A Good Country Wife
Chapter 284 - 278 Affectionate_1

Chapter 284: Chapter 278 Affectionate_1

The Zhao Family’s old house had just welcomed a new bride the day before, but by the next morning, all hell had broken loose. It was said that the gift money stored in Wei Family’s room had vanished just yesterday—this was surely the work of a thief! Naturally, this sent Wei Family into a frenzy of worry. Fortunately, the family’s silver and the ten taels of silver that Zhao Lingxiang had recently presented her as a filial offering were hidden in a secret place and had not been stolen; otherwise, the loss would have been substantial.

Last night, in the bridal chamber lit by the glow of red candles, Zhao Xing was ecstatic not only to have a beautiful wife but also to eat meat for the first time. In his excitement, it was inevitable that he might have overexerted himself. Early in the morning, the noise outside disturbed his wife’s sleep, and Zhao Xing immediately became displeased. Seeing his wife sleeping soundly and not yet awake, he tiptoed out of bed to see what was happening outside—why did it sound like he could also hear his mother crying?

Zhao Xing didn’t know that his wife, amidst his thrashing about last night, had managed to sneak out and play the role of a thief, stealing money. That’s why she was sleeping so soundly now, not disturbed at all by the commotion outside. Even the fierce Chen Family would have their physical limits.

"Mother, what are you all doing? It’s so early in the morning, and you’ve stirred up such a commotion. My wife is still sleeping; she was tired last night, so don’t wake her!" Zhao Xing was very satisfied with his wife’s performance the previous night and still had a look of contentment on his face.

Wei Family, already heartbroken over the lost money, felt even worse after hearing the words of her younger son, who seemed to have forgotten his mother after getting a wife. She regretted indulging her son’s desires to get married—if only she had known this could bring another troublemaker into the family. Reflecting on it now, she felt something was off. She knew her son well and was sure he must have secretly met with the girl. He insisted on marrying her so doggedly that they must have been romantically involved in secret. What good could come from such a shameless girl? Beauty alone was useless, other than to bewitch men.

"Still sleeping? The new bride is supposed to get up early on the first day to cook for the entire family and set the rules in front of her mother-in-law. Didn’t her family teach her that?! Look at the time now, and she’s still not up—does she expect me, as her mother-in-law, to wait on her? Whose family customs are these! Shameless and lazy!" Wei Family intentionally raised her voice in the direction of Zhao Xing’s room, meant for the Chen Family to hear, but it was in vain because she was sleeping so soundly. A thunderclap would not wake her up. Wei Family’s tirade was wasted breath and only managed to anger Zhao Xing.

At this moment, Zhao Xing treasured Chen Family, and hearing his mother openly insult his wife, he worried that she might not be able to handle it—a woman so delicate and gentle needed to be treated with care.

"Mother, enough! I’ve already said my wife was tired last night, and what if she sleeps in a bit? Aren’t there others in the family who have hands and feet and can cook breakfast? Is giving you a grandson more important, or are these trivial matters more critical? Can’t you understand that, mother?"

"You ungrateful child, I raised you for nothing if all you do is upset me like this!" Under normal circumstances, she might have let it go, as Zhao Xing, being the eldest, often acted foolish in front of Wei Family, who usually doted on and indulged her younger son. However, last night’s unfortunate incident added a somber tone to what should have been a joyous occasion, and Wei Family, full of grief, hit Zhao Xing a few times in her anger.

"Mother, can you be reasonable? How have I offended you? What’s the point of causing such a fuss this early in the morning? My wife is the one you had the matchmaker pick out, and now you’re suddenly displeased?"

Zhao Xing wanted to say more but was stopped by Zhao Quan, "Fifth brother, don’t make mother angry. She’s only in a bad mood and that’s why she’s lashing out. There was a thief in our house last night, and all the gift money we received was stolen—over two taels of silver, just gone like that." Zhao Quan was also feeling suffocated as he spoke; the gift money had been earmarked for communal use, naturally concerning him as well.

"What! A thief got in? Whoever dared to steal from our house, I swear if I catch them, I’ll make them pay!" Having learned of the theft, Zhao Xing became enraged—after all, it had been his wedding night. This was sheer bad luck.

"It’s good to know who it might be, but we haven’t found a single clue. I just visited the village chief’s house, and he said that for a case with no beginning or end like this, one where we can’t find any leads, he can’t do anything either. We can only acknowledge our bad luck and be more cautious from now on," Zhao Quan said, his voice laced with defeat. Their family didn’t have good relations with the village chief, who only knew how to say those unhelpful platitudes without offering any useful suggestions.

"Damn it, if I catch the person responsible," Zhao Xing could only spew empty threats since there wasn’t a trace to follow to catch the thief.

Upon returning to his room, Zhao Xing suddenly remembered that he had also received a wedding gift in cash the day before. He had carelessly placed it on the cabinet, so he hurriedly searched for it but found nothing. Zhao Xing had drunk alcohol the previous evening and his head was somewhat foggy, so at that moment, he wasn’t sure whether the silver had been misplaced or stolen. After searching the room again and finding nothing, he gave up and sat back down on the bed.

Chen Family’s daughter-in-law was still sleeping, and Zhao Xing watched his new bride with yearning in his eyes, thinking she was truly beautiful. A petite melon-seed face, delicate eyebrows, and a pair of eyes that seemed to speak, they ignited a fire in his heart. Her pert nose and thin lips; though her looks were not quite at the level of Zhao Erhu’s wife, they weren’t far off. At least, she was much prettier than any of the Chen Family sisters-in-law he had seen. Back then, he was already pleased with Chen Family’s daughter-in-law’s mere elegance, so how could he not be with a wife of such beauty? His mother was right; he was indeed a fortunate man.

Chen Family’s daughter-in-law didn’t wake up until almost noon. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Zhao Xing looking at her with interest and her cheeks flushed red. "Husband, why are you staring at me like that? I—I feel shy."

Seeing his wife’s timid and bashful appearance, Zhao Xing felt his heart itch, and his hands started to wander. He fooled around with Chen Family’s daughter-in-law for a while. "Being shy for what? You are already my wife. I will take good care of you in the future, just like Zhao Erhu dotes on his wife, holding you like a treasure in the palm of his hand. All you need to do is serve me well and bear me a healthy son."

"Husband, you’re so kind!"

"Of course."

The couple was deeply affectionate, completely wrapped up in one another. If it weren’t for someone knocking on the door, calling them to eat, they might have continued on. Thinking about the morning’s events, Zhao Xing’s smile faded somewhat. "Wife, if my mother says anything unpleasant later, just ignore it. In one ear, out the other, that’s best. I’m here; I’ll protect you."

"What’s the matter, does Mother not like me?" Hearing Zhao Xing say this, Chen Family’s daughter-in-law’s eyes reddened, and she asked anxiously.

"It’s not about you. Last night, a thief broke into our house and stole all the wedding gift money we received. My mother is angry and in a bad mood."

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