Chapter 26
Luo Dayong had already planned to buy some supplies for Lu Yang, so he went along with him.
Lu Yang mentioned that he wanted to sell steamed buns. Traveling all the way to the east city gate would be too far, so he asked Luo Dayong to put in a word with his colleagues at the yamen to look out for him when the time came.
“When I start making money, I’ll treat you all to wine!”
Luo Dayong waved it off. “That’s nothing.”
Life was all about favors—you help me, I help you. No need to keep track.
But Lu Yang insisted. “I’ve decided to sell buns. You know my skills—I’ll definitely make money.”
Luo Dayong nodded but then brought up Lu Yang’s husband.
“He’s too useless—not worthy of you.”
Lu Yang didn’t think so.
“He’s a scholar. He can’t argue with those unreasonable villagers, and his family is small. But he’s actually quite smart. I’ll teach him.”
Luo Dayong had little patience for scholars. People like them—common folk just trying to get by—shouldn’t marry scholars.
Scholars were delicate, fussy, slow, and full of pride. They couldn’t do farm work, couldn’t earn money, but had plenty of temper. How many of them actually became successful? Marrying one was just asking for trouble.
Lu Yang simply told him about the grand wedding.
Luo Dayong had to admit—it was impressive. In the county, people usually just threw a veil over the bride’s head and brought them home. This wedding had been unusually sincere.
But sincerity was useless if the marriage was already in shambles.
If Lu Yang weren’t so capable, who knows how badly he would’ve been bullied?
Lu Yang didn’t push too hard. There was no need to force Luo Dayong to accept Xie Yan right away. There was plenty of time.
As they shopped, Lu Yang figured since he was already here, he might as well visit Butcher Liu and ask him to set aside some piglets for him.
If he could buy them on credit, even better—now that he was back in the village, he was going to start raising pigs.
The butcher raised pigs himself but couldn’t handle too many, so he worked with experienced pig farmers in a steady business cycle.
They sold piglets and bought back fattened pigs.
Most villagers didn’t have the connections to make this work. Those who did try often lost pigs to disease, and once that happened, the butchers wouldn’t work with them anymore.
But Lu Yang was known for his capability—everyone in the east city gate area knew him.
Whatever he did, he did it to perfection. He learned fast.
After a short discussion, they agreed—Lu Yang would confirm the number of piglets before the New Year, and by spring, the butcher would try to set some aside for him.
Business settled.
Luo Dayong bought him half a pig’s worth of pork. Even Lu Yang, thick-skinned as he was, felt a little embarrassed.
Luo Dayong just handed it to him. “The New Year is coming, and you have to deal with the villagers, earn money, and your husband is still studying. Your maternal family is a mess—how are you supposed to survive? Take this pork. Use half for buns—start selling as soon as possible. The rest, turn into cured meat. You need some proper food at home. Look how scrawny you are—eat more meat, build yourself up.”
Lu Yang nearly cried.
He widened his eyes, forcing back the tears, and told Luo Dayong, “Alright, next time I see you, I’ll bring a kid to call you uncle.”
Luo Dayong was speechless.
It takes ten months to have a child—was he planning not to meet again for that long?
After finishing their shopping, Luo Dayong drove the donkey cart to the shop to pick up Xie Yan.
The moment Xie Yan saw Lu Yang returning with a yamen officer, his expression went blank again.
Luo Dayong nearly rolled his eyes.
Lu Yang nudged Xie Yan. “Call him Big Brother.”
“This is Brother Luo—he’s closer to me than a real brother. From now on, when you see him, call him brother. He’s coming back to the village with us and staying at our house.”
Hearing “big brother,” Xie Yan immediately understood this was a personal relationship.
Even though the man in uniform was Luo Dayong, his starry-eyed gaze remained fixed on his little husband.
Luo Dayong: “……”
On the way back, the questioning was inevitable.
Xie Yan went through the whole household situation again—everything he had told Lu Yang that morning, he now repeated for Luo Dayong.
Luo Dayong had spent years navigating the streets and working in the yamen. He’d dealt with all kinds of difficult people, yet after talking with Xie Yan, he found the man a little odd.
At first glance, he seemed like a fool, but when he spoke, he was clear and logical—not at all like a muddle-headed person.
