Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 62

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Shangjing is the capital

Chapter 62

“Uncle Zhang, where are you going?” Zhao Beichuan lowered his voice.

The old man was startled and immediately ran off. Zhao Beichuan got up and chased after him!

The road was difficult to navigate at night, and he didn’t know where the old man got such strength. Zhao Beichuan couldn’t catch up for a while.

Zhao Beichuan was anxious but didn’t want to shout, afraid of alarming the officers, which would mean Zhang Mao would be doomed.

“Stop running! Do you want to get us all killed? Come back, and I’ll pretend this never happened—I won’t tell the officers!”

Zhang Mao ran as he shouted, “Don’t chase me! Don’t chase me! Just let me go!”

“No way! If you run, we’ll all be doomed!”

“Do you think we’ll just go back home once we reach Yingzhou? We’ll all be made war slaves! Run with me, and we’ll go back home together…”

Zhao Beichuan almost fell for his words but quickly regained his senses. “Running away would implicate my family. I can’t go back!”

Zhang Mao, who had no children and only an elderly wife at home, didn’t care about others and only wanted to save his own life.

But his age caught up with him, and he soon ran out of energy, allowing Zhao Beichuan to tackle him to the ground.

“Ahhhh! You’re going to get me killed! I’m already fifty-three—let me live a few more years!” The old man wailed, tears and snot streaming down his face.

Zhao Beichuan, panting, reached out and pulled him up. “If you don’t want to live, just yell louder!”

Zhang Mao closed his mouth, glaring hatefully at Zhao Beichuan as if he were the reason they were delivering grain.

Zhao Beichuan sneered, “The officers said if one escapes, ten are punished. If you don’t care about others, don’t blame me for not caring about you.”

No matter how much Zhang Mao struggled, Zhao Beichuan dragged him back.

The commotion woke others nearby. An officer holding a torch came over, cursing, “What are you doing in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?”

“Upset stomach, went to the latrine,” Zhao Beichuan replied.

“Don’t make trouble. Go to sleep!”

“Yes, yes.” Zhao Beichuan shot a glare at Zhang Mao, making it clear that he’d given him enough leeway. If he tried to run again, he’d hand him over to the officers.

Zhang Mao trembled and lowered his head, not daring to speak.

After a while, things settled down. The Qin family, having heard the earlier commotion, moved to keep Zhang Mao in the middle. If anything happened again, they’d know immediately.

Eldest Brother Qin said, “Beichuan, get some sleep. In two hours, it’ll be dawn.”

“Mm.” Zhao Beichuan rested his head on his bag and closed his eyes, still uneasy and fearing someone might run and implicate him.

Just as he was dozing off, shouting woke him, startling him upright.

“Have mercy, officer! Have mercy!”

“What’s going on?” Zhao Beichuan whispered to someone nearby.

“Someone from Willow Tree Village tried to escape, implicating others.”

Zhao Beichuan’s heart sank. Wang Youtian was from Willow Tree Village—he hoped he wasn’t involved! He rushed forward and saw seven people kneeling. Three had escaped last night—an entire family.

Thankfully, the Wang family wasn’t among them.

Soon, the captain arrived with a stern expression. He had just warned them about collective punishment for escaping, yet someone dared defy him. They had only themselves to blame.

“Take them away and flog them—100 lashes each!”

“Spare us, sir! Please, sir!” The kneeling group banged their heads on the ground, their foreheads soon bleeding, their faces miserable.

But the captain showed no mercy. If he didn’t make an example of them, more people would try to escape, and any delay in the grain delivery would cost him his head.

“Take them away now!”

Soldiers dragged the seven to an open area, tied them up, and began the punishment.

The military cudgel was a thick, eight-foot-long wooden rod weighing around twenty pounds. It landed with dull thuds, and after just a few blows, some fainted.

Onlookers either averted their eyes in fear, cried into their hands, or knelt to plead.

By the end of the 100 lashes, the seven were lifeless, their bodies mangled beyond recognition.

This brutal demonstration terrified the crowd into submission. No one dared entertain thoughts of escape again. Reluctantly, they resumed pulling their carts and continued on.

