Casting Nets to Catch a Husband

Chapter 150: Puzzle

The Lu family’s residence had a waterway outlet in the side room. After bathing, one only needed to pull the plug of the tub, and the water would flow out through the waterway. With someone like Lu Chengxiao, who doted on his wife so much, Liu Yu really didn’t need to exert any effort at all.

After bathing and freshening up, the couple talked at night. Lu Chengxiao shared many stories and experiences from Zhejiang, which made Liu Yu yearn for it as well.

Holding her, Lu Chengxiao smiled and said, “In the future, when we have the opportunity and enough strength, I’ll take you there. Just don’t complain about the fatigue of the journey by boat then.”

Liu Yu had originally been resting her cheek on Lu Chengxiao’s chest. Hearing this, she smiled and intertwined her pinky finger with his, saying, “It’s a deal.”

They talked while embracing each other. Their conversation inevitably turned into something more intimate, leading to a moment of tenderness.

Lu Chengxiao was truly insatiable, always wanting more, and his vigor was more than Liu Yu could handle.

However, this man also had a particularly gentle side. Though Liu Yu slept deeply at night, she still had worries on her mind. With several children in the house, it was unlikely she could truly sleep soundly, so she woke up fairly early the next day.

The first thing she did upon waking was to wash the dirty sheets and small clothes herself.

Aside from Babao, the Lu family didn’t hire any servants. Instead, they paid a woman from town to do household chores, with her wages settled monthly. Besides cooking and cleaning, she also handled the laundry and bedding.

As a new bride, Liu Yu felt too embarrassed to let others wash such heavily soiled sheets. She had actually been thinking about this since last night, planning to get up at dawn to wash them herself along with her intimate clothes. However, when she got up, the sheets and clothes were nowhere to be found. Her expression tightened, and Lu Chengxiao walked in from outside.

Seeing that Liu Yu was awake, he quickly came over.

“You’re awake? Sleep a bit more, breakfast won’t be ready for a while.”

Liu Yu shook her head and asked, “Where are the sheets and clothes we changed out of?”

Lu Chengxiao smiled, “I gave them to Aunt Liu to wash. Why?”

Liu Yu was stunned. “You let someone else wash my intimate clothes and those sheets?”

She felt mortified.

Feeling a headache coming on, she bit her lip and covered her eyes with her hand. Facing Aunt Liu later would be so awkward.

Watching her reaction for a while, Lu Chengxiao couldn’t hold back his laughter. His shoulders shook as he laughed, and he pulled her hand away from her eyes, cupping her face and gently rubbing it. “Why are you so cute?”

Liu Yu looked at him, bewildered, until she felt his cool hands on her cheeks. She pulled his hands down, held them in hers, and looked up at him, her eyes questioning.

Lu Chengxiao laughed, “How can I let anyone else wash your intimate clothes?”

So, he, a grown man, had gotten up early to wash her intimate clothes and the dirty sheets.

Liu Yu blinked, not knowing how to react, and stood there dazed.

Lu Chengxiao’s lips curved up as he tilted his head, hinting for a reward.

Liu Yu finally smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck, and instead of kissing his cheek, she kissed his lips. Before Lu Chengxiao could place his hands on her waist to deepen the kiss, she quickly pulled away.

She was quick, but no match for Lu Chengxiao’s agility. Halfway through retreating, he pulled her back. Raising an eyebrow, he said, “Is that it?”

Liu Yu’s waist was held tight by him so she couldn’t escape. She turned her head to avoid him and laughed, “Don’t tease, I haven’t freshened up yet.”

“I don’t mind.”

The fresh scent of mint and green salt filled the air. No matter how soft Liu Yu’s waist was, she couldn’t escape him. They laughed and teased each other lovingly.

~

Two days of their new marriage quickly passed, and the third morning was the day for the bride’s return to her parents’ home.

Babao had already returned from the county yesterday with the mule cart in preparation for today when Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yu needed the cart. Chen Shi had also prepared generous gifts for the return visit, satisfied with Liu Yu. The gifts filled half the cart, and then the couple set off from the house.

Babao had been waiting outside with the mule cart for a while. When Liu Yu and Lu Chengxiao came out, Lu Chengxiao helped her onto the cart before getting on himself.

In an alley diagonally opposite the Lu family home, Wen Shi had been hiding and waiting for a long time. Due to her young daughter, Si Ya, it was inconvenient for her to stay outside for extended periods, so she had calculated that the third day after the wedding was the day for the bride’s return home and waited there early in the morning. She wanted to confirm if Lu Sanlang’s bride was indeed Liu Yu and if Liu Yu was safe.

After waiting for over half an hour, Wen Shi finally saw what she wanted. She recognized Liu Yu’s face.

It was really Liu Yu; she hadn’t been sold and had indeed married into the Lu family.

Wen Shi felt both happy and emotional, with a tinge of sadness. She had not paid much attention to her sister-in-law Liu Yu, who had no blood relation to her husband, until Liu Yu taught her embroidery. Until Liu Yu was sold and her own family was also driven out by Liu Kangsheng.

With no land and limited income from her husband’s carpentry work, which only allowed him to work as an assistant to a carpenter in a neighboring village, Wen Shi knew that without the embroidery skills taught by Liu Yu, her family might not have been able to make ends meet, and her second daughter might not have survived.

