American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 146 The Structure of the Empress
(This chapter focuses on the process of accepting Emily. If you don't like this, please do not subscribe.)
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After hanging up the phone, Emily sat on the sofa in her clinic, looking out the window, still feeling a strange sense of unease.

She knew this was no ordinary afternoon tea; it was more like a trial by the original wife, and that blueberry muffin, in her eyes, was no different from the "poisoned apple" in Snow White's hands.

At 2 p.m., Emily, feeling uneasy, drove her Subaru to the "Wood Forest" once again.

Lin Yu'an and Bo, being very tactful, used the excuse of checking the animal trap wiring to disappear into the distant forest with their two excited Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Inside the huge wooden house, only Arya and Emily remained.

Arya had changed into comfortable loungewear. She placed the two sleeping children in cradles on the porch and then greeted Emily with a smile.

In the fireplace in the living room, the flames danced warmly.

On the coffee table were exquisite tea sets, a plate of muffins that smelled of butter and blueberries, and a jar of honey from Montana.

"Please sit down, Emily."

Arya poured her a steaming cup of honey tea: "Try it, this is honey produced on our own farm, it tastes very good."

Emily sat down awkwardly, holding the warm teacup in both hands, but she was somewhat afraid to look Arya in the eye, waiting for the impending interrogation.

However, Arya's opening remarks were completely unexpected.

“Emily, Lin has told me everything.”

These words exploded in Emily's mind like a bomb! The teacup in her hand trembled violently, spilling some of the scalding tea.

"I..." Realizing she was in the wrong, she opened her mouth but didn't know what to say, and her face instantly turned awkward.

"Don't be nervous." Arya's tone remained calm and gentle as she pulled out a tissue and handed it to Emily.

"I invited you here not to criticize you, nor to warn you."

She looked into Emily's eyes, and in those pale green eyes, there was no anger, no jealousy, only a frankness and openness that Emily could not understand at all.

"To be honest, I was a little worried before." Arya sighed softly, added a spoonful of honey to her tea, and stirred it slowly, as if she was organizing her thoughts.

“I’m worried that Lin, being so stubborn, will feel unnecessary guilt because of this. I’m worried that he’ll feel sorry for me and give up our previous agreement about the extended family.”

Emily was completely stunned; her brain seemed to freeze at those words.

“You know what, Emily?”

Arya continued, "I grew up in the Mormon community in Montana. My father had four wives, and my brothers also had several wives."

"In our view, a truly strong man has the ability and love to protect a larger family and bring safety and happiness to more women and children."

Emily looked at the woman in front of her who was smiling as she uttered these shocking remarks, and for a moment she couldn't tell whether she was joking or really meant it.

“Lin is a very traditional Chinese man.” Alia’s tone carried a hint of helplessness.

"In his mind, monogamy is the only normal thing. You may not realize that he is actually a person who is extremely insecure."

These words caused a hint of doubt to appear in Emily's eyes.

Lin Yu'an? Lacking a sense of security? The man who can build a wooden house alone in the wilderness, calmly face armed bandits, and even ruthlessly decide the life and death of others, would lack a sense of security?
Arya noticed her confusion, picked up a muffin and handed it to Emily, then took one for herself, and said slowly.

“I know that in your eyes he is strong, calm, and even a little cold, but that’s just a thick layer of armor he puts on himself.”

“When I met him, he was still in college. Back then, although he was very capable, he was a completely different person.”

Her gaze seemed to travel through time and space back to the past: "Back then, he would feel frustrated because he didn't get first place in an exam, and he would be sullen because of a loss in a basketball game. Like any ordinary boy, he would have moments of vulnerability and confusion."

"He had an unfortunate childhood, and it was through his extraordinary efforts and talent that he got to where he is today."

“He took every step with utmost care, fearing he might lose everything he had. Perhaps this mentality is ingrained in his very being and remains so to this day.”

"Because I can sense him, I can sense that he is afraid of losing something, but I won't pursue it if he doesn't say it. I just need to stay by his side and be his listener."

Emily listened quietly. These past events, which she had never known before, caused a crack to appear in the image of the powerful, devilish man in her mind for the first time, making him more real and three-dimensional.

"Everything he's doing now—building such a big house, storing so many supplies, and even... making some cold-blooded decisions—may all stem from his deep-seated fear of loss."

Arya's voice softened: "He may want to prove in this way that he can build an absolutely safe future for me and for the children, and that the future he and we have together is not a bubble."