The entire journey, Zhao Beichuan kept a close eye on Zhang Mao. He’d almost been implicated! If the old man tried anything again, Zhao Beichuan wouldn’t show mercy!

Candlelight flickered. A pair of delicate white arms wrapped around a muscular shoulder. Lu Yao tilted his head back, his face a mixture of pain and pleasure, sweat dripping from his body with every movement.

“Gentler, slower… Ah, Beichuan…”

Lu Yao woke from his dream, staring at the dark room in a daze before realizing it had just been a spring dream.

Sweaty and sticky, he found his undergarments soaked and hurried to wash up, blushing as he scrubbed his clothes. He sighed, wondering how far Zhao Beichuan had gone by now.

It had been half a month since Zhao Beichuan left. In that time, Lu Yao had gone from struggling to adapt, to slowly accepting, to finally getting used to life without him.

But longing doesn’t lie. Even in dreams, his body yearned for him.

After washing up, it was time to start the day. Lu Yao rinsed the soaked beans and prepared to grind soy milk.

In cold weather, soy milk could be prepared in advance, but in this hot summer season, leaving it overnight would spoil it. He had to grind it fresh in the morning.

Lu Yao patted Dahua, “Time to work.”

Dahua, lying in the barn, didn’t move.

Lu Yao nudged it again. “Come on, no slacking.”

Dahua let out a distressed snort.

“What’s wrong?”

Unable to see clearly in the dark, Lu Yao went inside to wake his father. “Dad, come check on Dahua. Something’s wrong.”

Lu Guangsheng got up immediately. “Why are you up so early?”

“Couldn’t sleep. Dahua doesn’t seem well. Could it be sick?”

With an oil lamp, the two went to the barn to examine it. Dahua was indeed unwell, lying listlessly and refusing to eat even when offered beans.

“I noticed something was off yesterday—it barely touched the hay,” said Lu Guangsheng.

“What should we do?” Lu Yao asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry yet. If it’s still unwell after sunrise, we’ll go to Willow Tree Village and ask your in-laws. They’ve raised livestock for years and should know what to do.”

“Alright, I’ll close the shop today then.”

Lu Yao sat beside Dahua, stroking its head. “Your master’s not home, and now you’re falling sick? What am I supposed to do if something happens to you?”

Dahua weakly nuzzled his hand, as if trying to comfort him.

By morning, Dahua showed no improvement. Lu Yao quickly packed up to head to Willow Tree Village.

The village was half an hour’s walk from town. Lu Yao had been there twice and remembered the way to the Wang family’s house.

As he entered the yard, he heard arguing.

“Who’s ever seen someone act so pampered while pregnant? If you can’t work the fields, fine—but you can’t even handle house chores?”

“Leaving clothes out to dry and not bringing them in when it rains? How heavy is a basket of beans? What a lazy good-for-nothing! Acting like a noble but without the life to match.”

Lu Yao frowned. Wasn’t the Wang family supposed to be decent? Why did their words sound so spiteful toward Lu Yun?

“Lu Yun, are you home?” he called out.

The arguing inside abruptly stopped. A moment later, Lu Yun emerged from a side room. “Third Brother, what brings you here?”

Lu Yao said, “Who’s farting in the other room? Ate too many beans, spraying filth everywhere?”

Lu Yun stifled a laugh. His brother was as sharp-tongued as ever. “Who knows? Maybe someone with a black heart and rotten guts.”

Still angry, Lu Yao shouted, “No parents at home? Or did they spring from a rock? Picking on a pregnant man? Do they think just because my brother-in-law isn’t here that Lu Yun’s easy to bully? He still has his family!”

“Alright, Brother, don’t stoop to their level.” Tears glistened in Lu Yun’s eyes, touched by his brother’s support.

“Don’t be afraid. If the Wang family doesn’t give you an explanation today, you can come home with me. Your brother can afford to support the two of us!”

Before long, the two daughters-in-law of the Wang family walked out of the house with unpleasant expressions. The elder one forced a smile and said, “Oh my, it’s the third brother of the Lu family. Come in and have a seat.”

