Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 63

Chapter 63

“Sis-in-law, what’s wrong with you?”

“Third Brother, wake up! Please wake up!”

Lu Yao was burning up, his whole body steaming as if he’d just been pulled out of a boiling pot. His eyes were tightly shut, his teeth clenching audibly, and he was muttering incoherently under his breath.

Lu Miao hurried to the west room to wake Father Lu.

Seeing how severe his son’s condition was, Lu Guangsheng made a decisive decision. “You two stay home and watch over him. I’ll go to the clinic and fetch the doctor!”

Lu Yun soaked a cloth in water and wiped his face and hands. Xiao Nian and Xiao Dou held Lu Yao’s hands, tears streaming down their faces. “Sis-in-law, wake up, please! You’re scaring me…”

Lu Yao seemed to be trapped in a long dream. In the dream, he returned to his previous life, going about his routine—working during the day, coming home at night.

After dinner, he lay on the couch scrolling through his phone, a sense of emptiness gnawing at him, as if he’d forgotten something important. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall what it was.

He decided to brush it off, cooked a meal, ate, showered, and went to bed.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Looking at the screen, he saw it was an unknown number. He picked up, but there was no sound on the other end, only heavy breathing.

“Hello? Who is this?”

“Lu Yao, wake up…”

“Who are you?” The voice sounded so familiar, so familiar it made him want to cry.

“Lu Yao, wake up!”

A sudden sharp pain under his nose made him take a deep breath, and he gradually came to.

“He’s awake! Finally, he’s awake!”

The first thing he saw was Mother Lu’s haggard face and the worried expressions of Xiao Nian and Lu Miao by his side.

“If he’s awake, he’ll be fine. His constitution is weak, to begin with. Don’t let him get overly emotional. I’ll prescribe some medicine to stabilize him for now. If it doesn’t work, we’ll adjust the prescription.” The doctor left a prescription before departing.

It took Lu Yao a while to process everything. “What… what happened to me?”

“Sis-in-law, you were unconscious for an entire day and night! You scared me to death!” Xiao Nian cried, clutching Lu Yao’s arm, tears falling uncontrollably.

Mother Lu’s eyes reddened as well. “Lu Miao, take Xiao Nian to the west room to rest. They’ve stayed up the whole night and shouldn’t wear themselves out.”

Once the children left, Mother Lu touched Lu Yao’s face. “Thank goodness your fever’s gone. You scared me half to death.”

“Mother… why are you here?”

“You suddenly developed a fever. The doctor came three times to treat you. If you hadn’t woken up, we could’ve lost you…” Father Lu, overwhelmed and incapable of caregiving, had rushed home to bring his wife to look after Lu Yao.

“I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“Don’t say that. You’re my child. If I don’t care for you, who will? I’ve heard about Da Chuan from your father. Don’t worry; that silly boy has good fortune. He’ll come back safe and sound.”

Lu Yao nodded, tears streaming uncontrollably.

Mother Lu wiped his tears while shedding her own. “This wretched world… Why is it so hard for ordinary folks to live in peace?”

A lump seemed stuck in Lu Yao’s throat. After a long pause, he clung to his mother and cried bitterly.

“Good child, cry it out. You’ll feel better afterward.”

After the crying, he indeed felt much lighter. Pulling himself together, he said, “Mother, I’m fine now. You should head back. Sister-in-law and Second Brother still need to make tofu, and Little Shitou can’t be left unattended either.”

“Don’t worry about that. Focus on your recovery. Your sister-in-law has her family to help. If necessary, they can send Little Shitou to his maternal grandparents’ house for a few days. Chunrong is understanding and won’t mind.”

Lu Yao nodded, reassured. His illness had struck with terrifying intensity, leaving him weak and sore, to the point where even going to the latrine was a struggle.

Lu Miao ended up carrying him to the latrine. When they returned, the setting sun bathed the yard in warm light.

“How’s Dahua?”

“Much better. This morning, Father cleaned its mouth sores and applied medicine. It’s eating fodder again.”

“That’s good to hear.”

After sitting in the yard for a bit, Mother Lu called him back inside. Fresh off a fever, he shouldn’t stay in the wind, as it might cause a relapse. The medicine brewing in the pot was ready as well. She ladled out a bowl of pitch-black decoction and handed it to Lu Yao.

