Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 56

Lu Yao’s mother went back and told Lu Miao about helping at the shop in town. At first, Lu Miao didn’t want to go; he had always been afraid of his older brother and still had psychological scars from being bullied by him.

 

However, when Lu Yao’s mother told him that he would earn five coins a month for working, Lu Miao’s eyes lit up, and he immediately agreed. At his age, he had never had ten coins in his pocket!

 

The next day, he packed a few clothes and went to town with his father.

 

Lu Guangsheng had come to help them repair the roof as well. The roof of the west room had been leaking for a while and couldn’t be used, so now that Lu Miao had arrived, it wasn’t good to make him sleep in the same bed as his older brother, so they decided to fix the roof and avoid sleeping in a place without a proper roof.

 

Since it wasn’t market day, the shop wasn’t that busy early in the morning, and by the afternoon, there were hardly any customers.

 

When they arrived, Lu Yao was cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks. Lu Miao quickly rolled up his sleeves and went forward to help. He put the used bowls into the wooden tub, intending to take them home later to wash.

 

Zhao Beichuan was putting the oil back into a jar, planning to use it again tomorrow. He wiped his hands and said, “I’ll go back home to get the cart. Dad, Fifth Brother, you stay here for a while.”

 

“Alright, you go ahead.”

 

Lu Yao served two bowls of tofu pudding and handed them to them, “Have you had breakfast yet? If not, drink a bowl of tofu pudding.”

 

“We’ve eaten. Your mother made some soup pancakes for us this morning.”

 

“Then drink up, it’ll go to waste if you don’t.”

 

Lu Miao sat on a stool and ate slowly, occasionally glancing at Lu Yao.

 

His third brother had changed so much that he almost didn’t recognize him anymore. Not only did his appearance change, but his temperament had also changed. When they were at home before, when had he ever spoken so gently to him? It was always, “Lu Lao Wu, hurry up and do the work! If you don’t go, I’ll peel your skin off!”

 

If Lu Miao didn’t go, he’d get a beating, his arms and legs twisted until they were bruised and painful, making him cry.

 

Thinking of the past, Lu Miao shuddered and suddenly regretted helping out.

 

After finishing the tofu pudding, father and son cleaned up, and not long after, Zhao Beichuan drove the cart over. They loaded everything onto the cart, and everyone headed home.

 

This was Lu Miao’s first time coming to his third brother’s new home in town. He looked around curiously. The yard was smaller than before, but the house looked fine, built with blue bricks.

 

Inside, Zhao Xiaonian heard the noise and ran out, “Uncle, Fifth Brother, you’re here!”

 

“Ah, little Nian!” Lu Miao was quite close to Xiaonian and quickly greeted her.

 

Lu Yao moved the empty wooden tubs down, and Xiaonian went up to help. She was small and short, and couldn’t hold them, so Lu Miao quickly reached out to support her, and then they started washing.

 

Xiaonian couldn’t help but notice the dark circles under her sister-in-law’s eyes and said, “Sister-in-law, go rest inside, I can wash.”

 

Lu Miao also said, “Brother, go sleep, I’ll clean up with little Nian.”

 

Lu Yao didn’t insist. He was really tired. He went to bed at nine every night and got up at two in the morning, so he didn’t have enough sleep and was drained of energy.

 

“You two handle it, wipe the bowls dry after you’re done. If you leave them wet overnight, they’ll spoil. I’m going to rest for a bit.”

 

Inside the house, Lu Yao wasn’t idle either. Zhao Beichuan had moved the grain from the west room out, and the room was a mess, with big rats running everywhere. Lu Yao hurriedly used a fire stick to kill one and threw it outside.

 

He swept the dust off the bed and the floor. Zhao Beichuan told him, “Go rest, I’ll handle this.”

 

“You rest too. I’m afraid you won’t be able to keep going if you keep staying up late.”

 

“I’m fine. I’m stronger than you.”

 

“Still, it’s not good. I’ve heard staying up late causes hair loss… I don’t want to see you go bald,” Lu Yao murmured quietly, imagining Zhao Beichuan with sparse hair and a receding hairline, shuddering.

 

Zhao Beichuan patted his little head, wondering what was going on in his mind. “I’ll help dad with the roof and then go to sleep.”

 

Lu Yao went back to the bedroom, took out the money he earned today, and counted it. He strung it together, something he loved doing every day.

 

After counting, he took out the clay pots hidden beneath the bed, which were almost full. He planned to exchange the money for silver when he had a chance.

