A Good Country Wife
Chapter 478 - 472_1

Chapter 478: Chapter 472_1

In the evening, Lin Yue stayed up late to finish an embroidery of hibiscus and peonies, and had just gone to sleep when she suddenly heard a disturbance outside. Ever since Zhao Erhu had left home, Lin Yue didn’t know if it was due to a lack of security or what, but she could never fall into a deep sleep. Any minor noise would startle her awake, let alone such a commotion outside. Lin Yue practically jerked out of bed at once, and the maid Xixi, who was attending to her needs, also woke up upon hearing the noise.

"Xixi, what’s happening outside?" Lin Yue asked, but then felt it might have been redundant; Xixi had heard the noise at the same time as her, and how could she possibly know what it was. Having asked, Lin Yue then dressed herself, and Xixi followed her out to the outer courtyard. They hadn’t even left their own yard when a figure dashed over quickly and embraced Lin Yue in a full hug.

The moment Zhao Erhu left home that month, he had been constantly thinking of his little wife back home. Once he arrived, he couldn’t contain himself. He handed over the front courtyard’s affairs to Zhao Xinglin and others to handle first, and ran straight around to the back courtyard. He arrived just in time to see Lin Yue come out and stretched out his hands to pull her into his embrace.

"Wife, I’m back!" Out in the world, he missed her terribly, and thought of the thousand things he wanted to say to his little wife upon his return. When the moment came, though, he managed to say only that one sentence.

Because it was night, and even with a lantern in hand the light wasn’t very good, Lin Yue didn’t see clearly. Suddenly a dark shadow approached, and before she could even cry out, she found herself in the warm embrace of familiar arms, scented with the faint odor of travel. Lin Yue relaxed and her joy was beyond words.

"Zhao Erhu, you’re back!" Lin Yue responded somewhat foolishly, her face full of smiles.

"Let’s go, let’s talk back in our room." Zhao Erhu said as he lifted her horizontally; she seemed lighter than when he had left.

Back in the room, where the light was brighter, Lin Yue saw Zhao Erhu disheveled from the road, his beard ragged, and his face showing the signs of the elements. Thinking of their hurried journey, hungry and tired, Lin Yue did not bother to ask Zhao Erhu any other questions and immediately had Xixi go to the kitchen to prepare boiling water and food.

"Get a few more people to help, and make extra on everything. Everyone is still unloading in the front courtyard and will come over later to eat. It’s not easy coming back from a long trip. We need to make sure everyone is well fed and watered."

"Yes, Dongjia’s wife, I understand. Don’t worry, I’m on my way now." Xixi, who always did things briskly, heard Lin Yue’s instructions and was about to run off to the kitchen, but Lin Yue stopped her.

"Wait, first have the kitchen send hot water to our room."

Xixi quickly agreed, realizing she was too hasty. This time, she didn’t run off right away but instead asked Lin Yue if there were any other orders before running off like a whiff of smoke.

"That girl, such an impetuous character," Lin Yue said with a laugh, shaking her head. Now that Zhao Erhu had returned, she found joy in everything, and her smiling face never paused.

"Wife, in the month I’ve been away, did you miss me?" At this point, Zhao Erhu ignored the dust of travel that coated him. Seeing Xixi had left, he pulled Lin Yue into his arms again and refused to let go. All the fatigue of the journey seemed to vanish the moment he saw his little wife, leaving only a slow, deep contentment.

Lin Yue stared at Zhao Erhu seriously for a moment, her face full of shrewdness, and it wasn’t until after a long pause that she drawled out a "don’t wanna," her voice trailing off considerably. Seeing Zhao Erhu’s face grow increasingly dissatisfied, some signs showing he might resort to using his hands, she then leisurely added three more words, "It’s fake."

"Oh, you little minx, daring to play tricks on your husband, let’s see how I deal with you." Zhao Erhu said and with a smack, fervently planted kisses all over Lin Yue’s face, wickedly using his beard to prick at her cheeks and neck, pricking so much that Lin Yue writhed and begged for mercy.

"Haha, Zhao Erhu, I’ll stop teasing you, let me go, it’s so tickly, I dare not, dare not anymore."

While the two of them were causing a commotion in the room, someone knocked at the door, "Dongjia, Mistress, Xixi sent me to bring water."

"You’re quite efficient, bringing the water over so quickly," Zhao Erhu muttered, though his words were meant to be a compliment, they somehow carried a tone of dissatisfaction and resentment, as if someone had interrupted his good time.

"Alright, stop messing around. Let the maid bring in the water; you’d better go take a bath. You smell awful, like death!" Lin Yue, now freed from Zhao Erhu’s grasp, started to tease again, deliberately pinching her nose in disgust as she spoke, which made Zhao Erhu itch to press her down and thoroughly tease her as punishment.

Seeing Zhao Erhu look at her that way, Lin Yue glared back, "What are you staring at me for, go on, really, you have no self-awareness. Couldn’t you smell yourself at all, clinging to me, even getting that ’stink’ all over me, so annoying!"

"You little rascal don’t know anything, this is the scent of a man. And you dare say I stink; seems like I haven’t disciplined you for too long, and now you’re itching for it," Zhao Erhu said, pretending to reach for Lin Yue. Lin Yue was already prepared and hopped back a few steps, confronting him across the table and making a few odd gestures. She knew Zhao Erhu was all about keeping up appearances, downright ’shameless’ in private, but ever so proper in front of others. With servants outside, she was sure he wouldn’t lay a hand on her.

Zhao Erhu did indeed only scare Lin Yue a bit. With a meaningful look at Lin Yue, he went to open the door, letting the servant carry in the water to the bathhouse before going out again. Then he locked the door and, instead of continuing the play with his little wife, began to undress to prepare for his bath.

Having just provoked Zhao Erhu, Lin Yue didn’t go up to help him out either. She sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs, watching Zhao Erhu strip to his undergarments without feeling the slightest bit shy; after all, having been husband and wife for so long, such sights were not new to her. However, she did start to feel uneasy when, instead of heading to the bath, he came towards her. How could she have forgotten? Zhao Erhu, that old man, was the vengeful type. His seeming tolerance of her teasing had only been a façade; she was sure he was plotting revenge.

"Zhao Erhu, why aren’t you going to bathe? Didn’t you grab a change of clothes? Go ahead and bathe; I’ll fetch them for you." Seeing Zhao Erhu step by step closing in on her, Lin Yue made to dodge, but alas, she was never a match for Zhao Erhu in this regard. Before she could take two steps, he casually hoisted her over his shoulder.

Lin Yue’s world suddenly flipped upside down, "Zhao Erhu, what are you doing, put me down!"

Zhao Erhu slapped Lin Yue’s bottom with a not so light hand, clearly carrying a hint of punishment along with a feeling of satisfaction—this mischievous little minx!

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