Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 8

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hi guys im translating nother wn of the same author in another site you can read it here - LINK

Shangjing is the capital

Most of Lu Yao’s impressions of ancient clothing came from TV dramas, so he always thought that people in ancient times wore wide-sleeved long robes.

But in fact, that wasn’t the case. Long robes were only worn by nobles, and even the wealthy families in town mostly wore narrow-sleeved garments. As for commoners, their clothing was not much different from what people wore in later times; the simpler and more fabric-saving, the better.

Take the stone-blue top Lu Yao was wearing, for example. The length of the garment just barely covered his hips, and the style was very simple. The front had a crossed collar with ties inside to keep it from opening, and on the outside, there was a wide cloth belt tied at the waist to keep the clothes clean while working.

The style that Aunt Tian had cut for Xiaonian and Xiaodou was quite similar to what Lu Yao was wearing. It consisted of two parts, front and back. The back was a whole piece, while the front had an opening, and after sewing on the two sleeves, it became a little garment.

Lu Yao looked at it twice and pretty much got the hang of it. Next time, he could try cutting one himself.

He sat in the courtyard with a needle and thread, sewing clothes while the two children pulled weeds in the vegetable garden. Before he knew it, the day had passed.

Today was Lu Yao’s seventh day since crossing over, and sometimes habits are truly terrifying.

When he first arrived, Lu Yao was troubled by the thought of using a dry toilet, but now he could pinch his nose and, without a change in expression, scoop manure to fertilize the vegetable garden…

To be honest, he was still disgusted by it, but there was no other choice. In ancient times, there was no compound fertilizer, and the land relied entirely on manure for nourishment.

He and the two little ones had spent three days cleaning up the vegetable garden behind the house. Aside from a few chives, they even discovered a few sprigs of green onions in the corners.

These onions were probably planted when Zhao’s father was still alive. Since no one had taken care of them in recent years, they had grown thin and short, so much so that you could hardly notice them.

Lu Yao carefully dug up the onion seedlings, transplanted them next to the chives, filled the soil, and sprinkled some manure. Before long, they would start to grow again.

Granny Zhao had given him some cabbage seeds. If he sowed them now, by autumn, he would be able to harvest a batch of cabbages. These cabbages could be stored for the winter, ensuring that they’d have vegetables to eat when the weather got cold.

In his previous life, Lu Yao’s parents lived in the countryside, and every year, the elderly couple would stockpile a cellar full of cabbages, radishes, and potatoes. His mother would even make pickled vegetables. Although Lu Yao had never made them himself, he remembered the steps and figured he could try it later.

Speaking of which, the place where he now lived should be in the northern part of North China. The area had distinct seasons, with spring plowing from March to May. The locals would finish planting during these two months.

In June and July, the men would start serving their labor obligations, which lasted until the autumn harvest in August.

After the harvest, there was no time to relax, as they had to start preparing firewood for winter. Winters here were extremely cold, and without enough warm clothes, having enough firewood for heating became especially important. Without sufficient firewood, one could freeze to death at home.

It was now just mid-June, with several months left before winter. Lu Yao planned to take advantage of the warm weather to raise some chickens and ducks. After six months, they’d start laying eggs by the time spring arrived.

But the lack of money was a serious problem.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the original owner of this body didn’t have a single copper coin to his name.

How could someone not have even a penny on them? It was unbelievable!

However, after living here for a few days, Lu Yao realized that most of the villagers were self-sufficient and rarely needed to spend money.

Still, having no money made Lu Yao anxious. He decided to visit his family again, borrow some money, and go to town to buy some chicks. At the same time, he could check if there were any ways to earn money.

After breakfast, Zhao Xiaodou diligently cleaned the table, while Zhao Xiaonian took care of the dishes. The two children divided their tasks clearly.

It had to be said, the husband Lu Yao had never met had done a great job raising them. Not only were they sensible, but they were also hardworking, just like the ideal children one could dream of.

In his previous life, Lu Yao wasn’t particularly fond of children. Because of his own sexual orientation, he never planned to have kids. But now, after crossing over, he’d been given two sensible younger siblings for free, which was like winning the lottery.

“Sister-in-law, are we going to catch bugs in the field today?”

“Not today. I’m taking you to visit relatives later.”

The two children were thrilled when they heard this, and quickly climbed onto the kang to dig out their new clothes.

The clothes were made by Lu Yao himself. Since it was his first time sewing, the stitches were a bit rough, and the collar wasn’t sewn very evenly, but the two children cherished them nonetheless. They folded the clothes neatly and didn’t wear them on normal days.

The earth-yellow clothes had faded slightly from washing. Lu Yao helped smooth out the edges, cut two handfuls of chives from the garden, and carried a wicker basket as they headed out the door.

It was the first time Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou were visiting relatives. Because they were outsiders, and their parents had passed away early, they didn’t have other relatives nearby. They had only heard about visiting relatives from their neighbor, Da Zhuang.

Aunt Tian’s family lived in the nearby Jian Shui Village, about ten miles away, and she often took her son back to visit her family.

Every time Da Zhuang came back, he would boast to Zhao Xiaonian about how his grandmother made him boiled eggs, how his uncle took him fishing in the river, and how his aunt made him sweet tea, making Xiaonian and Xiaodou envious to the point of turning red-eyed.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have grandparents. Their older brother had mentioned an uncle, but they had lost track of him during the famine. Whether he was still alive or not was unknown. Now that their sister-in-law was taking them to visit relatives, they couldn’t be happier!

