Chapter 253: Chapter 244 Panic_1 Chapter 253: Chapter 244 Panic_1 After tossing and turning all night, and with the sun already high in the sky, Lin Yue indeed felt hungry. But with her body sore and exhausted, and still angry at the old man who had broken his promise, she finally leaned weakly into Zhao Erhu’s arms and let him feed her chicken soup, mouthful by mouthful.
After a bowl of chicken soup, Lin Yue felt her strength somewhat restored, at least she didn’t feel tired and hungry anymore. “Zhao Erhu, is there hot water ready in the kitchen? I want to take a bath.”
Zhao Erhu had taken care of the aftermath quite well. He had already cleaned her body for her, and Lin Yue simply wanted to soak in a bath, relieve the soreness and pain of her body, and then curl back into bed to sleep.
Seeing his little wife like this, Zhao Erhu felt somewhat guilty. It was his fault for not controlling himself last night, for being too unrestrained. It was her first time, after all, and she was probably not used to such strain on her body, let alone being pampered. No wonder she felt so aggrieved. Seeing her pitiful little figure, he felt his heart ache and didn’t know what to say. He had really been hard on her frail body. He would have to take good care of her in the future.
Zhao Erhu had experience in this area and had already prepared hot water in the kitchen. As soon as Lin Yue mentioned it, Zhao Erhu immediately brought in the bathtub and filled it with steaming hot water. He even added some medicinal herbs that were beneficial for the health. Zhao Erhu had also prepared clean clothes for Lin Yue.
Lin Yue had intended to go by herself, but as soon as she set foot on the ground, her legs gave out, almost causing her to fall. Fortunately, Zhao Erhu, quick-witted and nimble, caught her in time.
“My wife, you don’t have any strength left. Let me carry you there,” said Zhao Erhu, cradling his wife’s soft body and inhaling the scent from his embrace. He was reminded of their passionate embrace from last night and felt a stir in his heart, but, considering his little wife’s condition, he had to suppress it. After last night’s ordeal, he figured it would be a few days before he could touch her again, but at least he had finally taken her into his arms.
Zhao Erhu saw that his little wife looked at him with disbelief, which made him feel like he was losing face. Indeed, one should not tell lies so freely; now his little wife didn’t trust him anymore. “My wife, rest assured, I’m not that insensitive. You’re still weak, I won’t touch you.”
“I’d be a fool to trust you. If you dare touch me now, don’t expect me to pay any attention to you ever again,” said Lin Yue. She didn’t think Zhao Erhu would actually do it, but she still reminded him with a few warnings. It was this old man who had deceived her time and again.
Zhao Erhu originally wanted to help his little wife bathe, but Lin Yue drove him out. Afraid that he couldn’t control himself, he didn’t insist. “Then I’ll step out. I won’t go far, just outside the door. Call for me if you need anything, and I’ll come in.”
“I know, hurry up and leave. Unless I call you, you’re not allowed to come in,” Lin Yue reminded him before Zhao Erhu left.
After soaking in the hot water, her body relaxed a great deal. Lin Yue was too lazy to move, she dressed in her undergarments, not even wanting to walk. She called Zhao Erhu back in to attend to her. After all, she was in this state because of him.
“Zhao Erhu, I’m still a bit hungry. Is there anything else to eat?” Lin Yue lay on the bed, feeling that after moving around a bit, the bowl of chicken soup she had just drunk was almost fully digested, and her stomach began to growl again.
“Of course, there is, I made you some millet porridge and also boiled a few syrup eggs. Is there anything else you want to eat? I’ll go make it for you.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Yue frowned, “Why did you steam syrup eggs again? I’ve told you I don’t like syrup eggs. Just give me some millet porridge. Hmm, and stir-fry some mung bean sprouts for me, and prepare a dish of pickles. That will be enough.”
“Eh, okay, wife, just wait, I’m going to prepare the food for you now.”
All the other dishes were ready; stir-frying mung bean sprouts wouldn’t take much time. Before long, Zhao Erhu brought in the food, including the unwanted bowl of syrup eggs, under Lin Yue’s disdainful gaze.
“Eating syrup eggs is good for your health, it nourishes the body. Aren’t you feeling a bit weak? This is the best thing to eat. I know you don’t like them, so I won’t force you to eat them all. Just two, okay? I’ll eat the rest,” Zhao Erhu added two syrup eggs to the bowl and pushed it in front of Lin Yue.
“One at most, such disgusting things.” Lin Yue hated syrup eggs the most; to her, they were even more distasteful than medicine. She put one of the eggs back into the bowl before slowly eating the other, and then picked up the millet porridge to eat.
Lin Yue had been feeling unwell these past few days, rarely leaving her room. Now that the weather had cooled, it was a good time to set aside the Embroidered Picture meant for the birthday celebration and to make autumn clothes for the family. Lin Yue also took out two bolts of cloth for Mrs. Liu, who would do needlework with Lin Yue in her spare time. The women would chat about trivial household matters and the latest village gossip. Currently, the talk of the village was mostly about Chunxi’s troubles.
“You don’t know, but the woman Zhao Jingui brought back is formidable. She’s got Zhao Jingui completely under her thumb. Chunxi is treated like a maid under her watch, being bossed around to do this and that without a moment’s peace. Zhao Jingui never intervenes and even joins the You Family in bullying and humiliating Chunxi. In just a few days, she’s lost weight and looks much more haggard. What kind of karma is this?”
People naturally sympathize with the underdog, and Mrs. Liu is a decent person. She used to think Chunxi was a bad apple who was ungrateful and she didn’t want to associate with such a person. But now, seeing Chunxi’s current plight, she felt pity for Chunxi, her words tinged with sympathy.
“Sister-in-law, while Chunxi is pitiable, it’s best to keep your sympathy to yourself. Don’t get involved with her. With someone like her, even if you treat her well, she may not be grateful; she might even become a burden to you. Don’t end up causing yourself a host of troubles.”
“I know, I’m just saying. Dahu has also said not to get involved with such a malicious woman. We haven’t even sorted out our own family’s affairs; we don’t have the energy to meddle in other people’s business.” Mrs. Liu sighed when she thought of the Zhao Family’s old house’s situation. Although they were currently helping out at Zhao Erhu’s place, the hard-earned money from their labor went straight to the Wei Family in exchange for a brief moment of peace. She had no idea when it would end, and with the children growing up, they had to consider their future too, not just their own.
Lin Yue reminded Mrs. Liu with a few words, and seeing that she had no such intentions, she didn’t say more. She looked up just in time to see Zhao Dahu barging in hurriedly, not even bothering to knock, startling both Lin Yue and Mrs. Liu.
“Dahu, what are you doing, barging in like this? What’s the matter that’s got you in such a hurry?”