Lu Shian’s physique was tall and well-built, but not the kind of muscular bulk that would intimidate people at first glance. When he wore clothes, he looked lean and elegant; only when he took them off would one realize that his body was actually made of beautiful, lean muscle.
Lu Shian picked up a gray undershirt and lowered his head to put it on, but just as he did, his eyes fell on his abdomen.
That afternoon, when he rode his bicycle and sent Ranran back to Qingshui Brigade, the road had been a bit uneven. Ranran’s soft, delicate arms had been wrapped around his waist, and her fingers—like tender green onion tips—had even boldly brushed across his abs a few times.
At that moment, Lu Shian’s whole body had trembled, instinctively tensing up, afraid she might not be satisfied with what she felt.
Lu Shian felt this worry was very reasonable. The more he got to know her, the more he realized just how wonderful Wen Ranran was.
Not only was she beautiful, but she was also kind-hearted. On a trip to the county town, she had even rescued a weak little cat. Any man with functioning eyes would find it hard not to be drawn to her.
Thinking that such a wonderful girl was about to marry him, Lu Shian felt warmth in his heart, and suddenly a wave of heat spread through his body as if he had endless energy.
He lay down on the simple floor bedding, forcing himself not to think further. But Wen Ranran’s flower-like face kept lingering in his mind. In the end, Lu Shian got up again and started doing push-ups on the floor.
After doing over a hundred push-ups, and counting eight hundred sheep with his eyes open, he finally drifted into sleep.
Even then, his dreams were still filled with Wen Ranran. Only in the dream, she was a little different from the daytime—snoring like a tractor, clinging to him like an octopus, and even her legs were a bit scratchy.
In the dream, Lu Shian didn’t dislike her at all. Instead, he even thoughtfully covered her with a blanket in case she felt cold.
But the next morning, when he woke up, he realized he was holding a stiff, solid man—Xiao Yanming—and his face immediately darkened.
Having spent the whole night pressed against another grown man was enough to make him feel disgusted just thinking about it.
Lu Shian said coldly, “Xiao Yanming, if you ever roll off the bed again while sleeping, I’ll break your other leg too!”
Xiao Yanming instantly sobered up, nodding his head frantically like a bobblehead. “Brother Lu, don’t worry, there won’t be a next time.”
If he hadn’t rolled off the bed while sleeping, who would want to sleep with a man?
Did he not want to hold a soft, fragrant little wife to sleep either? It’s just that he didn’t have one!
The two of them looked equally resentful, but Xiao Yanming’s mother, Meng Yue’e, didn’t notice at all.
Knowing that Lu Shian was going to help his educated girlfriend with farm work today, she specially prepared two lunchboxes, both filled to the brim with rice and dishes.
She handed them to Lu Shian and wouldn’t allow him to refuse.
“Anyway, I’m already cooking. It’s just a matter of a bit more or less. You saved my son’s life—what’s a couple of meals worth? Don’t be so polite!”
Xiao Yanming also chimed in, “My mom’s right! It’s getting late, Brother Lu, hurry and go. It’s quite far from here to Qingshui Brigade—if you leave any later, you won’t make it in time.”
Lu Shian was arranged so thoroughly that he had no chance to refuse. Since it really was getting late, he could only take the things and rush toward Qingshui Brigade.
As soon as Lu Shian rode off on his bicycle, Meng Yue’e also grabbed her bag and prepared to go out.
Xiao Yanming, sitting lazily in a chair with his uninjured leg propped up, casually asked, “Early in the morning, Mom, where are you going?”
His whole posture was relaxed, which irritated her even more.
“Where am I going? I’m going to find a matchmaker to get you a wife, that’s where! Look at Lu Shian, then look at you!
Every day I have to worry about you. There are so many women at the matchmaking events, and not a single one likes you. It’s embarrassing!”
Seeing his mother worked up about finding him a wife, Xiao Yanming, no matter how clueless, knew not to provoke her at this moment.
He immediately sat upright and said ingratiatingly, “Mom, Mom, you’ve worked hard. It’s 6:10 now—if you don’t go soon, Aunt Chen will finish buying vegetables and you won’t catch her.”
Seeing that her son actually seemed serious about settling down, Meng Yue’e’s expression softened a lot.
“I’m your mother—if I don’t arrange it for you, who will? I really owe you in this life. Fine, wash the dishes at home. I’m leaving.”
She hurried out, and Xiao Yanming finally sighed in relief.
But that relief didn’t last long—he hadn’t even finished washing the dishes when Meng Yue’e came storming back, her face dark like she had swallowed gunpowder.
Xiao Yanming sucked in a breath and quickly handed her a glass of water, asking what happened.
Meng Yue’e took a big gulp of cold water and cursed angrily:
“It’s that Liu Luoqin again! She’s been against me since we were young. After she gave her job to her son and became unemployed, she just goes around stirring trouble everywhere!
I just found Matchmaker Chen at the vegetable market and barely said two sentences when she jumped out, saying her son Zhou Musheng also wants to find a partner—and insisted on going before you.
She wants my son to pick from whatever her son leaves behind? No way!”
Meng Yue’e’s chest rose and fell in anger, but she was hiding part of the story.
If it was only about competing for the matchmaker, she wouldn’t be this furious. What truly set her off was Liu Luoqin’s sarcastic remark—that her son Xiao Yanming got injured every now and then and might one day never come back.
For a mother with only one son, such words were her reverse scale.
In rage, Meng Yue’e had immediately pinned Liu Luoqin to the ground and slapped her face dozens of times with her shoe.
Although Liu Luoqin had a sharp tongue, she was small and weak, and completely unable to fight back. Her lips were swollen and bleeding; if someone hadn’t pulled them apart, Meng Yue’e would have beaten her until even her parents couldn’t recognize her.
Even though she had vented her anger on the spot, the more Meng Yue’e thought about it afterward, the more frustrated she felt.
So she opened her door wide, stood at the entrance with hands on her hips, and began cursing loudly:
“Damn you, Liu Luoqin! No father, no mother raised you properly! Nothing good about you, and you married an even more useless man!
And your son is even worse—feeding off his sisters’ bones and drinking his sisters’ blood, only able to get a job by taking over from his mother. Any woman who marries him is unlucky!
Oh, I almost forgot—you’re so eager to find a matchmaker for your son, but does your son even agree? He’s out there asking everyone about some girl whose name he doesn’t even know!”
Her voice was so loud that the entire apartment building could hear it.
Everyone began discussing it, saying that Zhou Musheng from the Zhou family had indeed been absent-minded lately and almost got his fingers caught in a machine at work—he was probably really in love.
Liu Luoqin heard all this too, and her face instantly darkened.
She slapped Zhou Musheng on the head and pointed at him furiously.
“Is what that old woman Meng Yue’e said true?”