Chapter 69: Chapter 69 One Move, Multiple Benefits_1
Chapter 69: Chapter 69 One Move, Multiple Benefits_1
“I’ve already told you, Dalang and the others recounted the whole incident to me without missing a single word. I had no idea my little wife was so capable,” Erhu said with a smirk, “Laying out one scheme after another, you could have been a military advisor at the government office.”
Although Lin Yue felt a slight sense of pride upon hearing Zhao Erhu speak like this, she was not foolish. The sarcasm in Zhao Erhu’s words was quite clear, and if she dared to show off her satisfaction she would be done for. Accordingly, she acted sensibly, admitting her mistake with a lowered posture, almost like a child’s.
“Brother Erhu, are you angry with me? I didn’t mean to deceive you on purpose. I was just worried it would put you in a difficult position. Big aunt is your kin, after all, and I shouldn’t have planned to set her up. I realize my mistake now. Please don’t be angry with me, okay? Okay?” Lin Yue almost despised herself for resorting to acting coy and pretending to be young at her age. But Zhao Erhu’s expression was truly grim, and she had no other choice. If acting cute could work, then it didn’t matter—like the saying goes, ‘A good cat is one that catches the mouse,’ and that’s what mattered, as she didn’t know what else to do.
However, Lin Yue miscalculated this time. The tactic that usually worked didn’t have any effect on Zhao Erhu. He continued to look at Lin Yue with a stern face. “Don’t think you can fool me. You say you know you’re in the wrong. Then do you know where you’ve erred?”
“Didn’t I just say it? I shouldn’t have planned to trap my big aunt. After all, she’s an elder. Even if she bullied me and the kids, we should endure it. Who are we to compete with some people’s importance?” It seemed Lin Yue still harbored some resentment towards Zhao Erhu’s previous indulgent attitude towards his aunt. Although she had intended to apologize, her words ended up taking on a bitter edge.
Zhao Erhu’s face darkened even more with anger. In his heart, who was more important was as clear as day to anyone with a mind. The stubborn Niuniu had to provoke him with those words, which was simply infuriating. What made it worse was that the girl had no idea where she had gone wrong.
“Forget it, I see you won’t be figuring out where you went wrong anytime soon. From today on, you’ll stay in your room and reflect behind closed doors until you understand what your mistake was.”
From that day on, Zhao Erhu found a large lock from who knows where; he would lock the door whenever he went out, confining Lin Yue to her room for reflection. Zhao Erhu was truly intent on teaching Lin Yue a lesson. Her disregard for her own well-being mattered little if no one else valued it. Moreover, he couldn’t always stay at home; there was work to be done in the fields, and he wanted to clear more land before the hunting season. With the little wife being troublesome, he couldn’t trust her to stay put when he was away, so locking her up was much simpler—it killed two birds with one stone.
This time, Lin Yue didn’t dare throw a tantrum because of Zhao Erhu’s domineering actions. She wanted to turn over a new leaf and be a good person, hoping Zhao Erhu would cool off soon. Otherwise, living with someone who’s cold to you every day is really not easy.
Chunxi had come to see Lin Yue the day before, bringing along the embroidery threads, needles, and various tools that Lin Yue had entrusted her to buy from the Embroidery Workshop. Lin Yue, staying in her room, didn’t find it boring to ponder over her embroidery work. The children, having learned that Lin Yue was shut in because of the incident with their aunt, came to chat with her through the window out of guilt or concern. Lin Yue appreciated their intentions, occasionally telling them stories. The kids were so captivated that they wound up pestering Lin Yue for stories every day.