A Good Country Wife
Chapter 335 - 329 Cheap Parents_1

Chapter 335: Chapter 329 Cheap Parents_1

Lin Yue looked coldly at Lin Zhou, wondering what kind of heartless parents could sell their daughter for money. Perhaps they felt guilty too, but now, seeing Lin Zhou’s face, so self-assured, without the slightest trace of guilt or self-blame, it completely chilled her heart. Even for Lin Qing’s sake, Lin Yue decided not to have anything to do with these so-called parents any longer.

If it had been anyone else it might have been tolerable, but it was her own daughter, whom Lin Zhou had always bossed around and who had never dared to resist. Upon hearing Lin Yue’s words, Lin Zhou immediately flared up. "What are you saying, you ungrateful girl? No wonder they say that a married daughter is like spilled water. Look at your attitude. No matter what, I am still your mother, and now you’re defying me?"

"Lin Zhou, you are wrong. I wasn’t married off, I was sold! At that time, the deal was done, and you took all the benefits in one go. From then on, I was to act as if I were no longer your daughter, and I paid back your so-called kindness of raising me; we owed nothing to each other. We agreed that from then on, I would have nothing to do with your family. Have you forgotten that already?" Lin Yue’s words were full of sarcasm, and she felt more agitated than she had expected, perhaps because of the lingering resentment of the original owner of this body, which made it impossible for her to remain calm, especially given Lin Zhou’s infuriating attitude.

Zhao Erhu looked at his young wife with nothing but heartache. With such parents, the hardships his wife must have faced in the past were evident. The look he cast at Lin Zhou was like a blade of ice, filled with chill and frost.

Lin Zhou shrank under Zhao Erhu’s gaze. She was used to disciplining her daughter as she pleased, accustomed to berating and beating her for over a decade without feeling it was in any way inappropriate. But Zhao Erhu, this man, always gave her a sense of danger, especially when he was stern and unsmiling. Even Lin Yue felt intimidated by him, let alone Lin Zhou, who was a bully when strong and a coward when weak. Lin Zhou nervously clamped her mouth shut, not daring to act up in front of Zhao Erhu.

"Lin Zhou, my wife is right. When I married Yueyue, we signed a contract stating that she would no longer have anything to do with your Lin Family. That contract wasn’t just for show. From now on, do not talk of mother-daughter affection. We do not welcome you here. If you know what’s good for you, leave immediately, otherwise, I’ll have to throw you out."

Lin Zhou was both angry and embarrassed upon hearing Zhao Erhu’s words. If people found out she was chased away from her son-in-law’s home, she would become the laughingstock of the village. Despite her rage, she dared not direct it at Zhao Erhu and instead turned her fury toward Lin Yue. "Don’t be too much! Lin Yue, you ingrate, I raised you all these years for nothing."

"Not for nothing; didn’t you sell me for fifteen taels of silver? For a girl from a peasant family like ours, it’s already a good price. Lin Zhou, my husband has already said that you are not welcome here. He always means what he says. If you don’t leave on your own, don’t blame my husband for taking action."

Zhao Erhu never had much regard for Lin Yue’s parents, but he hadn’t known Lin Yue’s own feelings and had refrained from acting rashly. Seeing Lin Yue speak up for herself, he was no longer going to be polite. Lin Zhou, seeing Zhao Erhu look ready to act, backed away a few steps. "Xiaoyue, don’t be like this. I came today because your brother, Lin Qing, sent me."

With no other choice, Lin Zhou played her last card by mentioning Lin Qing, knowing Lin Yue had always been close to him. Hearing that it was Lin Qing’s idea, Zhao Erhu paused, temporarily halting his actions, and turned to look at Lin Yue.

"My brother, what did he send you here to do?" Lin Yue doubted the words of Lin Zhou’s wife. Lin Qing knew that she harbored resentment toward her step-parents and would hardly ever mention them in her presence. Why would he send Lin Zhou’s wife over? Could it be that something had happened to Lin Qing.

"It’s like this, your brother heard that your family was looking to hire help. Several people in the village approached your brother, hoping he’d help introduce them. Your brother found it hard to refuse, so he sent me over to talk to you about it."

Lin Yue understood upon hearing Lin Zhou’s wife’s words—Lin Qing was the last person who would want to trouble her. How could he agree to such a thing? Lin Zhou’s wife must be using Lin Qing as a pretext to get her help. Whether or not she agreed remained to be seen. With a cold laugh, she looked at Lin Zhou’s wife, "It’s your own idea, isn’t it? If my brother really had something to say, he’d come and tell me himself. As for everyone else, they’d better stop coveting my family’s attention. Say what you have to say and leave."

After Lin Yue spoke, she didn’t glance at Lin Zhou’s wife and went about her own business. Lin Zhou’s wife knew there was no hope for getting things done today. Under the pressure of Zhao Erhu, she didn’t want to stay another minute and hastily left the Zhao Family’s home.

Lin Zhou’s wife had arrived by hitching a ride on someone else’s oxcart, hoping for a more prestigious return trip arranged by her daughter and son-in-law in a horse-drawn carriage. She had heard that last time, it was Zhao Erhu who had personally driven her back to the village in a carriage. She had wanted Zhao Erhu to show off by escorting her in a carriage through the village, so she hadn’t made other arrangements. But now, left with no choice, she had to walk home on her own two feet. The more she thought about it on the way back, the angrier she became, cursing under her breath. All her words were accusations of Lin Yue’s unfilial behavior. By the time she reached Shanglin Village, it had already turned dark. Fearing questions from others and feeling ashamed, Lin Zhou’s wife did her best to avoid encountering anyone on her way.

Lin Yue’s stepfather, Lin Fuan, was enjoying his pipe at the moment, reclining in his chair, puffing out clouds of smoke contentedly. His son had become a Scholar and his son-in-law Zhao Erhu had done well for himself, earning praises and compliments from the villagers. He was still feeling quite elated. Seeing Lin Zhou’s wife return, he asked, "So, how did it go? Did you get it done?"

In Lin Fuan’s view, getting Zhao Erhu to arrange for a few people to work was a simple matter, which was why he had readily agreed to the villagers’ request, without ever considering the possibility of refusal.

Lin Zhou’s wife recounted her ordeal at Zhao Erhu’s home to Lin Fuan, visibly outraged, "That wretched girl has driven me to my wit’s end. These past years, I might as well have raised her for nothing. You should have seen how heartless she was. She seems determined to disown me as her mother, claiming that she had signed a contract and was from then on a person of the Zhao Family, with no ties to the Lin Family. She nearly had her husband throw me out of their house. I’ve never been so humiliated in my life."

Lin Fuan hadn’t expected such an outcome. He had also been in favor of selling Lin Yue to Zhao Erhu and still didn’t believe he was in the wrong. A daughter couldn’t carry on the family lineage and keeping her was only for the purpose of marriage. If she couldn’t be of benefit to the family, there was no use in raising her. It was outrageous to think they should feel guilty about it. On hearing the news, his expression grew serious and displeased.

"This girl indeed is not an easy one to handle. Even before she married, she caused trouble twice. I didn’t expect her to go as far as to disown her own birth parents. Maybe you were too harsh with her back then, always beating and scolding her. Perhaps she still harbors resentment, which is why she’s so unfeeling now," Lin Fuan pondered, now worried about how to explain to the villagers, having already promised them. Failing to fulfill the promise was indeed an embarrassing matter.

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