A Good Country Wife
Chapter 349 - 343_1

Chapter 349: Chapter 343_1

Master Wei left in a fury after Zhao Erhu’s unhesitating refusal, with no place to vent his anger. If it weren’t for the fact that he suspected Zhao Lingxiang was pregnant with his child, Master Wei would have definitely given Zhao Lingxiang a harsh scolding.

Having sent Master Wei away, Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue exchanged glances, both surprised by the purpose of Master Wei’s visit. They had originally thought that Master Wei had figured out the method of preparing their family’s recipes and seized their business. It seemed that was not the case. If he had indeed discovered the method, why would he go out of his way to approach them, willing to pay a hefty price for their recipes—a thousand taels, no less? Initially, Zhao Lingxiang had tried to buy the recipe with merely twenty taels of silver. Tch, it seemed that they were indeed desperate for those few recipes, and who knows what methods they used to deceive a few people from the government offices.

Zhao Erhu couldn’t help feeling pleased to see Master Wei so enraged. After all, he had run around and endured many indignities for the sake of resolving the contract issue with the government offices. But seeing his young wife, concern flooded his heart again, "Be careful these days, don’t go out alone. Master Wei is unscrupulous, and I fear his desperation might lead him to crooked schemes."

Zhao Erhu’s concern was not unfounded, and Lin Yue nodded gravely, "Mhm, I will be cautious about my safety. However, I need to go into the city tomorrow to buy some things."

"I already promised I would go with you tomorrow," Zhao Erhu said.

After Master Wei’s episode, Zhao Erhu naturally lacked the mood to continue the earlier topic with Lin Yue. Annoyed, Lin Yue hadn’t even cooked dinner. Seeing that it was about time for Dalang and the others to return, the couple went to the kitchen to prepare the meal together.

With a horse carriage, the journey was much shorter, and there was no need to set off early. After breakfast, Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue leisurely set out.

Lin Yue also brought two wrapped bundles with her: one containing clothes and footwear, and the other with food, which were meant for her brother, Lin Qing. With the weather getting colder, she had been distressed to see Lin Qing wearing such thin clothes the last time he visited, looking very desolate in the cold wind. She had taken it to heart and made several sets of clothes for him to change into, which she intended to deliver today.

"Miss, wait here, I will call someone for you right away."

"Uncle, thank you!" Since outsiders were not allowed in the academy, Lin Yue waited at the gate for someone to go in and inform them, standing at the entrance by herself.

Today, Lin Yue wore a green lined jacket that made her look particularly charming and beautiful. Because Zhao Erhu thought Lin Yue was too young to wear a married woman’s hairdo, which looked somewhat unbecoming, he styled her hair in the manner typical for young girls. This made her appear as an unwed maiden, standing there attractively and drawing many admiring glances. Jealous at the sight of other men looking at his wife, Zhao Erhu felt annoyed; he stood in front of Lin Yue, shielding her from many prying eyes.

Lin Qing was listening intently to the master’s lecture when he heard someone calling for him outside, saying his sister had arrived.

Lin Qing was initially startled, but realizing it must be Lin Yue looking for him, he happily ran outside and indeed saw his sister waiting at the academy’s gate, "Little sister, it’s so cold, why did you come? Don’t stand in the draft; you’ve always been frail and might catch a cold. Are you wearing enough clothes?"

"Uncle," Zhao Erhu seeing that Lin Qing was only busy talking to his young wife and completely ignoring him, called out. His main issue was that he disapproved of Lin Qing fussing over his wife with such care and concern; he felt that he was responsible for taking care of his wife, without needing others to worry.

After several encounters, Lin Qing and Zhao Erhu’s relationship had improved significantly. Seeing Zhao Erhu speak up, and realizing he had acted impolitely, he quickly said, "Brother-in-law, you’ve also come with my sister. Come on, follow me inside."

After finishing his sentence, Lin Qing pulled Lin Yue by the hand and walked inside, while Zhao Erhu followed behind carrying two bundles that Lin Yue had brought.

Lin Yue had initially planned to drop off the items and leave, but she couldn’t refuse Lin Qing’s warm invitation to come inside. Besides, she wanted to see what Lin Qing’s living conditions were like. Her brother was fully focused on his studies and wouldn’t take care of himself, so her visit was a good opportunity to check what he might be missing and possibly provide for later.

It took them a quarter of an hour for Lin Qing to bring them to his lodging at the academy. The difference in social status wasn’t only evident outside but also within the academy. Wealthy students could afford to rent rooms with better environments, while Lin Qing’s was a rather simple single room. The furnishings were sparse, a plank bed, a desk, and a cabinet for belongings. Apart from that, there was nothing else—his bed was covered with a half-worn thin cotton quilt, and the sight made Lin Yue feel desolate.

"Brother, it’s so cold these days and you sleep here, covering yourself with such a thin quilt, aren’t you cold? It wouldn’t be good if you caught a cold," Lin Yue said, frowning as she sat on the hard and icy bed. She disliked the cold and loved comfort; at home they used two thick and soft new cotton pads just for cushioning underneath the mattress. Seeing Lin Qing’s frugal and shabby way of living made her pity her brother even more.

"It’s fine like this. I’m a grown man and I’m not afraid of the cold," Lin Qing said, somewhat embarrassed as his sister looked down on his living arrangement.

"Brother, where do you usually eat your meals?"

"The academy has a dining hall. I usually eat there, but it’s also possible to cook for oneself. There’s a communal kitchen in this courtyard," Lin Qing explained, and then upon Lin Yue’s request, he showed her around the kitchen.

Despite what Lin Qing said, Lin Yue knew her brother was frugal and would be reluctant to spend money on good food, likely just making do with whatever he could easily prepare. She glanced at the small stove in the tiny kitchen, which had a clay pot on it containing half a pot of cold, thin gruel. Other than that, there was no food in the kitchen, and the utensils were not complete.

After leaving the kitchen, Lin Yue pulled Zhao Erhu out immediately. Lin Qing thought Lin Yue was about to leave and felt somewhat disappointed; his accommodations were indeed modest, which was probably why his sister felt uncomfortable staying. "Sister, won’t you sit for a while longer, or are you about to leave?"

"No, I’m going out to buy some things, but I’ll be back soon." Seeing that Lin Qing was lacking so much at his place, Lin Yue couldn’t bear to see it any longer. She decided to take Zhao Erhu shopping, and they soon returned with a heap of items, all for Lin Qing.

Because the items were too numerous and cumbersome to carry, Lin Yue and Zhao Erhu dealt with the gatekeeper and went through the back door, driving the carriage straight to the front of Lin Qing’s courtyard. Lin Qing only realized they had gone to buy things for him when he saw the mound of belongings his sister and brother-in-law had moved into his room.

"Little sister, brother-in-law, why did you buy so many things? I’m really fine here, I don’t need these things. You should return them."

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