A Good Country Wife
Chapter 204: Long-Awaited (Part 1)

Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Long-Awaited (Part 1)

Doctor Zheng felt that Madam Lin Yue was truly skilled, knowledgeable in many things, and could do everything well—an extremely capable woman indeed, and so affectionate and kind; no wonder her husband doted on her so much that he never got angry at her whims and fancies.

As for his own wife, he would have been content if she were half as capable as Madam Lin; sadly, not only was she unskilled in craftsmanship, the food she cooked was so tasteless that he found no joy in it, and she had a bad temper, often opposing him and infuriating him to the point of puffing his beard and glaring his eyes. But then, who else had been with him from his youth, sharing sweet and bitter times, enduring hardships, and bearing him children. Though not good, he just had to make do with her—ah, such is life.

"I remember Doctor Zheng also enjoys tea. I picked the leaves in the mountains myself and made quite a lot. Since you enjoyed it, I’ll have my husband pack some in a box for you to take back and enjoy."

"Old man loves this taste and won’t stand on ceremony with you; many thanks." Doctor Zheng said as he set down his teacup, looking at Lin Yue with a bit of teasing intent, "All right, now that we’ve had tea and Madam Lin seems much calmer, is it not time for the old doctor to take your pulse?"

Perhaps because he had accepted Lin Yue’s tea, Doctor Zheng’s tone became much more casual, "It’s not good for a young lady to avoid doctors and hide illnesses. Let the old doctor take a look at you—if you’re sick, get treatment; if not, you’ll at least have peace of mind, right? Look at how your husband’s been upset and rushed me here in such a hurry, he’s truly a husband who loves his wife. Madam Lin, you really shouldn’t give your husband such a hard time anymore; even I can’t stand to watch it, these young people nowadays."

After Doctor Zheng’s lecture, Lin Yue genuinely felt a bit embarrassed. Her man really was beyond reproach; otherwise, would she dare to be so presumptuous and cause such trouble? She knew very well that her old man would indulge her. Even Doctor Zheng found it hard to watch, let alone in this male-dominated feudal society. Even in modern times, there are few men who could do the same.

"I won’t do it again; it’s just that I’ve been feeling uncomfortable, as if there’s a pent-up frustration I can’t release, that’s why I made a fuss with him, my apologies for making Doctor Zheng laugh." Lin Yue was not the type to take Doctor Zheng’s admonition to heart—after all, he was both an elder and a benefactor to her. If it hadn’t been for his recommendation of Brother Jiang, Zhao Erhu might still not have awakened, and their family wouldn’t be as harmonious as they are now.

As Lin Yue spoke, she also hooked her finger on Zhao Erhu’s palm and drew circles in it, a gesture partly to supplicate and apologize to him, but given her shyness as a young girl, she didn’t want to do it in front of others; she decided to wait until they were alone in the evening to formally apologize to her old man, perhaps giving him some extra benefits then.

Erhu listened to his wife’s words on the side, and as her little hand hooked him, he felt an immediate pang of heartache—just as he’d said, his wife wouldn’t fuss for no reason; it was indeed discomfort. Comfortingly, he stroked his wife’s head, "It’s okay; I’m your husband. If you don’t fuss with me, who will you fuss with? Seeing you’re not feeling well, I’m just worried for you. Now, let Doctor Zheng take a look at you, okay? No more being stubborn."

Lin Yue was so moved by her man’s words. Her Zhao Erhu was a truly good man, the best of men, so lovable. She nodded obediently and extended her hand.

Doctor Zheng had treated Lin Yue several times before and was somewhat familiar with her condition. He first took her pulse and then asked Lin Yue about her symptoms and body’s reactions, "How do you feel overall, and where are you feeling uncomfortable?"

"There isn’t any major issue, just that my stomach occasionally aches, feels heavy, and my chest feels suffocated and restless, making me feel very irritable, as if I’m holding back anger that I want to release. Doctor Zheng, what do you think this illness is? I haven’t heard of any illness with these symptoms. Could it be because the weather is too hot, and that’s why my temper has worsened? Why don’t you prescribe me some formulas to clear the heat and fire for me to try?"

In the past, when Lin Yue was in the modern world, she dealt with everything alone and was rarely ill, seldom visiting hospitals. A headache or cold would simply lead her to buy some medicine from the pharmacy herself, and she would get better. Thus, she habitually spoke her own judgment.

Doctor Zheng raised an eyebrow and looked at Lin Yue with a disapproving expression, "Madam Lin, medicine shouldn’t be taken carelessly. You are not a doctor, how would you know the exact illness you have? If you randomly medicate and harm your body, you won’t even have a place to cry."

Lin Yue offered an embarrassed smile, she indeed had this tendency, and her friends had said the same about her before, "Doctor Zheng’s admonishment is right. Then what do you think is wrong with me exactly?"

"There’s no serious illness, it’s just that as a young lady grows up, there will naturally be some symptoms. Besides, Madam Lin, you have a weak constitution and didn’t receive attentive care in the past. Only recently has your body been properly nourished, and you have grown, therefore the reactions are more pronounced. I’ll prescribe a few doses of medicine for you to regulate your system, and you’ll be fine. Try to keep calm and composed, and you won’t feel so irritable."

Doctor Zheng spoke very tactfully in front of Lin Yue, who understood his meaning to be that her body had been well-nourished recently, causing her to grow too quickly, which seemed like a somewhat speechless reason.

Doctor Zheng didn’t realize Lin Yue would interpret his words in that way. He thought since young girls were shy, and although Madam Lin was married, she was still young and might not have experienced certain things. Wary of making Lin Yue feel embarrassed, he did not explain explicitly but instead called Zhao Erhu outside and told him his diagnosis in detail and gave him several instructions.

In front of Zhao Erhu, Doctor Zheng had fewer reservations and was very straightforward, "Your wife is fine, she’s just about to start her menstruation. At her age, she should have started long ago, but her body was previously weak, and her diet was poor. Now that she has been taken care of, what should come naturally will come. It’s as natural as the laws of heaven and humanity; it’s the most normal thing. Your wife’s condition, many women have similar issues, and everyone’s symptoms are different. However, your wife has a stronger reaction. I’ll prescribe a couple of doses of medicine, and after she takes them, she’ll be fine."

Doctor Zheng paused, then added, "A woman might have a worse temper at that time. In these days, just go along with her more. Eventually, recompense will come, and as a man, there’s no need to quarrel over anything with your wife."

Deep down, Doctor Zheng still liked Lin Yue, this younger person. Even though he had chastised her previously, it was for her own good. A woman should be gentler towards her husband, as that’s what brings happiness. Now he was giving Zhao Erhu advice, which actually was entirely his own opinion based on experience.

"So that’s what it is. Thank you, Doctor Zheng." On hearing that his young wife had finally grown up and was going to have her first menstruation, Zhao Erhu couldn’t care less about anything else. He was overjoyed and too excited to wait, his face brimming with surprise and thrill; he had long been looking forward to this day.