Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 130

Chapter 130

Jiuyuan County is not far from Qingzhou City, only about 150 miles away. It took less than two days by carriage to reach it.

The coachman hired to drive the carriage was a local man from Jiuyuan County, around forty years old. He wore rough hemp clothing and grass sandals that exposed his toes. Speaking in the local Qingzhou dialect, he asked, “Where are you from, gentlemen? Are you here on business in Jiuyuan?”

When Zhao’s grandmother heard the familiar hometown dialect, she couldn’t hold back her tears, replying in the same dialect, “We are here to search for relatives. Our hometown is in Jiuyuan County, Tianma Town.”

“Ah, you’re from here!” As soon as the coachman heard they were locals, he started chatting.

“Was your sister-in-law one of those who fled during the famine back then? A few years ago, we had a drought, and Qingzhou was almost on the verge of collapse. Not long ago, the court relocated some people here, and more people returned, so it’s lively again.”

Zhao’s grandmother wiped her tears and said, “Yes, it’s been almost thirty years. I wonder if any of my relatives are still alive back home.”

The coachman sighed, “I remember I was only about ten years old back then. My family also fled north, but halfway through we encountered a flood, so we turned back.”

Zhao’s grandmother trembled and said, “My child… my child was drowned in that flood.”

At the time, it hadn’t rained in Qingzhou for almost a year. Suddenly, a torrential downpour occurred, and the rain was fierce and relentless. Some people saw the rain and turned back, but Zhao’s family didn’t want to return.

Returning home meant starvation and death due to the lack of money and seeds. They had already eaten the book covers, and there was nothing else to eat.

So they decided to keep going north, hearing that the land there was fertile and there were many unclaimed areas that anyone who occupied could own. They thought they might have a chance at survival, so they continued their journey with the others fleeing the famine, eventually reaching Pingzhou.

Later, they settled in Wangou village, and at that time, Zhao Beichuan had just been born, so he had no memory of those events.

The coachman said, “You were right not to return… Do you know that of every ten people who came back, only one or two survived?”

“How is that possible?”

“Without food or seeds, they starved, got sick, or… some were even eaten by others.” The coachman reddened his eyes, and just thinking about those times made him shiver.

“I remember we had six children, and our parents couldn’t afford to feed us, so they sent my two youngest siblings away. We thought they might have a chance at survival, but the next day, we saw my sister’s little clothes at that family’s door… and a pot of boiled bones.”

“Ah!” Zhao Beichuan gasped, his hair standing on end.

The coachman blew his nose and wiped his face with his sleeve, “My mother went mad, fought with that family. My father, my older sister, and younger sister all starved to death. In the end, only my younger brother and I survived.”

He didn’t say how they survived, but just imagining it, one could guess it must have been extremely hard.

Compared to them, the Zhao family who fled to Pingzhou fared better. At least in Zhao Beichuan’s memory, he never went hungry as a child.

Back then, his father farmed and hunted, often bringing wild fruits back from the mountains. His mother sold the game his father caught in the town to make money and started doing embroidery work. She quickly saved up silver, and they built a small house in the village.

Zhao’s grandmother’s family was similar. Although they lived simply, they never experienced such inhuman suffering.

This memory was too painful, and the coachman didn’t want to mention it anymore. He changed the subject. “Which town are you from in Jiuyuan County?”

Zhao Beichuan replied, “Tianma Town, do you know it?”

“Tianma Town? Never heard of it. When we get there, you can ask around. After so many years, it might have changed its name.” In those days, many towns with small populations were merged by the authorities and renamed, so it was possible.

After a full day of travel, they finally arrived in Jiuyuan County the next afternoon.

The county town was small, and they had to search for a while before finding a small inn. Zhao Beichuan paid the coachman. The agreed fare was 200 wen, but Zhao Beichuan gave him an extra 100 wen.

The coachman was so moved, repeatedly thanking him, “You’re a kind man. You’ll definitely find your relatives!”

At the inn, Zhao Beichuan rented two rooms. The innkeeper, seeing that they were from out of town, charged an exorbitant price. A small room cost 200 wen.

When Zhao’s grandmother heard this, she immediately said, “Beichuan, this is too expensive. You two brothers can share one room, and I’ll sleep in the carriage!”

“How can we do that? The weather is getting colder, and sleeping in the carriage will make you sick. We’ll only stay one night, it won’t cost much.”

Reluctantly, Zhao’s grandmother took her bag and followed Zhao Beichuan to the rooms in the back.

The room had clearly not been used in a while. The table was covered in dust, and the kang bed wasn’t very clean.

A servant brought a wooden bucket and wiped things down, making it barely habitable.

The brothers weren’t particularly picky. Back in the village, when they were tired, they sometimes slept on the ground, so they didn’t mind.

Zhao Beichuan ordered hot water and made two bowls of noodles in the room. After eating, he let his brother rest while he went out to continue asking about Tianma Town.

