A Good Country Wife
Chapter 225 - 224 Uncommon_1

Chapter 225: Chapter 224 Uncommon_1

"Dalang and I want to go with Dad and Mom to the mountains to pick wild fruits. We already made plans with Sanlang and Silang," Erhu said. "Mom taught us never to ’grow fat by going back on our words,’ so we have to keep our promises. As for visiting Grandpa and Grandma, can Dad take us there after some time? Otherwise, Dalang and I can go by ourselves. We can drive the ox cart and know the way to Grandpa and Grandma’s house. There won’t be a problem."

Since Erhu had spoken up, he didn’t feel awkward anymore and simply laid it all out, finding a seemingly good excuse. He and his older brother Dalang really didn’t want to leave Mom at home alone, in case Dad and Mom argued again. With Sanlang and Silang being so young and without him there to give advice, he didn’t know what they would do. At the very least, he had to wait until he was sure there were no issues between Dad and Mom before they could feel at ease going to Xiaoxi Village to visit Grandpa and Grandma.

So they wanted to go to the mountains to pick wild fruits. Zhao Fuquan found it somewhat amusing. Dalang and Erhu seemed mature, but they were still children at heart, still thinking about playing. Well, it wasn’t as if they weren’t going to visit later. Their parents would understand; at most they would just be a little disappointed. Besides, Zhao Fuquan had brought back some good things today. Seeing the sweet potato seedlings would definitely make their parents happy.

"You’re not that young anymore. Since you’ve made your decision, then we’ll send you to visit some other day," Zhao Fuquan said.

Zhao Erhu didn’t insist on Dalang and Erhu going, especially since it involved the Li Family at Mom’s side. In Lin Yue’s presence, Zhao Erhu was always very cautious, and now that Erhu had used Lin Yue’s words as a reason, Zhao Erhu had even less grounds to refuse. Otherwise, if his little wife overthought it, what then? Zhao Erhu also felt somewhat helpless, thinking that he must have an honest talk with his little wife tonight to understand what she was really thinking. Otherwise, constantly guessing her thoughts was genuinely tiring.

After finishing, Zhao Erhu looked at Zhao Fuquan again. "Please bother Uncle to let my father-in-law and mother-in-law know. I will take Dalang and Erhu to see them some other time. Tell them not to worry."

"Okay, then I’ll head back first. If Dalang and Erhu want to come over and you don’t have time to send the kids, just send me a message. I’ll come and pick them up." Zhao Fuquan was straightforward, not dwelling on such matters. Whatever worked was fine with him, looking at the pile of things high up on the ox cart.

"Since Dalang and Erhu aren’t going now, it’s best to take all these things back. Just bring me back these sweet potato seedlings. They are really good things. Seeing them will surely make Dad and Mom happy."

Zhao Fuquan had previously found it hard to refuse Lin Yue, but felt uneasy taking so much from someone else, especially since he wasn’t a greedy man. How could he take advantage of Erhu’s wife being too simple and kind? Yet he couldn’t refuse outright. Now that Dalang and Erhu weren’t going to Xiaoxi Village, he had a reason to decline, wanting to unload the things from the cart.

Lin Yue signaled with a glance and stopped Zhao Fuquan from doing so, taking down only the things for Dalang and Erhu, while insisting that Zhao Fuquan take the rest back. "Uncle, all the goods were prepared and loaded onto the cart, it’s not right to take them back. Besides, this is a sign of appreciation from Erhu and me, not just for you. So please just accept it and take it back without any more fuss. Furthermore, our families are relatives, aren’t we? It’s too formal to be like this. Do you think I did something wrong and that’s why you don’t want to keep in touch with our family?"

Lin Yue grew sad as she spoke, her face ready to crumble into tears, as if Zhao Fuquan’s refusal to accept the goods meant he was unwilling to acknowledge her and did not want their families to interact more.

Zhao Fuquan certainly didn’t mean that, and he didn’t want to hurt his "foolish daughter-in-law" Zhao Erhu’s feelings, so he reluctantly accepted the gift again. He simply said he had something to discuss with Zhao Erhu as he left and pulled him outside. They talked for quite a while about who knows what. When Zhao Erhu returned, he looked at Lin Yue with stars in his eyes, filled with nothing but admiration.

Oh, his little wife, she’s truly remarkable! In such a short time, she had charmed his Uncle Fuquan, who was now completely concerned about her well-being, fearing that he might treat her poorly. He didn’t just shower her with praise, saying she was unmatched on earth and in the heavens; he also told Zhao Erhu to take extra care of her and not let her be deceived by others, claiming she was too kind-hearted and lacked a guard against people.

Zhao Erhu was somewhat at a loss for words. What should he say? Should he tell his uncle not to be foolish, that his wife isn’t that kind of person, that she’s quite cunning and shrewd? Even if he said so, his uncle wouldn’t believe him. Zhao Fuquan was convinced that their little wife was a simple-minded, purely kind-hearted, and good woman.

It’s a beautiful misunderstanding, and Zhao Erhu didn’t quite understand his own wife. Although she’s kind-hearted, she’s no pushover and has plenty of tricks up her sleeve. He once worried that his wife might be a bit silly, but later saw clearly. Seeing how she had coaxed Zhao Fuquan like this revealed her extraordinary methods.

He didn’t know when his uncle had been "brainwashed" by his little wife. Although Zhao Erhu had been with them the whole time, he hadn’t seen her do anything particularly special; still, his uncle was utterly devoted, like someone under a spell. This kind of skill wasn’t something just anyone could achieve, unaware that it was the result of Lin Yue’s excellent reputation and Zhao Fuquan’s overactive imagination.

"What’s with that look? Are you so astonished by my beauty?" Lin Yue noticed Zhao Erhu’s worshipful gaze and didn’t mind showing off a bit.

"Yes, my wife is the most beautiful, not only skilled but also exceptionally clever. You easily won over my Uncle Fuquan, who now speaks in your favor, instructing me to treat you well." Zhao Erhu didn’t mind sharing Uncle Fuquan’s thoughts with his wife, knowing it would make their relationship even more harmonious in the future.

After Zhao Fuquan finished that long talk with Zhao Erhu and saw that he genuinely took it in and agreed, he finally put his mind at ease. He was always a worrier, and when he was at home, his wife would always tell him he was too kind-hearted and liked to meddle in others’ affairs. But meddling gave him peace of mind; otherwise, how could he accept so many gifts from someone without feeling guilty?

Because they were eagerly awaiting their grandson, the Zhao Family elders had been at the village entrance since early on. When they saw their son return alone, they felt disappointed and even more worried. They feared that something had happened to their dear grandson, preventing him from coming. Or maybe that stepmother was up to no good, deliberately keeping him away. The worry of the elders was overwhelming.

It wasn’t that they were overly suspicious, or liked to think the worst of people, but the Li Family had done such a thing before. Zhao Erhu’s new wife—what kind of person and character she had—was not yet known to them. They feared their grandsons might be mistreated under the stepmother’s care, so they couldn’t wait any longer. Anxious, they hurriedly went to meet their son to ask for clarification.