Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 57

Chapter 57

 

The next day, Zhao Beichuan continued heading to Wangou Village, with two buckets of manure loaded onto the mule cart.

 

One bucket came from his own family’s collection, while the other was purchased from an elderly man who gathered night soil.

 

The manure had been pre-fermented, and the stench was unbearable. Zhao Beichuan had deliberately waited until Lu Yao and the others went to the shop before loading it, otherwise the smell alone could have knocked them out.

 

When the mule cart arrived at their field, Lu’s father and Lu Lin were already there. They had brought along a large bucket of manure as well and were preparing to dilute it with water to fertilize the field.

 

“Father, second brother.” Zhao Beichuan stopped the cart and carried down the manure buckets.

 

“You brought so much manure too? The crops in the field are bound to thrive this year!”

 

Seeing that Zhao Beichuan’s face wasn’t covered, Lu’s father took out a cloth strip from his pocket and handed it to him. “Cover your nose; it’s not good to breathe in too much of this smell.”

 

“Alright.” Zhao Beichuan tied the cloth over his nose, and the three of them began fertilizing the field.

 

Using wooden ladles, they scooped the manure water onto the fields. One bucket could only fertilize one ridge. After finishing, they had to fetch more water and mix more manure. This task was even more troublesome than planting crops.

 

By noon, they had only fertilized two acres. However, the uphill fields were done, and fertilizing the downhill fields by the riverbank would be slightly easier.

 

At midday, Zhao Beichuan took the marinated eggs and flatbread prepared by Lu Yao from the cart and shared them with the two men. The eggs, marinated in meat broth, were savory and delicious, carrying a hint of the meat’s flavor.

 

Unfortunately, after working with so much manure in the morning, everything still smelled foul.

 

“These eggs taste pretty good!” Lu Lin praised after trying one.

 

“Lu Yao plans to sell them in the shop these days—two for three copper coins.”

 

“The price is reasonable. If I saw them, I wouldn’t hesitate to spend three coins to try a couple.”

 

Lu’s father, peeling an egg shell, said, “That boy Lu Yao has always been clever since he was young. I didn’t expect his ideas to actually be practical.”

 

Zhao Beichuan’s thoughts stirred. “Was Lu Yao always this inventive as a child?”

 

Lu Lin said, “He was very mischievous as a kid, always coming up with things no one else would think of. He could create tricks with just a piece of rope, make a little wooden boat to float in the river, or cut fruit into pieces and skewer them on sticks to eat… And one time, he braided my hair into a head full of little pigtails.”

 

Lu’s father added, “I remember that. The next day, when your mother untangled them, your hair looked like a bird’s nest.”

 

The two burst into hearty laughter.

 

“Sigh…” Lu Lin laughed and then sighed. “Later, Lu Yao fell seriously ill. The illness came on so suddenly that it nearly took his life. The town doctor even said to bring him home and prepare for his funeral—there was no saving him.”

 

Zhao Beichuan’s heart tightened.

 

“My mother couldn’t bear it. She held him day and night, crying endlessly while caring for him without rest for half a month. Unexpectedly, he slowly recovered. But after that, his temperament completely changed—moody and unpredictable, as if he were a different person.” Lu Lin’s voice paused. “But recently, he seems to be returning to his old self, looking more and more like how he was as a child.”

 

Lu Guangsheng also nodded. “That’s right. He’s definitely much better than before.”

 

The speakers were unintentional, but the listener took it to heart. Zhao Beichuan instinctively felt something unusual about this and decided to tell Lu Yao later.

 

After eating, the three continued working until evening, finally finishing the uphill fields. They planned to fertilize the downhill fields the next day.

 

When he got home, Zhao Beichuan quickly fetched a basin of water to wash himself clean. Xiao Dou had just returned from school and was reciting his lessons in the house. Xiao Nian and Lu Miao were sewing clothes indoors.

 

Lu Miao was making herself a garment from a piece of fabric Lu Yao had bought. The leftover cloth was just enough to make a small pouch, which she planned to sew to store her belongings.

 

Xiao Nian had learned an embroidery technique from the neighbor, Liu Yue, and was helping by stitching beautiful plum blossoms on the pouch.

 

The two worked quietly, with only Zhao Xiaodou’s clear reading voice echoing in the house.

 

Lu Yao sat in the west room doing the accounts. With no paper at home, he used a wooden board to write and calculate.

 

Since being honest with Zhao Beichuan, he no longer hid anything and directly used Arabic numerals for convenience.

 

In the past half-month, they had used three stone of soybeans, costing one string and five hundred coins. Grey flour used was two stone and six dou, costing two strings and eighty coins (the grain store sold it for eight hundred coins per stone).

