Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

 

The next morning, the first thing Lu Yao did after waking up was to check on the tofu.

 

He removed the wooden board, revealing the square tofu blocks inside, which looked almost identical to the kind sold in modern times. He took a spatula, cut off a piece to keep for himself, and cut another piece to give to Granny Zhao next door, borrowing a scale from her in the process.

 

Next, Lu Yao was puzzled about how to transport the tofu. This batch weighed about sixty pounds, and it was impossible for him to carry it all to sell by himself.

 

Just as Lu Yao was frowning in frustration, Zhao Beichuan rolled over a wooden cart. “This is the cart borrowed from the Qin family in the backyard. I didn’t know if you’d find it useful.”

 

“Of course it’s useful! You’re amazing!” Lu Yao exclaimed.

 

Zhao Beichuan’s face flushed red to the base of his neck as he hurriedly transferred the tofu onto the small cart and left in a fluster.

 

Lu Yao laughed until his stomach hurt; teasing this guy was just too entertaining.

 

The small cart wobbled as Lu Yao pushed it, and it took him a while to find the right balance. Next, he was off to sell the tofu in the village!

 

Back in university, he had set up stalls at night markets with a few classmates, selling plush toys and trinkets. At that time, he was too young and shy to approach customers. Now, having lived two lives, Lu Yao no longer cared about maintaining an image; what mattered was living, and what did reputation mean? Could it be eaten?

 

As he stepped out, he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Tofu~ Fresh tofu~~~”

 

Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou heard the call and ran out from Granny Zhao’s house, following Lu Yao and shouting, “Tofu! Selling tofu!”

 

Soon, the first customer arrived: Sister Tian Er from next door.

 

Yesterday, Lu Yao had given her a pound of tofu, and her family hadn’t had enough. Today, she wanted to buy more to take back to her parents and let them taste it.

 

“Sister, buying tofu?” Lu Yao asked as he saw her coming with a bowl of beans.

 

“Yes! I made a pot of tofu soup yesterday following your advice, and it was so delicious and smooth! I want to buy some more to take to my parents today.”

 

“Alright, I’ll give you a little extra.” Lu Yao took the bowl, poured the beans into a sack, and scooped a big piece of tofu into the bowl. He didn’t even need to weigh the tofu; he could tell it was heavier than her beans just by feeling it.

 

Sister Tian beamed, “Your tofu is so good; it’s bound to sell well.” She said this as she walked away with her bowl.

 

Lu Yao pushed the small cart further into the village, deliberately raising his voice as he passed by Song Changshun’s house, “Tofu—Fresh and tender tofu~”

 

Before long, a strong young man(Ge’er) walked out from the yard. This person was Lin Daman, Song Changshun’s husband.

 

He was quite tall and had a rugged appearance. If it weren’t for the bright red birthmark on his cheek, it would be hard to tell he was a Ge’er.

 

“Hey, what are you selling?”

 

Lu Yao stopped the cart and said, “Tofu made from beans; come try a piece.”

 

Lin Daman walked over, first sizing up Lu Yao, then curiously examining the tofu on the cart.

 

Lu Yao cut off a small piece for him to taste. “You can exchange beans for tofu; one pound for one pound. If you don’t have beans, you can buy it with coins for six wen a pound.”

 

“Wait for me; I’ll go get some beans.”

 

As he left, Zhao Xiaonian couldn’t help but speak up, “Sister, why are you selling to him? He’s the one whose husband is in cahoots with Song Ping’s mother trying to set you up.”

 

“Shh, the enemy of my enemy is my friend; remember, he’s on our side.”

 

Just then, Song Changshun came out from the yard, and upon seeing Lu Yao, his eyes nearly popped out; who was this handsome young man?

 

“What are you staring at?” Lin Daman scolded from behind, startling Song Changshun, who immediately turned and rushed back inside.

 

Probably because Lin Daman had stared at Lu Yao a little longer, he felt displeased, and his face darkened.

 

Lu Yao didn’t mind. He was there to get familiar with Lin Daman today.

 

“The beans weigh a pound and eight ounces. I’ll give you two pounds, packed high. If you like it, come back to buy more next time.”

 

Lin Daman nodded as he picked up the basin.

 

Lu Yao continued pushing the cart to sell tofu, eventually stopping under a tree to rest.

 

Pushing the cart was quite tiring because the wheels had no tires, and the road was uneven. He was afraid the tofu would break during the bumpy ride and was sweating by the time he stopped.

