A Good Country Wife
Chapter 483 - 477_1

Chapter 483: Chapter 477_1

Zhang Chunhua saw Zhao Erhu rushing frantically, moving forward with his head down, looking rather distraught. She grew worried, fearing something had happened, and stopped him, "Erhu, where are you off to in such a hurry, looking so peaky? Nothing bad has happened, has it?"

When Zhao Erhu saw Zhang Chunhua, he didn’t answer her question. Instead, he asked about Lin Yue, "Sister Chunhua, I had an argument with my wife, and now I don’t know where she’s gone. Have you seen her? I’m afraid she might have acted impulsively without regard for the consequences."

Zhang Chunhua was familiar with Lin Yue’s temperament. Although young, Lin Yue was more composed than anyone, and she didn’t exhibit those little tempers common to girls. It had to be said that Lin Yue successfully projected this image in front of everyone. Perhaps only Zhao Erhu knew exactly what kind of person his young wife was. Upon seeing Zhao Erhu in such a state of urgency, Chunhua sensed that something serious must be happening.

"What has happened, Erhu? What exactly have you done to upset your wife so much that she’s disappeared? You haven’t done anything to wrong her, have you?" In most people’s eyes, quarrels between men and women were over a few common issues. Since Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue had no in-laws to keep them in check and their sons were filial, the problem must lay between husband and wife. To escalate to this point, it was easy for Chunhua to think the worst and assume Zhao Erhu was involved with another woman, doing something to betray Lin Yue. They say a man is likely to go astray once he has money, and now that Zhao Erhu’s family was wealthy, there would be women wanting to latch onto him. Even if he truly had another woman on the side, nobody would be surprised, as having concubines was common in this era.

Zhao Erhu knew what Zhang Chunhua was implying with her words, but as she hadn’t stated anything too explicitly, he couldn’t well refute her. He did feel remorse for having wronged his wife, yet it wasn’t as Zhang Chunhua imagined. Erhu wasn’t inclined to share the family’s private matters.

In Zhang Chunhua’s eyes, Zhao Erhu’s silence was as good as an admission. She was close to Lin Yue and remembered the hardships Zhao Erhu’s family had gone through in the past, as well as what Lin Yue had done for the family when Zhao fell into a coma. She felt that Lin Yue deserved better. Being forthright by nature, Chunhua voiced her dissatisfaction then and there.

"Erhu, your wife has had it tough, enduring so much for the sake of your family. Without her, this home might have fallen apart long ago. You’ve finally come to enjoy better days, you must not wrong her. One must have a conscience."

"Sister Chunhua, I understand all that you’ve said, but can you tell me first if you’ve seen my wife? I’m in a hurry to find her. If I’m late and something bad happens, what then?" Zhao Erhu was near desperation, too impatient to listen any further; he just wanted to know if Chunhua had seen Lin Yue. If not, he would be on his way straight off.

"Your wife? I haven’t seen her today, but I seem to recall hearing someone mention she had left the village. I’m not sure about the truth of it. You should ask around near the village entrance, perhaps someone has seen her."

Zhao Erhu knew that finding her was urgent and didn’t press further. He took the information Zhang Chunhua had and ran towards the village entrance, questioning several other people. Some did see Lin Yue driving a horse-drawn carriage out of the village. It seemed she might be headed to the city. Once certain, Zhao Erhu couldn’t delay, so he detached the carriage box and rode the horse straight to the city.

At that moment, Lin Yue was in a spice shop, purchasing a large amount of goods. She had indeed been quite upset that morning but, having heard about something earlier from Lin Genfa in Shanglin Village, she had already vented her anger and come to terms with many things. This time, her anger wasn’t excessive; she was just feeling uncomfortable, so she went off in a huff.

Unable to settle down to embroider, Lin Yue thought of the materials shortage in her soap workshop. Some items were too specialized for the servants to understand and required her personal procurement. Moreover, she had several new ideas for scents and colors, for which she needed to select suitable ingredients. Since nobody could replace her in this task, she took the opportunity to visit the city, to both calm her feelings and to attend to important business. Without explaining her actions, she drove the horse-drawn carriage to the city, intentionally leaving Zhao Erhu to worry.

As it turned out, her action truly drove Zhao Erhu to desperation. He was terrified that Lin Yue, in a fit of anger, might revert to her pre-amnesia temperament and really leave. If she planned on leaving, there seemed nothing in their home that could make her stay. Even their cherished children, whom she valued greatly, were not her own flesh and blood. Whether she’d stay for their sake was indeed questionable. The more he thought, the more anxious and dejected Erhu became.

Upon entering Xin’an City in haste, Zhao Erhu first went to Jimin Hall to ask if Lin Yue had been there. After getting a negative answer, he left his horse-drawn carriage at Jimin Hall and began searching the city.

In Xin’an City, Lin Yue had already visited three different spice shops, buying a considerable amount of spices like dried flower petals. However, the selection was limited, and she was not fully satisfied. The last shop was located to the north of the city, the largest spice dealer in Xin’an, and Lin Yue hoped she would find what she wanted there.

"Madam, are you looking to purchase incense? Our shop’s incense is the best in Xin’an City. Whatever scent you desire, I can recommend a few." The shop assistant approached warmly as he saw Lin Yue smelling a box of incense at the counter.

Lin Yue glanced at the assistant and put down the box she had been holding, "No need, I’m just looking around."

Undeterred by Lin Yue’s refusal, the assistant remained courteous, "Please feel free to browse, madam. It’s more important to find something suitable than to make a purchase."

"Shopkeeper, your store’s goods seem to be well-stocked, and the quality is decent. These dried flower petals look like they were made from top-grade fresh flowers. Is this everything, or do you have more? What’s in your inventory, and how much? If the terms are right, I might just take everything."

The assistant perked up upon hearing Lin Yue’s words, excited by the prospect of a major buyer, "Yes, we have a few other rare and precious items that aren’t displayed out front; they’re kept on the shelves in the back. Let me get them for you to see."