The smell was unbearable, and Lu Yao pinched his nose to gulp it down, nearly throwing up afterward.

Mother Lu quickly handed him a peach. “This is from our orchard. They’ve ripened, and I picked a basket for you. You used to love these.”

Gnawing on the small, greenish-red peach, its sour and astringent taste helped suppress the nausea.

“Where’s Xiao Dou? Isn’t it about time for him to be back from school?”

His question reminded everyone that they hadn’t seen Xiao Dou. In the morning, Xiao Dou had wanted to stay home because of Lu Yao’s illness, but Xiao Nian scolded him, saying he’d be of no help and should focus on his studies to earn a title someday and bring honor to the family. Xiao Dou had left in tears, and amidst the chaos of tending to Lu Yao, everyone had forgotten that he hadn’t returned.

Feeling anxious, Lu Yao stood up. “I’ll go check the school. A child his age shouldn’t be out alone for so long.”

“Sis-in-law, don’t go. I’ll look for him.” Xiao Nian ran out in a hurry but stopped at the gate to see Xiao Dou returning with another boy and a middle-aged man carrying a medicine box.

“Where have you been? Do you know how worried everyone was? Your sis-in-law’s been waiting for you!”

“Is she awake?” Xiao Dou grabbed Lin Zijian’s hand and rushed into the yard, the middle-aged man following closely behind.

Inside the house, Xiao Dou called out tearfully, “Sis-in-law! Sis-in-law!”

“Yes, I’m here. Stop crying.” Lu Yao responded from the kang.

“I brought a doctor for you! This is Lin Zijian’s family doctor. He’s from the capital and very skilled.”

Lin Zijian nodded. “He’s the doctor who treats my grandfather.”

Lu Yao was startled. “This… this is too much.”

“It’s nothing, no trouble at all,” Lin Zijian said proudly, pleased with his choice of words, flashing his gap-toothed smile.

The doctor stepped forward. “Allow me to take your pulse first.”

Lu Yao extended his hand, and the doctor placed his fingers on his wrist, his other hand stroking his beard as he pondered for a moment. “This is a case of heat syndrome caused by acute emotional distress. Combined with your childhood illness and weak constitution, it turned severe.”

Lu Yao nodded in amazement. The doctor’s skill was indeed impressive; he had diagnosed everything with just a pulse reading.

“I’ll prescribe a formula to clear heat and replenish energy. However, medicine can only address the symptoms, not the root cause. You must resolve your inner turmoil and avoid overthinking, or it could harm your health further.”

“Thank you.”

The doctor wrote a prescription, substituting several expensive herbs with more affordable alternatives, considering the family’s apparent modest means. Even with the adjustments, the medicine would cost two taels of silver—a significant expense. It was better to start with simpler remedies to build strength gradually.

After finishing, the doctor left. Lin Zijian said, “Beitang, don’t worry. With Doctor Zhou here, your sis-in-law will surely recover. I’ll take my leave now and visit again soon.”

“Thank you,” Zhao Xiaodou said, escorting him out before hurrying back into the house.

“Sis-in-law…”

Lu Yao waved at him. Xiao Dou took off his shoes and burrowed into his arms, soaking his clothes with tears in no time.

“Alright, your sister-in-law is fine. Crying like this at your age? If Lin Zijian saw you, he’d surely laugh at you.”

Xiao Dou cried even louder. The sight of Lu Yao’s tightly closed eyes that morning had scared him so much that he couldn’t concentrate in class all morning, even failing to recite the texts during the teacher’s inspection.

After school, Lin Zijian found him to ask what was wrong, and Xiao Dou told his good friend about Lu Yao’s illness.

Lin Zijian said, “Don’t worry. There’s a physician from the capital staying at my house. Come home with me, and we’ll bring him to your house to check on your sister-in-law!”

Xiao Dou initially didn’t want to trouble anyone but eventually agreed, as he was too worried about his sister-in-law. He followed Lin Zijian to his house.

Lin’s father, after hearing the children explain the situation, kindly summoned Doctor Zhou and accompanied the two children to Lu Yao’s house.

“Stop crying. Your sister-in-law just took her medicine and needs to rest a bit,” Xiaonian said, dragging his younger brother out and into the west room.

Lu Yao, still weak, lay down and fell asleep again.

