Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 27

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Shangjing is the capital

After the beam-raising ceremony concluded, preparations were made for the banquet.

The men sat around three tables, while the women, children, and husbands sat around two tables, each table filled with seven or eight people.

The borrowed tables were all low ground tables, about knee-high for an adult, and most people sat on stools, with some using wooden blocks or stones. I wonder if larger towns use higher tables and chairs.

As dish after dish was served, everyone stretched out their chopsticks, eating with oil dripping from their mouths!

It’s no exaggeration to say that the meal was like a battle, with chopsticks crossing chopsticks, as everyone tried to get as much meat into their own bowls as possible.

They didn’t bother with politeness or manners; some of them rarely got a chance to eat anything rich, so they naturally ate to their heart’s content at such a rare opportunity.

Lu Yao, worried the two children wouldn’t get any meat, had saved two chicken legs for Xiaonian and Xiaodou in the kitchen.

Today, there was plenty of meat, and even the vegetable dishes were finished, especially the scrambled eggs with chives and scallion tofu. People praised while eating, “Whoever made the food today, she could start a restaurant with skills like this!”

“It was Zhao’s husband.”

“Wow, Dachuan, you’re really lucky!”

Zhao Beichuan nodded, turning to look at Lu Yao, who had rolled up his sleeves and was fighting over a chicken tail with a group of women, causing him to laugh out loud.

In his past life, Lu Yao had never eaten such a thing. His family had never prepared it, but times were different now. He had heard that chicken tails had plenty of oil and that one bite would burst with oil. His skinny arms and legs could use some nourishment!

The meal stretched from noon to the afternoon, with the women, children, and husbands finishing and leaving first, leaving two tables of men to keep drinking endlessly.

Mother Lu, along with Lu Yun and Lu Miao, helped clean the tables and wash the dishes. All of her family members had come today, except for his second sister-in-law, Hu Chunrong.

Perhaps they had quarreled and she still held a grudge, but Lu Yao didn’t care much.

After tidying up, Mother Lu had Third Brother and Fourth Brother take Xiaonian and Xiaodou out to play, and then pulled Lu Yao into the kitchen to have a private chat.

“How much did this meal cost? I saw quite a bit of meat in those bowls,” Old Lady Lu said with a heartbroken expression.

“It didn’t cost much; Dachuan arranged everything.”

“Oh, I heard from your father that you’re selling tofu. How’s it going?”

Lu Yao pointed to the sacks of beans piled up in the back. “It’s going alright, but I’ve been a bit delayed with the house construction recently.”

“You really can bear the hardship. When your father mentioned it, I thought you were messing around again.”

“Mom, you can’t keep judging me by the past. Your son has changed a lot now.”

Mother Lu looked him up and down and said, “Yes, you’ve changed a lot, almost like a different person.”

Lu Yao was startled, worried she might realize his soul had changed.

“But you’ve changed for the better, and it makes me happy. Live well from now on, so I don’t have to worry.”

Lu Yao let out a sigh of relief, not daring to say too much.

“By the way, take this money back with you later.” This was the money for the house beam. Zhao Beichuan had given it to Father Lu in the morning, but he had refused it, saying they didn’t lack money and that they should keep it for themselves.

Mother Lu waved it off too, “You just finished building the house, and money’s tight. Keep it for yourselves and pay us back when you can.”

“Take it. My sister-in-law is already upset. If she finds out we used the beam for free, she’ll definitely cause trouble.”

Mother Lu sighed and accepted the money. “Don’t worry about her. Your sister-in-law doesn’t have a bad heart.”

Lu Yao thought of the foolish things his past self had done and couldn’t help but smile. “I know. I used to be immature and made her really mad. I’ll apologize when I get the chance.”

Mother Lu patted his arm and sighed, “Yao’er, you’ve really grown up. Seeing you like this makes me so happy.” Her eyes turned red as she continued, “You and Dachuan should live well. Any news of a baby yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“Hurry up while I’m still strong. Have a few children quickly. If you can’t take care of them, send them to me. It’s just a few extra mouths to feed.”

Warmth surged through Lu Yao’s heart, and he held her hand, saying, “Mom, you’re so good to me. When I make big money someday, I’ll buy you gold hairpins, silver bracelets, and take you to the city to live in a big house and enjoy life.”