The two children hopped and skipped ahead, and Lu Yao, infected by their excitement, smiled as well.

As they passed the village entrance, they saw seven or eight women and men sitting together. Lu Yao’s eyelid twitched. This was likely the village’s “CBD,” where all the gossip was spread and controlled by these people.

Especially since the original Lu Yao had a past incident. If they found out, who knew what gossip they’d spread?

Lu Yao wasn’t too concerned about rumors but worried it would affect the children. So, when passing by, he quickened his pace.

Just as they walked by, the widow Song spat on the ground and said, “Look at how arrogant he is, who knows where he’s off to mess around now.”

The people nearby knew about the grudge between the two families and said nothing.

Since Lu Yao had poured a bucket of manure over Old Lady Song last time, these people had been quiet, knowing he wasn’t someone to be trifled with. If they gossiped and he found out, they’d be in for a nasty surprise if he threw manure into their houses.

“I heard you went to deliver fish to the officials?” Zhao Guang asked in a low voice.

Zhao Beichuan remained silent, gripping the iron shovel tightly as he dug, his muscular arms bulging with effort. Sweat dripped from his chin, and his bronze skin gleamed under the sun.

The matter of him delivering fish to the officials had somehow been seen by someone, and over the past few days, everyone had heard about it. Quite a few people had tried to follow his example by going into the river to catch fish, but unlike him, they didn’t have his swimming skills, and they didn’t catch many fish.

“Can you help me catch a few? I also want to make a trip back.”

“Uncle, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but the river is too fast, and there are hidden currents below. I don’t dare go into the water anymore.”

Even if he could catch fish, Zhao Beichuan didn’t intend to help. After all, if you help once, they might come back for a second time. If this kept happening and the officials started investigating, he would be implicated as well.

Zhao Guang pursed his lips but didn’t press further. Although both families shared the surname Zhao, they had long passed the point of being close relatives.

Back when the entire Zhao family village fled from disaster, Zhao Beichuan’s parents happened to run into Zhao Guang and his wife, and they settled in Wanggou Village. Over the years, the two families had remained neighbors but weren’t particularly close.

“Clang, clang, clang…” The sound of a gong rang out—it was time for the midday meal.

Zhao Beichuan put down his shovel and followed the crowd toward the big locust tree.

Today’s meal was bean rice, and everyone was allowed to take a large bowl. The bean rice filled you up but was tough on the teeth.

Since the cook hadn’t been careful in selecting the beans, there were plenty of stones in the rice. Biting down on one by mistake made for quite the unpleasant experience.

As people ate, the air was filled with the sounds of cursing and the spitting of stones.

After eating, Zhao Beichuan lay down, using his straw sandals as a pillow, intending to take a nap. In just two more days, he could finally go home, and his mind was filled with thoughts of his two children.

Suddenly, a cry came from the riverbank. “Someone’s fallen into the water! Help! Someone, please save them!”

Zhao Beichuan opened his eyes and saw a crowd running toward the river to watch the commotion. He followed them over.

By the time he arrived, a large group had already gathered at the riverbank. People were chattering about how to save the person, but no one was willing to jump in.

A young man crouched by the river, shouting anxiously, “Father! Father! Someone, please save my father!”

In the river, an older man was struggling desperately in the middle of the water. The river here was more than ten feet deep, and during the rainy season, the water flowed swiftly with dangerous undercurrents. Those who knew the water well understood that attempting a rescue could easily cost them their own lives.

“Why did he suddenly go into the water?”

“Who knows?”

“I heard he was trying to catch fish to give to someone…”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Beichuan frowned. The matter of catching fish had started because of him, and if someone drowned today, the officials certainly wouldn’t let him go home.

The man in the water was close to sinking, and those on the shore were stomping their feet in anxiety. Without further hesitation, Zhao Beichuan stripped off his clothes and dove into the river with a splash.

The river was much more turbulent than it had been a few days ago, pushing him around. Zhao Beichuan struggled to steady himself as he swam toward the center of the river.

As he neared the middle, he could feel the pull of the current—this was the dreaded water pocket. He had swum through waters like these before and knew that he had to go with the flow. Swimming against it would only get him dragged under.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Zhao Beichuan dived underwater, quickly locating the drowning man. With all his strength, he swam over and grabbed the man by his hair.

The man, thinking he was about to die, had already closed his eyes in despair. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his scalp and opened his eyes, seeing a figure pulling him upward by his hair!

In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Zhao Beichuan had dragged the man onto the shore.

“Well done!”

“Impressive!”

“This young man’s got some skills! Where’s he from?”

Zhao Beichuan said nothing as he picked up his clothes and began putting them back on.

The man who had been rescued had only swallowed a bit of water and wasn’t in any real danger. Now, both father and son were embracing and crying, grateful to be alive.

The rescued man pulled his son over and knelt before Zhao Beichuan, “Thank you for saving me today. May I ask which village you’re from? After this labor service ends, we’ll come to your home to properly express our gratitude!”

Zhao Beichuan waved his hand, “It’s nothing. Just be careful not to go into the river for fish anymore with the water running this fast.”

“No more, no more.” Not only were the father and son deterred, but everyone around was now scared. No one would risk their life for a few fish anymore!

The young man spoke up, “We’re from Lu Family Village. My father’s name is Lu Chuanzong, and I’m Lu Xi. If you ever need anything, just let us know!”

Zhao Beichuan paused mid-step, suddenly remembering that his spouse was also from Lu Family Village. “Do you know Lu Yao?”