The Fearless Husband - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 — The Stepmother-in-law Has Quite the Day Today…

Yu Qinglong didn’t recall seeing this man in the village, so he guessed he must be passing through from another. He nodded politely. “Brother Fang, well met. My surname is Yu. I came to see if there were any fish hiding among the rocks.”

Fang Shu’s polite smile faltered slightly; he felt the man before him a little discourteous. He had introduced himself by full name, yet the other only offered a surname. Still, it was a chance encounter—perhaps the man simply didn’t wish to become acquainted. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Please, Brother Yu, go ahead.”

Yu Qinglong didn’t respond further. The man seemed refined and courteous, and for a moment Yu Qinglong even thought of befriending him. But in this era, there were limits to what he could do freely.

If he was outspoken and brash, people would merely gossip that he was ill-mannered or too fiery for a ge’er. But if word spread that he, a ge’er, was mingling freely with an unfamiliar man, the shame would fall upon his whole family. And if he somehow switched back with the original Yu Qinglong later, the other would suffer the consequences for his actions. Better to stay cautious.

So, Yu Qinglong decided to move farther upstream—out of Fang Shu’s sight—before removing his shoes and socks to wade into the water.

The water was crystal clear, so clear that the sunlight filtered straight through to the bottom, casting dappled shadows on the stones.

It was also freezing. The chill bit at his toes until they curled instinctively, urging him to run back to the bank—but since he was already in, there was no point turning back now.

He moved carefully into deeper water, rolled up his sleeves, and reached between the rocks to feel around. His hand had barely brushed a stone’s surface when, from downstream, came a sudden, strained grunt—“Hngh!”—as if someone were in labor.

…Who the hell picks up stones like they’re constipated?!

Yu Qinglong turned briefly toward the sound, then continued searching between the cracks. Suddenly, something slick brushed against his fingertips, darting away in a flash. A loud plop followed—there was definitely a fish!

Not a big one, but about the length of his palm.

Excited, he switched to another crevice, eager to see if he could catch a few more on the spot. Then from downstream came another loud, tortured groan—“Hnnnngh!”

Fang Shu had set his sights on a large boulder, much like the one he’d lost the other day. But this one was even thicker and heavier. No matter how much strength he used, he couldn’t budge it an inch.

He wanted to give up—but the unwillingness burned inside him. After a moment’s thought, he called upstream, “Brother Yu, might I trouble you for a favor?”

“Help with what? Moving a stone?” Yu Qinglong asked.

“Exactly so,” Fang Shu replied. “It’s no small task for me to come this far, and this stone is precisely what I need. Would you lend a hand to move it onto my cart?”

“…How many stones are we talking about?”

“Just one. The rest are small enough that I can manage them myself.”

Yu Qinglong glanced around—no one else nearby. He figured catching fish by hand wasn’t going well anyway, and even if he did, he had nowhere to keep them. It was only one stone; it wouldn’t take long. “Alright, wait here.”

He climbed out of the river and helped Fang Shu lift the boulder onto the ox cart.

Fang Shu circled it several times afterward, running his hands over it like it was a priceless treasure, murmuring, “Marvelous… simply marvelous!”

Yu Qinglong couldn’t see what was so special about a rock—there were plenty more in the river. After putting his shoes and socks back on, he picked up his basin and said, “Brother Fang, if anyone asks, tell them you didn’t see me here today.”

Fang Shu blinked. “Why so?”

“No reason. Just consider it a favor in return for my help.”

Fang Shu nodded readily. “As long as it doesn’t require me to go against my principles, I’ll keep silent. My thanks again for your assistance today, Brother Yu.”

Yu Qinglong waved it off and turned to leave along the path.

“Brother Yu!” Fang Shu suddenly called after him.

Yu Qinglong turned, facing the sunlight. “Something else?”

Fang Shu froze for a heartbeat, taken aback. The way the man turned—his expression vivid, his dark eyes steady yet alive, as if containing untold stories—was striking. He blinked before hastily saying, “N-no, nothing. I… I only thought you might be hungry. Please, take this.”

He held out a flat cake. It wasn’t an ordinary sesame cake; Yu Qinglong could see at once that it had sugar in it. The syrup had seeped into the edges, giving off a faint golden sheen.

Sugar, in these times, was a luxury.

Yu Qinglong hesitated, then accepted it. “Thank you, Brother Fang.”

He was indeed starving—his stomach had started to ache. Yet beneath that physical hunger was something heavier. The thought that every action, every word, had to be weighed so carefully from now on filled him with suffocating frustration.

But as the sweetness melted in his mouth, a tiny comfort spread through him—something warm and unfamiliar, something he hadn’t felt since arriving here. Still, when he thought of how long it might be before he’d taste such sweetness again, the cake suddenly felt stuck in his throat.

