Chapter 95: A Formidable Woman
It was no wonder Chen Yanmei was nervous. Hunting in the mountains, especially in winter, had always been a dangerous affair. People often went into the mountains and never came back. Casualties were normal, but no one ever wanted something like that to happen to their own family.
"My second brother? He was whisked away by a fox spirit!"
Chen Yanmei’s hand shot out to smack him. The rascal! Here she was, worried sick and trying to have a serious conversation, and he was just messing with her.
Zhao Wendong laughed and quickly dodged his mom’s Tathagata Divine Palm.
"It’s a long story, I can’t explain it in just a moment. I’ll tell everyone the details when we get inside. Otherwise, I’ll have to tell you once, and then tell it all over again when Dad asks."
"Fine!"
Seeing the three of them looking so relaxed, Chen Yanmei knew Zhao Wenwu must not be in any danger, so she wasn’t as anxious anymore. By now, the Zhaos had a well-practiced routine for dealing with their game. What needed to be buried in the snow was buried, what needed to be put in the shed was put away, and what needed to be hidden in the cellar was hidden. The initial frantic rush was a thing of the past.
After they finished dealing with the game and went inside, Little Tuanzi was the first to greet them, rushing over to Zhao Wendong for a hug.
"Third Brother, hug!"
"Aiya, I’m cold from being outside. How about I hug you later?"
"No! Third Brother, why were you gone so long? I missed you! Please give Little Tuanzi a hug, okay?"
What could Zhao Wendong say to that? With a doting expression, he immediately scooped Little Tuanzi up and spun her around in the air a few times, making the little girl giggle with delight.
"Third Brother, where’s Second Brother? And Xiaobai, Dahuang, Dahei, and Erhei? How come it’s only Big Eagle?"
Don’t be fooled by her small size; Little Tuanzi kept every person and animal in the family in her heart. Not seeing them now, she was quick to ask.
They entered the inner room. Zhao Dashan was lying on the kang, also watching them, clearly waiting for Zhao Wendong’s explanation.
"Ahem. I’ll tell you where Second Brother went. And, uh... what I said earlier about him being carried off by a fox spirit wasn’t a complete joke!"
"What? He really met a fox spirit? Is it Xiaobai? Is she pretty? Should we go get Granny Liu?"
Chen Yanmei grew frantic, and Zhao Wendong quickly tried to calm her down.
"Aiya, don’t worry, Mom! Let me finish!"
"Today, just as we were coming down the mountain with our haul, Second Brother went to relieve himself and ended up finding someone on the path—a woman!"
"HISS— She must be a fox spirit in disguise!"
Song Xiaoyu chimed in. Zhao Wendong slapped his forehead. ’Everyone says to abandon old superstitions, but this stuff has been passed down for thousands of years. It’s etched into the very bones of common folk.’ He could tell just by the worried look on his dad’s face and the expressions on his sister-in-law and mom.
"Aiya, just let me finish."
"Later, we managed to revive the woman, but she was too weak to be brought back here, so we took her to our base in the mountains. She’s a woman who fled from the Central Plains to seek refuge with relatives. She said she couldn’t survive back home anymore, so she had no choice but to come find her cousin."
"What? Is it even worse over there than it is here?"
After asking, Zhao Dashan saw Zhao Wendong’s reproachful gaze and sheepishly shut his mouth.
Seeing that no one was interrupting him anymore, Zhao Wendong continued.
"Turns out, when the woman got here, she couldn’t find her cousin. With nowhere else to turn, she just wandered around aimlessly until she collapsed from cold and hunger at the foot of the mountain. It’s a good thing my second brother found her, or she’d be dead for sure. She’s so grateful to him for saving her life that she trusts him and doesn’t even mind that he’s a little slow-witted. She specifically requested that Second Brother stay behind to take care of her. That’s why only the three of us came back first!"
"You don’t have to worry. Tomorrow, I’m taking Lin Zhiyin to find her parents. Big Brother and Er Gouzi will go back into the mountains. The reason we all came back this time, leaving only Second Brother behind, was to let them cultivate their feelings for each other."
