Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 12

After finishing with the chicken coop, Lu Yao started a fire to cook. He wasn’t hungry since he had noodles in town at noon, but the two children hadn’t eaten yet, and with Zhao Beichuan back, he decided to cook extra food.

The Zhao family only had millet, so Lu Yao took two dou of millet (12-16 kg) to Second Brother-in-law Tian’s house to exchange for one dou of gray flour (6-8 kg). He planned to make noodles.

Making noodles was a true test of kneading skills. If the dough was too soft, the noodles wouldn’t have a good texture; kneading it slightly harder would make the noodles chewy.

In his previous life, Lu Yao’s specialty was making noodle dishes because he was from Jin City, where noodles were the most common food. He had learned it naturally without needing to be taught.

He could steam buns, make dumplings, and roll noodles. If it weren’t for the limited cooking tools, he could even make pancakes.

He kneaded, rolled, and cut the dough all in one go. The thick noodles went into the pot and were cooked in no time.

Lu Yao made a soup with green onions and pork lard, paired with freshly sprouted baby bok choy, which looked more appetizing than the dishes sold in town.

“Wash your hands; it’s time to eat.”

“Okay!” Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou had been waiting impatiently. The aroma from the pot had them swallowing their saliva, holding bowls as they waited by the stove for their sister-in-law to serve the noodles.

“Go call your brother to come eat too.”

Zhao Xiaodou put down his bowl and ran outside, “Big brother, sister-in-law is calling you to eat.”

Zhao Beichuan finished weaving the last straw shoe, stood up, and brushed off the straw from his body. As soon as he entered the house, the enticing aroma hit his nose. Madam Zhao had said Lu Yao had burned the cauldron, so he thought he couldn’t cook, but the food smelled this good!

There were only three sets of bowls and chopsticks at home, so the three of them let Lu Yao eat first.

“I already ate in town; you guys go ahead.”

Zhao Beichuan didn’t hesitate any longer, serving himself a large bowl, pouring the onion oil soup over the noodles, and began eating with a slurp.

“Sister-in-law, your noodle soup is amazing!” Zhao Xiaonian praised with a full mouth. The noodles were soft yet chewy, the soup flavorful, and the baby bok choy was crispy and sweet. It was the most delicious noodle soup they had ever had!

Lu Yao sat nearby, watching the three of them devour the food like a farmer watching his piglets, feeling deeply satisfied. For a cook, there was no greater compliment than diners loving the food.

“Cough, eat more if you like it. I can cook more if it’s not enough.”

Xiaonian and Xiaodou were full after one big bowl, patting their round bellies with a burp. Zhao Beichuan, on the other hand, ate four bowls and even drank the noodle soup from the pot, leaving nothing behind. His appetite was truly astonishing!

After the meal, Lu Yao took out some plums for the two children. Since plums can upset the stomach if eaten too much, he only gave them five each.

As soon as Zhao Xiaonian saw the plums, he remembered what happened a few days ago. While eating, he complained to his brother, recounting everything that Widow Song and Old Man Song had done.

“Song Ping’s dad told me and my brother to go to their house to eat plums, but Song Ping accused me of being a thief, so I fought him.

Then his grandpa came to our house to scold me and even said a lot of nasty things about sister-in-law, which made sister-in-law so mad she dumped a bucket of manure on him!”

Zhao Beichuan looked at Lu Yao in shock, surprised at how bold he was.

Lu Yao, feeling embarrassed under his gaze, turned and went inside.

“Next time, don’t eat other people’s food.”

Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou nodded, “Sister-in-law told us the same.”

It was getting late, and Zhao Beichuan had to head back. He needed to return before the Hour of Shen, or else the officials would punish him.

Before leaving, he handed two strings of coins and the straw shoes to Lu Yao. After a long silence, he only said one sentence, “Sorry for the trouble.”

Lu Yao looked at the three pairs of straw shoes in his hands—two small ones and one large. The large pair was probably made for him.

He took off his old shoes to try them on. The new shoes fit perfectly and were very comfortable. He wondered how Zhao Beichuan had measured his size so accurately.

*

Zhao Beichuan walked to the edge of the village. The journey would take at least two hours, so he couldn’t afford to delay.

Along the way, he kept thinking about how Lu Yao was completely different from what others had said.

Lu Xi and his son had said that Lu Yao was lazy and bullied his younger brother.

But what Zhao Beichuan saw was a diligent and gentle person who clearly took great care of the two children. Don’t be fooled by how young Xiaonian and Xiaodou were—these two kids were sharp. If Lu Yao treated them poorly, they wouldn’t like him this much.

Madam Zhao had said Lu Yao was not virtuous and couldn’t cook, but he had made an amazing bowl of noodle soup, better than what was sold in the noodle shops.

Zhao Beichuan smacked his lips, feeling a growing inexplicable fondness for this beautiful little husband of his.

He suddenly remembered he had said some harsh words earlier. He wondered if Lu Yao would hold a grudge. Just as he was filled with regret, a voice suddenly called out to him.

