Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 41

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Shangjing is the capital

Lu Yun’s marriage was arranged through a matchmaker, and Lu Guangsheng personally visited the Wang family to confirm it.

The timeline was a bit rushed, but for ordinary folks, weddings were often like this. Once the date was set, the groom’s family would send the betrothal gifts, and the bride’s family would prepare the dowry. On the wedding day, everyone would have a meal, and that was it.

When Lu Yao got married, it was even simpler. Since there were no elders in the Zhao family, Zhao Beichuan simply delivered the betrothal gifts, and Lu Yao came over with a small bundle. With few relatives, they only set up five banquet tables in total.

Moreover, the locals didn’t have the custom of giving wedding gifts. At most, elders in the family might give some money, but other guests wouldn’t contribute a cent—they just came to eat and drink for free. This was why some poor families didn’t even hold banquets, feeling it wasn’t worth it.

Lu Yao planned to give his brother some things as a dowry. Speaking of which, the original host of his body had treated his two younger brothers poorly, almost to the point of cruelty.

When they were younger, he often beat and scolded them. As they grew older, he made them do all the work, making the two brothers distant from him. Now that he had taken over this body, he had to make up for it.

The family currently had over twenty taels of silver. The money was stored in a clay jar hidden in the brick bed’s cavity in the east room, known only to him and Zhao Beichuan, making it quite secure.

Lu Yao lifted the bedding and brought out the jar, brushing off the dust on top. He poured out the silver to count it: 21 taels of intact silver, plus two strings and four coins of loose copper.

This money had been earned from selling tofu, as well as from previous sales of pork and pelts. Bit by bit, they had saved up this much. By the end of the month, when Shopkeeper Xu settled their account, they’d have another income stream.

Lu Yao took out one tael of silver and some copper coins, planning to buy a bolt of fabric for Lu Yun at the fabric store after delivering the tofu the next day.

At first, Lu Yao thought about giving him a silver hairpin but later decided it was impractical. It couldn’t be worn while working, and if lost, it would be heartbreaking. Fabric seemed like a more sensible gift.

During dinner, he discussed it with Zhao Beichuan.

“For Fourth Brother’s wedding, I want to buy him a bolt of fabric as part of the dowry.”

Zhao Beichuan said, “You decide. If you’re buying fabric for Fourth Brother, don’t forget Fifth Brother either.”

“Of course not.”

Though they had money on hand, they weren’t wealthy. A bolt of fine fabric cost about two strings of copper, a significant expense for them.

After dinner, Xiao Dou and Xiao Nian cleared the table, Zhao Beichuan washed the dishes, and Lu Yao and Lin Damang filtered the soy milk prepared that afternoon, pressing the tofu into molds. With that, their work for the day was done.

When the lights were out, Zhao Beichuan reached out to hug Lu Yao, only to be pushed away.

Lu Yao whispered, “Don’t touch me; I’m still sore!”

“I’ll rub it for you,” Zhao Beichuan offered, his large hand moving to massage Lu Yao’s waist. “Weren’t you the one eager to consummate before? Now you’re complaining.”

Lu Yao thought bitterly: How was I supposed to know you were so talented? I’ve suffered enough!

—

The next morning, light snowflakes were falling from the sky!

It was late October, which by the solar calendar of his past life was already November, so snow was expected.

Lu Yao wore both of his cotton-padded jackets, making him look a bit bulky, but it was better than freezing.

Zhao Beichuan was also dressed warmly, wearing two layers of inner garments and a newly made cotton-padded jacket from Lu Yao, complete with a rabbit fur collar that was both warm and stylish.

Once on the mule cart, Lu Yao wrapped himself in a quilt. While his body was warm, his hands and feet were freezing. He planned to buy some cotton later to make a few pairs of mittens, hats, and boots.

Halfway along the road, they encountered several villagers. Seeing them shivering from the cold, Lu Yao invited them onto the cart for a quicker ride.

“Tofu seller, why don’t you sell tofu in the village anymore?” asked an old woman, a regular customer whom Lu Yao remembered well.

