Free Web NovelChapter 38: Chapter 38: Zhou Lian Teases Mrs. Zhou (Part 1)
Looking at the silent crowd, Zhou Lian gave a faint, inscrutable smile. ’She had long suspected something was off about Li Xiu. There was always a reasonable explanation, but his possessiveness toward her was far from normal.
In my past life, just before I died, Li Xiu was terrifyingly calm. After all, we’d been husband and wife for a lifetime. His stubbornness wasn’t ordinary; it was a kind of obsession. I sensed it even back then. After our children were all grown and had their own families, I’d say something offhand, and Li Xiu would latch onto it like a drowning man clutching a life-saving straw, desperately doing anything and everything to make it happen.
Back then, I just couldn’t get over the hurdle in my heart. Li Xiu understood that and didn’t force me. But the fact that he didn’t force me was the most terrifying part. The Li Xiu of this life has the same madness in his eyes that the Li Xiu of my past life had just before I died—the kind of madness that would see us perish together.
Perhaps the him of this life is the same as the him from the last. I need to observe him more carefully. If he is, then I understand why Li Xiu is hiding it from me. But he’s overthinking it. I’m just an ordinary village woman; where would I get all these grand grudges and dramatic love affairs? In my past life, it was just a difference of opinion between a husband and wife. He slapped me, and our marriage fell apart. That’s all. Maybe I can test him a little!’
"My wife! My wife! I’m back! I caught a few newborn piglets. I’ll roast a suckling pig for you!"
Li Xiu rushed into the house excitedly, making a beeline for Zhou Lian. The Zhou men following behind him could only shake their heads in resignation. They had come across a litter of wild boars and had intended to just take the boar. But Li Xiu had his eyes on the piglets. They thought he wanted to catch them to raise, but who would have thought he’d snatch three right from the sow’s den, saying he was going to roast them for his wife. He then took off with the piglets, not even sparing a glance for the boar they had already brought down.
"My wife, the other day when you were reading, didn’t you say you wanted to taste the roast suckling pig from the book? We won’t go back today. I’ll roast two so Dad and the others can try some, and we’ll take one back with us. In a few days, I’ll get you more, okay?"
Seeing him squatting in front of her, his face full of hope, practically begging for praise, Zhou Lian smiled, took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face, and quietly agreed.
Seeing his wife’s gentle smile, Li Xiu, as if shot full of adrenaline, ran outside excitedly, yelling, "First Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, come help me! My wife wants to eat roast suckling pig!"
The room was silent for a moment, then everyone burst into laughter. Even Zhou Kun, who had just sat down to rest, couldn’t stop laughing.
This son-in-law was a real character. This was his in-laws’ home, and seeing him act so naturally, they knew he must be like this at home, if not even more outrageous.
Zhou Lian’s third brother brought a large basket and placed it in front of her without a word before leaving. Seeing everyone’s curious expressions, Zhou Huaitai said with a smile, "Second Aunt, everything inside is what Uncle-in-law got for you. As soon as we got to the mountain, he started pointing things out, saying you’d like to eat this and you’d like to eat that, and made my dad and my other uncle pick them. There aren’t many wild fruits ripe right now, so they only got half a basket. Uncle-in-law was complaining it wasn’t enough. It was only when my grandpa said you shouldn’t eat too much of this stuff that he finally put his mind to hunting the wild boar. My dad and uncle were so mad at him!"
"My wife, you can’t eat these now! Eat them after dinner, or you won’t have an appetite! Be good, now. I’ll have the roast ready soon."
He then picked up the basket and carried it away. From the courtyard, they could hear Li Xiu complaining to Zhou Lian’s third brother, "Third Brother, why did you bring this to my wife now? She has a small appetite. If she eats these wild fruits, she won’t be able to eat dinner. Now that she’s seen them, she’ll want to eat them. What kind of brother are you? You don’t know how to look out for my wife at all..."
"Oh, shut up and get back to work! Your wife is waiting to eat!"
"Oh, right, right! You guys hurry up, too! My wife must be getting hungry!"
Everyone in the room turned to look at the perfectly calm Zhou Lian, their curiosity piqued. They knew Li Xiu treated her well, but did he really talk about "my wife" all day long, even at home?
Zhou Lian calmly sipped her tea, looked up at everyone, and said serenely, "You get used to it."
"Is he always like this?" her eldest sister-in-law asked softly. ’That’s a bit much, isn’t it!’
"Oh, he’s always like this."
"And you’re used to it?" ’No matter how you look at it, this isn’t normal. This brother-in-law coaxes her like a child.’
