A Rough Man Has A Handsome Husband (BL) - Chapter 12

Zhao Xiangbei scratched his head and grinned, taking the water bowl and gulping it down in big sips. He wiped his mouth and said,
“It’s cool and sweet. I feel refreshed after drinking it.”

Tang Xiaofu felt a little uneasy, worried that the taste of the spiritual spring water might be different from regular well water. He quickly shoved the clay jug into the man’s arms and said,
“Go pour a bowl for Dad and the others. Mom made handmade noodles today, so hurry up and eat.”

The man took the jug, gripping Tang Xiaofu’s hand for a moment, flashing a bright smile with his white teeth.

“Alright!”

Tang Xiaofu jolted like he had been burned, his ears turning red. He quickly turned around and skipped away.

“Uh… I’ll just go… wander around! You all eat first!”

Zhao Xiangbei’s grin faded slightly. His deep eyes followed Tang Xiaofu’s retreating figure, and the corner of his lips curled up in a slight smile.

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Tang Xiaofu sat on a stone slab under a tree, holding a bowl of water while gazing at the distant mountains.

In this time and place, the wild plants in the mountains weren’t protected, so people could still harvest them.

Wild mushrooms, hazelnuts… Just thinking about them made his mouth water.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him, blocking his view. Someone grabbed his hand.

“Ah! Xiaofu, you’re awake! I was so worried about you! I heard you jumped into the river for Scholar Lin. You’re already married—why would you do something like that?”

Tang Xiaofu frowned and looked up.

The speaker was a delicate young man in a light green cotton robe, with a red mole between his eyebrows. His features were fine, and he had a slender build.

This was Du Ming, the carpenter’s son—a childhood friend of the original Tang Xiaofu.

Du Ming’s eyes were red, his face full of concern.

But… why did his words sound so irritating?

Tang Xiaofu’s clear black-and-white eyes locked onto Du Ming. Without hesitation, he pulled his hand back and said calmly,
“I accidentally fell in. It had nothing to do with anyone else. If you keep spreading gossip about Scholar Lin, damaging his reputation, and affecting his exams, his mother will come to tear your mouth off.”

Du Ming choked on his words, stomping his foot in frustration.

“Xiaofu, I was just worried about you! Why are you speaking so harshly? Everyone in the village knows! They all say you’re shameless, trying to seduce—AH! Are you crazy?!”

Before he could finish, Tang Xiaofu splashed water all over his face. His expression turned cold.

“What a waste of my water. Your filthy mouth doesn’t deserve it.”

Du Ming was drenched, looking utterly humiliated. His face turned red with rage.

“Why would you do that?! You were the one who embarrassed yourself! I was just reminding you out of kindness!”

He shrieked, but before he could say more, Tang Xiaofu grabbed his hair and yanked it down sharply.

“Tell me—is my husband not strong enough? Are his legs too short? Why would I need to go after some frail scholar? If you like him so much, why don’t you go find a matchmaker instead of barking at me like a dog?”

“Ow! Ow! My head!” Du Ming was forced to bend over, his scalp burning with pain. He shrieked,
“You—you sickly brat! You shameless—AH! Let me go!”

Tang Xiaofu’s body was still weak. Just this little bit of effort left him slightly out of breath.

But he had gotten the answer he wanted. His expression calmed.

Letting go of Du Ming, he sat back down, speaking indifferently,
“I don’t care what others say. But if I catch you gossiping about me again, I won’t be so polite next time.”

Better to throw one punch now than take a hundred later.

The usually gentle and quiet “little rabbit” had just shown his fangs.

Du Ming was a little scared, his face red with anger. He pointed a trembling finger at Tang Xiaofu, about to curse.

“You—you—!”

Just then, Yan from the Shi family, a nearby neighbor, hurried over to break up the fight.

He pulled Du Ming away, his eyes anxious and red, but he still smiled politely at Tang Xiaofu.

“Xiaofu, don’t be mad. Du Ming has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Maybe he was just in a bad mood and got too impatient.”

Tang Xiaofu raised an eyebrow, deep in thought.

Yan’s features were barely passable, but…

Why did his voice sound so familiar?