Chapter 47 - 17: "Seriously Ill

Chapter 47: Chapter 17: "Seriously Ill

Lin Erdan didn’t explain the reason, just said evasively, "My big brother just loves to talk."

The truth was, after Mrs. Lin and Lin Shisheng brought gifts to Lin Zhao yesterday, the villagers had started to gossip. They said Mrs. Lin favored her married-out daughter, giving her meat and eggs instead of her own sons and grandsons, and so on and so forth.

The gossip was quite nasty.

The Lin family’s children had overheard some of it, and they were simmering with anger.

So when they saw their aunt had brought things back, of course they had to show them off from one end of the village to the other.

Her nephew was chattering on too much. Lin Zhao grew impatient and headed back first with Er Dan.

As for Da Zai and Er Zai, they were busy handing out candy to their cousins.

Lin Heling was sitting in the courtyard, waiting for his daughter to come home.

Spotting Lin Zhao’s figure, he turned towards the main house and called out, "Zhaozhao’s mother, our girl is back."

Lin Zhao heard him just as she came through the gate. Her steps lightened as she trotted over and sat on the small wooden stool beside her father.

"Dad, how’s your health?"

Lin Heling smiled, his gaze gentle as he studied Lin Zhao’s complexion. He saw she was looking well and nodded to himself before answering his daughter’s question. "Couldn’t be better."

Mrs. Lin came out, smiling. "The moment your father sees you, all his ailments just disappear."

Hearing the voices in the courtyard, Lin Zhao’s two older brothers came out with their wives.

"Zhaozhao’s back," Brother Lin said, a wide smile on his face.

He walked over to Lin Zhao and peered at her forehead. "The bump’s gone. Does your head still hurt?"

"It stopped hurting a long time ago," Lin Zhao replied. She looked at the others and greeted them in turn. "Big Brother, First Sister-in-law, Second Brother, Second Sis."

Her first sister-in-law, Chen Yu, was a diligent and kind woman with a gentle personality.

She smiled. "Hey, have you eaten yet?"

"I have."

Second Sis, Qiu Lian, glanced at her sister-in-law’s empty hands and pursed her lips. Afraid of angering her parents-in-law, who ran the household, she barely let her unwelcoming feelings show before quickly lowering her head to hide them.

’This sister-in-law is back to freeload again. It never ends!’

Lin Zhao had long been familiar with her second sister-in-law’s personality. She simply mirrored whatever attitude she was given, ignoring the woman’s sour face.

Lin Shisheng frowned, casting a cool glance at the top of his wife’s head before quickly looking away. His expression softened as he turned to Lin Zhao. "Zhaozhao, I caught a rabbit. You love spicy rabbit, don’t you? I’ll have Mom make it for you this afternoon."

"Oh, that sounds great! I haven’t had rabbit in ages. Thanks, Second Brother."

Listening to the siblings’ conversation, Qiu Lian secretly rolled her eyes. ’My husband is so clueless,’ she thought. ’Treating his sister better than his own wife. How stupid can you get?’

But even though she was full of complaints, with the fiery-tempered Mrs. Lin ruling the roost, she didn’t dare make a peep. All she could do was grumble internally.

Mrs. Lin said, "I know you’ve been craving it. Everything’s ready. Just say the word when you’re hungry, and I’ll go make it."

"Okay," Lin Zhao agreed readily.

Lin Heling hadn’t seen his grandsons yet. "Where are Da Zai and Er Zai?" he asked. "You didn’t bring them?"

"I did. They’re off playing with Da Dan and the others."

No sooner had the words left Lin Zhao’s mouth than a troop of children poured into the yard, and the space was instantly filled with their boisterous energy.

"Mom, Da Zai gave me two pieces of candy," Lin Xibao said to her mother. "They’re super sweet. I saved one for you."

Surprise flickered in Chen Yu’s eyes. She glanced at Lin Zhao and saw nothing unusual in her sister-in-law’s expression, realizing she must have known that Da Zai had given their daughter candy. Relieved, she turned back to her daughter and said softly, "You keep it for yourself. Mommy doesn’t need any."

Lin Xibao beamed. "One is enough for me! Mom has a baby in her tummy, so you should have one too."

At these words, Lin Zhao’s face lit up with surprise. "First Sister-in-law, you’re expecting again?"

Chen Yu shot her daughter a playful, chiding look before turning to her sister-in-law. "A little over two months," she said, looking a bit shy.

Lin Zhao said, "Congratulations, Big Brother, First Sister-in-law. After you give birth, I’ll send you some pig’s trotters."

"Such big talk. You think pig’s trotters are that easy to come by?" Mrs. Lin lightly tapped her daughter’s forehead. Worried that her eldest daughter-in-law’s expectations would get too high, she tried to smooth things over for Lin Zhao. "Just do your best. It’s fine if you can’t get any. Your big brother will find a way."

Lin Zhao didn’t explain further. ’They’d see in a few months whether she could do it or not. She had gone to school in the county, and that education wasn’t for nothing—she had plenty of connections.’

"I know."

Once the adults had finished speaking, Da Dan placed a full string bag on the table. "Grandpa, Grandma," he announced to Father Lin and Mrs. Lin, "these are the things Auntie brought."

The moment he set it down, the contents of the string bag were plain to see.

Mrs. Lin’s brow furrowed. "Zhaozhao, why did you bring so many things?"

"You wouldn’t accept them, so I had to deliver them myself," Lin Zhao said casually.

She untied the string bag and took out the contents one by one.

As she did, she explained:

"This is canned meat."

"This is two pounds of pork."

"And these are dried noodles. Mom, you can cook a handful for you and Dad every few days. They’re made from white flour, so they’re very soft, not like those coarse grains that scratch your throat. They’re delicious even in a simple broth."