Lu Yao sneered, “I dare not go in. I’m afraid of smelling something dirty or rotten.”

The second daughter-in-law raised her eyebrows and retorted, “What kind of talk is that? Who doesn’t do chores while pregnant? Why is Lu Yun off-limits to criticism?”

“That’s none of your business. Who do you think you are? Is Lu Yun eating your food or drinking your water? Don’t act high and mighty!”

“You!” The woman turned red with anger.

Ignoring her, Lu Yao turned to Lu Yun and asked, “Aren’t your in-laws home?”

“No, there’s a funeral in the village, so they went to help. They should be back soon.”

“Hah, no wonder.”

The two women exchanged a glance, snorted coldly, and each returned to their rooms.

Lu Yun pulled Lu Yao into his own room. He was making clothes for a child using fabric Lu Yao had given him as a wedding gift.

“Third Brother, aren’t you busy at the shop today? How come you had time to visit?”

“Da Hua is sick, so I wanted to ask your father-in-law to take a look.”

“Oh no, is it serious?”

“I’m not sure. She’s lying on the ground, not eating or moving.”

“Wait for my father-in-law to return, and I’ll ask him to accompany you to town to have a look.”

Lu Yao nodded. “How about you? How are you doing?”

“I’m fine. The baby is being well-behaved. Just three more months to go.”

Seeing that Lu Yun’s belly wasn’t too big, Lu Yao felt a little relieved, as it seemed he had been controlling his diet and staying active.

“Do those two sisters-in-law always talk to you like that?”

“Not at all. They only act like this when my in-laws aren’t home. I can’t be bothered with them. It’s not like I’m losing anything. Let them say what they want.”

“That’s outrageous! Next time they dare say something, you should tell your in-laws!”

Lu Yun smiled. “Even if I tell them, the most they’ll do is scold them a bit. It’ll just upset my in-laws for no reason. Forget it.”

Lu Yao felt exasperated by his younger brother’s leniency. He had always been too easy-going, which was why he was often bullied at home.

“If you won’t say something, I will. If they dare insult you in person this time, who knows if they’ll dare hit you next time? You can’t let them get away with it!”

Lu Yun looked at his brother with sparkling eyes, feeling for the first time what it was like to be supported by his family. His heart was warm.

They chatted for a while until the Wang family’s elder and matron returned.

Probably fearing that Lu Yao would complain, the two daughters-in-law ran to the elders to lodge their own complaints first.

When Lu Yao helped Lu Yun out of the room, they saw Wang Laozi’s face dark with anger as the two daughters-in-law babbled about how unpleasant Lu Yao’s words had been.

Wang Laotai immediately shouted, “Quiet! Get back to your rooms!”

The two women shrank back in fear, shutting their mouths and retreating indoors.

The Wang family matron approached with a forced smile. “My two daughters-in-law are shallow. I hope you won’t mind their behavior.”

“It’s fine. Quarrels between in-laws are normal. But since my brother is pregnant and his husband isn’t home, I hope you’ll keep an eye on things and take care of him.”

“Of course, of course. Come inside. I’ll have his father slaughter a chicken for lunch.”

Lu Yao quickly declined. “No need. I have urgent matters at home. I came today to ask Uncle Wang to help me look at my mule. She hasn’t been eating since yesterday, and this morning she couldn’t even stand. She seems seriously ill.”

Hearing this, Wang Laotai quickly called her husband. “The mule at Lu Yun’s third brother’s house is sick. Go take a look.”

“Alright. Shall we go now?”

Lu Yao nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid Da Hua will worsen if we delay.”

The old man packed his work tools and followed Lu Yao. Lu Yun saw them off at the gate before reluctantly heading back inside.

On the way back, Lu Yao saw a long funeral procession ahead, divided into several groups. It didn’t seem like they were all from the same family.

“Uncle Wang, what happened in the village? Why are so many people dead?”

Wang Gou sighed. “You don’t know? Those are people who went to do corvée labor and died on the way.”

Lu Yao froze, his heart tightening. “How could so many die from doing corvée labor?”

He sighed again. “It’s bad luck. Originally, they were going to Fanyang to build a mausoleum, but midway, they were intercepted by the Pingzhou authorities and redirected to deliver grain to Yingzhou.”

