| TBBOTOF | 50
It was just a casual stroll for the two husbands on a rural path at night, but who would have thought that the conversation would suddenly turn heavy. Tang Xu pursed his lips and remained silent for a while, feeling a tightness in his chest that made it difficult to breathe. The dark clouds were gradually gathering in the sky, and the moisture in the air was increasing, with the damp smell of soil emanating.
It looked like it was going to rain, and it seemed like it would be quite heavy.
Wei Dong bent down, pinched Tang Xu's arms that were hugging him without a word, and lifted him up. "Hold on tight, I'm going to start running."
Tang Xu obediently wrapped his arms around Wei Dong's neck and his legs around his waist, feeling embarrassed to bury his face in the man's neck. "Can't you just carry me normally?"
"Same thing," Wei Dong said, hands supporting Tang Xu's thighs, and he started running with his strong legs.
Despite trying hard to stabilize himself, Tang Xu's body still swayed with Wei Dong's movements.
Even the large raindrops falling on his face couldn't cool down his burning cheeks. Tang Xu sniffed and hoarsely asked, "Are we almost home?"
"Mm." Wei Dong ran quickly, turning onto the path to the back door and whistling at the big mule standing under the eaves, trying to avoid the rain. "Let's go."
The big mule trotted towards him with long strides, following him into the front yard.
Passing by the chicken and pig pens, everything seemed fine; the livestock knew to find shelter from the rain.
Tang Xu, illuminated by the lightning, saw the mother rabbit nestled among a group of young hens, staying still and obedient.
"What about the mule?" With such a fierce storm, where could they shelter such a large animal?
"Take it to the west wing's side building; that empty room can accommodate it." Wei Dong set Tang Xu down and patted the mule's neck. "You go back to the house first; I'll tidy up the yard."
Tang Xu acknowledged with an "oh" but didn't listen to him. He gathered various tools from the corner of the wall into a large backpack and pulled down several clothes that had been soaked by the rain from the clothesline.
Nothing else in the yard was at risk of getting soaked, so he carried the basket back into the house.
After putting things away, he ran to the east wing, where he found Wei Xi lying on the kang. Seeing that there were no leaks from the windows, Tang Xu felt relieved. "Are you afraid of thunder?"
Wei Xi shook his head. "I'm not afraid. Brother, you should go take a shower quickly; it's easy to get sick with wet hair."
Tang Xu looked at him. "You haven't taken your herbal medicine yet."
Wei Xi buried his head under the blanket, revealing his big eyes. "You haven't taken yours either."
Tang Xu looked at him.
Wei Xi looked at him.
Alright, neither of them had taken their medicine today.
"Are you sure you'll be fine without taking yours for a day?" Tang Xu knew that his medicine and Wei Xi's medicine had different effects; skipping his own wouldn't cause any harm, but Wei Xi couldn't afford to miss his.
Wei Xi felt a bit embarrassed and looked away, whispering, "When I was little, I found the herbal medicine soup too bitter, so a few times when my brother wasn't looking, I poured it out and pretended to drink it. But he found out later and gave me a good beating, so I never dared to do it again."
Tang Xu shook his head helplessly. "You were quite a little rascal. Alright, we won't drink it today then. We'll have it tomorrow morning after breakfast."
Wei Xi nodded vigorously. "Brother, you're so kind!"
When Tang Xu returned to the main house, Wei Dong was already inside, using a towel to dry his hair.
"Such heavy rain," he sighed, wiping the rainwater off his face. "Do you think there'll be landslides with this much rain?" Wei Dong frowned. "Are you afraid of living at the foot of the mountain?"
"I'm afraid of getting buried if it happens," Tang Xu retorted, rolling his eyes at him, "but it looks like we don't need to worry."
Wei Dong grunted. "I've seen even heavier rain than this; it'll be fine, no need to be afraid. Are you going to take a shower? I'll boil some water for you."
Tang Xu waved his hand, taking off his clothes. "No need, I cleaned up when I came back this afternoon. Let's just sleep; I'm tired today."
After they finished washing up and lay down on the kang, Wei Dong turned over and hugged Tang Xu, his voice indifferent. "Neither you nor Wei Xi took your medicine today."