If the town had changed its name, the young people probably wouldn’t know it, so he figured he’d have to ask the older generation.

The weather wasn’t too late, so Zhao Beichuan walked slowly along the narrow road. Whenever he saw an older person, he would stop to ask.

Most of them had never heard of it. After all, in those days, information was scarce, and villagers rarely went to town, mostly just for shopping.

After asking more than ten people without getting any answers, Zhao Beichuan began to wonder if his father had remembered the name wrong.

Just as he was hesitating, a woman suddenly called out to him, “Young man, are you asking about Tianma Town?”

Zhao Beichuan was taken aback and quickly walked toward her, “Yes, do you know where it is?”

“I don’t know, but I’ve heard our old man mention it. He used to live in Tianma Town. Later, the town was deserted, and the officials moved everyone to other towns, renaming it San Shima Town.”

Zhao Beichuan was delighted, “Thank you, thank you!”

The woman waved her hand dismissively and turned to leave.

With the name of the town, it was much easier. Zhao Beichuan asked around again and found that many people knew San Shima Town. Two elderly people even mentioned that San Shima Town was the result of three towns being merged and renamed. It was located southeast of the city, just 70 miles away.

The next morning, Zhao Beichuan woke up early to call his brother. They got in the carriage and continued their journey.

Meanwhile, it had been nearly a month since the provincial exam, and the day for the results was approaching.

Lu Yao and Xiaonian had been coming to the teahouse near the yamen every day, waiting for the government to post the results.

When they arrived this morning, the teahouse was noticeably busier than usual. Some people had heard the news that the results would be posted today.

Lu Yao and Xiaonian sat at a window-side table, listening to a heated discussion from the people nearby.

“This year’s provincial exam questions were too difficult. Several famous scholars didn’t do well.”

“Yeah, the last essay question was so tricky, many people got it wrong.”

“Well, there’s nothing that can be done…”

Xiaonian turned pale, “Sister-in-law, do you think Xiaodou will fail?”

Lu Yao was nervous too but still tried to reassure her, “He won’t fail. Even if he does, it’s not a big deal. He’s only fourteen, and there will be plenty of chances. Even if he never passes the exam, your big brother and I can still support you three with ease.”

Not long after, a shout came from outside, “The results are out!”

Everyone in the room immediately stood up and rushed outside, some of them tripping and getting stepped on. They cursed but quickly got up and continued rushing outside.

Several officers from the yamen came out to maintain order. There were so many people trying to see the results that they feared some might act out if they failed.

This wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened. In the previous two exams, when the results were announced, a scholar who passed the exam became so excited that he danced, but his actions angered those who failed, and one of them killed him with a stone in revenge.

Since then, every time the results were posted, the government sent people to keep a close watch to prevent any trouble.

Lu Yao and Xiaonian were small in stature and couldn’t get through the crowd. They had to tiptoe to see over the heads of others, but it was too far to read the names on the board, only seeing a mass of heads.

Lu Yao muttered, “I should have asked Zheng Tie to come with us. He’s taller than Zhao Beichuan and could easily get through.”

From time to time, the crowd was filled with cries of sorrow. Some people who had failed multiple times collapsed from the shock, and the officers had to carry them out.

Others cursed the government for being unfair, saying their talents were unmatched, yet they couldn’t succeed. They accused the examiners of being blind! Those who disrespected the government were inevitably dragged into the yamen for a few lashes.

Most people just sighed, shook their heads, and accepted the failure, planning to study harder for the next exam in three years.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Lu Yao and Xiaonian finally managed to squeeze closer to the board. They began reading each name from the bottom up.

“Oh no!” Xiaonian cried out.

“What’s wrong?”

“The fourth place is Zijian!”

Lu Yao raised his head and looked up, and sure enough, the fourth place clearly showed the name Lin Zijian from Pingyang County. He became even more anxious and continued looking upwards. The third place wasn’t it, nor was the second, and the first place…

Pingyang County — Zhao Beidou!

“First place, it’s first!” Xiao Nian shouted excitedly, causing those nearby to glance at him.

Xiao Nian grabbed Lu Yao’s arm and shook it non-stop, “Sister-in-law, Xiao Dou is first!”

“I know, I know.” Lu Yao’s vision became a little blurry, and her throat felt as if it was blocked with cotton, suffocating her and making it hard to breathe. After a while, she finally managed to catch her breath.

The two hurried back to tell everyone the good news!

They returned to the restaurant just in time for noon. Lu Yao waved her hand and dismissed all the bills for meals that day, leaving the diners astonished and asking for the reason.

Xiao Nian excitedly said, “My little brother passed the provincial exam and became a juren, and he was first!”

Goodness! The diners instantly erupted in excitement—this was a huge celebration!

No one expected there to be such a remarkable person at the Lu family restaurant!

In the past, Zhao Beidou had been so low-key, never telling anyone about his family, and Lu Yao also never showed off her brother. Now, he had risen to first place, stunning everyone around!