“Da Chuan? Is that you?” A person came running from the distance—it was none other than Widow Song, returning from town.

Widow Song was overjoyed when he saw Zhao Beichuan. He quickly smoothed his hair with spit and tidied up his wrinkled clothes, his face blushing with a shy smile.

“I thought I was seeing things from a distance, but it’s really you. Why are you back?”

“I took a day off to come see the kids. Do you need something?”

“No, no.” Widow Song shyly lowered his head.

Zhao Beichuan lifted his foot and continued walking forward.

Widow Song hurriedly followed behind him, saying, “Hey, take these plums with you to eat on the road, to quench your thirst.”

“No need.” Zhao Beichuan refused without a second thought. He recalled how, in his absence, this Widow Song and his father had bullied his siblings, and his heart was full of disgust.

“Da Chuan, did you know that the night of your wedding, the little lad from the Lu family tried to hang himself?”

“I know.”

Speaking of this matter, Zhao Beichuan was also somewhat surprised. He didn’t understand why Lu Yao would think of doing such a thing.

Zhao Granny said it was probably because Lu Yao despised their poverty. Zhao Beichuan hadn’t thought much of it, so he gave him two strings of coins, fearing he might not recover.

“That’s because he has a lover in town!”

Zhao Beichuan suddenly halted his steps, sharply turning to glare at Widow Song.

Perhaps his gaze was too fierce because it startled Widow Song, causing the basket in his hands to fall to the ground, plums rolling everywhere.

“Who did you hear that from?”

“I-I didn’t hear it from anyone. I saw it with my own eyes today!”

Widow Song mustered up the courage to step forward and recount the details.

“Today I went to town to sell plums. By chance, I ran into Lu Yao halfway. I originally thought we could travel together, but he acted like a thief, walking so fast I couldn’t catch up. So, I didn’t bother with him anymore and went alone to set up my stall in Sanli Street…”

“Get to the point,” Zhao Beichuan said impatiently.

“Not long after, I saw him buying a few plums at a nearby stall, then heading to the noodle shop up ahead. Coincidentally, I was hungry too, so I followed to get a bowl of soup noodles. And guess what?”

Widow Song, seeing Zhao Beichuan’s increasingly dark expression, stopped teasing and said, “I saw a scholar sitting next to him, asking Lu Yao why he hadn’t come to see him lately.”

“I knew something was off, so I perked up my ears to listen. Lu Yao said he was married and couldn’t be in contact anymore. The scholar shouted, ‘Weren’t you the one who said you wouldn’t marry anyone but me?’”

“Lu Yao teared up and said he was forced. Feeling embarrassed with so many people around, they didn’t talk much before parting ways.”

Widow Song finished embellishing the story, taking delight in watching Zhao Beichuan’s face grow darker and darker. No man could tolerate being cuckolded, and this Lu Yao was probably going to be divorced soon.

“I get it. Don’t you go spreading rumors.”

Zhao Beichuan kept walking, but Widow Song didn’t want to give up so easily. He thought that with enough persistence, perhaps he could win over the recently returned man. “You know, Da Chuan, you really deserve better. Someone who isn’t involved in such…messy things,” he suggested with a coy tone.

Zhao Beichuan didn’t respond, his mind wandering back to what Widow Song had said about Lu Yao. He couldn’t believe it. Could Lu Yao really have a lover in town? But that didn’t seem right, not from what he had observed. He thought of the care Lu Yao put into the food he made, the way he looked after the children, and how he didn’t ask for much.

Could someone who was that considerate really be so disloyal?

After a moment of silence, Zhao Beichuan stopped walking and turned to Widow Song. “I don’t know what you think you saw, but Lu Yao isn’t like that. Stop spreading lies.” His voice was firm, filled with a resolve that left no room for argument.

Widow Song, sensing that he had gone too far, hurriedly nodded. “Of course, of course, I wouldn’t dare! I was just worried you’d be hurt, Da Chuan.”

Zhao Beichuan didn’t answer. He was done with this conversation. Without another word, he turned and continued his way down the road, his expression unreadable, leaving Widow Song standing awkwardly behind him.

As he walked, Zhao Beichuan couldn’t help but feel conflicted. Widow Song’s words were like seeds of doubt, but they didn’t align with the Lu Yao he knew. Deep down, he felt that his judgment wasn’t wrong. He had to trust his instincts and give Lu Yao the benefit of the doubt.

The sky darkened as he made his way back to the garrison, but even in the growing shadows, Zhao Beichuan couldn’t shake off the strange feeling in his chest. Perhaps, it was time to get to know Lu Yao better. The young man he married had layers that Zhao Beichuan was only beginning to uncover.

And something inside him told him that he might be pleasantly surprised by what he would find.

TL – Well, folks, it turns out cooking noodles can lead to unexpected love and nosy neighbors! Who knew dinner prep could come with a side of drama? Just remember, if Widow Song offers you plums, run the other way!