During this time, Mother Lu felt his forehead several times, fearing the fever might return. Father Lu bought the new medicine prescribed by the doctor, spending over 400 coins in total.

By the time of the evening, Lu Yao woke up. The medicine he drank earlier seemed to work, as his mind was much clearer.

Xiao Dou and Xiaonian were both asleep, and Mother Lu was sitting nearby, sewing under an oil lamp.

“Mother…”

Mother Lu immediately put down her needlework. “You’re awake? Do you need to relieve yourself? I’ll fetch the chamber pot.”

“No need. I can go myself.”

Lu Yao got up, went to the latrine, and after relieving himself, returned feeling a bit hungry.

Mother Lu lit a fire again and cooked him a bowl of millet porridge with two eggs.

Lu Yao held the bowl, eating in small sips, feeling much more comfortable than before.

He had figured it out: wallowing in sadness wasn’t a solution. Regardless of whether Zhao Beichuan could return, life at home had to go on. Every day the shop remained closed meant a loss in rent money. He needed to recover quickly and earn more money. Someday, he would buy Zhao Beichuan a gentry title so he would never have to serve in corvée labor again!

Mother Lu noticed his improved mood and said, “It’s good that you’ve come to terms with it yourself. I won’t lecture you. Just take care of your health. Xiaonian and Xiao Dou are both good kids, no different from your own.”

Thinking about what happened earlier that day, Lu Yao couldn’t help but smile. “Who would have thought Xiao Dou was so capable? He actually managed to invite a court physician from the capital.”

Mother Lu was equally amazed. “It’s already commendable that he had the heart to do so. I used to urge you to have children, but now I see it wasn’t necessary. Given your frail health, who knows if you’d even have been able to carry a pregnancy safely?”

Hearing this, Lu Yao thought of Lu Yun and recounted to her his visit to Willow Village a few days ago. “I thought the Wang family was easy to get along with, but who knew her two sisters-in-law would be so awful?”

Mother Lu spat angrily after hearing the story. “Two wicked and shameless women! Making Lu Yun carry things while heavily pregnant—what if she had hurt herself? And her mother-in-law just lets them talk about the fourth son like that?”

“That wasn’t the case. Her parents-in-law weren’t home when I went.”

Mother Lu’s expression softened slightly. “In a few days, when I return, I’ll visit Willow Village and bring Lu Yun back here to stay for a while. With her husband away and her honest nature, I don’t want her to be bullied.”

“Mm.”

After chatting for a while, Lu Yao noticed her tired look and urged her to rest.

It took three days for Lu Yao to fully recover, and the breakfast shop reopened as usual.

Seeing that he was fine, Mother Lu returned home, stopping by Willow Village to bring Lu Yun back with her. Before leaving, she complained to her in-laws about their daughters-in-law’s behavior, angering Old Lady Wang so much that she summoned her two daughters-in-law and scolded them harshly.

Fighting within the family is the most taboo thing. Even the best days can be ruined by infighting. If they had the energy to cause trouble, they should direct it elsewhere. If they bullied Lu Yun again, they shouldn’t expect any face from her.

The eldest and second daughters-in-law were too scared to argue, worried their husbands would find out and punish them.

This matter aside, once Lu Yao recovered, he thought about buying something to thank the Lin family. Though he owed the favor to Lin Zijian, it was only with his father’s approval that the physician came. He couldn’t just recover and act as though nothing had happened; that would be rude.

Being a commoner, he couldn’t afford anything too expensive, and the town didn’t have much to offer. So, he prepared some unique food items and found time to deliver them in person with Xiao Dou.

Carrying a food box, Lu Yao walked along East Long Street with Xiao Dou. It was the town’s widest street, wide enough for three carriages to pass side by side. Servants cleaned it daily, leaving not even a pebble in sight.

Only the wealthy or influential lived here, like the restaurant owner Xu Bin, whose family was one of the richest in town.

The Lin family also lived here, occupying an even larger estate—at least a three-courtyard layout.

“Is it this house?”

“Mm.” Xiao Dou nodded, having visited once before with Lin Zijian.

Lu Yao stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Soon, a servant opened the side gate and asked, “Who are you, and what brings you here?”

Lu Yao quickly replied, “My younger brother is a classmate of Young Master Lin. A few days ago, I fell ill, and thanks to Young Master Lin bringing a doctor to treat me, I’ve come today to express my gratitude.”