Lu Yao didn’t understand the significance of this.

“Delivering grain is grueling and dangerous. On the way, they’re likely to encounter enemy ambushes. Some from the village tried to escape, which led to seven others being beaten to death with staffs. Officials just came to retrieve the bodies the day before yesterday.”

Lu Yao staggered, nearly fainting. Golden spots danced before his eyes.

Wang Laozi quickly steadied him. “I know you’re worried about your husband. I’m just as anxious. We haven’t dared tell Lu Yun, fearing he might get too distressed.”

It took Lu Yao a long time to recover. Controlling his emotions, he barely held back his tears. “Thank you for telling me.”

Wang Gou waved it off. “No need to thank me. I just hope they all return safely…”

Back in town, Wang Laozi examined Da Hua. The condition wasn’t too severe but troublesome.

The mule had mouth ulcers. Its lips and tongue were rotting, and a foul smell emanated when its mouth was opened, making it hard to bear.

Wang Gou instructed Lu Yao to mix a basin of saltwater and thoroughly clean the mule’s mouth. The pain made Da Hua thrash violently, and several people struggled to restrain her.

After washing and applying the homemade herbal medicine, Da Hua seemed slightly better, even eating some beans.

Wang Laozi washed his hands and said, “Feed her less for the next few days. Wash her mouth daily with saltwater, and sprinkle on this medicine as I showed you.”

Lu Guangsheng thanked him. “Thank you for coming all this way.”

“There’s no need for thanks between our families.”

Lu Yao forced a smile. “Uncle Wang, stay for lunch. Have a drink with my father.”

Wang Gou, troubled and wanting someone to talk to, agreed.

Lu Yao brought out some braised dishes and eggs, then went to buy a jug of wine and a pound of peanuts from the market. The two elders started drinking indoors.

“This is the first time we’ve had a drink together. Let’s enjoy it today.”

“Yes.” Wang Gou nodded and asked for a full cup.

“In a few months, Lu Yun will give birth. I wonder if it’ll be a boy or a girl.”

“The first child, boy or girl, is a blessing either way.”

Lu Guangsheng laughed. “Indeed. They’re still young. They’ll surely have more children in the future. I really like You Tian; he’s capable and hardworking.”

Wang Gou, feeling emotional, drank deeply from his cup.

“Brother, you seem off today. Has something happened at home?”

Wang Gou finally told him about the corvée labor situation. “They were originally headed to Fanyang. Who would’ve thought they’d be redirected? Several from our village fled, which led to others being beaten to death. They were so mangled that they couldn’t even wear pants anymore.”

“What!” Lu Guangsheng turned pale. He had once been conscripted himself and narrowly escaped. He understood the dangers of delivering grain, which could easily escalate into battle. Laborers would be turned into slaves on the front lines!

Tears streamed down Wang Gou’s face. “All three of my sons went this year. I don’t know if they’ll return alive.”

Though none of Lu Guangsheng’s sons had gone, his two sons-in-law were like his own. His heart was just as heavy. With reddened eyes, he said, “What can we do? What can we do?”

“There’s nothing to do but hope for the best.”

The two old men cried together in the room. Meanwhile, Lu Yao wept in the kitchen. He had thought three months would be enough, but this turn of events filled him with dread. His throat tightened so much he couldn’t speak.

The elders drank for over an hour. Lu Guangsheng eventually fell asleep in tears, while Wang Laozi, who held his liquor better, prepared to head home.

Lu Yao packed a large bowl of food and over ten braised eggs for him to take back.

The old man wiped his eyes and said, “Don’t worry too much. Maybe they’ll return soon.”

Lu Yao nodded, his voice hoarse. “Please take good care of Lu Yun and don’t let him worry.”

“I will. Go inside. No need to see me off.”

After seeing off Old Man Wang, Lu Yao fed Da Hua some water. Seeing that it looked much better than in the morning and could even stand up to eat grass now, he thought the medicine was quite effective.

That night, Lu Yao developed a high fever, his whole body convulsing as he muttered nonsense.