A Good Country Wife
Chapter 446 - 440_1

Chapter 446: Chapter 440_1

Lin Yue was already a bit tired, and after being forcefully taken by Zhao Erhu, she felt into a drowsy sleep again. It wasn’t until the evening that she woke up to find everyone had already finished their meals and gone to rest. Knowing she was exhausted, Erhu didn’t wake her but brought her some warm food when she finally awoke.

"This household is living in tough conditions; they don’t even have grain to spare from the night before. Everyone used the provisions and ingredients we brought to make the meal. This is all there is, no vegetables either. Make do with this for now, and once we reach the town, I’ll take you out for something delicious."

"It’s fine; having something to eat is enough. Besides, I’m not hungry at all right now. Maybe I won’t eat; I want to go back to sleep."

Zhao Erhu saw Lin Yue sprawled lazily on the bed, with no intention of getting up, her eyes still hazy as if half-asleep and no desire to come eat.

"You can’t skip dinner. Eat up, then sleep, alright?" Erhu said, walking over helplessly, draping clothes over Lin Yue, then carrying her to the dining table. He simply picked up the rice bowl and started feeding his wife bite by bite. Lin Yue was feeling particularly lazy and enjoyed being waited on by her husband, obediently accepting the food he offered.

"This meal, it’s truly quite ordinary in taste." After finishing the meal, Lin Yue commented with a look toward Zhao Erhu, as if to say, if you hadn’t insisted on doing that thing, tiring me out, then I would have cooked by myself, and the food would have definitely been better.

Zhao Erhu didn’t argue with Lin Yue’s remark. After feeding her, he cleaned up and returned everything to the kitchen, then went back to the room to turn off the light and sleep.

They had planned on only taking temporary shelter from the rain in the village, but to their surprise, the rain continued drizzling the next day, showing no signs of stopping. Zhao Erhu and his company had to delay their journey, staying at the old man’s home, waiting for the rain to stop before they could continue. The weather could make the roads slippery and hard to travel, and they feared an accident might happen.

"Sister, this is delicious; I’ll give it to you." Little Douzi was a very shy little boy, and whenever Lin Yue saw him, he mostly hid behind his grandfather, not daring even to look at everyone directly. But now, seeing no one else in the room, he dared to run over and stuff something into Lin Yue’s hand before darting away, peering back at her nervously from the door.

"What’s this?" Lin Yue held what Little Douzi handed her in her palm to look—it was a wild fruit. A smile formed on her face. It seemed the little guy quite liked her. Considering the household’s situation, even a wild fruit was a rarity; he must have been reluctant to eat it himself and had specially brought it to her—a genuinely grand gesture of kindness.

Lin Yue smiled and waved the fruit in her hand toward the doorway, then took a bite. It was sour and sweet, the taste quite pleasant. "Thank you, Little Douzi, the fruit is very tasty."

Little Douzi saw Lin Yue eating the fruit he gave her and even thanking him. He beamed a wide smile, appearing delighted. Then, under Lin Yue’s watch, he scampered off, only to return shortly with two more fruits like the one before.

"There are only two left, and they’re both for you." Little Douzi did not even ask Lin Yue if she wanted them; he eagerly placed the fruit in Lin Yue’s hands. These were his favorite fruits, which he had cherished and couldn’t bear to eat because there were so few left. Yet now, he was giving the last two to Lin Yue. He didn’t know why, but he just particularly liked this gentle and beautiful big sister, who spoke softly and always had a lovely smile, as beautiful as his mother’s.

"You’ve given them all to me, but what about yourself, Little Douzi? Won’t you have any left?" Lin Yue knew these slightly wilted fruits, so lovingly handled, were ones Little Douzi could hardly bear to eat. Having eaten one already, she had no intention of accepting any more,

"Little Douzi won’t eat them, I want my big sister to have them." This time, Little Douzi did not run away but looked at Lin Yue with a gaze full of determination and admiration.

After some thought, Lin Yue decided to accept them. After all, it was a token of Little Douzi’s affection, but she would not take the fruits for nothing. She took a packet of sweets from her fragrant sachet and beckoned Little Douzi over,

"Come here, Little Douzi. You offered fruits to your big sister, now let me offer you something too. These are candies, sweet and delicious. Try one and see." Lin Yue unwrapped a piece of candy and placed it in Little Douzi’s hand. He first licked it with his tongue and, after tasting it, found the flavor pleasing and happily accepted the packet of candy Lin Yue had given him.

"It seems Little Douzi is very fond of Mistress Lin. It’s rare to see him so cheerful. Ever since his parents left, the child has become increasingly reticent and timid, preferring to be alone. I never expected him to actively play with Mistress Lin," Old Master Qian entered from outside and, seeing his grandson with Lin Yue, said with a smile, his face showing a hint of comfort.

"Little Douzi truly is a child who evokes pity. But where have his parents gone, exactly? I’ve heard they’ve been away for almost six or seven months now and still haven’t returned?" Lin Yue happened to be free and had grown acquainted with Old Master Qian, so she asked out of curiosity. She only knew that Little Douzi’s parents had gone away for business, but didn’t know what kind of business they were in.

"Little Douzi’s parents usually collect local goods and furs from around ten miles of this area to sell in other places. Business used to be good, and our household lived comfortably. But now, it’s increasingly difficult to do business. The newly appointed Magistrate hardly shows sympathy for us ordinary folk, and Longhu Mountain is rife with bandit problems. We can’t go to the Capital City, so we have to look elsewhere to make a living. Although earnings can’t compare to before, it’s still enough to get by. Who would have known that they haven’t returned since they left this spring? God knows what has happened,"

Old Master Qian’s face was filled with worries and misery as he spoke about his son and daughter-in-law. His only son had married years ago, produced a grandson, and brought prosperity to the family. But who would have thought that their fortunes would now be so dire? If something happened to his son and daughter-in-law, he, already old and feeble, might not last. If he passed away, what would happen to Little Douzi? Such a small child couldn’t even take care of himself, let alone support the family business, to say nothing of the relatives eyeing their estate covetously.

Lin Yue felt a great deal of sympathy for Old Master Qian, especially for Little Douzi. The child was so pitiable. What would happen to him if his parents truly had met with disaster? She remembered how it felt when Zhao Erhu had gone hunting in the mountains and ran into trouble; it was as if the sky had fallen. Even more so for Old Master Qian’s family in their current situation.

"Old Master, try not to worry too much. After all, they’ve only been gone for a few months. It’s possible they encountered some unexpected circumstances that prevented them from returning on time. It doesn’t necessarily mean something bad has happened. Have Douzi’s parents sent back any messages?"