 

Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou started shouting, “Tofu~ Just made tofu—Fresh and tasty, cheap and affordable—”

 

During the farming off-season, everyone had little to do, and soon a crowd gathered around the tofu cart.

 

“How much is this tofu?”

 

“One pound of beans for one pound of tofu. If you don’t have beans, you can buy it for six wen a pound.”

 

Once the crowd heard the price, they found it reasonable, but they were unsure about the taste.

 

Lu Yao scooped out a few small pieces and shared them with the onlookers, saying, “Taste it before you buy; you definitely won’t regret it.”

 

“Wow, this taste is not bad! What’s it made from?” an elderly man with almost no teeth exclaimed. The tofu’s tender and smooth texture was especially friendly to elderly people with dental issues; once they tried it, they would love it.

 

Zhao Xiaonian, who had a knack for business, flashed a bright smile and said, “It’s made from beans. Grandpa, if you think it’s good, why not buy some?”

 

“I will! You wait for me to go home and get some beans; make sure to save a piece for me!” The old man hurried back home, fearing that it would sell out.

 

Lu Yao assured him, “Don’t worry; I’ll definitely save you some!”

 

Others who had tasted it also agreed that the taste was excellent. Since the tofu was priced the same as the beans but tasted vastly different, they hurried home to get their beans in exchange for tofu.

 

As more and more people came to buy tofu, Lu Yao’s heart gradually settled. At first, he worried that he had made too much and wouldn’t be able to sell it. Now it seemed that tofu was selling far better than he had imagined!

 

The rural folk had little variety in their diet; they couldn’t afford large quantities of fish or meat, and they were tired of munching on grass all day. Now, suddenly having something delicious and affordable was bound to spark a frenzy among them.

 

In less than a stick of incense(few minutes), most of the tofu was sold, and many still hadn’t returned with their beans.

 

Lu Yao recalled the woman who bought tofu from him yesterday. “Xiaodou, go over to the family with the last name Ding and ask if they want to buy tofu.”

 

“Okay!” Zhao Xiaodou swiftly ran over, and soon Aunt Ding came out with a clay basin, buying five pounds of tofu in one go…

 

Lu Yao said, “Auntie, this tofu doesn’t last long. With the weather being hot right now, it can spoil easily if you can’t finish it.”

 

Aunt Ding waved her hand and smiled, “It’s alright; there are many people in my family. Buying this much may not even be enough to eat.”

 

After she left, Zhao Xiaonian quietly informed him, “Sister, that’s Ding the carpenter’s wife who works for us. They have five sons, and they haven’t split up since they got married.” Adding them up, that’s more than ten people—of course, they’d need this much tofu.

 

Once the last piece of tofu was sold, and it wasn’t even noon yet, Lu Yao tied up the sack filled with beans, pushed the cart, and brought the two kids back home.

 

As soon as they entered the yard, Zhao Beichuan stepped forward to help push the cart inside. “How did you sell?”

 

Lu Yao patted the sack of beans, grinning broadly with confidence, “Of course, everything sold out!”

 

“Big brother, big brother, you don’t know how well our tofu sells; a whole crowd rushed to buy it!”

 

“There were even some who argued over the tofu!”

 

Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou chimed in, sharing their experiences of selling tofu that morning.

 

Zhao Beichuan looked at Lu Yao with admiration. He didn’t have the gift of eloquence but thought to himself how impressive his little husband was, earning fifty pounds of beans in a single day.

 

Lu Yao felt his cheeks flush under Zhao Beichuan’s gaze. “I’m going to cook now; Xiaonian, come help me light the fire.”

 

“Okay, I’m coming!” Zhao Xiaonian bounced along after Lu Yao, while the others crowded around Zhao Beichuan.

 

“Your husband is really great; not only is he skilled at cooking, but he can also earn money!”

 

Zhao Beichuan nodded with a smile in his eyes. Lu Yao was indeed quite good.

 

Returning to the kitchen, Lu Yao whispered a few words to Xiaonian, “For the next few days, you and Xiaodou keep an eye on them. If you notice anything unusual, come back and tell me immediately.”

 

Suddenly given such an important task, Zhao Xiaonian solemnly promised, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry, I’ll keep a close watch!”

 

*

 

At the Song family house, Old Lady Song was feeding Song Ping some water.

