A Good Country Wife
Chapter 333 - 327 Don’t Overthink It_1

Chapter 333: Chapter 327 Don’t Overthink It_1

At the beginning, only Lin Genfa from the Lin Family knew what Zhao Yunxiang had done; the others were unaware. Thus, when Lin Xiaoxiang saw Zhao Erhu, she was delighted and affectionately ran over to call him "Uncle." In her eyes, this uncle had always been kind to her, so she was especially warm upon seeing him.

Zhao Erhu was initially startled when Lin Xiaoxiang joyfully greeted him. His expression then softened as he responded. The misdeeds of adults should never fall on the shoulders of children. However, seeing Xiaoxiang, so young, yet engaged in such heavy and exhausting labor, he was puzzled. Zhao Yunxiang, though unconcerned with gender equality, would often berate and beat Xiaoxiang, but Lin Genfa treated all his children equally and had always protected Xiaoxiang. Why then was Xiaoxiang now tasked with such burdensome work, looking so worn out?

In Zhao Erhu’s mind, girls should not be treated the same as boys; they ought to be well cared for at home. That’s how he had always done it, never allowing his wife to toil with heavy labor.

"Xiaoxiang, why are you doing such exhausting work all by yourself? Doesn’t your father take care of you?"

"Second Uncle, Mother is sick and currently bedridden. Father has to look after her, and Big Brother has to work in the fields. Gathering firewood is the easiest job, and Xiaoxiang can handle it."

"Your mother is sick? When did this happen?" Zhao Erhu was surprised to hear that Zhao Yunxiang was ill. She had always been healthy, seldom sick from childhood to her current age. He had seen her in good health before; how could she be so ill now? However, it seemed unlikely that Zhao Yunxiang would feign sickness deliberately. For one thing, she did not know he would come to Shanglin Village, and besides, Xiaoxiang was a good child, different from Lin Youjin, that rascal. She wouldn’t lie or deceive him.

Zhao Erhu asked Xiaoxiang for more details and learned that Zhao Yunxiang’s illness was quite severe. After much hesitation, he decided to visit her. After all, she was his blood sister; they shared the same bloodline. Bonds cannot simply be severed on a whim. Although Zhao Erhu appeared indifferent on the outside, he was actually deeply committed to loyalty and kinship. He was angry and resentful towards Zhao Yunxiang for harming his wife, but hearing Xiaoxiang say that Yunxiang was now bedridden and unable to rise, Erhu could not suppress the concern within him.

Zhao Erhu had Xiaoxiang get into the cart and placed the firewood on it as well, then drove the horse-drawn cart to Lin Genfa’s house. All the while, he thought if Zhao Yunxiang’s condition was not as serious as Xiaoxiang had described, he would leave immediately. While he might be worried, he would not forgive Zhao Yunxiang for what she had done to his wife.

Despite his careful thinking on the way there, when he saw Zhao Yunxiang lying on the bed, looking lifeless with a face filled with despair, and Lin Genfa seeming a decade older in just this short period, his hair sprouting white strands, Zhao Erhu could not help but feel a pierce of sadness, calling out "Big Sister" despite himself.

Zhao Yunxiang, who had shown no reaction on the bed, opened her eyes at the sound of Zhao Erhu’s voice, her face registering disbelief and joy. Her body, which had been immobilized, trembled slightly.

"Erhu, is that you, Erhu? I thought I’d never have the chance to see you again in this life. Sister was wrong before; I have wronged you, wronged your wife, and perhaps it’s retribution that led me to this fate." As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. Having lain in bed for so long, thinking over many things, Zhao Yunxiang truly regretted her actions this time. She should not have been so greedy, harboring thoughts of harming others. She had thought her brother would never forgive her, yet unexpectedly, he had come to visit. Filled with remorse, Zhao Yunxiang kept admitting her faults to Zhao Erhu.

Zhao Erhu felt that what Zhao Yunxiang had said was somewhat mystical. "Let’s not talk about that for now, sis. How come you look like this after such a short time? Brother-in-law, what happened here?"

Lin Genfa sighed and explained everything in detail. Zhao Erhu also found it exceedingly strange. As for the notion of retribution, it really seemed a bit far-fetched, but aside from that, they couldn’t find any other reasons. The doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Zhao Yunxiang. A thought struck Zhao Erhu, and he remembered that when his wife had been unconscious without a cause, it was Jiang Ziqi who woke her. Maybe if Jiang Ziqi took a look, he might be able to see something.

After Zhao Erhu returned home, he seemed to be lost in thought. Lin Yue was curious—could it be that Lin Qing was giving him a hard time again? Hadn’t her brother agreed to get along well with Zhao Erhu? And judging by her brother’s manner, he truly seemed to have let go of his grudge against Zhao Erhu. But then, what was up with Zhao Erhu now?

"Zhao Erhu, did brother give you a hard time again?" Lin Yue, not wanting to keep her thoughts to herself, asked straightforwardly during the quiet of the evening before bed.

"Wife, don’t worry. I get along quite well with your brother, nothing’s wrong. Don’t fret over nothing," Zhao Erhu assured Lin Yue, who looked concerned for him. Thinking about Zhao Yunxiang’s situation, he felt restless and somewhat guilty towards his wife. After all, that was his own sister—they couldn’t just watch her continue like this. Given her willful nature and considering how anyone at her age would struggle with being paralyzed, she truly didn’t seem to want to keep living.

Having spent so much time together as intimate spouses, Lin Yue knew Zhao Erhu more each day, and she felt that ever since he returned from Shanglin Village, something wasn’t right. "Then why do you look so preoccupied? Did something happen?"

"Wife, there’s really nothing to worry about," Zhao Erhu avoided meeting Lin Yue’s eyes. He didn’t want her to know about Zhao Yunxiang’s situation. He already felt sorry for having made Lin Yue pardon Zhao Yunxiang before, and he had publicly promised to cut ties with Zhao Yunxiang. If Lin Yue found out he was involving himself in Zhao Yunxiang’s affairs again, he wondered if she would be upset. He didn’t want to make her sad, but he knew he couldn’t neglect the situation either, so he decided it was better left unsaid.

Lin Yue honestly hadn’t considered that it was about Zhao Yunxiang’s situation. It never crossed her mind. After all, Shanglin Village was her maiden home, and she thought that Zhao Erhu might have heard something about her from others, leading him to be unhappy. She suspected it might mostly involve Jiang Wenshu, knowing that sometimes Zhao Erhu could get quite jealous. If he was hiding something in his heart, it wasn’t good; she needed to clear the air.

"Zhao Erhu, did you hear someone in Shanglin Village speak ill of me? I’ve forgotten about the past. If you have any concerns or thoughts, you can talk to me. Haven’t you said that spouses should be honest with each other and keep no secrets?" Lin Yue spoke, yet she wasn’t very worried. Lin Qing had told her many things about her past, and it turned out her relationship with Jiang Wenshu wasn’t as intimate as he had claimed. At most, they spoke a few extra words to each other; they hadn’t even held hands—indeed it was very innocent.

"Wife, nobody said anything to me, don’t overthink it. Let’s sleep now, alright?" Zhao Erhu turned over, pulled Lin Yue into his arms, and closed his eyes.