Chapter 333 - 327 Don’t Overthink It_1
At the beginning, only Lin Genfa from the Lin Family knew what Zhao Yunxiang had done; the others were unaware. Thus, when Lin Xiaoxiang saw Zhao Erhu, she was delighted and affectionately ran over to call him "Uncle." In her eyes, this uncle had always been kind to her, so she was especially warm upon seeing him.
Zhao Erhu was initially startled when Lin Xiaoxiang joyfully greeted him. His expression then softened as he responded. The misdeeds of adults should never fall on the shoulders of children. However, seeing Xiaoxiang, so young, yet engaged in such heavy and exhausting labor, he was puzzled. Zhao Yunxiang, though unconcerned with gender equality, would often berate and beat Xiaoxiang, but Lin Genfa treated all his children equally and had always protected Xiaoxiang. Why then was Xiaoxiang now tasked with such burdensome work, looking so worn out?
In Zhao Erhu’s mind, girls should not be treated the same as boys; they ought to be well cared for at home. That’s how he had always done it, never allowing his wife to toil with heavy labor.
"Xiaoxiang, why are you doing such exhausting work all by yourself? Doesn’t your father take care of you?"
"Second Uncle, Mother is sick and currently bedridden. Father has to look after her, and Big Brother has to work in the fields. Gathering firewood is the easiest job, and Xiaoxiang can handle it."
"Your mother is sick? When did this happen?" Zhao Erhu was surprised to hear that Zhao Yunxiang was ill. She had always been healthy, seldom sick from childhood to her current age. He had seen her in good health before; how could she be so ill now? However, it seemed unlikely that Zhao Yunxiang would feign sickness deliberately. For one thing, she did not know he would come to Shanglin Village, and besides, Xiaoxiang was a good child, different from Lin Youjin, that rascal. She wouldn’t lie or deceive him.
Zhao Erhu asked Xiaoxiang for more details and learned that Zhao Yunxiang’s illness was quite severe. After much hesitation, he decided to visit her. After all, she was his blood sister; they shared the same bloodline. Bonds cannot simply be severed on a whim. Although Zhao Erhu appeared indifferent on the outside, he was actually deeply committed to loyalty and kinship. He was angry and resentful towards Zhao Yunxiang for harming his wife, but hearing Xiaoxiang say that Yunxiang was now bedridden and unable to rise, Erhu could not suppress the concern within him.
Zhao Erhu had Xiaoxiang get into the cart and placed the firewood on it as well, then drove the horse-drawn cart to Lin Genfa’s house. All the while, he thought if Zhao Yunxiang’s condition was not as serious as Xiaoxiang had described, he would leave immediately. While he might be worried, he would not forgive Zhao Yunxiang for what she had done to his wife.
Despite his careful thinking on the way there, when he saw Zhao Yunxiang lying on the bed, looking lifeless with a face filled with despair, and Lin Genfa seeming a decade older in just this short period, his hair sprouting white strands, Zhao Erhu could not help but feel a pierce of sadness, calling out "Big Sister" despite himself.