A Good Country Wife
Chapter 565 - 559_1

Chapter 565: Chapter 559_1

Lin Yue, though she said she was taking care of Lin Qing, had brought servants with her, and thus there was no need for her to lift a finger; she simply needed to direct others to do the work. However, since she had decided to stay and look after Lin Qing, she would definitely have to stay overnight.

Lin Yue looked at her parents’ house, which was quite spacious, and wondered if it could accommodate both her and her servants. These arrangements didn’t need Lin Yue’s attention; she didn’t want to deal with her stepmother either, so she left it to Xixi to handle. But soon enough, Xixi came back fuming with anger.

"Madam, you have no idea how outrageous this old hag is. Even though there are empty rooms available, she refuses to arrange even one for us, saying that it was Madam’s own wish to stay and not something she asked for. A daughter married off is like water splashed out, and she doesn’t care about it. She told me to find somewhere else to live. This is utterly unacceptable. I’ve never seen such a mother, treating you this way. If she hadn’t been begging and weeping, Madam wouldn’t have bothered with these broken affairs," Xixi said indignantly. Lin Zhou’s words had been extremely offensive, or else she wouldn’t have been so angry. However, she realized she had used the wrong title and quickly explained to Lin Yue.

"Madam, I didn’t mean to do it on purpose, I don’t mean any disrespect to your family. It’s just that she went too far. She insulted you without any consideration, and I simply couldn’t help but feel angry," Xixi said, unable to bear hearing anyone speak ill of Lin Yue. Even though Lin Zhou was Lin Yue’s biological mother, Xixi, who had heard Lin Yue herself disown Lin Zhou, and observing Lin Zhou’s behavior, took an immediate disliking to her.

Xixi used to think that her parents treated her poorly, but it was never to this extent, at least they hadn’t been so crude in their words. She had initially thought Madam to be the most fortunate person, but little did she realize that Madam’s life had also been filled with hardship.

Lin Zhou was so brazen because she knew Lin Yue couldn’t leave Lin Qing uncared for. Otherwise, why would Lin Yue agree to stay and look after him? After all, the siblings did have a good relationship. Besides, Lin Yue had also paid for the medicine prescribed by Doctor Zheng for Lin Qing. After taking the medicine, Lin Qing’s symptoms had clearly improved a lot, obviously, the treatment was effective. This alleviated Lin Zhou’s worries somewhat, and so, naturally, she wouldn’t be in any good mood towards Lin Yue.

Lin Yue glanced at Xixi, and shook her head; though the maid was indeed loyal, she still lacked composure. No wonder Madam Xu was training two younger maids to replace Xixi. "Why do you bother with her? I’ve already forgotten the past. Since she sold me and severed the last thread of affection, I’ve died once and thus have repaid the debt of her raising me. Consider I never had a mother. I came back today only for my brother’s sake; he was good to me in the past, and I cannot ignore his illness. Don’t stoop to her level; what’s the point in arguing with such a shrew? That’s just how she is; you’ll only end up upsetting yourself if you get angry."

"Yes, Madam, I understand. I won’t stoop to old Madam Zhou’s level," Xixi said, noting that her mistress seemed somewhat displeased. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the old lady or because her own words had been improper. Still, she dared not speak out of turn again. After all, no matter the situation, Lin Zhou was still her mistress’s biological mother, and it wasn’t her place, a mere servant, to comment on that.

Xixi had just left, but Madam Lin Zhou continued to rant and rave without pause, "You little slut, what do you think you are, daring to put on airs in front of me? It’s just a few stinking coins, and that thankless wretch who doesn’t even recognize her own parents. You expect me to arrange a place for you to stay, dreaming! If it weren’t for Qingqing’s sake, I would definitely have driven all of you out."

Lin Youfu was in the room and upon hearing Madam Zhou’s cursing, furrowed his brows tightly, "Shut up! You have been rambling on for so long and still, you are not done! Our daughter has finally come back for once, and you are pushing her to leave? If she leaves and something happens to our son, where will you go looking for help? You still think it’s like the old times, that the girl will let you throw your weight around as the mother. If I hear you cursing again, don’t blame me for getting violent!"

In Lin Youfu’s eyes, even though his daughter was a losing investment, she was still his flesh and blood. Although he didn’t care much for her, having raised her for more than ten years—just like one would feel for a cat or a dog they had raised—he did have some affection for her. Lin Youfu was once angry when Lin Yue refused to recognize them, but he also understood that their parental actions were unkind. In that situation back then, weren’t they virtually forcing their daughter to her death? It was normal for the daughter to hold a grudge against them! However, if given another chance, he would not regret making the same choice, for the life and death of a daughter could not compare to a son’s future. It was rare for a son to be so promising, and their family’s reputation depended on the son graduating well. He believed any other family would make the same choice.

As fierce as Madam Lin Zhou was in front of Lin Yue, she still feared her own husband. In those ancient times, few women were not afraid of their husbands. So, hearing Lin Youfu speaking inside the room, Madam Zhou indeed dared not continue her tirade. Still, with little confidence, she retorted, "The son has always been good to that girl, she won’t ignore him."

"Didn’t you say that a married daughter is like water splashed out, are you so certain that the second daughter won’t ignore us? Qingqing said that the second daughter had a severe illness and her brain got damaged; she completely forgot what happened before. The second daughter said so herself in front of everyone, it can’t be fake! Since she doesn’t remember the past, how much affection can there be left? I think the second daughter is just grateful for Qingqing seeking her out several times, and out of appreciation for Qingqing’s kindness, she agreed to help. Don’t overestimate that little bit of affection. If you really drive her away, and Qingqing’s illness doesn’t improve, let’s see who you can borrow silver from for our son’s treatment!"

Lin Youfu felt that Madam Zhou just could not grasp the situation. Now that their daughter was wealthy, she wasn’t trying to win her favor but instead was offending her. If this wasn’t being clueless, what was it? Everyone in the village would fawn over their daughter, seeking any benefit from her. Yet his wife, like a fool, was offensively brusque to their own daughter, as if she was afraid their daughter wouldn’t drift apart from her maternal family—simply brainless!

Also, Lin Youfu had to admit, these past days he was terrified of borrowing money. During the first few attempts, people loaned him money out of respect for the fact that he was the Scholar’s father and Lin Qing was still young with plenty of opportunities, believing their family had prospects. But since Lin Qing had been ill for so long, everyone knew that Lin Youfu’s Scholar son was likely doomed, and those who had lent money regretted it, unwilling to lend to Lin Youfu again. Lin Youfu had already been rebuffed several times when trying to borrow money and had seen the fickleness of human relationships; he really didn’t want to experience being kicked out again.