Chapter 295: Chapter 303: Waiting for an Explanation
Han Yu observed Mrs. Li’s demeanor, aware that she probably had something she wished to discuss privately with Su Wenyue. Considering Mrs. Li’s previous good behavior, and the fact that she was relatively cordial with Su Wenyue, Han Yu didn’t have any reservations against Mrs. Li. After all, she was his second sister-in-law. Although he was emotionally detached, it wasn’t that he lacked feelings altogether. Compared to Han Lin, he held genuine affection for his big and second brothers who had taken care of him since childhood, and thus held a degree of respect for Mrs. Li.

“Second sister-in-law, you two chat first, I’ll step out for a while.”

“Wife, I’ll head to the village to take care of some errands and will be back later.” After finishing his sentence, Han Yu made sure to let Su Wenyue know as well. He had intended to explain matters to his wife, but since Mrs. Li had something to say, it seemed best to take care of the village matters first. They were only staying in the village for one day, so many things were rushed.

“Alright, you go on and be busy then, I’ll chat with second sister-in-law.” Su Wenyue nodded, while in her heart she was curious about how Han Yu would explain the issue with Third Child’s family, but she wasn’t the type to be unreasonably troublesome.

After Han Yu left, Su Wenyue then turned her attention to Mrs. Li, who was increasingly uneasy and seemed to be struggling to find the words to speak.

“Second sister-in-law, go ahead and tell me what’s on your mind, no need to be courteous with me.” Seeing Mrs. Li like this, Su Wenyue assumed she had a difficult request to make. Mrs. Li rarely came to her, and no matter how tough times were, she had never asked for help before. This was partly due to Han Quan’s standing, but Mrs. Li had indeed been quite considerate and didn’t want to cause her any trouble. Even though a few months had passed and some changes had occurred — Mrs. Li was no longer as timid — Su Wenyue believed that a person’s true nature didn’t change.

“Fourth younger sister-in-law, I heard that your family is planning to buy bamboo shoots, is there any truth to this?” Su Wenyue broached the subject, prompting Mrs. Li to muster the courage to ask.

“Yes, it is true. It’s a recent plan. Why do you ask?” Su Wenyue raised an eyebrow, noting that even Mrs. Li, who lived quite a distance away, had heard about it, which meant that Su Anping had been efficient in handling the matter.

“Fourth younger sister-in-law, I really shouldn’t be speaking about this, but my mother’s family is currently experiencing some severe hardship. I can’t bear to just watch, and when I heard that your family is purchasing bamboo shoots, I wondered if it was possible for my mother’s family to dig up some bamboo shoots and sell them to you. If we can exchange the bamboo shoots for food, our days would be a bit easier.”

Mrs. Li said all of this in one breath, her expression growing even more uncomfortable after she finished. She felt as if she was imposing unfairly, even though the fourth son and his wife had already provided considerable support to her side of the family. Now she was troubling the fourth daughter-in-law with her mother’s familial problems. While the Second House was faring much better these days, and she did occasionally help out her mother’s family, that was not a sustainable solution. Furthermore, constantly supporting her mother’s family might not sit well with Han Quan, and it could foster unpleasant rumors in the village. If it reached her mother-in-law’s ears, it could lead to additional problems.

So that was the issue. Su Wenyue chuckled, seeing that Mrs. Li had not changed. She dealt with such minor matters so seriously, “Of course it’s possible. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just send whatever amount your mother’s family has all together, and I will have someone instruct our servants.”

Actually, even if she didn’t mention it to her, Mrs. Li’s family’s bamboo shoots would still be collected. Maybe Su Anping had thought the distance was too far and hadn’t extended the offer to Mrs. Li’s family’s area, leaving the task to several village chiefs instead. That might have caused a misunderstanding that only the nearby villages’ bamboo shoots would be gathered.

“That would be wonderful, fourth daughter-in-law. I am very thankful for this. But I’m not sure how much you can take; I need to inform my mother’s family.”

Su Wenyue questioned Mrs. Li, “Does your mother’s family have a lot?”

“Yes, indeed. My mother’s family owns several large bamboo forests with plenty of shoots to dig. It’s just that not many people care for eating them. Besides, they cause heartburn if you eat too many, and even the poorest households don’t favor them. They just spoil in the ground, unused. I never imagined you’d be interested in them.”

Hearing this, Su Wenyue had a new idea, “Second sister-in-law, if that’s the case, you should dig up more and send them not to Xinluo Town but to our estate outside the prefecture city. It’s a bit further, but we will pay extra for the transportation.”

“Do you really need so much? Fourth younger sister-in-law, what do you want with all these bamboo shoots? If you’re tired of eating other things, it’s good to try new flavors once in a while, but it’s not good to eat too much of them. Don’t let anyone fool you; even though they last a while, there’s still a limit. Don’t waste your silver buying too much only to see them go uneaten,” Mrs. Li said with some concern. Although it would be beneficial for her mother’s family to provide a lot of bamboo shoots, she couldn’t stand by idly if the fourth daughter-in-law was being cheated.

“Second sister-in-law, don’t worry. I have my uses for the bamboo shoots, and I won’t be scammed. However, since this was a spur-of-the-moment thought, there may not be enough time, especially since Laba Festival has already passed and the weather is getting colder. After it snows, it will be difficult to dig for the shoots. So we’re in a rush to collect more. Since there are plenty at your end, why not mobilize everyone to dig together? Let’s entrust this task to your mother’s family, can they handle it?”

With Su Wenyue confirming that she had a use for the bamboo shoots, Mrs. Li wisely refrained from asking further. Knowing the fourth daughter-in-law’s resourcefulness and her background as a young rich lady, she was broad-minded. What seemed useless to others could turn into something valuable through the fourth daughter-in-law’s hands. Hearing Su Wenyue express her trust in entrusting the work to her mother’s family, Mrs. Li couldn’t be happier, as gathering the shoots wasn’t a difficult task.

“Of course, that can be done. I’ll send word to my mother’s family right away, so they’ll dig up more shoots before it snows. We will not delay.”

Mrs. Li appeared to be quite proactive, ready to go, but Su Wenyue stopped her.

“Second sister-in-law, wait a moment, there’s something else I need to tell you.” Su Wenyue continued to explain some details about collecting the bamboo shoots to Mrs. Li. Considering the effort and the favors that would be required of Mrs. Li to find help, Su Wenyue decided instead to have a servant take her back to her mother’s family by horse carriage. Mrs. Li’s family was not too far from Xinhe Village; it would take less than half an hour to reach by carriage.

Han Yu had gone out and didn’t return until the evening; he wasn’t even back for dinner. However, he had sent someone to update his whereabouts. It was almost dark before his figure was seen.

“What have you been doing that you’re only returning now?”

“I went to see Ah Shuang and took care of some other matters. Did second sister-in-law come to you with something this afternoon?” Han Yu spoke evasively and changed the subject by asking about Mrs. Li’s visit. Although he had promised not to keep secrets from Su Wenyue, there were darker matters Han Yu preferred to keep from her.

Su Wenyue didn’t press for details, trusting that Han Yu knew what he was doing. What concerned her more was Han Yu’s promise to his father-in-law and mother-in-law that Han Lin’s family would also go to the prefecture city for New Year. She was waiting for Han Yu’s explanation.