The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book)- 3

 

| TBBOTOF | 3

Tang Xu had a go-with-the-flow personality. Even though he found himself inserted into a story as a minor character that he couldn't help but ridicule internally, he didn't think it was an insurmountable hurdle.

Good or bad, he believed that he was responsible for his own life. Blaming others for his own circumstances was out of the question.

So, even as Liu Xiangxiang continued to follow him and curse at him while he was making a fire, Tang Xu pretended not to hear her.

After ranting for a while without any response from Tang Xu, Liu Xiangxiang saw him opening the rice jar to scoop out rice. With a stern face, she shouted, "Have you become mute? Can't you hear me talking to you?"

Tang Xu noticed a few cloth bags in the rice jar. Upon opening them, he found sorghum rice, some yellow rice, and a very small amount of white rice. After a moment's thought, he decided to mix some yellow and white rice to make porridge.

As soon as Liu Xiangxiang saw him scooping out the white rice, she immediately reached out to stop him. "Who do you think you are, eating white rice? White rice is for your little brother. Put it down!" Her movements were forceful, and she snatched away the bowl Tang Xu was using to scoop rice.

Tang Xu was almost amused by her reaction but didn't bother to argue with her for the bowl. 

Instead, he reached out and grabbed a handful of white rice, tossing it into the basin. He then stirred it with his hand, mixing the yellow and white rice together. "If I don't eat enough and faint again, you'll have to spend money to take me to the doctor. Otherwise, I'll tell everyone in the village that you're trying to starve me to death."

Liu Xiangxiang looked at him in shock, clearly not expecting him to say such things.

Even though this situation hadn't happened yet, she could already imagine how the villagers would react once they heard Tang Xu's words.

The more Liu Xiangxiang thought about it, the angrier she became, raising her hand to strike him.

Tang Xu didn't flinch; instead, he moved closer. "Go ahead, hit me. Hit me hard on the face. After you're done, I'll go around the village and tell everyone that my mother won't feed me and hits me. It seems like you're trying to force me, the 'worthless' one, to die just to make yourself happy."

Liu Xiangxiang found it impossible to lower her raised hand.

She never expected that Tang Xu's personality would change so drastically just because he woke up after being submerged in the river for a while.

Seeing her standing there staring at him in shock, Tang Xu smirked sarcastically. "If you're not going to hit me, then step aside and don't delay my cooking."

With that, he carried the basin to rinse the rice and then poured it into the pot to cook porridge.

Liu Xiangxiang remained beside him, watching him skillfully make the porridge and knead the dough, her brows furrowing more and more.

"Don't you have anything else to do?" Tang Xu had memories of the previous Tang Xu, and during this time, Liu Xiangxiang would usually be inside the house doing some simple sewing or helping out in the fields with the family's work. Seeing her standing in front of him now, he figured she must have been surprised by his changed attitude.

But it didn't matter to him. He couldn't be like the previous Tang Xu, who obediently served the family despite everything. He couldn't adopt his patient and tolerant nature and be friendly to others even if it made him feel uncomfortable, he wouldn't tolerate any nonsense.

Tang Erhureturned from the fields, entering the courtyard and not seeing anyone around. He called out, "I'm back!"

Liu Xiangxiang came out of the kitchen. "You're back early today, but the food isn't ready yet."

Tang Erhu put down the hoe on his shoulder. "Nothing much going on, so I came back early. Brother is starting to build a house, so after eating, I'll go help him."

Liu Xiangxiang pursed her lips and muttered, "Building a house during the busy farming season, their family always has so much going on."

Tang Erhu heard her and chuckled, saying to her, "Both of Big Brother's sons are engaged. Isn't it urgent to build a house? Otherwise, where will the new daughters-in-law live when they come in?"

Liu Xiangxiang just snorted and didn't say anything else. She knew well that her husband genuinely cared for his two brothers. If she didn't keep an eye on things, he would be quick to give away anything valuable from their home to his brothers' families.

Tang Xu heard the voices and came out of the kitchen, seeing Tang Erhu he called out, "Dad, the food is ready. Wash your hands and come eat."

Tang Erhu looked at him and asked, "Is Xu Ge'er feeling better now?"

"Yeah, I feel fine now," Tang Xu nodded and turned back into the kitchen to bring out the porridge.

Tang Erhu looked at Liu Xiangxiang with some confusion and asked, "Doesn't Xu Ge'er seem different?"

Liu Xiangxiang sneered coldly. "He's just pretending to be tough after that illness!"

Tang Erhu sighed and pulled Liu Xiangxiang closer to him. "Stop picking on him all the time. Don't make a scene and let others laugh at us. Let's just eat."

Tang Xu cooked the porridge, made some pancakes, and since there was no meat at home, he picked some vegetable leaves from the garden, chopped them up, mixed them with egg, and fried a dish. He also made a stir-fry of pickled cabbage and shredded potatoes.

Liu Xiangxiang stood at the gate and shouted a couple of times until Tang Yang came back, covered in dirt as if he had rolled in mud from somewhere.

Liu Xiangxiang grabbed Tang Yang's ear and scolded him again, but Tang Yang's expression remained indifferent, showing that he was accustomed to being scolded.

