Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 103

hii guys, its nini here hope you're liking this novel - if you do please rate this novel on NU too

hi guys im translating nother wn of the same author in another site you can read it here - LINK

Shangjing is the capital

Chapter 103

After the Lantern Festival, everyone became busy.

The restaurant was opening, Douzi’s County Academy was starting its new term, and the distillery was preparing to make fermentation starters.

Last year, Lu Yao made over 300 jin (about 150 kg) of starters by himself, which produced 38 vats of raw liquor. He used 57 stones of sorghum, yielding 230 stones of liquor, with a yield rate of roughly 2.5:1.

This yield rate was excellent. With modern techniques, the yield could reach 1.8:1, but the resulting liquor would have a higher alcohol concentration.

This year, Jiang Ying ordered 8,000 jin of liquor, which meant Lu Yao needed to prepare at least 1,200 jin of fermentation starters and purchase over 20,000 jin of grain, equivalent to about 200 stones.

Currently, sorghum costs 660 wen per stone. Adding the barley and peas for the starters, along with the charcoal and firewood for drying, the total cost would be over 300 taels of silver.

Although Lu Yao could afford it, he didn’t plan to foot the bill. His excuse was that the materials required were too extensive and he didn’t have enough silver on hand.

If he didn’t act this way, Jiang Ying would soon discover how profitable liquor production was and might take action even sooner.

After several trips to the provincial capital, Jiang Ying eventually gave Lu Yao 200 taels of silver. With that money, he bought an additional 200 stones of sorghum to keep as a reserve.

—

By March, spring had arrived, and the weather grew warmer by the day.

The first batch of starters was completed, but it needed to be stored for three months before it could be used. Lu Yao promptly purchased more barley and peas to start making the second batch.

This second batch of starters was partially for his own use and partially reserved for emergencies.

As of now, there was still no news from the military camp. If alcohol proved to be useful, this batch of starters might be supplied to them.

At the distillery, the slaves were busy, and the restaurant business was booming as well.

A few days ago, Lu Yao hosted a caravan heading north to Goguryeo. They brought along fennel seeds from the Western Regions, which were a treasure. Adding some to braised dishes would make them even more flavorful.

However, the seeds were expensive—one liang (37.5 grams) cost 70 wen. Buying 10 jin (around 5 kg) cost him 7 taels of silver.

The next day, he added some fennel seeds to the braised chicken. The aroma was so enticing that it immediately drew attention. An old customer who ordered half a braised chicken took one bite and instantly noticed the difference.

“Shopkeeper! You’ve added something new to your braised chicken, haven’t you?”

“You have a sharp tongue, dear customer. I added some spices from the Western Regions. How does it taste?”

“Delicious! Shopkeeper, you really spare no expense!”

Lu Yao laughed. “As long as it satisfies you, it’s worth every penny!”

Lu Miao had already adapted to life in the county. He helped out at the restaurant every day with Xiaonian and Xiaochun, handling small tasks like wiping tables, sweeping floors, and washing dishes.

However, Lu Yao’s mother was not as comfortable. She occasionally visited the restaurant but often returned home, feeling homesick.

Though they had only been in the county for two months, she felt it was too much trouble to ask her son-in-law to make another trip back to their hometown.

Lu Yao noticed her discomfort and gave her the backyard to manage, hoping to keep her busy and distracted.

With this new responsibility, she found purpose. Taking advantage of the warmer weather, she turned over the soil in the garden and planted various vegetables, including cabbage, radishes, cucumbers, and beans. Time flew, and soon it was May.

This time, young Douzi ranked seventh in his class during the academy exams, successfully advancing from Class C to Class B!

To celebrate his promotion, Lu Yao decided to prepare a feast at the restaurant during his day off.

By afternoon, most of the customers had left. Lu Miao cleaned the tables and locked the front door, signaling the restaurant was closed for the day.

In the kitchen, Xiaonian and Xiaochun were washing dishes, Lu Yao’s mother was peeling garlic, and Douzi was helping wash vegetables. Everyone was smiling.

“Our Douzi is amazing! Advancing to Class B this time—next time, aim for Class A!” Lu Yao poured oil into the pan, preparing to fry some fish.

Douzi blushed at the praise. “It’s nothing… He Changfeng, who is three years older than me, is already in Class A. I still need to work harder.”

Lu Yao’s mother sighed. “Oh my, where can you find a child like this? We must have ancestral blessings for such a bright future!”

Lu Yao admired Douzi’s determination. When he was Douzi’s age, all he cared about was playing and watching TV, barely finishing his homework.

Zhao Beichuan, though pleased, maintained a stern demeanor. “Don’t get cocky. You’ve only studied for a few years and are still far behind others. Don’t forget that Zijian, with his grandfather teaching him in the capital, is progressing even faster than you.”