"So when a threat like the one you encountered arises, he will deal with it in the most direct and least troublesome way, even if it means he will be burdened with heavy shackles."

After hearing these words, Emily's fear of Lin Yu'an gradually dissipated, replaced by a deeper curiosity. She was curious about what kind of person this man truly was at his core.

“I told him before that I wouldn’t mind if he found another wife in the future to build a family together.”

Arya steered the conversation back on track: "But his reaction was slow, even somewhat resistant. I was worried about how to get him to accept this idea gradually."

She looked at Emily, her eyes becoming sincere: "So, in a sense, your appearance might not be a bad thing."

“You are beautiful, excellent, and a kind veterinarian. Whiskey and Honey like you very much, and it’s clear that you also like Ethan and Olivia.”

"the most important is"

Arya said, word by word, "Between you and him, there is a deep bond, forged in secrets and blood. You and he are true accomplices, a bond that even I cannot replace."

"So, Emily, I would like to formally invite you to join our family."

Emily felt her worldview was completely overturned and then reshaped at that moment.

She stammered, "Arya...you...you don't hate me? I..."

“Why should I hate you?” Arya retorted.

“Your silence saved my husband from jail, and he also saved your life. You were both trying to survive.”

"Besides, I can tell that when you look at him, there's no rejection in your eyes. Why should I hate a woman who loves my child, loves my husband, and has a life-and-death bond with him?"

Emily looked into Arya's honest and unadulterated eyes, and felt incredibly conflicted.

This huge shock to her worldview still made it difficult for her to accept immediately.

She never imagined that such marriage values ​​existed in the world. For a moment, she was actually a little scared, afraid that she had joined some cult and been brainwashed.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her chaotic emotions.

Finally, she replied in the same sincere tone, "Arya, thank you. Thank you for your honesty and...invitation. I...I need some time to process all of this; it's all so sudden for me."

She looked at Arya and offered her idea: "Perhaps... we can start as friends?"

“Of course.” Arya gave a bright smile.

She knew she had succeeded. She stood up and gave Emily a warm hug.

"Welcome, Emily. It's nice to start as friends."

An hour later, when Lin Yu'an and Bo returned with their two dogs, who were covered in mud, they were greeted by this harmonious scene.

Arya and Emily were sitting on the porch, enjoying afternoon tea and scones while discussing how to develop a more scientific diet plan for whiskey and honey.

The sunlight shone on them, warm and peaceful.

Seeing this scene, Lin Yu'an's last trace of worry completely vanished.

He couldn't help but admire his wife's skill and vision, and he was determined to ask Arya that night how she had managed to do it.

Just then, the sound of a baby crying came from inside the wooden house.

"Oh, Ethan's awake." Arya immediately got up, ready to go inside.

Emily stood up instinctively, a hint of concern in her eyes. Arya glanced back at her, smiling as she extended a perfectly natural invitation: "Emily, could you please help me? Olivia will be waking up soon, and I might be a little overwhelmed if I do it alone."

The invitation was so natural that Emily simply couldn't refuse.

She nodded and followed Arya into the nursery, which was filled with the scents of milk and wood.

Arya skillfully picked up her crying son Ethan and began to check his diaper.

Meanwhile, her daughter Olivia opened her eyes and began to hum.

"Can you help me pick him up?" Arya pointed to Olivia's crib.

"Me... me?"

Emily was somewhat flattered. Although she was a veterinarian and had held countless kittens and puppies, this was the first time she had ever held such a soft human baby.

“Of course, don’t be afraid, she’s very well-behaved,” Arya encouraged.

Emily took a deep breath and carefully, even somewhat stiffly, lifted little Olivia off the bed.

The moment that soft, warm little body nestled completely in her arms, Emily felt as if her heart had been struck hard by something.

An unprecedented, tender emotion instantly filled her entire chest.

Little Olivia seemed to like this new embrace. She didn't cry or fuss, but just stared at Emily with her big, light green eyes, just like her mother's, and even reached out her little hand to grab a strand of Emily's long, golden-brown hair.

While changing her son's diaper, Arya began her next step in her strategy in an extremely natural tone.

"Look, the children really like you."

She smiled and said, "In the future, when the children grow up, they will not only have a father and mother, but also several mothers to love them."

“They can learn how to bake from me, and how to get along with animals from you. If other people join in the future, they may also learn to draw or play music. They will have more love and skills than other children.”

