After Retiring to the Countryside, I Was Recruited as a Matrilocal Husband - Chapter 6

Only after Nanny Du was firmly restrained did Cui Jun step forward to scrutinize the features of the woman and the two young children. After a long beat, she successfully mapped their identities. “Are you the wife and children of Li Shier?”

Never expecting that Cui Jun would recognize her private profile, the woman stopped her weeping. Pulling the two children close to her flanks, she said, “Your servant is the wife of Shier-lang, Lin Chun. These are his two children.”

Cui Jun turned her head to explain the context to Dou Ying: “A few days ago, during my journey from Dengzhou back to Ruzhou, our party encountered outlaws executing a highway robbery near the Luyuan Pass. Our private guards, Li Shier and Wang Houshan, were unfortunately slaughtered while resisting the bandits.”

A sudden realization hit Dou Ying.

Cui Jun turned back to address Lin Chun: “Li Shier and the others demonstrated absolute loyalty, fighting to their final breaths to shield my person. I hold their sacrifice in the deepest chambers of my heart. I have already ordered their remains to be interred with absolute honor, and I shall definitively see to it that your household is well provided for. Yet, why are you ranks weeping outside our main gates?”

Lin Chun wept out her grievances: “I am well aware that Young Mistress possesses a magnanimous character and treats us servants with exceptional favor. It is simply that following Shier-lang’s death, our household has run completely out of grain, and we are bordering on absolute starvation! Your servant gathered word that this senior crone was actively withholding the allocation of coin and food, refusing to distribute it, so I had no choice but to confront her directly. I genuinely had zero intention of aggressively staging a scene before the Young Mistress.”

“To think the mechanics unfolded exactly like this!” A sudden surge of pure fury shot straight to Cui Jun’s brain. She rigorously deployed her baseline reason to suppress the explosive rage, yet the gaze she directed toward Nanny Du involuntarily turned bone-chillingly cold.

Nanny Du felt a trace of guilt, yet she instantly attempted to drop the blame straight onto Cui Jun’s head:

“Seventh Young Mistress, this old servant didn’t withhold the allocation out of malicious intent. A few days ago, you explicitly commanded me to deliver a massive reward to the garrison encampment. Mobilizing such a staggering quantity of coin and grain out of our reserves right before the autumn harvest has left the primary operating fund temporarily depleted. I had no choice but to delay the distribution until the harvest yields are processed. Furthermore, didn’t Seventh Young Mistress explicitly state that a portion would be drawn straight from your private dowry reserves? Has that share perhaps been withheld as well?”

Cui Jun habitually merely delivered the overarching directives for her retainers to execute; how on earth was she supposed to decode whether Qingxi had delivered the coins and grain to the families in a timely manner?

Caught off guard, her hands clutched tightly together beneath the folds of her long sleeves.

Operating with a far sharper practical clarity than her mistress, Lin Chun snapped, “Why are you dragging the Young Mistress into your narrative? Even if the Young Mistress gave out grain from her treasury, does that grant you the baseline authority to withhold yours?”

Nanny Du let out a cold laugh. “It appears your household isn’t entirely devoid of grain after all.”

Lin Chun threw herself into a flagrant display: “I couldn’t care less whether my pots run empty or full! The absolute reality is that you embezzled the grain Shier-lang purchased with his own life that is your defining sin!”

“Who embezzled a single grain? It was merely a delayed distribution, what on earth are you throwing a tantrum for? Seeking to devour such a massive mountain of grain and coin all at once aren’t you terrified of choking to death?!” Nanny Du barked back.

Dou Ying’s brows drew together sharply, interrogating Nanny Du directly: “When Seven-Niang’s grandfather occupied his earthly track, he handed down two qing of inherited permanent property. When my uncle occupied his track, he likewise handed down two qing of permanent land. Furthermore, when my aunt married into the Cui lineage, she brought three full qing of arable land as her wedding dowry. Given the seasonal yields of seven hundred qing of prime land, how on earth can a backlog in distributing baseline provisions to the servants even surface?!”

Well aware of Dou Ying’s history and her former concubine status, Nanny Du thoroughly despised her profile from the absolute bedrock of her heart. Consequently, she projected a thoroughly dismissive, arrogant posture, remarking, “Lady Dou does not govern a household, so you possess zero comprehension of the sheer cost of daily provisions. This entire country villa commands a massive reservoir of mouths to feed, and during major festivals, we must aggressively allocate expenditures to honor the senior branches and cultivate the local gentry. The domestic outlays are exceptionally steep…”

Dou Ying countered smoothly, “I indeed do not govern a household, but my family’s Seven-Niang possesses the absolute mandate to govern her own empire. If you lack the competence to police the ledgers, you may surrender the account books this exact second.”

Nanny Du’s complexion shifted slightly. She was intensely unwilling to yield, yet failing to find a logical parameter to deliver an explicit refusal, she resolved to deploy a tactical retreat to secure her upper hand: “The Master and Madam took pity on Seventh Young Mistress’s isolated, solitary existence, deeply anxious that she would fail to anchor the family estate entirely on her own that is precisely why they dispatched this old servant to offer professional guidance. Seventh Young Mistress completely misinterprets the Master and Madam’s painstaking care, going so far as to police her boundaries and guard against them to such an absolute degree… This old servant has zero desire to permit outsiders to misinterpret their stellar intentions. I shall execute my departure back to Dengzhou this instant!”

