A Good Country Wife-Chapter 664 - 657_1

Seeing all the old and young in the stockade worrying about their livelihoods, only able to sit and wait for the men of the household to risk their lives for a fight, managing to secure their living only by committing a robbery every now and then, Lin Yue felt somewhat troubled. When she first arrived, Zhao Erhu went hunting in the mountains to support the family, and she would worry day and night, afraid of the slightest mishap. Though dangerous, the risk was still less than that of being a bandit. An auntie in the stockade wasn’t wrong when she said that no one would choose to be a bandit if they weren’t driven to desperation. Not to mention the infamy that comes with the title, but even their lives were not guaranteed.

"Oh, that sounds like an excellent opportunity, Mrs. Lin, do tell?" Huangfu Yi showed some interest upon hearing Lin Yue’s words. If this could really improve the living conditions in the stockade, he could be more at ease—not having to constantly worry about the stockade’s livelihood and being able to stay away for a while.

"It’s not any extraordinary method. If some are hoping for unearned gains, lazing around with no effort, they might not be interested in this method. The reason I bring it up is simply because I see many of the elderly, frail women, and children in the stockade worrying about their relatives who fight and risk their lives outside. I just want to secure a peace of mind for them. Listen, head of the household."

Huangfu Yi nodded, indicating he understood. "In this world, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, everything is relative. Take us bandits, for example, though we make a swift profit from plundering, we have to constantly risk our heads at any moment, and we’re also burdened with a terrible reputation. Most of the people here are ordinary folks who’ve taken to the hills because they had no other choice, with no other means to earn a living. If Mrs. Lin could afford them a stable life without having to live in constant fear, I’m sure most would be willing. So, Mrs. Lin, please share your thoughts. Regardless of whether it works out in the end, I appreciate the gesture."

"I merely feel that the aunties and daughters-in-law in the stockade are actually quite nice, without any ill intentions, which is why I speak up. In fact, this method is quite simple—it’s about reclaiming wasteland for farming." Lin Yue said, pausing briefly to see that Huangfu Yi didn’t seem to disapprove or show any inappropriate reactions before continuing.

"Though what you said may sound ordinary, it is indeed feasible. I’ve stayed in the stockade for some days now and have gotten to know the general terrain and soil quality. The land here is relatively fertile and suitable for farming. I’ve noticed that if the brothers in the stockade don’t go out, they usually idle their days away, including their women and children at home, with nothing much to do. If they were to use that time for farming, why would we ever worry about a shortage of food? Over the past couple of years, my family has introduced a number of foreign seeds for planting. Many have proven successful, with very good yields, especially crops like sweet potatoes and corn. These are not only high-yielding and undemanding, but can also be used as food in times of hunger and are also easily stored. Many people in our village have started storing these two crops as their reserves."

Huangfu Yi did indeed find Lin Yue’s suggestion quite ordinary, but not unfeasible. He had thought about it before. Longhu Mountain had plenty of land, and without the government collecting taxes, the yields were bound to be better than those of ordinary farming households. But after all, he didn’t understand farming, so it remained just an idea, yet to be proposed. The few acres that had been cleared in the stockade were only planted with some vegetables, considering it was quite troublesome to buy them from outside the mountains. Now hearing Lin Yue bring it up, especially about the high-yielding sweet potatoes, which he knew could be turned into various delicious foods, he found her suggestion interesting.

"Mrs. Lin’s idea is good. I’ve also heard that the grains from Mrs. Lin’s family’s farm yield more than those of others. It’s not just the seeds; I suspect it has something to do with the cultivation methods."

"Of course, the crops must be well-tended to yield well, but since I’ve brought it up, whether it’s the seeds or the farming methods, I will send people to teach the residents of the stockade. At this point in the month, it’s too late for other crops, but it’s still possible to catch up with sweet potatoes and corn. For corn, we can start planting as soon as the land is reclaimed. For sweet potatoes, I can arrange to transport the seedlings here. They are easy to grow successfully with the right methods. However, I’m not doing this for nothing. Seeing as I am acquainted with the head of the household, I’ll give a discount, selling it to you at seventy percent of the market price."

Lin Yue had good intentions, but she never considered helping the people of the stockade without compensation. After all, when she asked the head of the household to help save someone, didn’t she also pay a significant price, paying 18,000 taels of silver to rescue Master Xue? Separate accounts for separate issues.

"Naturally, I appreciate Mrs. Lin’s willingness to help, let’s settle it then," Huangfu Yi promptly agreed to the proposal, looking forward to the possibility that the stockade could become self-sufficient, as Lin Yue had described.

"Good, then I will not give the 9,000 taels of silver for now. Once I calculate the costs, I will naturally return the remaining silver coin to the head of the household. Also, if the stockade has a good harvest in the future, and there’s surplus grain, it can be sold to me, as my workshop needs it for processing." freeweɓnovel.cøm

After negotiating with Huangfu Yi and once Master Xue’s injuries were slightly better, Lin Yue left the mountain with her people. The Protector and Liu Aniu had stayed in the town, waiting for Lin Yue to return from the mountain hideout. Concerned for Lin Yue’s safety on the road, Huangfu Yi sent a few trusted subordinates to secretly protect her on her journey back.

"Madam, it’s so good that you’re back. We finally saved Master Xue," Liu Aniu had been constantly worrying about Lin Yue’s safety, afraid that the bandits in Longhu Mountain’s stockade would harm her. Unfortunately, he did not know the way up the mountain, and the bandits would not allow him to enter. He could only anxiously wait in Longmen Town. Seeing Lin Yue again was a huge relief for him, especially pleased to see Master Xue rescued. Truly, it was the madam who had the capability, even managing to use the bandits to rescue him. However, the cost was quite substantial, amounting to 18,000 taels of silver, just a little more for a total of 20,000 taels.

After roughly explaining the situation to Liu Aniu, Lin Yue, along with her group, headed back to Zhao Family Village. Since the person had been rescued, there was no need to rush, especially since Master Xue was still injured, so they took a normal pace on their journey back home.

Everyone at home was also concerned for Lin Yue’s safety, like Xu’s mom and Xixi. Fearing to disturb the madam’s affairs, they did not dare to inquire more and could only silently wait. As the madam had not returned for a while, they were getting anxious, and a few days earlier, Xu’s mom had even dealt with several servants in the house. They were up to no good, taking advantage of the madam’s absence to stir up trouble. An inside traitor had also revealed their true colors and been caught.