Hearing about Lin Zijian, who had recently written to say he was already studying parallel prose and arithmetic, Douzi’s competitive spirit was reignited. “I’ll work even harder!”

Just as Lu Miao was setting the table, someone knocked on the door.

“Sorry, we’re closed for the day. Please come back tomorrow.”

The knocking continued. Lu Miao raised his voice, “We’re not accepting customers today. Please come back tomorrow.”

“Open the door!”

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Didn’t you hear me?”

A burst of laughter came from outside. “Go get your shopkeeper.”

Realizing it might be someone familiar, Lu Miao quickly went to the kitchen. “Third Brother, someone’s at the door asking for you.”

Lu Yao handed the spatula to Zhao Beichuan. “Didn’t you tell them we’re closed today?”

“I did, but they kept knocking.”

Lu Yao went to the door and peeked through the crack. “We’re…”

“Shopkeeper Lu, open the door—it’s me.” Recognizing Guard Captain Ge’s voice, Lu Yao quickly unlatched the door.

“Oh, Captain Ge, Captain Liang, when did you return? Please, come in!”

Captain Ge glanced past him at Lu Miao with a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Your new helper has quite the temper.”

Lu Yao apologized profusely. “That’s my younger brother. He just came from the village. Please forgive his impudence.”

“No problem. We wouldn’t hold it against a kid.”

“I’m not a kid; I’m already seventeen,” Lu Miao muttered quietly.

Lu Yao elbowed him, signaling him to keep quiet. “Have you eaten yet? You came at the right time—join us for dinner.”

Captain Ge, perceptive as ever, declined politely. “No need for that. Is Brother Beichuan here? We need him to come with us to the barracks.”

Lu Yao’s heart sank. “Is something wrong?”

Captain Ge didn’t elaborate, only reassuring him that everything was fine.

Moments later, Zhao Beichuan emerged from the kitchen, bowed to the officers, and was promptly pulled up by Captain Ge. “No need for formalities—let’s go.”

After Zhao Beichuan left, the remaining family members lost their appetite, their worries overshadowing their celebration.

Lu Miao, realizing they were military officers, grew nervous. “Third Brother, did I offend them? Is that why they took Brother-in-law away?”

“No, it’s not your fault. But be more cautious in the future. You never know when important guests might visit the restaurant. Offend the wrong person, and we might not be able to keep the business running.”

Lu Miao nodded vigorously like a pecking chick. “I understand.”

Seeing that Zhao Beichuan wouldn’t be back for a while, Lu Yao called the children to start eating. He took the stewed fish out of the pot and cooked two more dishes.

After dinner, the dishes were cleaned up, and Lu Yao told the others to head back while he stayed at the shop alone to wait for Zhao Beichuan.

He suspected that Guard Captain Ge taking Zhao Beichuan to the barracks might have something to do with the alcohol.

—

Zhao Beichuan followed Guard Captain Ge hurriedly toward the military camp. Along the way, he didn’t dare ask why he was summoned, and Guard Captain Ge didn’t volunteer any information.

It wasn’t until they were near the barracks that Guard Captain Ge asked, “Is your brother-in-law married?”

“Huh? No, not yet.”

“Oh.” And he said nothing more.

Zhao Beichuan was utterly confused, wondering why this had anything to do with Lu Miao.

Once inside the barracks, Zhao Beichuan was led to the central camp building. At the door, Guard Captain Ge reported that he had brought the person as requested.

Soon, a soldier in light armor stepped forward and searched Zhao Beichuan from head to toe before leading him inside.

By now, Zhao Beichuan’s legs were trembling. When he saw who he was meeting, he immediately knelt on the ground. “C-C-Commoner pays respects to the Prince.”

Zhenbei Wang(Prince Zhenbei aka Northern Army Commander ) wasn’t wearing armor this time. Instead, he was dressed in a plain brown brocade robe with a jade crown on his head, exuding a calm and understated demeanor.

“Stand up. Still so timid, wasting all that strength you’ve got.”

Zhao Beichuan stood up trembling, his head lowered as he stammered, “Please forgive me, Your Grace.”

He wasn’t faking it—he truly feared Zhenbei Wang. A general who had experienced countless battles carried an imposing air of authority that ordinary people could not withstand.

“Get him a chair.”

A young general nearby handed a chair to Zhao Beichuan. “Don’t be afraid. His Grace won’t harm you.”

Zhao Beichuan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. The man bore a resemblance to Officer Liang and was likely his younger brother, General Liang.

Sitting down, Zhao Beichuan finally steadied his nerves and asked cautiously, “What does Your Grace need from this humble one?”