Old Lady Lu laughed out loud at his grand promises, “I’ll be satisfied if you cause me less worry.”

The men drank until mid-afternoon, and Mother Lu couldn’t sit still, urging them several times before they finally broke up.

Father Lu, thoroughly drunk, staggered to his feet, grabbing Zhao Beichuan’s arm and praising him repeatedly, “Good child, Lu Yao… he married well.”

“Alright, Dad, slow down,” Zhao Beichuan and Lu Lin helped him sit on a bench nearby.

“I’m fine, I’m not that drunk. I’m just happy today, so happy! My son-in-law built a new house!”

“Enough! A little wine, and you forget your name. Let’s go home!” Mother Lu called Lu Yun and Lu Miao, and had Lu Lin help him home.

“Mom, maybe Dad should sober up before leaving.” Lu Yao packed the leftover tofu and eggs into a basket for her to take back.

“No need. With so many people around, he won’t fall. You two go about your business; don’t worry about us.”

“Alright, take it slow on the way.”

After sending off the family, Zhao Beichuan returned the cleaned tables and dishes to each household.

The new house wasn’t ready for living yet; the roof was still missing straw, so the two of them would have to make do in the kitchen for a few more days.

After a busy day, Lu Yao was sore and exhausted. He hadn’t even had time to soak the beans, planning to take a break tomorrow and skip selling tofu.

When Zhao Beichuan entered, he saw Lu Yao lying on the grass mat, groaning.

“Tired?”

“Mm, give me a back rub.” Lu Yao said casually, not expecting Zhao Beichuan to actually squat beside him and start rubbing his back, though the strength was a bit too much, making his insides churn.

“Gentler, gentler. Or better yet, massage my legs; they’re aching.”

Blushing, Zhao Beichuan placed his hands on Lu Yao’s calves, and through the thin layer of fabric, warmth instantly spread.

Lu Yao’s heartbeat suddenly sped up, and less-than-innocent thoughts popped into his mind. In his past life, he’d seen a film where a massage led to… let’s just say a battle of three hundred rounds~

Hehe, Lu Yao couldn’t help but swallow, but despite waiting, that hand stayed where it should, only massaging his lower leg.

He wriggled, wondering if maybe his backside wasn’t attractive enough.

Zhao Beichuan’s breath hitched, and he patted Lu Yao’s calf, saying, “Rest early; I’m going to cut thatch.”

Lu Yao turned over in frustration. Zhao Beichuan, I see now… you’re just not capable!

“Gurgle—” Suddenly, his stomach rumbled, followed by a cramp-like pain. His stomach, unused to rich food, was revolting, and he ended up with an upset stomach.

In one night, Lu Yao made six or seven trips to the latrine, clearing out all the food from lunch.

A house wasn’t finished after the beam-raising; rafters still needed to be added, bamboo strips cut, and the thatch laid.

Roofing with thatch was a skilled task that most people couldn’t handle. Lu Guangsheng, an experienced craftsman, took over Zhao’s roof, starting to lay the thatch in the days that followed.

The roof beams are made of pine boards, as wide as a child’s arm. After they are laid out neatly, the next step is to split bamboo strips.

First, cut the bamboo into several sections, then split each section in half, and continue splitting until the strips are as thick as a little finger. Once the bamboo strips are ready, climb onto the roof to weave them together with the beams below.

In the final step, use a pole to pry open the gaps, evenly insert the pre-selected thatch into the spaces, and then pat it down with a comb board. A thatch roof is then successfully completed! This kind of thatch house is good for insulation, keeping warm in winter and cool in summer, and it doesn’t let rain in. The only downside is that the thatch inside can rot easily, requiring annual maintenance.

With the roof in place, the house is officially completed.

The remaining tasks of arranging the kang (a traditional heated bed) and installing doors and windows can be done by Zhao Beichuan himself. After spending three to four days, the kang and doors and windows of the new house are all set up.

In this dynasty, the windows used by ordinary people are quite different from those shown in TV dramas where paper is used. Instead, they consist of a nailed wooden board that can be removed when the weather is good and sealed when the weather is bad, leaving the inside dark without a trace of light.

In the morning, after Lu Yao finished selling tofu, he returned to find Xiao Nian and Xiao Dou sweeping the new house.

“Sister-in-law, my older brother said we can move back in today!”

