Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs

Chapter 5

There was no way Lu Yao would ever admit that the original owner had died for love. What did his past misdeeds have to do with him?

Lu Yao put on an act of being timid and pitiful, covering his chest and coughing lightly. "I heard he has a fierce temper. I'm not in good health and can't withstand any abuse. When I heard Father arranged my marriage to such a person, I couldn't bear it..."

Yesterday, Granny Zhao mentioned that Zhao Beichuan had once broken someone's arm, so this excuse wasn't entirely far-fetched.

Sister-in-Law Tian Er showed a look of understanding. "Don't worry, Da Chuan is definitely not unreasonable. Live peacefully from now on, and never try to harm yourself again."

"Okay."

After seeing Sister-in-Law Tian Er off, Lu Yao's stomach started rumbling. He had been busy borrowing money from his natal family to buy a new pot in the morning and hadn't eaten anything, leaving him famished.

Taking advantage of the still-burning fire in the hearth, he boiled some millet.

Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou came back sweating profusely. After spending the morning together, they had become more familiar with Lu Yao and were less shy.

"Are you cooking?"

"Yes, I'm making millet porridge. It'll be ready soon."

Zhao Xiaonian hesitated before speaking. "Can... Can I call you sister-in-law?"

Lu Yao replied, "Sure, you can call me whatever you like."

"Sister-in-law!" Zhao Xiaonian grinned widely, her sunburnt face glowing.

Behind her, Zhao Xiaodou also called softly, "Sister-in-law."

Lu Yao found these two children quite amusing and couldn't help but chat with them. "Aren't you scared of me anymore?"

"A little, but Granny Zhao told us yesterday that you're human, not a ghost. Today, you even washed our hair, so we're not as afraid anymore."

Lu Yao reached out and ruffled Zhao Xiaonian's head, feeling the soft texture like petting a small animal. "What are your names? How old are you?"

"I'm Zhao Xiaonian. I was born on the day of Xiaonian." She pointed to her brother behind her. "He's Zhao Xiaodou. My brother said he was named that because the beans were ripe when he was born."

"I'm seven, and Xiaodou is five."

"What about your brother?" Lu Yao carefully adjusted the fire under the pot, mindful of not burning another pot.

"My brother is Zhao Beichuan. Granny Zhao said he was named that because Mother gave birth to him while fleeing north and near a river, so they named him Beichuan."

Lu Yao couldn't help but think that the Zhao family's naming conventions were rather casual. But considering the era where basic necessities were scarce, names were merely labels, and it was already fortunate they weren't named after cats or dogs.

"Sister-in-law, you're really pretty." Zhao Xiaonian propped her chin up, staring at him without blinking. "You're even prettier than the most beautiful girls and boys in the village!"

Indeed, Lu Yao's appearance was quite handsome, almost identical to his previous life.

In his past life, many people had pursued him. Now, having aged back by over a decade, his skin was fairer, his features delicate, and his lips red and teeth white. With long black hair cascading down his shoulders, both children and adults found him captivating.