Chapter 42: Writing a Letter

◎Landlady Lady Master◎

While the Hu family was in conference, Zhu Ying was penning a letter to his master.

Breeding homing pigeons was no easy task, and there were only a few at his master's disposal. The back-and-forth communication took time, and there was always the risk of loss due to predators or adverse weather conditions, resulting in a high attrition rate. To conserve resources, after reporting his safety when he first arrived at Shangyi Village, Zhu Ying had refrained from writing any further letters.

This time, however, he wrote extensively, detailing every event that had transpired within the Hu family since their last correspondence.

To be entirely honest, it was all trivial matters, insignificant trifles. But in the current state of the Hu family, what could qualify as a significant issue? If there were truly major events, they would pertain to life and death, matters that could bring ruin.

Yet, no matter how insignificant the matter might seem, it was never trivial in Zhu Ying's eyes. As Hua Ji's renowned chatterbox, he could go on and on when composing letters.

He wrote, all the while attentively eavesdropping with one ear.

In the room, the family sat in an orderly manner around the table where they shared their meals. At first, no one spoke until the eldest matriarch, being the most senior ancestor, broke the silence: "I will not speak at length about other matters; I shall address only two points. Firstly, as of today, we have truly settled down in this rural area. The Upper Village is our ancestral home and shall henceforth be our home. All of you must regard this place as your home from now on, casting away all memories of the capital city completely. Titles such as 'Houye' (marquis), 'Madame Hou', 'young master', and 'lady' are nothing but fleeting clouds to us; they hold no relevance to our lives now. My advice is that you maintain a balanced mindset and refrain from applying your past ways to your current life, for they will not work. If any of you fail to let go of your former status, you will only invite suffering upon yourselves."

At this point, the matriarch glanced deliberately at Mrs. Chen and Aunt Mei before fixing her gaze on the twins, who were wriggling about on the bench, unable to sit still for a moment, discussing their plan to catch fish in the river later.

The matriarch said, "I'm talking about the two of you, Yan'er and Xing'er. Sit properly for your grandmother and listen carefully. If you don't behave, I'll send you to learn farming, and you'll be farmers' children in the future."

Upon hearing this, the twins promptly straightened their small bodies, placing their hands on their laps. They obediently replied, "Reporting to Grandmother, we're sitting properly and listening attentively."

Satisfied, the matriarch continued, "There's one more matter. Although our family is no longer the noble household it once was, regardless of our status, it's still a home. A home needs someone to manage and take charge. I'm old now, and I lack the strength to oversee everything. Mrs. Chen, you've always been indifferent to matters and gentle in nature. Therefore, my intention is to entrust our family to Yu Lian's care from today on. Everyone should follow her lead."

"Mrs. Chen, do you have any thoughts on this?"

Mrs. Chen kept her head down, silent. Instead, Hua Zhan spoke up, "Son agrees with this. The official deeds for the house and land have already been given to my wife. She's young and capable, so it's only fitting for her to take charge." He then looked at Yu Lian and asked, "Will my wife be burdened by this?"

Yu Lian shook her head and said, "Thank you for Grandmother's and Father's trust. Yu Lian will do her best."

The matriarch: "What about Mrs. Chen? Don't remain silent. Speak your mind in front of your family. Take advantage of today to voice your concerns, or it will be too late."

Only then did Mrs. Chen speak up. She glanced at her husband before turning to the matriarch and Yu Lian. Hesitantly, she said, "I have no objections, but... Mother, I am Yu Lian's mother-in-law. If the villagers find out, I..."

Even though Mrs. Chen didn't often socialize outside, she had come to understand that life in the countryside was different from that in the capital. In the capital, high society families kept their affairs private, but in the countryside, with low walls and neighbors living close together, even feeding chickens or pigs could be seen clearly from the outside. People worked in groups in the fields or washed clothes by the river, maintaining little personal distance and therefore, few secrets.

She had witnessed the power of gossipy village women firsthand. Most households here were run by mothers-in-law, and she feared that if they found out, they would talk behind her back, causing her embarrassment.

The elderly lady was almost amused by her daughter-in-law's naivety, which seemed to have no bounds despite her age. She was straightforward and couldn't hide her thoughts, speaking without any subtlety, even in front of Yu Lian. Did she have no shame?

"What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of losing face? Or that people will say you lack the authority of a matriarch and have been overshadowed by your daughter-in-law?"

"I'll ask you this. Back in the capital, from the time you entered our family as a young woman, Mother already entrusted you with managing the household. What happened then?"

Mrs. Chen lowered her head in embarrassment, her cheeks turning slightly red.

The elderly lady continued, "At first, you did manage it, but then you delegated the responsibilities to the servant women around you. That Jiang woman had crooked roots, and within half a year, she embezzled how much of our family's property? The household was in disarray, just like a rat had burrowed into our home, stealing our belongings. When discovered, you held on for a while before begging Mother to take back the authority to manage the household, claiming you were incompetent and that it was too exhausting. So, Mother took over. Let me speak frankly today, do you have the ability to manage the household?"

