A Good Country Wife
Chapter 196 Shameless_1

Chapter 196: Chapter 196 Shameless_1

Lin Yue was chopping vegetables in the kitchen when she heard the sound of crying and fussing outside, which seemed to be Zhao Yunxiang’s youngest son, Lin Youjin. A few children were causing a ruckus outside, but it wasn’t clear what had happened. Lin Yue quickly went out to see what was going on, and Lady Liu also came out after hearing the noise.

"What’s going on here? What are you making a fuss about? Ajin, why are you crying? What happened? Tell your auntie." Lin Yue might not have liked Zhao Yunxiang, but she would not take it out on the children, so she gently pulled Lin Youjin aside and asked.

"I want the wooden sword. Auntie, can you ask my brother to give it to me, please, please?" Even though Lin Youjin had been spoiled by Zhao Yunxiang, it wasn’t to say that he wasn’t clever. In fact, the boy was rather cunning, but he was using his wits in the wrong ways. Seeing Lin Yue approaching and speaking to him softly, he grabbed her sleeve and began to pester her relentlessly, as if he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Lin Youjin was the youngest in the family and had been pampered by Zhao Yunxiang since he was little. Whenever he saw something he liked, he had to grab it for himself. The little wooden sword was made by Dalang and his brothers as a gift for Zhao Dahuo’s son, Zhao Lin, and Lin Youjin, upon seeing it, insisted on taking it. Dalang and his siblings were somewhat like little tyrants in the village and certainly wouldn’t put up with Lin Youjin’s demands, and so the children ended up in a commotion.

Lin Xiaoxiang saw her brother insisting on taking someone else’s belongings. This wasn’t like it was at home, where she and her older brother would give in to his tantrums. Obviously, it was an unreasonable demand, and the little girl knew right from wrong. She immediately pulled her brother aside and said, "Alright, Ajin, that’s your cousin’s toy, and you can’t snatch it away. If you really like it, we can ask dad to make one for you when we get home."

"I don’t want another; I want that one! Go get it for me," Lin Youjin ordered his sister directly, his imperious attitude revealing how he must have been used to bossing Lin Xiaoxiang around.

"Ajin, I’ll be angry if you keep this up, and I’ll stop caring for you," Lin Xiaoxiang responded, feeling upset with her brother’s relentless behavior, especially in front of so many people.

"I want it! I want it! Bad sister, totally useless, a dowry-loser who’s supposed to be married off. If you don’t snatch it for me, I will have mother punish you." When Lin Xiaoxiang wouldn’t comply, Lin Youjin was both hitting and scolding her, using the threat of Zhao Yunxiang to intimidate her. As for the abusive language, Lin Youjin, being young, didn’t fully understand what they truly meant; they were words he often heard Zhao Yunxiang say and had remembered.

"Ajin, please don’t be like this; it’s not yours to begin with, and I will not snatch it," Lin Xiaoxiang pleaded, her thin skin as a young girl making her feel extremely embarrassed by Lin Youjin’s scolding and threats in public. She already felt awkward about it, and the thought of her mother’s blatant favoritism only worsened her distress—if her brother actually went and complained to their mother, she was sure to be unjustly punished without question. Thinking about this, her eyes began to redden. Sometimes she couldn’t understand why her mother treated her this way, questioning if she wasn’t really her mother’s own child, but her grandmother had told her she had seen her born from her mother’s womb with her own eyes.

Lin Yue didn’t like Lin Youjin’s behavior; how could such a child be so ill-mannered? He was even older than the fourth son and Alin, yet he had the audacity to take toys from his younger cousins and to hit and kick his own sister. His attitude was incredibly bad. If the child wasn’t taught properly soon, he would undoubtedly grow up to be a hoodlum and a troublemaker, causing grief not only to his own family but to others as well. Only someone of Zhao Yunxiang’s character could raise such a child.

"Ajin, what are you doing? Xiaoxiang is your sister; how can you hit your own sister?" Lady Liu was also quite unhappy with Lin Youjin’s behavior, believing the child to be thoroughly spoiled and misguided. She rebuked him a few times and forbade Lin Youjin from hitting Lin Xiaoxiang again.

"Xiaoxiang, are you alright? Did your brother hurt you when he kicked you? Is it serious?" Lin Yue pulled Lin Xiaoxiang towards her and gently inquired. This child is rather pitiable, stuck with such a mother. Seeing how Lin Xiaoxiang was just treated by her own brother, one can imagine her usual treatment at home. Zhao Yunxiang must certainly favor sons over daughters, and even though Lin Xiaoxiang is her biological daughter, she’s probably not treated much better.

"It’s okay, Auntie, I’m not hurt; don’t be mad at my brother. He’s young and doesn’t understand, that’s why he tried to take my little cousin’s things. My brother and I will teach him well in the future, he won’t do this again," Lin Xiaoxiang still defended her own brother, worried that Lin Yue would blame him, and quickly apologized.

"Lin Xiaoxiang, you side with outsiders to bully me? Let’s see if I don’t tell mom to skin you alive, to beat you to death, you ungrateful thing," Lin Youjin, however, didn’t realize that her sister was looking out for her and only saw that everyone was blaming her while being so nice to Lin Xiaoxiang instead. She felt aggrieved and no longer cared about the wooden sword. She just wanted to go find their mother to deal with Lin Xiaoxiang and seek justice for herself.

"You are not allowed to go!" When Sanlang saw Lin Youjin was about to tattle, he stopped her, and the brothers began to scuffle. Lin Yue and Madam Liu had not yet managed to separate them when Zhao Yunxiang, who was coming out of the house, happened upon the scene.

"Ah! Lin Xiaoxiang, are you dead? Didn’t I tell you to watch your brother? How could you let others bully him? I will skin you alive!" Zhao Yunxiang screeched at Lin Xiaoxiang, shoved Sanlang aside, and protected Lin Youjin behind her.

Zhao Yunxiang was already furious inside, having argued with Zhao Erhu over borrowing money, which he had flatly refused and even lectured her for being greedy and discontented. Coming out and seeing Lin Jinbao getting beaten, she took all her frustration out on Lin Xiaoxiang.

"What are you doing! You, an adult, shamelessly hitting children?" Lin Yue also raised her voice sharply and quickly steadied Sanlang, who Zhao Yunxiang had pushed, preventing him from falling to the ground. She was rather speechless at Zhao Yunxiang’s behavior.

"Sister-in-law, what are you saying? Who has been bullied by outsiders? Everyone here is family, brothers and sisters; there are no outsiders. Besides, it was your son who bullied someone else first. Madam Liu couldn’t stand Zhao Yunxiang’s behavior—the one being bullied was her son, and Sanlang was only defending Alin. As if only Zhao Yunxiang’s son is precious and everyone else’s children are like weeds. Is there such arrogance?"

Zhao Yunxiang, however, ignored Madam Liu and turned her fire towards Sanlang. "Sanlang, your brother is young and you, being older, still don’t act sensibly and bully your brother? You truly lack manners. Was it that malicious-hearted stepmother of yours who taught you to behave like this?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue realized that Zhao Yunxiang was relapsing into her old ways, starting to target her again. In such a short time, there was such a drastic change, probably because she’d been snubbed by Zhao Erhu and was trying to get back at her. Enough was enough after once or twice. She truly thought Lin Yue was easygoing. Lin Yue snorted coldly, "Zhao Yunxiang, I really thought too highly of you. It’s just children playing and fighting. Is it necessary to be so melodramatic and cunning with a child? Pointing at the mulberry tree to curse the locust tree—what’s the point? If you have something to say, direct it at me. Bullying a child, what kind of ability is that?"

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