Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 113

Chapter 113

 

“Old Ge, slow down!”

 

Liang Zhong urged his horse forward, keeping close behind him. His injuries hadn’t fully healed, and yet he wasn’t taking it easy. He’d better not tear his wounds open on the way.

 

“It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” Captain Ge had a broad smile on his face, urging his horse to gallop faster.

 

After about forty li, the horses couldn’t take it anymore, snorting and demanding a break. Reluctantly, Ge Changbao pulled on the reins and stopped by the roadside.

 

“Whoa~~~” Liang Zhong reined in his horse, panting as he dismounted. “What’s the rush? Even if you’re a day late, he’s not going anywhere.”

 

Ge Changbao scratched his head and laughed foolishly. He was about to see his fiancé, and his heart burned with urgency, wishing he could sprout wings and fly home.

 

“Let me check your shoulder.”

 

“I’m fine, really.”

 

Liang Zhong lifted his padded jacket and saw blood seeping through the cloth. “You just had to push it. What will you do if the wound festers?”

 

“No big deal, I’ve got alcohol for it.”

 

“That stuff isn’t magic. Besides, using it stings like hell. Let’s take it slow and steady; we’ll reach before the city gates close tomorrow.”

 

Ge Changbao stopped insisting and nodded in agreement.

 

The wound on his back was from a battle to reclaim lost territory. During an assault, he had fought with a barbarian who ambushed his horse. The horse reared, throwing him off its back, and he took a slash to the shoulder. If it had been just an inch higher, the blade would have struck his neck.

 

Fortunately, he was quick, dodging the second strike and cutting the enemy down with all his strength.

 

The injury was severe, a two-inch-deep gash with flesh rolled back, and it hadn’t fully healed even now.

 

He had taken the lead in the battle and earned a commendation for it. Hearing that he was about to marry, the prince awarded him gold and jade artifacts. His position was also climbing steadily; next year, he would likely be promoted to the rank of Vice General, a fifth-grade official.

 

Liang Zhong was genuinely happy for his brother-in-arms.

 

Because they were in a hurry, the two hadn’t traveled back with the main army. The soldiers replacing them were still led by the deputy general and had only reached Songgao County.

 

After feeding their horses and lighting a campfire, they heated some strong liquor and ate dry flatbread.

 

Liang Zhong teased, “What kind of love potion did that Lu family boy use on you? You’re completely bewitched. The girls I introduced to you back then weren’t bad either, but you didn’t fancy any of them.”

 

Ge Changbao’s face reddened slightly. “I don’t know either. I just feel happy when I see him.”

 

“Alright, alright. You’re like a turtle seeing a green bean, a perfect match. Is the wedding date set?”

 

“Not yet. When I left, we only agreed to marry when I returned. Now that I’m back, I’ll need to tidy up the house and prepare everything before delivering the betrothal gifts.”

 

“That’ll keep you busy. Let me know if you need help.”

 

“Of course, I’ll count on you.”

 

The two exchanged a look and burst into hearty laughter.

 

Meanwhile, Lu Yao had already prepared everything for his younger brother’s marriage. Besides the previously arranged items, he had ordered an additional redwood canopy bed and a set of tables and chairs. These wedding gifts were presentable even for a wealthy family.

 

That evening, Lu Miao quietly called Lu Yao into his room.

 

“What is it? Why the secrecy?”

 

Lu Miao shut the door and pulled out three hundred taels of silver from a chest. “Third Brother, take this money.”

 

“What’s this for?”

 

“Just take it. I can’t let you pay for everything for my wedding.”

 

“Oh, so you’re already treating your brother like an outsider. You’ll spend Ge’s money without a second thought but not mine?”

 

Lu Miao’s face turned red. “No, it’s just that you have a whole family to support…”

 

Lu Yao chuckled and put the silver back. “Your brother isn’t short on money. Keep it for yourself. You’ll need it when managing a household later. Don’t spend recklessly.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Lu Yao ruffled his hair, realizing that Lu Miao had grown taller than him over the years.

 

When they first met, Lu Miao had only reached his shoulder. Over the years, he had worked alongside them, moving from the village to the town, and finally to the city. Now, he was seeing him start his own family.

 

“Get some rest. Who knows, maybe Captain Ge will be back tomorrow.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Lu Yao’s casual remark turned out to be prophetic.

 

The next day at noon, while the restaurant was bustling, two soldiers appeared at the door.

 

Ge Changbao hadn’t even changed his clothes. In the heat, he was still wearing the padded jacket Lu Miao had sent him. After rushing on the road, he looked dirty and disheveled, his hair a mess.

 

Before entering the city, he had been eager to see Lu Miao, but once inside, he grew hesitant.

 

“Liang, do you think my beard is too long? Should I go back and shave?”