 

On the roof, Lu Guangsheng tore down the damaged beams and replaced them with new wooden planks. Once he nailed everything down, he carefully placed the tiles on top, layer by layer, until the roof was fixed.

 

After finishing the west room, he checked the nearby areas and replaced a few broken tiles to prevent future leaks when the weather warmed up.

 

Lu Miao and Xiaonian finished washing the bowls and wooden tubs, wiped them dry, and went inside to clean the house.

 

“Big Brother, go rest. Fifth Brother and I will clean up.”

 

Zhao Beichuan handed them the broom. “I’ll go check on the mule. You two clean the house and lay the mat. Just stay in here and play.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Outside, Lu Guangsheng climbed down from the roof, “The roof is fixed. The tiles can still be used. If there’s any leakage, I’ll come back to check.”

 

“Thank you, Dad.”

 

“No need to thank me. What about the land at home? What will you do with it?”

 

Zhao Beichuan was also worried. With the shop busy, he couldn’t leave to tend to the fields, and Lu Yao would be overwhelmed.

 

“Dad, you can use the land. Besides the land tax, keep the crops for yourselves.”

 

“Isn’t that too much?”

 

Zhao Beichuan replied, “The little harvest from the land isn’t worth as much as what we earn from the shop in a month. You two focus on farming. It’ll be a waste if you don’t plant anything.”

 

Lu Yao’s father thought for a moment and agreed, “Alright, after the autumn harvest, I’ll have Er Lin send half of the crops to you.”

 

“No need, no need.”

 

Before he could refuse, Lu Yao’s father said, “You rest. I have to go back. There’s still plenty of work at home. Leave Lu Miao to help you. He can come back to visit when he has time.”

 

Zhao Beichuan escorted him to the gate, and after watching him leave, he yawned, washed his hands and feet, and went inside to rest.

 

—

 

Days passed by, busy but fulfilling.

 

Since Lu Miao started helping, Lu Yao found it much easier. He no longer had to serve customers, clean tables, scoop tofu pudding, and collect money all at once.

 

Lu Miao was a bit introverted and didn’t dare speak to strangers, so it was difficult for him to serve customers.

 

Lu Yao took on the task of serving customers, scooping tofu pudding, and collecting money, while Lu Miao cleaned the tables and washed the bowls in the back.

 

Zhao Beichuan still took care of frying the dough sticks, and his skill had become impeccable. The dough sticks he made were crisp and delicious, and customers praised them.

 

“Boss, four dough sticks.”

 

“Coming right up.” Lu Yao grabbed four dough sticks from the bamboo basket and handed them over.

 

The man counted out eight copper coins and placed them on the table. As he ate, he said, “I remember you used to sell tofu. Why don’t you anymore?”

 

Lu Yao quickly pocketed the money, “It wasn’t profitable, and it was too much work, so we stopped.”

 

“I noticed a few tofu shops opened in town recently, but the taste isn’t as good as yours. When you make tofu again, save me some.”

 

“Of course, of course.” After sending the customer off, Lu Yao furrowed his brow. As he had feared, Lin Daman’s brother had sold the tofu recipe.

 

Making tofu was profitable, but it was also extremely tiring. Waking up early and working hard all day with the mill was exhausting. Lin Daman did it for a month and couldn’t keep up. After discussing with his wife, they decided it was better to sell the tofu recipe for some money.

 

They sold it to three families, each for ten guan, a fortune for people who had lived in poverty for so long. They stopped making tofu and enjoyed the money.

 

The buyers of the recipe opened tofu shops, one in the village and two in town.

 

Because Lin Dashan had previously lowered the price of tofu too much, the new sellers couldn’t charge a higher price either, with tofu selling for only four wen per jin. With so many people selling tofu, they could only manage to sell one or two slabs a day, barely earning enough for their hard work.

 

Fortunately, Lu Yao switched trades early; otherwise, he would now be worrying about how to sell his tofu.

 

After selling the breakfast items in the morning and packing up the cart, Lu Yao planned to take Lu Miao to buy some fabric for new clothes. The clothes Lu Miao wore were old ones that he had outgrown back at his parents’ home. The cuffs were worn out, and the clothes had several patches, making him look rather shabby.

 

When Lu Miao heard his third brother was going to buy fabric for him, his face flushed with excitement, but he immediately refused.

 

“No, no need… My clothes are enough,” he said. His mother had reminded him before coming not to let his third brother spend money on him.

