A Good Country Wife

"Brother, why are you here?" Lin Yue was somewhat surprised. She had thought that after Zhao Erhu made those comments last time, Lin Qing would know better and retreat, avoiding visiting her again. Now it seemed Lin Qing didn’t look like someone who was deterred by difficulty.

Lin Yue’s impression of Lin Qing was still not bad; it was rare to have a relative who cared about her so much. Although some of his ideas and methods were wrong, she still felt a touch of warmth in her heart. Last time, she had ignored Lin Qing for Zhao Erhu’s sake and had Zhao Erhu forcibly send him away. Seeing Lin Qing again, Lin Yue felt somewhat guilty.

"I came to see you, Xiaoyue. Here are some snacks I brought for you from the city. The pastries from that place are really good; try them and see how you like them. And these are grapes I picked for you from the mountain. You used to love these the most, so I picked them all for you," Lin Qing said as he handed the basket to Lin Yue, his face showing the indulgence of a brother and the joy of reunion, without any sign of estrangement from the last incident.

Actually, Lin Qing did mind what happened last time, but he couldn’t bear to blame his sister. Instead, he redirected all his dissatisfaction towards Zhao Erhu. After all, this whole situation was created because of Zhao Erhu.

Lin Yue took the basket, which was quite heavy. Indeed, it was filled with many grapes, with dew still on them—clearly picked early in the morning and brought straight to her. Lin Yue felt even more moved in her heart.

"Brother, please come in and have a seat." Lin Yue knew Zhao Erhu disliked Lin Qing, fearing that she would be taken away by Lin Qing. But at that moment, she couldn’t bring herself to send her brother away. Besides, having decided to be with Zhao Erhu, she wouldn’t change her mind for the rest of her life unless Zhao Erhu failed her. So Zhao Erhu’s worries were entirely unnecessary. She would explain to Zhao Erhu after Lin Qing left; the old man seemed tolerant and generous most of the time, but he could be incredibly petty about certain things.

"Xiaoyue, have you been well lately? I’ve been busy with the imperial examination, and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. I’ve been genuinely worried. That brute hasn’t mistreated you, has he?" Lin Qing finished speaking and stared intently at Lin Yue, fearing she wouldn’t tell the truth because she was afraid. He tried to discern something from her expression.

But Lin Qing was bound to be disappointed. Lin Yue now looked much healthier than when she was at home, had put on weight instead of being skinny like a matchstick, and had grown a lot taller. She used to only reach his shoulder, but now she was as tall as his chin, appearing more like a grown young lady with a graceful figure.

Seeing Lin Qing’s irritated expression when Zhao Erhu came up, Lin Yue felt a bit amused. Her brother’s prejudice against Zhao Erhu was really deep. She was about to say there was nothing wrong when Zhao Erhu, who had been out of sight, suddenly appeared, his face dark as if he took Lin Qing’s words very seriously and angrily.