 

“No need. You look fine.”

 

Ge Changbao sniffed his clothes. “I haven’t bathed in days. I must smell terrible. Maybe I should go back to clean up first.”

 

Liang Zhong, tired of his hesitation, dragged him forward. “You didn’t fuss this much on the battlefield. Now you’re afraid to meet your fiancé? Let’s go, I’ll go with you!”

 

The waiter led them to a table in the main hall. It was a busy time, so after serving them barley tea, he asked them to wait a moment.

 

About fifteen minutes later, Lu Miao hurried over. “What would you two like to eat?”

 

The two men didn’t respond, staring intently at him.

 

Lu Miao frowned slightly, then looked down and froze, dropping the menu and charcoal pen he was holding.

 

Ge Changbao quickly bent down to pick them up. “Lu Miao, I’m back.”

 

Lu Miao let out a sob and started crying loudly, startling everyone around. The waiter, thinking he was being bullied, ran to call the shopkeeper.

 

Lu Yao rushed to the front hall and, seeing Ge Changbao and Liang Zhong, stepped forward excitedly. “You’re back! It must have been a tough journey. Sit down, and I’ll have Da Chuan prepare some good dishes for you!”

 

“Thank you, Third Brother.”

 

Lu Yao pulled his younger brother to the back. “Now that he’s back, why are you crying?”

 

“I… I’m just happy.”

 

“Silly kid, you scared your General Ge. Go to your brother-in-law and ask for a few dishes to take over to them.”

 

“Alright.” Lu Miao wiped his face in embarrassment and ran to the kitchen to order four dishes.

 

Not long after, he carried the dishes to the front hall. His and Ge Changbao’s eyes met, and both saw deep affection in each other’s gaze.

 

Liang Zhong, sitting next to them, couldn’t bear to watch. His brother was like an old house catching fire—beyond saving.

 

The meal lasted two hours. When it was finally time to leave, the two still lingered. If it hadn’t been for the approaching dusk, Ge Changbao wouldn’t have wanted to go.

 

It was Liang Zhong who dragged him away, saying, “If you treasure him so much, hurry up and prepare for the wedding. Set a date and bring him home as soon as possible.”

 

This snapped Ge Changbao back to reality. He quickly bid farewell and went to make wedding preparations.

 

—

 

Watching people fall in love can be quite amusing sometimes. These days, Lu Yao noticed that his younger brother would laugh to himself for no reason. Occasionally, he would even write some romantic verses. His clumsy handwriting looked like chicken scratches, yet he carefully stored the papers away to gift to his beloved.

 

Lu Yao peeled garlic and nudged his husband with his elbow. “Hey, how come we didn’t have this kind of feeling when we got together?”

 

Zhao Beichuan glanced at him. “You were just fooling around back then.”

 

“Was I? Don’t slander me.”

 

Zhao Beichuan chuckled softly. “I remember when we were building the house that year. While I was packing mud bricks, you stared at me so hard your eyes nearly popped out.”

 

Lu Yao thought back and vaguely recalled the scene. His ears instantly turned red. “Oh, stop it. I never did that.”

 

“You also couldn’t keep your hands out of my bed at night.”

 

Lu Yao’s face turned beet red, and he clapped his hand over Zhao Beichuan’s mouth. “Alright, alright. Stop talking.”

 

Zhao Beichuan smiled as he gazed at his husband. Back then, he hadn’t been entirely innocent either. He often walked around bare-chested in front of Lu Yao, stirring both their passions.

 

Lu Miao and General Ge’s wedding was eventually set for April 28, as May was considered an unlucky month for marriage in ancient customs.

 

With less than a month to go before the wedding, Ge Changbao quickly called thirty soldiers from his camp to help tidy up the house. They replaced all the doors and windows and re-paved the bricks in the courtyard.

 

When the restaurant wasn’t busy, Zhao Beichuan and Lu Yao would also lend a hand.

 

Ge’s residence was in the northwest corner of Changrong Street. It was a two-section courtyard, home to mostly military officers. Liang Zhong’s house was just across a narrow alley.

 

The courtyard had been purchased by Ge Changbao two years prior. His old home had been sold after his parents passed away. Otherwise, his relatives would have surely seized it while he was away in the army.

 

Currently, his household consisted of a cook and two young servants. Since he was about to marry, he added another maid and two attendants to care for Lu Miao.

 

The furniture in the house was newly bought, as there wasn’t time to custom-make any. Though the pieces were good quality wood, they weren’t matching sets—something wealthy families would frown upon. But for a humble soldier, such things didn’t matter.

 

Without a proper elder in his family, Ge Changbao sought the help of Liang Zhong’s wife to oversee the preparations. She was a sharp and efficient woman, but not off-putting. Lu Yao had interacted with her twice and found her to be a good friend.

