Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 99

Chapter 99

 

Taking him to the provincial city wasn’t something to be taken lightly, and Zhao Beichuan didn’t dare to agree right away.

 

“This isn’t something I can decide on my own; I need to discuss it with Lu Yao.”

 

“You’re the head of the household; would he dare disobey you?”

 

Zhao Beichuan smiled, “Uncle, you watched me grow up. Without Lu Yao, how could I have the skills I have now? Wouldn’t I still be the same as before, scratching at the soil to make a living?”

 

Zhao Guang pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. “Oh, you’ve got the ability now. You’re no longer the kid who didn’t have enough to eat.”

 

Back when Zhao’s father had just passed away, Uncle Zhao and his wife had helped them a lot. Zhao Beichuan remembered their kindness, but he truly couldn’t make the decision to take him to the city.

 

While the two were talking, Mrs. Tian from next door came out to pour water. When she saw the large carriage and Zhao Beichuan beside it, she froze in place.

 

“Beichuan?”

 

“Yes, Second Sister-in-law.”

 

“Oh my heavens! When did you come back?” She set the bucket down and hurried over. “Did Lu Yao and the kids come back too?”

 

“Yes, they’re all inside.”

 

Mrs. Tian hurried into the house. “Lu Yao! Xiaonian! Xiaodou!”

 

“Second Sister-in-law.” Hearing the familiar voice, Lu Yao quickly got up to greet her.

 

Mrs. Tian looked Lu Yao up and down. He was wearing a dark blue robe embroidered with light patterns at the collar, his skin pale and smooth like an egg. Now that Lu Yao had grown older, the baby fat on his face was gone, making him even more handsome.

 

“Life in the provincial city really does nourish people! Look at you, fresh and glowing like an unmarried young man.”

 

Lu Yao smiled. “Sister-in-law, please don’t tease me, or you’ll make me blush.”

 

“Haha!” Mrs. Tian laughed heartily and turned to Xiaonian and Xiaodou, examining them. “You’ve both grown taller. Dazhuang still talks about you and asks when you’ll come back.”

 

Xiaodou suddenly remembered the gifts he had bought in the city, including something for Dazhuang, and quickly ran to the carriage to fetch them.

 

Lu Yao said, “Bring a box of pastries too, so Sister-in-law can take it back for the children to enjoy.”

 

It was only then that Mrs. Tian noticed the carriage outside. “That carriage at the door—does it belong to you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Oh, my goodness! Such a large carriage—did you rent it or buy it?”

 

“Renting it once would cost too much, so we just bought a used one. We couldn’t afford a new one.”

 

“Even so, that’s impressive! You’ve really made it big!”

 

Although Mrs. Tian envied Lu Yao, she didn’t have much thought of taking advantage. After all, they weren’t relatives, just neighbors. Taking a small benefit was fine, but anything bigger would feel inappropriate.

 

Soon, Xiaodou and Xiaonian came back with gifts. “This is a rattan ball for Brother Dazhuang and a kite for when the weather warms up.”

 

Xiaonian handed over another wooden box. “These are candies and pastries we bought in the provincial city. Let Brother Dazhuang have a taste.”

 

Mrs. Tian smiled as she accepted the gifts and insisted on taking everyone back to her house, wanting to boil some eggs for them.

 

Lu Yao couldn’t refuse and went with her to the Tian family home.

 

Tian Dazhuang still looked the same, though now he was a little older and more sensible. When he saw Xiaonian and Xiaodou, he blushed and quickly used his sleeve to wipe his runny nose.

 

Having grown up playing together, they soon got reacquainted. Xiaodou gave Dazhuang the toys, and Dazhuang took out small wooden swords from his “treasure box” to give to Xiaodou and the newly introduced Xiaochun.

 

Tian’s second brother was sleeping in the next room. Hearing the noise, he came out to ask, “Who’s here?”

 

“Lu Yao and Beichuan are back!”

 

“Where’s Beichuan?”

 

“Outside, and they came back with a huge carriage!”

 

Tian’s second brother stepped out, holding the doorframe. His eyesight wasn’t good indoors, but he could see better when outside in the light.

 

Mrs. Tian lit the fire to boil eggs, while Lu Yao sat on a small wooden stool beside her, chatting.

 

“It feels like a dream that it’s been more than three years since you married in.”

 

“Exactly,” Lu Yao said, reminiscing. It truly did feel like a dream.

