| TBBOTOF | 43
What does 'can't get off the kang' mean?
Tang Xu never thought that one day he would be pressed on the kang, tossing and turning unable to get up. Not only that, but his newly promoted Gong seemed to release the beast in his heart, not letting him get off the kang for three whole days.
Yes, three whole days! From sunrise to sunset for three days!
On the fourth day at noon, the glaring light shone through the window crack into the room, directly illuminating the face of the person sleeping soundly on the kang.
Outside the room, Wei Xi looked at his elder brother with some worry. He hadn't seen Brother Xu for three days, no, now he should be called Brother-in-law. He hadn't seen his brother-in-law for three days. Every time he asked his brother, his brother would smile and say, 'Your brother-in-law is tired and needs to rest.'
Wei Xi's face was bewildered. What could he have done to get so tired that he didn't leave the house for three days? Not only did he not leave the house, he didn't even let Wei Xi enter!
Three days had already been Wei Xi's limit to endure. Seeing his brother heading towards the kitchen, he pushed the door to enter the main room. His collar was grabbed, tightening around his neck, making it difficult for Wei Xi to breathe, and he let out a dry cough, his body being pushed to the side.
He touched his neck, glaring at his mischievous brother in annoyance, "What are you doing! What happened to Brother-in-law? If he's not feeling well, why don't you call the herbal doctor to take a look!"
As he spoke, his eyes turned red, "You said you would take care of Brother-in-law, how can you not call the doctor if he's sick!"
Wei Dong, facing his soft-hearted younger brother's scolding, said helplessly, "He's not sick, just tired."
How could he explain the aftermath of marital affairs to his younger brother who hadn't even reached the age of ten?
Well, he also knew that he had been a bit too rowdy these past three days, but he had to admit, it was really enjoyable.
Tang Xu, with his soft and weak body, had a fatal attraction to him. Once he entered the room, he didn't want to come out anymore!"
"Why tired? Brother-in-law didn't do anything on the wedding day either." Wei Xi continued to ask curiously, with vague thoughts flashing through his mind, but unfortunately, he was too young to understand.
Wei Dong waved his hand, telling him to go on his own, not to stand here, "You'll know when you get married."
Wei Xi was irritated by his perfunctory attitude, puffing up his cheeks, but since he couldn't barge into the room, he could only snort angrily and turn around to go back to his own room, stomping stubbornly.
Bad brother, he decided to be mad at him for the whole afternoon!
Inside the room, Tang Xu was finally awakened by the sunlight.
With one hand on his forehead, it took him a while to realize that he was alone in the room. He suddenly opened his eyes wide, bursting with joy.
Ah! Finally, no need to open his eyes and be pressed down! God knows what kind of days he had been through these three days!
Every day, he couldn't distinguish between day and night, only seeing his handsome face on the kang when he opened his eyes! Eating, drinking, and even going to the bathroom, all on the kang! Even if he were a fertile field, being plowed and sown so frequently would hurt!
He couldn't bear to recall it, he was afraid!
What kind of person did he marry!
Was that the stamina normal people should have!
Was that the intensity normal people should endure!
He was nothing but a beast in human skin!
Waaah, he is so pitiful.
He struggled to turn over and lay face down on the kang, burying his face in the pillow with a groan.
Poor me, with this fragile body, being tossed around like a rag doll.
He never thought he could endure being messed around with Wei Dong like this for three days straight, he was quite resistant himself.
His throat felt dry and itchy, his legs wouldn't close, the places that were overused burned with a fiery sensation, and his back ached as if it were about to break. Not only that, even lifting his arms or turning over required a great deal of effort.
What was the experience of turning over and sweating all over?
Tang Xu could testify firsthand, it was an experience worse than death. It felt good at first, but afterwards, it was just utterly exhausting.
The sounds of his shuffling on the kang were very light, but the man outside seemed to have ears like the wind, hearing everything clearly.
Wei Dong pushed open the door and entered the room. Seeing Tang Xu struggling to sit up on the kang, he walked over in large strides and lifted him up. With a sweep of his waist, the soft body fell into his arms.