He racked his brain for any skill that might earn him a living here, but every idea seemed impossible to achieve alone in this world.

He couldn’t even remember how he made it home. The cake was gone, replaced by a jumble of thoughts swirling in his head. After greeting his family briefly, he hung up the laundry, and just as he finished, Zhou Yuehua called everyone to dinner.

In the modern world, Yu Qinglong had stood a solid 1.8 meters tall. Here, he figured he must be at least 1.75. With that height, one sugary cake couldn’t possibly fill him. He sat down at the table anyway.

Only then did he notice the odd expressions on his family’s faces.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing. Eat,” second brother said quickly. “What are you all staring at me for? Eat.”

“Is it the Bai family?” Yu Qinglong guessed, recalling what Hu Bo had told him earlier. The Bai family’s young ge’er was engaged to his second brother. He had assumed Hu Bo was just trying to provoke him—but judging by everyone’s faces, maybe not. Otherwise, why would Yu Qingye cut him off so abruptly?

“The Bai family sent word,” Zhou Yuehua said softly. “They’ll wait until you’re engaged again before letting Qiu marry in. Likely the Wang family said something to them before leaving.”

“And what did Qiu ge’er say?”

“We didn’t see him. His mother said Qiu listens to his family’s decisions.”

Zhou Yuehua hadn’t wanted to mention it—didn’t want to add to his youngest’s worries—but in a village this small, news would get around anyway.

Yu Qingye slammed his chopsticks down. “Then we’ll just call it off! I’m not letting my little brother be blamed for anything. It was the Wang family who broke it off first—why should we be the ones to suffer for it?”

Yu Qingjia nodded. “Exactly. The Bai family’s just trying to make things difficult for us.”

Yu Dayou sighed. “I don’t think it’s entirely Qinglong’s fault. If the Bai family truly wanted this match, they wouldn’t care about gossip. There must be… other reasons.”

The words hung heavy in the air.

Other reasons—what else could that mean but poverty?

When the family had split, they hadn’t gotten much—just their small share of land. The mud-brick house they lived in had been built with borrowed money, and the debt still wasn’t repaid.

Yu Qinglong rubbed his temples.

He wasn’t going to marry anyway—and no one would want him, besides. Though his situation might have affected his second brother, it wasn’t deliberate. None of this was.

The real blame lay with the Wang family—and with this unreasonable society.

“Second brother, when are you heading to town again?”

“Tomorrow. Why, you want me to bring something back?”

“No, I want to go with you.”

The village had dozens of households, but no real market power. If he wanted to find a way to make money, he’d need to see places with more people.

His second brother was apprenticed to a carpenter in town. Yu Qinglong couldn’t learn woodwork himself, but maybe he could find other opportunities while there.

“The road’s long, and I’ll be staying a few days,” said Yu Qingye. “What do you want to do there?”

“Just to look around. If it’s not a one-day trip, then next time.”

“In a few days then,” said Zhou Yuehua. “I’ll be going to town to deliver embroidery work. You can come with me.”

“Alright, Dad.”

Zhou Yuehua smiled faintly, rising with his bowl.

He always ate little, claiming it upset his stomach otherwise. But the truth was, money was tight, and he wanted to save where he could.

With two unmarried sons, a baby on the way, and his own health frail—it was no wonder he worried constantly.

Yu Qinglong sighed inwardly, irritation simmering just beneath the surface. But before he could say anything, a sharp voice suddenly rang out from outside—

“Zhou Yuehua! Is this how you raise your children?! Get out here and explain yourself!”

The sound made Yu Qinglong’s whole body tense. Even his inherited body reacted instinctively. The voice belonged to none other than his step-grandmother, Madam Guo Hongfen.

Though Zhou Yuehua disliked her deeply, she was still an elder, and respect was expected. He started to rise, but Yu Dayou held him back.

Yu Dayou stepped outside. “Mother, what brings you here?”

“What brings me here? You dare ask that?!” Madam Guo snapped. “How did you raise your children? Everyone’s saying that Qinglong is insolent, disrespectful, and unashamed—boasting that he himself called off his own engagement! Do you people even know the meaning of propriety and shame? Since ancient times, marriages are decided by parents and arranged through matchmakers—what ge’er decides such things on his own? With behavior like this, who would dare marry into your family? Don’t forget—the Yu family still has unmarried children besides yours!”

She, the stepwife, had borne two sons and one daughter after marrying into the family. Both sons were still unwed with children of their own—the ones she was clearly referring to.

Yu Dayou said evenly, “The Wang family came to us first to annul the engagement. Why can’t we speak of it? Are we to let people walk all over us in silence? Would that make us better marriage prospects?”

