Lu Liu had also picked out some leather. From a pile of scraps, he chose sheepskin with the wool still intact. The outer side blocked the wind, and the wool inside kept things warm. He thought it was better than cotton gloves—tougher and less likely to get dirty while working.
Lu Yang loved them. He put them on, then took them off to look inside, tugging at the cuff and sliding his hand in again, feeling the soft, cozy wool with his fingertips.
He said to his little brother, “You could sell these too!”
Lu Liu chuckled. “I’m not that skilled yet. Da Feng told me to practice more first. I made gloves for Father and Dad too. I haven’t finished their hats yet, but next time I come, I’ll bring yours.”
That way, his brother’s head wouldn’t freeze during all those trips back and forth.
Lu Yang felt a warm wave rise in his chest. “You got any extra material? Give me some, I’ll make a pair of gloves and a hat for Xie Yan. That brain of his is valuable—if it freezes, it won’t be worth a thing.”
He said it like it was all about money, but it was full of genuine concern.
Hearing that his brother was thinking of Xie Yan, Lu Liu asked, “Are you two getting along?”
Lu Yang didn’t hesitate: “Yeah, he listens to me about everything. His mom’s great too. Ever since we got married, I’ve barely done any housework—I’ve been dragging Xie Yan around all day—and she’s never said a word. Keeps everything at home running smoothly. Now that we’re in business, with the long travel and the cold weather, it’s tiring—but I feel good about it. There’s hope in this life. Once we move to town, I can sleep in a bit, and I won’t have to live on edge all the time.”
Lu Liu felt bad for him. He grabbed his brother’s hands, trying to warm them even through the gloves.
He hadn’t gone out much before, didn’t talk to many people. His days were filled with cooking and raising chickens. He’d put real time and effort into those things—experimenting, refining, figuring things out. It had become a skill.
And he understood that skills had to be learned. No one got good overnight.
His brother knew so much—he must’ve suffered more to learn it all. The thought made Lu Liu ache.
He also remembered all the scolding he got from the Chen family. Barely a few visits and every time ended in yelling—and there was always more work waiting. Even when he went back to visit his own family, his aunt made him do chores, even tried to send Da Feng out to chop wood. Who knew what kind of life his brother had lived before?
After marrying, if your husband couldn’t keep things together, it was your brother who had to pave the way forward.
The more he thought about it, the harder it was to hold back. Tears streamed down his face.
Lu Yang could guess what he was thinking but still asked, “What’s wrong?”
His silly little brother didn’t hold back: “I feel bad for you.”
Lu Yang’s heart went soft, though he played it tough. “Didn’t I just say I’m doing fine? What are you feeling bad about? Were you off overthinking things again?”
But Lu Liu wasn’t imagining anything—everything he thought about was real.
The Chen family sucked. The Xie family was complicated. His brother was out working in the freezing cold, managing everything inside and out, and still worrying about him.
Lu Liu said, “If I were more useful, I could help you.”
That was pure nonsense.
Lu Yang told him, “We’re brothers. We’re close. You help me, I help you—what’s there to keep track of? You live in the mountains where news is slow. I give you a hand. Later, when you’ve got good stuff, bring it to me—we’ll sell it together and both live a good life.”
Lu Liu felt even more determined—he had to get that wine stall up and running.
To sell goods, you needed foot traffic. People had to know. Once he got home, he’d go visiting with Yao Fulang, spread the word. He also planned to collect mountain goods—he wanted folks to know early so they could prepare.
Once his brother set the prices, he’d go door to door and start collecting.
It was a good plan… until Lu Yang asked him how exactly he’d go about collecting, and Lu Liu suddenly went silent.
He fumbled for words and couldn’t string together a coherent answer. He remembered how awkward he’d been when Chen Fulang yelled at him—he could barely get a few words out after brooding all night. In a tiny voice, he asked, “What should I do?”
Lu Yang pressed for details, and Lu Liu told him about his only three conflicts.
The first—he had no idea why Er Tian suddenly lost it.
The second—he said he looked down on Chen Fulang.
The third—he said he’d laugh at Chen Fulang.
That was it.
Lu Yang: “…”
Just three arguments, and he’d come out on top every time. What else did he want—people to bow down and beg forgiveness?
Lu Yang’s advice was straightforward: “If someone mouths off to you, clap back right then and there. Never let it sit overnight. You all live in the same village—argue today, see each other tomorrow. A little yelling doesn’t ruin relationships. Don’t be afraid.”
