Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 61

Chapter 61

 

Flowers bloom in pairs, each telling a story of its own. Let us now turn to the sixth day since Zhao Beichuan’s departure.

 

The conscripted villagers of Qiushui Town had traveled more than three hundred li(150km) westward.

 

The scorching sun continued to bake the earth, leaving the villagers exhausted and sluggish. It felt as if their feet were weighed down by millstones, each step an immense struggle.

 

The officials at the front kept urging them, “Move faster, faster!” Any delay would mean punishment for them—perhaps even costing their lives!

 

“Bang!” Someone up ahead couldn’t endure any longer and collapsed to the ground.

 

“Father, Father, what’s wrong with you?”

 

The elderly man’s face was pale, his lips blue, and his eyes shut tight as he lay unconscious.

 

The fellow villagers quickly gathered to help, pouring water into his mouth and pressing acupressure points. After a long while, the old man finally regained consciousness.

 

“Father, you scared me to death…” The man sobbed, carrying the elderly man on his back as he struggled to keep up with the group.

 

Not long after, another elderly man collapsed. This time, there was no such luck; despite everyone’s efforts, the man passed away.

 

Though deaths during corvée labor were not uncommon, the sight still weighed heavily on everyone. They hastily buried the body in a roadside field, planning to retrieve it after the labor ended and bring it home for a proper burial.

 

The villagers of Wangou Village followed closely behind and were filled with anxiety at the sight.

 

Zhao Beichuan wiped the sweat from his neck and turned to ask Zhao Guang, “Uncle, are you holding up alright?”

 

Zhao Guang pressed his hands against his waist and waved dismissively, “I’m fine.” After all, this was nothing compared to when they had fled famine from Qingzhou and walked three thousand li.

 

Around noon, the officials finally signaled for a rest.

 

Everyone scrambled to find a shaded spot and collapsed on the ground, sprawled out in exhaustion.

 

Zhao Beichuan removed his shoes to examine the blisters on his feet. Though they had been fine yesterday, today they were swollen with four or five large blisters, each step stabbing with pain. Reluctantly, he retrieved a pair of thick-soled leather shoes sewn by Lu Yao from his bag, planning to switch to them later.

 

For lunch, the cooks prepared millet porridge. Though everyone was too tired to even line up for food, they had no choice but to eat—it would be impossible to continue the trek without replenishing their energy.

 

After finishing his meal, Zhao Beichuan lay down on his bag and quickly fell asleep. The sound of snores rose and fell around him.

 

In his brief nap, he dreamed of Lu Yao standing in the kitchen, stirring a pot of bubbling soybean milk. Lu Yao called out to him, “Beichuan, the mule at home is hungry. Take the bean dregs and feed it.”

 

As Zhao Beichuan reached for the wooden bucket in his dream, he suddenly felt a vibration near his head and woke with a start.

 

He saw a man crouched beside him, rifling through his bag.

 

“What are you doing?!”

 

The man, startled by Zhao Beichuan’s sudden awakening, leapt up and tried to flee.

 

Zhao Beichuan grabbed the man’s hair and punched him hard in the face.

 

Having finally dreamt of Lu Yao after so many days, he was furious that this scoundrel had disrupted it!

 

“Ow! I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Let go!”

 

Zhao Beichuan, still fuming, didn’t hold back, beating the man until blood spurted from his nose and mouth.

 

“Help! Help!” The man cried out, waking the others around them. Seeing the commotion, they rushed over to intervene.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“He tried to steal from me!”

 

“I didn’t steal anything…” The man denied it despite the evidence.

 

The ruckus drew the attention of the officials, who approached with whips in hand, shouting, “What’s all this noise?!”

 

Zhao Beichuan released the man, who dared not make another sound, and everyone returned to their places with lowered heads.

 

After the uproar, Zhao Beichuan was no longer in the mood to sleep. He opened his bag to check if anything was missing.

 

Inside, his shoes and clothes were neatly folded, along with the various items Lu Yao had prepared for him. Though he hadn’t examined them closely before, he now discovered a hidden compartment containing a palm-sized knife.

 

He tested its sharpness with his hand—it was very sharp. He wondered when Lu Yao had slipped it into his bag.

 

Besides the knife, there was also a small packet of candy.