 

“Let’s go. It won’t cost much,” Lu Yao said, pulling him along without giving him a chance to refuse.

 

The two arrived at a fabric shop, and Lu Yao chose a piece of fine blue fabric for him. The brothers looked about 60-70% alike. Although Lu Miao wasn’t as tall as his older brother, his fair complexion made him look especially vibrant in this color.

 

“Cut six feet of this fabric for me, and three feet of fine white fabric too,” Lu Yao instructed. The white fabric was to make two pairs of undergarments. After paying, Lu Yao handed the blue fabric to Lu Miao.

 

“Do you know how to sew clothes?”

 

“Yes, I learned from Mom.”

 

“Then I’ll leave it to you. Take your time sewing it, and don’t be reluctant to wear it. If it gets worn out, I’ll buy you new ones.”

 

Lu Miao’s eyes sparkled as he looked at him. Lu Yao stopped walking. “What is it?”

 

“Nothing, it’s just… Third Brother, you’re really good to me.”

 

Lu Yao looked at his deer-like gaze and thought to himself how the original Lu Yao must have been a complete scoundrel. How could he have had the heart to bully such an adorable kid?

 

—

 

Every year around Qingming, the Zhao family began preparing for spring planting. This year was different; because they were busy with the food shop in town, they let his father-in-law’s family plant the fields.

 

After some discussion, Lu’s father and Lu Lin decided to first head to Wangou Village to plant Zhao’s ten or so acres of land before returning to plant their own fields. If they couldn’t manage, they could always hire help from the village.

 

The two drove the mule cart to Wangou Village. They had already confirmed the location of Zhao’s land beforehand, so they went straight to the fields upon arrival.

 

However, before they could unload the cart, they saw two people turning the soil at the edge of Zhao’s field.

 

Lu Guangsheng quickly got off the cart and walked over. “Hey, young man, are you sure you’re working on the right field?”

 

The man looked up at Lu Guangsheng and replied, “I’m not mistaken. This is my land.”

 

“That can’t be. Dachuan said the entire northern section belonged to his family and asked us to come plant it.”

 

At the mention of Zhao Beichuan’s name, the man swallowed nervously and said, “Maybe I remembered wrong.” He then quickly grabbed his hoe and left, cursing at the woman next to him as he walked. “I told you Zhao’s family wouldn’t give up this land, but you insisted we come. Now we’ve wasted our time, haven’t we?”

 

Lu Guangsheng frowned deeply. He had always heard about the poor reputation of Wangou Village, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad.

 

The Zhao family’s land was in a prime location, flat and fertile, painstakingly cleared by Zhao’s father years ago. Now that Zhao Beichuan’s family had moved away, it naturally attracted envy.

 

The neighbors all wanted to encroach on it but had been held back by Zhao Beichuan’s past reputation.

 

Now, seeing that he wasn’t even returning to farm the land, their boldness grew.

 

Lu’s father and Lu Lin plowed two acres of land and worked until evening before heading home. The next morning, when they returned, lo and behold, the fields they had plowed the day before had been trampled flat!

 

Not only that, but many stones had been thrown into the fields. Such shameless behavior!

 

As Lu’s father picked up the stones, he cursed loudly, “What kind of vile people are these? They don’t farm their own land but come to ruin someone else’s. Aren’t they afraid of divine retribution?”

 

Lu Lin was equally furious. It must have been that couple from yesterday! Unfortunately, there was no evidence, and even if there were, reporting it to the village head would likely result in him siding with his own villagers.

 

“Forget it, Dad. Don’t get angry with them. It’s just a matter of plowing the field again. It’s not too much trouble.”

 

Lu Guangsheng said, “The people in this village really have no decency. Poor Dachuan, living here with two kids when he was so young. How did he survive?”

 

Lu Lin sighed. “If not for that, their house wouldn’t have been burned down, forcing them to leave.”

 

The trampled field had to be plowed again. Since it had already been plowed once the day before, it was much easier this time. They managed to plow three acres today, and in another two days, the land on the hill would likely be finished.

 

Once the plowing was done, it was time to sow. Planting millet was simple: first, lightly dig a furrow in the plowed land with a hoe, then evenly scatter the pre-soaked and dried seeds into the furrow. Finally, cover them with a thin layer of soil.

 

In ancient times, there wasn’t much fertilizer available. Most of it came from household compost, such as slops and manure, mixed with water and poured into the fields. After that, all that was left was to wait for the millet to sprout and diligently weed the fields.

