A Good Country Wife

Doctor Zheng felt that Madam Lin Yue was truly skilled, knowledgeable in many things, and could do everything well—an extremely capable woman indeed, and so affectionate and kind; no wonder her husband doted on her so much that he never got angry at her whims and fancies.

As for his own wife, he would have been content if she were half as capable as Madam Lin; sadly, not only was she unskilled in craftsmanship, the food she cooked was so tasteless that he found no joy in it, and she had a bad temper, often opposing him and infuriating him to the point of puffing his beard and glaring his eyes. But then, who else had been with him from his youth, sharing sweet and bitter times, enduring hardships, and bearing him children. Though not good, he just had to make do with her—ah, such is life.

"I remember Doctor Zheng also enjoys tea. I picked the leaves in the mountains myself and made quite a lot. Since you enjoyed it, I’ll have my husband pack some in a box for you to take back and enjoy."

"Old man loves this taste and won’t stand on ceremony with you; many thanks." Doctor Zheng said as he set down his teacup, looking at Lin Yue with a bit of teasing intent, "All right, now that we’ve had tea and Madam Lin seems much calmer, is it not time for the old doctor to take your pulse?"

Perhaps because he had accepted Lin Yue’s tea, Doctor Zheng’s tone became much more casual, "It’s not good for a young lady to avoid doctors and hide illnesses. Let the old doctor take a look at you—if you’re sick, get treatment; if not, you’ll at least have peace of mind, right? Look at how your husband’s been upset and rushed me here in such a hurry, he’s truly a husband who loves his wife. Madam Lin, you really shouldn’t give your husband such a hard time anymore; even I can’t stand to watch it, these young people nowadays."

After Doctor Zheng’s lecture, Lin Yue genuinely felt a bit embarrassed. Her man really was beyond reproach; otherwise, would she dare to be so presumptuous and cause such trouble? She knew very well that her old man would indulge her. Even Doctor Zheng found it hard to watch, let alone in this male-dominated feudal society. Even in modern times, there are few men who could do the same.

"I won’t do it again; it’s just that I’ve been feeling uncomfortable, as if there’s a pent-up frustration I can’t release, that’s why I made a fuss with him, my apologies for making Doctor Zheng laugh." Lin Yue was not the type to take Doctor Zheng’s admonition to heart—after all, he was both an elder and a benefactor to her. If it hadn’t been for his recommendation of Brother Jiang, Zhao Erhu might still not have awakened, and their family wouldn’t be as harmonious as they are now.

As Lin Yue spoke, she also hooked her finger on Zhao Erhu’s palm and drew circles in it, a gesture partly to supplicate and apologize to him, but given her shyness as a young girl, she didn’t want to do it in front of others; she decided to wait until they were alone in the evening to formally apologize to her old man, perhaps giving him some extra benefits then.

Erhu listened to his wife’s words on the side, and as her little hand hooked him, he felt an immediate pang of heartache—just as he’d said, his wife wouldn’t fuss for no reason; it was indeed discomfort. Comfortingly, he stroked his wife’s head, "It’s okay; I’m your husband. If you don’t fuss with me, who will you fuss with? Seeing you’re not feeling well, I’m just worried for you. Now, let Doctor Zheng take a look at you, okay? No more being stubborn."

Lin Yue was so moved by her man’s words. Her Zhao Erhu was a truly good man, the best of men, so lovable. She nodded obediently and extended her hand.