From only being able to take on the simplest tasks, Wen Shi had progressed over the past two months to embroidering more complex pieces for a living. Thanks to this skill, her family had enough to eat and use daily, with some support from her maternal family for autumn clothes and quilts. Life was hard but manageable.

Wen Shi felt grateful, especially towards Liu Yu. Her maternal family’s support was temporary, and her sisters-in-law often complained to her mother, so there was only so much help her mother could provide. Liu Yu, however, had given them a means of livelihood.

Wen Shi regretted not standing up for Liu Yu more at the time to avoid conflict with Liu Kangsheng. This regret surfaced every time she earned money from the embroidery shop to buy rice and food.

Though she had speculated that the woman and constables that night might not have been buyers and could have had a connection to Liu Yu, seeing Liu Yu safe and well was the best news. Wen Shi no longer felt guilty.

She withdrew further into the alley, not daring to come out. The Lu family despised the Liu family, as evidenced by Madam Lu’s attitude when they met at the embroidery shop.

Having confirmed that Liu Yu was doing well, Wen Shi didn’t see the need to go up and cause trouble. She wasn’t sure if Liu Yu would want to see her anyway. After all, in Liu Yu’s eyes, she and Liu Sanlang, as well as their daughters, were still part of the Liu family.

Wen Shi listened to the sounds of the Lu family servant driving the cart and the wheels rolling away before emerging from the alley. She glanced at the Lu family’s grand house before turning to leave.

~

In Yangshan Village, Wei Shi had calculated Liu Yu’s return date and had returned home from the county a day early to prepare a special meal. Liu Yanping and Liu Yanan were there, and even Liu Yanqing had taken leave to be home.

The joyful and affectionate reunion was heartwarming. The three Liu brothers drank with Lu Chengxiao while Wei Shi took the opportunity to quietly call Liu Yu to the inner courtyard for a talk.

Wei Shi wasn’t worried about Liu Yu’s well-being in her new home. The Lu family was very fond of Liu Yu, and Lu Chengxiao doted on her immensely, ensuring she wouldn’t suffer any grievances.

Wei Shi’s only concern was that Liu Yu was still young. When she got married, her mother-in-law had specifically advised her against having children too early, as it wasn’t safe.

Busy with the wedding on the first day, Wei Shi had forgotten this. Now, seeing Liu Yu, she needed to remind her.

Pulling Liu Yu into the room, Wei Shi paced around the room twice, asking in a roundabot way whether Cheng Xiao treated her well and whether she had adapted to the Lu family. Liu Yu finally noticed something and asked what’s wrong.

Wei Shi lowered her voice, finally asking, “Have you and Chengxiao taken any measures to avoid pregnancy?”

Liu Yu was momentarily stunned.

Seeing her expression, Wei Shi knew the answer. She advised, “Most families hope for early pregnancy, but as your aunt, I don’t support it. When I married your uncle, your grandmother warned us that it’s dangerous to have children too early.”

“I wanted you to stay with us for another year, but since you and Chengxiao are so well-matched and of appropriate age, and the Lu family is good, we agreed to the marriage. But you need to discuss this with Chengxiao and be careful not to conceive too soon.”

Liu Yu knew this and remembered that Wei Shi had mentioned it when discussing her marriage to Lu Chengxiao. But in the bliss of newlywed life, she had forgotten.

To avoid early pregnancy, Liu Yu thought of two ways: either Lu Chengxiao won’t touch her, or she had to take contraceptive soup.

When Liu Yu was first sold to Liuxian Pavilion, the red lady saw that she was old enough so she was given contraceptive medicine for a few days. The experience left her with a lasting fear of such drugs.

Recalling those days, Liu Yu’s face turned pale. She couldn’t take any medicine, as long-term use of contraceptive medicine could be more harmful than having a child.

Liu Yu thought for a moment and said, “I’ll discuss it with Chengxiao.”

Wei Shi chuckled and teased, “How will you discuss it? Ask him not to touch you?”

She found the idea amusing, and Liu Yu blushed.

“That’s not very realistic,” Wei Shi laughed. “Let me tell you…”

She whispered a few words to Liu Yu, making both of them blush.

Liu Yu listened, her face turning bright red. Wei Shi, embarrassed herself, felt awkward discussing such matters with a younger relative. Still, she had to.

After a whispered conversation, Wei Shi asked, “Do you understand?”

Liu Yu nodded, feeling both shy and curious. She had never heard of such methods before.

“Where did you hear this?” she asked, then added quickly, “Does it work?”

Wei Shi, equally embarrassed, nodded, “It works. Your grandmother taught me, but it’s not foolproof, and too many interruptions can be harmful to the man. So, the key is moderation. You’ll be sixteen soon, and if you conceive after that, it’s fine. If not, you can still have children at seventeen or eighteen.”

Liu Yu nodded, curious about her grandmother, who seemed to know many things.

Grandmother was an intriguing figure, who even managed to marry Wei Shi, then a maid, to her son, and taught her these things. Liu Yu couldn’t help but feel curious about her grandmother’s past, especially since she resembled her so closely.

Grandmother was undoubtedly a beauty, and her family had moved back decades ago. Where had her grandparents lived before moving to Liu’s village?

Neither Wei Shi nor the villagers knew.

The family rule against military service was also a mystery. Wei Shi and her brothers didn’t know either. Grandmother’s last wish was to find Liu Yu, leaving nothing else behind.

It was like a mystery shrouded in a veil.

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