Tang Xu shuddered, trembling lips turning to look at him, eyes full of fear, "Y-you, you, you, you're not thinking of doing it again, are you!"
Wei Dong looked at his swollen lips, swollen eyes, reddened cheeks, and the purplish-red marks on his fair skin exposed under the thin blanket, his gaze deepening slightly, his Adam's apple rolling a few times.
Alarm bells rang in Tang Xu's mind, but unfortunately, his body was too weak to struggle free. He could only be held in his arms, watching helplessly as those malicious hands reached into the blanket, rubbing here and pinching there.
"Waaah..." Tang Xu was about to cry again.
Having such a sensitive body was definitely not what he wanted!
Wei Dong kissed his reddened nose tip, hoarsely saying, "I won't do it anymore, just massage your waist for you."
Tang Xu widened his eyes in pleasant surprise, tears pooling as he looked at his old Gong who seemed like a hunter. "Really? Do you swear?"
"Yeah," Wei Dong bit his lip again, unable to resist, and leaned down forcefully, "Really, rest well for a few days."
Tang Xu trembled again, lifting his head shakily to meet those diligent black eyes, swallowing hard.
"Um, can we discuss something?" His tone was pitiful, and Wei Dong raised an eyebrow, "Hmm?"
"Whatever it is, we can't use it too frequently, or it'll break!"
"...Well described, I can visualize it now."
"And I have a lot of work to do. If you tire me out like this, I won't be able to do anything!"
...He could do work.
"I haven't even gone back home! Wasn't it said that I should return within three days? Can you do it yourself?"
...He really forgot about that.
Wei Dong kept a straight face, not saying a word, just staring at his lips opening and closing. Tang Xu felt his body heating up under his gaze, and he anxiously shifted his hips.
Waaah, he really didn't want to continue anymore. Even though the process felt really good, soul-shakingly good, he didn't want it now. He wanted to recuperate, to replenish his strength.
His expression was too genuine, and Wei Dong sighed, pressing him down.
"Don't move, if anything happens, it won't be my fault." His tone was particularly forceful, and Tang Xu instantly softened.
Closing his eyes, he leaned into Wei Dong's embrace, his forehead pressing against the thick chest muscles, whimpering, "You almost killed me!"
"Don't say nonsense." Wei Dong lifted him up and placed him on the kang, fetching clothes for him to wear. After three days, his clothes were finally back on him, and Tang Xu burst into tears with a cry.
So touched!
As he was being dressed, Tang Xu felt fortunate that the shirt was loose and the pants were generously sized, making it easy to put on.
"I want to wear underwear." He couldn't accept the idea of hanging crotch pants.
Wei Dong grunted and helped him into a clean pair of underwear before putting on his outer pants.
"Can you help me walk around a bit? My legs are weak." Half paralyzed and trying to recover, he guessed his current condition was not much better. Even taking a step was genuinely difficult.
His hip bones, tailbone, lower back muscles, thigh muscles, every part of him was sore. The soreness was accompanied by a lingering pain, a sensation only those who had experienced it would understand. He wished he could kneel on the ground and never get up again.
Waaah, he was really struggling.
Every few steps, he would turn his head and glare at the man supporting him, his eyes watery, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that every glance was seductive. He had no idea how enticing he was right now.
Wei Dong took a deep breath, reminding himself that he must endure it, or else he would really annoy him.
If he couldn't eat, at least he could touch, and not even being allowed to touch was not what he wanted.
Thankfully, the main room connected to the hall and the side room. Walking slowly through the doorway, they circled the room three times, breaking a light sweat and feeling a bit more agile on his feet. Although he still moved slowly due to soreness, at least he could push away the big hand next to him.
To be honest, Tang Xu didn't even need Wei Dong to extend his hand; just one glance from him was enough to make him swoon.
"I want to go outside and breathe fresh air!" Three days without sunlight had left him feeling wilted.
Humans need photosynthesis!
He was still young and needed calcium!
Wei Dong grunted and reached out beside him, but Tang Xu swatted his hand away with a snap. Grumpily, he snarled at him, "I don't need your help!"