 

Ever since Song Ping suddenly developed a fever that day, he had been burning for three consecutive days without improvement. Today, he even started coughing. Seeing his little face growing thinner, Old Lady Song held her grandson, her eyes full of pain.

 

In the morning, Song Widow had come to ask for money to buy medicine. Old Lady Song was not happy and snapped, “Why is the child not getting better? Did you buy the wrong medicine?”

 

Song Widow was startled and quickly wiped away tears, saying, “It’s all my fault… making Ping suffer.”

 

Seeing his pitiful appearance, Old Lady Song held back harsher words. She angrily fetched 300 coins from the chest and handed them to him, urging, “Make sure to buy good medicine. If the child doesn’t recover and is left with lingering problems, it’ll be too late!”

 

“Don’t worry, mother. Song Ping is my own son, how could I harm him?”

 

“You can’t even take care of a child properly, what’s the point of you? Go and come back quickly, don’t delay lunch!”

 

With the money in hand, Song Widow briskly walked towards town. Over the past few days, he had swindled more than 700 coins from Old Lady Song. After deducting the 200 coins spent on medicine, he still had 500 left in his hand.

 

This money was burning in his pocket, so he hurried to find Song Changshun to settle the matter.

 

After buying the medicine, just like before, when passing by Song Changshun’s house, Song Widow made sure no one was around, broke off a branch from a nearby tree, and discreetly threw it into the courtyard.

 

This was their secret signal. When Song Changshun saw the branch, he understood the message. However, he didn’t notice that behind a haystack not far away, two little heads were secretly watching him.

 

“Sis, why did he throw a branch into the yard?”

 

“I don’t know. Keep watching.”

 

Half an hour later, Song Changshun returned home. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he bent down to pick up the willow branch, whistling happily before heading out again, this time towards the riverbank where they had rendezvoused last time.

 

The two children quietly followed, hiding in the same spot they eavesdropped from before. After about a quarter of an hour, Song Widow finally arrived, late as usual.

 

“Why are you so late? I thought you weren’t coming today, I was about to leave.” Song Changshun, impatient from waiting, grumbled.

 

“Song Ping is sick, and your mother’s been keeping a close eye on me. I had to make an excuse about going to the latrine to sneak out, but I have to go back soon.”

 

“Come here, let me feel you.” Song Changshun pulled Song Widow into his arms and kissed him on the neck.

 

“Stop fooling around, let’s talk business first.” Song Widow pulled out a package from his coat. “Here’s 500 coins. Take it and go to town to finalize things with that scholar. Once it’s done, I’ll give you the rest of the money.”

 

Song Changshun took the money pouch, surprised. “Where did you get so much money?”

 

“Isn’t Song Ping sick? Your mother gave me money to buy medicine. I just kept the leftover.”

 

“You’re really something, risking your son’s life for Zhao Beichuan.”

 

“Ugh, is there any point in making sarcastic remarks? If you could marry me, I wouldn’t have to take such risks!”

 

“Alright, alright, I was just kidding. Don’t get upset. I’ll go to town tomorrow to find that guy, and don’t forget to reward me when it’s all done.”

 

“Of course.” The two flirted and cuddled for a while longer before Song Widow hurried back.

 

*

 

Today, the main structure of the house was nearly finished, with just the carpentry work left.

 

The bricklayers wouldn’t be coming tomorrow, so Zhao Beichuan bought a chicken to reward everyone for their hard work.

 

Lu Yao was too afraid to kill the chicken, so Zhao Beichuan told him to bring a bowl to collect the blood. With a swift cut, the blood spurted out. Lu Yao quickly brought the bowl over, and their arms touched.

 

Their sleeves were rolled up, and a fair wrist brushed against a bronze-colored arm. The warmth and the sharp contrast in skin tone made their hearts race.

 

Lu Yao’s throat went dry, his eyes fixed on Zhao Beichuan’s arm, his mind running wild.

 

His muscles are really firm… thinking about how easily he lifted me up the other night… could he lift me like that during…?

 

Ugh, just thinking about it makes my blood boil!

 

Zhao Beichuan, on the other hand, turned his head, pretending not to care, but the tension in his body betrayed his nervousness.

 

Lu Yao mischievously nudged his arm with his elbow. “The blood’s all drained, aren’t your arms tired from holding it up so long?”

 

Zhao Beichuan’s ears turned red, and he quickly set the chicken aside, standing far away.

 

Lu Yao found it amusing and couldn’t resist teasing him. “We’re already married. It’s not like anyone’s going to say anything.”

