Lou Zhaoshui was both embarrassed and annoyed by her laughter. He told her to stop, but she only laughed harder, deliberately provoking him, making him regret ever softening his heart and agreeing to her.
Seeing him glaring at her with no way to deal with her, Fu Ruyi felt strangely empty and helpless. She stopped laughing and accused him: “You idiot, if you covered my mouth or held me by the neck, I wouldn’t be laughing anymore.”
“Don’t even think about it. You’re just scheming to take advantage of me again.” Lou Zhaoshui knew her intentions the moment she spoke.
Fu Ruyi wasn’t embarrassed at being seen through, but she couldn’t help wondering inwardly—the Xianbei people were known throughout the world for their bold and open ways, so how had she encountered such a fiercely chaste man?
“What are you thinking about now?” Lou Zhaoshui couldn’t stand her silence. Whenever she went quiet, he felt awkward.
“Not telling you.” Fu Ruyi heard the lowing of cattle—the villagers were driving their cattle to the fields. She set aside her flirtatious thoughts and said, “I need to go back. There’s work in the fields waiting for me.”
Lou Zhaoshui breathed a sigh of relief. Once she left, the lungs and liver inside his chest could finally rest.
“I’ll come over tomorrow morning and wait for you at the bridge,” he said.
Fu Ruyi agreed. “The people in our village have been curious about you for a long time. They’ll finally get to see what you really look like.”
Lou Zhaoshui was also curious about the village across the river, and about the home that had raised her. What kind of place could produce someone like her?
“I’ll walk you out of the village,” he said.
Fu Ruyi walked out, asking, “Where are your parents?”
“They want to buy some cattle and sheep, so they’ve gone to look at them.”
“When you come to help at my house, my father won’t need to go to the fields. I’ll have him come to your place to teach my parents-in-law, your sister, and your sister-in-law how to do farm work.” Fu Ruyi’s carefully prepared negotiation speech turned out to be unnecessary—the great beauty was perceptive enough. The moment he heard she was plowing and planting non-glutinous broomcorn millet, he’d volunteered to help.
Lou Zhaoshui felt his whole body relax at her words. With an experienced farmer to guide them, he wouldn’t need to worry about his family’s fields anymore. His family wouldn’t either—they’d only need to follow instructions and put in the labor. Nothing could be more reassuring.
“I’ll work hard,” he promised.
Fu Ruyi turned back and swept her gaze over him. There was no doubt he had strength, but whether he could endure the hardship of farming, she wasn’t sure.
“Walk faster. Come walk beside me,” she urged him. “You have long legs and big feet—why do you keep falling behind me?”
“No. I’m afraid of you.” He deliberately contradicted her.
“Keep pretending. Clearly I’m the victim here—you’re the one who seduced me first.” Fu Ruyi accused him.
Lou Zhaoshui couldn’t argue with that.
Fu Ruyi stepped back two paces to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, her gaze boldly appreciating him until he grew flustered and embarrassed. Only then could she see the seventeen-year-old mind behind his sturdy, mature physique.
“Which month were you born in?” she asked. “Is seventeen your actual age or your nominal age?”
“In another month, I’ll be eighteen. Are you bothered that I’m young?”
“No, not at all.” They had walked out of Pinghe Village, and they had left those occasional watching eyes behind in the village. With no more reservations, she boldly hooked her arm through his and said, facing him, “I like you just the way you are.”
Lou Zhaoshui let out a snort. Saying it so sweetly—she was just after his face.
“Let me look at your hands—they’re even prettier than mine.” Fu Ruyi’s dangling hand caught hold of his curled hand. She pried open the fingers one by one, fingers that offered no resistance, and pressed her own hand over his.
“Your hands really are beautiful—long, pale fingers and a broad palm.” Their hands lay one over the other, one sallow, one fair. The duller one bore many old scars, a clear sign that its owner was someone accustomed to hard work.