Wei Dong raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"
Tang Xu shuddered, sniffing, "Cook porridge for me. I want to eat millet porridge and a salted duck egg." He had used a method of soaking the salted duck eggs in wine and salt to shorten the curing time, making it less likely to spoil. He had eaten one yesterday, and it tasted good, but the duck egg yolk didn't release much oil, which was a bit regrettable.
Wei Dong nodded.
"More rice, less water, don't make it too watery or too dry!" Tang Xu had to add a reminder, as heaven knew how frustrating it was to eat Wei Dong's cooking for the past three days.
Honestly, if he wasn't afraid of starving to death on the kang, he'd rather not eat!
Wei Dong looked reluctant, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "How about I carry you to the kitchen, and you add the water yourself?"
Tang Xu: "..."
Fine, it seemed like his man understood his cooking skills. Waaah, he was really struggling. He lifted his arms, "Just carry me."
And then he was hoisted up by his butt.
This position was worse than being carried like a princess!!! Tang Xu buried his face in Wei Dong's neck, playing dead.
"What's wrong with Brother-in-law?" Wei Xi came out of his room and saw Tang Xu being carried out, quickly coming over to ask, "Brother-in-law, are you feeling unwell?"
Tang Xu angrily opened his mouth and bit down hard on the side of Wei Dong's neck.
His face!
Gone!
Wei Dong's muscles tensed instantly as he was bitten, his rigid muscles making it difficult even for teeth to penetrate. Tang Xu slapped his shoulder angrily and muttered quietly, "Let me down!"
Wei Dong obediently complied this time and set him down.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Tang Xu turned to look at Wei Xi coming over from behind, forcing a smile, "Xiao Xi, why aren't you taking a nap?"
If he took a nap, he wouldn’t have to see him in such an embarrassing situation!
"I was just about to sleep, I’m going to the toilet." Wei Xi glanced at Tang Xu, from his crimson eyes, pink cheeks, and cherry-red lips to the red marks on his neck, and suddenly blushed.
He understood, he understood now!
Ah, he knew why Brother Xu hadn't come out all this time!
Blushing, Wei Xi hurriedly walked past the two of them, almost wanting to run if his physical condition allowed it!
Tang Xu wore a puzzled expression, wondering what was going on? Was he in such a rush to pee?
Wei Dong glanced at his younger brother's hurried figure and let out a soft chuckle from his nose.
Tang Xu looked up at him, "What are you laughing at?"
"Wei Xi has grown up," Wei Dong replied inexplicably, leaving Tang Xu puzzled.
Oh well, his stomach was growling right now, and his brain wasn't working well. He didn't want to strain his brain.
The dishes leftover from the banquet were long gone, and the brothers' lunch was just enough to get by. Now, the kitchen was already cleaned up, and the bowls and chopsticks were put away in the cupboard.
"You scoop the rice, I'll go get the duck eggs," Tang Xu pushed Wei Dong.
Wei Dong went to the room where the rice was stored and scooped a bowl of millet. The golden millet was bright and fresh. When he brought it over, Tang Xu saw it and asked, "Is this year's new millet?"
"Yeah, it was delivered yesterday," Wei Dong replied. Although he didn't farm himself, he knew roughly the planting and harvesting times for the few crops they grew each year since they rented out the land.
Tang Xu nodded and asked him to wash the rice while he scooped water into the clay pot and lit the stove. After cleaning the salted duck eggs, he threw them directly into the pot to cook with the millet, making it easier.
"I'm going back to my father's place tomorrow, so I have to return to the house." Tang Xu looked at the fire, then turned to Wei Dong, "What do you think?"
Wei Dong nodded, "Okay, I'll go buy something."
"What are you buying?"
"A return gift."
"What kind of return gift?"
Forgive him for not understanding these things, after all, he had only been married once. Wei Dong wasn't too sure either, so he thought for a moment and said, "I'll ask my eldest aunt later. If we don't have it at home, I'll buy it in town."