Tang Xu looked surprised. "How did you know?"
"I didn't smell the herbal medicine," Wei Dong lightly nibbled at Tang Xu's nose, "You should listen to the old man's words."
"Why aren't you mentioning Xiao Xi?" Tang Xu pouted, "It was his idea not to drink it today."
"He's skipped it more than once or twice," Wei Dong snorted, holding the person in his arms tighter and pressing half of his body against him, "Are you not drinking it because you don't want a child?"
Tang Xu's body stiffened.
Feeling like his thoughts had been seen through with just one sentence was truly terrible! Wei Dong sighed and pressed down on him again.
Tang Xu pushed him away. "Are you trying to suffocate me? Get off, I can't breathe."
Wei Dong shifted his body back a bit but still kept Tang Xu in his embrace. "Answer me."
"What?" Tang Xu pretended to be clueless.
Wei Dong pinched his waist teasingly, causing Tang Xu to laugh and try to dodge backward. "Okay, okay, stop pinching me."
"Go on."
"I just feel like we've just gotten married, and I don't want a child so soon to disrupt our time alone together," Tang Xu patted his side, "Just the two of us spending time together, when we have a child lying here, what else do you think we can do?"
Wei Dong pursed his lips and remained silent.
"Considering you practically raised Xiao Xi single-handedly, do you think our child will be more obedient than him?" Tang Xu asked.
Wei Dong furrowed his brows, remaining silent.
Tang Xu poked his cheek with his finger. "In another two years, when Xiao Xi's health is better, and we start living a more settled life, we can consider having a child then."
"Okay." As long as it wasn't because he didn't want to have a child with him, Wei Dong felt relieved. The rain fell intermittently for three days.
After the rain stopped, Tang Xu took the reddish-brown cloth he bought and went to the Tang family's old house.
Wei Dong took Wei Xi up the mountain. It wasn't just the two of them; they also brought the mule. Tang Xu had only heard of people taking dogs up the mountain for hunting, never of anyone taking a mule up. What was Wei Dong thinking?
"After three days of rain, there must be something caught in the traps, and bringing the mule along can help carry it down."
Tang Xu said with a hint of doubt in his eyes.
Wei Dong glanced at his excited younger brother who knew he was going up the mountain with him, then raised an eyebrow at Tang Xu in resignation.
Tang Xu understood; the mule carrying something down the mountain likely wasn't prey but Wei Xi. Since they had left after having breakfast and taking their medicine, it was already mid-morning. If Tang Xu went back and forth, it would take about an hour and a half.
"If only we had a bicycle," Tang Xu muttered as he walked with a bamboo basket slung over his shoulder, thinking to himself, Walking like this every day is unbearable! His legs are getting thicker!
"Xu Ge'er!" A voice called out from the nearby fields as Tang Xu walked ahead with his head down.
Turning his head, he saw his foster father.
Tang Xu's face lit up with joy as he waved at him and loudly responded, "Dad!"
"Dad, come here quickly!" Tang Xu even hopped a couple of times, so happy.
Tang Erhu smiled as he climbed out of the field, "How come you're here? Don't always run to your parent's house for no reason." He said so, but the expression on his face showed the joy of seeing his own son. Clearly, being a father made him miss his child.
Tang Xu grinned at him and took out a paper-wrapped bundle from his basket, handing it over. "I didn't go out these past few days, so I made some snacks. Dad, take these back for Ah Li and Ah Yang to enjoy."
When Tang Erhu took it, he handed over two more paper-wrapped bundles, "This one is spicy dried tofu, Dad, try the taste, and the other one is five-spice flavored."
The spicy dried tofu strips were Tang Xu's creation from the past few days of idleness. Unable to go out, he decided to make use of their strong family member to help grind soybeans and make tofu and fried tofu.
After making the spicy dried tofu, it received unanimous praise from the Wei brothers, although Wei Xi only took a bite of the spicy one, opting for the five-spice flavor instead.
Tang Erhu glanced at the three paper-wrapped bundles in his arms, looking somewhat indifferent.
