Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 26

Under the sparse moonlight, Lu Yao poured the last bit of beans from the wooden bucket into the millstone and urged Zhao Beichuan beside him.

 

“Hurry up, hurry up, we’ll go watch the commotion later!”

 

Zhao Beichuan didn’t ask what the commotion was about. He put more strength into his hands and pushed the millstone faster.

 

In no time, the beans in the bucket were ground, and the two of them carried the soybean milk back toward the village. Halfway there, they suddenly heard a lot of shouting, and faintly saw some flickering firelight.

 

Lu Yao, excited, quickened his pace. “Come on, let’s go take a look!”

 

By the riverside, Widow Song was wrapped in only a piece of clothing, his pants not yet properly put on. He huddled into a ball, trembling with his head down.

 

Next to him, Song Changshun had put on his pants but was slapped twice hard by Lin Daman, his face swelling up high.

 

Old Lady Song clutched her chest, gasping for breath. “You shameless wretch! You begged me back then to let you stay in the Song family, saying you couldn’t bear to leave the child. And now look at what you’ve done, committing adultery!”

 

“Speak up! If you don’t explain yourself today, I’ll send you straight to the nunnery!”

 

Widow Song shrank back in fear. The nunnery was no place for humans to stay. It was said that once you went in, you had to get up before dawn to work, barely had enough to eat, and would be beaten if the work wasn’t done. If no family came to redeem you, you’d stay there for life, only being let out after death.

 

“Mother, I was wrong, I was wrong! Please don’t send me to that place!” Widow Song crawled to his mother-in-law’s side, clutching her pant leg and pleading.

 

“It was him… Song Changshun forced me! As soon as Husband left, he came to me, demanding that I sleep with him. I refused, and then he forced me. I really had no choice!”

 

“Lies!” Song Changshun roared in rage upon hearing this. “You were the one who seduced me first!”

 

In the spring, Widow Song had claimed he wasn’t feeling well and asked Song Changshun to help with the fields for two days.

 

“I thought since my brother was gone, he had it hard, so I helped out. But then he brought me sweet drinks and wiped my head with a cloth, held my hand, and asked after my well-being, even touched my face.”

 

“Tell me, what kind of sister-in-law acts so intimately with his brother-in-law? If that’s not seduction, then what is?”

 

“And that gives you the right to drag me into the woods and pull down my pants?” Widow Song cried bitterly. “Mother, I couldn’t bear to leave Song Ping, or I would have gone with husband…”

 

Hearing this, those around them began to sympathize. Uncle Song pointed at Song Changshun. “You beast! How could you bully your own sister-in-law?”

 

Furious, Song Changshun kicked Widow Song. “Spit! You wretched man! If you cared so much for Song Ping, how could you steal the money meant for his medicine to frame others?”

 

Old Lady Song gasped. “What did you say, Changshun?!”

 

“He’s lying, mother! Don’t listen to him!” Widow Song, crazed with fear, forgot his nakedness and leaped up to fight Song Changshun.

 

The two of them fought, cursing as they went. Song Changshun’s face was scratched bloody, and Widow Song didn’t fare any better, getting kicked several times. He lay on the ground, clutching his stomach and wailing.

 

Song Changshun wiped the blood from his face and spat. “This adulterous man had his eye on Zhao Beichuan. But since he’s already married, he hired a scholar from town to slander Lu Yao and ruin his reputation. And where did the money come from? He tricked it from our mother! You gave him seven or eight taels for medicine, but he only spent one, hiding the rest away!”

 

An affair might have been forgiven by the old lady, since it was within the family. But stealing money meant for a sick child’s medicine was a grave offense, and Old Lady Song would not let that slide.

 

Widow Song’s heart turned cold as ashes, his eyes fixed on Song Changshun. If looks could kill, he would have been sliced to pieces a thousand times over.

 

Old Lady Song, her face pale, finally caught her breath. “Oh, so it’s like that. A tiger doesn’t eat its own cubs, yet you’ve harmed your own child for the sake of another man. No wonder Song Ping’s illness hasn’t improved—it was his own mother secretly harming him!”

 

“Today, our family’s disgrace has become public. We can’t keep him here any longer. Tie him up, and tomorrow we’ll send him to the nunnery.”

 

A group of people tied up Widow Song, gagged him, and dragged him back to the Song house.

 

Song Changshun breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the matter was settled. He smiled obsequiously at his husband, Lin Daman. “Daman, I know you’re mad at me. I was just out of my mind, letting that wretched man seduce me. I swear it won’t happen again. Let’s live well together and raise the kids.”

