Chapter 6
He told Lu Yang not to look anymore. “It’s just two arms and two legs, nothing different!”
The Lu family had little land, and someone had to stay home to watch the house. Lu Liu took turns with his father to help in the fields. He had never done heavy farm work, so while he was a bit thin, his skin was fair and smooth. This was similar to Lu Yang. Living in the county, he had plenty of things to handle at home and in the workshop, so he rarely spent time under the scorching sun. His skin was fair as well.
Lu Yang was bolder than his younger brother. He casually pulled his shirt open, showing off his broad chest.
“What’s there to be shy about? You look at me, I look at you. Isn’t it just like looking in a mirror?”
Only, a mirror wasn’t this clear.
To see this clearly, they’d have to use the reflection in still water.
It was cold. Seeing that his brother had already stripped down, Lu Liu didn’t hesitate either. He swiftly took off his own clothes and put on his brother’s.
His brother’s clothes still carried his warmth and scent.
Their personalities showed a stark contrast again. Lu Yang wasn’t shy to sniff, but Lu Liu only focused on changing quickly. Seeing Lu Yang take a sniff, he obediently explained, “I bathe frequently, so I don’t have body odor. But I did sweat a lot from walking today…”
Seeing how honest his brother was, Lu Yang hesitated again about the marriage swap.
That Li Feng was strong and not an easy person to deal with. His mother was fierce too. If such a soft and easily bullied younger brother was sent to the Li family, how would he survive?
But was the Xie family any better?
As Lu Yang thought about this, he stopped teasing his brother and focused on changing clothes.
Lu Yang’s clothes were nicer. Old Man Chen wanted to make the dowry look grand, so he was willing to spend money. He had two new outfits made for Lu Yang—thin cotton but respectable in appearance.
Lu Yang straightened the folds of his brother’s clothes, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “I saw that guy brought a lot of goods with him. He must not have sold everything yet. I’ll take you to see him. You can talk to him a little.”
If things didn’t seem right, there was still a chance to back out.
Lu Liu shook his head.
“How can I be lucky enough to have all the good things? I just don’t want to be bullied by outsiders. At home, I can let things go, but I don’t have much of a say anyway.”
He was also worried that his brother would be eaten alive by Xie’s relatives.
Those people wouldn’t dare touch Xie Yan and his mother, but a newly married husband would be an easy punching bag.
Lu Yang shook his head too.
“Don’t worry. Other people might be afraid of nasty in-laws, but I’m not. Your brother—me—is the nastiest one of all. Anyone who tries to pick a fight with me will regret it. As long as I have the final say at home, I won’t suffer any losses.”
His biggest fear was having no way out.
But his brother had given him an escape route, and Xie Yan was also looking for a solution. He had the ability to hold his ground.
Another moment of silence passed.
Lu Yang thought for a moment, then reached out and hugged his brother.
This kind of closeness was a first, even for him.
His hand rested stiffly on Lu Liu’s back, but his body was rigid.
Lu Liu was surprised, but his body relaxed much faster than Lu Yang’s. In an instant, he melted into the embrace and hugged his newly recognized brother tightly.
Afterward, they checked each other over one last time and exchanged their hair accessories.
Both wore Daoist-style buns—one with a wooden hairpin, the other with a brown hair tie. After switching, they headed out.
Lu Erbao had agreed to wait in place for Lu Liu to return. The stall wasn’t far, just a turn away from their meeting spot.
Lu Yang first took his brother to the mule cart where Old Man Chen was waiting, giving him a quick rundown of the Chen family members along the way.
The Chen family had been away from the village for over a decade. In Lu Yang’s memory, he had barely lived in the village, let alone made any friends. That part was simple enough.
“As long as you behave at home and do what they say, you won’t go wrong. But be careful of the youngest one. He loves to mess with me. Don’t be afraid—just scold him. If necessary, hit him. The wedding is coming up soon, and Old Man Chen won’t let him act up too much.”
Other villagers weren’t worth worrying about.
A few days wasn’t enough to get to know them. He could just bluff his way through.
Lu Liu also told Lu Yang about their home.
Once he started talking, he realized how dry and boring it was.
Life in the Lu family was dull—two quiet fathers, a few sneaky thieves, and nosy neighbors.
“They know I’m engaged to Xie the scholar, so they’ve been behaving recently. They say they’re afraid I’ll turn things around in the future.”
Lu Yang nodded as he listened, but he knew that wasn’t true.
The moment they got home from the market, someone would come knocking with trouble.
Going to the market meant having money, and with the wedding approaching, the Lu family was bound to buy a few things. Even if they couldn’t steal anything, just getting a feel for what was there was enough.
Still, he smiled and agreed.
If those people didn’t go too far, he could endure it. He had lived like that in the Chen family, so it wasn’t a big deal.
Lu Yang adjusted the cloth covering his face, picked up a basket of eggs, and stretched his neck to look ahead. Seeing that Li Feng was still at his stall, he pointed it out to Lu Liu.
Li Feng was easy to spot. The men from the Li stronghold were all tall, and even among them, he stood out. There were still some blocks of tofu left at his stall, and a mule cart was parked behind it.
Lu Liu glanced at his brother one last time before walking toward Li Feng.
He wasn’t sure how he got there. It felt like all his courage had gathered in his legs, and once he reached his destination, it drained away, leaving his legs weak.
He stood in front of Li Feng’s stall, unsure what to do.
Li Feng raised an eyebrow at him. “Your father hasn’t come back yet.”
“Oh,” Lu Liu replied, still standing there.
Nervous, he blurted out a random excuse, “I’m just looking.”
He said he was just looking, but his eyes were locked onto Li Feng.
Li Feng narrowed his eyes. “You came to look at me?”
Looking for trouble again?
Li Feng grew wary and glanced at him. Seeing his slightly red eyes, as if he had cried, Li Feng frowned.
Earlier, he had been so stubborn, and now he’d gone out for a bit and come back crying? Pathetic.
“Don’t block my business. If you want to look, go somewhere else.”
Lu Liu wanted to move.
There were plenty of customers at Li Feng’s stall since he had a lot of game meat. In just the time it took for a few words, Li Feng was already bargaining with someone.
But Lu Liu’s legs felt weak. The mule cart was so close, yet he couldn’t walk there.
He said, “I’m not taking up much space. Just let me stand here for a while.”
His voice was soft but stubborn, as if throwing a little tantrum—without any real force.
If someone wanted to bully him, they’d probably find it amusing.
Li Feng didn’t want to bully him. He didn’t laugh—he just grew even more cautious.
He decided to ignore him and continued shouting, “Selling tofu!”
Lu Liu blinked. This guy didn’t seem bad.
Maybe it was because he was feeling bold today, but he mustered the courage to say, “I can’t walk. Can you help me?”
If he hadn’t added “can you,” it would have sounded like an order, and Li Feng would have been angry.
With those three words, there was room for negotiation, and Li Feng was willing to consider it.
He still thought Lu Yang was scheming something, but he was an eight-foot-tall man—was he really afraid of a little brother?
He wiped his hands with a cloth, slapped it on the stall, and walked over to help Lu Liu.
His hands were huge, almost as long as Lu Liu’s entire forearm. Next to him, Lu Liu looked like a little chick.
Lu Liu suddenly admired his brother.
How was he bold enough to argue with a man like this?
Li Feng easily settled him onto the mule cart. Seeing that he sat obediently without causing trouble or being talkative, he felt strangely satisfied.
Lu Liu sat properly, legs together, hands on his knees, showing a stark contrast to his brother’s personality.
Li Feng glanced at him once before returning to his stall.