"I can't go back now, and since you're going home, just take these with you," he suggested.
"I'm not going home," Tang Xu said, showing him the cloth wrapped in oil paper from the basket, "I'm taking this fabric to Aunt Luo. If she finds out I didn't buy it for her, she'll scold me."
Tang Erhu knew he was right. "Alright, go ahead then."
"Dad," Tang Xu handed him a bamboo tube, "Here's some green bean soup."
Tang Erhu smiled, sitting on the embankment as he opened the lid of the bamboo tube and took a sip of the green bean soup. He sighed as if in admiration and said, "As long as you and Wei Dong are doing well, I can rest assured."
"Yeah, Dad, you don't need to worry about me," Tang Xu smiled warmly at him. "I'll be off now. Take care of yourself, especially in this hot weather. Don't work too hard in the fields."
Tang Erhu nodded with a smile and waved his hand. Tang Xu waved back before heading towards the Tang family's old house, where Luo Pingping was preparing lunch.
She had just returned from the new house, as her two daughters-in-law were about to enter, and she had been busy these past few days buying furniture and cleaning up over there.
Tang Zu and Tang Wei, the two brothers, had originally wanted to help tidy up, but they ended up being scolded by their mother, who said that with their strength, they should be doing more work in the fields.
"Is Aunt Luo at home?" Tang Xu called out from outside the courtyard wall. Luo Pingping, who was currently picking cabbage leaves, paused and straightened up to look outside. With the courtyard not too high, she could see half of Tang Xu's face. She exclaimed in surprise, "Xu Ge'er, why have you come? Come in quickly!"
Tang Xu entered the house and took out the cloth wrapped in oil paper from his basket, handing it over. "Aunt Luo, this is a gift for you."
Luo Pingping didn't quite understand his meaning at first, but when she looked at the cloth in her hand, she realized that although it wasn't bright red, the reddish-brown color suited her perfectly.
She happily ran her hand over the fabric, feeling its smooth and cool texture. "This fabric must be expensive, isn't it?" she asked, impressed by the quality, which was far superior to the fabric she usually bought for making clothes.
Tang Xu didn't really understand these things. When he bought the fabric, there were two shades of reddish-brown available, but he chose this one because it felt better and more comfortable to touch. He didn't remember much of what the fabric seller had said.
Hearing Luo Pingping's question about whether it was expensive, he just smiled and said, "As long as Auntie likes it. How expensive could it be? Besides, if it weren't for Auntie being so busy helping out on my wedding day, I would have been the laughingstock of the town."
Luo Pingping waved her hand at him. "Sit inside for a while. I've roasted some pumpkin seeds. Do you want some?"
"No, thanks. I came here specifically to give Auntie the fabric. It will surely dazzle my cousins with Aunties's beautiful dress before they get married!" Tang Xu chuckled at his own words.
Luo Pingping chuckled and pulled him back, "You have to come inside and have a drink of water. You've walked so far, aren't you tired?" She glanced at the basket hanging from Tang Xu's arm, seeing that there was nothing inside. "Why didn't you bring a water bag?"
"I brought some green bean soup, but I ran into my father in the field just now. His face was all red from the heat, so I gave him the green bean soup," Tang Xu explained. Since he was warmly invited to stay, Tang Xu didn't insist on leaving immediately.
Instead, he went to sit under the shade of the eaves on a small wooden stool. "I won't come inside; it's too hot. I'll just sit here."
Luo Pingping gave him a playful scowl, then turned to pour him a bowl of water. She also packed a large bag of roasted pumpkin seeds into the basket and handed it to him, grabbing a handful to put into his hands. "Try these and see if they're tasty."
Tang Xu thanked her and sipped the water while munching on the pumpkin seeds.
"They're delicious, Auntie. You're so capable," Tang Xu complimented. Roasted pumpkin seeds were indeed tasty, but they were also troublesome to prepare. They needed to be washed and dried properly; otherwise, they would look dirty.
Luo Pingping enjoyed listening to Tang Xu talk, so she grabbed a small wooden stool and sat down as well. As she peeled cabbage leaves, she asked him, "How does it feel to be married?"