 

Zhao Beichuan popped a piece into his mouth. The sweet taste melted away much of his bitterness. With renewed energy, he put on the leather shoes and resumed the trek when the gong sounded.

 

Another thirty li ahead lay Pingzhou Prefecture City. Though they wouldn’t be allowed to enter, they were excited to catch a glimpse of the city walls.

 

The group chatted animatedly about how large Pingzhou City was supposed to be.

 

Rumor had it that the city walls were seven or eight zhang tall, with gates wide enough for four war chariots to pass side by side.

 

This place had once been a contested battlefield and served as a crucial defensive line protecting the capital. The city was not only heavily guarded but also stocked with provisions for soldiers on the border.

 

By evening, they finally reached the outskirts of Pingzhou City. From afar, they could see the towering, ancient walls, majestic and solemn. Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, they resembled a giant beast crouching on the earth, guarding the city’s residents.

 

Zhao Beichuan swallowed hard, awestruck by the sight. It was magnificent—he wished Lu Yao could see it too!

 

That night, they camped outside the city, planning to set out again at dawn.

 

In ancient times, commoners were not allowed to travel freely. To pass through Pingzhou, the officials had to take their documents into the city and get them stamped by the prefectural office before they could continue their journey.

 

The lead official, Yang Xiu, rode into the city, planning to get the papers stamped and enjoy a comfortable night in the city with a hot meal and a bath after days of rough living.

 

At the prefectural office, he stated his purpose and was told to wait.

 

An hour later, someone finally came out with a message: “There’s a shortage of labor for transporting grain north. The lord has requisitioned the conscripts from Qiushui Town to deliver supplies to Yingzhou. Departure is tomorrow morning.”

 

“W-What?!” Yang Xiu was stunned. “Sir, we were heading to Fanyang to work on the mausoleum. Delaying that is punishable by death!”

 

“Don’t worry. The higher-ups will send a letter explaining the situation. It’s not your concern.”

 

“But… but…”

 

The official ignored his protests, handed over the papers, and left. To the authorities, it didn’t matter where the peasants went as long as they were useful.

 

Holding the document, Yang Xiu felt like he’d been struck by lightning. He stood there for a long time, unable to recover, before hastily mounting his horse and riding out of the city.

 

“What? Transporting grain?!”

 

“Shh, keep your voice down!” Yang Xiu glared at his fellow official.

 

“But weren’t we heading to Fanyang to work on the mausoleum?”

 

“The prefecture doesn’t care. They just want the grain delivered to Yingzhou. They said this would exempt the villagers from the mausoleum labor.”

 

Pingzhou and Yingzhou were over seven hundred li(350km) apart, with treacherous mountain roads in between. The round trip would take about a month, which was indeed faster than completing the mausoleum labor.

 

“That’s not too bad. The villagers can return home sooner.”

 

Yang Xiu smacked him on the head. “Idiot! Do you think transporting grain is easy? Yingzhou’s army is at war with the Khitans. If enemy forces ambush the grain convoy, how many of these unarmed peasants do you think will survive?”

 

The others turned pale upon hearing this. “Then… what should we do? My husband is waiting for me to return home…”

 

Yang Xiu’s face was grim. Everyone had family ties. His youngest child had just learned to call him “Father” before he left. If something happened to him… how would his family manage?

 

“For now, act like you know nothing. Otherwise, people might try to escape overnight. The officials will be here at dawn, and we’ll just have to do as we’re told.” For low-ranking officials like them, there was little difference between them and the peasants—they were just slightly bigger bugs.

 

That night, none of the officials slept well. The youngest among them even shed silent tears. They had thought their task was to escort the villagers to Fanyang and then return home, but now they were caught up in this mess—what rotten luck!

 

At dawn, officials from the city came to count the villagers.

 

The villagers, still half-asleep, groggily got to their feet, unaware of what was happening.

 

After the headcount, all 1,160 people were led into Pingzhou City.

 

“What’s going on?” someone whispered.

 

“I don’t know, maybe they’ll let us rest for a day in the city, and we’ll leave tomorrow?”

 

When Zhao Beichuan heard this, he was quite pleased. He had twenty taels of silver on him, and if they were really allowed to rest for a day, he would ask the officials for permission to go to the street and buy something for Lu Yao.

