Chapter 53: Reminder

The clan leader entered the Lu family home and headed directly towards Wen Ruyu’s place.

Wen Ruyu also went to the front hall to greet him.

The maid served tea, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, Wen Ruyu saw that the clan leader got straight to the point.

“In previous years, your family’s house was taken care of by people in the village. This year, with autumn coming and harvest time approaching, everyone is busy and doesn’t have the energy to keep an eye on things. Also, just the other day, your house nearly got robbed. It was only thanks to the neighbor’s dog barking late at night that someone noticed.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Ruyu became more serious and asked, “Did they catch the thief?”

The clan leader shook his head. “It was too dark at night, and the thief ran fast, so we couldn’t catch up.”

“What I mean is, your house has been well-maintained over the years. It’s one of the better houses in the village, and thieves are bound to notice it. Even if there aren’t any valuables inside, things like pots, pans, or even a hoe or a hammer could be taken and sold for money. If you care about this, it’s best if someone from your family keeps an eye on it.”

Wen Ruyu nodded and said, “You’re very thoughtful. I’ll send someone to take care of it. Thank you for coming all the way here. Is everything still well in the village?”

If it was just this simple reminder, it wouldn’t have warranted the clan leader’s personal visit.

Sure enough, when the clan leader heard Wen Ruyu’s words, his expression became a little awkward.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke. “As you know, things haven’t been peaceful lately. The weather hasn’t been good this year, and crops are already scarce. The government also changed the tax system, from one-tenth to one-fifteenth. This wasn’t much at first, but the officials who come to collect the harvest, they take everything they can. For us common folks, what can we say if they take a little more or less?”

The clan leader looked genuinely troubled as he spoke, his brow furrowed.

His family was relatively better off, but even though they had some money and could avoid forced labor, seeing his relatives and neighbors struggling made it hard for him to feel at ease.

Wen Ruyu knew she couldn’t help with the weather or the government’s decisions. She sighed along with the clan leader. “Everyone has their difficulties. Let’s hope next year the weather will be kinder. I heard that the southern region has had a total crop failure this year, with drought and little rain. The land has cracked under the heat. I’m not sure how true that is, but compared to them, we’re doing better.”

The clan leader nodded. “The harvest is poor, and families with more people need to buy food. After autumn this year, it’s clear that thieves are more active. The village isn’t safe, and the teacher we hired isn’t eager to come anymore. We’re planning to send someone from each household after the harvest, and also ask each family to contribute some food so that the young men can patrol the village for safety. But it’s hard for everyone, and even giving the teacher a salary is a struggle. How can we expect to keep the teacher on?”

When the clan leader said this, Wen Ruyu understood.

It wasn’t just a simple reminder. The clan leader was here asking for money.

Since Wen Ruyu had agreed to fund the village annually, no one had come asking them for help since. The clan leader had played an important role in the internal affairs of the village, and with Bainian in the village at that time, they had received support from the villagers.

Although Wen Ruyu didn’t hold any ill feelings toward the people of Lu Family Village, she knew when it came to requests, there was a limit.

She smiled and said, “I understand. I will have someone prepare ten taels of silver for you to take with you. The children’s education is important, and as long as they have enough to eat, they won’t starve. But if the village loses its teacher, the children will fall behind in their studies, which makes it harder for them to succeed. If the village can’t even keep a teacher, things will be even worse.”

The clan leader felt a little touched hearing this. “I shouldn’t be troubling your family with this,” he said, embarrassed. “At my age, it’s not easy to keep asking for money.”

Wen Ruyu understood his position and reassured him, “No need to say more, I understand perfectly.”

However, there was only so much she could help.

If the people of Lu Family Village came asking for money again, it would be overstepping.

Being kind was one thing, but she had boundaries.

Although blood relatives might be closer, Wen Ruyu felt that her family and the Lu family were in fact closer than many of her distant relatives.

With natural disasters approaching, the Lu family had many mouths to feed.

She needed to prioritize supporting the Lu family members first, then consider the people of Lu Family Village.

Even though the Lu family had money, they also had many people, and if a disaster struck, food would be more valuable than meat. It would require even more money to support so many people.

Wen Ruyu needed to plan ahead.

So, while the Lu family wasn’t in dire poverty, and although they weren’t extremely close, her help would still be limited.

