A Good Country Wife

"Surely you haven’t been eating well, or else how could you lose weight? I must nourish you properly when we get back. You finally put on some weight, and now we can’t let it just drop off again." Zhao Erhu didn’t wait for Lin Yue to respond, he just kept talking to himself.

Lin Yue was both amused and exasperated by Zhao Erhu’s behavior. The old man was becoming increasingly clingy, holding her so tight. She struggled a bit in his embrace, and seeing that his little wife wasn’t quite settling down, Zhao Erhu gave Lin Yue’s bottom a couple of symbolic pats. "Behave yourself. Don’t move around, and let me hold you properly."

Seeing Zhao Erhu like this, Lin Yue simply let him hold her, lazily leaning on him, feeling an unprecedented sense of security. However, her hands were less behaved, poking randomly at Zhao Erhu’s chest. She raised her head to pinch Zhao Erhu’s face, "In just two days, how could I have lost weight? In the palace, I was eating all kinds of delicacies. The food prepared by the Imperial Kitchen tastes amazing. You must be seeing things."

"You still need to be properly nourished; you’re still too thin," he insisted.

Having just returned, Lin Yue wished for nothing more than to spend a quiet moment with Zhao Erhu. It wasn’t until after dinner, while lying in bed, that she began to talk about the things that had happened in the palace. Although she didn’t want to worry Zhao Erhu, she still needed to tell him so they could be better prepared and prevent others from taking advantage of them. The issues at the palace were far from resolved; there was also Zhang Peilan who constantly sought ways to trouble her.

Lin Yue always found it strange that Princess Yongle would harass her for no good reason. With no enmity between them, it didn’t make sense for the Princess to take an instant dislike to her. If it was an attempt to trouble Princess Roujia, it still didn’t add up. The only feuds she had in the Capital City were with Chen Ruyu and Zhang Peilan. Chen Ruyu’s status wasn’t significant enough to be implicated, so it might have something to do with Zhang Peilan. The Zhang Family, a Medicine Aristocrat Family, had deep connections with the palace. It was possible that they were involved with Princess Yongle.

"Princess Yongle went too far, troubling you without reason. It’s a good thing you’re clever, my wife, or who knows what would’ve happened," Zhao Erhu said, shuddering at the thought of his wife nearly coming to harm.

Feeling Zhao Erhu’s nervousness and concern, Lin Yue reassured him, "I’m fine, aren’t I? Besides, I have Princess Yongle’s protection, and the Emperor has promised to find the person behind this and give me justice."

But Zhao Erhu was somewhat skeptical of Lin Yue’s words, suspecting that the Emperor was merely paying lip service. After all, the palace was full of nobility, and it seemed unlikely they would go to such lengths for a mere peasant woman. "My dear wife, why don’t we go home earlier? The affairs in the Capital City are too complicated, and those people are all ill-intentioned, targeting you at every turn."

Zhao Erhu reflected on how the workshop business was more or less settled, and the necessary connections had been made; there wasn’t any compelling reason to stay in the Capital City. Some things might even be handled better back home, where hands-on management was easier.

Zhao Erhu’s words resonated with Lin Yue’s thoughts. "Alright, let’s go back sooner. I miss home and the children. I wonder how they’ve been doing without us, and if they’ve been studying hard."