“The eateries in town also need tofu. It’s hard to manage both, so I let Da Mang handle sales in the village.”

“You really trust him, huh? Selling tofu is such a profitable business. Aren’t you afraid he’ll learn the trade and start his own?”

Lu Yao smiled without answering. It was precisely because he trusted Da Mang that he left the village sales to him.

The old woman continued chattering. “Life’s really unfair. Who would’ve thought your family would strike it rich? When Dachuan’s father passed, your household was just a few kids, so poor you couldn’t even eat. And now you’ve bought a mule cart.”

Lu Yao felt uncomfortable hearing this but couldn’t bring himself to kick her off the cart. He simply urged Zhao Beichuan to hurry so they could get to town and let the passengers off.

“Do you tell her that making tofu earns twenty taels of silver a year?”

The woman’s husband coughed, signaling her to stop talking.

Lu Yao pretended not to hear, gazing at the snowflakes falling in the distance. He increasingly felt that living in the village was too stifling.

When everyone was poor, being poor wasn’t an issue. But if others remained poor while you suddenly became wealthy, it became a big problem. The jealousy in their eyes was palpable.

He understood the villagers’ narrow mindset but found it deeply annoying. The money they earned wasn’t blown in by the wind. It came from early mornings and late nights, grinding tofu with blisters on their hands and traveling miles in all weather. People only saw their success, never the hard work behind it.

Finally, they reached town, and Zhao Beichuan made the passengers get off.

The woman spoke up, “When are you heading back? Give us a ride again.”

Lu Yao quickly refused. “We can’t. After delivering the tofu, we need to visit my family.”

“Even just halfway—”

Before she could finish, Zhao Beichuan ignored her and drove the mule cart away.

Lu Yao was thoroughly disgusted. “If I’d known they were like this, I wouldn’t have let them on the cart!”

Zhao Beichuan chuckled. “No helping it. Now that our family’s doing well, they’re all jealous.”

“It’s disgusting. I won’t pick up villagers again.”

They delivered the tofu to the eatery and ran into Shopkeeper Xu. He hadn’t been there when Zhao Beichuan came yesterday, so he greeted them warmly today.

“Brother Zhao, is your leg healed?”

“All good now.”

“Be careful next time. Lu Yao had a hard time while you were out.”

Zhao Beichuan sighed, regretting his recklessness. “Thank you, Shopkeeper Xu, for helping us out.”

“No need to thank me. I’m just nosy by nature. If I talk too much, don’t mind me.”

“We don’t mind.” They could tell he meant well. Shopkeeper Xu was a kind-hearted man and one of their biggest customers. Even if he scolded them, they’d have to endure it—it was worth it for business.

Lu Yao suddenly asked, “Shopkeeper Xu, can I ask how much it costs to rent a shop around here for a year?”

“Are you two planning to open a tofu shop in town?”

“We haven’t decided yet. If it’s too expensive, we’ll pass.” Lu Yao was just asking. Traveling back and forth between the village and town wasn’t sustainable, especially in summer when rain turned the dirt roads into muddy traps.

“The eateries here occupy two shop spaces with a few back rooms. Normally, the rent is 80 taels a year. The inn area is cheaper but larger, costing 100 taels a year.”

“But I bought both locations years ago, so I don’t pay rent.”

Lu Yao was stunned. That expensive? He had thought it would be 50 or 60 taels at most.

“That’s… so expensive!” Their tofu shop made about 20 taels a month. After deducting costs and wages, they could save at most 16 or 17 taels—a sum barely enough for rent.

Xu Bin chuckled, “The shop here is in a good location, so it’s naturally expensive. You don’t need such a large shop to sell tofu. There’s a smaller one over in Xia Sanli, and the annual rent is at most 20 taels of silver.”

That price wasn’t cheap either. Lu Yao’s money could barely cover a year’s rent, so she immediately gave up on the idea of selling tofu in town. Better to save up and reconsider later.

After leaving the shop, Zhao Beichuan asked, “You’re thinking of selling tofu in town?”

