A Good Country Wife-Chapter 667 - 660_1

After informing the shopkeeper Liu, Lin Yue went back to deal with the traitor within. On questioning the traitor, it turned out to be an embroiderer from the embroidery room, a woman of few words who didn’t attract much attention. Unexpectedly, she had been bribed to leak the master’s information.

For such disloyal servants, Lin Yue naturally didn’t need to be courteous. After questioning her again and seeing she had nothing else to say, Lin Yue directly called for the tooth-woman and sold the woman. Thus, the matter of the traitor was considered resolved.

However, even after dealing with it, Lin Yue didn’t feel quite satisfied. Listening to the traitor’s confession, she kept feeling something was amiss, but the evidence before her eyes forced her to believe it.

"Madam, what’s wrong? Is there something amiss?"

Lin Yue shook her head, "It’s just some thoughts. Nanny, tell me the truth. Do you really think this embroiderer named Zhenxi is the traitor? I just can’t see it. With such a timid disposition, how could she be bought by the men in black? And yet, Nanny, it was you who caught her, and she herself has admitted to it without denial."

Lin Yue believed in her own judgment, but this time she felt very uncertain. Although she kept trying to convince herself that she was right, she couldn’t help but ask.

"Madam, I know you have a soft heart, and indeed Zhenxi is a pleasing and lovable child, gentle and quiet. Even I often found myself fond of the girl and never expected her to do such a thing. There’s a saying, ’do not judge a book by its cover.’ I have spent half my life in the palace and the aristocratic families and have seen too many such cases. Often, it’s these kinds of people who hide the deepest. Besides, the evidence is right before our eyes. I set up a trap, and Zhenxi walked right into it. She herself probably knew that there was no escape, which is why she confessed without denial."

Nanny Xu liked to speak based on facts. Sometimes people’s feelings can be a wonderful thing with accurate instincts, but sometimes they can also lead to errors.

"Zhenxi, I’m giving you one last chance. Tell me if it was really you who signaled to the men in black, or if it was someone else. I hope you consider your answer carefully before responding. The fate of a backstabbing servant is not something you can endure. The tooth-woman is already waiting outside. If you still insist with the same story, I will let the tooth-woman take you away immediately."

Zhenxi’s eyes reddened, and she bit down hard on her lower lip, looking quite desperate, but her answer remained unchanged, "Madam, it was me. I have wronged you, Madam."

"Enough, since you are set on confessing to this crime, then there’s nothing more to say." Lin Yue said and had the tooth-woman take the woman away.

In the embroidery room, a woman, who had been constantly inquiring about Zhenxi’s situation, heard that Zhenxi had been sold by the madam, and a look of relief appeared on her face. She let out a light sigh, worried that Zhenxi might recant. Although she held leverage over Zhenxi and threatened her, it was, after all, a matter of life and death. Now that the madam had sold Zhenxi, it meant she believed Zhenxi’s words and probably wouldn’t further pursue the matter. However, she still needed to be cautious, especially since the men in black hadn’t sent her any messages recently. Who knew what was happening.

"Nanny, even though I have sold Zhenxi and it seems like the traitor in the house has been eliminated, whether Zhenxi is innocent or not, who can say there is only one traitor? You must still be cautious. If you find anyone suspicious, take them down immediately. However, the traitor shouldn’t make any moves for the time being. The men in black who bribed them have already been killed by the brothers from Longhu Mountain. According to Huangfu Yi, they definitely won’t have a chance to escape, and their ultimate fate is nothing but death."

"Yes, ma’am, this old servant will take great care,"

Lin Yue instructed Nanny Xu, realizing she had forgotten to mention something—it was about the stronghold on Longhu Mountain. Although this matter also needed to be handled by Liu Aniu from the outer residence, she still had to inform Nanny Xu.

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In the Yin Family mansion in the Capital City, the Family Head of the Yin Family sat on the main seat, his face unnaturally dark and unpleasant to look upon. A few days earlier, he had lost contact with a pair of his Hidden Guards. Upon sending people to investigate, he discovered that the pair of Hidden Guards had been completely annihilated by bandits.

"Damn bandits, they’ve got some nerve, daring to extend their hands toward our Yin Family. Unforgivable!"

---

After the flood disaster, fortunately, the weather was not too hot at the time, and no contagious diseases like epidemics had spread. Disasters were not the most frightening; the various dangers that followed were. Consequently, the Court heaved a sigh of relief.

Yet the common people remained in distress. Since the flood, the price of grain had never fallen. Even though the Court had distributed disaster relief funds and food, the price of grain continued to rise. If it went on like this, there would not be enough food to eat. Moreover, it seemed as if all the rain had already fallen at once, for a month or two, not a single drop had fallen. This abnormal situation placed the commoners, who had seen a glimpse of hope, back into difficulty once again.

"Ma’am, the weather is becoming more abnormal, no rain for two consecutive months. Thankfully, most of our family’s crops are irrigated by ditches we dug, or else we’d already be carrying water for watering. If it continues like this, I fear the harvest will not be good this year," sighed Nanny Xu, speaking to Lin Yue casually.

Lin Yue also furrowed her brows, her thoughts going beyond what Nanny Xu had considered. The flood had come and gone, harming many people. She remembered the scenes of displaced people surrounding them vividly and was frightened, which is why she raised the walls of the family’s mansion. Moreover, she set up Formations and defensive mechanisms, ensuring that no one could enter without her permission. If the rain continued to be delayed, Lin Yue feared a drought might follow, leading to a failed harvest—perhaps an even more dire situation.

Another week passed, and it was as if the heavens had dried up after the previous downpour, not a drop of rain being stingy enough to fall. The weather grew hotter and hotter, the sun’s scorching rays making people feel faint. Not only was there no rain from above, but the water levels in the rivers on the ground were also gradually decreasing, and many streams had even dried up entirely.

Having promised to deliver a considerable amount of seeds to Longhu Mountain, Lin Yue was uneasy about the reduced grain stores, especially after the incident with the displaced people, which highlighted the importance of grain. Thus, for more than two months, she had discreetly instructed Lin Genfa and Liu Aniu to quietly purchase and stockpile grain, regardless of whether the price of grain would decrease. By now, the family’s warehouses were filled to the brim, and the ever-increasing grain prices proved Lin Yue’s approach was right.

Moreover, Lin Yue had opened several hidden warehouses with her most trusted confidants. Even though the price of grain was so high it distressed the servants, several times higher than the usual price, Lin Yue still did not stop purchasing. In these circumstances, having ample grain brought peace of mind—who knows if a real famine would occur if this continued.