Chapter Twenty-Second

Chapter Twenty-Second

The rooster's crow woke the sun, signaling the start of a new day.

Lu Yao opened his eyes; the person beside him had already gotten up.

He stretched lazily, feeling refreshed. Thinking about last night, he felt so good that even this dilapidated house seemed endearing.

After folding the quilt and tidying up the thatch, he planned to reinstall the clay pot later. Today, he wouldn't need to cook next door anymore.

Around dawn, Lu Guangsheng and Lu Lin arrived. They always came the earliest and stayed until the very end.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw Zhao Beichuan already hard at work, gripping the stone pestle with great effort.

"Got up early, huh?" Lu Lin greeted him.

"Dad, Second Brother, I couldn't sleep, so I started working."

"Almost done with the adobe bricks?"

Zhao Beichuan put down the stone pestle and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Counted them yesterday—over seven thousand."

Lu Guangsheng suggested, "That should be enough. Why don't we start building today? With the good weather, we can finish before it rains and ruins the bricks. If we need more bricks later, we can make them then."

"Sure, whatever you say, Dad."

Lu Guangsheng smiled. This son-in-law was truly easygoing, diligent, and obedient. He agreed with everything his father suggested, which made Lu Guangsheng particularly pleased.

Soon, the other workers arrived, and they discussed starting the wall construction today.

Before laying the bricks, they needed to mix mud for the mortar. The mud required a specific blend: yellow clay mixed with two-inch-long straw rods to enhance its tensile strength, making the walls more durable.

Moreover, the water used for mixing could not be ordinary; it needed to be a mixture of cooked millet and ash flour, cooled and then poured into the soil to increase the clay's viscosity.

The Zhao family had little millet left, so Lu Yao decided to buy some in the village but wasn't sure where to go. He took the money and went to find Zhao Beichuan.

"Zhao Beichuan, come here a moment."

The man mixing mud stiffened, a suspicious flush creeping onto his face. Luckily, his sun-tanned skin hid it well.

"What is it?"

"We're out of millet. Who sells it in the village? I'll go buy some."

"I'll do it."

Lu Yao took out the money and placed it in Zhao Beichuan's hand. "While you're at it, get some beans too. I'll make some tofu."

Their hands touched, and Lu Yao's were much smaller, slender and white like freshly peeled onions. Zhao Beichuan remembered last night... and recoiled as if electrocuted, quickly pocketing the money and turning away with a stern expression.

Lu Yao looked at him, puzzled. What's wrong with this guy?

A short while later, Zhao Beichuan returned with a sack of millet and half a sack of beans. Buying rice in the village was cheaper than in town; one measure of millet cost eighty coins, and the beans only fifty.

He put the millet in the kitchen and left the remaining money on the stove, returning silently to work.

Lu Yao pocketed the money, feeling a bit annoyed. He clenched his fist at Zhao Beichuan's back, thinking, fine, ignore me if you want; I don't care either!

"Sis, what are you doing?" Zhao Xiaonian ran in, pulling her brother along.

Lu Yao awkwardly rubbed his nose. "Nothing. Why are you here?"

"Big Brother asked me to help with cooking."

"Xiaodou, go pick two cabbages for your sister-in-law. We'll have cabbage and tofu soup for lunch."

"Okay!" Zhao Xiaodou ran off.

"Sis, I need to tell you something," Zhao Xiaonian suddenly whispered.

"What's so secretive?"

"I know who told Tian Dazhuang those things yesterday!"

"Who?"

"It's Song Ping! He must still be angry about us dumping manure on his grandmother, so he's spreading rumors!"

Lu Yao paused, realizing it was likely Song Ping's mother, Widow Song, spreading gossip. She had also said bad things about him to Zhao Beichuan, which he had forgotten.

"Don't get upset, Sis. Next time I see Song Ping, I'll teach him a lesson!"

"No anger. You shouldn't fight either; it's not proper for a girl to fight all the time." Lu Yao noticed a bruise on her face, surely from yesterday's beating by Tian Dazhuang.

"If you encounter such people again, just ignore them. When a dog bites you, you don't chase it to bite back."

Zhao Xiaonian chuckled. "You're right, Sis. Next time, I'll treat them like barking dogs."

Lu Yao ruffled her hair. "And don't hold grudges against Second Sister Tian. She has helped us a lot. Don't blame her because of Tian Dazhuang's foolishness."

"I understand, Sis. You're so kind."

"How am I kind?" Lu Yao muttered, thinking even her brother doesn't want to talk to me.

"You're kind everywhere," Zhao Xiaonian counted on her fingers. "You're beautiful, a great cook, and you make tofu. I've never met anyone as capable as you."

Lu Yao felt uplifted by her praise but couldn't shake the memory of Zhao Beichuan's recent coldness. "I feel like your Big Brother doesn't like me."