She depicted the advantages of a large family in such a warm and appealing way.

Emily held Olivia in her arms and listened to Arya's words, deeply moved.

She recalled her lonely childhood and her long-cherished dream of having a lively family.

Perhaps... this isn't so bad?
Arya noticed a softening in her expression. She changed Ethan's diaper, picked him up, walked over to Emily, and said softly, "Let's go, it's time to feed the babies. Could you get me the bottles?"

Over the next hour, Emily clumsily but very diligently learned how to prepare formula, how to test the temperature, and how to burp the baby.

She was so focused, as if she were not caring for a baby, but performing the most delicate surgery.

Lin Yu'an and Bo watched this scene from outside the door, neither of them going in to disturb it.

Bo's face was full of confusion and disbelief. He asked Lin Yu'an in a low voice, "Lin, what...is Arya doing?"

“She is adding a new member to this family,” Lin Yu’an replied.

Bo nodded thoughtfully. This behavior and these ideas were in line with his values, so he didn't pay much attention to it, treating it as just his sister's family matter.

As Emily was about to leave, Arya called her back.

"Emily, wait a minute."

Lin Yu'an came out of the study, holding the hard drive containing the Bitcoin private key in his hand.

Arya naturally took the heavy hard drive case from Lin Yu'an's hands and then turned to Emily.

This small action instantly changed the atmosphere of the entire room.

Arya smiled and handed the hard drive box, which represented a huge fortune, directly back to Emily.

"Emily, take this back."

Arya's actions stunned Emily.

Arya looked sincerely at Emily with her clear, pale green eyes and said, word by word, "This belongs to you; it is your property."

“We McKinley family members never use other people’s things to exchange for a so-called sense of security.”

Her tone was gentle, but the power it contained shocked everyone present.

“But…” Emily looked at the hard drive in front of her, then at Lin Yu’an, at a loss for what to do.

This hard drive, and the portion of Bitcoin it contained, was the price she paid for pointing a gun at Lin Yu'an.
Now, Arya actually wants to return it to me? Didn't Lin Yu'an tell her about pointing a gun at him?

Arya took Emily's hand and placed the cold hard drive enclosure back into her palm.

“Take it, Emily.” Arya’s voice carried an undeniable warmth.

“I told you, I want to invite you to join our family, and the most important thing between family members is trust, not transactions.”

She looked into Emily's eyes and continued, "I'm giving this back to you so you can understand."

"I hope you will become one of us in the future, not out of fear, not because of coercion, and certainly not because of profit."

"It's because you truly love this family, love Lin, and love the children that I'm giving you the freedom to choose."

These words were like a powerful warm current, instantly shattering Emily's last psychological defenses.

She nodded, gripping the hard drive tightly, her voice trembling slightly with a barely perceptible sob: "Thank you, Arya."

After seeing Emily off, Lin Yu'an looked at his wife with an extremely complicated expression.

"Aren't you afraid she'll run off with the hard drive?" Lin Yu'an couldn't help but ask.

“She won’t,” Arya smiled confidently.

"What you bind with chains is merely a body that may rebel at any moment, while what I give with trust and acceptance may be a soul that will never betray you."

"Besides, the phone that recorded the video of her firing the gun is still in your hands, isn't it? We always have to have a backup plan."

Lin Yu'an was completely convinced by her words, and he shook his head with a wry smile.

Arya stepped forward, hugged him from behind, pressed her face against his back, and said in an almost coquettish tone, "So, darling, now you understand, right? Our family needs another lady of the house to help out."

“Look, just taking care of two children is enough to keep me busy. In the future, I will also have to manage the vegetable garden, do housework, and even butcher the game after hunting. Veterinarian Emily will be a good helper, won’t she?”

Under his wife's combined pressure and persuasion, Lin Yu'an felt the warmth in her arms, looked out the window at the wooden house that had become his home, and could only sigh helplessly in the end.

He knew that he had been completely controlled by this seemingly gentle wife who possessed the wisdom and vision of four mothers.

It seems that Emily will become a new member of their family, a fact that appears to be a foregone conclusion.

“Okay.” He turned around, pulled Arya into his arms, and kissed her forehead.

"You're in charge, my mistress."

Arya smiled brightly in his arms.

“We’re family, Lin.” She stood on tiptoe and returned his kiss.

"Right now, our family is just getting started."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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(End of this chapter)