A Good Country Wife

Zhao Erhu drove the ox cart, stopping it in front of the meat shop, because now he was scheduled to deliver food supplies to the Government Office every other day. Having made arrangements with the butcher, the meat that Erhu required was already set aside, waiting for him to simply load it onto the cart. Since Zhao Yunxiang and her husband were at home today, Zhao Erhu also weighed some additional meat for them. There was no need for vegetables, as they grew their own, better than what was sold at the market, and they also had sprouted beans at home.

"Brother Erhu, wait a sec, I need to buy some stuff." As the ox cart reached the middle of the street, Lin Yue called a halt, disregarding the dagger-like glares from Zhao Yunxiang, and bought several kinds of candy from the candy store to take back for the little ones to eat, as well as two exquisite hair flowers for her eldest brother’s daughter Qiuqiu, who, as a little girl, loved such things.

Lin Yue spent money so carelessly with not an ounce of restraint; however, Zhao Erhu didn’t look the slightest bit displeased. In his eyes, the money his little wife carried was all earned by herself, and it was entirely up to her how she wanted to spend it—he never interfered. Even if the money wasn’t earned by his wife, he thought he should earn it for her to spend. He was willing to indulge her as long as she didn’t leave him. Even if his wife truly bankrupted the family, he would still be willing, for he had been poor before and if their home was thriving now, it was because of his wife. So, he couldn’t comprehend Zhao Yunxiang’s blood-vomiting frustration at all.

Zhao Erhu watched with sheer joy as Lin Yue came back carrying a bunch of candies. Unaware that Lin Yue had bought them for the children, he thought to himself that his little wife was still young at heart, with a liking for sweets. He decided to remember to bring some candies back for her every time he went into town.

"Is this enough, or is there anything else you want to buy? You didn’t eat much at the banquet just now, so how about I buy you some pastries to eat on the road? I’ve managed to fatten you up a bit these days; you’ve gained a few pounds, and we can’t have you getting skinny again." Zhao Erhu spoke with exaggerated concern, and had Lin Genfa not been holding her back, Yunxiang would hardly have been able to restrain herself from exploding.

Lin Yue didn’t really feel like eating, but seeing the threatening look from Zhao Yunxiang that seemed to dare her to accept, ’You try and see?’, Lin Yue was amused internally, a sly glint flashing in her eyes. She was determined to make Zhao Erhu buy the pastries just to annoy this absurd woman, not to mention she wanted to explore how the pastries were made and see how different they were from modern-day ones. Immediately, she said, "Okay, since I was upset during the banquet I couldn’t eat much, and now that you mention it, I’m feeling quite hungry. So, Brother Erhu, buy them for me. Actually, buy extra so we can keep them for later. I’ve been getting hungry at night lately, it’ll be good to have them as a snack."

Hearing this, Zhao Erhu felt guilty. If it weren’t for his elder sister, his little wife wouldn’t have been upset and left hungry. He immediately decided to buy pastries for Lin Yue, but Zhao Yunxiang, unable to hold back, stopped him.

Zhao Yunxiang saw that Lin Yue, the vixen, was doing it on purpose. What did she mean by not being able to eat because she was upset? Was she targeting her? And she wanted to eat pastries? As if she deserved such luxurious treats.

"Erhu, you know it’s not easy to make money. Who spends it like that? Your wife already had something to eat; she couldn’t possibly be hungry so quickly. It’s just her cravings. Besides, what if she’s hungry? She doesn’t have to work in the fields, she’ll be fine. You can’t spoil her like this," voiced Zhao Yunxiang, trying to sound as persuasive and heartfelt as possible.