 

Lin Daman sneered. “Live well together? You think it’s that easy.”

 

“Then… what do you want? You’ve hit me, and he’s been sent to the nunnery. What more do you want?”

 

Lin Daman slapped him again, hard enough to make stars dance before his eyes. “How did I end up with such a lowlife like you? Tomorrow, we’re getting a divorce!” With that, he stormed off, and Song Changshun stumbled after him, clutching his face.

 

Having seen enough, Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan quietly slipped away.

 

“Dog eats dog,” Lu Yao sighed. “Both sides lose.”

 

“Serves them right,” Zhao Beichuan said as he picked up the soybean milk. “Let’s go home.”

 

Lu Yao followed, his steps light, feeling the weight on his heart finally lift.

 

Though Widow Song’s end was miserable, he had brought it on himself. If he hadn’t stirred up trouble, Lu Yao wouldn’t have schemed to catch him in the act.

 

The only person Lu Yao felt guilty about was Lin Daman. He did feel like he had used him, but at least he had helped him see Song Changshun’s true nature.

 

“Zhao Beichuan, do you think I’m too cruel?”

 

“If people don’t wrong me, I don’t wrong them. If it were me, their fate would have been even worse.” The last person who bullied him ended up with a broken arm.

 

“Heh, our Dachuan is still the most bold~”

 

Zhao Beichuan nearly stumbled, almost spilling the soybean milk. He sped up and practically ran home.

 

Lu Yao, panting as he hurried to catch up, thought to himself how thin-skinned this guy was. If they ever took off their clothes, wouldn’t they be too embarrassed to do anything?

 

*

 

Widow Song’s scandal didn’t stir up much commotion in the village, as most of the people who caught them were Song family relatives, and they didn’t want to spread such shame.

 

But Lin Daman was dead set on divorcing Song Changshun. Early the next morning, he packed his things and called for the village head to discuss the matter.

 

Lu Yao had just pushed his tofu cart into the village when he saw a lot of people heading toward the Song house. He quickly grabbed a familiar face to ask. “Aunt Ding, where are you all going?”

 

“Oh, we heard that Song Changshun’s husband is going to divorce him, so we’re all going to try to talk him out of it.”

 

Lu Yao nodded and followed with his tofu cart.

 

At the gate of the Song house, a large crowd had already gathered, mostly to watch the spectacle. Divorce was rare in the village. Most people just muddled through, as every family had its own troubles.

 

In the courtyard, the village head had his hands behind his back, trying to reason with them. “Marriage isn’t a joke. You’ve been married for more than six years and have two children. You can’t get divorced over something small.”

 

Song Changshun, his face still swollen, stammered, “Uncle, I’ve begged him, pleaded with him, I’ve even offered to kneel. What else can I do?”

 

Lin Daman sneered. “What you did was inhuman. If I hadn’t caught you, how long would you have kept sneaking around under my nose?”

 

The village head coughed. Since he had approved Widow Song’s transfer to the nunnery, he knew everything that had happened the night before.

 

“Lin, if you insist on the divorce, you probably won’t be able to take the children.”

 

Lin Daman’s eyes widened. “Why not? I gave birth to and raised them, why can’t I take them?”

 

The village head patiently explained, “The children’s household registration is here, the house and land are here. Where will you live if you take them away? How will you support them?”

 

Lin Daman said, “My parents and brothers will help!”

 

Next to him, Grandma Song pulled him aside and advised, “They can help you for a while, but can they help you for a lifetime? Even if your brothers are willing, do you think your sisters-in-law would agree? Daman, listen to your mother, forgive Changshun this time, and stay here to live a good life.”

 

Lin Daman shook her off forcefully. “If they don’t want to help, I’ll raise the two kids myself. I have hands and feet—how could we starve?” He believed he was strong and capable, doing work even better than a man, so why couldn’t he raise his family and live independently with his children?

 

Seeing that persuasion was useless, the village head sighed. “Song Changshun, do you have anything else to say?”

 

“No, nothing.” He hung his head in shame. The two children weren’t close to him anyway, and they were both “money-losing boys”—if Lin Daman wanted to take them, he had no objection.

 

“Alright then, I will draw up the divorce papers today, and once you each stamp your thumbprints, you will go your separate ways.”

 

All marriages are based on a predestined relationship formed over three lives. If the bond isn’t harmonious, it means the couple were enemies in a past life, destined to meet again. Since your hearts are divided and you cannot live as one, it’s better to return to your original paths.¹

 

Once both had pressed their thumbprints, the divorce was finalized.

