Chapter Five
The rooster crowed outside the window. Mu Jin was really exhausted last night. Usually, he would have been up by now, but today he just groaned, turned over, hugged the big heater next to him, and fell asleep again.
Zhou Lin held his husband in his arms, his eyes filled with tenderness. Since birth, he had never felt happier than at this moment. He just wanted to hold his soft husband in his arms tightly and stay like this until the end of time.
Love arises without warning and deepens with time. Zhou Lin didn't know when he fell in love with Mu Jin. He only knew that since their encounter by the river, he couldn't take his eyes off Mu Jin wherever she was. Seeing her sad made him feel even worse.
Mu Jin may never know that the wild pheasants he would occasionally find lying at his feet while gathering firewood on the mountain were all ones that he had painstakingly caught for him. He loved watching Mu Jin secretly roast chicken on the mountain, and the way she would squint her eyes in satisfaction the moment she ate the chicken, just like a raccoon.
Just as Zhou Lin was feeling tender, he heard his mother's cursing voice coming from the courtyard, "What time is it? Aren't you getting up to cook?! Do you expect this old woman to serve you?"
The intention behind these words was not too obvious. Anyone with a brain could tell who Zhou Wu was talking about. Zhou Lin glanced at Mu Jin, who was half asleep and about to be woken up by the noise, and gently patted his back. Mu Jin then fell asleep again.
Zhou Lin quietly got up, put on her clothes, and quietly went out the door. When she got to the courtyard, she blushed and said to Zhou Wu Shi, "Mother, A Jin was very tired last night. Don't wake him up. Let him sleep a little longer. I'll make breakfast."
Zhou Lin said somewhat embarrassedly that he had been holding back for over twenty years, and last night he had taken advantage of Mu Jin and couldn't control himself.
Hearing this, Madam Zhou was furious and itched with hatred. With sleep still clinging to her eyes from the morning, she disregarded the image of a kind mother she had cultivated in her eldest son's eyes for many years and unleashed a torrent of abuse on Zhou Lin.
"You cooked? You've really become completely devoted to your husband now that you've married him. I've only eaten your cooking a few times over the years. It's true what they say, a son grows up and no longer listens to his mother. He's forgotten his mother after marrying his husband!"
Zhou Lin was confused by what was being said. He didn't quite understand. It was just about calling someone to cook. What difference did it make who cooked?
Mu Jin slowly opened her eyes. With Zhou Wu's loud voice, she figured there weren't many people in the family still asleep. Otherwise, she would be like a pig, completely undisturbed by thunder.
To be honest, he really didn't know how to fight with Zhou Wushi. It was so cold outside, and he wasn't feeling well. He didn't want to get out of bed.
But not wanting to give others a reason to criticize him, he thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and sat up. The quilt fell off, revealing his pale body covered in bluish-purple marks, which made Mu Jin gently scold, "Like a dog."
Before Zhou Lin could speak, Mu Jin's voice came from behind, "Lin, Mother, what would you like to eat this morning?"
Zhou Wushi glanced at him and snorted softly. He really had the air of a vixen. Today, she would definitely set a good example of mother-in-law etiquette.
"You still know how to get up? Go out and see, which husband gets up first and makes the men in the house cook? You're really something. Not to mention you serve him when he gets dressed, even if he's thirsty and wants a drink of water at night, I'm afraid I can't count on you!"
These words sounded as if she doted on her eldest son. Mu Jin didn't retort, but instead looked shaky and weak, saying softly, "Mother, it's my fault. It's my first time getting married, and I don't know how to serve my husband. I'll learn from you in the future."
Seeing Mu Jin like this broke Zhou Lin's heart. She quickly went over to support her, her voice tinged with anger, "Mother, I've already said that A-Jin isn't feeling well. It doesn't matter who cooks the food! Just wait!"
Zhou Wu was furious when she heard this, and was about to explode when she heard Mu Jin leaning against Zhou Lin, her gentle demeanor carrying a hint of reproach.
“Husband, how can you speak to your mother like that? As a new husband, I should cook for my parents-in-law on the first day of our marriage. I am not a lazy man who would want to avoid gossip and become a laughingstock, saying that my parents don’t know how to raise their son and that I am lazy on the first day of our marriage, which makes my mother-in-law angry.”