 

Zhao Beichuan pressed his lips together, not saying a word, and ran off toward the front yard. He leaned against the new wall, clutching his racing heart, a trace of confusion on his face.

 

Although Zhao Beichuan was mature in many aspects, when it came to love, he was still a green, inexperienced boy. He was only 18, after all, and with both parents gone, no elder had taught him these things. He didn’t even know how to consummate the marriage.

 

I’ll wait a bit longer… until the house is finished…

 

“Big brother, where’s sister-in-law?” Xiaonian and Xiaodou suddenly came running over from outside.

 

Zhao Beichuan snapped out of his thoughts. “He’s in the back, cooking.”

 

The two children rushed to the kitchen and hurriedly whispered a few words to Lu Yao.

 

“Really?” Lu Yao widened his eyes in surprise.

 

“It’s absolutely true! Song Ping’s mother said it himself. He’s using the money meant for Song Ping’s medicine to harm you.”

 

Lu Yao had only intended for Xiaonian to watch their contact method, but this unexpected discovery was quite the bonus.

 

“Don’t meddle in this anymore, and don’t eavesdrop again. It’s dangerous if you get caught, understand?”

 

The two children nodded.

 

“Go wash your hands and get ready to eat.”

 

Lu Yao couldn’t help but sigh. Song Widow was truly ruthless, risking even his own child’s life just to harm him.

 

The most urgent thing now was to stop Song Changshun from finding Xu Dengke and causing trouble in the village.

 

After dinner, Lu Yao informed Zhao Beichuan, then hurriedly set off for town alone.

 

*

 

Arriving in town, Lu Yao headed straight to the bookshop. From the memories of the original owner, he knew Xu Dengke often copied books there to earn money.

 

As soon as he reached the entrance, the shop boy greeted him with a smile, “Here to see Brother Xu? He’s inside.”

 

Lu Yao nodded and walked in with familiar ease.

 

The ancient bookshops were different from modern ones. In this era, bamboo slips had only recently been replaced, and paper was very expensive. Books were placed on high platforms, and the shop assistants would retrieve whichever one you needed, but you were not allowed to touch or browse any of the other books.

 

The original owner had thought about learning to read, but after finding out that even a thin copy of *The Thousand Character Classic* cost two hundred coins, he was unwilling to spend such money and gave up on the idea.

 

At the back of the bookshop, there was a small separate room where Xu Dengke was copying books.

 

Copying a book could earn about fifty coins. Though it seemed like a lot, reading was very costly, and with expensive tools like brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, this amount of money was far from sufficient.

 

“Ahem.” Lu Yao cleared his throat lightly.

 

“Wait, I’ll finish this soon…” Xu Dengke looked up, and when he saw it was Lu Yao, he immediately stood up.

 

“A Yao, why are you here?”

 

“I have something to discuss with you.”

 

Xu Dengke quickly finished writing the last sentence, smoothed the page, put down his brush, and handed the copied book to the assistant.

 

They left through the back door of the bookshop, and after walking through some shaded trees, they reached a large river. In the past, the two often had dates by this river.

 

Lu Yao thought of Song Widow and Song Changshun and couldn’t help but inwardly complain. Why do all these people like to carry on their affairs by the river, and don’t they mind the mosquitoes?

 

At the riverbank, Xu Dengke didn’t say anything, just looked at him with sad, round eyes and sighed deeply.

 

Lu Yao felt goosebumps rising; he looked more like a sad frog at this point.

 

“Why are you sighing?”

 

“A Yao, I know you still care for me, but you’re already married. If your husband finds out, he’ll surely be angry.”

 

Xu Dengke looked out over the river with his hands behind his back and recited some melancholic verses. “On the banks of the Zizhi, atop the Wanqiu… though there is love, there is no hope.”

 

Lu Yao’s head ached from listening, and he quickly waved to stop him. “I didn’t come to talk about that.”

 

“Could it be that you want a divorce and to be with me again? My mother would never agree to me marrying a divorced man. You should give up on that idea.”

 

What are you talking about?! Lu Yao looked at him like a subway grandpa staring at his phone. With your looks, even if you paid me, I wouldn’t want you, especially when I have an incredibly handsome man at home.

 

“Shut up! I’m here today to discuss something serious with you!”