“Great! I’ll take out the mats to dry and lay them down for you.” Lu Yao washed his hands, took out the rolled-up mats to dry in the yard, and also brought out the bedding for everyone to air out.

The old furniture has already been moved into the new house, but when the house collapsed, two boxes were crushed, and after a bit of repair, they can still be used. The five-dou cabinet is no good anymore, with both sides of the shelf broken; repairing it would take too much time and effort, so it’s better to make a new one.

The old kitchen’s dish rack has been moved into the new kitchen, and Zhao Beichuan also brought in two large jars.

The new kitchen has two stoves: one for everyday cooking and another specifically for Lu Yao to make tofu.

Lu Yao looked at the spacious new house and felt it was quite empty. “Zhao Beichuan, let’s go to the town together later to sell the beans and buy some household supplies.”

Zhao Beichuan set down his hammer. “Alright, I’ll go borrow a cart.”

The family now has nearly five to six stones of beans, but without a place to store them, they can only pack them in sacks for now. However, there are too many mice in the kitchen, and at night, the sound of them nibbling on the beans can be heard.

If this continues, sooner or later, all the hard-earned beans will be eaten by the mice!

After a while, Zhao Beichuan borrowed a flatbed cart from the Qin family. This cart is meant for pulling livestock, and he didn’t dare to borrow a donkey, considering its high value and the risk of damage.

Lu Yao supported the cart while he loaded the beans bag by bag, then threw the rope over his shoulder and pulled it along.

“Can you handle it? Should we load fewer bags?”

“It’s fine; it’s not heavy.” With a strong pull, Zhao Beichuan lifted the cart, and Lu Yao nervously followed beside him, worried he might be toppled over by the cart.

“When we have money, let’s buy a donkey first!”

“Sure.”

“Then let’s make a wooden cart so I can use the donkey to sell tofu too.”

“Mm.”

Lu Yao glanced up at him and saw sweat trickling down his temples, quickly using his sleeve to wipe it away.

Zhao Beichuan’s ears turned red as he quickened his pace, the cart zipping along.

Lu Yao clicked his tongue, thinking this guy really is like a beast of burden, with endless energy throughout the day.

Upon arriving in town, they first headed to the grain shop.

As soon as the cart stopped, a clerk rushed over. “Guest, are you buying grain or selling grain?”

Lu Yao asked, “Does your shop buy beans? How much per stone?”

“Right now, we’re only buying last year’s old beans at four qian and fifty wen per stone.”

Calculating, that’s forty-five wen per dou, which is too low. They buy beans in the village for fifty wen per dou!

“Can’t you raise the price a bit?”

The clerk smiled and said, “We can’t; we’re the only ones buying old beans. You might as well ask other shops; if they offer a better price, you can sell there.”

There are only two grain shops in town, and it’s said they are owned by the same person, so what’s the point of asking?

Having gone through so much trouble to bring them, there’s no way to take them back. Lu Yao could only hold his temper and said, “Help us weigh the beans on the cart. Let’s sell four stones and exchange the rest for millet.” Their rice at home has been eaten up, and it won’t do to keep trading with others.

“Alright.” The clerk ran into the shop to call for help, and soon two people came out to assist in unloading the beans. The shop has a large scale specifically for weighing grain, and the six bags of beans totaled five stones and three dou, yielding one guan and six qian along with one stone of millet.

Lu Yao felt the scale was not accurate, but he had no evidence. If he pressed the issue, the grain shop might refuse to buy, and it would be him who loses out in the end, so he had to swallow this bitter loss.

Leaving the grain shop, Lu Yao couldn’t help but say, “This grain shop is too deceitful. We’ll have to deal with them often in the future; it’s really annoying.”

Zhao Beichuan also felt a bit helpless and comforted him, “Making one guan and six qian plus one bag of millet in half a month is already quite impressive. There’s no one in the village who can earn money as well as you.”

Lu Yao couldn’t help but smile at the compliment. “Oh, it’s just average. Most of the tofu was ground by you, so you deserve half the credit.”

After their mutual flattery, both couldn’t help but laugh.

There are still many things to buy for the house, but the money in hand is not enough.

The weather is about to turn cold, and Lu Yao is considering getting clothes for both the children and adults to save on the costs of colds and fevers.

The two went to the fabric shop, buying twenty feet of coarse cotton fabric for three hundred wen, and they also needed to replace the hemp cloth used for making tofu, buying ten feet of hemp cloth for sixty wen.