Zhao Xiaonian widened her eyes in disbelief. "How could that be? When you were sick, he was so worried. I've never seen him that anxious."

Lu Yao blushed, heart pounding, realizing it might be true.

He decided to find a chance to clear things up with Scholar Xu, so there would be no misunderstandings.

*

After a full day's work, the house had taken shape. In another week or so, the walls would be complete.

After the workday ended, Zhao Beichuan went alone to bathe in the river. Covered in sweat and dirt from the day, he thought about last night and decided a thorough wash was necessary.

The sun had set, and the sky was dim. No one was around at this hour.

The river water, warmed by the sun, felt pleasant. As Zhao Beichuan washed the mud off his body, he suddenly saw someone approaching.

It was Lu Yao. What was he doing here so late?

Lu Yao had come to bathe too. The hot weather had made him sticky and uncomfortable, and the lice in his hair were itching terribly at night, making him want to shave it all off.

Lu Yao didn't know that Zhao Beichuan was also there. Seeing no one around, he let his hair down, took off his shirt, and squatted by the river to wash himself.

Actually, his body wasn't much different from a man's, except for the bright red pregnancy mole on his collarbone, about the size of a grain of rice. When pressed lightly, it would turn white and then red again after a moment.

Lu Yao hummed a tune while washing, wishing he had a shower room where he could take a proper bath every day.

Zhao Beichuan, hiding in the river, froze, not daring to move an inch as he floated quietly in the water.

Under the moonlight, Lu Yao's smooth and lustrous skin shimmered faintly, like flawless jade.

Zhao Beichuan's breathing became rapid, and his blood rushed uncontrollably downward. He tried to suppress his body, but the more he tried, the more intense his feelings grew.

After what seemed like an eternity, Lu Yao finally finished washing, put on his clothes, and left the riverbank with his wet hair.

Zhao Beichuan exhaled deeply, angrily rubbing his disobedient member a few times before getting out of the water, putting on his clothes, and heading home with his wet straw shoes.

In the kitchen, Lu Yao had already laid out the mat, placing it a few centimeters closer than usual. The two mats were now only about a hand's width apart, making it easier for him to sneak touches at night. Satisfied, he nodded, praising himself for his cleverness.

Soon, Zhao Beichuan came in, having washed his clothes and hung them outside. He entered bare-chested.

Lu Yao looked up, almost spitting out a nosebleed.

"You, you, you're back."

"Um." Zhao Beichuan glanced at the two mats placed closely together on the ground, took a deep breath, and silently lay down facing away from him.

Lu Yao's hair was still damp, and he wiped it with a cotton cloth, occasionally stealing glances at the person beside him.

Little Husband's physique was truly excellent—broad shoulders, slim waist, and long legs. Unlike the bulky muscles of gym-goers, these were the finely honed muscles of someone who had done hard labor for years, exuding strength.

"Lu Yao."

"Hmm?" Lu Yao jumped, thinking he had been caught staring.

"Your marriage to me wasn't voluntary, was it?"

"Parents' orders, matchmaker's words—it's always been like this, hasn't it?"

Zhao Beichuan lay flat, looking at the sooty beams above, remembering that Old Lady Zhao said he had hanged himself in this very room.

On the way back, he had thought a lot. This situation was bad for both of them if it continued, so it was better to clear things up sooner rather than later.

"I know you have feelings for a scholar named Xu in town. If you want to..." The words "divorce" felt heavy, making it hard for him to say them.

Lu Yao's eyelids twitched; the inevitable had come.

"Who said I wanted a divorce? Because of what Song Guafu said? You believe him rather than asking me if it's true?"

Zhao Beichuan sat up. "I don't believe what he said, but you attempted suicide on our wedding day..."

Lu Yao cursed the original body for leaving him with such a mess while trying to find a way to explain. "I admit, I did know Xu Dengke and had considered marrying him."

"But I didn't attempt suicide because of him. I... I'm not in good health and used to being lazy at home. I thought I'd marry into a wealthy family and enjoy life, but my father arranged this poor match, which is why I couldn't bear it and tried to end my life!"

This wasn't entirely fabricated; it was mostly the reason the original body had hanged himself. If he had married into a wealthy family, he might not have tried to kill himself.

Lu Yao forced out a few tears, saying sorrowfully, "I married you and cut off all contact with Scholar Xu. If you despise me, then let's get a divorce."

Zhao Beichuan sighed. "I don't despise you." How could he despise someone he liked so much?

"Do you still want a divorce?"

"If you don't want one, neither will I."

"Are you still ignoring me?"

"I'm not ignoring you; I just don't know what to say."

Lu Yao pushed his luck, moving closer. "When are we going to consummate the marriage?"

Their eyes met, and the air froze. Both blushed fiercely.

"Let's talk about it after the house is built," Zhao Beichuan said, lying down facing away from him in a panic.

Lu Yao blew out the oil lamp and smiled secretly. Pretending to be a prude!