Lou Zhaoshui studied her hand closely, then lifted his other hand to cover it, consoling her, “Hands don’t need to be pretty—they need to be useful. Yours are very useful.”
Fu Ruyi raised her head and smiled at him, beaming. “Feeling sorry for me?”
“No.” He moved to take his hand away.
Fu Ruyi shifted her hand, curled her fingers, and gripped tightly the large hand beneath. She raised their clasped hands and, under his gaze, planted a smacking kiss on them. “Such beautiful hands—they’re mine now.”
Lou Zhaoshui’s face flushed, and his ears turned red at once. Who kisses someone’s hand like that? What’s there to kiss about a hand? It’s just a kiss on the hand—why was he so flustered?
“I’m leaving now.” Fu Ruyi had achieved her goal and was ready to withdraw.
“I’m not stopping you.” Lou Zhaoshui refused to look at her.
Fu Ruyi shook their joined hands. “You’re gripping so tight—how am I supposed to leave?”
Lou Zhaoshui released her in a fluster, only to find four red marks left on the back of her hand from his grip.
“What a strong grip!” Fu Ruyi remarked with a meaningful sigh, then walked away with her hands behind her back.
Lou Zhaoshui watched her go. Her two hands, clasped behind her waist, held each other tightly, then parted in a playful, clawing motion. He lowered his gaze to his own hands, glanced at her once more, and with a snort, headed back to the village.
* * *
The next morning at dawn, Lou Zhaoshui woke early. He emptied out all his clothes, weighed his options for a good while, and finally picked out a Hu-style outfit to wear. His second brother had brought it back for him last year—a hand-me-down still about sixty percent as good as new. Though a bit worn, the tailoring and craftsmanship were fine, nothing shabby about it. Besides, old clothes were just right for working in the fields—nothing flashy.
As the first wisps of cooking smoke, tinged with the smell of firewood, began to gather over Pinghe Village, Lou Zhaoshui stepped out the door.
Wang Erlang, returning from fetching water, ran into him at the village entrance. Seeing how a simple set of Hu-style outfit looked almost provocatively handsome on him, he cursed bitterly, “Shameless vixen!”
Lou Zhaoshui stopped in his tracks. Wang Erlang thought he was about to strike him, and in fright, set down his buckets and raised his carrying pole across his chest.
“Forgot to tell you—the matchmaker who was arranging things for you and Ruyi came to my house yesterday to propose a match. I accepted.” Lou Zhaoshui delivered the provocation, then walked off.
Wang Erlang roared in fury, “Shameless braided barbarian! You’ll get what’s coming to you. Just you wait—if Fu Ruyi can be lured away by you, she can be lured away by someone else too.”
Lou Zhaoshui paused mid-step. He turned back and said, “Well, she won’t be lured away by you, at any rate.”
Wang Erlang, furious, kicked over his water buckets and chased after him, swinging his carrying pole.
Lou Zhaoshui took off with his long strides, leaving the man in the dust within a few breaths. He ran all the way to the pontoon bridge. The hour was still early, and there were few pedestrians on the bridge, so no traffic jam occurred like last time. He crossed without trouble.
“Great beauty, over here!” Fu Ruyi emerged from behind a stone wall, a dripping wet washing paddle in her hand.
Lou Zhaoshui hurried over. “When did you get here?”
“I don’t know.” Fu Ruyi’s gaze was fixed squarely on him. She had spotted him while he was still on the bridge, and now that she was up close, she was certain—he had dressed up today.
“Hu clothes really do look best on Hu men. This outfit makes your waist look even slimmer and your legs even longer. Truly handsome.” She praised him bluntly.
“Just a set of clothes I grabbed at random. You were washing clothes? All done?” Lou Zhaoshui shifted the topic awkwardly.
“All done, just waiting for you.” Fu Ruyi went down, hauled up the laundry basket, and handed it to him along with the washing paddle. “My betrothed, carry this for me.”
Lou Zhaoshui took it obediently. “Lead the way.”
“Right you are!” Fu Ruyi cheerfully led him into the village.