“Maybe next year, if we have more money in hand,” Lu Yao replied. Moving to town would mean losing business in the village, plus there would be a hefty rental cost. It’d be like losing the watermelon to pick up sesame seeds.

After delivering the tofu to the courier station, the two headed straight to the fabric shop. They carefully chose and spent 2.6 strings of cash on a bolt of fine brown-red cloth. The color looked good on both adults and children, making their complexions appear fairer.

A bolt of cloth measured 100 feet. Buying in bulk was 4 cash cheaper than buying retail. For larger families, purchasing entire bolts was more cost-effective.

Lu Yao also bought 2 catties of cotton and 10 feet of coarse cloth to make hats and gloves for the adults and children back home, saving them from frostbitten ears in the cold.

On their way back, they encountered the same group of people who had taken the cart earlier in the morning. One of them waved to stop the cart, but Zhao Beichuan cracked the whip, bypassing them and hurrying along.

The woman got a mouthful of snow and spat angrily, “Pah! Acting high and mighty just because they’ve got a bit of money. Let’s see if they live long enough to spend it!”

Lu Yao couldn’t help but laugh heartily. Her earlier frustration disappeared, and she leaned forward to steal a kiss on her husband’s cheek. Her Da Chuan was slyly mischievous in his own way.

Instead of heading home, the couple went straight to Lu’s family village to deliver the fabric.

When Zhao Beichuan carried the bolt of cloth inside, Lu’s mother and Hu Chunrong were stunned. That was an entire bolt of fine cloth, worth at least 2 strings of cash!

“What… what is this for?”

Lu Yao brushed off the snow on her clothes and said, “Isn’t Lu Yun about to get married? This cloth is for his dowry, to make two new outfits.”

“But… but there’s no need to buy so much cloth…” Lu’s mother felt a pang of heartache for the money spent. She was a traditional woman who believed in saving for a rainy day, even if times were better now.

Lu Yao replied, “It’ll also be for Lao Wu when he gets married in the future.”

Hu Chunrong stood to the side without any envy. These days, her household had learned how to make tofu and could earn a few dou of beans every day. That was far more practical than cloth! By the end of the year, when they sold the beans, they could afford whatever fabric they wanted.

“Third Brother, come inside and warm up. Why are you all standing in the doorway?”

“Alright.” Lu Yao asked Zhao Beichuan to cover the cotton in the cart with sackcloth to prevent it from getting wet in the snow.

The family gathered on the kang, taking off their shoes as they discussed Lu Yun’s upcoming wedding.

“The Wang family delivered the betrothal gifts a few days ago: two jars of lard, a sheep, half a pig, a pair of chickens, a pair of ducks, and sixty eggs,” Lu’s mother said. These were quite impressive gifts in the village.

When Lu Yao had married, Zhao Beichuan only brought two hens and five strings of cash. While money was practical, it wasn’t visible to the villagers, which made it seem less dignified.

Lu’s mother continued, “We kept half the gifts and sent the rest back to them.”

Lu Yun, his face flushed, listened to everyone discuss his marriage. During the day they sent the urging-to-marry gift, he had caught a glimpse of his future husband. The man’s looks were passable, his body strong, and he seemed honest and reliable. Lu Yun was quite satisfied.

“On the sixth, you and Da Chuan come early. We’ll need to borrow your mule cart.”

“Got it,” Lu Yao agreed.

In the kitchen, Lu Lin was grinding beans. Their father had made him a small millstone, which made grinding easier while sitting down. Seeing nothing to do, Zhao Beichuan rolled up his sleeves to help.

“How’s the tofu selling in town?” Lu Lin asked.

“It’s okay, but the long journey and bad weather can be inconvenient,” Zhao Beichuan replied.

“It’s about ten miles from your village to town. If business is good, you could rent a place there to save yourself the trouble of traveling back and forth.”

“Lu Yao has thought of that, but money is tight for now. We’ll see after the new year.”

After most of the beans were ground, Lu Lin poured out the last bit of pulp. “I heard from Mom that you injured your leg recently. Are you alright now?”

“It’s completely healed,” Zhao Beichuan said, supporting a wooden bucket.