The millet porridge in the clay pot was already bubbling, and Tang Xu stirred it with a spoon, then nodded in agreement, "Shouldn't we also go to your eldest aunt's house to give her a thank-you gift? She helped a lot during the banquet."
Wei Dong replied, "We've already thanked her. After you finish eating, go rest in the room. For dinner," he initially wanted to say that he would cook when Tang Xu came back, but seeing Tang Xu staring at him intently, he changed his mind and said, "For dinner, you can cook when you wake up. I'll prepare everything beforehand."
Tang Xu thought for a moment. It had been a while since he had eaten dumplings. "Buy some meat, with both lean and fat, and bring it back. We'll use it for the filling. Don't buy too much, just enough for one meal. I'll make some cabbage and pork dumplings tonight."
"Okay," Wei Dong nodded, then asked, "What are dumplings?"
"...Dumplings, have you never eaten them?" Tang Xu looked at him uncertainly, "They're cooked in water."
Wei Dong nodded and shook his head, "I've eaten the steamed ones, the big ones, but not the boiled ones."
Tang Xu leaned over and rubbed his face against his, pitying him, "Poor thing, you haven't eaten anything. I'll make some for you tonight."
Wei Dong chuckled and hugged him, pinching his waist lightly.
Tang Xu's body jolted as if electrified, glaring at him embarrassedly.
Rascal!
After drinking a bowl of hot and thick millet porridge, his stomach finally felt comfortable. Tang Xu sighed and shooed Wei Dong out of the house, then went back to his room to sleep.
It's not that he was lazy, it's just that he hadn't slept well these past few days. Sleeping had become a strenuous activity, thanks to Wei Dong.
Before leaving the house with a basket on his back, Wei Dong went to the side room to check on Wei Xi. Seeing him lying on the kang with his head covered, Wei Dong reached over and pulled the blanket down, "Are you trying to suffocate yourself?"
Wei Xi's cheeks reddened with embarrassment, murmuring that he was choosing his pajamas.
"Brother, are you going out?"
"Yeah, I'm going to visit Auntie's house and then go to town. Don't disturb Xu Ge'er until he wakes up. Then you can go over." Wei Xi nodded obediently.
There is only a weak ger and a frail younger brother at home, Wei Dong felt uneasy if the door wasn't locked from the outside.
…
Seeing Wei Dong at the door, Wei Zhonghong was surprised, mainly because she had spent so much time with him recently that she felt their relationship had become quite close.
Wei Dong saw Wei Zhonghong's tired expression and sighed, asking her, "Any news from Ah Wei?"
"Someone came yesterday to deliver a message, saying he was going to Lishui County. I can't control him anymore, he can do whatever he wants." Wei Zhonghong was truly exhausted dealing with her son's single-mindedness.
Wei Dong didn't dwell on this topic that bothered her, instead explaining his purpose.
"Return visit? Didn't you two go back yesterday?" Wei Zhonghong was surprised. "Our custom here is to return to the bride's home the day after the wedding."
As someone who had gone through it before, Wei Zhonghong understood the implication of his words. She raised her hand and patted his arm, disapprovingly saying, "Don't get carried away. You need to control yourselves!"
Wei Dong nodded vaguely in response, whether he truly took it in was unclear.
Wei Zhonghong sighed, then continued, "It's already late for your return visit, so you should bring a heavier gift. Normally, just two pounds of meat and a piece of candy would suffice, but since I heard you've already bought cloth for them, just bring more meat."
Wei Dong felt it wouldn't do to just bring more meat; knowing how particular Xu Ge'er was, bringing extra meat alone wouldn't improve their reception. He didn't want to make things difficult for Xu Ge'er, but he also didn't say much about it, just thanked Wei Zhonghong and left.
Wei Dong was quick on his feet. Even though it was already past noon when he left (1 PM), he bought wine, meat, sugar, salt, and returned home by early evening (5 PM).
As he opened the courtyard gate, he saw Xu Ge'er and Wei Xi in the yard. Xu Ge'er was watering the vegetable garden, while Wei Xi was feeding the nearly grown chickens. Hearing the clanging of the gate, both of them stopped their work and looked over.
