Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 43

Widow Song was pregnant, and he only found out about it recently.

 

Although ger males have the ability to conceive, they do not experience periods like women. If not for the child starting to move, he wouldn’t have known he was pregnant.

 

An elderly villager who specialized in checking pregnancies touched his belly and estimated conservatively that he was over four months along. Counting back, it must have happened before he was sent to the temple.

 

However, Widow Song felt little joy. This child came at the wrong time and wasn’t what he wanted. Unfortunately, the pregnancy was too far along to terminate. Giving birth would also be hard on his body, so the child was doomed not to survive.

 

Old Lady Song, upon hearing about his pregnancy, was actually quite happy. With only Song Ping as a child in the family, having another would give the brothers a companion. Recently, she had even been uncharacteristically kind to him.

 

“Xiao Qing, don’t chop wood these days. Be careful not to overwork yourself.” Widow Song’s full name was Cao Qing, a name no one had called him since Song Changfu’s death. Now that his mother-in-law had suddenly used it, it felt unfamiliar.

 

“Oh,” Widow Song responded, putting down the axe.

 

Old Lady Song went to the west room to wake her second son, “Changshun, stop sleeping and go chop wood!”

 

Song Changshun turned over. “Make Sister-in-law go do it.”

 

Old Lady Song slapped him, “Still calling him Sister-in-law? You’re married now; call him by his name!”

 

“Let Cao Qing do it. It’s not like he can’t chop wood.”

 

“He’s carrying a child! What if something happens to my precious grandchild?”

 

Song Changshun, irritated, said, “Then you do it yourself. So annoying.”

 

“You ungrateful brat! Is this how you talk to your mother?” Old Lady Song, furious, picked up a shoe and hit him.

 

Song Changshun pulled the blanket over himself, refusing to move no matter what. Frustrated, the old lady turned to her husband to chop the wood.

 

Old Man Song had fallen last winter and hurt his hip. Though he had recovered, he avoided going out in the cold. Waving his hands quickly, he said, “I can’t do it. Find someone else.”

 

Out of options, Old Lady Song reluctantly told Widow Song to chop wood, instructing him to go easy and not hurt the child.

 

Expressionless, Widow Song picked up the axe and walked out. Soon, the sound of wood being chopped echoed through the yard.

 

Only then did Song Changshun get out of bed, smugly humming a tune as he walked out of the room.

 

Widow Song didn’t even glance at him, gripping the axe tightly and striking the wood fiercely, his eyes full of resentment.

 

The festive atmosphere of the New Year began as soon as the twelfth lunar month arrived. Today was the day for collecting payment for tofu. Early in the morning, Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan delivered tofu to the restaurant.

 

Xu Bin instructed the cashier to count out the silver for them. “You don’t need to deliver tofu tomorrow. The restaurant will reopen on the eighth of the new year.”

 

He needed to return to Pingzhou to visit relatives, which would take over twenty days.

 

Lu Yao accepted the silver and tucked it into his clothes, cupping his hands with a smile. “Then let me wish Manager Xu prosperity and good fortune in advance.”

 

Xu Bin laughed. “May you prosper too. By the way, the kitchen still has some frozen meat and vegetables. If you don’t mind, take them home.”

 

Lu Yao had no reason to refuse and quickly went with Zhao Beichuan to the kitchen to claim the leftovers.

 

The cook pointed to a large barrel. “There’s some pork offal and a pig head inside. Do you want them?”

 

“Yes,” Lu Yao said without hesitation. Free meat was not to be refused.

 

Zhao Beichuan pulled the items out—quite a haul.

 

The cook also handed them some dried mushrooms and wood ear fungus. “Soak these in water and stew them.”

 

“Thank you, brother.”

 

Each carrying an armful of food, they loaded the goods onto the cart. Lu Yao couldn’t stop grinning. “I’ll make you something delicious tonight!”

 

“Great!” Zhao Beichuan, knowing Lu Yao’s cooking skills, was excited for the meal.

 

Back home, Lu Yao boiled water to clean the pork offal and set the pig head near the stove to thaw. It still had bristles that needed to be carefully removed later.

 

“Sister-in-law, did you buy meat?” Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou ran over, following the smell.

 

“No, it was a gift from the restaurant’s manager.”

 

“Wow! Such a big pig head. How do we eat it?” Xiaonian squatted down and poked it.

 

Xiaodou shrank back in fear. “Sister, stop poking it. What if it comes back to life and bites you?”

 

“Don’t be silly. The pig’s already dead. How could it come back to life?”

 

“Don’t you remember the story Sister-in-law told us? Second Brother could resurrect… I don’t want to eat it.” Xiaodou ran into the house.

 

Xiaonian, now spooked as well, pulled back her hand. “Sister-in-law, is there other meat?”

 

Lu Yao pointed to the pot. “There’s pork intestines and offal.”

 

Knowing the intestines were where pigs stored their waste, Xiaonian turned pale and fled to the house.

 

Lu Yao clicked his tongue. “Fine, just don’t eat any of it when it’s ready!”

