A Good Country Wife
Chapter 227 - 226 Marital Duties_1

Chapter 227: Chapter 226 Marital Duties_1

Lin Yue’s question caught Zhao Erhu off guard. It did make sense, indeed. In his mind, Dalang and Erhu had always been children of the Zhao Family, which was why he had never thought to discuss it with his little wife. In fact, he hadn’t truly regarded her as Dalang and Erhu’s mother because the little wife was only a few years older than Dalang and Erhu. He saw her more as an older sister to the children, and that’s why he hadn’t consulted her on some matters. Yet now, her identity was his wife, and it seemed he would have to take this matter more seriously in the future. Otherwise, if she felt that he didn’t respect or care for her, it would hurt her feelings, and that wouldn’t be good.

Zhao Erhu had pondered for so long and had only now realized that the little wife was angry for this very reason. Indeed, he had even got the direction of her anger wrong and had somewhat blamed her in his heart for lacking a sense of the big picture. No wonder the little wife was angry, he would probably be angry too if he were in her shoes.

"Wife, it’s my fault, I wasn’t considerate enough. I do respect you and care about you; it’s just that the thought didn’t occur to me at that moment. You are the person I, Zhao Erhu, care about the most in this life. From now on, whatever thoughts you have, you should tell me. If I’m wrong, I will definitely change. Can you not jump to conclusions on your own?"

"Hmm, we’ll see how you do. If I get too angry and don’t want to talk, it will still be your fault," Lin Yue said leisurely as she lay on the bed, her head resting on her arms and her legs on Zhao Erhu’s thighs. Her dainty feet swayed back and forth, free from the troubles of her monthly cycle, and she indeed felt refreshed and clear-headed.

Zhao Erhu’s forehead was slightly sweaty; his little wife was testing him, or maybe even tempting him. He caught her wriggling feet against his chest and swallowed hard, "Niuniu, your ’time of the month’ should be over, right?"

Lin Yue felt constrained when Zhao Erhu grabbed her feet and, reluctant to be restrained, she kicked twice to no avail and said irritably, "Yeah, what about it, can’t you stand me being well?" This man really had issues, liking to hold her smelly feet.

"Wife, look, we’ve been married for quite a while now. I took pity on you before because you were young, but now you’ve grown up. When are we going to consummate our marriage? We can’t keep dragging it on like this; I am a normal man, after all," Zhao Erhu said as he hugged his little wife’s feet, unsatisfied with just that. Unable to resist, he placed her entire body in his embrace and, breathing in her sweet scent, became increasingly restless. A certain part of his body had already begun to harden, and his large hand could not help but pinch her soft curves, desiring more.

"I’m still young, what’s the hurry? Let’s talk about it when I’m older," Lin Yue felt uncomfortable at the mention of such matters, and blurted out her response. She knew the old man had no good intentions with this matter on his mind. Ever since her ’time of the month,’ the old man’s eyes had become much more revealing, blatantly showing the unhealthy things on his mind. She hadn’t been touched by a man in her two lifetimes, and although Zhao Erhu had taken many liberties with her, she still couldn’t be at ease about it.

"You’re not too young; you’ve gotten your ’time of the month.’ As my wife, according to the laws of nature and society, it is only right and proper for a husband and wife to be intimate. What is there to be shy about? Good wife, agree to me," Zhao Erhu chuckled deeply and blew intentionally into Lin Yue’s ear.

In truth, Zhao Erhu hadn’t planned on consummating their marriage that very day. When the little wife had married him, there hadn’t been a grand wedding—she had simply followed him, without even wearing a bridal dress. Although at the time he hadn’t realized he would come to care for his little wife so much, he did indeed feel somewhat negligent and guilty. After all, it would be his little wife’s first time, and it couldn’t be done hastily or carelessly. Zhao Erhu just wanted his little wife to agree to him first.

Lin Yue could feel Zhao Erhu’s burning heat, which made her even more uncomfortable, especially with something hard poking at her back, causing a bit of pain. Frightened, she didn’t dare to move too much, fearing that she might over-stimulate Zhao Erhu, prompting him to lose control and make a move on her, leaving her no chance to escape.

Lin Yue was not being prudish; she truly felt that engaging in such an act at her age was too early. She was only fourteen, an age when she would still be in middle school in modern times, and her body had not fully developed yet. Engaging in such activities too early could be harmful to her health.

At times like these, Lin Yue knew that taking a firm stand against Zhao Erhu wouldn’t work. She had to take a softer approach and coax him with tender words, acting pitifully in front of him. This tactic had always been effective in the past, with Zhao Erhu doting on her and naturally not pushing her against her wishes.

"Brother Erhu, please, can’t you stop? I’m scared," Lin Yue said, seemingly shivering in fear. Yet little did she know that a man at that moment couldn’t be judged by common sense. Her pitiful look did elicit some sympathy from Zhao Erhu, but more than that, it ignited a desire to ravage. Fortunately, Zhao Erhu managed to restrain himself with great willpower.