 

The father and son toiled for four or five days to finish planting the land on the hill. When they moved to the lower field, Lu’s father was so angry he nearly fainted—someone had already planted half the field!

 

Lu Guangsheng rushed over to confront the man. “Hey! Who gave you permission to plant this field?”

 

The man didn’t take the Lu family seriously at all. To him, they were just an old man and a cripple from another village. Why should this land belong to them?

 

When the man didn’t respond, Lu’s father reached out to grab his hoe. “You’re not allowed to plant here! Get out of here!”

 

The man pushed him back. “This is land from our Wangou Village. I’ll plant it if I want to. What does it have to do with you Lu Village folks? Get lost!”

 

“Say that again!” Lu Lin charged forward and punched him.

 

Seeing Lu Lin strike, the man shouted, and four or five of his relatives rushed over with farm tools, surrounding Lu’s father and Lu Lin. The situation was quickly spiraling out of control!

 

“Stop!” At that moment, Zhao Beichuan arrived, driving a mule cart. Before the mule could stop, he jumped off and ran over.

 

When Lu’s father saw his son-in-law, his eyes turned red with emotion. “Dachuan, why are you back?”

 

“Lu Yao thought you might be overwhelmed and asked me to come help for a few days.”

 

Zhao Beichuan, knowing the ways of the villagers, had come back to prevent his father-in-law and brother-in-law from being taken advantage of. He hadn’t expected to arrive just in time to stop them from being bullied.

 

“What do you think you’re doing? Taking my land and trying to beat up my father?” Zhao Beichuan stood in front of the two men and pushed the man at the front.

 

The man’s name was Yang Shuanzi, the husband of Yang Sister-in-law from the Song family next door. He hadn’t expected Zhao Beichuan to return suddenly and stammered, “I… I thought you weren’t planting this field anymore, so I… I planted it.”

 

“Who told you I wasn’t planting it?”

 

Yang Shuanzi wiped the sweat from his forehead, not daring to speak, afraid of saying the wrong thing and getting beaten up. The others who had come to help quickly slipped away, not wanting to mess with Zhao Beichuan.

 

Lu’s father held him back. “That’s enough, Beichuan. Even if they planted it, it won’t matter. At least we don’t have to do the work ourselves.”

 

“This field is still mine. My father and brother-in-law are here to help me plant it, understand?”

 

“Yes, yes, I understand.” Yang Shuanzi quickly picked up his hoe and ran off.

 

After the others had left, Lu’s father quickly asked, “Can you manage the shop with you being away?”

 

“It’s fine. Lu Yao hired someone else.”

 

Lu Yao had hired the second daughter-in-law of the Liu family next door to help at the shop. She only worked two hours every morning and earned three taels of silver a month.

 

“Ah, the people in your village… there’s just no reasoning with them.”

 

Zhao Beichuan said, “That’s how mixed villages are. The people here don’t work together and only think about taking advantage of others.”

 

This time, he returned not only to help his father-in-law but also to show the villagers that just because he moved to town didn’t mean he was gone for good. He could return at any time, and anyone thinking of encroaching on his land had better reconsider.

 

The three of them continued working as they talked. The lower field covered over six acres, with two already planted by others. With Zhao Beichuan’s help, the rest was done in a day, including plowing and planting. His strength was perfect for farm work—he worked faster than both Lu’s father and Lu Lin combined.

 

Lu’s father stood at the edge of the field with his hands on his hips, looking triumphant. With his son-in-law holding down the fort, no one would dare cause trouble!

 

By evening, the three of them drove two carts away. They would return tomorrow to fertilize the fields.

 

Lu Lin said, “Dachuan, it’s so late. Why not stay at our house instead of going back?”

 

“No, Lu Yao is at home with the three children. I can’t stop worrying. I’ll come back tomorrow morning.”

 

“Alright, take it slow on your way back.”

 

Zhao Beichuan drove the mule cart out of the village. As he passed Granny Zhao’s house, he got off the cart and went inside for a look.

 

The house was the same as always. During spring planting, both Granny Zhao and her son Zhao Guang were busy in the fields. When they saw Zhao Beichuan, they insisted he stay for a meal.

 

“I can’t stay for a meal; I just came to check on you. My family has opened a breakfast shop in Xia Sanli. If you’re ever passing by the market, come in and have something to eat.”

 

“Oh, alright!”

 

Before leaving, Zhao Beichuan left 500 coins behind.

