3 Chapter 3 Thunderous Skies_1

"I've been lying down for too long and can't sleep," Lin Yue replied, her voice somewhat hoarse and tender as she sat up. Seeing Zhao Erhu taking off his clothes and walking over, her heart filled with an eerie feeling. So much had happened in such a short time, and she had only guessed about the man's identity before her, with no chance to confirm it. Could it be that the truth was different from what she had surmised, that this man was not her father? If she hadn't misunderstood, this man seemed to intend to sleep in the same bed with her. Not to mention the ancient feudal practice of boys and girls not sharing the same bed after the age of seven, even in the modern world with more open-minded thinking, there weren't many teenage girls who still slept with their biological fathers.

Thinking about a possibility that was closest to the truth, Lin Yue suddenly felt stunned, as though thunder was roaring overhead and a flock of crows flew by. Was there anything more clichéd than 'an old bull eats tender grass'? In Zhao Erhu's eyes, seeing Lin Yue appear to be bewitched, he immediately grew anxious, fearing that his little wife was having another fit of illness and quickly stepped forward to embrace her.

"Niuniu, be good, don't be afraid. You're young and don't understand things now. I know you can't handle it, so I won't force you," he reassured her. "We'll wait a couple more years until you're older. By then, you'll be familiar and sensible, and naturally, the things that a husband and wife should do together won't repel you like this. Rest assured, I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"However, since you've married me, Zhao Erhu, you're now part of the Zhao Family. Alive, you're Zhao Erhu's person, and dead, you'll be Zhao Erhu's ghost. There's no further possibility of change. I won't let you go. You cannot entertain any other thoughts. As long as you stay calm and sincere in following me through life, I, Zhao Erhu, will never mistreat you. But if you still think about running away, even if you run far, I will be able to find you, and it won't be so pleasant when I do," he said softly, trying to coax Lin Yue. Seeing her body seemed to relax a bit and she wasn't scared, he let go of his worries. However, fearing that his little wife might develop some sort of restless thoughts as a result, he couldn't help but intimidate his little wife a few times, administering a mix of kindness and severity in order to reassure her.

The actual owner of this body had already been replaced by a different soul, Lin Yue had no idea what had happened before, but she could still glean from the conversation that the body's former owner had done something wrong to the man. It was fortunate that now, he was generous enough to forgive her and wanted to live a good life with her. Lin Yue, although not of a weak disposition, was very pragmatic and knew how to weigh the pros and cons of a situation. Angering the man before her in an era where the husband was everything was definitely disadvantageous for her. Moreover, this man was reasonable and considerate enough to take her feelings into account. Unable to manage the root cause of the situation, Lin Yue hurriedly nodded her head, which satisfied Zhao Erhu and pleased him with his little wife's transformation.

With a consensus reached, Zhao Erhu took off his outer garment and snuggled up close to Lin Yue, squeezing into the one torn cotton blanket on the bed—the very one that Lin Yue was using—and then he stretched out an arm to pull his little wife into his embrace.

Lin Yue had been alone for so many years, and she was already unaccustomed to the sudden presence of a man by her side, let alone being assertively pulled into Zhao Erhu's embrace. She couldn't help feeling uncomfortable all over, too weak to break free. She tossed and turned but couldn't find a comfortable position, and it was only after being scolded by Zhao Erhu that she finally settled down and soon drifted off into a fragrant sleep.

When Lin Yue fell asleep, Zhao Erhu, who seemed to have been asleep, opened his eyes. His gaze was clear as he watched his little wife nestle sweetly in his arms, sleeping soundly. Zhao Erhu buried his head and sniffed the fragrance emanating from her body, feeling a special kind of satisfaction. Although she was young and some things weren't convenient for her, there were advantages to her youth. For example, her character was not yet set, and teaching her would be easier as he could slowly guide her in the future. This was unlike the past wives from the Li Family and the Zhao Family, who were set in their ways—one dull and boring, the other frivolous and impetuous, neither to his liking. Furthermore, although his little wife was thin, her natural beauty was undeniable. She was a fine seedling, and with proper nurturing for a couple of years, she was sure to become more beautiful and charming than the prettiest girl in the village. And he would be the envy of many. Now, not only had his resentment towards the matchmaker disappeared without a trace, but he also felt fortunate that his little wife had married him through a twist of fate. She was the one he'd count on for happiness in the latter part of his life.

The early spring nights were particularly cold, and not long ago, there had been a light snowfall. Even though the temperature had warmed up a bit, it was only six or seven degrees. The worn cotton quilt they had was hardly sufficient to keep out the night's chill. Zhao Erhu, strong and vigorous, with a robust constitution, was warm like a large furnace. Lin Yue, who had initially been somewhat uncomfortable, ended up sleeping more soundly than she did during the day.

After a dreamless night, when she awoke the next day, the sun was high in the sky. She was alone in the room. Presumably, the man had feared she'd be cold, for a cotton overcoat, not very clean, was added on top of the worn quilt. Lin Yue reached out to touch it and felt a warm sensation in her heart. She couldn't remember the last time someone had taken such good care of her. This man seemed quite considerate, and he had been rather good to her. Perhaps the days ahead wouldn't be as difficult as she had imagined. Although the husband who had dropped from the sky seemed much older than her present body, and was a poor man from the mountains who couldn't provide her with an affluent life, a good life is created by people, isn't it?

Lin Yue was a practical person. Having lived in poor conditions since childhood, she had to rely on herself for everything and had developed a strong adaptability. Understanding that she could not change the established facts, she stopped brooding over them and reassured herself, preparing to face the days ahead with renewed vigor.

There was a rustling sound outside the door, followed by a gentle creak as the door was pushed open. Lin Yue thought it was Zhao Erhu, but to her surprise, a boy of about ten years old entered. The boy was dressed rather thinly, his clothes patched, and his face bore a maturity not befitting his age, giving him a prematurely aged appearance. He carried a bowl of chicken soup and two steamed buns, followed by three little ragamuffins, all dressed similarly and decreasing in age. The children entered timidly behind the boy.

"Who are you," Lin Yue asked curiously, looking at them. Before the words could leave her lips, the boy spoke first, "Third Stepmother, Father has gone to work in the fields and told us to take care of you." With that, he reluctantly placed the chicken soup and steamed buns he was holding on the table. Although the three little ones were curious about their new stepmother, their youthful attraction to food was stronger, and their gaze quickly shifted to the table. Lin Yue distinctly heard the sound of them swallowing saliva.

"What did you call me?" Even though the shocks of the past few days had considerably toughened her, Lin Yue was still startled by the boy's reference to her.