No wonder Lu Yang said he was smart.
But he needed to learn how to handle people. He also needed to toughen up. Only then could he truly take charge of his household.
That night, Shangxi Village was lively again.
With winter keeping many villagers idle, they had spent the day waiting anxiously. Once the initial panic wore off, they convinced themselves that things would remain the same. After all, the Xie family had been weak for years—who would believe that the young master of the Lu family dared to step through the gates of the yamen?
“He probably got so scared he pissed his pants at the door!”
Many people said this, yet they kept glancing toward the main road with anticipation.
Few people traveled this way. Each time someone appeared, they perked up, only to be disappointed when it wasn’t Lu Yang and Xie Yan. They would grumble a few words to reassure themselves.
Then, finally, they saw the people they had been waiting for.
Lu Yang and Xie Yan had returned—with an official escort.
The ones who had mocked Lu Yang for being weak now found their own legs trembling.
The ones who had joked about him wetting himself were suddenly unsure of their own control.
Luo Dayong, upon seeing the village, immediately set his face into a stern expression.
The moment they entered, he furrowed his brows and wore an air of cold authority.
Lu Yang, knowing he had support, took the opportunity to point people out one by one.
“That one caused trouble at my wedding. That one harassed me. And that one even knocked my husband’s head into something!”
Xie Yan covered his face.
How could he make his husband understand that he was not some top scholar?
Yet Luo Dayong remained completely unfazed by the exaggerated title. It was as if it was only natural for Lu Yang to call his husband a zhuangyuan-lang (top scholar).
Xie Yan: “……”
Was he the one who didn’t fit in?
That night, the Xie household was just as lively.
Lu Yang warmly entertained his sworn brother, while villagers came in waves, pleading for mercy.
Xie Yan, finding them noisy, simply kicked them all out, shut the door, and sat down to drink with them.
Only then did Luo Dayong give him an approving look. “Now that’s what a man should act like.”
Xie Yan took note of this.
That night, as they lay in bed, he turned to Lu Yang and asked, “What does it mean to ‘act like a man’?”
Lu Yang burst out laughing.
“You’re asking me? What kind of relationship do we have? However much strength you use on me, that’s how much of a man you are.”
Xie Yan flopped down.
He had walked too much that day—he had no energy left.
Lu Yang couldn’t stop laughing. He took one look at Xie Yan, then kept laughing.
After a few rounds of this, Xie Yan finally recovered.
He was a good student. In just one night, he memorized all of Lu Yang’s verbal instructions.
And during their first practical lesson, he quickly understood the concepts of force and duration.
Lu Yang was not a selfless teacher—his goal was his own pleasure. Teaching Xie Yan was for his own benefit.
So Xie Yan, eager to please his husband, practiced accordingly.
He kissed the places Lu Yang liked.
He used the touch Lu Yang enjoyed.
His kisses and caresses, his timing and rhythm—all matched what Lu Yang preferred.
Lu Yang called him zhuangyuan-lang.
“You really never forget what you learn.”
Xie Yan nearly lost all focus at that moment.
In retaliation, he pressed harder—only for Lu Yang to enjoy it even more.
When Lu Yang was happy, he was generous with Xie Yan’s name.
Xie Yan was quick to draw conclusions.
Just like how Lu Yang was wild in his personality, he preferred things rough in intimacy as well.
He needed to build his strength.
—
Meanwhile, in Lih Village.
That afternoon, Lu Liu had some free time. Following his plan, he took apart an old cotton-padded jacket. Sewing was slow work—it sounded simple, but in the time it took to lower and raise a needle, several hours could slip away.
By evening, he prepared dinner. There was still a plate of leftover meat and vegetables from the wine gathering, so he reheated it and stir-fried a dish of greens.
The fish soup from lunch wasn’t ideal for eating with rice. Li Feng had eaten it plain, so now he needed something to go with his meal.
Lu Liu usually ate pickled vegetables, but Li Feng didn’t care for them. The only one he would tolerate was sour radish.
Lu Liu hesitated, then glanced around the kitchen.
He spotted some extra tofu in the cupboard and decided to make a dish of braised tofu in sauce.
There was plenty of thick sauce at home—two whole jars of it. Perfect for the dish.