"It's great. Wei Dong is different from the other men in the village," Tang Xu replied, noticing her curiosity and eager to boast about his husband's capabilities.
He began to praise Wei Dong's skills, "He helps me with so many things every day. He even washes my clothes for me. He says the well water is cold and he's afraid I'll freeze my hands. He took me to the town clinic to see the doctor and bought a lot of medicine for me to regulate my body. He also helps with all the chores at home. Let me tell you, Auntie, I'm so leisurely every day now. Besides cooking, he does everything with me."
Tang Xu's satisfaction with Wei Dong was genuine, not just for the sake of boasting about him.
Luo Pingping listened, feeling a sense of confusion washing over her.
How could a man handle all the household chores without feeling embarrassed? But seeing the happiness on her nephew's face, Luo Pingping couldn't help but feel that what Wei Dong did was right.
A man who is willing to share all the household chores with you shows that he cares about you and loves you. Listening to Tang Xu, even Luo Pingping felt envious.
"It's great to have a husband who cares for you," she remarked.
Tang Xu nodded, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at her. "Wei Dong may seem a bit aloof, but he's actually very passionate deep down!"
Luo Pingping chuckled, "Alright, alright, I know you're very satisfied with him."
Tang Xu grinned, unashamed, with a thick skin.
He glanced around, noticing that the newly built house was adjacent to the old one, with a side door on the courtyard wall. "I thought they would tear down this side of the courtyard wall," he remarked. After all, it was only made of adobe, and it wouldn't take much time to rebuild it if it were torn down.
Luo Pingping sighed at this and seemed eager to confide.
Tang Xu straightened up, showing concern. "Auntie, you seem a bit troubled. What's wrong? Tell me about it."
Seeing his eager expression, Luo Pingping couldn't help but laugh, though she spoke with a touch of annoyance. "It's your uncle. He keeps saying that now that the two boys are grown and married, it's time to divide the house. But I haven't even held my grandchildren yet! Why split the family now? Besides, those two young daughters-in-law have just come in. What can they do? If we split the family, they'll struggle to even get a meal within two and a half days."
Tang Xu chuckled at his aunt's agitation and poured her a glass of water. "Auntie, I live on my own too."
"But can it be the same? If those two were as capable as you, I would be eager to split the family!" Luo Pingping huffed. As someone about to become a mother-in-law, she naturally wanted a daughter-in-law who was capable, sensible, filial, and considerate.
In her eyes, her nephew was almost the perfect daughter-in-law, with hardly any flaws.
There was a time when he wasn't very good at comforting people, but he was always capable and filial. Even though his temperament had changed somewhat, his essence hadn't changed a bit; in fact, he had become even better.
Luo Pingping felt envious, not of Liu Xiangxiang, but of Wei Dong.
"True," said Tang Xu, nodding in agreement. "Wei Dong and I don't have to work as hard. It's because we don't have fields at home, only the vegetable gardens in the yard to take care of."
Tang Xu thought about the amount of land they would receive if the family split, and how their father and grandfather currently managed it. If they were left to handle it themselves, the yield might not be much.
Luo Pingping nodded, looking relieved. "I knew you'd agree with me. Your uncle insists that dividing the family after getting married leads to a good life for everyone. But what's so good about it? He's clueless. Why did they split? He's just an old-fashioned brute who knows nothing."
Tang Xu sipped water from his bowl. "Why did they split?"
Luo Pingping knew she shouldn't gossip with the younger generation, but Tang Xu's curious expression was too tempting, so she decided to chat with him a bit longer.
"You know what your mother's like, and your third aunt is similar," she said, her expression hard to describe. Tang Xu looked up at the sky, mentally equating his third aunt's personality with Liu Xiangxiang's, and shivered.
"Ah, then the house must have been lively."
More than lively, it was probably as bustling as a market.
"Hmph," scoffed Luo Pingping, recalling the year they all lived together before the family split. She felt like it was even more chaotic than a marketplace.
She almost got irritated by those two. "Your mother is so stingy that she wants to take advantage of every little thing, and your third aunt, when she sees your mother having something, she wants it too. If you don't give it to her, she'll start a fight. They're not comparing what they have with me, but with themselves."
