felt as if she’d hit a wall, with a pleasant scent mixing with a strong male presence that intoxicated her, making her yearn for a closer whiff. But the "wall" in front of her quickly moved away, leaving her regretful.

Zhao Erhu, having received a satisfactory report from Zhang Qiusheng, was ready to leave, not expecting to be bumped into by the rushing girl. Zhao Erhu frowned slightly, but out of consideration for Zhang Qiusheng, he didn’t push the girl away. As soon as Xiao Yu steadied herself, he immediately stepped aside.

"Sorry, Dongjia, I didn’t mean it, I was just moving too fast and didn’t see you. I didn’t hurt you, did I?" Xiao Yu lifted her head and saw Zhao Erhu’s face clearly. She had stolen glances at him before and knew the handsome man in front of her was dongjia. She looked at Zhao Erhu with a touch of shy embarrassment in her expression, her eyes full of apology and sincerity.

"It’s nothing. Just be more careful in the future and not so rash. Also, the mistress has set rules: places like the carpentry workshop should not be readily accessed by outsiders. Rules must be followed." Zhao Erhu’s words, though addressed to Xiao Yu, were directed at Zhang Qiusheng with his gaze. Zhang Qiusheng understood and repeatedly agreed.

Once Zhao Erhu saw that Zhang Qiusheng got the message, he didn’t linger any longer. He didn’t give Xiao Yu another glance and turned to leave, but Xiao Yu, watching Zhao Erhu’s departing back, seemed lost in thought. She pondered how wonderful it would be if her future husband were as handsome and capable as dongjia—even an older age wouldn’t matter.

Zhang Qiusheng, seeing Xiao Yu in such a state, knew trouble might be brewing. This girl was his only daughter, spoiled and without much thought, her temperament strong, yet she acted without consideration for others or the family. Dongjia and his wife had treated their family with great kindness. If Xiao Yu were to become infatuated and do something foolish, he would be unable to face anyone. So, he became stern.

"I’ve told you not to be so careless. This is not a place for you; why don’t you remember? Is the trouble you’ve already brought upon our family not enough?! Also, keep your thoughts to yourself. Dongjia already has a mistress; weigh your own worth and know your place. Such a man isn’t someone you can afford to dream about. Don’t you dare entertain any inappropriate ideas, or if you dare to act shamelessly, don’t blame me for disowning you as my daughter!" Zhang Qiusheng’s words were scathing.

Xiao Yu’s little crush, which she had thought well-concealed, was clearly seen by others. Being bluntly exposed and warned by her father was like a harsh wake-up call, and a mix of embarrassment, anger, and hurt flooded her all at once.

"Father, what are you saying? How can I be that terrible? After all, am I not your daughter? How can you speak to me like this!" As Xiao Yu spoke, she stamped her foot and ran out.

"What kind of misfortune have I brought upon myself?" Despite his frustration and helplessness, Zhang Qiusheng’s primary feeling was concern for his own daughter. He planned to finish dongjia’s task first, then go and try to talk some sense into Xiao Yu, imploring the family to keep a closer watch on her, to prevent any disaster from happening.

But what Zhang Qiusheng didn’t realize was that the whole scene had already been observed by someone else. Just after Xiao Yu ran off, that someone reported everything to Lin Yue.

Lin Yue, unaware of Xiao Yu’s thoughts till now, believed Zhao Erhu would have no interest in Xiao Yu. Even so, knowing another woman yearned for her man was uncomfortable for her.