"You get used to it over time."
Zhou Kun also felt something was off. He directly asked his daughter, who looked completely accustomed to it, "What’s with him?"
Zhou Lian looked at her father, saw the confusion on his face, and said quietly, "It’s nothing. He says he wants a daughter, so he’s practicing by spoiling me like one. That way, he’ll know how to raise a daughter in the future."
Seeing her second daughter spouting such serious-sounding nonsense, Mrs. Zhou got angry. "Talk to your father properly! If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll give you a smack!"
"Mom, what’s wrong? Did my wife make you angry? Please don’t be angry! She’s pregnant and gets tired easily, and her moods can be off. Please just bear with her a little."
He turned, took Zhou Lian’s arm, and gently pushed her outside. "My wife, go take a look in the courtyard. I’ve got the suckling pig roasting. It’ll be ready to eat in a bit."
After ushering his wife into the courtyard, Li Xiu turned back to apologize to his mother-in-law. "Mom, please don’t be mad at my wife. She’s pregnant right now. In the future... wait until later to scold her. I’ll roast a suckling pig for you, just don’t be angry!"
"Isn’t that for your wife to eat?" Mrs. Zhou asked helplessly, looking at her son-in-law who, without understanding the situation, was already fiercely defending his own.
"Oh, it’s fine! I’m roasting two. One for my wife, and one for everyone else to eat!"
"Yes, yes, fine. Go on, get to it," Mrs. Zhou said, waving her hand weakly.
"So you’re not angry anymore, Mom?"
"Not angry, not angry. Now go!"
Watching Li Xiu’s back as he disappeared like a gust of wind, Mrs. Zhou rubbed her forehead wearily. She didn’t know if this situation was good or bad. Her son-in-law was clearly not quite right. Even if a man dotes on his wife, there’s no reason he should prevent her own mother from saying a single word to her. She hadn’t noticed it before the wedding, but today it was just too obvious. Who dotes on their wife to this extent?!
Zhou Kun paused, taken aback, and asked his wife, "What’s going on?"
"Don’t you feel that our son-in-law is a bit off? I asked our second girl this afternoon. She doesn’t do anything at home because he won’t let her. Other than going to work at the production team, he does all the chores. And just now, you saw it—I said one thing, and he heard it from the courtyard, ran in to defend her... I’m her own mother, and he’s like this with me. What if it were someone else? This doting has gone a little too far, don’t you think?" Mrs. Zhou said, her head aching.
"What’s so strange about it? Second Uncle-in-law said that Second Aunt is his life, so no amount of doting is too much," Zhou Huaitai suddenly chimed in.
"Where did you hear that?" his mother asked him suspiciously.
"Oh, Second Uncle asked Second Uncle-in-law if he was really that fond of his sister. Second Uncle-in-law told Second Uncle, ’My wife is my life, so it’s never too much, no matter how much I dote on her!’ I was behind them and heard it. You adults are so weird. Is it wrong for my uncle to love my aunt and protect her? As long as he treats my aunt well, that’s all that matters, right? Who cares how he does it? The better he treats my aunt, the better of a person he is. He can be whoever he wants outside, as long as he’s good to my aunt. My uncle-in-law isn’t out there killing people or setting fires, so what’s there to worry about?"
Zhou Huaitai looked at the roomful of elders with a helpless expression. "Adults are too complicated. It’s so simple. Second Aunt is my uncle-in-law’s wife. What’s wrong with a man doting on his own wife?!"
"Mom, you’re overthinking things," Zhou Ying said. "Second Sister said it herself this afternoon: to each their own fate. Second Brother-in-law dotes on her, and Second Sister is able to accept his thorough care. You saw it. Just now, when Second Brother-in-law ran in with his face covered in sweat, Second Sister very gently and naturally wiped it for him."
"This is just how they show affection as a couple. It’s nothing to make a fuss about. Second Brother-in-law is just a man hopelessly in love. Even before they were married, he was fiercely protective of Second Sister. So isn’t this perfectly normal now? In his heart, nothing in heaven or on earth is more important than his wife. Men like that are rare, but they do exist. As long as Second Sister can accept it, then she is living the fairy tale that all other women can only envy!"
Zhou Ying said this with unconcealed envy. She was educated and could read, and she had secretly read many books left behind by the educated youth. She was already fourteen; in a few years, it would be time to discuss her marriage. She understood these things. She had understood her second sister’s words that afternoon perfectly: to each their own fate. Her second sister was the smartest of them all.