Wei Dong met their gaze, and his indifference instantly dissipated. He smiled and said, "I'm back."
Tang Xu waved to him with a smile, while Wei Xi called out, "Brother, what did you buy?"
"I bought a lot of meat and sugar, as well as wine and salt." Wei Dong walked over and put down the basket, gesturing for them to look.
Tang Xu went back to the house to pour him some water, waiting for him to finish drinking before saying, "You bought so much meat again."
"Since we're returning late, we can't skimp on the gift. I'll grind half into meat filling for dumplings, and the rest can be taken to your dad." Wei Dong went to wash his hands and face. It was now mid-June in the solar calendar, May 19th in the lunar calendar, and the weather was getting hotter.
Fortunately, living at the foot of the mountain meant it didn't get uncomfortably hot at night, and there was even some shade.
Tang Xu understood that Wei Dong was bringing such a lavish gift for his sake, probably to shut Liu Xiangxiang's mouth. If he didn't, his reputation might suffer.
"I won't need that much meat for making dumplings. Could you see if there's any tofu for sale? If there is, buy two blocks; if not, forget it."
Wei Dong shook his head and said, "There probably isn't any tofu left; they usually stop selling it in the afternoon."
"In that case, forget it. I'll make fried radish meatballs; they can last us for two days." Tang Xu saw him about to bend down to chop the meat and quickly reached out to stop him. "No rush, I'll go knead the dough first, and you can take a break."
"No need, I'm not tired."
Wei Xi was holding a bowl of chicken feed next to him, smiling as he watched the two of them chatting affectionately, laughing for quite a while. "I'm so happy~~"
Tang Xu turned his head to look at the child and asked, "Why are you happy?"
"It's just very happy. My brother rarely speaks so gently, I hardly ever see it! When he talks to Brother-in-law, he always smiles." Afraid that Tang Xu wouldn't believe him, Wei Xi raised his hand and pointed at Wei Dong, "See for yourself."
Tang Xu turned his head to look and met Wei Dong's smiling eyes.
He chuckled and nodded, "Your brother is indeed happy."
Wei Xi nodded in agreement, "That's right, my brother is so happy."
Wei Dong glanced at his younger brother, ignored him, and went to the kitchen with the meat to chop it into filling.
Tang Xu kneaded the dough while it rested, during which he took a large cabbage, peeled off the outer layer, chopped it up, and took it out to feed the chickens.
"Let me chop that." Wei Dong saw him washing the cabbage and spoke up.
Tang Xu responded with an "oh" and sat on the side, holding his face, watching him chop the meat filling. Wei Xi placed the chicken feed bowl on the ground and let the group of chickens come peck at it, then moved a small wooden stool to sit beside Tang Xu, imitating him by holding his face and watching his brother chop the meat filling.
Every time Wei Dong looked up, he saw the two of them in that posture, and couldn't help but ask with a smile, "What are you looking at?"
"Men who work diligently are especially handsome!"
"Brothers who work diligently are especially handsome!"
Tang Xu glanced sideways at Wei Xi, and they met each other's eyes, bursting into laughter.
Wei Dong looked helpless, but there was a deep warmth in his eyes.
After Wei Dong chopped the meat and cabbage and put them in the basin, Tang Xu went over to season them.
Because the cabbage has a lot of moisture, it needs to be salted and squeezed to remove the water before mixing it with the meat filling. Wei Dong took advantage of this waiting time to knead the dough again.
"Brother-in-law, teach me how to wrap dumplings." Wei Xi watched eagerly from the side, he had never seen such a smooth and soft dough before and wanted to pinch it.
Tang Xu understood his intention and handed him a piece of dough, "Here, feel this texture, don't use too much force when wrapping dumplings later."
He poured the mixture of scallions, ginger, and peppercorns into the meat filling, added salt and soy sauce, and then began to mix it.
This time, it was Wei brothers from the Wei family sitting on the small wooden stool, holding their faces watching him busy. To be honest, Wei Xi's actions were very cute, but Wei Dong...
He couldn't bear to watch.