Zhou Lin's eyes were almost overflowing with heartache as he looked at the boy he had finally married, who was also his beloved son, and said softly, "Then I'll go to the kitchen with you, and I'll do the heavy lifting."
Mu Jin glanced at Zhou Lin with a hint of shyness. The couple ignored Zhou Wu Shi and walked hand in hand towards the kitchen. Zhou Wu Shi felt a lump in her throat, so angry that her chest ached.
Back in the room, she snapped at Zhou Laosan, who was lying on the kang (heated brick bed) resting, "Listen to this! Listen to this! Your husband is really sharp-tongued. I've only said one sentence, and look at him!"
Zhou Laosan glanced at her and asked, "What did he say?"
He didn't seem to mind at all, and his attitude in admitting his mistake was very good. Didn't he go to cook? He has no idea what his wife is angry about.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Wu was so angry that she nearly fell over. She patted her chest and didn't want to talk to Zhou Laosan anymore.
As dawn broke and the sky turned a deep orange-red, Mu Jin cooked a pot of brown rice porridge, baked a few flatbreads, and served them with pickled vegetables from Zhou Wu's family. She then called Zhou Lin to bring breakfast to the table.
"Mom, what are you yelling about so early in the morning? I studied until the early hours of the morning last night, and I'm so sleepy."
Zhou Qiang was sprawled out in the chair like he had no bones, yawning widely. In his sleepy state, he saw a beautiful woman carrying a plate of pickled vegetables walking over, and he immediately perked up and sat up.
Zhou Wushi doted on Zhou Qiang the most, and upon hearing this, she quickly apologized, "It's all my fault. It's also your eldest brother's fault. It's almost time to make breakfast, but he hasn't gotten up yet. I was worried that he would miss breakfast, so I got a little anxious. After you finish eating, you can go back to sleep for a while."
After she finished speaking, she looked up and saw that her most beloved son hadn't listened to what she was saying at all. His eyes were practically glued to Mu Jin, which made Mu Jin feel disgusted.
"Dad, Mom, dinner's ready."
Ignoring Zhou Qiang's piercing gaze, Mu Jin spoke softly, obediently serving the family members their meals as she spoke.
Mu Jin first served Zhou Lao San a full bowl of porridge, then Zhou Wu Shi, and then Zhou Lin. Zhou Lin was helping Mu Jin set out the chopsticks when he saw this and quickly said, "Ah Jin, serve the younger brothers first, I'll serve them last."
Mu Jin feigned anger and said, "As the eldest brother, besides our father, you are the pillar of the family. It's not only right for younger brothers to respect their older brothers, but our fourth brother is also a scholar. We will rely on him to bring honor to our ancestors. If this gets out to the academy, I've heard that if the youngest brother doesn't respect his older brother, it will affect his future career. A-Lin, what you're doing isn't loving your younger brother; it's actually harming him!"
After Mu Jin finished speaking, she looked up and smiled at Zhou Qiang, saying, "Isn't that right, Fourth Brother? As for your eldest brother, I haven't been to school, and I've only heard about him from others."
Zhou Qiang's heart fluttered at Mu Jin's smile, and he nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, what Big Brother says is right. Big Brother, you should eat first."
Hearing this, Mu Jin was even happier. "Fourth brother, you are so sensible. Your eldest brother only knows how to work and doesn't know much. If he makes a mistake in the future, you must remind him properly."
Aside from Zhou Qiang, who was blinded by beauty and nodded repeatedly, and Zhou Lin, who was naive, everyone else sensed the veiled threat in Mu Jin's words, and their expressions turned somewhat unpleasant.
Zhou Wu's anger was evident on her face. She said angrily, "How can you spread family matters to the academy? Zhou Lin, as the eldest brother, should take better care of his younger brother."
Before Mu Jin could even speak, Zhou Qiang said, "Mother, my elder brother is right. You women are short-sighted. Elder brother, you eat."
Zhou Qiang had no objections, and the others didn't say anything either. Anyway, it wasn't their turn to be the last to drink the rice soup. Zhou Wushi was so disappointed in her son that she almost ground her teeth to powder. Her youngest son was just like that; he would easily lose his soul when he saw someone with a bit of good looks.
