Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 19

This chicken was not too fat, weighing about four or five pounds. After removing the feathers and internal organs, only a little over three pounds of meat was left.

 

Mother Lu took charge of the kitchen, and since the clay pot couldn’t stew properly, she used the simplest method to boil a big pot of chicken soup with cabbage and radish.

 

While serving the food, she scooped a bowl for the Tian family. Lu Yao couldn’t bear to see this and picked out a few pieces of chicken to add to it, only to receive a glare from Mother Lu, who scolded him for being foolish.

 

The remaining chicken soup was poured into a clay basin, and since the weather was nice, everyone directly brought their bowls and chopsticks to sit outside in the yard to eat.

 

Zhao Xiaodou and Zhao Xiaonian were already drooling with hunger. The last time they had meat was last autumn when their elder brother hunted a few wild rabbits on the mountain.

 

The rabbit meat had a strong earthy smell, and Zhao Beichuan’s cooking was mediocre; the taste was hard to eat. Nevertheless, the three siblings gnawed it clean without wasting a bit.

 

Lu Yao was also craving meat; since coming here, he hadn’t eaten meat at all. He was close to eating grass like a rabbit, but since the bowl had more vegetables and less meat, he felt embarrassed just to pick out the meat.

 

Unexpectedly, Zhao Beichuan placed both chicken legs into his bowl. “Eat more, to nourish your body.”

 

“Mm…” Lu Yao nodded with pursed lips, feeling delighted inside. This guy really knows how to care for others!

 

Mother Lu was reluctant to eat meat, only picking at the chicken head and chicken feet, while Xiaonian and Xiaodou ate until their mouths were greasy.

 

Zhao Beichuan poured a bowl of yellow wine for his father-in-law and took a little for himself as the two chatted away.

 

After downing a bowl of wine, Lu Guangsheng became more talkative. “Beichuan, don’t rush about building the house. Although your father doesn’t have other skills, I can say no one can do better than me when it comes to masonry!”

 

Mother Lu secretly pinched him, realizing that after a bit of wine, his mouth had lost its filter.

 

“Why are you pinching me? If you pinch me, then no one can do better!”

 

Zhao Beichuan chuckled, “Oh.”

 

“With my eyes as a ruler, I can build any kind of house just by taking a glance!”

 

Mother Lu rolled her eyes, thinking that it had taken them two years to build their pigsty, and yet he was bragging.

 

After the children finished eating, they ran off to play, leaving the adults to chat together.

 

As the drinking continued, Lu Guangsheng started to get more personal with Zhao Beichuan.

 

“Beichuan, you’re a good child. I liked you at first sight. Lu Yao has become a bit spoiled because of us; if he has any shortcomings, please bear with him.”

 

“Don’t worry, he’s fine in every way.” Zhao Beichuan subtly glanced at the little husband still gnawing on bones, his lips curving slightly.

 

“Of course I know what kind of person he is! If his personality wasn’t so poor, how could he still be unmarried after so long? He’s always dreaming of becoming a scholar…”

 

“Bang!” Mother Lu hit Lu Guangsheng on the arm. “That’s enough!”

 

Drinking a bit of cat pee had made him forget his own surname, almost spilling his son’s past secrets.

 

Lu Guangsheng paused, realizing this was not something to mention. He waved his hand, “Forget it, let’s drop it; it’s all in the wine.”

 

After finishing the wine, Mother Lu pulled him up to leave. Since Lu Yao was staying at someone else’s house, he couldn’t let the two elders stay over, so he could only see them off.

 

When they reached the village entrance, Mother Lu wouldn’t let him go any further. She held Lu Yao’s hand and asked, “Have you really cut all ties with that scholar in town?”

 

“Yeah, I made it clear last time.”

 

“Don’t tell Beichuan about this. Men can be understanding, but they still care about these things.”

 

“I understand.”

 

Mother Lu pulled out a bag of money from her pocket and stuffed it into his hands. “Take this money. Building a house and getting furniture will all need money. If it’s not enough, don’t go borrowing from home. If your sister-in-law sees it, she’ll get upset again.”

