A Good Country Wife

He still needed to ask his young wife later. If he really had done something wrong, even though his wife wasn’t holding a grudge now, he should apologize to her again. He didn’t want it to become a knot in her heart, which might explode whenever it was touched. He could no longer bear his wife getting angry, it was not so bad when she took it out on him, but she always ended up tormenting herself, leaving him feeling quite distressed without being able to voice it.

Seeing Zhao Erhu like this, Lin Yue knew that this matter had weighed heavily on his heart. Looking at his hesitation just now, she realized he had been afraid to speak because he didn’t want to upset her. However, it was good that he was considering her feelings, and with time, it would become a habit for him to have such a conditioned reflex.

After lunch, Zhao Fuquan was ready to take Dalang and Erlang back to Xiaoxi Village. Lin Yue prepared food, clothing, books, ink, paper, and inkstone for the two children, as well as gifts for the elders of the Zhao Family. Zhao Erhu had loaded everything onto the ox cart Zhao Fuquan had arrived in, taking up most of the space on the cart. He also remembered to put a large bundle of seedlings he had picked from the fields on it.

Zhao Fuquan saw Zhao Erhu continuously loading up the ox cart and asked, "Erhu, Yueyue sister, what are you doing with all these items?"

"These are for Erhu to show respect to the elders, and these are for Dalang and Erlang’s expenses while they are there. The elders are taking Dalang and Erlang in, which is a kind gesture, and we shouldn’t expect them to stretch their finances for their grandsons at their age. It’s not right to have that said about them either," Lin Yue replied.

Lin Yue had again acted before Zhao Erhu, causing him to secretly feel guilty once more. If it had been up to Zhao Erhu, he would have loved to bring some food to the elders, but considering his young wife’s feelings, he feared it would upset her just like the last time. He had decided against it and instead had secretly prepared two taels of silver, intending for his brother-in-law to bring it to the elders so they could buy some good food and necessities with it.

However, now that his wife had prepared so many items for the elders, it was far more than the mere two taels of silver. Even Zhao Erhu thought his wife was being overly generous. He didn’t say this in front of his brother-in-law but quietly pocketed the two taels of silver, no longer planning to give them away. He wasn’t one to squander the family’s resources. Doing what was expected for social etiquette was enough; he had to consider his wife’s interests too.

"No, no need, how much can the two kids actually need living with us? I can afford this little expense as their uncle. Take these things back. We cannot accept them," Zhao Fuquan insisted. His nature wouldn’t allow him to accept such things, and taking this many gifts back home would mean his parents would criticize him. He couldn’t accept them at all.

Zhao Erhu tried to persuade him a few times, but when Zhao Fuquan still refused to accept, he turned to his wife, letting her decide.