Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 411: Chapter 418: Unable to Blame

“Big Brother Liu, I, I was just thinking that if the Imperial Court were to dispatch troops for an attack, they would surely need food. And now with the food price rising ever so quickly, I thought it made sense to hoard some more food so there wouldn’t be a shortage of military rations when the time came. Did I do something wrong?” Chen Li said weakly, her eyes glistening with unfairness and affection, her pitiful appearance making it difficult for anyone to reprimand her.

Chen Li was a woman who knew when to bow and when to stand tall. In the beginning, she was somewhat arrogant and self-reliant due to her unique qualities, but after several setbacks, she gradually realized a truth: even this ancient time that she looked down upon wasn’t so easy to navigate. These ancients were more formidable and not easily fooled than she had imagined, so she started to correct her stance and attitude. After surviving in the workplace for so many years,

Chen Li was a rather strong-willed woman who rarely showed such a vulnerable side. Seeing her like this, Liu Xiu’s heart softened as well. Besides, Chen Li’s reason was a good one; it seemed like she genuinely had his best interests at heart.

Liu Xiu did not know about Chen Li’s background, and he could think of no other reason for her actions. It was rare for Chen Li not to act out of self-interest, and instead to support him wholeheartedly. He felt moved for a moment, and thus his blame lessened considerably. After all, Chen Li was still just a woman; it was normal for her to have limited foresight and to act this way out of worry for rumors about the Imperial Court’s military actions.

“You did do something wrong. The rumors of the Imperial Court deploying troops had already caused public panic and had even affected the morale in the army. I had difficulty calming things down, and just when I thought the issue was resolved, you went on to purchase large amounts of food, causing the prices to skyrocket, which only substantiated those rumors. Now that it’s come to this, what you did was indeed too reckless,” Liu Xiu said, his heart may have softened, but he still had to express his admonishment.

Hearing Liu Xiu speak like this, Chen Li actually let out a sigh of relief inside. The fact that Liu Xiu was still willing to lecture her indicated that her strategy of appearing pitiable had worked. Although Liu Xiu was angry, he had not given up on her, which was reassuring.

Regardless of what Chen Li was thinking internally, upon hearing Liu Xiu’s words, her face became even more ashamed: “Big Brother Liu, I’m sorry. When I heard those rumors, I acted rashly without thinking, only focusing on how I could be of help. It turns out my good intentions led to a bad outcome.”

Chen Li paused before continuing: “Big Brother Liu, I know you’re angry. You can beat me or scold me; I’ll take it. But what’s done is done, and there’s no use crying over spilled milk. We should think about how to remedy the situation. This mess was my doing. I will do everything within my power to fix it.”

Chen Li spoke with genuine sincerity, truly meaning to make amends. She also saw this as an opportunity to get involved in Liu Xiu’s external affairs. She hadn’t mentioned it before only because the timing wasn’t right and she sensed that Liu Xiu didn’t want her involvement. But now might be a good opportunity. If she could get involved in the matters of men from outside, given time, her social status would certainly be different.

“It’s good that you have this intention. In the future, you should know your limits when acting. If you’re unsure, do not take matters into your own hands. Creating such chaos… Considering our past relations, I will let this pass. But if there’s a next time, don’t blame me for being heartless,” Liu Xiu said, issuing a final ultimatum. As for Chen Li’s offer to help, Liu Xiu swiftly dismissed it, not taking it to heart. The situation had already escalated to this point; how could Chen Li, a mere woman, be of help? His assessment of her abilities was that she had some talent in business.

Having been with Liu Xiu for quite some time, Chen Li might not fully understand him, but she did have a rough idea of this man’s character. These ancient men held women in contempt, and unless she demonstrated some real ability, Liu Xiu wouldn’t allow her a chance to interfere in matters from outside.

She had not cared much about this before, her thoughts were only on expanding her business, and earning vast family wealth. With money, wouldn’t she have everything? Only later did she realize how naive this thought was. Having been in ancient times for a while now, she had come to understand some truths. The social status of businesspeople back then was very low. If she remained a mere businesswoman, even if she reached the pinnacle of success, she would still be seen as nothing more than a lowly businesswoman unsuitable for public display. Therefore, she needed to plan early because in both ancient and modern times, power is crucial.

With this in mind, Chen Li drew upon her knowledge of history as well as recent events and spoke with Liu Xiu at length. She also explained in detail why she had been so hasty and reckless to buy large quantities of food. Liu Xiu listened with a deep gaze, his eyes changed as he looked at Chen Li, seemingly deep in thought.

Chen Li with a heart wide open, allowed Liu Xiu to scrutinize her, then adopted an affectionate stance: “I know it seems inappropriate for a woman to discuss matters of the Court, but we are in turbulent times now, and it’s not like ordinary times. I only want to help you to the best of my ability,”

“This time, regarding the purchase of the food, I didn’t discuss it with you because I was afraid you would think I was meddling too much. I had planned to reveal the stockpile only when necessary, but things went awry. My eagerness for quick results led to this predicament; I was too arrogant and overestimated my abilities. From now on, I will consult with you on everything.”

Liu Xiu nodded in agreement, apparently accepting Chen Li’s words. In his heart, he was somewhat stunned; he hadn’t expected Chen Li to have such insight and knowledge about the situation with the Court. Since Chen Li had this mindset, agreeing to it wouldn’t be bad. Although Liu Xiu was fully aware that Chen Li, as a woman, wasn’t motivated by so-called true feelings, he didn’t mind; it had always been a symbiotic relationship.

Liu Xiu was a man with a broad perspective, especially when it came to employing people, unconventional in his approach. Thus, even though Chen Li was just a woman, if she had the capability, he was willing to make use of it, but of course, there were limits. As for the possibility of being charmed by Chen Li—that was out of the question. Let alone that Chen Li’s beauty was only above average, even Miss Yin of the Yin Family, supremely beautiful and talented, only aroused Liu Xiu’s admiration, nothing more. His public displays of affection were, for the most part, strategic, a necessity for his great ambitions and enterprises.

Thinking of Miss Yin’s unparalleled beauty stirred Liu Xiu’s heart a little, but what came to mind was the beautiful figure who saved him when he was forced into a corner. Despite the passage of time, he still couldn’t shake off the memory, which seemed to have rooted itself and sprouted in his heart. Everyone said Miss Yin of Yiyang Prefecture was the most beautiful woman, yet Liu Xiu always remembered the appearance and laughter of that other woman; Miss Yin did not compare in beauty. Moreover, the fact that woman had saved him, a complete stranger, indicated her kind-hearted nature.

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