 

As the water warmed, the intestines thawed. Lu Yao used chopsticks to flip them, sprinkled some ash, and scrubbed thoroughly. From his past life, he remembered his elder sister handling intestines this way—the flour absorbed the residual grime.

 

After rinsing them clean, the intestines turned pink and fresh. The offal was plenty, likely from more than one pig. Lu Yao decided to braise the large intestines and save the small ones for stuffing with meat to make sausages for the New Year.

 

The pig head needed to be scalded to remove bristles, scraped with a knife, and any tricky spots seared with a hot iron. This task was left to Zhao Beichuan.

 

While they worked in the kitchen, they occasionally exchanged a few words, creating a quiet yet warm atmosphere.

 

Once the pig head was cleaned, Lu Yao placed it whole into a pot to braise. It would take at least two hours to cook thoroughly.

 

With some free time, Zhao Beichuan began twisting rope. “Since there’s no tofu delivery tomorrow, I thought I’d fix the fence.”

 

Now that the family had some money—over forty taels of silver, including today’s earnings—they felt uneasy leaving it at home.

 

With the year-end approaching, desperate people might do desperate things. Even though others didn’t know their exact wealth, it was better to be cautious.

 

Lu Yao tended the fire and asked, “Do we have enough wood at home?”

 

“Yes, I brought extra back while chopping.”

 

“Alright, I’ll help you with it.”

 

Zhao Beichuan glanced up at him, his fondness evident, and couldn’t help reaching out to pat his head.

 

Lu Yao turned to him, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

 

Zhao Beichuan lowered his head bashfully. “Nothing.”

 

Lu Yao, mischief stirring, moved his stool closer. “Husband~”

 

Zhao Beichuan’s ears immediately turned red.

 

“Shall we heat the kang in the main room tonight?”

 

“Yes!”

 

–

 

On the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, Lu Yao gave Lin Daman time off. After half a year of hard work, it was time to prepare for the New Year.

 

Today was the last big market before the New Year, and they had planned to bring Lin Daman along to shop.

 

Lin Daman declined, saying the pork ribs they gave him last time hadn’t been eaten yet—he had marinated them to save for the New Year instead of buying more meat.

 

The weather was cold, so Lu Yao left the two children at home to watch over the house. Before leaving, he instructed Xiao Nian to latch the main door from inside. No matter who knocked, they were not to open it. If there was an emergency, they should call for Daman in the back.

 

Xiao Nian replied crisply, “Brother-in-law, don’t forget to buy us meat buns.”

 

Lu Yao patted her on the head. “I won’t forget. Be good and behave, and don’t fight with Xiao Dou.”

 

The carriage trudged through the icy snow for over an hour before finally reaching the town.

 

There was a long list of things to buy for the New Year, and meat was, of course, a necessity. No matter how much or little money a family had, they all bought at least a couple of jin of meat at year’s end to satisfy their cravings. After a year of hard work, it was time to rest and enjoy.

 

The price of pork had risen from 50 wen per jin to 70 wen per jin, and it was still in short supply. The butcher shop was packed with people, and the owner was sweating profusely, overwhelmed by the crowd.

 

When Lu Yao left the butcher shop, he carried a rack of ribs, four jin of pork belly, and a pig knuckle.

 

“They didn’t have belly or hindquarter meat,” he said. This little haul had come from elbowing his way past a few women and young men.

 

Zhao Beichuan reached over to take it and placed it on the cart.

 

“That cost me one tael and two qian. Pork is ridiculously expensive!” Lu Yao clicked his tongue, feeling as if the money had been carved out of his own flesh.

 

Zhao Beichuan chuckled. “It’s the New Year. Spending a little is expected.”

 

“Let’s keep shopping,” Lu Yao said.

 

The mule cart trailed slowly behind the crowd. Lu Yao stopped at a grain store and salt shop to buy two jin of sugar, one jin of salt, and a jar of rapeseed oil.

 

He saw some rice cakes being sold on the roadside for three wen apiece. He bought four, wrapped in straw leaves, and put them into a cloth bag.

 

At a peddler’s stall, he bought two wooden hairpins, a stack of red paper, and a tin of mutton fat. With the cold weather and their frequent outdoor trips, their faces and hands had become chapped and painful when they touched water. With the New Year approaching, Lu Yao planned to use the grease to help heal their skin.

 

“Would you like to buy peachwood charms, sir? Fifteen wen for a pair,” the peddler offered, holding up two wooden charms.

 

Lu Yao suddenly remembered that spring couplets weren’t a custom in this era. Instead, people hung peachwood charms on their doors to ward off evil.

 

The so-called peachwood charms were small boards made from peachwood, engraved with the names of the door gods Shentu and Yulei. Some even had carvings, but those were twice as expensive.

 

Lu Yao paid for a plain pair. Each charm was about the size of his palm and came with a hemp string to tie them to the door.

 

Up ahead, he saw eggs and roosters for sale. Lu Yao got off the cart to ask about prices. After some bargaining, he bought 40 eggs and two large roosters for 280 wen.