Zhou Si was secretly delighted. To be honest, his fourth brother wasn't a bad person; he just loved looking at beautiful women too much. If he were to marry a beautiful woman, the house would be so lively.
If his fourth brother always sides with his husband no matter what happens in the future, his mother-in-law will probably be so angry she'll be crooked.
It was the first time Zhou Lin had eaten a bowl full of rice porridge at home, but for some reason, he felt somewhat unhappy.
After breakfast, Mu Jin and Zhou Lin washed the dishes and chopsticks. Zhou Wu Shi and Mu Qing went back to the house, intending to pack up some dirty clothes and leave them to Mu Jin to wash.
These days, with the weather freezing cold and firewood so precious, washing clothes is a real ordeal. If someone else has to wash them, no one wants to do it themselves.
When Mu Jin returned to the house, she saw Zhou Lin hesitant to speak.
"What's wrong?" Mu Jin was very sensitive to changes in people's emotions. Seeing that Zhou Lin was in a low mood, she couldn't help but ask.
Zhou Lin hesitated before speaking, "Ah Jin, you...you prefer scholars?"
This morning, seeing Mu Jin and Zhou Qiang chatting and laughing at the breakfast table, he felt a pang of jealousy, knowing that he was inferior to his fourth brother in both looks and knowledge, and couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
Hibiscus: "..."
"What's with this jealousy?" she sighed softly, gently comforting him, "You... sigh, all my good intentions have been wasted."
Zhou Lin was at a loss for words. Afraid that Mu Jin would think he was suspicious, he quickly said, "Ah Jin, don't be angry. I'm not smart. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have said that to you."
Mu Jin smiled through her tears, "Alright, I just wanted you to eat more rice porridge. You're too thin, it breaks my heart to see you like this."
Mu Jin was quick to offer kind words, but she didn't have any deep feelings for Zhou Lin. It was just that he was her husband, and the two of them were one. As Zhou Lin's husband, she had to consider his feelings so that he could have a good life in the future.
Zhou Lin was deeply touched and smiled, "I see. But it's alright if I eat less. Fourth Brother studies every day, so he needs to eat more to do well."
Mu Jin was speechless. "Can't you see that your fourth brother is almost as fat as a ball? No matter how much you supplement him, it will only turn into fat in his belly, not into brains. Besides, when he's hungry, his mother-in-law will definitely give him special treatment. As for you, when you're hungry, you can only go hungry."
Mu Jin gently hugged him and said softly, "You are my husband, and I always want to give you the best. You do physically demanding work, how can you not eat enough? Can you eat well for me? When we have children in the future, you will be our pillar of support."
As Zhou Lin listened, for some reason his eyes welled up with tears. He hugged Mu Jin tightly and said in a deep voice, "Okay."
Mu Jin deliberately said, "If you didn't cherish yourself, you would have died long ago. I would have taken your son and remarried someone else. I would never have remained chaste for you."
Zhou Lin didn't say anything, but hugged him even tighter. The thought of Mu Jin remarrying someone else made his heart ache terribly.
The newlyweds enjoyed two days of blissful happiness. However, during these two days, Zhou Wu was furious because Mu Jin had tricked her and she had to wash her own clothes. She was constantly looking for trouble.
Mu Jin's words were impeccable, and she had done all the work she was supposed to do. However, she managed to find fault with him and scolded him, "Look at the clothes you washed for A Lin! You didn't even clean the oil stain from your son! Is this how you act as a husband?!"
Seeing Mu Jin's hands red from the cold, Zhou Qiang couldn't stand it anymore before Zhou Lin could speak. "Mother, why do you always like to make trouble for no reason? There's a little oil stain that you can't even see unless you look closely. How much cleaner do you want these clothes to be? As for the eldest brother, don't mind Mother. Look at your hands, they're all red from the cold. Go inside and warm them up."
In Zhou Qiang's eyes, beautiful women should be cherished. He really couldn't bear to see beautiful women suffer, but he didn't think about helping Mu Jin with her work.
Zhou Wu really wanted to sew Zhou Qiang's mouth shut, but she couldn't bear to scold him, so she could only mutter curses as she went back to her room to lie down.
Zhou Lin sighed inwardly, wondering why he felt his mother's temper was getting worse.
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