A Good Country Wife
Chapter 582 - 575_1

Chapter 582: Chapter 575_1

Chen Family and Wang Family were murmuring in the room, each with their own calculations. It was all about figuring out how to gain more and being wary of each other, but in the presence of Lin Yue who brought them these gifts, they were consistently enthusiastic with a tacit agreement. Who wouldn’t want such a good relative? Of course, they had to be venerated like the Buddha himself.

Before long, Li Family had finished cooking the meal, instructing her daughters-in-law to carry dishes and set the table. Chen Family and Wang Family, with benefits in mind, showed more diligence than on ordinary days. Without needing directives from Li Family, they vied to help out, all in hope of making a good impression in front of their mother-in-law. Perhaps with her happiness, they would end up with more.

"Er Ya, didn’t you bring several servants with you? Why haven’t I seen them?" When Li Family was cooking, she made food for Lin Yue’s servants as well. It made no sense for them to come all this way and only look after Lin Yue’s meal.

"Auntie, I sent them to help at my eldest cousin sister’s place. Over there, it’s just my brother-in-law, a grown man by himself, and my mother-in-law is getting on in years with some young children in the house. It’s perfect for them to help out there, so you don’t need to worry about them," Lin Yue too wanted to avoid troubling her auntie, and this arrangement seemed just right.

Upon hearing this, Li Family didn’t have much to say and urged Lin Yue to come to the table to eat. With only the womenfolk and children at home, everyone gathered around a large table and cheerfully started their lunch. However, halfway through the meal, they saw one of Lin Yue’s servants rushing over, his face etched with urgency.

"Madam, madam, it’s bad! Eldest Aunt suddenly spat out blood. She might be on her last breath. Miss Xixi sent me to bring the news quickly and asked you to hurry over," Xixi was busy preparing meals in Lin Genfa’s kitchen when she suddenly heard about the situation at Zhao Yunxiang’s place. Upon learning that Zhao Yunxiang had vomited blood, the situation was dire. She immediately thought to inform Lin Yue, but considering she wasn’t fast enough, she had Liu Zi go report to Lin Yue instead.

The moment Lin Yue heard that Zhao Yunxiang was in bad shape, she was shocked. Without finishing her meal, she hastily bid her aunt and mother goodbyes and rushed out with her page boy. The carriage that brought them earlier was still parked at the front door. Since a carriage was faster than running, she ordered the page boy to drive it straight to Zhao Yunxiang’s home, praying fervently that Yunxiang would pull through this ordeal.

Lin Yue calculated Zhao Erhu’s journey. If he were to ride back at full speed, he should arrive within the next two days. Naturally, the news wasn’t from a message sent by Zhao Erhu. She had learned of it from Manager Liu. Though Erhu was quicker on foot, there were faster methods of sending messages. Families like the Jiangs kept homing pigeons for communication. Considering the time of Erhu’s departure and the people she had dispatched to notify Erhu, they must have met on the road. Knowing Yunxiang was critically ill, Erhu would surely hasten home, and with luck, might arrive by the following day.

"Doctor Zheng, how is my elder sister doing? Nothing has gone wrong, has it?" As soon as Lin Yue entered the courtyard, without even taking a breath, she went straight to Zhao Yunxiang’s room and caught hold of Doctor Zheng to ask. Seeing Doctor Zheng’s composed demeanor, Lin Yue, though still anxious, let out a sigh of relief. If Yunxiang hadn’t made it through, neither Doctor Zheng nor anyone in the room would look so calm.

"Madam Lin, rest assured, Madam Zhao’s condition has stabilized. She has passed through the immediate crisis, thanks to her own resolute spirit enabling her to pull through. However, even so, at most she can only hold on for a day or two more. Hopefully, Erhu can return quickly; otherwise, the siblings will truly miss their chance to see each other one last time."

Doctor Zheng spoke with evident concern, clearly worried for Lin Yue and Zhao Erhu. As the days passed, Doctor Zheng couldn’t even bother with the business at Jimin Hall anymore, spending all his time during the day in Shanglin Village. He was vigilant, in case Zhao Yunxiang’s condition suddenly worsened. This time, Zhao Yunxiang suddenly coughed up blood, and if it hadn’t been for Doctor Zheng being right there to provide immediate acupuncture treatment, she might not have been saved.

"According to the travel schedule, my husband should be able to arrive within these one or two days."

After being frightened by Zhao Yunxiang’s condition, Lin Yue had no mood to go anywhere else that afternoon and stayed at Lin Genfa’s house instead. Thinking that Doctor Zheng had given a clear indication and Zhao Yunxiang only had a day or two left, and considering that Zhao Yunxiang had been good to Dalang and the others before, she sent for them to come from the city’s Songshan Academy. It was her way of showing filial piety for Zhao Yunxiang in her final days and to not let Zhao Yunxiang’s affection for them have been in vain.

Lin Yue actually felt that Zhao Yunxiang was not a bad person; their previous disputes seemed to stem from an incompatibility in their natures. It was only after she married Zhao Erhu that Zhao Yunxiang became unreasonable and malicious. Zhao Yunxiang used to be good to Zhao Erhu and his father. Lin Yue remembered the first time she met Zhao Yunxiang, who wasn’t wealthy then, but still brought a basket of eggs to nourish Zhao Erhu’s body. Back then, Zhao Yunxiang was only concerned about her younger brother and had no other ulterior motives. It seemed that things changed once her family became wealthy; wealth can stir the heart, which led to many of the subsequent events.

In the afternoon, when Dalang and his brothers were brought over, Lin Yue first let them meet their aunt and uncle’s family. Seeing that there was still time left, she decided to take them to see Lin Qing at her parents’ cheaper home. During their time at the academy, Lin Qing had looked after Dalang and his brothers, always saving the best food for them, despite any motives she might have had or wanting to make things easier for Lin Yue with Zhao Erhu. Lin Qing genuinely cared for the children, and they, in turn, were quite fond of Lin Qing, affectionately calling him ’uncle’ as if he were indeed their real uncle. Thus, with Lin Qing falling ill, Lin Yue naturally wanted to take the children to visit him.

"Mom, it’s been several days since we last saw uncle. Is he very sick? Otherwise, why wouldn’t uncle, who is such a studious person, go to the academy to read?" The children’s impression of Lin Qing was not only of his affection for them but also of how hardworking their uncle was in his studies. He was the children’s role model for learning.

"He was quite ill before, but Doctor Zheng has treated him, and now he’s much better. You’ll see for yourselves when you meet your uncle."

Since the children were visiting Lin Qing, Lin Yue specially prepared a gift for them to take, to avoid Mrs. Zhou’s shallow eyes and her potentially unpleasant words. While Lin Yue herself didn’t care, she didn’t want the children to hear such things, especially since Dalang and his brothers, due to their past experiences, were sensitive children.

However, upon arriving at their cheaper parents’ home, where Lin Qing was expected to be largely recovered after taking Doctor Zheng’s prescribed medicine, Lin Yue was surprised to find Lin Qing leaning by the bed, coughing severely.