Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 587: Chapter 593: Putting Forth Conditions

“This small matter is completely manageable for us brothers,” he assured. “Madam, please feel free to entrust the task to us. Although we’ve only built houses before and never constructed a greenhouse, we’d need some guidance from Madam to avoid any dissatisfaction due to a potentially botched job.”

“Of course,” Su Wenyue nodded and entrusted Xiao Xi with the task. Xiao Xi had supervised the construction of greenhouses on the estate before and was quite experienced in this regard, so there were absolutely no issues to worry about.

Han Yu initially thought his daughter-in-law was only intending to renovate the Courtyard, he didn’t expect her to construct a greenhouse as well; hence, it was no wonder she borrowed manpower from him—it was indeed a significant project.

“Daughter-in-law, what made you think of setting up a greenhouse? We’re only going to stay here for one or two years. Constructing this greenhouse will require a lot of effort and energy. Don’t you find all this work exhausting?” Han Yu was impressed by the vitality his daughter-in-law exhibited in certain aspects. He wasn’t concerned with anything else; he just didn’t want her to overexert herself. The children would soon be arriving, and she would have to take care of them. Besides, since they were building a greenhouse, they couldn’t just neglect it – they would definitely have to cultivate the vegetable field. It seemed he would have to assign more people to help out.

That was not a concern, though; the helpers didn’t necessarily have to be young and strong. Average laborers would suffice. The disabled soldiers who were wounded on the battlefield and had nowhere else to go would be perfect for the job. It would not only be helping his daughter-in-law but also providing them with a place to belong, where they could at least have enough to eat.

Han Yu immediately considered many issues. His daughter-in-law’s action had unintentionally solved a big problem for him. She truly was his lucky star.

Upon hearing Han Yu’s concern, Su Wenyue thought he disapproved of her decision; however, she did not change her mind: “We have to pass the time somehow, and after the initial busy days, there will likely be a long period of downtime. We should find something to occupy our time. Although we are only here for one or two years, it’s not a short duration, and we should at least make our days comfortable.”

“What you’re saying is true, my dear, but there’s something I want to discuss with you.” Since Han Yu had something in mind, he still needed his daughter-in-law’s agreement before proceeding, as the greenhouse could be considered her unique specialty. He couldn’t unilaterally decide on matters concerning her.

“Daughter-in-law, now that the greenhouse is built, there is still a large piece of land behind it. How about we cover that area with greenhouses too?”

Su Wenyue was puzzled by the sudden change in Han Yu’s attitude. Moreover, why would they need so many greenhouses? Not to mention her limited energy, manpower was also an issue, and most importantly, there was no need for it. A couple of greenhouses would be enough for their family’s use. Just as she was thinking this, she heard Han Yu’s explanation.

“I’ve only just come up with this idea, you know how cruel the battlefield is. Countless die or get wounded in battle, and quite often, some are left disabled. These people are only a burden if they stay in the army, and they’re usually sent back home. But with the chaos in the world outside, even returning to their hometown may not yield any good outcomes, and the army lacks the facilities to take care of them.”

By this point, Su Wenyue understood, “Husband, are you thinking of settling these people with me?”

Han Yu couldn’t read anything from his daughter-in-law’s expression: “That’s my thought, but I’m not sure how you feel about it. I won’t force you; it all depends on your willingness.”

“Then would these people still be part of the army’s structure, or would they be under my command?” Su Wenyue didn’t rashly agree. While she was willing to help Han Yu with certain tasks, it would depend on what those tasks were.

Settling the disabled soldiers was clearly a sign of Han Yu’s kindness, not willing to have the brothers he fought side by side with on the battlefield left without a proper conclusion. There wasn’t much in it for him besides possibly gaining a good reputation, yet it was a heavy responsibility, especially in these times, with so many old, weak, and disabled. It was not something that could be sustained on a whim. If they couldn’t afford to take care of them later on, they might end up worse off and possibly face complaints. She was a selfish person and would not engage in such thankless and burdensome endeavors.

However, although Han Yu might not be able to afford to support these people, she had ways of sustaining them, provided there were conditions and prerequisites. She wouldn’t keep them for the army unless they were solely under her command and constituted part of her influence. What was a burden to others was an opportunity for her.

She was interested in further developing her business ventures and needed manpower, especially for roles requiring intellect rather than just brute strength, which would only suffice for entry-level jobs. Her primary criterion for employing people was loyalty and complete allegiance to her control.

Han Yu was also slightly surprised by his daughter-in-law’s reaction. He knew her well—she was stubborn but had a soft heart, always claiming to be selfish, but was more genuinely kind and tender-hearted than those who pretended to do charity. He expected her to immediately agree since she, too, needed more hands, yet she presented him with conditions.

But Han Yu’s initial astonishment quickly turned into admiration and relief. His own personal emotions had clouded his judgment, causing him not to consider all aspects. He had simply wanted to prevent the soldiers who had fought by his side from ending up in such dire straits, but without careful planning, helping others could easily end up hurting himself instead—history had already seen such examples.

“Daughter-in-law, I’ve just realized how wise you are. It’s good that you alerted me in time or I would have unintentionally done more harm than good.” Feeling moved, Han Yu immediately embraced his daughter-in-law in his arms.

Seeing Han Yu’s reaction, Su Wenyue couldn’t help but feel a bit smug: “You’re only noticing now? I thought you knew already. So how have you decided? I want to make it clear that I’m not some saint; I won’t do things without benefits, and definitely won’t labor for someone else’s gain. If those people are not mine to command, I won’t bother with this matter, as it’s all thankless work!”

“Of course, I’ll listen to whatever you say, my dear. I’ll go and discuss it with Uncle Wen right away, and I’ll make sure you don’t suffer any disadvantage! But, my dear, are you really able to take on this responsibility? The number of disabled soldiers is not insignificant; earlier, I hadn’t given it full consideration due to my impulsive eagerness.”

“Don’t worry, since I have brought it up, I certainly have the confidence to take on this charge. I was in need of manpower anyway; the only condition is that these people must be loyal and of good character. If there’s any hint of ill-intent, I won’t accept them. I’m setting my terms with you upfront.”

“That goes without saying. Leave it to me to handle. My dear, I’m going to step out for a bit.” Han Yu spoke and hastened outside, clearly eager to settle the matter so he could have peace of mind. His daughter-in-law’s conditions would undoubtedly be acceptable. Since the disabled individuals needed to leave the army anyway, they would owe their allegiance wholly to his daughter-in-law once they were under her command. If any harbored ulterior motives, he wouldn’t agree to it, even if she did.