A Good Country Wife

"Well now, you sly Sanlang, full of cunning ideas aren’t you? I was with you this morning, and I never saw you cook the egg. Doing this behind our backs, are you trying to show off in front of our mother on purpose? I never realized you were so scheming, and you didn’t even call your brothers to join in. That’s not very kind of you," Erlang said with a feigned yelp, his exaggeration hinting at an attempt to amuse Lin Yue.

Holding the not-so-clean egg, Lin Yue felt genuinely moved as she spoke. At that moment, she felt a wave of shame wash over her. Although she had always been kind to Dalang and the others, it was with a sense of pity and sympathy, and a hint of charity was mixed into the kindness she showed them. She hadn’t truly accepted them or held them in her heart.

But the children were different; they treated her with a pure heart free of any impurities. Their emotional investment was simply incomparable to hers. She could imagine how they felt, and how hurt they were when she had lashed out at Zhao Erhu in anger the day before, in front of them. Yet, despite this, the kids harbored no resentment toward her and were almost begging in a humble manner, hoping to win back her affection and maintain the precious mother-child bond that they so valued.

At this moment, Lin Yue felt a resolve strengthen within her. These children trusted her so completely, offering her their undying loyalty. Even if she could not fully treat them as her own flesh and blood, she decided she would make an effort to genuinely care for them.

Once her mindset shifted, Lin Yue found that some things didn’t bother her anymore. After all, Dalang and Erlang’s biological grandparents lived in Xiaoxi Village. It was natural for Dalang and Erlang to associate with them. Besides, kinship is different from love — if handled properly, it’s not exclusive and can coexist. She wasn’t initially opposed to Dalang and Erlang interacting with those relatives; it was their attitude that had concerned her. Now, she trusted her place in their hearts.

As for Zhao Erhu, Lin Yue was not ready to forgive him just yet. She was displeased with how he had behaved, both before and after the incident, and she decided to leave him to reflect for a while, to see if he could mature. And as for his simplistic and transparent thoughts, she didn’t have to think twice — he wouldn’t lay a finger on her. If he didn’t improve, he might as well become a monk in the future; she and the children would manage just fine on their own.

Perhaps it was Sanlang’s thoughtful gesture, or maybe the egg just tasted better cooked this way, but Lin Yue enjoyed it immensely. One egg, of course, was not enough to fill her. Lin Yue went on to make a few flatbreads in the kitchen and shared them with the children. After the meal, the kids still wanted to cling to her, reluctant to leave her side. Lin Yue sent them off to study; after all, they had a lot of catching up to do if they were to keep up in school next year. She set a schedule for them: an hour in the morning to study and half an hour at night to review before bed.

Dalang and the others always heeded Lin Yue’s words, and now they dared not disregard her instructions. Although they longed to stay with her, they knew she had other matters to attend to, so they reluctantly went inside to study.