Chapter 114: Embarrassed All the Way to My Mother-in-Law’s House

Ever since the family started building the new house, Lu Xiaosan had been keeping an eye on things over there. This kid was really something—steady and dependable in everything he did.

He was also avoiding Lu Laoda and his wife a bit; those two were always making snide, sarcastic remarks, and Lu Xiaosan really couldn’t stand it.

With the new house next door as a comparison, Lu Chuan’s place looked even older, shabbier, and smaller—practically like a shack. “Mom, why did you make so much food? We can’t possibly finish it.”

Fang Yuan replied, “If we can’t finish, I’ll take some to my mom’s place tomorrow so they can have a taste. Our mom’s cooking is better than my mom’s.”

Lu Chuan had been away for a month, and since coming back, he still hadn’t had a chance to be alone with Fang Yuan. He wanted to talk more with her, but it felt like they’d grown distant. “How are things at the construction site?”

Fang Yuan said, “Didn’t you and Wu Hu already talk about that? We just talked about it at dinner, too.”

Lu Chuan was still thinking about Fang Yuan. “Yeah, but what about you? What have you been up to? Why didn’t you go to the provincial capital?”

The words “to see me” were right on the tip of Lu Chuan’s tongue, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them.

Fang Yuan replied, “The tools we bought are great. We use them every day and nothing’s broken.”

So what was she supposed to go to the provincial capital for? Lu Chuan couldn’t exactly blame her for things being too good. He wanted to ask, Don’t you miss me?

But he figured Fang Yuan probably wouldn’t say anything that would make him feel better anyway, so he just dropped it.

What could he do? His wife was just too practical.

The full moon on the fifteenth was meant to be admired. Lu Chuan said, “The weather’s nice tonight. Let’s go sit in the yard for a bit.”

Fang Yuan’s expression darkened, and she looked at Lu Chuan with a stormy gaze.

Lu Chuan was much better at reading faces than Fang Yuan, so he asked carefully, “What’s wrong? You don’t want to go? Are you not feeling well?”

Fang Yuan suddenly blurted out, “Do you have some kind of problem with our marriage?”

Lu Chuan was so startled he started waving his hands, protesting his innocence. “Don’t accuse me! I’ve been totally well-behaved while I was away. I tell everyone I’m a married man!”

He thought to himself, I haven’t even complained about you, and now you’re turning it around on me? He seriously suspected his wife was hiding something.

Fang Yuan said, “What you say to other people doesn’t matter.” What matters is what you actually do.

Then Fang Yuan hit him with the big question: “Let me ask you, why won’t you have a child with me?”

Lu Chuan’s eyes went wide and he even took two steps back. To say something so bold and direct under the beautiful full moon—did Fang Yuan really think he was a pushover?

Lu Chuan stammered, “I—I’m innocent! I’ve always listened to you. I told you about it, didn’t I? Don’t you believe me?” No one else knew, but Fang Yuan herself should be clear about this.

It was just that, on a technical level, the two of them hadn’t reached an agreement. Fang Yuan insisted that the “technique” wasn’t up to standard. It really wasn’t his fault.

Fang Yuan was silent for a while, then finally said, “I believe you.”

Lu Chuan’s lips trembled a bit. He had a bad feeling. “So, what do you mean? Why do you believe me now?”

Fang Yuan dropped another bombshell: “I asked my mom.”

Lu Chuan forgot all about trembling. He immediately threw off the covers and buried his head under them—he was too embarrassed to face anyone. How could Fang Yuan do this? I told you and you didn’t believe me, but you just went and asked someone else? How was he supposed to face people after this?

All that talk about growing distant after a month apart was nonsense—they were instantly back to being familiar as ever. Same recipe, same ingredients.

This woman didn’t just mess with her own dad and her mother-in-law—she messed with her own husband, too.

Fang Yuan tugged at the blanket. “Get up. What’s that supposed to mean? Hiding won’t help. Explain yourself.”