It must be said that business in ancient times is really rigid. Even buying so many things, they wouldn’t give a single penny off, nor would they bargain.

Once outside the shop, Lu Yao realized that there was only this fabric shop in the entire Qingshui Town. They could sell as much as they wanted; if he didn’t buy, someone else would.

At this time, he began to miss online shopping from his previous life, where he could compare products and buy from the best option, having them delivered within two days, and if dissatisfied, could return them anytime.

He bought ten pounds of alum at the pharmacy for fifty wen. This is essential for making tofu, so it’s better to buy more to avoid frequent trips to town.

Next was the oil shop; their supply of oil was running low, so they needed to buy some. In this era, common people mainly eat rapeseed oil, while wealthy families can afford animal oil.

He bought the smallest jar of rapeseed oil for one hundred thirty wen, which should last them about two months if they are careful.

Once everything was bought, the two prepared to head home. Just as they were about to leave the town, Lu Yao noticed a vendor selling kang mats and quickly ran over to inquire about the price.

One kang mat costs eighty-five wen, but after some bargaining, he bought it for eighty wen.

“Why are you buying a new mat?” Zhao Beichuan asked, a bit confused.

Lu Yao rolled his eyes at him. “Can we really keep living in the same room with Xiao Dou and Xiao Nian? One mat isn’t enough.”

Zhao Beichuan seemed to think of something, and his face flushed suddenly as he pulled the flatbed cart and ran off.

Lu Yao mischievously provoked him from behind, “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to consummate the marriage with me?”

“No, no.”

“Then why are you running? Are you shy? No need to be shy; everyone goes through this. Besides, we’ve been married for so long, sleeping together is nothing to laugh about.”

Zhao Beichuan remained silent, his heart pounding as if it might leap out, blood rushing to indescribable places.

“Or… you don’t know about these matters?” Lu Yao couldn’t help but laugh; it was not uncommon not to know. After all, ancient people didn’t have computers or TVs, and he couldn’t even read, let alone understand any dirty books. Maybe he had hit the nail on the head!

Zhao Beichuan stopped in his tracks, gritting his teeth, “Lu Yao, just wait until tonight!” With that, he strode into the village.

Lu Yao, following behind, paused, clutching his chest as his heart raced. Was it finally time to experience the tastes of life after two lifetimes?

Heaven, Earth! Have you finally opened your eyes!

The two of them didn’t speak on the way back. When they arrived home, they arranged the purchased items and spread out the new mats. It wasn’t until after dinner that Lu Yao started feeling a bit nervous.

Although he was lustful, thinking about it and actually doing it were two different things. He heard that the first time could be quite painful. Should he wait a little longer?

Just as he was deep in thought, Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou came rushing over with their pillows.

“Sister-in-law, why did you put our bedding in the main room?”

“Aren’t you sleeping with us?”

Lu Yao cleared his throat lightly, “I must have placed them wrong while tidying up the house. Hurry and bring them over, wash up, and go to sleep.”

“Okay!” The two kids brought their bedding over and laid it next to Lu Yao.

When Zhao Beichuan entered the room, he felt a pang of disappointment seeing his younger siblings already asleep.

He climbed onto the kang and lay at the edge, looking at Lu Yao’s side profile past the two kids, his heart racing again at the memory of what he said earlier in the day.

Forget it, let’s just wait until after this winter.

Zhao Beichuan blew out the oil lamp, preparing to sleep, when he suddenly heard rustling beside him. Opening his eyes, he saw Lu Yao pulling the bedding from the two kids.

“What are you doing?”

“Shh, don’t wake them. I’m going to sleep over there with you.”

Zhao Beichuan swallowed hard, watching as Lu Yao rolled up the bedding, pulled Xiaonian and Xiaodou to the edge, and then happily spread his own bedding beside him.

Lu Yao lay back in the quilt, satisfied as he patted it. This was much better; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to touch his abs at night.

“Zhao Beichuan, are you asleep?”

…

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll assume you’ve fallen asleep~”

…

A warm little hand skillfully snaked into the quilt beside him, stroking the firm abs. Seeing he hadn’t reacted, Lu Yao mischievously pinched a bit of Zhao Beichuan.

Zhao Beichuan grunted softly, grabbing his mischievous hand, “Just go to sleep!”