“Wait here for a moment. I’ll inform them.”

Lu Yao and Xiao Dou stood at the entrance. Xiao Dou looked up at the words “Lin Residence” written in elegant calligraphy on the plaque above the gate and couldn’t help saying, “Sister-in-law, Zijian’s house is amazing. Someday, when I make something of myself, I’ll buy you a big house like this.”

Lu Yao chuckled, ruffling his hair. This little one’s studies were still lacking, yet he was already painting grand pictures. Still, this lofty dream was endearing and lightened the mood.

Before long, the sound of footsteps came from inside. Lin Zijian came running, with Madam Lin following behind.

“Don’t run so fast; you might fall!”

“Beidou, Beidou! Are you here to play with me?”

Xiao Dou ran up to him as well. “My sister-in-law made some food to thank you for bringing the doctor.”

“Oh, that’s nothing to thank me for.”

Lu Yao nodded politely to Madam Lin, who said, “Please, come in.”

The Lin family’s manners were truly impeccable. Despite their high status, they showed no arrogance or disdain for Lu Yao and Xiao Dou, personally leading them to the flower hall.

“Please sit. Xiao He, serve tea to our guests.”

“There’s no need to trouble yourself. We’ll leave after delivering this.”

“It’s no trouble. Have some tea and rest for a bit; it’s so hot today.”

Feeling a bit awkward, Lu Yao pulled Xiao Dou to sit on a nearby bench.

“I heard from Zijian that your family runs a breakfast shop? You must have excellent culinary skills.”

“I wouldn’t dare claim so. We sell simple snacks at affordable prices to make a living.”

Madam Lin nodded warmly, finding Lu Yao increasingly pleasing to the eye. She had been back in the countryside for over three months and had met many coarse villagers. Lu Yao was the first she’d seen with such demeanor.

His speech and manners didn’t resemble those of a rural man; instead, he seemed like a nobleman from the capital. His respectful yet unyielding attitude, straight posture, and handsome appearance left a good impression.

Before long, a maid brought two cups of tea. The tea was a fragrant jasmine blend from the south, priced at over 70 strings of coins per pound—unaffordable for ordinary folk.

Lu Yao took a cup, habitually using the lid to skim off the floating leaves before taking a small sip. “This tea has a delicate aroma. I believe there’s jasmine in it?”

“Indeed. Have you had it before?”

Lu Yao hesitated. In his previous life, jasmine tea was his go-to choice—cheap and plentiful, perfect for an overworked office worker needing a boost.

“Just once.”

Madam Lin’s gaze shifted again. The more she observed, the less Lu Yao seemed like an ordinary person.

“What kind of food did you bring?”

Lu Yao quickly handed the food box to a maid. He had commissioned a carpenter to craft the box, inspired by designs he’d seen in TV dramas. It had three layers, each separated to hold different dishes.

“The first layer contains two kinds of pastries.”

Lu Yao steamed small bread and nearly broke his hand whipping the egg mixture with a homemade egg beater. After wasting six eggs, he finally managed to steam a successful cake.

The cake was soft and delicate, with added honey, resembling the honey sponge cakes of later generations.

Another one had a bit of pumpkin added, making its color more vibrant. Each type of cake was made into four pieces, each about the size of a child’s palm, looking quite exquisite and cute.

The second layer was a selection of braised snacks, featuring eight varieties: wing tips, wing middles, chicken legs, chicken hearts, chicken feet, chicken gizzards, along with bean curd and diced radish. Each portion was small, but the freshly cooked braised snacks were brightly colored and looked incredibly appetizing.

The third layer contained two main dishes: candied shredded radish and four-joy meatballs. Both dishes were a true test of skill, and Lu Yao happened to excel in their preparation.

Not only was the flavor of the dishes exceptional, but he also plated them meticulously, carving flowers out of other vegetables to garnish the plates. Though the ingredients were limited, he still managed to make the presentation elegant—if he had more resources, he could have made it even more impressive.

Lady Lin stared at the dishes in the food box, her eyes wide. “These—did you make all of these?”

Lu Yao nodded. “The food is crude and barely edible. Please forgive me for any shortcomings, Madam.”

Crude? If this was crude, there was no such thing as refined or exquisite food!