 

Peasant families had little marital property. The three dilapidated rooms were part of the Song family’s old residence, and Lin Daman didn’t care about them. He only took his and the children’s clothes, wrapped two hundred copper coins in a bundle, and resolutely left the Song family with his two children in tow.

 

Lu Yao stood dumbfounded, watching Lin Daman’s departing figure, deeply impressed by his decisiveness and courage.

 

This person was born in the wrong era. If he lived in modern times, he’d surely achieve something remarkable.

 

The crowd slowly dispersed, and Lu Yao’s tofu was nearly sold out. He kept the last few pieces for his own family, then pushed the cart back home.

 

Tomorrow, they’d be raising the beams of the house. According to village custom, they’d have to prepare a few tables of food to treat their relatives to a meal.

 

“You’re back.” Zhao Beichuan was cleaning the courtyard. When he saw Lu Yao return, he came over to help push the cart.

 

“Sigh, Lin Daman really did get divorced. He’s now a single ge’er with two children. Who knows how he’ll get by in the future?”

 

“Are you regretting it?”

 

Lu Yao stretched his shoulders. “Not really. Even without me, it was bound to come to light eventually. I just gave it a little push.”

 

“Then stop overthinking it and help me with the accounts. We need to settle up with the workers tomorrow.”

 

Lu Yao retrieved the clay jar buried behind the kitchen. He had spent five qian on medicine during his illness, three qian on millet and soybeans, and now had six guan and two qian left.

 

Lu Yao used a stick to scribble some calculations on the ground. “The three masons each earned 20 wen a day and worked for 21 days, so their total is one guan and 260 wen. The two carpenters earned 30 wen a day and worked for 13 days, making a total of seven qian and 80 wen.” He pulled out two guan and set them aside.

 

“We spent 150 wen on thatch. The house beams cost 120 wen each, and Dad gave us seven. We bought five more from Liang Yongli’s family, costing a total of seven qian and 50 wen.”

 

Zhao Beichuan said, “We should include what your dad provided. They helped us out, so we can’t let them cover the costs.”

 

Lu Yao thought it over and agreed, counting out an additional eight qian and 40 wen.

 

The doors and windows for the new house were partially reused from the old one, but there were more rooms now, so the expenses totaled another three qian.

 

“Then there’s the feast for tomorrow. We’ve prepared five tables and invited neighbors and relatives. Each table has six dishes—three meat and three vegetarian. We bought three chickens, 20 eggs, 10 jin of pork, two jars of yellow wine, millet, and vegetables. Altogether, it will cost around one guan and three qian.”

 

After setting aside all these expenses, there was less than one guan left. And this didn’t even include the wages for Lu’s father and brother. If they paid them, they’d truly be penniless.

 

Lu Yao shook the now-empty clay jar. “Zhao Beichuan, we’re really poor!”

 

For once, Zhao Beichuan grew anxious. “Don’t, don’t worry. Harvest season is coming soon. After the harvest, I’ll go hunting in the mountains, and we’ll surely make some money.”

 

Lu Yao didn’t tease him anymore. After all, this young man was already very impressive. He had supported his younger siblings, saved up enough to build a new house, and at his age, Lu Yao himself had still been lying to his family about sneaking off to internet cafes to play games.

 

He couldn’t resist patting Zhao Beichuan on the shoulder in reassurance. “It’s okay. We still have five shi of soybeans in the kitchen. When the time’s right, we can sell them in town for another sum of money!”

 

*

 

On July 28th, before the sun had even risen, Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou were already up. Today was the big day—the beams of the Zhao family’s new house would be raised!

 

The two children were dressed in clothes made by Lu Yao, their hair neatly combed, and they skipped excitedly to the new courtyard.

 

Yesterday, Lu Yao had already asked Aunt Tian and Grandma Zhao, as well as young Brother Qin from the back courtyard, to come over and help with the cooking.

 

They had borrowed tables, bowls, chopsticks, and soup pots from several families. The Qin family, being well-off, even lent them an iron pot.

 

With the iron pot, Lu Yao was eager to show off his skills. After all, aside from steaming, boiling, and stewing, these ancient folks didn’t know much else about cooking.

 

The three vegetarian dishes were stir-fried eggs with chives, cold mixed purslane leaves, and tofu with scallions. The three meat dishes were radish stew with chicken, stir-fried pork with cabbage, and stir-fried bean sprouts with pork.