"Wife, be good," Zhao Erhu couldn’t help but call out softly.

"Brother Erhu, didn’t you say you care about me the most? Look at me, I’m still young. Even if I’ve had my ’menstruation,’ I won’t be considered an adult until next year. And look at you, you’re so much bigger than me, if, if that really happened, I wouldn’t be able to endure it. How about we wait another two years, is that okay? Brother Erhu, I know you treat me the best, please agree, okay?" Lin Yue tugged at Zhao Erhu’s sleeve, her eyes shimmering with starlight, using all her charm. Sadly, Zhao Erhu remained unmoved.

"Wife, I am not a monk, you can’t expect me to abstain from meat," Zhao Erhu said with a bitter smile, thinking that only a fool would agree to that.

"But Brother Erhu, I heard that doing that sort of thing too early is bad for the body. Look at me, I’m usually so frail. How about we wait another two years? Think about it, two years isn’t such a long time. Before you had a wife, didn’t you manage just fine?"

Zhao Erhu wiped his sweat. His little wife’s words were alarmingly convincing, but how could these situations be the same? When he didn’t have a wife, he could keep his mind off it, but now, with his loved and desired wife so close it was different, and he wasn’t a saint. Plus, he’d never heard of what his wife was suggesting. It’s likely she made it up just to avoid sleeping with him.

The little wife was too naive, thinking he was that easy to fool. She believed a mere reason could deceive him. All the little tricks that she played and got away with worked only because he allowed himself to be fooled, just humoring her. But women at her age were usually married and doing fine, and the doctor had only advised against having children too early, which he naturally would heed.

After arguing with Zhao Erhu all night, Lin Yue finally realized how cunning and steadfast a man could be when his vested interests were concerned. No matter what she said, he wouldn’t budge. He’d taken all the advantage and when asked if he’d agree, he simply said: "I’ll consider it." Lin Yue was so angry she wanted to curse. ’Consider it my foot—just agree directly!’ Eventually, overcome by exhaustion, she fell into a deep sleep.

Zhao Erhu was very busy lately! So busy that he hardly had time to spare. His wife had come up with a great money-making idea—picking wild fruit from the mountains and making various snacks or preserved fruits with them. As long as they were delicious, selling them at the market or delivering to the Government Office and wealthy families could be a lucrative business.

What preoccupied him even more was the matter of the Secret River in the mountains. He wanted to explore the river as soon as possible to find the closest water source to their land. Then they could devise a way to channel the water to their fields. This would allow him to negotiate with the village chief about purchasing the few dozen acres of uncultivated land surrounding their vegetable field.

If they managed to buy the uncultivated land, they would still need to hire workers to clear it and dig ditches—a backbreaking job indeed, and there would be much busywork ahead.

Not only Zhao Erhu, but Lin Yue also kept the Secret River in mind, planning to find time to explore it before discussing it with Zhao Erhu.

Actually, Zhao Erhu didn’t really want to take Lin Yue with him, knowing that the Secret River’s conditions were unknown and unpredictable. He himself had no certainty and feared potential danger, naturally not wishing to expose his little wife to such risks. Yet as she insisted on joining him, he eventually agreed, only to avoid her continuous nagging and pestering. Secretly prepared, he found the right moment to inform Dahu and set out alone. By the time Lin Yue found out, half a day had already passed.

"That old man really needs to be taught a lesson. How dare he trick me! Wait until you’re back, and I’ll deal with you!" Lin Yue said through clenched teeth when she learned she had been deceived by Zhao Erhu. She waved her fists, imagining Zhao Erhu being punished, yet she was truly worried inside.

Since this matter was somewhat secretive, both Lin Yue and Zhao Erhu didn’t want others to know, at least not before they had a clear understanding of the Secret River and had secured ownership of the uncultivated land. Otherwise, if word got out, things would become difficult, hence it wasn’t advisable to involve others.

Lin Yue was concerned about the complexity of the underground river and feared unexpected dangers that Zhao Erhu might not handle on his own. That’s why she wanted to go along—to offer advice from her greater experience with such matters, so he wouldn’t be left helpless. But Zhao Erhu snuck away alone, probably feeling the risk was too great, causing her even more worry!

Sometimes, that old man was just too opinionated, too chauvinistic, making decisions on his own and daring to lie to her. She decided she’d show him no mercy when he returned. Otherwise, what would become of them later? He wouldn’t allow her to joke with her own health, yet he dared to risk his safety, not considering that his well-being was crucial to the whole family.

Right now, Zhao Erhu was carefully advancing with a fire starter in hand, encountering just as many dangers as Lin Yue feared. In the dark, damp underground, venomous insects and snakes were never lacking. Fortunately, he was well-prepared, and with his hunter’s instincts and agility, he managed to avoid many perils.