Tang Xu shook his head with a smile, squeezed the water out of the cabbage and added it to the meat filling, continuing to mix. He lowered his head to smell the aroma, licked the tip of the chopsticks, and shook his head twice. The taste was just right.
Stretching the dough, pinching and rolling the dough, each round and smooth piece of dough was thrown onto the covered table, quickly forming a small mountain of dumpling wrappers.
Wei Dong and Wei Xi sat there watching his efficient movements, both of them with their mouths slightly open, amazed.
"Hmm!"
After rolling the dough for a while, Tang Xu turned around to wrap the dumplings, placing each round and plump dumpling neatly on the tablecloth. "Wei Dong, go boil some water, about half a pot."
Wei Dong nodded and got up to add firewood to the stove, while Wei Xi eagerly approached, "Brother-in-law, teach me, teach me." The piece of dough in his hand had already been kneaded into a dirty grayish-black color.
Tang Xu looked disdainfully at Wei Xi's hands, raised his chin, "Go wash your hands, use soap and scrub them clean."
When Wei Xi tried his hand at wrapping dumplings himself, he realized how difficult it was. If he wasn't careful, he would either put too much filling in, making it impossible to seal the wrapper, or too little, resulting in unattractive, flat dumplings.
He managed to wrap about ten and placed them aside, but he couldn't help but feel dissatisfied with his own work.
Meanwhile, the water in the pot had already boiled. Tang Xu lifted the cloth covering the dumplings and tilted it to pour them into the boiling water. He then instructed Wei Dong, who was watching the fire, "Later, gently stir them with a spoon."
Wei Dong nodded solemnly.
With plenty of dough and filling, Tang Xu made quite a few dumplings. He knew they couldn't eat them all at once, so he planned to steam the leftovers for breakfast the next morning, as they would spoil if left out for too long.
However, as he watched the two brothers eagerly devouring the dumplings without even sparing a word, he deeply doubted that there would be many left for breakfast.
The dumplings were so big that one was almost the size of Wei Xi's small fist. Despite that, both Wei Dong, with his seemingly bottomless stomach, and Wei Xi managed to eat around twenty each, if not for Tang Xu's intervention, the little boy might have made himself sick from overeating.
"You shouldn't eat so much even if it's delicious," Tang Xu frowned, disapprovingly looking at Wei Xi.
Every time this child ate his cooking, he seemed determined to stuff himself as if there would be no next meal.
Wei Xi nodded obediently while drinking the dumpling soup, "I understand, Brother-in-law, I'll control myself next time."
Tang Xu turned to look at Wei Dong, who was eating without any change in expression, his mouth twitched slightly, "Did you hear me?"
Wei Dong nodded solemnly and picked up a plump dumpling with his chopsticks, dipped it in vinegar, and then put the whole thing into his mouth, "Hmm."
"...I said it in vain!"
By the time Wei Dong put down his bowl, only a third of the dumplings remained wrapped.
Tang Xu quickly estimated that Wei Dong could eat around fifty dumplings.
This guy really lived up to his muscular physique and his ability to earn money quickly, otherwise, they wouldn't be able to feed his own stomach.
He covered the remaining boiled dumplings with a basin and placed it on the shelf in the storeroom, which was cooler, so they wouldn't spoil overnight.
"Who dug the well in the backyard?" Tang Xu thought that storing food in a cellar would be suitable, especially in an era without refrigerators, where it provided warmth in winter and coolness in summer.
"It was a man from town who specializes in digging wells. What's the matter?" Wei Dong thought Tang Xu wanted to dig another well in the front yard and continued, "I had him look at the front yard before, but he said he couldn't find water there, there’s no underground channels."
"No, I want to ask him if he can dig a cellar." Tang Xu gestured to him, "Then we can store a lot of things in the cellar."
Wei Dong remained silent, his eyes drifting to the half-hill in the outer courtyard, "I haven't heard of digging a cellar. If we can find someone to dig it, how about we dig that side of the hill?"
Tang Xu raised his hand and patted him, "What are you talking about? Digging a hill is risky, especially during rainy days, it could cause landslides. If the soil gets loose and we experience heavy rain for a few days, this mansion will be in danger."
