A Good Country Wife
Chapter 481 - 475_1

Chapter 481: Chapter 475_1

Zhao Erhu went out in the afternoon and did not return until evening was almost upon them, his face still wearing a hint of pleasure, indicating that his affairs must have gone smoothly. Seeing his wife and children waiting for him at the courtyard gate, his expression grew even gentler.

"Why are you all waiting at the gate? Come inside, come on. Haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’m hungry too, let’s eat together," Zhao Erhu knew that his wife and son were definitely waiting especially for him.

After dinner, Lin Yue went back to her room, and soon saw that Zhao Erhu had the servant bring in a large chest. Lin Yue, not understanding, looked at Zhao Erhu, "What’s inside this chest? Is it something valuable, so it needs to be kept in the room?"

"No, this is something I brought back especially for you from the south. It was too late yesterday, so I didn’t bring it to show you. Today I was in a hurry to attend to some matters, so only now have I remembered," said Zhao Erhu as he opened the chest, revealing an assortment of trinkets and specialties from the south.

Zhao Erhu had brought back items from his trip south; Lin Yue merely glanced at some of them casually. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t noticed the chest on its own or she hadn’t expected Zhao Erhu to bring anything back for her—after all, men tend to be more careless. Lin Yue was a little disappointed, but it passed quickly. She hadn’t imagined that Zhao Erhu would indeed bring back a chest full of things for her, only that he hadn’t brought it inside until now.

"What’s all this?" Since Zhao Erhu had returned, it was natural that Lin Yue wouldn’t stay up late embroidering, as the old man would surely nag her about it. Thus, she had washed up early and prepared for bed. Now lying in bed and seeing the chest that Zhao Erhu had people carry in, she immediately got excited and climbed up to sift through the items within.

They were all small objects with characteristics of the southern regions; Lin Yue, filled with interest, sifted through them. Whenever she came across something she especially liked, she would pick it out. Suddenly, she remembered that the children were all at home at that time.

"Zhao Erhu, go quickly and call the children too. They definitely haven’t gone to sleep yet; let them come and pick a few things they like," Lin Yue commanded directly. Although she was very pleased that Zhao Erhu paid her such attention, this fellow sometimes really wasn’t very attentive to the children. Just like many in the village, he felt that providing for the children’s food, clothing, and education was fulfilling his duty. Of course, he also hoped for their success, but this hope mostly manifested in the form of strict fatherhood, and there were really not many warm scenes between father and child.

Lin Yue suddenly recalled a saying, "Better to follow a begging mother than to follow a rich father," which she thought made a lot of sense. Thankfully, she wasn’t a wicked stepmother, or the children’s lives would definitely not be this easy.

Reminded by Lin Yue, Zhao Erhu also felt that he had somewhat neglected the children. So, obeying his young wife’s command, he immediately went to call the children.

They picked and chose for most of the night, laughing and chatting, thoroughly enjoying themselves, and managed to forget about Zhao Erhu altogether.

Zhao Erhu, considering Lin Yue’s health, restricted her bedtime, not allowing her to stay up too late. Seeing that it was indeed getting late and having urged them several times already, when he noticed that Lin Yue and her children were still in good spirits, completely ignoring his intention, he finally could no longer bear it. He grabbed the little ones and tossed them out, then carried his protesting wife horizontally to bed. Only then did he feel at peace, thinking to himself that sometimes a more forceful method worked better.

Ever since Zhao Erhu left the house, Lin Yue had been reminding herself that she must remember to tell Zhao Erhu about Zhao Yunxiang’s situation. Now, lying in bed, she remembered, "Zhao Erhu, there’s a message from Shanglin Village. They say elder sister is seriously ill. When you went to the south, I had no way of sending you the message, but now that you’re back, you should visit elder sister in Shanglin Village."

"Mm, I know, I’ll go first thing tomorrow morning." Zhao Erhu had already planned to visit Zhao Yunxiang and readily agreed. He felt somewhat guilty about Zhao Yunxiang’s past actions and did not wish to dwell on this topic, so he asked no further questions. Naturally, he was unaware that Lin Yue had already visited Zhao Yunxiang and had asked Doctor Zheng to treat her, let alone the fact that he himself, hiding it from his wife, had been looking after Zhao Yunxiang and her family all this time.

Lin Yue felt uncomfortable remembering this matter. Zhao Yunxiang once did something to her that almost took her life, and Zhao Erhu had clearly said he would sever ties with Zhao Yunxiang, yet he had gone back on his word. Even though she could understand why Zhao Erhu would do this, she was ultimately bothered by it. What angriest her the most was Zhao Erhu’s continual secrecy, preferring to be misunderstood rather than tell the truth. So as Zhao Erhu chose not to say more, she was even less inclined to bring it up, turning her back to him and not wanting to talk anymore.

Zhao Erhu, seeing his wife’s gesture, thought Lin Yue was angry that he had agreed to visit Zhao Yunxiang; indeed, he had had his reasons to keep it a secret before. On this matter, although his wife might seem indifferent on the surface, he knew she cared deep down. Still, Zhao Yunxiang was his elder sister, and it would be unconscionable not to visit her now that she was gravely ill. With these thoughts, Zhao Erhu, having already decided what to do, could not make any promises to Lin Yue. He did not coax her as usual but simply lay silently, hoping in his heart that she would calm down by morning.

Even though a husband and wife may know each other well, their thoughts can vary in different circumstances and mindsets. Zhao Erhu, keeping his thoughts to himself, left Lin Yue in the dark; seeing his demeanor only made her angrier, tightening her lips and silently stewing alone, not knowing how long it took to finally fall asleep.

The next morning, Lin Yue awoke to find Zhao Erhu had already gone out. She knew he must have gone to visit Zhao Yunxiang in Shanglin Village. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. It was still early, yet he had hurried off to Shanglin Village. Not even a greeting before leaving—was he afraid she would stop him? Did Zhao Erhu see her as someone so petty, so untrustworthy?

In fact, Zhao Erhu did harbor such thoughts, not out of distrust for Lin Yue but rather from feeling guilt and reluctance to disturb his wife’s sleep. Hence, he left early, and before departing, he made sure to instruct the kitchen to prepare food for Lin Yue, to be delivered to her as soon as she woke up.

"Dongjia’s wife, this is what Dongjia specifically ordered to be made for you this morning. He said you were craving it yesterday."

"Craving what? I’m full of anger—I don’t want this. Take it away and eat it yourself," Lin Yue said angrily at the mention of Zhao Erhu and lost her appetite for breakfast. Xixi saw that Lin Yue was upset and didn’t dare say much, quickly removing the food and wondering why Dongjia’s wife was already cross with Dongjia after he had been back for only a few days.