 

“Okay, I understand.”

 

After watching the two elders walk away, Lu Yao turned to go back.

 

As he reached the entrance, he saw Zhao Beichuan squatting in the yard washing the dishes. His rolled-up sleeves revealed strong arms, and his broad back combined with a slim waist made him look impressive…

 

Lu Yao couldn’t help but blush. Speaking of which, they were indeed a proper couple, but they still hadn’t consummated their marriage.

 

One reason was that their circumstances didn’t allow it; living with a child in someone else’s house meant they had no opportunity to be alone. The other was that Zhao Beichuan seemed quite cold to him, hardly speaking at all.

 

Was he just clueless, or was he simply not interested in him?

 

Hearing the footsteps, Zhao Beichuan turned his head. “You’re back.”

 

“Mm, I’ll wash the dishes there.”

 

“They’re already washed.”

 

As Lu Yao bent down to grab a bowl, their arms accidentally brushed against each other. The warm touch made his hand tremble, almost causing him to drop the bowl. Once inside, he scolded himself for being so useless and regretted not staying close for a little longer.

 

Zhao Beichuan shook the water off his hands, unable to help but sigh as he watched Lu Yao’s back.

 

Though Lu Guangsheng had only spoken half of what was on his mind, Zhao Beichuan understood. Lu Yao had wanted to marry that scholar before.

 

A feeling of bitterness rose in his heart. If he were to speak up about a divorce now… Forget it, his illness had only just gotten better; it was better not to bring it up. He would wait for a while before saying anything.

 

As night fell, Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou returned after playing outside all day, washed their feet, and went straight to sleep.

 

A small oil lamp was lit inside the house, and Zhao Beichuan sat on the ground twisting straw ropes. The ropes were useful for many things; they could be used to tie crops in the autumn and to bundle firewood in the winter.

 

Lu Yao had eaten a bit too much that evening and now felt uncomfortable in his stomach, sitting on the kang and watching him twist the ropes.

 

He first split the straw into two strands, then twisted them together with force so that the two strands tangled themselves. While twisting, he also had to add more straw, ensuring the rope would be long enough.

 

Zhao Beichuan’s hands were large, his fingers thick and long, covered in calluses. Lu Yao recalled the day he had foolishly grabbed his hand and taken a bite; it was hard and a bit rough on his teeth.

 

After watching for half an hour, Lu Yao couldn’t help but yawn. “Aren’t you going to sleep yet?”

 

Zhao Beichuan paused, thinking that his working with the lamp might be affecting Lu Yao’s rest, and set aside his work. “I’ll sleep now.”

 

The kang was three meters long, with Lu Yao sleeping at the far end while Zhao Beichuan lay at the outer side, separated by the two children, as if they were the Chuhe-Hanjie.

 

When the lamp was blown out, the only sounds left in the room were their breathing.

 

In the darkness, inappropriate images surged in Lu Yao’s mind, and he bit down on the blanket, squirming as if a fire were burning inside him.

 

In his last life, he had been celibate for so many years, and even at death, he had never tasted a man’s touch. Why was it that in this life, where everything was legal and no one was watching, he still couldn’t experience it?

 

He couldn’t help but silently curse in his heart, Zhao Beichuan, are you incapable? Can’t you be more manly and pounce on me for some serious action?

 

“Are you feeling unwell?” Zhao Beichuan suddenly spoke up.

 

“No, not at all…”

 

“I thought you were coming down with a fever again.”

 

Lu Yao:…

 

Yes, he was feeling quite restless right now!

 

Of course, he wouldn’t dare say that out loud; he had a wicked heart but no courage.

 

“It’s nothing, just go to sleep.”

 

Before long, soft snores came from beside him. Lu Yao let out a dejected sigh. How much longer would he have to live like this, watching the pig run while not being able to taste the pork?

 

*

 

The next morning, Zhao Beichuan got up to start clearing out his old house.