 

On April 20, the betrothal gifts were sent. Ge Changbao delivered all the treasures bestowed by the prince, including 100 taels of gold and countless silver and jade ornaments.

 

Lu Lin, never having seen such a spectacle, was left at a loss.

 

It was Lu Yao who took charge, packing everything away to be brought to Ge’s house on the wedding day.

 

As the wedding day drew closer, Lu Miao grew increasingly nervous. A few days ago, he was eagerly asking about the house’s progress. Now, he locked himself in his room, fiddling with his wedding outfit and avoiding people.

 

After lunch, Lu Yun chatted with him briefly. “Fifth Brother, the wedding’s almost here, but you don’t look happy.”

 

“I’m not unhappy,” Lu Miao said, setting down the needlework in his hands. “I just feel stifled. Thinking about living in someone else’s house after marriage makes it hard to breathe.”

 

Lu Yun put an arm around his shoulder. “Everyone has to go through this. You can’t stay with Mother forever, can you?”

 

Lu Miao’s eyes reddened. “Brother, I’m scared… I don’t want to get married.”

 

“Don’t you like General Ge anymore?”

 

“I still do, but… I don’t want to leave all of you.”

 

“You’re just staying in the same city. No one’s stopping you from visiting anytime.”

 

After thinking it over, Lu Miao nodded.

 

Lu Yun patted his hand. “Every girl and ger faces this. We’ll only be at ease if you marry someone good. General Ge is dependable, so stop overthinking it.”

 

“Alright.”

 

—

 

On April 27, Lu Yao closed the restaurant for the day.

 

The next day was his younger brother’s wedding, and the whole family gathered to help.

 

At Changshui Street, Lu Lin and Wang Youtian were hanging red ribbons. When Zhao Beichuan arrived, he rushed to assist, while Lu Yao went inside to cut red paper decorations with his sisters-in-law to affix to the dowry chests.

 

The rows of dowry items in the courtyard radiated festivity.

 

“Is everything ready?” Lu Yun asked.

 

“Yes,” Lu Yun replied. “They’ll come to pick him up tomorrow at dawn. The procession will leave from this alley, pass through Changxing Street, circle around, and enter Changrong Street.”

 

“Sounds good. Are we going along?”

 

Hu Chunrong said, “You two can go. I won’t; it’s bad luck for a pregnant woman to attend weddings.”

 

“Alright, I’ll take Xiao Shitou with me.”

 

Xiao Shitou ran over excitedly and hugged Lu Yao’s waist. “Thank you, Third Uncle!”

 

Hu Chunrong laughed. “I told him to stay home, but he insisted on going with Lu Yun. I was worried Lu Yun wouldn’t be able to handle two kids, but it’s perfect now that you’ll take him.”

 

Xiao Shitou grinned, showing off his pearly teeth. “Third Uncle is the best!”

 

Hu Chunrong chuckled. “Silly boy.”

 

The adults burst into laughter at his innocent words.

 

That evening, everyone prepared in the east wing, leaving Lu Miao to rest in the west wing. The wedding would be an all-day affair, and he needed sleep to last through it.

 

Lu Miao agreed but tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Quietly, he got up and pulled out the letters General Ge had written him, reading each one. His face flushed red, and his heart filled with anticipation for their married life.

 

He finally dozed off near midnight, only to be awakened shortly after. Groggily, he began dressing in his wedding robes.

 

For ge’ers, wedding attire differed from that of women but resembled the groom’s—a bright red robe.

 

Once dressed, his hair was combed by Lu Yun, who tied it back and secured it with a silver hairpin.

 

When everything was done, Lu Miao was still half-asleep.

 

Outside, someone called out, “Hurry up! The wedding procession is almost here!”

 

Lu Yao quickly put the pair of shoes on Lu Miao, covered his head with the red veil, and led him to the main hall.

 

“Bang bang bang!” The sound of firecrackers suddenly rang out, startling Lu Miao awake. He looked at the swaying red cloth before his eyes and the two brothers supporting him on either side, only then remembering that today was his wedding day!

 

Ge Changbao had specially called over a hundred soldiers to join the wedding procession, making for a grand and impressive scene.

 

Zhao Beichuan, Lu Lin, and Wang Youtian were responsible for blocking the door. To pass through, one had to defeat Zhao Beichuan in an arm-wrestling match.

 

Hearing this, Ge Changbao broke out in a cold sweat. Wasn’t this too difficult? Sitting down on a stool, he clasped hands with Zhao Beichuan, his face filled with a wry smile. “Brother-in-law, you have to go easy on me.”

 

Zhao Beichuan grinned. “Don’t worry.”

