A Good Country Wife

"Sister-in-law, actually I’ve got something else I want to say to you," said Li Xiaomei hesitantly. "The thing is, Zhao Cheng and I haven’t really done much work before, so we might not be very skilled at the beginning. Please don’t look down on us. We’ll try our best and get better with practice. After all, nobody’s born knowing how to work, right?"

Seeing Li Xiaomei look so uneasy, Lin Yue thought she had done something to offend her. Hearing that this was her concern, Lin Yue laughed and said, "That’s true. So let’s make that clear, if you and your husband don’t do well, I won’t be polite. I’ll say what needs to be said without mincing words. Don’t feel aggrieved."

"Of course not," Xiaomei replied. "Zhao Cheng and I aren’t ungrateful. For you agreeing to let us work at your house, we owe you a great favor. We’ve never really had proper jobs before, and were just muddling through at home. Now that we’ve separated from the family and have something to look forward to, who would want to go back to that? Besides, we’re parents now and we have to think about our children. I’ve heard that next year you’re planning to send Dalang and the others to study at the academy. Zhao Cheng and I want to save up some money, so our children can also attend the academy and learn something useful."

Lin Yue felt a newfound respect for Xiaomei upon hearing this. This must be the glow of motherhood. Xiaomei, with her kind of temperament, had never suffered much, but for her children she was willing to make sacrifices. The desire to separate from the Wei Family, one of her motives might have been for her children, wishing to give them a better life. The old shrew from the Wei Family really did play favorites too openly, not only among her sons but also with her grandchildren. No wonder Xiaomei felt resentful; children are indeed their parents’ weak spot.

"It turns out, our Xiaomei is really quite a good mother! It’s good for the children to study. Studying helps one understand the world and distinguish right from wrong; it broadens their horizons. The reason I want Dalang and the others to study isn’t to seek fame through examinations – that’s too difficult. I just want them to learn more and be better equipped for life, which will benefit them in the long run."

They were both parents, and when it came to this topic, they had plenty to discuss. Although Lin Yue’s children weren’t her biological ones, she had come to love them as her own. She couldn’t help it; the kids were just too well-behaved, and she couldn’t help but feel affection and concern for them.

"Who’s there, skulking around outside? Come out!" Lin Yue suddenly called out sharply. She was chatting and laughing with Xiaomei when she heard some noise outside the window. It sounded like someone standing there, so she called out sternly.

The Chen Family had always been sneaky, and who knew when she had slipped over to the outside of the kitchen. Hearing voices, she tiptoed to peek through the window; such behavior was indeed baffling. It was her own home, and yet she couldn’t enter openly, instead lurking outside to eavesdrop.