 

This was Lu Yao’s first time organizing a rural feast since arriving in ancient times, and he was quite excited. Even though there weren’t many guests, all five tables were generously filled with meat dishes.

 

Everyone first prepared the ingredients to save time when things got busy.

 

While picking vegetables, Aunt Tian kept praising, “This is a really lavish feast. Even if you served this in town, it would be top-notch. You wouldn’t believe it, but when Song Dezhus’ family had their son’s wedding recently, the food was so plain, there wasn’t even a hint of oil in the soup. It was so embarrassing.”

 

Lu Yao smiled, “Everyone’s helped us a lot these days. I thought we’d make something nice to reward everyone.”

 

Grandma Zhao frowned. “Buying all this meat must’ve cost quite a bit. It’s not easy to save money. You have to watch Dachuan more closely. If he keeps spending like this, how will you manage in the future?”

 

Lu Yao quickly agreed, “Yes, you’re right.”

 

Aunt Tian Er lost interest, pursed her lips, and said no more, pulling Qin Xiaolang outside to wash the vegetables.

 

With all the ingredients prepared, Lu Yao began cooking.

 

For a banquet with many people, it’s best to start with cold dishes, followed by hot dishes, then stews before stir-fries, which saves time.

 

Lu Yao put the radishes and chicken in the pot to stew first, then began mixing scallion tofu. Aunt Tian Er made the cold stir-fried huoye. The so-called huoye was actually just a type of wild green leaf that grew on the mountain. Blanch it in water, then mix it with salt and hot oil to finish. It had a grassy aroma and tasted slightly bitter with a sweet aftertaste.

 

Stir-fried chives and eggs went without saying; it was easy to stir-fry using an iron wok.

 

The only tricky part was the two meat dishes. Ancient pork was very different from modern farmed pork, having a strong, gamey odor.

 

When Lu Yao first bought the pork, he almost made himself sick, thinking it was spoiled. Later, Zhao Beichuan told him that all pork smelled that way.

 

Lu Yao soaked the pork in water beforehand, adding a bit of yellow wine, ginger slices, and scallion leaves to remove the gamey odor.

 

He cut off the top fat layer and put it in the wok to render the oil. Once the strong smell had mostly dissipated, he added the vegetables and stir-fried them over high heat.

 

The meat aroma burst forth instantly, filling the air!

 

In the front yard, more than twenty men had hoisted the main beam with a rope, and red paper was pasted on it, just waiting for the auspicious time to raise it.

 

The lead carpenter today was Ding Carpenter. He was experienced in this work, and everyone in the village hired him.

 

He patted the main beam and said, “Wow, this old pine wood is solid enough to last a hundred years. Dachuan, where did you get it?”

 

“My father-in-law provided it.”

 

Lu Guangsheng, standing in the back, had a proud smile on his face. He had felled this wood on the mountain seven or eight years ago, taking great effort to bring it down.

 

Originally, he intended to use it to build a new house for his eldest son, but his eldest passed so early, it was never used…

 

After his eldest son passed, there was no need to build a new house for the family, so the wood stayed unused. Now that his son-in-law was building a new house, it came in handy.

 

The village elders chose an auspicious time of the third quarter of the morning. With a loud sound, Ding Carpenter began chanting in a drawn-out tone, “A disciple of Luban passes through—requesting the host to set the main beam—on this auspicious day, the beam rises, may it stand firm and bring prosperity to the family—”

 

After the blessing chant, it was time to perform the traditional ritual of dispelling evil. Ding Carpenter needed to ask the owner for a cup of purified water, which he drank, then sprayed on the beam, saying, “Watch to the side, as heaven and earth open, the auspicious sun rises, the hall is built, a suitable home, may the malevolent spirits retreat, hidden from sight, let this beam endure, bringing everlasting fortune.”

 

“Raise the beam—”

 

“Heave-ho! Heave-ho!” Over twenty men, young and old, chanted as they pulled the thick hemp rope, slowly raising the main beam, which was finally set on the roof, completing the frame!

 

“Crack-crack-crack!” Firecrackers sounded, and people cheered, young and old clapping in delight.

 

Lu Yao stood in the crowd, looking at the small, simple house, and for some reason, his eyes suddenly filled with tears.

 

There was no doubt—this was his home now!

 

At last, his wandering soul had found a place to settle, his lonely body had found a home. At this moment, Lu Yao fully integrated into the lives of those people from a thousand years ago, feeling joyful and tearful for his newly built home!