Chapter 28: Turning Hostile Faster Than Turning a Page

Then Mother Lu left. Mother Lu said that tomorrow was the day for the return visit, and she had to prepare properly because she was going to visit the in-laws.

Lu Chuan watched his mother rushing back and forth like this. Before he could even settle down and feel at ease, Fang Yuan had already started directing him to work.

Fang Yuan did not give Lu Chuan any time to think. “First fill up the water jar. Then take me to look around the fields. Also, does our family have any other relatives in the village? Which families are we close to?”

Lu Chuan no longer had any time to think about anything. While working, he also had to sort through the family’s relatives. As for which families they were close to, he really was not sure.

Lu Chuan said, “Mom and Dad aren’t particularly close with anyone. Maybe there are people they’re close to, but I don’t know. I’ve been studying all these years and I’m not familiar with the village. The only people I’m close to are those few from this morning.”

Fang Yuan said, “Let’s not talk about Mom and Dad for now. On your side, they’re all unmarried. Your relationships are really thin. Our family isn’t very popular in the village, and that won’t do. In the future, when big or small matters come up, there won’t be anyone to help.”

Then she started planning. “But there’s no rush. We can’t count on the eldest anymore. After Third Brother gets married in the future, if you brothers help each other out, that’ll still be fine.”

Lu Chuan had never thought that far ahead himself. He had always focused on studying and leaving this place. He had never cared about the village’s social ties and relationships.

Fang Yuan said, “My dad has a butcher shop in the township, but he’s never abandoned the family’s property in the village. My dad said this is our root, our ancestral foundation, and it can’t be thrown away.”

Lu Chuan felt as though a simple-minded girl had seen right through him. She was saying that he, Lu Chuan, had never put down roots.

He had always wanted to leave. He had never paid much attention to the village. “Dad is right. In the future, we’ll live well in the village.”

Fang Yuan disagreed. “The village? Probably not. It’s too far from the township. Between the two of us, your physique isn’t very good, and although I’m capable, I’m still a woman. If we rely on farming to make a living, we probably won’t have enough to eat.”

All day long, Lu Chuan had been hearing people say his physique was not good. It was becoming a serious irritation. “What are you using to conclude that my physique isn’t good? I just look thin.”

Although he had never planned to rely on farming for a living, his physique was not open to question.

Fang Yuan truly spoke without any taboos. “You feel thin too.” She said it casually, without thinking much about it.

Lu Chuan’s expression became impossible to look at from embarrassment. “Don’t talk nonsense. When did that happen? When did you touch me?” He did not even know about it.

Lu Chuan was the type who overthought things. Could words like that really be said so casually?

Fang Yuan said, “Why are you upset? I touched your waist when we were riding in the cart. There’s no flesh on it.”

Lu Chuan suffered internal injuries on the spot. Could something like that really be shouted out so openly? Wasn’t she embarrassed at all?

Even Sister-in-law Sun next door could not keep listening. How could these young people have no sense of shame? ”Cough, cough. Second Son, don’t worry. You’re still young. Eat more and work more. Your physique will become stronger in the future.”

Separated by the fence, Sister-in-law Sun’s gaze drifted toward Lu Chuan’s waist. Even Lu Chuan could not withstand it.

Lu Chuan immediately opened the door and went inside.

This was utterly humiliating.

That sister-in-law was usually talkative. This would probably end up known throughout the entire village.

Fang Yuan looked up. Sister-in-law Sun introduced herself. “You’re Second Son’s wife, right? I’m Sister-in-law Sun. If you need anything in the future, just call out and I’ll hear you.”

Fang Yuan greeted her. “Sister-in-law Sun.”

Sister-in-law Sun grinned and immediately made a dirty joke. “Second Son’s wife, you really touched him?”

Lu Chuan sprang out at once. He knew this woman was no good. She was taking advantage of Fang Yuan’s lack of social awareness to fish for information.

She was using private matters between husband and wife as a joke and entertainment. He was just about to tell Fang Yuan to ignore this woman.

But Fang Yuan immediately threw a ladle of cold water at her. She was so fierce that both Sister-in-law Sun and Lu Chuan were stunned.

Just moments ago, Fang Yuan had been greeting her politely. The speed at which she turned hostile was simply too fast. There was not even any warning.

Then Fang Yuan shouted, “Fine. I treated you with the respect due an elder sister-in-law, but you’re using me as a joke. I may not be clever, but my parents warned me that anyone who asks about matters inside our bedroom has bad intentions. They just want to make fun of me.”

Only then did Sister-in-law Sun recover. Wiping the water from her face, she finally realized this wild girl was not easy to provoke. “No, no. I’m an elder sister-in-law. We were just joking around. Why did you have to get physical?”

Fang Yuan said, “Not get physical? In your dreams. Was I supposed to let you make me into a joke and spread stories about me outside? Come on, let’s go argue this out in the village. I refuse to believe there’s nowhere in this village where reason matters.”

Sister-in-law Sun had truly never seen someone this fierce. She would not tolerate even a single sentence. If this really became a village dispute, what would that make her? “No, if you don’t understand joking around, then fine. I won’t make jokes anymore. Why go to the village over this?”

As for the ladle of cold water on her head, Sister-in-law Sun accepted it and did not pursue the matter. This wild girl’s reputation really was not undeserved. She struck the moment she decided to. In the future, Sister-in-law Sun would not provoke her again. This was someone even less reasonable than she was.

Lu Chuan had not expected that he would not even need to say anything. A ladle of cold water solved the entire matter. Sister-in-law Sun slipped back into her own house in disgrace.

Fang Yuan was still talking. “Even though our family needs to put down roots in the village and build good relationships, that doesn’t mean we associate with everyone. Someone like Sister-in-law Sun won’t do.”

Lu Chuan smiled. “Fine, we’ll do it your way. You do have some judgment when it comes to people.”

Based on how she handled Sister-in-law Sun today, Fang Yuan officially passed Lu Chuan’s evaluation. She really did have good judgment.

These days, there was not much entertainment in the countryside. Aside from loafers wandering around outside, once night fell the villagers shut their doors and rested at home.

Fang Yuan familiarized herself with everything inside and outside the courtyard. It was quite tiring. After washing up, she naturally went to rest, truly without giving it any extra thought.

Meanwhile, Lu Chuan lingered in the outer room, hesitating. Should he get onto the kang or not?

Should it be the same as yesterday? Or, ahem, anyway, this marriage could not be undone.

After visiting his father-in-law’s home, Lu Chuan understood that very clearly.

His wife really was his wife now, so naturally he had more thoughts about it.

Inside the room, Fang Yuan waited and waited without seeing Lu Chuan come in. Frowning, she called out, “Tell me honestly. Is there something wrong with you?”

Lu Chuan panicked. He could not let Fang Yuan shout nonsense. He lifted the door curtain and came inside. “What did I do to you that makes you say there’s something wrong with me? You can’t say things like that casually.”

Fang Yuan was even more anxious than Lu Chuan. “Something wrong physically. Do you have some problem? It’s just the two of us. Don’t be embarrassed.”

Lu Chuan’s face turned red. “You’re talking as if it’s really true. How come I don’t know I have some problem? Explain yourself clearly.”

This woman kept belittling his physical condition every chance she got. It was truly enough already.

Fang Yuan said, “If you don’t have a problem, then why have you spent two nights in a row wandering around outside instead of sleeping? Are you constipated?”

After hearing that conclusion, Lu Chuan was dumbfounded. He simply stared at Fang Yuan.

He had no idea how she could possibly think that.

At a moment like this, even if there really were a problem, that should not have been the direction of suspicion.

What kind of miraculous train of thought was that?