 

As they walked, everyone noticed something was off. They had been walking for half an hour since entering the city and hadn’t stopped. They kept going until they reached the military camp in the west. The officer in charge shouted, “The Governor of Pingzhou has ordered you to transport 2,100 bushels of grain to the north for the military in Yingzhou. You have 20 days to complete it. If delayed by one day, you will be beaten 30 times; if delayed by three days, 80 times; if delayed by five days, you will be executed!”

 

“Ah?!” Everyone was stunned, wide-eyed.

 

“Weren’t we supposed to be sent to repair the tombs at Linggong? How did it become transporting grain?”

 

“I don’t know!”

 

Most people didn’t understand what transporting military grain meant. Although they were confused, they didn’t show much resistance.

 

Only a few elderly people, terrified, collapsed onto the ground and cried loudly. They had heard from others that the worst part of forced labor was being conscripted into the military. Once involved in a war, survival was nearly impossible!

 

“Silence!”

 

After a moment, the camp sent the commanding officer and the grain officer to divide the people into teams of ten, with each team responsible for one cart to fetch the grain.

 

Zhao Beichuan’s team consisted of Zhao Guang, Qin’s father, the Qin brothers, the eldest and second brothers from the Tian family, the Gao brothers, and an old man named Zhang Mao.

 

The Gao family members were uneasy to be in the same team as Zhao Beichuan. They had offended him earlier over the “borrowed grain” matter and weren’t sure if he still held a grudge.

 

The small officers distributed numbered wooden tags to each team. Once the grain was delivered to Yingzhou and the wooden tag handed over, the task was considered completed.

 

Each tag represented a team. If they delayed or fled, the authorities would send people to arrest their families to bear the punishment.

 

The ten people followed the larger group to collect the carts. Most of these carts were old battlefield relics, some with broken wheels, others with snapped shafts. They had to take whatever was available, and the quality depended on luck. If the cart was too broken to use, they had to carry the load on their shoulders.

 

Zhao Beichuan’s team was fortunate to get a usable wooden cart. They moved to the grain warehouse to line up.

 

Each cart was loaded with eighteen bushels of grain, packed in burlap sacks, some containing beans and others rice. The carts loaded with straw were lighter but stacked much higher, making them more difficult to pull.

 

It didn’t take long before their turn came. Soldiers moved the grain, and within a short while, the cart was filled with more than ten sacks. They collectively moved the cart to an empty space to discuss how to divide the labor for the journey.

 

Among them, Zhao Beichuan was the most respected, and everyone readily agreed to follow his arrangements.

 

Zhao Beichuan said, “Since you all trust me, I’ll divide the work. Our team has three older people: Uncle Zhao, Uncle Qin, and Old Man Zhang. It would be too tiring for them to pull the cart, so how about they only push from behind?”

 

No one disagreed.

 

“The remaining seven of us will each pull for half an hour, and if anyone feels unwell, others can switch in. How about that?”

 

Everyone nodded again.

 

“Then it’s settled. I’ll start first, Qin elder brother and second brother follow, then Tian elder brother, and the Gao brothers, and so on.”

 

Zhao Beichuan placed the cart’s harness on his shoulders, lifted it with some effort, and found it manageable. It wasn’t too heavy for him to pull, though it might be difficult if the terrain became uneven.

 

Zhao Guang quickly reached out to help push the cart, and the others followed suit.

 

There were already people clearing the way ahead, with over a hundred carts in a long line moving slowly forward. Along with them, two hundred soldiers escorted the grain for protection.

 

The speed of the carts slowed down. Previously, they could cover sixty miles a day, but now they could only manage forty miles. With only twenty days to reach Yingzhou, the time was tight.

 

However, Zhao Beichuan was quite happy. He didn’t have to go to Fanyang to repair the tombs. As long as they delivered the grain to Yingzhou, they could return home. If everything went smoothly, he would be home in a month at most!

 

Thinking of Lu Yao, Zhao Beichuan felt a surge of energy and began to run, pulling the cart quickly. The elderly people struggled to keep up.

 

After about half an hour, it was time to switch. Qin’s elder brother took over the cart.

 

Seeing that Zhao Beichuan was managing the cart so easily, Qin’s elder brother thought it wasn’t heavy at all. He grabbed the harness and prepared to walk forward, but the cart suddenly sank forward, nearly crushing him.