“This wine pouch—did you give it to Guard Captain Ge?”

Zhao Beichuan looked up briefly and nodded. “Yes, I gave it to him.”

“What’s inside? How was it made?”

“Your Grace, this was accidentally created by my husband during his winemaking process. Last year, when I was attacked and injured by bandits, he used this strong alcohol to clean my wounds, saving my life. When Guard Captain Ge was reassigned, I thought it might be useful in the military and gave him a pouch.”

These words were half true. Zhao Beichuan and Lu Yao had discussed this scenario before. Lu Yao had instructed him to mention the injury story if asked about the alcohol, making it seem like a lucky discovery to avoid arousing suspicion. To his surprise, the situation had unfolded exactly as Lu Yao predicted.

Fearing disbelief, Zhao Beichuan removed his clothing to reveal a half-foot-long scar on his shoulder blade, proof that could not be faked.

Zhenbei Wang nodded and told him to dress.

Beside him, the young General Liang saluted Zhao Beichuan with one hand over his shoulder. “Thank you, Zhao, for gifting us the strong alcohol. Without it, I fear my life would have been lost this time.”

Zhao Beichuan was shocked, unable to comprehend.

It turned out that two months ago, a Khitan force of over ten thousand attacked Ying Prefecture. Liang Chuang led three thousand men in an attempt to flank the enemy, only for their plans to be leaked by a traitor, nearly leading to their complete annihilation.

When Liang Chuang was rescued, he had suffered one stab wound and two arrows, his life hanging by a thread. Military doctors assessed his injuries and shook their heads, believing he couldn’t survive.

Zhenbei Wang, furious, ordered them to spare no effort to save Liang Chuang. At this critical moment, Guard Captain Ge and Officer Liang mentioned the strong alcohol. The military doctors tried it as a last resort.

Unexpectedly, the strong alcohol saved Liang Chuang’s life!

In the past, the greatest fear in the military wasn’t the severity of injuries but wound infections. Once a wound festered, fever would set in, and death was almost certain within days.

With the weather warming, wounds were even more prone to infection. Military doctors applied the alcohol to Liang Chuang’s injuries for three consecutive days. Remarkably, the wounds, though red, showed no signs of festering and even began to scab.

The military doctors were ecstatic and reported the discovery to Zhenbei Wang, requesting the alcohol’s source. They believed that having such a substance in the military could reduce fatalities by half.

Initially skeptical that alcohol alone could save lives, Zhenbei Wang ordered tests on three other soldiers. All three saw similar results, their wounds showing no signs of infection.

Among them was a soldier with a severe abdominal injury, who had been deemed beyond saving, but he survived thanks to the alcohol.

Zhenbei Wang was now fully convinced. Having led troops for seventeen years, he understood the revolutionary impact of the alcohol. With it, his army could achieve unprecedented victories, rendering the Khitan no longer a threat.

He summoned Guard Captain Ge and Officer Liang overnight to investigate the alcohol’s origins. Guard Captain Ge truthfully recounted everything about Zhao Beichuan and Lu Yao.

Zhenbei Wang, recalling the strong young man he had noticed before, decided to visit Ping Prefecture in person. If Zhao Beichuan proved useful, he planned to grant him a nominal position in the military, tasking him with producing alcohol for the Northern Army.

Back at the barracks, the Prince tapped his fingers on the table and asked directly, “What is this alcohol made of? How much can you produce in a year?”

Zhao Beichuan immediately knelt. “Your Grace, I know little about this. The winery is entirely managed by my husband, while I focus on running the eatery.”

Zhenbei Wang grew even more curious about this Lu. “Very well. Tomorrow, I’ll visit your eatery.”

—

When Zhao Beichuan returned to the eatery, his legs were unsteady, and his head was spinning. Seeing the lights still on inside, he hurriedly knocked on the door.

“I’m back.”

Lu Yao opened the door and nervously pulled him inside. “What happened? Why did Guard Captain Ge take you to the barracks?”

“Ah Yao, you predicted it all—everything! Zhenbei Wang wants the alcohol!”

“You met Zhenbei Wang?”

Zhao Beichuan took a deep breath to calm himself and recounted everything. “I didn’t reveal how much alcohol we can produce, only said I didn’t know and that you were in charge of the winery. He said he’d come to our eatery tomorrow!”

Lu Yao’s hand trembled as he held Zhao Beichuan’s. He knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If seized, they would no longer be under Jiang Ying’s thumb.

Most importantly, Zhenbei Wang was the emperor’s full brother and enjoyed a close relationship with him. There was no risk of being unfairly implicated.

“Good, good, good! Tomorrow, we’ll prepare well. We must board Zhenbei Wang’s ship!”