 

They had used three large jars of vegetable oil, each costing three hundred coins, totaling nine hundred coins. Sugar consumption was one and a half jin, costing two hundred and twenty coins. Salt was one jin, costing one hundred coins. Pork bones had been bought three times, costing one hundred and fifty coins.

 

All expenses totaled nearly five strings of coins for the half-month, with earnings of nineteen strings, leaving a net profit of fourteen strings.

 

After deducting Lu Miao’s fifty coins and the Liu family’s second sister-in-law’s thirty coins as wages, they were left with about thirteen strings. They could save up twenty-six strings in a month!

 

By the end of the year, they should have two hundred taels of silver, enough to buy a house in town.

 

Zhao Beichuan entered the room, still damp.

 

“Ugh, what’s that smell?” Lu Yao immediately covered his nose.

 

Zhao Beichuan sniffed himself. “I’ve washed thoroughly—there’s no smell!”

 

“You’ve been around it so long you can’t tell anymore. Ugh, it stinks! Like you’ve fallen into a manure pit!”

 

Zhao Beichuan grinned and moved closer. “You’ll get used to it. The more you smell it, the less it stinks.”

 

“Zhao Beichuan!” Lu Yao, gagging, pinched the soft flesh at his waist.

 

Zhao Beichuan dodged sideways, laughing as he ran out to take another bath.

 

Lu Yao tossed the account board aside, scraped some ash from the stove, and brought it out to help him wash his hair. Living without modern products was inconvenient. Once life got better, he planned to make soap—an essential skill for anyone who had transmigrated, thanks to the many traditional craft videos he had watched in his previous life.

 

After scrubbing his hair clean with ash, the smell finally lessened.

 

With his hair towel-dried, Lu Yao brought out the warm food from the pot for Zhao Beichuan to eat. The others had already eaten, leaving only Zhao Beichuan.

 

“Did you finish fertilizing the fields?”

 

“Not yet. We’ll need two more days. I plan to finish our fields before helping my father in their village.”

 

“Perfect timing. The shop won’t be busy during the spring market, and the three of us, plus Xiao Nian, can manage just fine.”

 

“By the way, I heard your father and second brother mention your childhood today. It sounded quite interesting. Want to hear about it?”

 

Lu Yao paused. Most of his memories from this body began at around ten years old. He couldn’t recall much before that, but based on his previous behavior, he likely wasn’t up to much good as a child.

 

“Go ahead.”

 

Zhao Beichuan recounted what Lu Lin and Lu’s father had said, and Lu Yao’s expression grew increasingly peculiar.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing… It’s just… why does all this sound so familiar? Like I’ve done it before.” And that “salad” sounded suspiciously modern. Could it be that he had transmigrated as a child?

 

Lu Yao suddenly remembered how little he could recall of his own childhood in his previous life. His eldest sister had once mentioned that he had been frail as a child, frequently sick, and had even missed kindergarten until he turned eight.

 

Could this body originally have been his? Then who was the original Lu Yao before he arrived?

 

A cold sweat broke out on Lu Yao’s back. The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it became. For now, he chose not to dwell on it—after all, he was in control of this body now, and no one could take it from him.

 

After dinner, Lu Yao went to the west room to extinguish the lights for the children, ensuring they didn’t strain their eyes.

 

Feeling full, Zhao Beichuan pulled Lu Yao into some physical activity, leaving him groaning and entirely distracted from his earlier thoughts.

 

–

 

Time quickly flew to mid-April, the weather had warmed up, and the crops in the fields were all planted. Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan took a day to lead Lu Miao and the two children back to their maternal home, while also giving Lu Miao her month’s wages.

 

Originally set at five taels of silver per month, Lu Yao gave him an extra one hundred coins as pocket money, so he could buy whatever he liked without being too frugal.

 

Lu Miao was overjoyed. She took Xiaodou and Xiaonian to the traveling merchant and spent half a day picking out items. She bought a goose-yellow flower hairpin for Xiaonian, a bamboo dragonfly for Xiaodou, a rattle drum for the little one at home, a box of mutton fat cream for their mother, a hair ribbon for their second brother, a wooden hairpin for their second sister-in-law, and a peach wood comb for Lu Yun.

 

Originally intending to buy something for Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan as well, she was immediately refused by the two, who said they didn’t need anything and didn’t want her to waste money.

 

These items totaled fifty-five coins. The remaining money she was reluctant to spend and planned to save to buy some fine cloth to make a few small outfits for her fourth brother’s baby when it was born.