 

Lu Yao kept it brief, telling Xu Dengke about how Song Widow had unrequited feelings for his husband and, unable to win him over, planned to harm him. Looking at Xu Dengke’s wide-eyed astonishment, he said, “Tomorrow, someone will come to you with a sum of money, asking you to come to the village and ruin my reputation. What will you do then?”

 

Xu Dengke swallowed nervously. “How much will they offer?” Lu Yao’s expression darkened. “No amount of money would make me do such an immoral thing! With the deep friendship we’ve shared for so many years, how could I harm your reputation for a little money?”

 

Lu Yao laughed coldly inside. That’s only because they won’t offer you enough. If they gave you one or two hundred taels, you’d even be able to fabricate some unspeakable stories about your own mother!

 

Of course, he didn’t say this out loud. Instead, he just looked at Xu Dengke indifferently. “You can take the money, just don’t come to the village to spread rumors. Otherwise, that business about you cheating on your county exam…”

 

Xu Dengke’s face went pale. “A Yao, rest assured, I will keep my mouth shut and not say a word to anyone.”

 

Lu Yao smiled and nodded, offering a bit of comfort after the slap. “After all, we’ve been friends for so many years. I won’t go around talking about your business either.”

 

“Ah, I knew you still cared for me.”

 

Seeing that he was about to start acting dramatic again, Lu Yao quickly stopped him. “Alright, enough. If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.”

 

On his way back from town, as he passed by Song Changshun’s house, he saw Lin Daman sitting in the yard picking chives.

 

“Big Brother Daman, busy?”

 

Over the past few days, through selling tofu, the two had gotten more familiar. Lu Yao had intentionally gotten closer, and with his good looks and pleasant conversation, Lin Daman naturally developed a fondness for him.

 

“Where did you just come from?”

 

“I went to town to buy something.”

 

“If I’d known you were going to town, I would’ve asked you to bring something back for me. Autumn is almost here, and it’s getting cooler in the mornings and evenings. I want to buy some fabric to make clothes for the kids.”

 

Lu Yao’s mind stirred. “I was just thinking of buying some fabric too. How about we go together tomorrow?”

 

Lin Daman smiled. “Alright, after you sell your tofu, come and get me.”

 

*

 

The next morning, Lu Yao stopped Zhao Beichuan and said, “I have some business to take care of today, so I’ll need to go to town again. Can you sell the tofu for me?”

 

“Mm.” Zhao Beichuan nodded.

 

“Aren’t you going to ask what I’m going to town for?” Lu Yao teased him on purpose.

 

“For that matter with Song Widow, right?”

 

“Just wait. Soon, I’m going to fight back!” Lu Yao clenched his fist and punched the air twice, making Zhao Beichuan laugh.

 

“Hey? You’re laughing. You look really nice when you smile.”

 

Zhao Beichuan pressed his lips together and turned back into the house. Lu Yao chuckled to himself, thinking that this taciturn man was actually pretty cute.

 

When he arrived at Song Changshun’s house, Lin Daman had just finished feeding the chickens. He had two children, the eldest six and the youngest four. Normally, he watched over them, but since he was going to town today, he’d sent them to their grandmother’s house.

 

“I thought you wouldn’t be able to go until after noon.” Lin Daman dusted off his clothes and washed his hands before stepping out of the yard.

 

“I had Da Chuan sell the tofu today, so I’m taking a day off.”

 

“Is your house finished yet?”

 

“Almost, we’ll be raising the beam in a few days. The village elders helped choose the date—it’s set for July 28th.”

 

Lin Daman said enviously, “I passed by your house the other day and saw the new place. It’s really spacious. In the future, you could easily fit five or six kids in there.”

 

Lu Yao pretended to blush. “It won’t be that easy. I was already old when I got married, so it might be hard for me to conceive.”

 

Having given birth to two children himself, Lin Daman had some experience in these matters. He pulled Lu Yao’s arm and offered advice. “When you’re with your husband, put a pillow under your waist, and you’ll be sure to conceive.”

 

This time, Lu Yao’s face really turned red. He and Zhao Beichuan hadn’t progressed to that stage yet.

 

“Don’t be shy. While you’re young, you should have a son or two for security when you’re old.”

 

Lu Yao nodded hastily and changed the subject. “Your brother-in-law… Song Widow, what do you think of him?”

 

Lin Daman couldn’t help but snort. “Why are you bringing him up?”

 

“Not long ago, we had a quarrel with their family, and now he’s been spreading rumors about me everywhere.”