 

He thought about when he first arrived, and the family was so poor they couldn’t even keep the pot full. He even burned the pot once. Then, things improved a little when they started selling tofu, but their house was burned down not long after.

 

Mrs. Tian sighed. “Ever since your family moved away, the yard next door has been abandoned. Recently, the Ding family wanted to buy the land to build a house, but for some reason, the deal fell through.”

 

When she mentioned the Ding family, Lu Yao thought of Lu Miao’s engagement. “Sister-in-law, you know the village well. What kind of people are the Ding family?”

 

“Why do you ask?”

 

“My father arranged for my younger brother to marry their fifth son before he passed. The wedding is supposed to happen next year, but we haven’t heard anything from them.”

 

Mrs. Tian slapped Lu Yao’s arm. “If this marriage can be called off, do it quickly!”

 

“Huh? Why?”

 

“This hasn’t reached your village yet, but let me tell you!” Mrs. Tian’s gossiping spirit came alive. She was quick-witted and entertaining, and Lu Yao listened with wide eyes.

 

The Ding family had five sons. The first four were married and had children, which meant their house had become too crowded.

 

The trouble started when Ding Carpenter wanted to build a new house and planned to buy the vacant Zhao family property to renovate it. But deciding who would live in the new house became an issue.

 

The eldest thought it should go to him since he was the oldest. The second believed it should go to him because he had the most children. The third and fourth were unwilling to budge either, as their families were still squeezed into one room, sleeping on opposite ends of the same kang. They couldn’t even have privacy for married life.

 

And then there was the fifth, who was about to get married and needed a new house.

 

Everyone wanted the new house. Ding Carpenter eventually decided to give it to the second son, as he had the most children, and told the fourth to move into the second’s old house.

 

The fourth son was outraged and argued with his brother on the spot. The eldest also made snide remarks about their father’s favoritism.

 

In the end, the dispute escalated into a full-blown fight.

 

“The day they fought, half the village came to watch. The things they shouted were vile.

 

The fourth’s wife accused the second’s wife of being promiscuous and hinted that the children might not even belong to her husband. The second’s wife retaliated by claiming the third and fourth families lived too closely, suggesting inappropriate behavior between in-laws.

 

The men and women cursed, scratched, and pulled at each other until they were covered in scratches and missing hair. Even the old Ding matriarch, sitting on the ground wailing, got slapped by one of her daughters-in-law. It was chaos!”

 

Lu Yao was stunned. “No wonder no one has brought up the engagement… What happened afterward?”

 

“What else could they do? After the fight, they just kept living together as usual.”

 

“And they can still live together after that?”

 

“If we don’t live there, there’s nothing we can do. The ground is frozen in winter, so even if we want to split the family, we’ll have to wait until spring next year when it’s warmer to build a new house and divide things.”

 

Lu Yao frowned. Such a family was not one he could allow Lu Miao to marry into. No matter how poor the Lu family was, they had never let Lu Miao endure such grievances. How could he get married and still share a room with his brother and sister-in-law? Just thinking about it was revolting.

 

Sister-in-law Tian asked about Xiaochun, “This child looks unfamiliar. Whose child is he?”

 

“A relative’s, just brought him over to play,” Lu Yao replied, not saying much, to avoid having to explain further.

 

Lu Yao then asked about Lin Daman’s current situation.

 

“Daman is still selling tofu in the village. Last year, his family came to make trouble a few times, but he drove them away. The two families have since cut ties. This year, someone introduced him to a husband who married into his family, and the two of them are doing quite well now.”

 

Lu Yao said, “That’s good. Otherwise, it would be tough for him to raise two children alone without a man at home.”

 

“Isn’t that the truth?”

 

Seeing that it was about time, Lu Yao got up and called Xiaochun, Xiaonian, and Xiaodou to get ready to leave.

 

Sister-in-law Tian quickly took some eggs out of the pot, cooled them in cold water, and stuffed them into the children’s hands. “Take these and eat them. There’s nothing fancy at my place. Don’t mind it.”

 

“How could we? After all these years as neighbors, saying such things feels distant,” Lu Yao said.

 

Sister-in-law Tian walked them to the door. “Who knows when we’ll see each other again? I just hope you all stay safe out there.”

 

Lu Yao felt warmth in his heart. “You take care of yourselves, too. We’ll come back to visit when we get the chance.”

 

Originally, he had thought about visiting the Ding family, but after hearing what Sister-in-law Tian said, he couldn’t be bothered. There was no point in visiting a family they wouldn’t be joining. He gave the remaining box of pastries in the cart to Granny Zhao, telling her to enjoy them.