Zhao Wendong’s last sentence made both Chen Yanmei’s and Zhao Dashan’s eyes light up. They both stared at Zhao Wendong in pleasant surprise. ’What did our son just say? Cultivate their feelings?’
"Son, you mean...?"
Chen Yanmei still found it a bit hard to believe and couldn’t help but ask Zhao Wendong for confirmation.
"That’s right. It’s exactly what you’re thinking. I think that woman has taken a liking to my second brother, so I’m letting them cultivate their feelings!"
"For real? Did the woman not notice that your second brother’s mind is a little... you know?"
"Don’t worry, she noticed. But she doesn’t mind."
Chen Yanmei’s eyes instantly reddened. She excitedly wiped away her tears. Zhao Wenwu’s brain damage from the high fever had always been a source of constant pain for her and Zhao Dashan. They worried endlessly about their second son’s future. They had thought that now that Zhao Wendong was on the right path, he could at least help his brother, ensuring Wenwu wouldn’t freeze or starve.
They had planned to work harder and save more money to leave to Zhao Wenwu when they got old. They would have been content even if it meant finding him a widow or a blind or crippled wife, as long as someone could take care of him for the rest of his life. They never expected such a surprising turn of events. He might actually have a chance to get married in this lifetime?
"Yes, yes, yes. We should let them stay together and cultivate that... that feeling."
Chen Yanmei eagerly grabbed Zhao Wendong to ask about Jin Xiuying.
"Son, be honest with your mom. How old is that woman? Is she forty?"
Zhao Wendong, Zhao Wenjun, and Zhao Ergou were left speechless.
"What are you thinking, Mom? She’s a young woman of twenty!"
"Huh?"
Now even Song Xiaoyu was a little skeptical. ’A twenty-year-old girl would fall for Zhao Wenwu?’
"Then is she covered in pockmarks, or is she disabled in some way?"
Zhao Wenjun couldn’t listen to this anymore and lightly smacked his wife.
"Don’t talk nonsense. She’s much better-looking than you!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake. Song Xiaoyu’s eyes had narrowed dangerously, her gaze toward Zhao Wenjun filled with killing intent.
"Hehe... uh, she’s not as pretty as you. She’s prettier than... than Lin Zhiyin!"
Zhao Wenjun hastily tried to backtrack, but Zhao Wendong wouldn’t stand for it.
"Holy crap, Big Brother, that’s a low blow! Say what you want, but why drag innocent bystanders into it?"
"Lin Zhiyin is way prettier than First Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law, okay?"
WHOOSH!
The moment the words were out, Zhao Wendong felt a murderous aura wash over him.
"But!"
Zhao Wendong immediately continued.
"Sister-in-law is definitely the gentlest, most diligent, and most capable. They can’t compare to her at all! Besides, Sister-in-law is busy taking care of the house and the kids every day. Those unmarried girls just haven’t been worn down by life yet. When you first married her, Big Brother, she was even prettier than them. Right, Big Brother?"
"Right, right, right!"
Zhao Wenjun nodded his head like a bobblehead. Only then did Song Xiaoyu give a satisfied hmph and let the two brothers off the hook. Zhao Wendong and Zhao Wenjun exchanged a look and wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads. Zhao Ergou, who had been watching from the side, was completely stunned. ’Women are terrifying,’ he thought. ’Even more terrifying than that nearly four-hundred-and-fifty-pound wild boar.’
"So don’t you worry. Your future second daughter-in-law is good-looking and has a good personality. Most importantly, she’s kind-hearted—the type of person who wouldn’t even dare to step on an ant. She’s wonderful to my second brother. Because he saved her, she’s completely devoted to him now!"
When they heard this, both Zhao Wenjun and Zhao Ergou wanted to give Zhao Wendong a thumbs-up. They could never hope to match his talent for telling such blatant lies. A woman so tough she could probably take a man apart without blinking, and he was describing her as someone who "wouldn’t even dare to step on an ant"? ’Give me a break!’ they thought.