Even if she successfully executed her departure today, the extensive land titles wouldn’t automatically revert to Cui Jun’s active control. On the contrary, societal consensus would swiftly brand Cui Jun as an ungrateful wretch who failed to recognize the benevolence of her kin ultimately converting the entire variable into Cui Jun’s defining fault.

Cui Jun pursed her lips in absolute silence, and Dou Ying likewise decoded the logistics as exceptionally thorny.

Suddenly, a highly distinct, easily recognizable voice drifted down from the shade of the trees flanking the main entrance: “Do you require me to escort you a leg of the journey?”

The crowd turned uniformly toward the audio source, mapping the silhouette of Zhang Zhaoge leading a handful of local garrison soldiers as they walked past the emerald canopy of the pathway. The Cui family retainers had likely been so intensely locked in their domestic brawl that they had failed to register the thunder of approaching hooves drawing close.

In stark contrast to the basic leather armor she had donned a few days prior, she today carried a traditional side-blade (Heng dao) along with a massive infantry cleaver (Mo dao) securely mounted at her waist. One ledger of her saddle held a heavy longbow and feathered arrows, while the opposite side carried an exceptionally intricate, high-velocity crossbow. The crossbow bolts were mounted exposed within the quiver, primed to be loaded and discharged at a moment’s notice.

Mapping the mechanics of that bow and crossbow, Nanny Du was instantly hit by a vivid recollection of the outlaw corpse she had witnessed suspended by the barracks gates the day before its throat cleanly transfixed by a lethal arrow, attracting a swarm of flies as it decayed.

Yesterday, Zhang Zhaoge had personally escorted Dou Ying to the villa, demonstrating an exceptionally close, aligned bond between the two women. When Zhang Zhaoge offered to “escort her a leg of the journey,” the phrase was by no means a polite sentiment.

Catching sight of her, Dou Ying’s eyes crinkled into a soft smile, prompting, “What brings Zhaoge down to these sectors?”

“I was assigned a routine patrol mandate, and since my route cut straight past your gates, I intended to step inside to request a bowl of water to quench my thirst. I could have never anticipated running straight into this spectacular theatrical production of an old slave riding roughshod over her young mistress.” Zhang Zhaoge directed a thoroughly mocking look straight at Nanny Du.

When Nanny Du had delivered the rewards the day before, she had already decoded the senior servant’s posture as intensely haughty. Today, she realized this elderly aunt didn’t merely harbor a trace of arrogance she simply failed to encode her own employer within her line of sight entirely.

Zhang Zhaoge highly respected the aunt’s suicidal courage to play the role of a rebellious tenant, and instantly resolved to extract a wave of pure vengeance on behalf of her close companion.

Mhm—she was precisely that brand of operator who fiercely protected her own inner circle without sweating the abstract parameters of objective justice.

She smoothly unmounted her longbow from the saddle, drawing the string taut as she pulled a lethal arrow from her kit. Remaining astride her black steed, she aligned the arrowhead directly with Nanny Du’s silhouette.

Let alone Nanny Du, even Cui Jun failed to decode the mechanics of the situation in time completely stunned by how this officer could resolve to execute a lethal strike over a single line of friction without warning.

Nanny Du frantically sought a path to dodge the vector, yet every servant standing in the cluster valued their own lives intensely, refusing to let her leverage their silhouettes as human shields. Left completely exposed with zero operational out, she could only let out a panicked shriek: “You… you dare execute a civilian in broad daylight?! Do you have even a fraction of comprehension regarding my backing?!”

Zhang Zhaoge projected the absolute countenance of a ruthless military tyrant: “I merely mapped the silhouette of a wild boar charging down into the township to trample the civilian crops. My sole intent was to execute the beast, yet my accuracy experienced a minor slip, causing the arrow to deviate and accidentally transfix an elderly crone who blundered straight into the firing line.”

The garrison troops tracking her lead burst into a round of chaotic laughter: “Exactly! That wild boar operates with immense cunning it specifically loves to burrow straight into dense clusters of people.”

Terrified that a sudden jolt of the officer’s hand would release the lethal arrow, Nanny Du sprinted in frantic haste to hide behind Cui Jun and Dou Ying, screaming for salvation: “Seventh Young Mistress, Lady Dou, save my life!”

The historical trauma of the Huaining Army breaching the Dou residence years ago to terrorize her family flashed straight through Cui Jun’s mind. Her consciousness was instantly locked inside the parameters of that past terror, leaving her completely pinned to the spot without a single reflex.

Noticing the abnormal rigidity locking her cousin’s posture, Dou Ying addressed Zhang Zhaoge: “Zhaoge, desist from terrorizing this senior servant further.”

Zhang Zhaoge likewise mapped the reality that Cui Jun’s delicate features had turned entirely bloodless. Reluctantly snapping her bow and arrow back into their mounts, she dismounted from her steed, murmuring, “The weather is remarkably pristine today.”