Dapo Village sat on a gentle slope, higher in the west and lower in the east. Homes, vegetable plots, and fields were interspersed. Trees grew in front of and behind every household, and haystacks were piled against one side of each courtyard wall.
“This house belongs to my second sister’s in-laws.” Fu Ruyi pointed. “The one east of it in the back is where my second sister’s family lives. Tomorrow or the day after, when they’re back from the fields at dusk, I’ll take you to pay a visit.”
“Empty-handed?” Lou Zhaoshui asked.
“Just dropping by to sit a while, no need to bring anything. Formal visits come after we’re married.” As she spoke, Fu Ruyi spotted her eldest nephew coming out with water to give the ox.
“Mother! My youngest aunt has brought my youngest uncle by marriage into the village!”
At that shout, Cao Peiyu came running out holding a fire poker, her eyes blazing as she stared at the dazzlingly handsome beauty.
There was no time like the present, so Fu Ruyi immediately led Lou Zhaoshui over to make introductions.
By then, the neighbors who had heard the commotion came out as well. Seeing the great beauty the children had been talking about, they all clicked their tongues in admiration. That Xianbei man really was handsome! Look at that face! Look at that build!
“You actually landed a looker like this? I knew you had skill, but I didn’t know you had this much skill!” Cao Peiyu slapped her little sister hard on the shoulder and shouted excitedly, “Ruyi, you’re in for a treat!”
A man with looks like that—one taste would be enough to savor for a lifetime!
Fu Ruyi glanced at the great beauty and saw him pretending not to understand a word. She laughed heartily. “Second sister, don’t scare my man off. You go on with your work—I’m taking him home for a meal.”
“Come eat at my place tomorrow.” Cao Peiyu kept sizing up Lou Zhaoshui.
“We’ll see when we’re free.” Fu Ruyi dragged Lou Zhaoshui away.
“Ruyi, who’s this?” someone asked deliberately.
“My betrothed, Lou Zhaoshui. He’s the third among his brothers, so you can call him Lou Sanlang if you like.” Fu Ruyi was as proud as a victorious general. “He doesn’t understand much Chinese and doesn’t talk much. If you run into him in the future and he doesn’t greet you, please be understanding.”
“When do we get to drink at your wedding?” another teased.
“Just wait—once the date is set, I’ll come around to let everyone know.”
One villager after another emerged from their thatched homes, then gathered together to gossip about the Xianbei man’s looks. Dogs followed their masters out to the main road, barking loudly at the unfamiliar visitor. Cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks, stirred by the barking, joined in with their own racket.
As Fu Ruyi paraded Lou Zhaoshui through the village, half of it erupted into a clamorous uproar.
The Fu family had heard the commotion early on and were already waiting outside, even the eldest brother’s family having come over to the old house.
The eldest sister-in-law, Chen Zhi, drew a long breath. “No wonder Ruyi is so bewitched she can’t stay home. If it were me, I’d lose my head too.”
“Fu Yuan came back saying that our little brother-in-law was decent-looking. This is what you call decent-looking? Ruyi is tall enough, and this man is even taller than her.” Lin Juan’s eyes couldn’t keep up—she thought to herself that with looks like his, this man could easily be a noble lady’s male favorite. Catching a glimpse of Ruyi’s smug expression, she clicked her tongue and said, “Ruyi really has skill. She’s blessed.”
“You’ve already met my father and my eldest and third brothers, so I won’t introduce them. This is my mother, this is my eldest sister-in-law, and this is my youngest sister-in-law.” Fu Ruyi led Lou Zhaoshui before her family.
Lou Zhaoshui hesitated for a moment or two, then addressed them: “Mother-in-law, eldest sister-in-law, youngest sister-in-law.”
“Ah! Come inside, come inside.” Mother Fu happily accepted this son-in-law. Seeing him in person, all her lingering concerns vanished—with a husband like this, it was worth it for Ruyi to worry a little more and work a little harder.