 

The mule cart moved along the dirt road, and the family sat on the cart chatting comfortably.

 

Lu Yao stretched lazily and said, “I’ve been so busy at the shop every day that I haven’t had time to go out for a stroll. Now even the green grass on the mountains looks adorable to me.”

 

“Mm, mm.” Xiaodou could relate the most. Ever since he started attending school, he barely had time to play. After school, he would quickly retreat to his room to memorize his lessons.

 

Xiaodou wasn’t the smartest child, but he was very hardworking. He never needed anyone to supervise his studies. Every day, he set a goal for how much he needed to memorize and would only allow himself to play after completing it.

 

At first, Lu Yao thought it was just a passing interest and didn’t pay much attention. But when he saw Xiaodou persist day after day, he began to take it seriously. To have such determination at a young age was not easy. Lu Yao himself certainly wasn’t as diligent as Xiaodou when he was young.

 

Xiaonian and Lu Miao, on the other hand, had no interest in reading or writing. Lu Yao took the time to teach them some accounting, which they learned quite well.

 

When the cart reached the entrance to Willow Village, Lu Yao suggested, “Let’s swing by and pick up our fourth brother. It’ll be lively when we get back, and we can drop him off on our way back to town tomorrow.”

 

“Alright,” Zhao Beichuan agreed, steering the mule cart towards the Wang household.

 

Although the fields had been planted, every household was still busy weeding and couldn’t spare a moment of rest.

 

When they arrived at the Wang family’s home, only Lu Yun and his mother-in-law were there. Lu Yao explained their purpose for coming, and his mother-in-law immediately asked Lu Yun to pack his things and stay at home for a few days, saying that Wang Youtian could come pick him up later.

 

Lu Yun was clearly tired of staying at home. Now that his pregnancy was showing, his body wasn’t too heavy yet. He had originally wanted to help out in the fields, but his father-in-law had insisted he stay home and take care of himself, leaving him with only cooking to do with his mother-in-law.

 

He hadn’t expected Lu Yao to come and bring him home. His joy was evident, and in no time, he packed a small bundle and happily got on the mule cart with them.

 

“Fourth brother!”

 

“Xiaomiao, what are you doing here too?” As soon as he stepped out of the door, Lu Yun spotted his younger brother on the cart and ran excitedly towards him.

 

“Don’t run, don’t run! Be careful with yourself.”

 

“Oh, I’m not that fragile!” Lu Yun climbed onto the cart and sat next to Lu Miao, reaching out to pat Xiaonian and Xiaodou on the head. “You two have gotten fairer and even more adorable.”

 

Xiaonian beamed, showing her small white teeth. She loved being praised for her looks.

 

Lu Miao said, “I’ve been helping out at third brother’s shop. It’s been a month already.”

 

Lu Yun glanced at his older brother sitting in front, hesitated, then lightly pinched Lu Miao’s fingers. It was their secret signal to talk later at home.

 

Lu Miao blinked at him and smiled knowingly.

 

The mule cart traveled for over an hour before finally reaching Lu Family Village. As they approached the entrance, they spotted many villagers.

 

Everyone looked up at the people on the cart, each resembling a character from a painting—truly striking in appearance.

 

Especially Lu Yao, sitting in the front. Today he wore a spring outfit in stone green, which made his fair face appear even more jade-like.

 

His fairness was due to avoiding the sun. He would rise at three or four in the morning, work until eight or nine, and then sleep until two or three in the afternoon. Naturally, this routine had lightened his complexion.

 

Lu Yun and Lu Miao also had proper appearances. Lu Miao wore a newly made outfit in light sky blue, which made him look refined and delicate. Lu Yun, with the glow of pregnancy, appeared even more radiant, his features naturally striking.

 

Even Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou, dressed in the new clothes Lu Yao had made for them this year, looked more presentable. New clothes indeed made people look better.

 

As the mule cart passed, a few elderly villagers whispered among themselves, “Who are those people on the cart? Why do they look so familiar?”

 

“Aren’t they the sons of Lu the Bricklayer’s family?”

 

“Oh, it’s them. They’ve grown up so much!”

 

“Yes, they’re all married now, except the youngest, who hasn’t found someone yet.”

 

“Look at how well they’ve grown! Same eyes, same nose, but my kids look like donkey dung balls in comparison.”

 

“Well, look at the life they’re living now. I heard the eldest runs a food shop in town, and the second married into a well-off family. Money makes a difference!”

 

While they envied, they didn’t gossip. Lu Family Village had a good reputation for not spreading rumors. After all, everyone shared the same surname and ancestors. Criticizing others wouldn’t reflect well on themselves either.

