A Good Country Wife-Chapter 621 - 615_1

Lin Yue chatted with the villagers she met on the road for a while before walking towards the village chief’s house. After the chaos caused by the refugees, she did not know what had become of the village chief’s home. Although the walls of his courtyard were not as high as those of her own family, they were considered sturdy in the village. She did not know if the refugees had broken in, but it was improbable that it had remained untouched, given that the refugees had grown increasingly frenzied and aggressive in recent days and someone had even dared to climb over their walls, let alone the village chief’s. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

However, the atmosphere at the village chief’s house was far from harmonious. Because the refugees had forced their way in, the family’s grain had been looted by the refugees. Fortunately, the village chief’s wife was astute and had secretly hidden some grain beforehand. With this supply, they wouldn’t be able to fill their bellies, but at least they wouldn’t all starve to death. Yet the village chief still wanted to divide the little remaining grain in half to give to the two neighboring families.

"No way, this is all the grain we have left. We don’t even have enough for ourselves. We don’t know when the refugees will leave. If we give the grain to others, what will we do? Don’t even think about it. I won’t divide the grain," she said.

The village chief’s wife clutched the bag of grain tightly, refusing to hand it over. In normal times, she wasn’t this stingy, and she could even be considered generous. But what were the circumstances now? Her own family was barely getting by, how could she care for others? Didn’t she see how her two grandsons had become so emaciated in such a short time, their bodies visibly thinner? The sight pained her heart as a grandmother. She had already been very dissatisfied with the village chief’s decisions and actions, and she wouldn’t consent to such folly.

The village chief did feel some guilt towards his wife and family, as it was his decision that had dragged them all down. But no matter how he tried to persuade his wife, she wouldn’t listen, and he became increasingly angry at her obstinance. After all, he had always made the final decisions in the family, and his tone grew harsh.

"I have the final say in this house. If there’s not much grain left, we’ll just ration it. As long as we don’t starve, it’s fine. What’s the problem with giving away a little? After all, they are our neighbors of many years. Besides, I’m still the head of Zhao Family Village. How can I just watch someone starve to death beside me without doing anything? When did your heart become so hard? You’re being completely unreasonable," he said.

Having been terrified by the refugee situation for days and managing all the family affairs, the village chief’s wife always ate the least. She endured not eating until it was unbearable, hoping to save more grain. With such persistence, being accused by the village chief of being heartless and irrational was something she couldn’t bear. In a burst of sorrow and tears, she no longer cared about the grain and pointed her finger at Zhao Youfu.

"Fine then, Zhao Youfu, you say that I’m heartless, that I’m unreasonable? Shame on you for saying such a thing! Marrying you, this is the first time I’ve regretted it so deeply. For the sake of outsiders, you can be this way, and it truly chills my heart! How did I ever marry such a man as you? I’ve toiled for this family, and in the end, I’m the one who’s dubbed unreasonable! Do you know that the very grain you speak of is what I’ve been sparingly saving by starving myself these days, so that you could eat more and not go hungry? Every day, I only eat a half piece of bread. When I couldn’t stand the hunger, I’d just drink bowls and bowls of cold water to fill my belly. You want me to share it with others, for fear they’ll starve to death, but aren’t you afraid that I’ll starve to death?"

The village chief’s wife was truly heartbroken. With every word, the tears streamed down uncontrollably, her face etched with utter exhaustion and despair.

The village chief was a bit careless with everyday matters, which is why he failed to notice the hardship his wife had endured. Faced with her questioning, he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. "I... I didn’t know, it’s my fault. Let’s not divide the grain then, alright? Just explaining the matter should clear it up, don’t be like this. You’re getting on in years, so please, no more tears."

The village chief had never been adept at consoling others, and given the mentality of older men, he found it hard to apologize in front of his children and grandchildren. Although he intended to comfort his wife with a few words, what came out was rather harsh and only served to further upset her.

"Youfu, you heartless man, you actually complain about my old age. You’re as cold as stone, never giving a second thought for your own family. All you care about is your duty as village chief. For that, you’ve doomed us all! Erhu’s wife had invited us to move in with them, and she even came to fetch us a few times, but you refused, saying that as the village chief, you couldn’t abandon the villagers. But can you really handle such matters? Even the Magistrate has shut the city gates and doesn’t care whether refugees live or die. What are you thinking, playing the big hero? It’s because of your foolish pride that our whole family is at risk. What are you in charge of now? The village is still being ravaged by those refugees! I see it clearly now. Rather than being driven to death by anger because of you, I might as well die of hunger now and be done with it. Take the grain; I’m done with it."

As the village chief’s wife spoke, she threw the bag of grain at him. Already dizzy from hunger and weak, the exertion caused her world to spin and she couldn’t stand any longer, collapsing straight to the ground.

"Mother! Mother! Are you okay? Don’t frighten us!" Their youngest son and daughter-in-law, who were at home, panicked and quickly steadied the village chief’s wife, while casting reproachful glances at him.

"Father, why do you put yourself through this? Mother has worked for this family her whole life and has never once complained about the hardships she’s suffered for us. She speaks this way today because her heart is truly broken. Are those outsiders more important to you than Mother? Was it worth it to upset her like this? If anything were to happen to Mother, I would never return to this house. It seems we don’t exist in your eyes anyway, so why should I come back?"

Although the village chief’s youngest son spoke in anger, half of what he said was truly felt. His resentment had grown due to his father’s preoccupation with the village at the expense of his own family. Though usually only slightly dissatisfied, the recent refugee troubles had amplified his discontent, reigniting old grievances, especially with his mother collapsing before him, he couldn’t hold back from criticizing his own father.

The village chief’s heart was filled with bitterness. Had he really made a mistake? His own wife and children resented him so much, yet he also felt his responsibility as the chief of the village. It was simply impossible for him to ignore it all, yet he knew he had wronged his family. "Son, I..."