 

A few centurions standing behind them, eager for entertainment, cheered loudly, “Come on, Captain, use your strength and get the bride home quickly!”

 

Ge Changbao waved them off. “You brats, get out of here. It’s not like you’re the ones wrestling.”

 

Everyone burst into laughter.

 

The match began, and Ge Changbao immediately used all his strength. But he could only hold the position in a stalemate, while Zhao Beichuan’s expression remained unchanged.

 

“Who will have the final say in your household?”

 

“Of course, Lu Miao.”

 

“Who will manage the money?”

 

“Lu Miao!”

 

“And who will apologize first when there’s a quarrel?”

 

“I… I will!” Ge Changbao was already at his limit, sweat dripping down his forehead.

 

Zhao Beichuan said, “Remember what you’ve promised today.” With that, he released his strength, allowing Ge Changbao to press his hand down in one motion. Overjoyed, Ge Changbao immediately led the soldiers into the house like a conquering army.

 

Seeing his bride with the red veil over his head, he said nothing, scooped him up, and dashed outside.

 

“Ah!” Lu Miao was startled and instinctively lifted a corner of the red veil. Seeing Ge Changbao in his red wedding attire, his face turned crimson as he wrapped his arms around his neck.

 

And so, on this day, the youngest of the Lu family became the husband of the Ge family.

 

After the marriage, Lu Miao continued to help out at the restaurant during the day, while Ge Changbao came to pick him up on horseback in the evening. Life went on almost as usual.

 

As May arrived, the weather grew increasingly warm.

 

Lu Yao taught the method of making cold noodles to Lu Lin and the others, while the business at the eatery became even busier.

 

The restaurant continued its usual operations, adding seven or eight new seasonal dishes as fresh vegetables became available. In the hot weather, cold dishes like cucumber salad and cucumber with pork ear became the customers’ favorites.

 

Lu Yao also introduced iced sour plum juice in the dining hall, allowing diners to drink it freely.

 

One day, they entertained two blonde, blue-eyed Persian merchants. Foreign merchants were rare in Pingzhou, so Lu Yao approached them for a chat.

 

The two spoke Mandarin fluently, having traded in Wu for over a decade, leading a group of more than forty people.

 

They had set out from Persia, passed through Tukhara to enter the Western Regions, traveled through Loulan, Yangguan, and Dunhuang, and then switched to water routes in Lanzhou, eventually reaching the capital. The entire journey took about a year.

 

“Unfortunately, as soon as we arrived in the capital, we offended the merchants’ guild and were driven out. We can only peddle our remaining goods from place to place. Most of our stock has already been sold. In half a month, we’ll begin our journey home.”

 

Lu Yao admired their courage. In ancient times, with limited transportation and no navigation systems, traveling such a vast distance was remarkable.

 

“What goods do you still have? Could I take a look after your meal?”

 

“Of course!” The two merchants were delighted. After the meal, Lu Yao brought Zhao Beichuan to the nearby inn where they were staying.

 

The inn was packed because of the Persian merchants. They had brought over thirty camels, and most of their goods had been sold. What remained were expensive or hard-to-sell items.

 

There were brightly colored wool carpets, with even a small piece costing thirty taels of silver—something Lu Yao found too extravagant to buy.

 

They also had various gemstones, which were precious in later times and already pricey now. Lu Yao spent forty taels to buy two rubies the size of ox eyes and an aquamarine of decent quality.

 

Besides these, Lu Yao unexpectedly found cumin—a key ingredient for barbecue!

 

“How much for this spice?”

 

The two merchants, sharp-eyed as ever, immediately raised the price upon noticing Lu Yao’s interest. “This is a rare spice from our homeland, and we didn’t bring much. The minimum price is three hundred wen per liang.”

 

Lu Yao frowned. At such a high price, using it for barbecue would make it impossible to turn a profit. He shook his head and decided against it.

 

Another merchant said, “We can also trade it for your wine. One jar of your Lu wine can be exchanged for ten jin of Asafoetida cumin.”

 

The wine jars used at the restaurant were small, about five jin each. This deal seemed reasonable, so Lu Yao exchanged five jars of wine for fifty jin of cumin.

 

Zhao Beichuan didn’t understand why he bought so much of this pungent spice. He worried that diners might not accept its strong flavor in their food.

 

Lu Yao smiled mysteriously. “This has its purpose. Just wait and see!”

 

Out of the fifty jin of cumin, two jin were set aside as seeds, while the rest were ground into powder and sealed in jars. This amount of cumin powder could easily last a year.

 

While roasting meat was an ancient practice, most eateries and restaurants didn’t offer it as a dish.

 

Lu Yao remembered a small city in his previous life that became famous because of its barbecue. Perhaps he could draw inspiration from their success!