Lu Chuan kept his head under the covers and mumbled, “I’m not getting up. This is so embarrassing. You don’t trust me, and you go asking around? How could you ask your mom about something like this?”

Fang Yuan said, “If I didn’t ask, how would I know you were telling the truth? How do I know you’re not just messing with me? If I can’t ask my mom, who am I supposed to ask?”

Of course, there was no one appropriate to ask. Lu Chuan said, “You just don’t trust me. You said you’d listen to me, but you’re just saying that to make me feel better. Leave me alone. Just let me rot.”

She had indeed said she’d listen to Lu Chuan, but she hadn’t expected him to be so clever about this, either. She felt a little guilty. “That won’t do. Who’s going to have a baby with me, then?”

Lu Chuan sat up, pointing at Fang Yuan. “You—you woman!” How could she talk about this so casually under the beautiful full moon?

If Fang Yuan hadn’t stopped him, Lu Chuan would have run out of the house right then. He really couldn’t take it anymore.

Fang Yuan said, “Why are you running? I’m asking you: have you never thought about having a child with me? Are you planning to find another woman out there and never come back to the village?”

That was way too rational a question for Fang Yuan to come up with, and Lu Chuan’s mind stopped wandering. “What are you getting at?”

Fang Yuan refused to answer and just pressed on, “I’m asking you!”

Lu Chuan said, “Everyone who goes off to study doesn’t want to come back, of course. But marriage is something you can’t run from.”

For Fang Yuan, it wasn’t about whether you could run or not—she was firm: “Exactly. Otherwise, you might as well not bother with school. Just stay home.” As tough as ever.

But Lu Chuan was happy—he liked Fang Yuan’s domineering ways. Even if she didn’t trust him, she’d come around eventually.

If you had someone who was always wishy-washy and suspicious, how could you live like that?

Lu Chuan said, “I wouldn’t dare. All our money is in your hands. What’s there not to trust?”

Fang Yuan nodded, then said, “Still, I can’t help worrying. I can tell—you’ve managed to earn this much now, you’ll be able to earn even more in the future.”

Lu Chuan smiled. “Thanks for having such faith in me.”

Fang Yuan circled back to the main issue: “So what about the baby?” She was stubborn—if the question wasn’t answered, she’d keep pressing.

Lu Chuan tried to focus only on the question itself. “Of course I want to have a child with you. But a child can’t be without a father, right?”

What he really meant was: he wanted to persuade his wife to go to the provincial capital with him. When they had a child, the three of them could be together—how happy would that be?

Fang Yuan suddenly said, “So what, are you planning to die or something?”

Lu Chuan was completely caught off guard. “What are you talking about?”

Fang Yuan said, “Otherwise, how would the child not have a father?” Her logic wasn’t wrong.

Lu Chuan got a bit anxious, trying to steer things back to a romantic mood. “I mean, if you stay here and I’m in the provincial capital, it’s like the child doesn’t have a father.”

Fang Yuan just looked at him, unimpressed. “Why are you making such a fuss?”

Lu Chuan knew that whenever he tried to take a roundabout approach with Fang Yuan, he’d always end up the one getting frustrated. If you couldn’t be straightforward, you’d drive yourself crazy.

So he decided to be direct. “Why don’t you come to the provincial capital with me? We’ll rent a place, and when you have the baby, I can help out.”

Fang Yuan replied, “Do you even know yourself? If I have a baby, do you really think you’d be more useful than the two moms at home?”

It was the honest truth, but it still stung—especially for Lu Chuan. Couldn’t she just say yes to coming to the provincial capital?

Lu Chuan’s face darkened and he gritted his teeth. “Fang Yuan, you can have the baby yourself.”

He turned over and went to sleep. Did she think he didn’t have a temper? Who was he doing all this for, anyway?

Thank you all for reading.

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(End of Chapter 114)"