 

“Whoa!” The mule cart stopped at the Lu family’s entrance, and everyone got off. Lu Yao stepped forward and knocked on the door. “Knock, knock, knock. Mother, open the door!”

 

“Coming, coming!” Inside, Old Lady Lu was coaxing the little one while sewing some clothes for Lu Yun’s child.

 

Hearing the knocking, she quickly put the sewing basket back in the trunk and rushed to the door.

 

When the door opened and she saw the crowd, her face lit up with joy. “Oh, everyone’s back! Come in, come in!”

 

Lu Miao, supporting Lu Yun, walked in first, followed by Xiaonian and Xiaodou. Lu Yao stayed behind to unload the cart with Zhao Beichuan before entering the yard.

 

They had bought five pounds of pork ribs, thirty marinated eggs—Zhao Beichuan had mentioned their father and second brother loved them—so Lu Yao brought some home. The eggs weren’t heavily salted; too many would spoil if not eaten in time.

 

On the cart were also a bolt of coarse cloth and two pairs of cloth shoes made by Lu Yao. He had used a method from the modern era to sew thousand-layer soles, which were much more comfortable than straw sandals. He and Zhao Beichuan were both wearing a pair, and he planned to make two pairs for the kids when he had time.

 

Mother Lu helped him unload the cart and noticed two jars of wine. She couldn’t help scolding him, “You bought him wine again! You’re spoiling him too much!”

 

Lu Yao chuckled, “At his age, let him drink if he wants. As long as he doesn’t get drunk, it’s fine.”

 

“Bah! Can he control himself? Every time he sees wine, he drinks like there’s no tomorrow. Don’t buy it for him again, you hear?”

 

“Yes, yes, I got it.”

 

At this moment, Hu Chunrong returned from selling tofu, pushing her cart into the yard. “Lu Yao, you’re back!”

 

“Yep, sister-in-law. Done selling tofu?”

 

“All sold.”

 

Once everyone was inside, Lu Miao started distributing the items he had bought for the family. He opened his small bag and took out each item one by one. Though none of them were expensive, they were thoughtful, and everyone was delighted with their gifts.

 

After handing out the items, Lu Miao began sharing funny stories from the shop, which had everyone laughing.

 

This child, once reserved, had opened up after seeing the world outside and had become more cheerful.

 

Mother Lu carefully examined Lu Miao. “The water and soil in town really nourish people. Just one month and you’ve become so fair and chubby.”

 

“Mother,” Lu Miao said, blushing.

 

Lu Yao added, “The fifth one has been a great help to me. Without him and Da Chuan, I wouldn’t have managed. A few days ago, I was so exhausted I couldn’t think straight, felt half-awake all day. I’ve only just started recovering and even gained a few pounds.”

 

Mother Lu squeezed his arm. There was indeed a bit more flesh than before, but he was still much thinner than before he got married.

 

Lu Yun, curious, asked, “Third brother, weren’t you selling tofu before? How did you end up selling breakfast?”

 

“Sigh, that’s a long story,” Lu Yao said as he recounted how their tofu recipe was stolen. “Now, counting the eateries, there are three shops in town selling tofu. If we keep selling it, we won’t make much money.”

 

Hu Chunrong spat in disdain. “How shameless! They undercut the price and then stopped selling themselves.” Her business had also been affected. Previously, one catty of soybeans would yield one catty of tofu; now, one catty of soybeans yielded one and a half catties of tofu, reducing her earnings significantly.

 

After discussing Lu Yao’s shop, Mother Lu turned her attention to Lu Yun’s pregnancy. “You’re almost five months along, right? How’s the baby these days?”

 

“Everything’s fine. It just kicks me once or twice at night when I’m sleeping.”

 

Lu Yao’s expression turned odd. He couldn’t quite grasp what it felt like to be pregnant. Even now, he still felt like a man—just a bit weaker physically than other men.

 

Since there were no outsiders in the house, Mother Lu lifted his shirt and touched his belly. “The baby’s not small. You should do some light chores at home instead of just eating and resting all day. If the baby gets too big, it’ll be harder to deliver.” Only one’s mother could say such things—coming from others, it would sound harsh.

 

The physiology of ge’er males was inherently different from women, adding many risks to childbirth. It was truly like walking through the gates of hell.

 

“Alright, I got it.”

 

“How’s your mother-in-law treating you?”

 

“She’s good, and so are my younger sisters-in-law. They’re all easy to get along with.” Only his two sisters-in-law treated him indifferently, often speaking to him in a sarcastic tone. But Lu Yun didn’t mind, focusing instead on his own life. As long as he and You Tian were doing well, that was enough.