 

“He’s always been a gossip and full of malice. Back when we hadn’t split households yet, he’d often stir up trouble between me and my mother-in-law. I can’t stand him!”

 

The Song family had split a few years ago. Back then, the eldest brother of the Song family was still alive, and a fight over land had led to the two families splitting up, with Song Changshun’s family being driven to the old house next door.

 

After Song Changfu died, Song Widow’s mother-in-law had wanted to bring the second family back, but Lin Daman flatly refused. He had no desire to deal with those people.

 

Seeing his reaction, Lu Yao felt reassured. “I didn’t want to say anything, but… well…”

 

Lin Daman stopped walking and looked puzzled. “What’s the matter?”

 

“Brother Daman, if it were anyone else, I’d keep it to myself and never mention it. But I feel like I owe it to you to tell you this because we get along so well.”

 

“Do you know that Widow Song is seducing your husband?”

 

Although Lin Daman had a bad temper, he wasn’t a fool. He stared at Lu Yao for a while and asked, “Who told you that?”

 

“Don’t get worked up yet. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t dare to say such things.”

 

Lu Yao didn’t mention the children and instead presented the incident as something he accidentally witnessed. “That day, I was returning from selling tofu and saw Widow Song pass by your house, throwing a willow branch into your yard. I didn’t think much of it at the time.

 

Later that evening, when I went to the riverbank to wash the tofu cloths, I happened to see Widow Song heading toward the grove by the river. It was already dusk. What was a ge’er doing going into the woods at that time?

 

Out of curiosity, I followed him quietly, and what do you think I saw? As soon as he met your husband, they embraced, started undressing, and soon they were lost in passion, completely oblivious to the world around them…”

 

“Those two scoundrels!” Lin Daman cursed loudly and immediately turned to rush back home.

 

Lu Yao quickly grabbed him. “If you go back now and confront them, they’ll deny everything, and they might even accuse you of slander.”

 

“Then what should I do?” Lin Daman was so angry his eyes were red, and his chest heaved with fury, his rage surging to his head, making him dizzy.

 

“Catching a thief requires catching him red-handed, and catching an adulterer requires catching them in the act. Only if you catch them together will they have no way to deny it.”

 

Lin Daman had long suspected that his husband had an inappropriate relationship with his brother-in-law, but he had never found any evidence. Now, hearing it from Lu Yao, he wanted nothing more than to tear the two of them apart.

 

Ever since Big brother Song had passed away, Song Changshun frequently went to Widow Song’s house, always saying that since his elder brother was gone, the widow had it tough, and he had to help him out. Who would have thought that this help extended all the way to the bedroom!

 

Lin Daman grabbed Lu Yao’s hand. “Good brother, I know you’re clever. You have to help me.”

 

“I want to help you, but this isn’t a small matter. Brother Daman, do you want to keep living peacefully, or do you want to make those two pay for what they’ve done?” Lu Yao paused for a moment. “If you want to live in peace, just pretend this never happened. Turn a blind eye, and life will go on.”

 

“I will not let them get away with this! Even if I have to divorce him, I will drag those two adulterers into the open for the whole village to see what kind of people they really are!”

 

Lu Yao’s eyes gleamed briefly. “Then listen to me…”

 

*

 

At dusk, Song Changshun returned from town.

 

During the day, he had taken the money and gone to town to find that scholar named Xu, bringing up the matter to him.

 

Initially, Song Changshun feared that Xu Dengke would be difficult to convince, but to his surprise, Xu Dengke readily agreed after taking the money, promising to come to the village in the next day or two to cause trouble for Lu Yao.

 

Of the five hundred wen that Widow Song had given him, Song Changshun didn’t give all of it to Xu Dengke. He only handed over three hundred wen, pocketing the rest. With the extra money, he treated himself to a couple of meat dishes at a local eatery, ate half a roast chicken, and drank two bowls of yellow wine.

 

Humming a tune, Song Changshun reached his front yard and saw a broken piece of willow branch lying there. He stroked his chin and muttered a curse under his breath. “That little flirt, can’t go a day without getting itchy. I’ll take care of him tonight!”

 

“You’re back.” Lin Daman’s voice suddenly sounded from behind.

 

Song Changshun jumped. “Daman, what are you doing here?”

 

Lin Daman acted as though he hadn’t noticed anything. “I just came back from washing clothes by the river. Let’s go inside.”

