A Good Country Wife
Chapter 472 - 466_1

Chapter 472: Chapter 466_1

"We’ve seen countless doctors, and none can figure out what’s wrong with her," Lin Genfa said helplessly, his face etched with defeat and exhaustion. "She just lies there every day as if she’s paralyzed. Your elder sister can’t bear this torture much longer. She’s getting thinner by the day and doesn’t even look like herself anymore. These past few days, she’s gotten worse and hardly eats anything. The doctor came and said, I’m afraid your elder sister doesn’t have much time left."

At first, when Lin Genfa found out about the malicious thing his wife had done, he was determined not to live with her anymore. However, he bore with it for the sake of their child. Moreover, he knew that Zhao Lingxiang didn’t get along with her own family and had nowhere to go after leaving their home. After all, they were husband and wife; he couldn’t bear to drive her away. He thought it would be enough to just give her the cold shoulder, but then she suddenly fell ill, and it was severe.

Lin Yue was taken aback upon hearing this. She had thought that Zhao Yunxiang was just seriously ill and was using this opportunity to soften Erhu’s heart and forgive her. She hadn’t expected it to be serious enough that Yunxiang was near death. And with Erhu currently away in the south and unable to return immediately, it would be tragic if he missed seeing Yunxiang for the last time. No matter what, she was his legitimate elder sister. With this in mind, Lin Yue followed Lin Genfa to the inner room and almost didn’t recognize the Zhao Yunxiang lying on the bed.

"How... how did my elder sister end up like this?" Even though Lin Yue had been mentally prepared, she was shocked to see Zhao Yunxiang in such a state, her voice unable to hide her surprise. "Just a few months ago, when she came to my house, she looked very robust, even healthier than me. How could she have turned into this in such a short time?"

"I’m not going to hide it from you, my sister-in-law. She must have felt guilty about what she did and kept apologizing and swearing oaths to me. I didn’t want to see her, so I locked myself in my room. The next day, my mother said that the child’s mother was ill. I didn’t believe it at first, thinking she was playing tricks again. But I didn’t expect it to be so serious. She was suddenly paralyzed and couldn’t get up. I immediately went to the city to bring back a doctor, but even he couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her, and changing doctors didn’t make her any better," Genfa spoke with a look of resignation.

"So you’re saying my elder sister has been sick for several months already, and you haven’t found the cause yet? No wonder she’s ended up like this. Since it’s like this, why didn’t you send someone to find me and Erhu? At least in the city, we have some connections. We could have found a better doctor for her, and it wouldn’t have gotten this bad." Even if Lin Yue still held a grudge against Zhao Yunxiang, she wouldn’t ignore the situation.

Lin Genfa felt even more regretful and apologetic when Lin Yue spoke so magnanimously, "You’re generous and don’t hold grudges, but we had no face to come to you. Later, Erhu found out and did help get a few competent doctors for his sister-in-law, but they couldn’t diagnose her either. They could only manage with herbal remedies, hoping that she would get better, but there was no improvement." Lin Genfa cautiously watched Lin Yue’s expression as he mentioned Zhao Erhu.

Lin Yue felt at a loss when she heard this. However, she maintained her composure, seemingly indifferent as she asked, "You mean Erhu knew about this? When did he find out?"

"It was late last year. Your elder sister couldn’t accept the reality and was very desperate. I had no choice but to ask Erhu, hoping to find a better doctor," Lin Genfa replied, carefully observing Lin Yue and continuing after seeing no sign of displeasure.

"It’s all thanks to Erhu. The cost of seeing doctors and buying medicine is like pouring water out of a jug. We sold all our property to pay for your sister-in-law’s medical expenses, and in just a couple of months, it was all gone. If Erhu hadn’t sent silver twice, our family wouldn’t have been able to hold on," Genfa said.

So Erhu had known since last year, which explained why he sometimes went out all day without telling her where he was going, causing her to worry that he might have someone else. Now she realized he had been preoccupied with Zhao Yunxiang’s situation.

After Lin Genfa finished speaking, there was silence from Lin Yue, prompting a pang of concern in his heart. He wondered if he had done the right thing, as Erhu had kept it hidden from Lin Yue, surely with his own worries and considerations. But now that Lin Yue had not only come to see Zhao Yunxiang despite their past conflicts but also inquired in detail about the situation, Lin Genfa felt he should no longer keep things from her, lest he have a guilty conscience.

"Sister-in-law, please don’t be angry. I know Erhu was wrong to hide it from you. He was afraid you would get upset. After all, the things your elder sister did were inexcusable. I was too ashamed to face you, and Erhu values loyalty too. If your elder sister had been well, he certainly wouldn’t have bothered with our affairs," Genfa awkwardly tried to explain, fearing that Lin Yue would truly be angry. It did not matter if she was angry at him, but if she had a falling out with Erhu over this, it would be a sin.

It was hard to say if Erhu was right or wrong in this matter, as perspectives differ. But one thing was for sure—he shouldn’t have kept it a secret from her. Despite being upset, Lin Yue would not show her feelings in front of others. She suppressed her emotions and interrupted Lin Genfa, who wanted to continue explaining.

"Brother-in-law, what are you saying? It’s right for Erhu to do what he did. After all, my elder sister is his blood-related elder sister. And with her being so seriously ill, if he had ignored her, that would have been cold-hearted. How could I be mad at him for that? There’s no need for you to explain on his behalf."

"I knew it, my sister-in-law; you have a generous heart."

Without responding to Lin Genfa’s comment, Lin Yue instead asked, "Brother-in-law, since Erhu went to get a doctor, which doctors did he ask for? Did he ask for Doctor Zheng from Jimin Hall? What did he say?"

"Ah, Doctor Zheng hasn’t come," Genfa admitted. The doctors were sought by Zhao Erhu, and Lin Genfa couldn’t remember all of them. However, he was sure that Doctor Zheng hadn’t been there; he had seen Doctor Zheng at Erhu’s house before.

Lin Yue was surprised once more, puzzled, "How could that be? You’re saying that Erhu never asked Doctor Zheng to come? That’s really strange. Doctor Zheng’s medical skills are considered top-notch in Xin’an City, and he has a good relationship with our family. Why didn’t he ask Doctor Zheng to come? If he had treated her, surely there would be a much better chance."

"Actually, he did try to ask for him. When Erhu found out about his elder sister’s condition, the first thing he did was go to ask Doctors Jiang and Zheng. However, they refused to come. Both doctors are men of principle and thought what his elder sister did was too much. Doctor Jiang even scolded Erhu and sent him away. It was to take your side," Genfa explained a little awkwardly, sharing the details despite his embarrassment.