Lu Liu admitted that he was just too slow. By the time he thought of a comeback, it’d be hours later.
Lu Yang teased him, “You’ve got time to think about comebacks at night? Weren’t you supposed to be researching a hundred ways to cook chicken?”
Lu Liu’s cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment. All that tearful emotion and bottled-up frustration? Gone in a flash.
He really was the type to be easily influenced. The moment shifted, and he was on to a new topic.
He asked Lu Yang, “Brother, do you know how to get pregnant faster?”
Lu Yang didn’t have a clue, but he couldn’t just admit that to his little brother—not when he was supposed to be the dependable, all-knowing big bro.
So he put on a serious face and said, “It’s simple. Kids don’t just pop out of nowhere—they’re like crops. You have to till the soil and plant the seeds, right? And the soil has to be rich. If it’s not, no matter how many seeds you plant, nothing’s gonna grow.”
He pointed at Lu Liu’s belly. “You’ve already put on some weight—looks like the pregnancy mole’s getting redder. That means it’s working. So now you’ve just gotta till that soil real good, plant plenty of seeds, and eventually, one will take root. If it sprouts, you’ll be pregnant.”
Kids raised on farms knew exactly what he meant.
Their own land back home wasn’t very fertile, so their crops always came in sparse. Come harvest season, they were lucky to gather half of what the neighbors had.
Lu Liu took his brother’s farming metaphor literally. He figured if he ate better and kept himself in good condition, and Da Feng worked a little harder, they’d have a strong, healthy baby in no time. Heh.
He still had a bag of red dates he’d bought at the market that he barely touched. Time to go home and stew some.
Da Feng wouldn’t mind if he cooked dates every now and then—maybe even crack an egg in and sprinkle some sugar.
Just thinking about it made his mouth water. So good. From now on, whenever he got a craving, he’d just tell Da Feng it was because he wanted to get pregnant. Heh heh.
Just one line from his brother had him grinning like a fool.
Then, back on track again, Lu Liu asked, “What if Er Tian and his wife act out during New Year’s Eve dinner? What should I do?”
Lu Yang waved him off. “Let Mom handle it. She’s their mother, she’ll put them in their place. Besides, Li Feng’s gonna be there. If he’s in the room, you think those two will dare make a scene? At worst, they’ll get scolded. If you run into them other times, just clap back like usual. If you see Er Tian, say he’s whipped. If you see his wife, say she can’t control her man. No matter what they say, just hit them with those two lines.”
That was easy enough. Lu Liu memorized it. Then, being the baby brother he was, he leaned in and asked to be taught how to roast Chen Fulang too.
That was even easier. That guy was just jealous and full of sour grapes.
Lu Yang said, “Next time you see him, tell him you’ve opened a little shop, and your brother in the county helped you get suppliers. He’ll definitely get jealous and start talking trash about you being all high and mighty. That’s exactly what you want. Rile him up a couple more times, and he’ll start avoiding you. But you don’t avoid him. Say hi like normal, tell him what you’re selling and what you’re collecting—it’ll drive him nuts.”
Lu Liu was beaming, confidence restored.
Lu Yang watched all these questions pour out of his brother and realized: his little brother just needed a bit of help handling people.
Making friends? Honestly, it’s about mutual benefit. You gather because there’s something in it for both sides. Then you see if it’s worth opening up. As long as you can help each other, the bond can last. Everyday interactions? They’re nothing more than nodding, small talk—“Had lunch? Going somewhere?” That’s the go-to script.
“You’ve got your shop now, people will naturally start coming around. Don’t overthink it—keep things simple. Best if you can get Li Feng’s mom to come help you.”
Lu Liu was too soft-hearted. If someone came over and cracked sunflower seeds while chatting, he’d be too polite to say no.
Pretty soon, the seeds he set out for sale would just be a free-for-all snack bowl for guests—and that would absolutely stress him out.
Lu Liu wasn’t like him. He was soft-natured, didn’t scheme. Even if Li Feng’s mother wanted to give him a hard time, she’d have nowhere to start.
With a capable family behind you, you stand taller. And if there were ever disagreements, both sides could talk it out. With Li Feng in the middle smoothing things over, they’d get used to each other and figure out how to live together.
Once the household was settled and peaceful… then it’d be time to have a baby. Tsk-tsk. What a life.
Lu Yang gave his brother’s belly a pat and grinned, “Maybe tell Li Feng to hold off a bit, focus on fattening you up first. That way, next year you’ll pop out a big, healthy baby.”