The crowd had zero comprehension of what exact cryptographic riddle she was delivering.

She smoothly added, “It is an exceptional day to indulge in hearty laughter, so I executed a minor joke to entertain the ranks.”

The crowd: “…”

This script is not even a fraction amusing!!!

Nanny Du was simultaneously hyper-ventilating with panic and pure fury, yet she did not dare voice a single insult lest she provoke the officer into executing a lethal reflex.

Cui Jun finally succeeded in pulling her consciousness out of the valley of terror. She harbored a trace of anger against Zhang Zhaoge’s wild mechanics, yet recognizing that the officer had stepped into the slot precisely to discipline Nanny Du on her behalf, she could not allow her defender to play the part of an unappreciated villain.

Dou Ying cast a sharp glance at Zhang Zhaoge, hooking her arm through Cui Jun’s to offer a protective squeeze: “This character operates with immense eccentricity, yet she lacks a malicious core. She has never executed an innocent civilian.”

Realizing she had triggered a minor blunder, Zhang Zhaoge prepared to apply grease to her heels and execute a swift departure: “Uh… if there are zero operational bottlenecks remaining, I shall resume my patrol mandate.”

Cui Jun called out to halt her momentum: “Did the Vice Commander not state she was parched? Pray tarry a brief moment.”

Cui Jun ordered her servants to fetch warm water from the interior chambers. Seizing the exact window where Nanny Du’s psychological defenses had been completely shattered by Zhang Zhaoge, she commanded the senior servant to immediately process and distribute the backlogged coins and grain to the families of the casualties.

How could Nanny Du dare offer a single line of procrastination? Under the rigorous, active supervision of Xilan, she immediately guided Lin Chun toward the granary vaults to finalize the draw.

The crowd of retainers who had gathered to spectate the drama mostly dissolved as well.

The maid, Chaoyan, emerged carrying bowls of warm water, distributing a share to Zhang Zhaoge and each of her subordinates. Draining the bowl, Zhang Zhaoge delivered a standard line of courtesy: “Our presence today triggered an absolute disruption; such mechanics shall not surface a secondary time. Farewell.”

Cui Jun managed a polite smile, countering, “Vice Commander Zhang speaks far too formally. It is precisely because your detachment polices these sectors with absolute dedication acting as a towering deterrent against low-profile criminals that these mountain ridges remain entirely clear of common outlaws. I must petition the Vice Commander to increase the frequency of your patrols down this specific pathway.”

Zhang Zhaoge offered no verbal comment, merely delivering a firm nod toward Dou Ying before swinging her body back into the saddle to depart.

The soldiers under her command had all extracted their shares of the premium rewards delivered by the Cui house, harboring an immense baseline of goodwill toward Cui Jun. Witnessing a rebellious servant ride roughshod over her master today, they had desperately wished to cut down the senior crone to clear the air.

As they gained a substantial distance from the villa, they voiced a trace of deep disappointment that Zhang Zhaoge hadn’t cleanly executed Nanny Du.

Zhang Zhaoge countered with a cool, detached tone: “That is an internal affair belonging strictly to the Cui house; what operational business is it of ours, and what business is it of yours? Memorize this absolute parameters: even if the Seventh Young Mistress of the Cui lineage explicitly petitions our blades to strike, we must absolutely never execute a civilian without a formal legal mandate.”

The garrison troops submissively registered the critique, murmuring their compliance.

Zhang Zhaoge smoothly added, “However, given that we have extracted substantial material benefits from the Seventh Young Mistress, stepping into the slot today can simply be processed as returning her debt of honor!”

“Huh?” The soldiers failed to parse the structural meaning behind her words.

Only Zhang Zhaoge’s right-hand lieutenant decoded the mechanics of the exchange perfectly, interjecting, “Every single one of us carries full water canteens up our kit; marching down to request a drink of water was nothing more than an absolute pretext. The Seventh Young Mistress Cui undoubtedly mapped that variable instantly. Consequently, when we prepared to depart, her decision to actively anchor our presence was executed precisely to borrow our leverage to seamlessly resolve the domestic friction with that senior servant.”

The garrison soldiers all widened their eyes in absolute shock, having clearly never processed the psychological layout of the interaction.

One of the troops couldn’t help but let out a profound exclamation: “This Seventh Young Mistress Cui is remarkably young in years, yet her capacity for calculation and wits truly runs incredibly deep.”

“If our Head can decode the exact blueprint the Seventh Young Mistress was running at a single glance, doesn’t that prove our Head commands an equally deep reservoir of calculation?”

“Bullshit! Our Head’s mechanics are what you call a phenomenal mind wrapped in a magnificent frame!” The soldier aggressively launched into a campaign of bootlicking flattery toward Zhang Zhaoge.

Zhang Zhaoge’s blade had already slid a fraction out of its sheath with a clean shick.

“The phrase running through your unrefined brain is likely possessing a towering intellect and strategic depth, correct?”

“Ah! Yes, yes, precisely, exactly that!”

Zhang Zhaoge: “…”

A brilliant execution of flattery. Do not dare deploy it ever again.