Tang Xu widened his eyes, "Huh?"
Two adults acting like little children, wanting everything the children have. How shameless.
"One always demands money, the other always wants to take advantage," Luo Pingping finished, then snorted. "I don't know how they were raised in their families. They've both been spoiled rotten. Your father has a rough temper and doesn't pamper your mother so much. Liu Xiangxiang didn't cause much trouble back then, but your third aunt is different. She's got your third uncle wrapped around her finger, always going to your grandmother asking for things. One day it's a piece of candy, the next day it's an egg."
Tang Xu covered his face, trying not to laugh.
"Your grandmother has always treated her three sons the same, not favoring the youngest. If she's partial, it's probably towards your youngest sister before she turned three," Luo Pingping said with a light tone, tinged with a bit of schadenfreude. "Your third aunt openly compares herself to your sister, which annoys your grandmother. When your grandmother was young, she was quite formidable. Your grandfather couldn't argue with her. She insisted on splitting the family, and your grandfather reluctantly agreed."
Tang Xu nodded, "Grandma is truly formidable! Where is she?"
"She went out early with her old friends to the mountains, said they were going mushroom picking," Luo Pingping glanced at the sky, "I reckon they'll be back soon."
"Aunt, my mother isn't from our village, right?" Tang Xu suddenly asked.
Luo Pingping nodded, "Yeah, she's from Liu Family Village. Almost everyone there has the surname Liu."
"I haven't seen her go back to her family in these years, nor have I met my grandparents," Tang Xu said casually as he cracked pumpkin seeds.
Luo Pingping thought about his words for a moment and frowned, "It seems like your father didn't accompany her back. In theory, her relationship with her family should be good. When she was pregnant with you and about to give birth, she went back to her family.
As a result, she gave birth to you there. Your father only found out from someone else that his first child had been born. He rushed over to bring you back, but her mother stopped him. Your mother didn't want to come back, saying you were too fragile and she was afraid of not being able to take care of you properly."
A chill ran from Tang Xu's spine to his head. He took a deep breath, "Aunt, can I ask you something?"
Luo Pingping noticed his sudden seriousness and realized she might have said too much. With Tang Xu's sharp mind, he must have guessed something. She nervously put down the knife she was using to chop cabbage and sat up straight, rubbing her hands, "What do you want to ask?"
"When my mother brought me back, did all of you see me?" Tang Xu dusted off his hands, drank the remaining water in the bowl, "What was I like back then?"
Luo Pingping didn't need to strain to remember. At that time, Tang Xu was a small bundle, fair-skinned with big eyes, a tiny red dot between his eyebrows, and especially long eyelashes. She had never seen such a beautiful little ger.
"You were exceptionally good-looking, and you grew up well," she said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "But when your mother brought you back, it seems she didn't have breast milk. You were raised on rice soup, growing thinner and thinner. Your grandmother even scolded her, telling her to eat something good to replenish her body so she could breastfeed you. But she said the family couldn't afford it, and anyway, hunger wouldn't kill you."
Tang Xu took a deep breath, stood up, and said very seriously to Luo Pingping, "Aunt, I'm leaving."
"What?" Luo Pingping was stunned. Seeing him leave right after speaking, she quickly got up and chased after him, " Xu Ge'er? Xu Ge'er, what's wrong? Take the basket with you."
Tang Xu turned back to take the basket, pursed his lips, said nothing, and left.
As he passed by the fields, Tang Erhu noticed him and wondered why his own child didn't even greet him in passing.
Luo Pingping was now in a panic. When her mother-in-law returned, she grabbed her and hurried into the house, closing the door behind them.
"It's scorching outside, why did you close the door? Do you want to suffocate me?"
Wu Guizhi grumbled as she sat on the kang, her pants and shoes covered in mud. "What's wrong with you? Your face looks terrible. If you're not feeling well, just rest. At the very least, take some money and see a doctor. You're not young anymore, why don't you know how to take care of yourself?"
Luo Pingping turned around, handed her mother-in-law a bowl of water, and waited until she took a sip before saying, "Mother, Xu Ge'er came by just now."