 

“What are you doing?” Granny Zhao hurriedly tried to push the money back.

 

Zhao Guang stood on the side, swallowing nervously as he stared at the money but feeling too embarrassed to say anything.

 

“Take it. You’ve helped our family so much over the years. Now that we’re doing a little better, it’s only right to repay you.”

 

Granny Zhao said, “I was close friends with your mother back then. Helping you was just natural. How could I take money for it?”

 

Zhao Guang anxiously tugged at his mother’s sleeve from behind. That much money—how could they not take it?

 

Zhao Beichuan pretended not to notice. “I’m heading back now. Lu Yao and the children are home, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving them alone.” With that, he drove off with the mule cart.

 

Granny Zhao sighed as she held the money. “You’re so short-sighted.”

 

Zhao Guang snatched the money from her hands. “You’re the short-sighted one! Turning down free money—are you out of your mind?”

 

—

 

By the time Zhao Beichuan got home, it was already late evening. As soon as the mule cart reached the gate, Lu Yao heard the sound, quickly threw on a coat, and came out to open the door.

 

“You’re back.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Zhao Beichuan led the mule cart into the yard, unloaded it, and immediately fed Dahua some hay.

 

Lu Yao brought out a basin of water for him to wash his hands and feet. “How’s the work in the fields? How much have Dad and Brother planted?”

 

“It’s all done.”

 

“Already?” Lu Yao was a bit surprised.

 

Zhao Beichuan took off his shoes, knocking out the dirt and mud inside. “Someone helped plant two acres.”

 

“Huh? Who’s so kind-hearted?” Lu Yao thought for a moment and realized something was off. “Or was someone trying to take over our land?”

 

“Yes. Yang Laoshuan sneakily planted two acres of the lower field near his house. When I arrived, Dad was arguing with them.”

 

“And then?”

 

“The moment I showed up, they had nothing to say and ran off with their hoes.”

 

Lu Yao couldn’t help but laugh, reaching out to squeeze his muscular arm. “So, you used brute force to intimidate them?”

 

After washing his hands and feet, Zhao Beichuan said, “People like them don’t learn unless they’re taught a lesson. If we don’t stand up to them, they’ll keep trying to bully you.”

 

“Ah, what can you do? Poverty breeds scheming minds. They’ll come up with any way to take advantage.”

 

Having worked all day and sweated profusely, Zhao Beichuan smelled a bit sour. Lu Yao fetched another basin of water and helped him wash his back.

 

Zhao Beichuan stripped off his top and sat on a stool, letting Lu Yao do as he pleased.

 

“How was the shop today?”

 

“Same as usual, except people keep saying my fried dough sticks aren’t as good as yours.”

 

Zhao Beichuan chuckled. “You’ll get the hang of it after frying a few more times.”

 

Lu Yao pinched his chest muscles. “I think they taste the same. It’s just that you’ve spoiled their taste buds.”

 

Zhao Beichuan grabbed his hand and pulled him onto his lap, burying his head in Lu Yao’s neck and taking a deep breath. “I’ll have to go back to the village tomorrow and help Dad and Brother for a few more days. You’ll have to manage things here.”

 

Lu Yao wrapped his arms around his shoulders, feeling weak in the knees. “Why say it like that, as if you’re just playing when you go back to the village?”

 

“If only I could split myself in two—one to work in the village and the other to stay home with you and look after the shop.”

 

Lu Yao thought of a manga he’d read in his past life and couldn’t help but laugh. “That’d be great. At night, I could cuddle two husbands in bed. Wouldn’t that be amazing?”

 

Zhao Beichuan tightened his arms around his waist. “You can’t even handle one of me. And you want two?”

 

“I—I was just joking.” Lu Yao blushed and turned his face away.

 

Zhao Beichuan loved seeing him like this, shy and flustered, and it made his blood rush. He couldn’t help but kiss him, capturing his lips and tangling their tongues together.

 

Lu Yao held onto his neck, responding in kind. The wet sound of their kisses filled the air, and when they finally parted, a string of saliva connected them.

 

“Hey, not here. You’ll wake the kids.”

 

“Then keep your voice down.”

 

“How is that possible!” Lu Yao’s face turned crimson, and he punched Zhao Beichuan’s chest in frustration.

 

“Then let’s go inside.” Zhao Beichuan lifted him up. Lu Yao almost cried out but quickly clung to his neck. Every step was a torment.

 

That night, the sound of rain hitting plantain leaves filled the air, and another quilt ended up soaked.