 

When they left, Granny Zhao, hunched over, followed them out. Holding Zhao Beichuan’s hand, her eyes reddened. “Dachuan, if you have the means in the future, move your parents’ graves back to Qingzhou. Your father always wanted to return home when he was alive.”

 

“Alright, I’ll take care of it. It’s cold outside, you should go back in.”

 

On the way back, Lu Yao didn’t sit in the cart but chatted with Zhao Beichuan in the front. They talked about the Ding family.

 

Zhao Beichuan said, “I didn’t expect the Ding family to turn out like this. When we built our house two years ago, Ding the Carpenter seemed decent, and his two sons who helped him were diligent and hardworking.”

 

“Exactly. Maybe Father misjudged them. But it’s no surprise this family fell apart. Old Master Wang is even tougher than Ding the Carpenter, but didn’t his three sons still end up falling out with each other? It’s not about having too little, but about inequality. The closer the brothers, the more they care about such things.”

 

Lu Yao teased him, “What if Douzi grows up and starts arguing with us about this?”

 

Zhao Beichuan widened his eyes. “He dares? Eating my food, spending my money, and getting an education from me, and he dares argue? I’d smack him senseless!”

 

Lu Yao laughed heartily. “Our Douzi isn’t like that.”

 

Mainly because the age gap between the brothers was too large. By the time Douzi got married, they’d be in their thirties. Who would argue with a kid by then?

 

“By the way, Uncle Zhao just asked me if he could go to the city with us to work as a handyman. I didn’t agree right away and told him I’d discuss it with you.”

 

“Do you want to take them with us?” Lu Yao asked.

 

Holding the reins, Zhao Beichuan slowed the cart. “Honestly, seeing Granny Zhao like that makes me feel bad. When our parents passed away, she helped a lot. Without her, Douzi might not have survived. Now that I’m able, I feel it’s wrong not to repay her in some way.”

 

Lu Yao nodded in understanding. But taking people to the city wasn’t something to decide lightly. There were issues like household registration and corvée labor to consider. They’d have to look into it when they got back.

 

By the time the cart returned to the Lu family’s village, it was already evening, and smoke curled up from chimneys in every household.

 

Lu Yao jumped off the cart, helped the three children down, and saw that dinner was already prepared in the house—dumplings.

 

“Come in and wash your hands for dinner.”

 

“Okay,” the three children said as they ran into the house.

 

Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan unloaded the cart and went inside. The dumplings had just come out of the pot, filling the house with steam.

 

Little Shitou and Little Jinzi were sitting on the kang, happily eating dumplings with their hands, while Old Lady Lu used a handkerchief to wipe their faces.

 

“You’re back.”

 

Lu Yao took off his hat and hung it on the wall. “I had to go back and take a look, or it would have been on my mind. But now that I’ve seen it, it’s just like that.”

 

“Who did you see in the village?”

 

“Just visited two neighbors. Seeing their lives reminded me of when Dachuan and I first got married. We didn’t even have a decent bowl in the house and wore straw sandals in such cold weather.”

 

Mother Lu sighed. “That’s how it is in the village. How many people have thick cotton clothes? It’s only in the past few years, thanks to you, that we’ve had a bit of oil and can afford to make thick clothes.”

 

Not long after, Lu Yun and Lu Miao brought out all the dumplings. Old Lady Lu led the children to eat on the kang, while the adults ate at the table. The dumplings were stuffed with pork and cabbage, with enough meat that oil dripped out when you bit into them.

 

After dinner, everyone sat around chatting. Lu Yao said, “If we can delay Lu Miao’s marriage, let’s delay it. The Ding family is really not a good match.”

 

Old Lady Lu was surprised. “What makes you say that?”

 

He then recounted what he had heard in Wangou Village that day. Everyone’s expressions darkened after hearing it.

 

Especially Lu Lin. Since their father was gone, it was his duty as the eldest brother to take care of his siblings. “I’ll go to the Ding family tomorrow and call off the engagement. What kind of family is this?”

 

Hu Chunrong also said, “Brothers may have their quarrels, but the things they’re saying are just too nasty. And those sisters-in-law are no pushovers either. Our Lu Miao, with his quiet personality, would probably suffer every day if he married into that family.”

 

Lu Miao, sitting nearby, secretly smiled. Great, no need to get married now. (Lu miao is me me is lu miao)

 

—

 

The next day, before Lu Lin could visit the Ding family, they came first.