"Our family is not like others, and can Yu Lian be compared to other wives? You've forgotten how she came to our family and led us all here to settle down? How can you be afraid of what outsiders might say and entertain the idea of comparing yourself to Yu Lian?"

Ashamed, Mrs. Chen's eyes reddened, and she whispered, "I was only talking. I'll listen to Mother."

The elderly lady knew that Mrs. Chen didn't have ill intentions. Though not very clever, her character wasn't bad.

Gently consoling her, she said, "Relax and don't worry about losing face. With Yu Lian here, you, as a mother, have an easy life. Others would be envious of you."

Seeing her mother-in-law's downcast posture, Yu Lian poured her a cup of hot tea. Mrs. Chen looked up at her, her eyes still rimmed with redness, tears threatening to fall.

Yu Lian: "..."

"Lián-er, you're now the head of our household. Tell us what we should do and how we should live from now on."

Yu Lian promptly poured hot tea for everyone at the table before saying, "There are two most pressing matters right now. First is the matter of building a new house. This cottage is old and small, originally built for the village school's teacher. It has been around for quite some time. When Yan'er and Xing'er grow up, they can't keep sharing a room with Grandmother. So I thought, since we still have some silver on hand and the villagers have been looking out for us since we moved in, we might as well wait until after the harvest season and ask our neighbors to help build us a new, larger house in one go, so we don't have to worry about expansions or renovations later on. When I was in the capital, I saw some rural estates. I want to build something similar to those."

"Secondly, when we arrived here, we had over five hundred taels of silver. We've spent over a hundred on purchasing land deeds and items these past few days. That leaves us with around three hundred taels. Building a new house will require a significant amount, so we can't just rely on our savings. I think this land is quite spacious. Even if we set aside an area for the house, we'll still have more than ten mu left. We can cultivate crops and fruit trees on these lands and eventually engage in trade."

The elder lady responded, "Lián-er, you've thought through the housing matter carefully. Grandmother agrees. But what kind of business can we do with crops and fruit trees? This place is poor. Your second aunt said that even carrying mountain goods to the town doesn't fetch a good price. If we go further to the county seat, it's inconvenient, and the journey would be too tiring for little profit."

Yu Lian replied, "Grandmother, others may find it difficult, but not us. We have a ready-made carriage, which is much faster than an ox cart. Father can just ask Brother Sanshu to make a trip. As for what to sell and how, I need to think more about it. I'll also inquire with Second Uncle about what grows well in this area."

"In the future, you can be a landlady and enjoy your life at home!"

The elder lady chuckled, her wrinkles deepening with joy. "You always know how to sweet-talk me, Grandmother loves listening to you."

Ever since Yu Lian's first day in the village, she had already planned how to utilize the riverside land. It was currently a stretch of green grass, mostly uncultivated. Villagers usually only came here to wash clothes or fetch water. No one had any ideas for this land, and over time, it had become solidified. If they wanted to cultivate anything, they would have to start from scratch and turn the soil.

Given its location by the river, if they were to till the land, they could plant a row of fruit trees along the bank. This would prevent soil erosion while also allowing them to make canned fruits or dried fruits from the harvest for sale. Then, behind the fruit trees, they could cultivate crops...

This was Yu Lian's initial plan, but the specifics were yet to be determined. She needed to consult Uncle Two about what crops would thrive in this area and what varieties were available. Before that, there was an even more pressing matter...

"Clearing land? Farming!"

The twins jumped down from their stools, hiding behind their mother with their heads shaking like rattle drums. "No, no, we won't go. We won't do it."

"Hold on, you two are the only male members of our family. If not you, then who?" Hua Yan extended his arm for his sister-in-law to see. "Aunt, we're still young! Look at these tiny arms and legs of mine. How could I possibly wield a hoe? The one I saw at Uncle Two's is taller than we are!"

Yu Lian put on a stern expression. "It's up to you two, so stop complaining. Starting today, grab your hoes and start digging."

The twins: "..."

After the first family meeting, Yu Lian enlisted the twins as laborers. She called upon her father-in-law to drive the carriage as they headed to town again. Since their family aimed to become landlords with vast lands to cultivate, they needed to order farming tools. Little Guo'er rushed out and pleaded, "Aunt, Guo'er wants to go too."

So, Yu Lian brought the little girl along.

Upon their return, Yu Lian descended from the carriage, followed by the twins and Little Guo'er, all three beaming with excitement as they carried three piglets. They refused to let go even after reaching home. Next, Hua Zhan carried down two large bamboo baskets, one filled with chicks, the other with two goslings. Their chirping filled the air, causing Hua Zhan to frown as he placed the baskets in the yard.