A Good Country Wife
Chapter 222 - 221 Stuck in the Middle_1

Chapter 222: Chapter 221 Stuck in the Middle_1

Dalang’s uncle arrived at his brother-in-law’s home, and before he even saw Lin Yue, he was relieved to see Dalang and Erhu doing well. Dalang and Erhu looked spirited, having grown taller and sturdier, they were wearing neat and clean clothes, a far cry from how they used to look.

"Uncle!" Dalang and Erhu were very close to this uncle. Having not seen him for half a year, they were thrilled to see Zhao Fuquan, rushing over to warmly greet him.

"Ah, Dalang and Erhu, how have you been these days? You’ve grown taller and stronger. Your grandparents and I have missed you and specifically asked me to take you to stay with them for a few days," said Zhao Fuquan, who was just as sincere and straightforward as the parents of the Zhao Family. He was genuinely delighted to see his nephews, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time, lifting Erhu to weigh him.

In the past, Dalang and Erhu would have been overjoyed, but this year was different. They really didn’t want to leave home, especially since their parents had just had a quarrel a few days ago. They wanted to stay and keep their mother company, and they had also promised their younger brothers that they would go to the mountains with their mother to pick bayberries. So, when they heard their uncle wanted to take them to stay, they didn’t say a word.

Zhao Fuquan had a loud voice, and it was so sonorous that even Lin Yue, who was busy in the kitchen, heard the commotion outside and knew that Dalang and Erhu’s uncle had arrived. She hurriedly made some tea and brought out some tea snacks.

Zhao Fuquan was still imagining what Dalang and Erhu’s stepmother would be like when a delicately pretty woman with a beautiful complexion emerged from the kitchen, dressed in a jade-green skirt, carrying a teacup and a plate of tea snacks, smiling radiantly at him. She looked like a precious young lady from a wealthy household, dignified and beautiful, causing Zhao Fuquan to be stunned for a moment before he realized who she was. His face flushed with a mix of nervousness and embarrassment, not knowing where to place his hands and feet and afraid of being presumptuous.

"Dalang and Erhu’s mother, hello, you haven’t met me before. I, I am the children’s uncle. I’ve come to take the kids over to their maternal grandparents’ house for a few days," stammered Zhao Fuquan.

Meeting for the first time, Lin Yue struggled to hold back a chuckle at the sight of Dalang and Erhu’s uncle; from his manner and speech, he was clearly a simple and honest man.

Lin Yue had a good impression of Zhao Fuquan, and her tone became warmer and more familiar, "Uncle, please come in and have a seat. It’s very hot outside in the sun. Dalang, Erhu, hurry and invite your uncle inside."

"Ah, sure! I’ll first unload the things from the ox cart. Your grandmother asked me to bring some home-made salted duck eggs, biscuits, and fresh vegetables, all from our own production, for you to try. I’ll bring them into the kitchen for you."

Zhao Fuquan didn’t wait for Lin Yue’s response and quickly went to the ox cart, fetched the items, and carried them into the kitchen. Noticing that a few more cupboards had been added and that the kitchen was spotless and tidier than his own living room, he figured that Erhu’s new wife must be someone who loved cleanliness, which made him even more reserved.

"Children’s uncle, this tea was made from leaves grown by our family. Try it and see how it tastes. And these tea snacks are also homemade. Have them as a treat. I’ve just sent Sanlang to call his father from the field; Erhu will be back soon," said Lin Yue, much more relaxed compared to Zhao Fuquan’s tension. Country men like him, straightforward and unassuming, were the easiest to get along with.

"No, there’s no need to call for anyone. I’m fine now, and heading to the fields is just perfect to help my brother-in-law with the work," Zhao Fuquan said as he got up and hurried towards the fields, moving so fast as if someone was chasing him.

Lin Yue also noticed Zhao Fuquan’s excessive nervousness around her and found it somewhat amusing; she wasn’t nervous at all, so why was this big man acting like this? Hmm, his simple nature was really quite endearing. She quickly called for Dalang and Erlang to follow Zhao Fuquan and show him the way. Erhu was transplanting sweet potato shoots in a newly cleared piece of land today—they better not go to the wrong place.

"Uncle, Uncle, slow down, wait for us!" Dalang and Erlang ran after him.

Zhao Fuquan had reached the yard’s entrance when he saw his nephews catching up from behind, so he slowed down his pace and felt relief. He was thinking about how Erhu’s wife had a good personality, was kind-hearted, and even more, she was beautiful, but she was also too polite and too formal, which made him feel very uncomfortable facing her; even sitting down made him feel restless. It was better to go to the fields and work with his brother-in-law, where he could feel at ease.

"Uncle, why are you walking so fast? There isn’t a tiger chasing you at the back," Dalang said, panting as he caught up.

"It’s nothing... It’s just that I don’t want to stay with your mother," Zhao Fuquan told his nephew the truth.

"Why not? My mom is a nice person, she treats us brothers well. Uncle, did you hear some bad things about my mom from others, and that’s why you think she’s not good? Don’t be fooled by them; they are just jealous that my mom treats us well and they speak nonsense purposefully," Erlang interjected, worried that his uncle was dissatisfied with his mother and immediately defended Lin Yue.

Seeing his nephew’s misunderstanding, Zhao Fuquan quickly waved his hands, "No, it’s not that, not because your mom is bad, but because she is too good and too courteous. I feel so constrained when facing her, uneasy, so I deliberately came out here. Don’t tell your mom later, or she’ll laugh at me."

"Oh... I see, pfft, Uncle, you’re a bit too timid. My mom was only trying to take good care of you because it’s your first visit. Why did you run away? How can a big man like you be this shy?" Erlang said, sounding like a know-it-all, while Zhao Fuquan didn’t mind being made fun of by his nephew and giggled, affectionately ruffling the boys’ hair.

Zhao Fuquan knew where the Zhao family’s land was since Erhu used to cultivate the two acres at the edge of the village. So he headed straight there, only to be stopped by Dalang and Erlang, "Uncle, you’re going the wrong way; it’s not here. Our family has cleared a few new acres this year, and my dad is over there."

Zhao Fuquan asked Dalang and Erlang about the recent events as they walked, and upon learning that Erhu had been injured while hunting and had remained unconscious until Lin Yue had summoned the Divine Doctor to revive him, he whistled in amazement and sighed. He admired Lin Yue even more now. His sister had been unlucky, passing away early, leaving her husband and children behind. This time Erhu really married a good woman; otherwise, with the accident, the family could have been destroyed by now, without these good days.

His mother could also rest easy now about the two boys. Otherwise, she was always worrying that if Erhu’s new wife turned out to be abusive to Dalang and Erlang, she would have taken them in to raise herself. He and his two younger brothers wouldn’t mind and would feel for their nephews, their sister’s sons, after all, it was just the matter of a few more mouths to feed. But his wife and the sisters-in-law probably wouldn’t agree, and then there would be arguments between the parents and the daughters-in-law, leaving him in a difficult spot, caught in the middle.