 

Walking past the lively streets, he headed to the fabric shops. Lu Yao planned to buy fabric for his mother.

 

The elderly woman had worn coarse cloth her entire life. Lu Yao wanted to gift her a bolt of finer fabric and chose a modest earth-brown color that would suit both men’s and women’s clothing.

 

Fortunately, fabric prices hadn’t risen for the New Year; it was still two taels and six qian per bolt. Lu Yao paid with one tael of silver and over a string of copper coins.

 

At a bun shop, Lu Yao bought six steaming meat buns. He and Zhao Beichuan each ate one, saving the rest for the children.

 

Finally, they stopped at the blacksmith’s shop, where Lu Yao purchased the iron pot he had long desired. Though expensive, it meant no longer worrying about their clay pot cracking during cooking.

 

The iron pot was pricey but substantial—at least 20 jin in weight. A pot this sturdy could last decades, even generations. As the saying went, “One pot for three generations; the pot outlasts the people.”

 

By the time they were done, it was time to head back. On the way, they unexpectedly ran into Lu Yun and his wife.

 

“Third Brother, Third Brother’s Wife!”

 

“Whoa—” Zhao Beichuan pulled the reins and stopped the cart.

 

“From a distance, I thought it was you!” Wang Youtian grinned as he dismounted. Lu Yun greeted them warmly as well.

 

Lu Yao asked, “Were you also at the market?”

 

Wang Youtian replied enthusiastically, “Just bought some groceries. Lu Yun, get the sugar we bought and give it to your brother.”

 

“No need, no need! We bought some too,” Lu Yao said quickly, showing the sugar he’d purchased.

 

“Then give them some pork.”

 

Lu Yao couldn’t help but laugh. “We’re not short on anything. You keep it for yourselves.”

 

Wang Youtian chuckled good-naturedly. “Our village is just ahead. Come in for a meal before you head home.”

 

Zhao Beichuan waved it off. “The kids are waiting at home. Maybe next time.”

 

Lu Yun asked, “Third Brother, when are you visiting Mother’s place for the New Year?”

 

“The second day. Are you going too?”

 

Lu Yun nodded.

 

“Then let’s go together.”

 

After a brief chat, Lu Yao urged them to head off quickly in the cold. He and Zhao Beichuan also hurried home.

 

When they reached their gate, Lu Yao immediately sensed something was wrong. That morning, Xiao Nian had latched the door from inside. While it was still latched, the door showed fresh marks, as if someone had tried to pry it open.

 

“Beichuan, come take a look.”

 

Zhao Beichuan strode over, his face darkening. Someone had indeed tried to break in.

 

“Xiao Nian, open the door!” Lu Yao called. The two children ran out from inside.

 

“Big Brother! Brother-in-law! You’re back!”

 

“Did anyone come by this morning?” Lu Yao asked.

 

“No, just us,” Xiao Nian replied.

 

“Did you hear anyone knocking?”

 

The children shook their heads. They had been playing with beanbags indoors and hadn’t heard any noise outside.

 

Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan exchanged glances. Someone had clearly tried to break in but for some reason had given up halfway.

 

“What’s wrong, Brother-in-law?” Xiao Nian asked.

 

“It’s nothing. Go inside. We brought you meat buns and rice cakes. Heat them up to eat.”

 

“Okay!” The children ran inside happily, but Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan couldn’t share their joy. Their fears of being targeted by thieves had come true.

 

As Lu Yao unloaded the cart, he whispered, “What do we do?”

 

Zhao Beichuan thought for a moment. “It’s cold outside. You go inside first. We’ll deal with it tonight.”

 

The two little gluttons were already in the kitchen, lighting a fire to warm the buns and rice cakes.

 

The roosters, still alive, needed to be slaughtered and frozen. The eggs were carefully placed in a basket on the shelf, and four were handed to Xiao Nian to boil.

 

Distracted by his worries, Lu Yao barely ate dinner. Zhao Beichuan peeled an egg for him and made him eat it.

 

Sensing their brother-in-law’s mood, the children cleaned up after dinner and went to bed early.

 

By lamplight, Lu Yao sat on the kang, unable to sleep. Any sound from outside made him sit up and listen.

 

Zhao Beichuan latched the main door securely and propped it with a wooden beam so it couldn’t be pushed open even if pried. He checked the livestock pens and chicken coop, ensuring everything was in order, before coming back inside.

 

After washing up, he climbed onto the kang. Seeing Lu Yao still uneasy, he pulled him into his arms. “Don’t worry. Even if we’re not home, Lin Daman is in the back. If there’s any noise, he’ll come to check.”

 

“But what if he doesn’t hear it? What if the thief hurts Xiao Nian and Xiao Dou? By then, catching the thief would be too late,” Lu Yao said, burying his face in Zhao Beichuan’s chest.

 

Zhao Beichuan patted his back comfortingly, his mind racing. Suddenly, he had an idea. This thief had dared to strike while they were away, so he would surely try again. Why not set a trap?

 

“I have a plan. Tomorrow, I’ll send you all to Lu Village…”