“You’d better be careful. Look at my leg.” Lu Lin rolled up his trousers to reveal his disabled leg. “I can’t do heavy work anymore. It’s like being half a cripple.”

Curious, Zhao Beichuan asked, “Second Brother, how did this happen?”

“When I was a kid, I climbed a tree to pick peaches, fell off, and broke my leg.”

Back then, their family was too poor to afford food, let alone medical treatment. The village doctor set the bone with bamboo splints, but it grew back misaligned. By the time they realized it, it was too late. The injured leg ended up shorter than the other, leaving him with a limp.

“You’re lucky to have a healthy body. Take care of it, or you’ll regret it later.”

“I will.”

They had lunch at Lu’s house, where Lu’s mother made a chicken stew and steamed dark flour buns.

The snow outside was getting heavier. After the meal, Lu Yao urged Zhao Beichuan to head back quickly to avoid being stranded.

Back home, Lu Yao carried the cotton and fabric inside, spreading them out on the kang to dry. The cotton had gotten wet from the snow despite the covering.

Xiao Nian and Xiao Dou were playing beanbags in the main room. They didn’t dare go outside in the snow. Meanwhile, Lin Damai was in the kitchen grinding tofu. After organizing the items, Lu Yao joined in to help.

“Hey, Boss, I heard something today!” Lin Damai said mysteriously.

“What is it?”

“I heard that Widow Song might have tuberculosis.”

“Really?”

“I’m not sure, but someone saw him coughing up blood. That can’t be fake.”

Tuberculosis was a severe infectious disease, even in modern times, requiring specialized treatment at infectious disease hospitals. In ancient times, it was practically a death sentence. Common symptoms included dramatic weight loss and coughing up blood.

Lu Yao remembered running into Widow Song on the road a few days ago. He had indeed looked pale and emaciated. This news was probably true.

“If you see him again, stay away. Tuberculosis is contagious; don’t risk catching it.”

“I’ll be careful.”

—

In Song’s family kitchen, the sound of intermittent coughing echoed. Widow Song covered his mouth, trying to muffle the noise to avoid annoying his mother-in-law.

But the more he tried to suppress it, the itchier his throat became. His chest felt like something was crawling inside, forcing him to cough violently.

A mouthful of blood spattered out, finally bringing relief. Widow Song quickly wiped his mouth clean with a cloth and scooped some water from the jar to rinse.

“Is the food not ready yet?” Old Lady Song’s voice came from inside. She had vaguely heard the coughing and frowned deeply. Her eldest daughter-in-law had left the nunnery over two months ago, so why hadn’t the coughing subsided?

At dinner, she couldn’t help but ask, “Eldest daughter-in-law, what’s with this coughing? Could it be tuberculosis?”

Widow Song turned pale with fright and shook his head hastily. “It’s just a cold. I overexerted myself in the nunnery, and it’s been lingering. I should get better when the weather warms.”

Old Lady Song pursed her lips and said nothing about spending money to treat his illness. She had already spent five taels of silver to redeem him from the nunnery and had no intention of wasting more money on Widow Song.

After dinner, Widow Song hurried to clean up the dishes. While washing them, Song Changshun woke up. Seeing the empty stove, he raised his leg and kicked him. “Damn it, you didn’t save any food for me?”

Widow Song’s waist hit the corner of the stove, and he couldn’t straighten up from the pain for a long time.

“There wasn’t much left… I’ll cook another pot for you.”

“Forget it. Give me the money.”

“What money?”

“Don’t play dumb. The money you got back from Scholar Xu the other day. Hand it over now!” Seeing Widow Song not handing it over, Song Changshun reached out to grab it.

“I used it all to buy medicine. My cold won’t go away, so I need to take medicine…”

Song Changshun rummaged for a while but found nothing. Frustrated, he cursed and slapped him twice before leaving.

Widow Song held his swollen, red face, his eyes filled with venom as he stared at Song Changshun’s back. After a while, his gaze shifted to the junk basket beside the stove, where a small paper packet lay. He wondered what was inside.