Below Tang Xu, there were three younger siblings. The eldest, Tang Rui, was 12 years old and currently studying. He failed the scholar examination last year but planned to try again this year. Liu Xiangxiang spared no expense in educating him, sending him to a well-known private school in the county, where he stayed for three to four months at a time.

The eldest daughter, Tang Li, was 10 years old. She appeared obedient and well-behaved on the surface, but Tang Xu knew better. With a mother like Liu Xiangxiang who frequently resorted to physical punishment, the little girl's temperament was bound to be influenced negatively sooner or later.

The youngest, Tang Yang, was 6 years old, at the age when he was mischievous like a little monkey, jumping around every day. While children of his age in other households would start helping with lighter chores, Tang Yang was different. With older siblings doing the work, he preferred playing over working.

If it weren't for his disobedience in running to play by the river, he wouldn't have been nearly swept away by the water. Fortunately, Tang Xu was nearby washing clothes and heard the shouts for help. He jumped into the river to save the boy but ended up almost drowning himself. 

After being rescued and returning home, he was scolded and fell ill.

Liu Xiangxiang, being frugal, was reluctant to buy medicine for Tang Xu. She only continued to boil the herbal remnants for Tang Yang.

Despite Tang Yang's robust health, having recovered quickly after his river incident, Tang Xu remained unwell for almost half a month. With all the herbal remnants used up, Liu Xiangxiang didn't bother to purchase more medicine for him.

Without medicine and sufficient nutritional support, Tang Xu's fever persisted, eventually leading to his demise, which created an opportunity for Tang Xu to step in.

Tang Xu sat on a small stool and scooped some porridge for Tang Erhu, handing it over with a spoon. "Dad, you've worked hard."

Tang Erhu looked at Tang Xv in surprise. The child who usually kept his head down and spoke softly suddenly looked at him so openly, coupled with his visibly weak appearance, it was hard for Tang Erhu not to feel pity for him.

"Xu Ge'er complexion doesn't look good. Rest for a few days and don't do any work," Tang Erhu advised.

Tang Xu smiled but didn't respond. He knew well that even if he rested in bed, Liu Xiangxiang would still stand at the door and scold him. It was better to find something to do to keep himself occupied.

With this in mind, he suggested, "Dad, I'm feeling much better now. I've been cooped up in the house for a while. I'd like to go for a walk in the mountains this afternoon and see if I can pick some wild vegetables and fruits."

At this time of year, in late spring and early summer, with vegetables just sprouting in the fields, it was a time when there wasn't much variety available. Many families would take advantage of this less busy time to gather wild vegetables from the mountains, hoping to find some wild rabbits or chickens to add some meat to their meals.

Tang Erhu nodded in agreement. "Sure, go ahead."

Liu Xiangxiang wanted to say something, but she held back her words. If she said anything too harsh while the head of the household was present, she would only end up being reprimanded herself.

Despite appearing indifferent to household affairs on ordinary days, Tang Erhu was a typical patriarch. Once he agreed to something, any further opposition would likely lead to a physical altercation. Liu Xiangxiang had learned this the hard way, having been beaten several times for speaking out of turn or being too contentious. The pain from those beatings had taught her to be more cautious.

Tang Erhu tasted a piece of the scrambled eggs with chopped vegetables and couldn't resist taking another bite. The eggs were crispy and fragrant, the vegetables tender and flavorful. He nodded approvingly and complimented, "This dish is delicious."

Tang Xu simply rolled up a pancake with pickled vegetables and took a bite. Smiling at his father's praise, he responded, "As long as Dad likes it. When you come back from helping Uncle, I'll make some chicken soup for you. You've been working hard lately with all the farm work. You need to take care of yourself and not overwork."

His words were considerate and attentive. Despite Tang Erhu's large stature and hardworking nature, he knew his father needed some pampering too. Besides, Tang Xu was aware of the few chickens they kept at home. 

They hadn't eaten chicken since the last New Year's, so the prospect of chicken soup made Tang Erhu's mouth water instantly. "Sounds good, I'll stew a chicken, everyone can benefit from it."

Liu Xiangxiang almost had a heart attack listening to their conversation. They only had six hens, which were supposed to lay eggs for them to sell. Those chickens were her lifeline!

"But why should we eat chicken on an ordinary day? It's not a holiday or anything! Always thinking about eating, doing nothing all day!" she complained, her heart twisting in anguish.

Tang Xu remained impassive, sipping his porridge.

Tang Erhu furrowed his brow and shot her a stern look. "What are you blabbering about? Xu Ge'er is right. Chicken soup is good for our health. We all should have some."

His words silenced Liu Xiangxiang, but she couldn't eat anymore. Tang Xu, however, continued to enjoy his meal, savoring each bite of his porridge and pancake.

Thinking about finding some mushrooms in the mountains to stew with the chicken, Tang Li sipped her porridge and watched Tang Xu. After a moment's consideration, she spoke up, "Big brother, can I go with you to the mountains to pick vegetables?"

Tang Xu looked at her and smiled, "Sure, let's go together."

Tang Yang looked around and waved his chopsticks eagerly, "I want to go too, I want to go!"

Tang Xu chuckled, "Sure, I'll take you with us too."

Previous TOC Next