The official envoys who came to deliver congratulations arrived soon after, beating drums and bringing a message from the provincial governor along with gifts to celebrate Zhao Beidou, the third son of the Zhao family, who had passed the imperial examination with top honors.

They had initially invited him to a feast, as this banquet was held in the autumn, during the season of osmanthus flowers, known as the “Osmanthus Banquet.”

Unfortunately, Beidou wasn’t there, and Lu Yao explained the situation. Naturally, the governor didn’t make things difficult.

These officials were all sharp-minded, knowing exactly who they could offend and who they couldn’t. They sent over a congratulatory message, encouraging him to continue climbing higher.

Classmates from the prefectural academy also came to offer their congratulations. Lu Yao received them and found out that Zhao Beidou wasn’t in Pingzhou, which made everyone a little regretful. However, Lu family dishes were indeed delicious, so their trip wasn’t in vain.

The carriage rattled along the country dirt road, jolting Zhao Beidou, making him itch all over.

“Big Brother, how much longer until we arrive?”

“We should be close.” Zhao Beichuan drove the carriage, but he wasn’t sure. The road ahead was becoming increasingly difficult, full of pits and bumps, making the old Zhao Grandmother feel like her frail bones might fall apart.

But she didn’t say anything, just kept looking out the window.

This place seemed familiar. Even though she hadn’t been back in thirty years, it still looked familiar.

After walking for more than ten miles, they suddenly reached a fork in the road. Zhao Beichuan pulled the reins.

“Ugh~” This was bad. He didn’t know which of the two roads led to the town.

Just as he hesitated, Zhao Grandmother spoke up, “Beichuan, take the left road.”

“Do you remember?”

“A little, go a bit further and see if there’s a river.”

Zhao Beichuan immediately turned the carriage onto the left path. After driving for about the time it took to burn a stick of incense, they indeed saw a flowing stream ahead. The water was no deeper than knee height, and the carriage could pass through it.

Zhao Grandmother looked excited. “This is it! This is the right place! Keep going!”

“Go!” Zhao Beichuan flicked the whip, and the horse slowly waded through the river, continuing along the path. After a while, they finally encountered someone.

That person seemed to be coming back from chopping firewood in the nearby mountains, carrying half a load of firewood on his back and holding an axe. Seeing the carriage coming straight toward him, he looked at the people in the carriage in confusion.

Zhao Beichuan asked, “Excuse me, is this the way to San Shima Town?”

The man nodded. “Yes.”

Zhao Grandmother leaned her head out and pointed to a hill not far away. “Is that Zhao Family Village?”

“Yes.”

“Is there still anyone in the village?”

The man thought the old lady was a bit odd. Why would a village not have anyone? “There are people.”

“That’s great, that’s great!” Zhao Grandmother cried with joy, patting Beichuan’s arm. “We don’t need to go into the town. We can just cross the mountain and get home!”

Zhao Beichuan immediately turned the horse’s head, heading for a nearby mountain path. After a bumpy hour, they finally saw Zhao Family Village in the distance.

The whole village seemed almost unchanged from thirty years ago. Zhao Grandmother excitedly described every tree and blade of grass, “Do you see that flat piece of land? That used to be our family’s! Do you see that big stone ahead? That was dug out by my father and the others when they were working in the mountains many years ago. The village elders decided to move it to the village entrance as a foundation stone to bless the Zhao family with descendants…”

Zhao Beichuan listened to her words, imagining what his parents’ lives had been like here when they were young.

The carriage entered the village, and they encountered a number of children along the way, who curiously chased after the carriage.

Zhao Grandmother got out of the carriage and grabbed one of the children to ask, “Which family are you from?”

“From the Zhao family,” the child said boldly, not afraid of strangers, probably because the person was just an elderly woman.

“What’s your father’s name? What’s your grandfather’s name?”

“My father’s name is Zhao Luo, my grandfather’s name is Zhao Suzi.”

“Suzi? Little Suzi’s grandson is already this big?!” Zhao Grandmother was overjoyed upon hearing a familiar name.

In the distance, a woman shouted with hands on her hips, “Muto, you’re late! What time is it and you’re not home for dinner!”

The boy turned around and ran home. Zhao Grandmother hurriedly followed him. When they reached the door, the woman looked at Zhao Grandmother in confusion and asked, “Who are you looking for?”

“Suzi, is Zhao Suzi at home?”

The woman said, “Are you looking for my father-in-law? He’s gone to work and hasn’t come back yet. You can wait if you’d like.”

Zhao Grandmother sat on the wooden stump by the door. The woman saw her familiar face and went inside, returning with a ladle of cool water and handing it to her.

“Thank you, girl.”

Hearing her local accent, the woman became even more curious. “Auntie, where are you from? I haven’t seen you before.”

Zhao Grandmother’s voice choked, “I’m from here, I’m from Zhao Family Village.”