A Good Country Wife-Chapter 24 - Dealing with the Past_1
Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Dealing with the Past_1
Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Dealing with the Past_1
However, it has to be said that Zhao Lan is after all just Zhao Erhu’s aunt, not to mention that a married daughter is like spilled water, it’s utterly unreasonable to behave this way. Zhao Lan was simply acting out and throwing tantrums because of her seniority, and Zhao Erhu, being a man, could not lay hands on her, and that’s why he was at a loss. Dealing with such a person requires being even more unreasonable and shameless, and Lin Yue silently swore in her heart that she would certainly teach Zhao Lan a lesson.
By the time Lin Yue finally couldn’t stand it any longer and was about to go out to her aunt’s house to seek help, Zhao Erhu came back with a small bag of rice, which looked to be enough for just one or two meals, and he didn’t bring back anything else. In fact, Zhao Erhu hadn’t gone to his aunt’s at all; past experiences made it clear to him that visiting his aunt would be a useless drama of tantrums. Once something reached his aunt’s hands, it was impossible to get it back. He had left the house because his wife had been making a scene and, with no more food at home, he planned to borrow some from his good friend Wu Qiang to get through the evening.
When Zhao Erhu stepped into the house, he felt a bit uneasy, fearing a confrontation with his wife, especially since her eyes were big with grievances and silently accused him, which was really unbearable. Zhao Erhu had sat with Wu Qiang for a while, helped his son Zhang Qiang with some physical labor, and seeing it was getting dark, he hurried home somewhat anxiously.
When Lin Yue saw Zhao Erhu return like this, she understood everything. After fully grasping her aunt-in-law’s ferocity, she was a bit angry at Zhao Erhu’s actions but also relieved. After all, seeking out his aunt-in-law would have ended with Zhao Erhu being passively beaten. The more she understood this man, the more Lin Yue pitied him. As long as he was fine, she didn’t demand more. With her aunt-in-law’s greedy nature, she was sure to come again, and she would deal with her then. Lin Yue was determined to teach her a lesson she would never forget and ensure she wouldn’t dare to disturb them again. For now, she would swallow this loss.
Zhao Erhu had braced himself for his wife’s possible outburst on his way back, ready to endure and coax her no matter what, but, to his surprise, her reaction was unusually calm, completely beyond his expectations. It baffled him. Hadn’t his wife been crying and making a scene earlier, insisting he retrieve their possessions from his aunt? Now, however, she seemed completely indifferent and didn’t even ask a single question.
“Niuniu, we’ll make do with this rice for tonight. Don’t worry, I won’t let you go hungry,” said Zhao Erhu in a dry tone, feeling quite ashamed about the incident with his aunt.
While Lin Yue understood, she couldn’t indulge Zhao Erhu’s behavior. She gave him a look void of expression, took the food from his hands, and put it away. Then she boiled the noodles, drained them, added them to the seasoned bone soup, and fried the vegetables. The children had long set the table and were only waiting to eat.
Although Lin Yue prepared a delicious dinner, and the children praised it happily, Zhao Erhu had lost his appetite. His wife was unwilling to talk to him again, and he was indeed at fault. Feeling guilty, Zhao Erhu kept glancing at Lin Yue from time to time. Lin Yue, however, didn’t even glance back at him. It was the intelligent and sensible Erhu who noticed the tension between the two and quickly finished his meal, signaling Dalang with his eyes, and then took his two younger brothers back to their room, leaving the adults alone.
Lin Yue didn’t want to hear Zhao Erhu’s explanation. After finishing her meal, she went back to her room without washing the bowls and chopsticks, leaving the cleanup to Zhao Erhu.
Back in her room, Lin Yue didn’t rest but took out the nearly finished clothes she had been making for the children. She planned to finish them that night so that the kids could wear new clothes she made herself the next morning. By the time Lin Yue neatly folded the clothes and placed them beside the children’s pillows, she was exhausted and fell asleep instantly, not waking up until the sun was three poles high the next day. She found that Zhao Erhu was nowhere to be found and that the courtyard door was locked.
It was locked from the outside, which certainly meant that Zhao Erhu had locked it when he left. What did this mean? Did he fear she would run away or what? Lin Yue, furious, slammed the wooden bucket she was carrying onto the ground. She had planned to take advantage of the free time to wash the quilt, but how could she with the door locked? Life in ancient times was so inconvenient; without a well in the house, one had to go to the river to wash clothes. And there was Zhao Erhu, guarding her like this. In a fit of exasperation, she kicked the thick courtyard door, which let out a dull thud, but instead of opening, it only caused her foot to ache with pain.
Lin Yue’s face was grim, her heart indescribably gloomy and restless. Although she knew that Zhao Erhu doted on her, always ensuring she was first in line for the best food and clothing, he also guarded her in the same way. He controlled all the Silver Coins at home, and she didn’t have a single coin in her hand. Sometimes, when a peddler came to the village, she didn’t even have the money to buy some sweets for the children. Especially this time, the situation made Lin Yue feel defeated and powerless. She truly wanted to live a good life, so why couldn’t Zhao Erhu believe in her? Even if unpleasant things had happened before, she had been there for some time; couldn’t he see her sincerity and efforts? Couldn’t he give her even the basic respect and trust?
In fact, Zhao Erhu didn’t distrust Lin Yue as she imagined. Over these days, as he slowly got to know her, Zhao Erhu began to feel that although his young wife was somewhat delicate, she truly was a good girl, inspiring heartfelt tenderness and affection. That’s why he indulged and spoiled her in every way. His wariness toward her had lessened, but because of her young age and impulsive nature, she could easily be tricked, so he needed to keep a close watch. Also, due to past experiences, Zhao Erhu had developed a more possessive and suspicious attitude toward his wife, which manifested in day-to-day life, leading Lin Yue to feel he didn’t trust her at all. Although Zhao Erhu did lock the door partly to guard against Lin Yue, he was more concerned that she might stubbornly go to seek out her aunt, who was not an easy person to deal with. What if her temper hurt his wife? He had learned of his wife’s stubborn streak firsthand.
The children were comparing their new clothes joyfully in the room when they heard the commotion outside and came running. They saw their stepmother standing in front of the courtyard door, looking displeased as she fiercely kicked the door several times, the sound resounding with each impact. It was the first time they had seen their stepmother show such an angry expression. The older ones were okay, but the youngest, Fourth Son, was frightened and hid behind his brothers, not understanding what was wrong with Lin Yue. Was it because their father had locked them in the house?
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In the past, they were locked in the house by their father only when they had done something wrong. This time, though they hadn’t done anything, their father had still locked them in, and even their stepmother couldn’t leave. No wonder she was angry. They had finally gotten new clothes to wear and were looking forward to showing off to their friends in the village.
