A Good Country Wife

Dalang and his brothers were so excited that Zhao Erhu had woken up that they too woke up early. When getting up, Zhao Erhu had just returned from the fields, so the youngsters eagerly followed behind him, helping with the chores.

Zhao Erhu was deeply gratified; during these days of his ordeal, his children had become much more sensible, each one of them admirable in their own way.

Asking the children about what had happened at home during this time, Dalang and the others each chimed in one after another. Zhao Erhu listened with profound emotion, especially when he learned that the family’s fields had not been taken over by others and that the vegetables growing there had all been planted by his young wife. He was surprised and satisfied, but even more so, he felt a pained tenderness. How much hardship had his wife endured these days? No wonder her previously smooth and soft hands had become rough—it must have been from doing too much work. But now that he had awakened, he would take over these chores, not allowing his wife to struggle any longer.

Zhao Erhu finished making breakfast before waking Lin Yue from her sleep. Groggily crawling out of bed, Lin Yue hadn’t enjoyed this treatment in a long time. Indeed, being pampered by a man was pleasant. The young woman became increasingly coquettish, as soft and lazy as a little cat, bonelessly leaning against Zhao Erhu’s body, allowing him to help her dress. Zhao Erhu felt his heart itch with fondness, wishing he could hold her tight and cherish her dearly.

Once fully awake, Lin Yue realized what had happened and felt rather bashful to see she was dressed from inner to outer layers by him. She found Zhao Erhu was becoming increasingly improper, always keen to take her "advantage". And yet, he had a legitimate reason for it; after all, she was his wife, and intimacy between spouses was perfectly normal, wasn’t it? Lin Yue had no doubt that this way, someday she might be completely devoured by Zhao Erhu.

After breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen, Lin Yue chatted with Zhao Erhu about the recent events, and not long after, Jiang Ziqi arrived. Lin Yue, spirited by the joyous news, warmly welcomed Jiang Ziqi into their home and shared the news of Zhao Erhu’s awakening.

"Divine Doctor Jiang, I am very grateful for the treatment you provided during these days. If not for your help, I wouldn’t have woken up so soon. I, Zhao Erhu, thank you here," Zhao Erhu politely thanked Jiang Ziqi, his heart truly filled with gratitude, while Jiang Ziqi couldn’t be bothered to pay much attention and waved his hand dismissively.

"Jiang Big Brother, my husband woke up last night. Could you please check if he’s truly recovered, if there are any other issues, or if he needs to take more medicine to consolidate his recovery?" With Jiang Ziqi not having examined Zhao Erhu yet, Lin Yue couldn’t fully relax, worrying that something else might go wrong with Zhao Erhu. She urged Jiang Ziqi to check his pulse.

Zhao Erhu, seeing his wife’s concern, reassured her, "Niuniu, don’t worry. I can feel that my body is fine; there won’t be any problems."

Jiang Ziqi, watching Lin Yue and Zhao Erhu being so affectionate, felt an inexplicable discomfort. Was it really necessary to be so overjoyed just because that brutish man had woken up?