Chapter 452: 459: Concealing Status

It was only because Old Man Liu was the Village Chief and had a house that was spacious enough to afford so many vacancies that they had the option to stay. Originally, he had planned to arrange a few more vacant rooms in the Village, but he stopped when Master Su refused.

Master Su’s refusal was out of safety considerations. After all, it was an extraordinary period, and their identities were sensitive. It was safer for everyone to stay together to prevent others from taking advantage.

“Since Brother Su has put it that way, I won’t insist,” Old Man Liu said with a laugh. As the Village Chief, he was more worldly than the average villager. He was aware of the many taboos affluent individuals had outside their familiar settings. Seeing Master Su’s refusal, he did not persist.

“Alright, I will let you know if we need anything. Thanks a lot, old brother.” Master Su liked the straightforwardness of Old Man Liu and happily accepted his offer.

“Then you all should rest first. You must be tired after traveling for so long. I won’t disturb you any further,” Old Man Liu said as he closed the door behind him. He then went on to help the Su Family’s servants settle in, and seeing quite a few people from outside the Courtyard being nosy, he walked out.

“Go on, shoo! What are you all crowding around for? Haven’t you seen guests before? What’s there to gawk at? You’ll only make us the laughingstock!” Old Man Liu commanded, assertively exercising his authority as Village Chief. However, the villagers were so used to joking with the old Village Chief that they weren’t scared at all.

“Village Chief, it’s not often that so many wealthy individuals come to our Village. We rarely get to see them, so of course we’re curious and want to join the excitement!”

“Indeed, these wealthy folks are quite handsome. Each of them looks like characters straight out of a New Year’s picture, no, even more aristocratic than that, especially those three toddlers. I’ve never seen more attractive kids – chubby, fair, and endearing at first glance,” an old lady commented.

Although the Village Chief had grandsons of his own, he had a fondness for those three adorable children. Upon hearing others mention them, he said, “That’s true. How could children from wealthy families be compared to our countryside children? They’re so precious and have impeccable manners. At such a young age, their upbringing is truly commendable.”

“Indeed, children raised in Wealthy Families are just different.”

“Enough, enough. Don’t crowd around here anymore. It’s raining; aren’t you afraid of getting wet and sick? Given the way times are getting tougher, who has the extra money for medical treatments these days? Better return home,” the Village Chief chided them, starting to herd people away. Knowing he had a point, most dispersed.

Once everyone was properly settled, the Village Chief himself was quite exhausted. The main reason was that he was too sincere in his efforts to help, a trait that didn’t spare his older age from weariness.

When the Village Chief returned home, his daughter-in-law came to him, her face full of troubles.

With her husband serving as a soldier and the old lady having passed away early, all household affairs were managed by the daughter-in-law. The Village Chief was particularly caring and lenient towards his industrious and capable daughter-in-law. Seeing her troubled, he asked, “Huzi’s mother, has something happened? If there’s anything troubling you, just tell me, and I’ll do my best to help.”

Mrs. Liu Huang was grateful for her father-in-law’s leniency, but the difficulty on her face did not diminish, for it was not her own issue that troubled her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so distraught: “Father-in-law, regarding this evening’s dinner, will we need to prepare it for the guests?”

“Of course, we must not neglect our guests!” Old Man Liu replied without hesitation, being a person known for his hospitality, and the Village Chief, after all.

“But father-in-law, there are so many people, and our Food supply is just enough for our own family to get by. If we use it to entertain the guests, we won’t have enough for the days ahead. I—as an adult—can bear hunger, but we have two children at home. With their father away, I need to take good care of them to honor him,” Mrs. Liu Huang said. Being a typical good woman and daughter-in-law, she always put others before herself.

Hearing this, Old Man Liu understood the reason behind his daughter-in-law’s earlier dilemma and felt somewhat ashamed. He had oversimplified the situation, having delegated the household management to his daughter-in-law and being worry-free about everything. Even in such tumultuous times when others could barely find enough to eat, his daughter-in-law had never let him or his grandson go hungry; they were just scraping by. Looking at other households in the Village, none lived as they did. This was not without reason but the result of his daughter-in-law’s meticulous planning and self-sacrifice.

“Huzi’s mother, I’m sorry. I wasn’t considerate enough, only thinking of my own joy without giving proper thought to our household. However, now that we have guests staying, it wouldn’t be right not to offer them a meal,” Old Man Liu spoke with remorse.

Mrs. Liu Huang perfectly understood her father-in-law’s nature; he was an extremely kind person. In all the years since she married into the Liu Family, he had never given her any trouble. It was just that he was a bit lax and overly generous. If it were any other time, it wouldn’t have been a significant issue given their circumstances, but these were tough times.

Unable to criticize her father-in-law, Mrs. Liu Huang simply sighed, “Father-in-law, that makes sense. But we really don’t have much Food. Perhaps I could cook a pot of porridge. At most, that’s what we can offer. Seeing that the guests are so well-dressed, they probably aren’t worried about food or drink. If they find it insufficient, they’ll have to take care of themselves.”

Knowing he was the one who erred and seeing his daughter-in-law going to such lengths was already commendable, Old Man Liu quickly nodded in agreement, saying, “That’s exactly right, exactly right. Let’s do just that. Times are hard, and doing this much is already being as compassionate and righteous as we can be. I believe the guests will understand our difficulties and won’t take offense.”

Mrs. Liu Huang felt relieved to hear her father-in-law say this, thankful that he was reasonable. Otherwise, if he had insisted, she, as his daughter-in-law, would have had no choice but to comply.

“Then I’ll get started on dinner right away. Even if it’s just porridge, there are many to feed, and I need to prepare early.” Mrs. Liu Huang said as she was about to leave. Just at that time, someone from outside was calling, and Old Man Liu, hearing the voice of the guests, hurried out, only to see two servant girls who typically followed Mrs. Su. To conceal her identity, Su Wenyue outwardly assumed the role of Master Su’s daughter-in-law, especially since she was accompanied by three children.

“Is there something you need, young ladies?” Mrs. Liu Huang politely addressed Shu Qin and Shu Xiang.

“Indeed, we need a favor. Tonight, we would like to borrow your Kitchen for a while. After traveling for so long, everyone is tired of Dry Food and would like to cook a hot meal,” Shu Qin said with a smile. Shu Xiang stood silently behind Shu Qin, having learned her lesson after being scolded by Su Wenyue the last time. She had come to understand her faults and became much more prudent in her actions.