Wei Dong nodded, now understanding the situation.
But why did Tang Xu know about this?
Tang Xu didn't see the confusion in his eyes and led him to the backyard. The weeds had been cleared away, and Wei Dong had specifically instructed Old Wu to leave behind several edible wild vegetables. Although the wild vegetables were now mature and flowering, they could be replanted after harvesting the seeds.
Since Tang Xu hadn't mentioned how he wanted the backyard to be arranged, although the land had been cleared, nothing had been planted.
Here's a side note: the large pit that Wei Dong had dug was further deepened by about half a meter. There was no need to pour water into it; the groundwater gradually seeped out from the soil layer. In just three or four days, the pit had already collected half a pool of water, albeit somewhat turbid. It would certainly be suitable for raising ducks and geese.
Tang Xu walked around the deep and large pool, his face full of joy. He grabbed Wei Dong's hand and shook it, "Let's go to the market someday and buy some ducks and geese to raise together."
He then pointed to the empty pigsty not far away, "I also want to get a couple of pigs, one boar and one sow. I'll raise the boar as a breeding pig." Wei Dong raised an eyebrow, "Are you planning to make money selling pigs in the future?"
Selling a pig could fetch three hundred copper coins. If they managed to raise a litter of more than ten piglets with the sow, it would be quite profitable. However, the number of piglets a sow could bear was a matter of luck, much like opening a mystery box.
"Selling them for money is an option, or we can just raise them for meat," Tang Xu replied, looking at him. The two of them strolled around the backyard, chatting leisurely, digesting their meal, "Actually, I've been thinking about starting a small business, but I don't really want to go out. It's quite a dilemma."
Tang Xu knew that even if he wanted to laze around like a salted fish, it wasn't possible right now. At the very least, he needed to work hard for another decade, save up some wealth on top of his current expenses, regardless of whether they had children to raise in the future. He still wanted to enjoy his retirement comfortably.
Wei Dong wasn't lazy either. Even though he hadn't been going up to the mountains recently, it was because of his recent marriage. But Tang Xu didn't want him to rely on hunting for a living in the future.
Well, to put it simply, it's too dangerous. He doesn't want his partner to take risks, constantly worrying about when he'll come down from the mountain and such. That's not the kind of life he wants.
Wei Dong lowered his head, waiting for him to continue.
Tang Xu glanced at his expression, realizing that what he had just said was too vague, and his partner didn't understand. So, he decided to be more direct.
"I don't want you to keep risking your life hunting in the mountains," Wei Dong was surprised, "Why not?"
"It's too dangerous. Usually, it's fine to go into the mountains to pick fruits and vegetables, but hunting? Who knows if you'll encounter tigers or black bears? You've encountered them before!" With that, Tang Xu glanced at Wei Dong several times.
Apart from those two scars, Wei Dong had many scars of varying depths on his body and legs, but they seemed to have been left from years ago, and there weren't any new ones.
But the absence of new scars didn't mean going into the mountains wasn't dangerous!
"The big beasts are mostly in the deep mountains and won't come to the smaller ones. Occasionally, there might be one or two wolves. In the smaller mountains, there are more wild boars, deer, and mountain goats." Wei Dong raised his arm and put it around Tang Xu's shoulder, pulling him close, smiling as he asked, "Are you worried about me?"
"Of course," Tang Xu gave him a side-eye, "I'm thinking about doing something else to earn money in the future. It definitely won't make as much as you do hunting deer in the mountains. It's a steady and consistent source of income, don't you think?"
Wei Dong nodded, "Right."
"I'm not saying you shouldn't go into the mountains at all. You can go into the mountains to check the traps, but come back early. If you catch any prey, you can sell it. If not, don't actively go after them, okay?" Tang Xu widened his eyes and rubbed his hands, "I can't stand being anxious all the time. Otherwise, you can take me into the mountains. We can go and come back together."
Wei Dong chuckled, then lowered his head to kiss Tang Xu's nose, "Okay, I'll listen to you. I'll stay at home with you."