Back when they’d lived together, he had respected her as an elder. But after learning how cruelly she had treated his son behind his back—pretending affection while secretly abusing him—his patience had died completely.

The guilt of not realizing sooner still burned him even now.

Madam Guo sneered. “So now that you’ve separated, you think you’ve grown wings? Daring to talk back to me already? Is this Zhou Yuehua’s doing?”

Zhou Yuehua came out, his face tight with restrained anger. They had tried to remain filial, but this woman was truly impossible.

“Mother-in-law, it was the Wang family’s eldest who wanted to break the engagement. Qinglong only said a few angry words—nothing like the rumors.”

“Still talking back! Everyone’s saying your son’s rude and shameless—you calling them all liars? I don’t care. I want an explanation today!”

“What kind of explanation?” Yu Dayou asked flatly.

“For his insolence and lack of shame, he should kneel for half a day and reflect. Otherwise, if this continues, everyone will think your children have no upbringing!”

“Kneel for half a day?!” Yu Qinglong shot to his feet. “And why should I kneel for half a day?!”

He’d been patient enough—not demanding this old hag apologize for her past cruelty was mercy enough, and now she wanted him to kneel?!

“What’s this? You think you can refuse?” she barked.

“Respecting elders goes hand in hand with caring for the young,” Yu Qinglong retorted. “I’m still a child of the Yu family—how can you be so biased? I—I…”

Before he could finish, his eyes rolled back—and he collapsed.

Madam Guo froze, eyes widening. “Wh-what—what happened?!”

“Qinglong! Qinglong?! Brother Long! Little brother, wake up!”

The family rushed around him in panic—but Yu Qinglong discreetly squeezed Zhou Yuehua’s and Yu Qingye’s hands.

Zhou Yuehua’s was delicate—he knew it immediately. His sister-in-law’s hand would never be there, and Yu Qingye’s, rough from carpentry practice, bore calluses his elder brother didn’t. He knew exactly who was who.

Zhou Yuehua blinked in surprise, then understood—but being naturally gentle, he didn’t quite grasp he was supposed to act.

Yu Qingye, however, did. He wailed dramatically, “Little brother! Wake up! Did Grandma frighten your heart again? You’ve always been terrified of her scolding—you’ve suffered so much, keeping it all inside! Please, little brother, open your eyes!”

Madam Guo had come spoiling for a fight after neighbors mocked her family’s lack of discipline. She hadn’t truly meant harm. But now that her grandson had fainted, panic replaced fury.

If the boy had actually fallen ill—or worse—the blame would be ruinous.

“Wh-what are you all screaming for!” she stammered, gripping her handkerchief for courage. “He’s young—how could he just faint like that? Must be some illness! It’s not my fault!”

And with that, she turned and left.

Yu Qinglong, eyes still shut, listened for the sound of the door before cautiously cracking one open. “Father, Dad—you weren’t scared, were you?”

Yu Dayou stared at him for a beat. “You brat—you were faking!”

Zhou Yuehua chuckled. “If you hadn’t pinched my hand, I’d have been really frightened. How did you think to pretend?”

“Wasn’t even thinking,” Yu Qinglong admitted. “The moment she started yelling, I really did feel dizzy—so I figured I might as well fake it all the way. Let’s see if she dares push me again.”

He grinned. Dealing with shameless people—well, that was a skill he’d learned in law school.

In court, you argued with reason. Outside of it—you had to out-shameless the shameless.

But suddenly, he frowned. “Wait, where’s big brother?”

Everyone blinked—indeed, Yu Qingjia was missing.

Zhou Jian’er said softly, “He went to fetch the doctor.”

Yu Qinglong nearly had a heart attack. He leapt up. “Second brother! Hurry, go stop him!”

Heavens above—calling a doctor cost money!

If every fake fainting spell ended up costing coins, he’d go broke before long!

He shoved Yu Qingye toward the door.

His second brother sprinted out—but too late.

The eldest must have run faster than an expectant father fetching a midwife. By the time Yu Qingye got halfway down the path, Yu Qingjia was already leading the village doctor back toward them.

Yu Qingye’s heart sank. How the hell are we supposed to send him back now?!

He was still trying to think of a way when a loud, exaggerated cough came from behind—

“D-Doctor… help… me!”

Yu Qinglong, leaning dramatically against the doorframe, was faking another faint!

Well, since the doctor was already here—how could they waste the visit? If he couldn’t yet figure out how to make money, he might as well learn something useful—like medicine or herbs.

He couldn’t attend a formal school here—but this old doctor might just be the best teacher he’d ever get. And Yu Qinglong wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip away.