Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs

Chapter 36

Lu Yao watched these people warily. Although they were familiar faces, he wasn't close enough to lend them grain.

A man with triangular eyes spoke up first: "This year's harvest was bad; the fields suffered a disaster. We only managed to gather eight bushels from our sixteen acres of land. Now, with taxes, we have to give up more than half. How can we have enough to eat?"

Lu Yao frowned, thinking that the rain wasn't his doing. What did a poor harvest have to do with him?

Seeing that Lu Yao didn't respond, the man continued, "Your family has made a fortune selling tofu and must have stored plenty of beans. I won't borrow too much, just two bushels. I'll repay you after next year's harvest."

"I need three bushels since I have more land."

"I also need two bushels. I'll pay you back when the harvest comes in next year."

Before Lu Yao could say anything, the group started talking over each other, as if they were certain he would lend them the grain.

"I can't make this decision. We need to wait for Da Chuan to come back."

The leader waved his hand dismissively. "It's not a big deal. Just lend me the grain now, and I'll tell him later."

This man was named Gao Qinghe, the brother of Gao Qinglian, who often played with Xiaonian. He was about the same age as Zhao Beichuan and had a very aggressive personality, making him a notorious troublemaker in the village.

"Can you just watch us fail to pay our taxes?"

Lu Yao instantly got angry. Was this moral coercion? "What does your inability to pay taxes have to do with my family?"

"Ah, don't talk like that. We live in the same village. Lending us some grain is no big deal, and we'll pay you back. Besides, if it weren't for us buying your tofu every day, how could you have earned so much grain?"

This shameless statement made Lu Yao laugh in anger. "I earn money by making tofu with my own skills. What does it have to do with you? Did you not eat the tofu you bought? Or did it all go into the dogs' bellies?"

"You!" The man's face turned red with anger.

Seeing that Lu Yao wasn't being cooperative, the group exchanged glances and began to consider going in to take the grain. After all, Zhao Beichuan wasn't home, so they might as well get the grain first.

As long as no one died, they could claim it was a loan, and the authorities would leave it to the Village Headman to mediate. And the Village Headman of Wan'gou Village was Gao Qinghe's uncle.

Gao Qinghe pushed aside the person blocking the door. "Let's go in and get the grain first. I'll apologize to Da Chuan when he gets back!"

Lu Yao stumbled backward, his arm hitting the gate, causing him to break out in a cold sweat from the pain.

"Sister-in-law, are you okay?" Xiaonian and Xiaodou burst into tears.

"I'm fine. Go quickly and get Uncle Zhao and Brother Tian Er to help!"

"Help! They're stealing grain! Someone, help!" Lu Yao trembled with rage, feeling helpless for the first time. Just because his family had more grain, they could brazenly steal it? Was there any law left?

There were other families in the village with grain, but why didn't these people try borrowing from the Qin family or robbing the Ding family? In the end, they were simply bullying Zhao Beichuan's family because they were outsiders without relatives to support them in the village.