Chapter 481 - 475_1
Zhao Erhu went out in the afternoon and did not return until evening was almost upon them, his face still wearing a hint of pleasure, indicating that his affairs must have gone smoothly. Seeing his wife and children waiting for him at the courtyard gate, his expression grew even gentler.
"Why are you all waiting at the gate? Come inside, come on. Haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’m hungry too, let’s eat together," Zhao Erhu knew that his wife and son were definitely waiting especially for him.
After dinner, Lin Yue went back to her room, and soon saw that Zhao Erhu had the servant bring in a large chest. Lin Yue, not understanding, looked at Zhao Erhu, "What’s inside this chest? Is it something valuable, so it needs to be kept in the room?"
"No, this is something I brought back especially for you from the south. It was too late yesterday, so I didn’t bring it to show you. Today I was in a hurry to attend to some matters, so only now have I remembered," said Zhao Erhu as he opened the chest, revealing an assortment of trinkets and specialties from the south.
Zhao Erhu had brought back items from his trip south; Lin Yue merely glanced at some of them casually. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t noticed the chest on its own or she hadn’t expected Zhao Erhu to bring anything back for her—after all, men tend to be more careless. Lin Yue was a little disappointed, but it passed quickly. She hadn’t imagined that Zhao Erhu would indeed bring back a chest full of things for her, only that he hadn’t brought it inside until now.
"What’s all this?" Since Zhao Erhu had returned, it was natural that Lin Yue wouldn’t stay up late embroidering, as the old man would surely nag her about it. Thus, she had washed up early and prepared for bed. Now lying in bed and seeing the chest that Zhao Erhu had people carry in, she immediately got excited and climbed up to sift through the items within.
They were all small objects with characteristics of the southern regions; Lin Yue, filled with interest, sifted through them. Whenever she came across something she especially liked, she would pick it out. Suddenly, she remembered that the children were all at home at that time.
"Zhao Erhu, go quickly and call the children too. They definitely haven’t gone to sleep yet; let them come and pick a few things they like," Lin Yue commanded directly. Although she was very pleased that Zhao Erhu paid her such attention, this fellow sometimes really wasn’t very attentive to the children. Just like many in the village, he felt that providing for the children’s food, clothing, and education was fulfilling his duty. Of course, he also hoped for their success, but this hope mostly manifested in the form of strict fatherhood, and there were really not many warm scenes between father and child.
Lin Yue suddenly recalled a saying, "Better to follow a begging mother than to follow a rich father," which she thought made a lot of sense. Thankfully, she wasn’t a wicked stepmother, or the children’s lives would definitely not be this easy.