 

If the house had completely collapsed, it would be easier to deal with, but since only half of it had fallen, it was somewhat troublesome. It was a pity to tear down the kitchen, but leaving it there would take up space, making it impossible to build a new house.

 

Zhao Guang and Brother Tian from next door, as well as Brother Qin from the backyard, all came to help with planning.

 

Zhao Guang pointed at the kitchen and said, “If you ask me, don’t tear down this half. Just rebuild the collapsed side; you’ll save a lot of money that way.”

 

Brother Tian waved his hand. “Building a new house on top of the old one, that’s unlucky. It’s better to tear it all down and rebuild from scratch.”

 

Brother Qin, being the more sensible one, offered a compromise. “Beichuan, your land is spacious; why not move the house forward a bit? Don’t tear down the back room; leave it as a storeroom for some unused items.”

 

Zhao Beichuan thought this was a feasible idea, and it wouldn’t delay clearing the land.

 

“Alright, I’ll follow Brother Qin’s suggestion. I’ll lay the foundation in front, and I’ll take my time cleaning up the back room. As long as I can move in before winter, that’ll be fine.”

 

Now that he had decided to build a new house, everything needed to be prepared, starting with stones for the foundation, then yellow clay for the mud bricks, straw, and wood.

 

Wanguo Village was located among the mountains, surrounded by earthen mounds, so it was not easy to find regular stones. Although there were some in the old house, most were buried underground and difficult to extract. Zhao Beichuan borrowed a wooden cart from the village, planning to go to other villages to collect stones.

 

There was plenty of yellow clay and straw available, and as for the wooden beams, Lu Guangsheng and Lu Lin brought seven straight logs of old oil pine the following day. This type of wood was the best for building beams, being durable and resistant to rain.

 

The two stayed on to help with the work, slowly clearing out the collapsed old house, moving the usable stones and wood aside, while piling the unusable materials to one side.

 

During this time, Lu Yao didn’t idle around either; he took the two children to the riverbank to collect stones. Smaller stones could be used to fill in the gaps of the foundation. Only with a solid foundation could the house be stable.

 

Zhao Beichuan also hired three old tilers and two carpenters from the village. Along with Lu Guangsheng and his son, there were a total of eight people.

 

The tilers were paid twenty wen a day and provided one meal, while the carpenters were paid a bit more, needing thirty wen a day.

 

Taking advantage of the farming slack season, everyone had nothing much to do. They didn’t mind the low pay; even if they worked for ten days or half a month, it would still add up to four or five hundred wen.

 

Lu Guangsheng and Brother Lu refused to take wages, saying that if they did, it would only worry Lu Guangsheng, who would scold them for treating themselves as outsiders. Zhao Beichuan had no choice but to discuss this with Lu Yao.

 

“Dad and Brother Lu don’t want wages, and I can’t shake the feeling that it’s not right.”

 

Lu Yao was sorting soybeans, planning to continue making tofu since there hadn’t been much work lately. “That’s just his temper; you don’t need to think too much about it. Once the house is built, just buy him a couple of jars of yellow wine, and he’ll be happier than anything else.”

 

Zhao Beichuan’s lips moved, but he didn’t say anything more. He didn’t like being in debt to others and planned to find a chance to settle the money with his father-in-law after the house was built.

 

As Lu Yao was almost done sorting the soybeans, he noticed Zhao Beichuan hadn’t left yet and couldn’t help but ask, “Is there anything else?”

 

“No, I’m going to work,” Zhao Beichuan left with a despondent expression, thinking that Lu Yao truly didn’t want to spend time with him.

 

“Chuhe-Hanjie” refers to a historical term from Chinese literature, symbolizing a metaphorical divide or barrier between two parties, often representing conflict or separation. In this context, it implies a significant distance or emotional gap between the characters, akin to being on opposite sides. The phrase is drawn from a famous ancient Chinese poem depicting a river (Chu River) and a lake (Han Lake), which cannot be crossed.