 

“Elder brother!” Qin Erlang quickly came to help.

 

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Qin’s elder brother gritted his teeth and tried to move the cart, but after only taking a few steps, he couldn’t go any further. Sweat soaked his clothes.

 

Behind them, Gao Qinghe scoffed, “Let me do it. You can’t even pull this small amount of grain; don’t delay us.”

 

Qin Erlang’s elder brother looked upset but switched places. Gao Qinghe stretched his arms and placed the harness on his shoulders. He pulled hard, but the cart didn’t budge.

 

Not believing it, Gao Qinghe continued to exert all his strength, but the cart barely moved.

 

“I don’t believe this! Why can Zhao Beichuan pull it so easily, and I can’t even get it to move?”

 

After a while, Gao Qinghe reluctantly called for his brother to help, and together they struggled to move the cart forward.

 

After just half an hour, both were gasping for breath, their shoulders sore and aching.

 

The road ahead was still long, and they feared their shoulders would be worn out before they reached their destination!

 

No wonder the elderly cried when they heard they would be transporting military grain. This job was not only dangerous but exhausting—it was something even dogs wouldn’t do.

 

After resting for half an hour at noon, the group continued their journey, with Zhao Beichuan still leading the way.

 

At this point, everyone saw the difference. They had known that Zhao Beichuan was strong, but they hadn’t realized he was this strong! The carts that required two people to pull were light as a feather in his hands.

 

Gao Qinghe felt a twinge of regret. Fortunately, he hadn’t completely offended Zhao Beichuan last time in the village. Otherwise, his brothers wouldn’t be enough to face him.

 

When they passed Bei Lian Ting, the team suddenly stopped. From ahead came loud cries of distress.

 

The others rested for a while. Zhao Beichuan went ahead to inquire and soon returned with a dark expression. “Two people ahead collapsed from exhaustion.”

 

Everyone sighed deeply. With such a long journey, the hot weather, and the heavy grain, it was hard to say who would be next to collapse…

 

The old man Zhang Mao couldn’t hold back and started crying, covering his face. “Why is my life so miserable? I was conscripted when I was young, barely survived, and now in my old age, I run into this! The heavens don’t want me to live!”

 

He spoke of the conscription that happened when King Jing rebelled, when the village was nearly emptied of its men. Wanggou Village used to be large, with over two hundred families. After the conscription, only seventy remained, the rest lost forever.

 

After crying for a long time, the old man wiped his tears and said, “If we encounter war on the way north, run if you can. Don’t fight them, or you’ll die even faster!”

 

Everyone nodded gravely. It wasn’t easy for someone to have gone through such experiences, and they all respected him more now.

 

After the burial, they climbed up and continued on their journey. Truly, it was said: the fatigue of forced labor takes lives, and white bones scatter unnoticed…

 

On the eighth evening of their journey back from Pingzhou, they passed Qiushui Town. From a distance, they could see the town’s buildings, and many people were sobbing.

 

The officials urged them to keep moving, warning them not to rest there. They had to push forward twenty more miles that night and were not allowed to stop.

 

Zhao Beichuan, pulling his cart, kept glancing toward the town, where he could clearly see his own breakfast shop.

 

At that moment, his feelings of longing reached their peak. His eyes reddened as he strained to catch a glimpse of Lu Yao, just one look.

 

Unfortunately, it was too late, and the shop was already closed.

 

“Hurry up, hurry up, no stopping for those behind!” The officer cracked his whip and drove them forward.

 

Everyone clenched their teeth, walking while looking back until they climbed over the hill and could no longer see the town.

 

That night, the officer on horseback said, “You’re very close to home now. I know you all want to go back, but none of you can go home until the grain is delivered!”

 

In the darkness, people sat silently on the ground.

 

“Now you’re not only bearing forced labor but also the heavy responsibility of delivering grain to the north. Anyone who tries to escape midway will be punished with ten families joining in! If all ten escape, their families will bear the consequences, do you hear me?”

 

“We hear you—” Everyone replied weakly.

 

After dinner, it was already the hour of the dog (around 9 p.m.). Exhausted, they lay on the ground, immediately falling asleep.

 

In the middle of the night, Zhao Beichuan suddenly sensed something and woke up. Under the starlight, he saw Zhang Mao, the old man, secretly getting up and running off into the distance!”