A Good Country Wife
Chapter 274 - 268 Disgrace to Scholars_1

Chapter 274: Chapter 268 Disgrace to Scholars_1

"Xiaoyue, you are young and have lost your memories, so you might make a choice like this, but I don’t want you to regret it later. There’s no room for discussion on this; as soon as I collect enough silver, I’ll come to take you home. Wait for me." Lin Qing knew Lin Yue would object and, without waiting for her response, quickly left.

Lin Yue had felt that Lin Qing was starting to waver and was about to push further to change his mind, but she hadn’t expected him to pull such a move. How could he be so stubborn, she thought, feeling somewhat helpless.

Turning to look at Zhao Erhu’s face, sure enough, the old man’s expression was not looking too good. He had poured his heart out to Lin Qing, saying all the nice and harsh words, yet Lin Qing was intent on whisking away his wife. What could be more frustrating? He hugged his little wife into his arms, "Wife, from now on, you’re not allowed to interact with that bookish fool again. I don’t want such a brother-in-law who’s always thinking of running away with my wife. If you dare to run, I’ll tie you up in the room with a rope when I get back. Do you hear me!"

"I get it, husband. I’m determined to follow you for this lifetime, so don’t be angry. No matter how my brother tries to influence me, as long as my own ideas don’t change and my will is firm, he can’t lead me astray. So, you don’t have to worry. Just think of my brother as a child throwing a tantrum. He probably just feels guilty and wants me to have a better life, that’s why he’s being so stubborn. Don’t hold it against him," she said.

Lin Yue, seeing how heartbroken Zhao Erhu was, decided not to take issue with his possessiveness and comforted her old man instead, trying to bring him out of his funk. After all, it would ultimately be her who got tormented by a narrow-minded man.

"Wife, you’re the best, truly the perfect wife for me. Come here, let me give you a kiss," Zhao Erhu said, already embracing Lin Yue, now not the best time for any funny business.

"Zhao Erhu, that’s enough, aren’t you being nauseating? Get off, stop it," Lin Yue said, somewhat speechless yet laughing and playing along with Zhao Erhu. Sometimes she really couldn’t understand him: Zhao Erhu used to be so somber, how did he become like this? In front of others, he was all serious and grave, but as soon as they were alone, he became like someone else entirely, always teasing her. Was this the so-called closeted passion?

In fact, Comrade Zhao Erhu had never been like this before; neither the Zhao Family nor the Li Family ever caught his interest, or made him feel inclined to do these things he used to find boring and unnecessary. Now he pampered his little wife, and it was all to win her heart. He had specifically asked some friends for tips on making women happy, and having seen it worked quite well, he was even more eager to understand the true essence of it.

"Hmm!" Lin Qing, who had just left, remembered something he hadn’t told Lin Yue and, despite not wanting to see Zhao Erhu, the brute, he still turned back to the room, only to see the couple flirting. His handsome face blushed; in some aspects, the scholar Lin Qing was truly naive.

Lin Yue and Zhao Erhu hadn’t expected Lin Qing to come back and were caught in an awkward moment. Lin Yue’s face blushed with embarrassment—having an intimate moment witnessed by her own brother was mortifying!

Zhao Erhu felt a mix of awkwardness and a darkening complexion. He didn’t know what influence Lin Qing was trying to wield over his wife again. But with him by her side, no matter what Lin Qing said, it wouldn’t make a difference. He would not let Lin Qing whisk away his little wife, not even a little bit off course.

"Brother, you haven’t left? Is there something else you wanted to tell me?" Lin Yue noticed Lin Qing’s awkwardness and took it upon herself to break the silence, thinking that standing mutely would only make things more embarrassing.

"Yes, there is another matter I remembered that I haven’t told you about. It has to do with that brute," Lin Qing said glancing at Zhao Erhu. Although he didn’t acknowledge this brother-in-law, his sister was still living here after all. Some things he couldn’t ignore once he knew about them. At the very least, he thought he should inform Zhao Erhu, so that he would be aware and not get taken advantage of.

Upon hearing the term ’brute,’ Zhao Erhu’s face darkened a few shades, Lin Qing really had a knack for easily igniting his anger.

"What is it, Brother?" Lin Yue asked anxiously, knowing it concerned Zhao Erhu.

"That brute’s brother, didn’t he speak to our village’s Chen Family about a marriage proposal? You are strangers here and don’t know the truth, that’s how the matchmaker deceived you. That girl from the Chen Family is not decent. She may look proper, but she’s dishonest and likes to steal things. That’s why she’s still unmarried at her age. Nobody in the village dares to marry such a girl; it could damage our family’s reputation. I only found out after returning to the village, so I came specially to tell you," Lin Qing said, unaware of Zhao Erhu’s relationship with the old Zhao Family home, which was why he was concerned and made a special trip to inform Lin Yue.

"There’s a situation like this? Brother, I understand. It seems you still care about your brother-in-law, otherwise you wouldn’t have paid attention to such matters. Thank you, I will discuss it with my husband," Lin Yue said.

Lin Qing snorted through his nose, "Hmph, I’m not worried about him, I’m concerned that his family might bring you trouble. Now that I’ve told you, it’s up to you to handle it. I’m leaving," Lin Qing asserted.

Lin Qing claimed Zhao Erhu’s patented move, patting Lin Yue on the head. As he walked past Zhao Erhu, he gave him a look of contempt. "Even if you do anything disgraceful to my sister, do it behind closed doors. Who does such things openly during the day? You can be shameless if you wish, but don’t ruin my sister’s reputation, hmph!"

Lin Qing’s tone was even more aggravating than before, yet Zhao Erhu didn’t feel any anger this time. In fact, his little wife wasn’t entirely wrong. Her big brother, although a bit foolish from reading too many books, didn’t have bad intentions. He was just overly concerned for his sister and burdened with guilt, which was why he was so antagonistic towards him. Despite the harshness of his words, didn’t Lin Qing essentially admit that what Zhao Erhu was doing to his wife was rightful, just ill-timed?

It seemed that there was a possibility of transforming this disapproving brother-in-law. As long as Lin Qing saw Zhao Erhu’s sincerity, in time he would surely change his attitude towards him. It would make things easier for his wife, too. After all, it was not common to have someone who truly cared for her, especially her own brother. Having the support of her brother from her parental home would bolster her confidence in dealing with others.

Lin Yue noticed something off about Zhao Erhu’s reaction, "Eh, that’s odd. Zhao Erhu, why do you seem almost not angry this time? My brother said quite a bit to you."