The clan leader, being an elder with much experience, had an understanding of Wen Ruyu. He knew she was neither a fool nor a simple, obedient woman. She was the true matriarch of the Lu family and had a good sense of measure, never acting purely out of kindness. She had a certain toughness and could be tough even with her own son.

This understanding led the clan leader to know how to approach Wen Ruyu—carefully and with respect, while also understanding that she could only be pushed so far.

After finishing the meal together, Wen Ruyu sent the clan leader off.

Once he left, she called over the steward, Lu Cheng.

“I’m thinking of buying another 100 acres of land at the estate. Go tomorrow with your second uncle and inspect it carefully. Make sure to measure it properly and buy good land.”

Lu Cheng, loyal to the Lu family, was happy to hear about the land purchase.

“Understood.”

“Also, the clan leader mentioned that thieves have been more active in the village lately. Arrange for two people to go to the village and keep watch. They can bring their families and stay in the side rooms. We don’t have extra rooms for them to stay in. After a year or two, we can swap them out.”

“Not just the village, but also inform Bai Nian at the estate. The people of Lu Family Village have started patrolling at night. Have our tenants do the same, so the estate isn’t affected by theft. The tenants work hard all year for a meager income.”

Lu Cheng, worried about the unrest, asked, “Should we store more grain at home each month?”

Although he had opposed turning the garden into a vegetable garden, he was still concerned about the potential threats from bandits or war.

Wen Ruyu tapped her finger on the table and said, “You’re right. From now on, we should keep half a year’s worth of various pickled vegetables, and store potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbages, cured meats, and dried vegetables in the cellars. Also, tell the accounting department that from now on, for any income, at least half of it should be converted into gold or silver and stored away.”

Gold was always a safe option.

Wen Ruyu regretted that the Lu family wasn’t a great family, and there weren’t many strong men among the servants, nor did they have the privilege to train soldiers.

However, if the marriage between Lu Ke and the county magistrate’s daughter worked out, and if the world descended into chaos, as in the case of Lu Family being in-laws, they might be protected.

The current magistrate didn’t have the right to move troops, but there were still some armed personnel for self-defense. As long as the number was controlled, they could be used for protection.

Still, Wen Ruyu hoped such a day would never come.

Lu Cheng had no objections to her plans, only asking about another matter. “Should we continue the charity work at home?”

Wen Ruyu thought for a moment and then looked outside.

“The weather’s cooling down, and this winter will be hard. We don’t know how many people will die this winter.”

In these times, it wasn’t uncommon to see people freezing to death on the streets.

“Continue with the charity. At least don’t reduce the food distribution this winter. If we can save even one person, it will be a good deed.”

Lu Cheng understood and went to make the arrangements.

A couple of days later, the Xu family sent Qin Rong back.

She arrived in the afternoon, and since Wen Ruyu was napping, Qin Rong first went to Zhao Shu to greet her.

After Zhao Shu finished her work, she spoke with the Xu family’s servant.

“If Fen’er needs anything, she can always send someone to get her. Has your wife recovered a bit?”

“She’s better than before, though not fully recovered. After all, she’s still pregnant, and even if she’s upset, she needs to think about the baby.”

Zhao Shu smiled, but wasn’t sure if Fu’er’s pregnancy was at a good stage yet.

“Was it Qin Rong’s fault? Why was she sent back so quickly?”

The Xu family’s servant didn’t know Qin Rong’s background, so just answered, “After all, she served your family’s matriarch, and our mistress was worried that sending her back would inconvenience the matriarch.”

In truth, the Xu family’s elders didn’t like Qin Rong because she was mute, feeling she brought bad luck. However, out of respect for Qin Fu, and because she was pregnant, they didn’t make an issue out of it.

Qin Fu, being considerate, realized this and sent Qin Rong back.

Zhao Shu guessed the situation, knowing Qin Fu must have been reluctant to have her sister return to the Lu family, but it was likely because either Qin Fu’s family or Xu Rui wasn’t happy with Qin Rong, so she sent her back.

But since the Xu family didn’t speak directly, Zhao Shu pretended not to know.

“Rong’er is a good girl. Thank you for bringing her back.”

The Xu family’s servant smiled politely and said a few respectful words before leaving.