"Hey! You don't have to do that," Tang Xu grinned foolishly, standing on tiptoe to nibble on his chin, "When the time comes, I'll see what I can do to earn a living, and you'll help me."
Wei Dong murmured in agreement.
The two of them strolled around the backyard for several rounds. Tang Xu looked up at the new pine cones growing on the pine trees, squinting his eyes slightly. Suddenly, he asked, "What happened to those pine cones before? Did you pick them?"
"They were burned." Wei Dong looked towards the few trees on the hillside, "I originally wanted to clear the mountain when I bought this land, but the old folks in the village said it would affect the Feng Shui. They told me not to mess with things I didn't understand."
The more Tang Xu listened, the more mysterious it sounded. Feng Shui?
But considering that Wei Dong and Wei Xi were living relatively well without making much noise, they might indeed have something to do with Feng Shui.
"Wait, you said the pine cones were burned? What about the pine nuts inside? Weren't they harvested?"
Wei Dong shook his head, "I didn't pay attention. I don't think so." Anyway, he hadn't seen Tang Xu staring at the sharp pine needles for half a day before suddenly smacking his own forehead.
The movement was too sudden, the sound too loud, and Wei Dong was startled.
"What are you doing? Why did you hit yourself? Does it hurt?" Seeing the red mark on his forehead, Wei Dong felt sorry for him and quickly blew on the area several times.
He blew on Tang Xu's forehead as if blowing fairy dust, thinking it would stop hurting.
Tang Xu lowered his eyelids to let him examine, pouting, "This isn't the pine tree that produces pine nuts!"
"Yeah, if it's not, then it's not. What's wrong? Do you want to eat pine nuts? I can go to the mountain to pick some for you. There are plenty of trees like that in the mountains." Wei Dong rubbed his forehead, making it redder, feeling guilty.
He let go of Tang Xu's hand and pulled him away from there, coaxing him, "I've seen what you're talking about. There's a small animal with a big tail that looks like a mouse, and it goes to pick those fruits and carries them away."
"That must be the pine cone fruit that can produce pine nuts. One day, you'll take me to see it. I feel like there are still many trees in the mountains that can bear fruit!" Chestnuts, walnuts, he didn't believe there were none in Xiaoyou Mountain! If he could bring them all back, he'd know what to sell!
The people here usually only ate peanuts and melon seeds as dried fruits, although they were cooked and fried, the variety was just these two. If he could find walnuts and pine nuts, he'd make some nut candies to sell. He didn't believe he wouldn't make money!
He thanked the original book's author for not being picky about food. Sobbing, this was like giving him a cheat code!
Tang Xu mentally thanked and worshipped, very grateful!
He grinned widely, looking like he was glowing with happiness, which left Wei Dong puzzled.
He reached out and pushed up his chin a bit to prevent drool from flowing down his mouth corners.
Tang Xu chuckled and came back to reality, asking him, "Are there walnut trees and chestnut trees in the mountains?"
"Yes, there are plenty of them. Yuanbao Mountain has some, and Xiaoyou Mountain has even more. No one picks them because they're not used to eating them. Some wealthy families in the county town will buy some. Why? Do you want to sell walnuts?"
"What about chestnut trees?"
"What do chestnut trees look like?"
"Well, how should I describe it to you? The fruit is prickly, and then it splits open, revealing little things with black shells inside." Tang Xu explained and gestured, but then realized Wei Dong still didn't understand.
He did his best.
"Oh well, I'll look for them when we go into the mountains someday!" Wei Dong nodded. Alright, whatever he said, this person was determined to go into the mountains with him.
So they might as well go. Nowadays, they didn't have to rush to come down from the mountains. With enough food left for Wei Xi, they were well-prepared to stay overnight in the mountains.
Thinking about staying overnight, Wei Dong's eyes lit up.
Tang Xu was full of thoughts about going into the mountains to find treasures, all sorts of mountain delicacies flashing through his mind, completely unaware that his partner was thinking about collecting yellow waste materials, whether from the outdoors or from other sources!
Some things, some people, really dared to think and do so!
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