 

After Lu Yao and the others left yesterday, Sister-in-law Tian spread the news of their return. By noon, everyone in the village knew that Zhao Beichuan’s family had returned from the city, riding a grand horse-drawn carriage no less!

 

When Ding the Carpenter heard the news, he panicked, realizing their situation would soon be exposed. So he brought his fifth son to the Lu family.

 

They didn’t come empty-handed. They drove a mule cart loaded with gifts: a bag of wheat flour, two chickens, a pork leg, and two pounds of sugar.

 

The cart stopped at the gate, and Ding’s fifth son began moving the gifts into the courtyard.

 

Hu Chunrong, who was drawing water, quickly stopped him. “Hey, what’s this for?”

 

Ding the Carpenter smiled. “We’ve been busy at home lately and couldn’t visit earlier. Today, I brought my fifth son to come see our in-laws.”

 

“What do you mean by that? Our family hasn’t married into yours. Where did in-laws come from?”

 

“It was decided by your father-in-law when he was alive. Your mother-in-law should know.”

 

Hu Chunrong wanted to stop them, but Old Lady Lu heard the commotion and came out. “Come inside. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

 

Ding the Carpenter waved his son to drive the mule cart into the yard and followed him into the house.

 

Inside, all the Lu brothers were present. Mother Lu said, “Have a seat. Third Brother, get some candies.”

 

Ding the Carpenter quickly waved his hand. “No need, no need. We should have come earlier, but there was… some trouble at home. Now that things have settled down, we rushed over.”

 

Mother Lu said, “This is your family’s business, and I shouldn’t interfere. But since my late husband arranged this marriage, I have to bring it up.”

 

“If Lu Miao marries into your family, where will they live?”

 

“My wife and I will vacate our room and move into my eldest son’s room. By next spring, we’ll build a new house, and they can move into it.”

 

Old Lady Lu laughed. “No offense, but everyone wants to live in a new house. When there’s not enough to go around, how will it be divided? Besides, our Lu Miao is thin-skinned and won’t be able to endure his sisters-in-law’s quarrels and scoldings.”

 

Ding the Carpenter’s face turned red with embarrassment. “That’s… that’s my fault. I should have built the house earlier and divided the family. If you think this won’t work, we can wait until the new house is built before getting married.”

 

Lu Lin said, “After the New Year, Lu Miao will already be seventeen. If you can’t build the house, are we supposed to wait forever?”

 

“It will be built. As soon as the weather warms, we’ll start.”

 

Ding’s fifth son, seeing his father in a bind, couldn’t help but interject, “Dad, if they think we’re too poor, let’s just forget it!”

 

His words stirred up a hornet’s nest. Lu Yao stood up and scolded, “What do you mean by that? If my father had cared about your family’s poverty, he wouldn’t have arranged this marriage in the first place! The Zhao family was no richer than yours. Yet, I married over there because my father valued Ding Uncle’s character. Who would have thought your family would turn out like this?”

 

Ding the Carpenter glared and kicked his son. “Don’t talk nonsense! Our in-laws don’t look down on us. Don’t be angry; this boy doesn’t know how to speak. But we need to decide on this engagement. Should we prepare now or wait until the house is built?”

 

Lu Miao, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, “I don’t want to marry.”

 

Everyone looked at him, and he repeated, “I don’t want to marry into their family! I don’t want to share a room with his brother or deal with sisters-in-law fighting every day.”

 

And then have a bunch of kids, repeating the same life.

 

Ding’s fifth son stood up in a rage. “I don’t want to marry either! Dad, let’s go!”

 

Whatever Ding the Carpenter wanted to say was cut off as his son dragged him out of the house. The fifth son drove the mule cart away, cursing, “Bah, a bunch of snobs. Let them rot in their pot!”

 

Zhao Beichuan, frowning, said coldly, “Who are you cursing at?”

 

Ding’s fifth son, frightened, almost fell. He hurriedly drove the mule cart away.

 

Even though Zhao Beichuan had left Wangou Village years ago, his reputation still lingered.

 

Hu Chunrong chased after them and spat, “What shameless people, trying to claim ties here! Disgusting!”

 

Lu Miao, still a teenager, had used all his courage to say those words. After the Ding family left, he covered his face and burst into tears.

 

Mother Lu pulled him into her arms. “There, there. It’s not a big deal.”

 

Lu Yao, still furious, said, “I think it’s better not to marry him off to that family. He can go to the city with Third Brother and find someone good!”