 

They went inside, and the food was already prepared and heated. Song Changshun wasn’t hungry after eating his fill in town, but when he saw the tofu on the table, he had other thoughts.

 

The other day, he had bumped into Lu Yao selling tofu at the front of his house. Lu Yao’s good looks had stunned him to the point where he couldn’t move, and he finally understood why his brother-in-law was in such a rush. He was probably worried that Zhao Beichuan would fall for the pretty ge’er.

 

If Zhao Beichuan really did divorce Lu Yao, Song Changshun thought, licking his lips, maybe he could get a piece of that action too.

 

After eating a few bites of rice, Song Changshun made an excuse to leave the house again. As soon as he left, Lin Daman settled his two children and quietly followed after him.

 

Lin Daman didn’t go directly to the small grove by the river. First, he stopped by his mother-in-law’s house. When he entered, his mother-in-law was feeding medicine to Song Ping.

 

In just four or five days, Song Ping had become bedridden, his tiny body lying in the bedding, his eye sockets sunken, his little face pale, coughing from time to time.

 

“What are you doing here?” his mother-in-law asked grumpily as she coaxed Song Ping to take the medicine.

 

“I heard from Xiaochun that Ping’er was sick, so I came to check on him. Where’s Brother-in-law? I haven’t seen him around.”

 

His mother-in-law spat angrily, “Lazy thing is always shirking work. He said he had an upset stomach, probably snuck off somewhere to avoid working again.”

 

Lin Daman felt a sinking feeling in his heart. Even though he knew what Lu Yao had said was likely true, he still harbored a sliver of hope that it might be a mistake.

 

But now, there was no denying it. He took a deep breath and said, “Mother, Brother-in-law didn’t go to the outhouse. I just saw him heading toward the grove with a man!”

 

“What did you say? Are you sure you saw that clearly?”

 

“I’m absolutely certain. If I hadn’t been sure, I wouldn’t have dared come here to ask you to act.”

 

His mother-in-law slammed the medicine bowl onto the bed, put on her shoes, and stormed out.

 

Lin Daman followed closely behind, watching her pick up a hoe, and he couldn’t help but sneer. Beating them wasn’t enough; he wanted to completely ruin the reputations of Widow Song and Song Changshun.

 

“Mother, it’s pitch black out. The two of us won’t be able to block them. If they run away, it’ll all be for nothing.”

 

His mother-in-law fumed, “That shameless hussy! When your brother passed, he didn’t want to return to his family, and now he can’t even stay faithful and is out looking for other men!”

 

“If he has no shame, I won’t save face for him either. Go call Uncle and Aunt from the front yard, and get Song Dehai and Song Dezhu’s families too. Let’s see if we can’t catch them!”

 

Lin Daman hurried off and within the time it took to finish a cup of tea, he had gathered everyone.

 

When the others heard they were going to catch adulterers, they needed no further urging. They eagerly picked up shovels and hoes, forming a large group that headed toward the river.

 

At this moment, Widow Song and Song Changshun were completely unaware that their secret was about to be exposed. They were lying in each other’s arms, whispering sweet nothings.

 

“Did you arrange everything?”

 

“Don’t worry, when have I ever let you down? He took the money and promised to come to the village within a day or two to stir things up. By then, even if Zhao Beichuan is reluctant, he’ll have no choice but to send that flirt of a husband away.”

 

Widow Song smiled contentedly and snuggled into his arms. “If only you had married me back then, we wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

 

Song Changshun thought to himself, with your promiscuous nature, who knows who you’d be fooling around with by now if I had married you.

 

“Speaking of that, on the day of your engagement to my brother, mother had originally wanted me to go instead, but I had a stomachache and missed it. That’s how I ended up marrying Lin Daman.”

 

Widow Song said, “We just weren’t fated to be together, but now it’s almost over.”

 

“You say it’s almost over, but I’m afraid once you have Zhao Beichuan, you’ll forget about me, your old lover.”

 

Widow Song blushed and lightly slapped his chest. “How could I? The flowers at home will never be as fragrant as the wildflowers. I’ll still come to you…”

 

“You little vixen, let me love you properly.” Song Changshun pushed him down, and the two began to tangle together.

 

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached from the distance. Widow Song was startled. “Someone’s coming!”

 

“Don’t worry, it’s late. It’s probably just someone passing by. Don’t make a sound, I’ll finish quickly.” Song Changshun kept at it, while Widow Song bit his lip, trembling with fear.