Chapter 6 Enjoyment of Music_1

Without knowing, Lin Yue had shelled half of the peanuts reserved for planting and roasted a bowl of fragrant peanuts. Although there were no other dishes, the combination of crispy peanuts and pickled vegetables with rice made for a decent meal.

After toiling in the fields for most of the day, Zhao Erhu looked up at the sun overhead and guessed it was time to head home to cook. It wasn't a big deal for the boys at home to go hungry once in a while. In the past, when he had been delayed on his hunts in the mountains, it was common for the youngsters to miss a meal. In Zhao Erhu's view, boys should be raised robustly to succeed. He himself had grown up that way, tall and strong—just as a farmer should look. If they were pampered like Brother Erhu's family's Minghui, unable to carry a load or handle farm work, then it would truly be a disservice to them.

Erhu hurried home mainly because he was worried about his frail wife going hungry. She was already thin and weak, and with her illness not yet recovered, starving her would be unacceptable. What Erhu didn't anticipate was that by the time he got home, Lin Yue had already prepared lunch. As he stood by the entrance, he saw smoke billowing from the kitchen chimney and occasionally caught the rich scent of food carried by the wind. Suddenly, Erhu felt a surreal feeling before he gathered his senses and walked briskly into the house.

"Erhu, you're back just in time. I was about to call you in from the fields for lunch. You must be tired from working all morning. Wash your hands first," Lin Yue said, setting the food on the table and hurrying to fetch water for Erhu to wash his hands, but he stopped her.

"Niuniu, don't fuss; I'll do it myself. Sit down and rest. How can you not take care of yourself and lie down when you're not feeling well? Are you feeling ill anywhere?" Erhu was naturally pleased to see his wife being so virtuous, but his primary concern was Lin Yue's health. He had been married three times already, and if something happened to his wife this time, not only would no girl wish to marry him, but he also couldn't possibly consider marriage again; he wouldn't get over it. After ensuring there was nothing amiss with Lin Yue from head to toe, Erhu made her sit down and went to fetch the water himself.

Lin Yue knew her husband was being considerate, and she sat contentedly waiting, but when Erhu brought the water over and offered her the towel, she was puzzled. Was he expecting her to help him wash up? Reluctant, she thought that regardless of the era, men should not be spoiled; bad habits develop from being indulged. Wanting her to wipe his face as if she aspired to be the drab, devoted wife—she had no such intention.

Erhu had noticed that Lin Yue's face was dirty from the soot, so he wrung the towel, intending for Lin Yue to clean her face. Seeing that she was just looking at him with big, round eyes, refusing to take the towel, he simply started wiping her face himself, unable to resist chiding her, "Look at you, all grown up, and yet you're as messy as a tabby cat."

The children giggled at the sight, with Erlang teasing, "Third Mother can't even light a fire without getting covered in soot. It was Big Brother who managed to get the fire going."

Lin Yue was initially taken aback as the towel swept over her face. When Erhu spoke, she felt ashamed for having such a mean-spirited suspicion. Once Erhu had finished wiping her face, he didn't mind using the dirty water to clean himself before sitting down to eat.

"All of this was made by you?" Erhu was somewhat surprised. Lin Yue was young, yet her cooking skills were not bad at all. He automatically ignored the fact that this meal had consumed most of the family's remaining food, including the peanuts that should have been seeds but were now roasted and golden. After all, they had spent so much silver on a bride, these things weren't worth much money, but he could just go hunting in the mountains, exchange the game for silver coin, and buy more.

"Yes, I made it all. I could only find these at home, and there weren't any other vegetables, but it's still quite delicious to eat, don't you think? Why don't you give it a try?" Lin Yue said, as if seeking credit, bearing in mind that Erhu had worked hard in the fields all morning, so she had specially served him a large bowl of rice.

Seeing his stepmother roast the peanuts reserved as seeds, with the audacity to seek approval from his father for it, Erlang's mouth curled into a mocking sneer. He wasn't as easily fooled as his older brother; he couldn't be bought with some food. It was all a facade. He had heard from the villagers that stepmothers were wicked. When she first arrived, she showed her good side to his father just to appease them. But who knows how she would treat them later? The previous stepmother was a case in point. This woman's 'schemes' must not be allowed to succeed. He snorted to himself. Doing something wrong now, he wanted to see how his father would deal with her. He still remembered how he and his older brother, driven by hunger, had once stolen the reserved peanuts and were severely beaten by their father.

Erlang was destined to be disappointed. Erhu received the bowl of rice, feeling utterly content. He thought the young bride, despite being young, knew how to care for others, which was truly commendable. Erhu's first wife, although slow-witted, was very virtuous and took good care of him, yet he didn't feel much about it. Now, Lin Yue serving just a bowl of rice made him feel satisfied. This change in heart was due not only to his age and experience teaching him to cherish what he had but also, perhaps, to a common flaw in human nature. Lin Yue had married into the Zhao Family reluctantly and was nearly worn out. Erhu hadn't held much hope, but now that he had this much was already good. Naturally, he felt satisfied, and most importantly, Lin Yue was to Erhu's liking. So, truly, people couldn't be compared. The saying that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' rings true. In others' eyes, Lin Yue might be an unripe, shriveled sprout, but to Erhu, she was a treasured find.

Meeting his young bride's darker eyes filled with a bit of expectation, Erhu began to compliment her even before he started eating, "Niuniu has good cooking skills indeed, but remember you shouldn't tire yourself, your body has not yet recovered. After eating, go lie down and rest properly in your room."

"Okay, I understand." Lin Yue was happy to accept his concern, agreeing sweetly and deftly, making Erhu even more satisfied.

"Father, do you know that this woman has taken from the house …" Ultimately still a child, Erlang couldn't hold back his frustration. Seeing his father not reprimanding but treating his stepmother so well, he spoke out indignantly, but this only earned him a fierce glare from Erhu.

"Just eat your food and stop talking so much!" Erhu, who understood his cunning second son quite well, interrupted the words that were about to follow, reprimanding him sternly. Erlang felt even more aggravated but didn't dare say anything more on the surface, though his heart grew even bitterer toward Lin Yue.

In the afternoon, after having his meal and resting only briefly, Erhu went back to work in the fields. Before leaving, he made sure to tell Lin Yue to rest well, adding that he would make dinner upon his return.