Wu Guizhi raised her eyebrows in surprise. "How did he come by?" Considering the upcoming wedding in about seven or eight days, knowing Tang Xu's temperament, he probably came to bring something as a gift.
"He came to bring you a gift? That's a good thing, why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"
Luo Pingping sighed and explained that Tang Xu bought her a piece of fabric. They chatted for a bit, and then she mentioned some other things that might have made him uneasy. "He asked me, and I just casually mentioned it. Mother, what should we do? He didn't look well when he left."
"What can we do? What can we do?" Wu Guizhi picked up a back scratcher from the kang and seemed about to hit her. "Why are you so talkative!"
Luo Pingping felt wronged. She didn't mean to blurt out everything; it just slipped out.
"Even if Xu Ge'er knows, he probably won't say anything. I can see he cares a lot about his siblings at home. The other day, Ah Yang said they went there for a meal, and even taught Ah Li to make a little gadget to sell for money," Luo Pingping said.
But Wu Guizhi didn't take it as lightly as she had hoped.
…
Tang Xu returned home with a dark expression. There was no one in the courtyard, and Wei Dong and Wei Xi hadn't returned yet. As he walked back, his mind was filled with thoughts about Tang Xu's background. When he was brought back, he was chubby and looked very healthy.
Why?
A full-term child would be well-nourished and likely chubby. If they could raise the child well, why would they give him away?
And Liu Xiangxiang was also quite puzzling.
She said the child wasn't healthy and couldn't go back home with Tang Erhu, which meant the child didn't die right after birth.
What happened in between?
Medical conditions in rural areas were not good, and there were too many weak children left behind. Even if a child did pass away prematurely, Tang Erhu probably wouldn't blame her. Instead, he would likely feel sorry for her.
Why did she have to bring a child from outside and not take good care of him?
What does that indicate?
Does she have a grudge against this child?
It's probably not against the child, but against the child's parents. Thinking again of Liu Xiangxiang occasionally giving him suspicious glances, Tang Xu narrowed his eyes slightly.
It would be best if it wasn't as he suspected, otherwise Liu Xiangxiang might not just be divorced, but might be facing something much worse!
There was a noise coming from the backyard, and Tang Xu went over to see Wei Dong leading a donkey into the courtyard. On the donkey's back was a dead deer, a buck from the previous year, with fresh antlers just starting to grow.
"Another one?" Tang Xu pushed aside the troublesome thoughts in his mind and greeted Wei Dong with surprise. As he approached, he noticed four gray wild rabbits hanging on the other side of the donkey, along with a fox, although its fur was a bit messy.
Glancing at the bite marks on the four dead rabbits and the bloodstains on the fox, then looking at the young buck, Tang Xu could imagine what had happened.
Before he could ask, Wei Dong spoke up on his own.
"I killed the deer, the fox killed two rabbits, and I shot the other two with my slingshot," Wei Dong said as he put down two wooden knives and the slingshot from his waist, patting the two water bags hanging from his waist. "Fresh deer blood, would you like some?"
Tang Xu shook his head, declining. He didn't need it; he felt fine.
Wei Xi, beside them, held Tang Xu's hand and bragged about his brother's skills, gesturing enthusiastically.
" Xu Ge'er, I have to go sell these. Do you want to keep the two rabbits?" Wei Dong said as he hitched the cart to the donkey.
Tang Xu nodded and took two rabbits. "Wait here, I'll get you some food for the journey," he said.
The donkey ran around the mountain without getting tired, and it even wagged its tail contentedly when drinking water, its belly bulging. It must have been sneaking extra meals in the mountains.
Tang Xu led Wei Xi to the front yard and told the child to wash his hands and change clothes. There were six large steamed buns on the stove, leftovers from breakfast. He had planned to heat them up for lunch, but now was the perfect time to give them to Wei Dong.
Because men could show off their cooking skills too, Tang Xu now had a large steamed bun. He went to the yard, picked a few lettuce leaves, washed them, sliced the bun, fried some eggs, and added some tofu from the jar to make a Chinese-style vegetarian burger.
Wrapped in oiled paper, it was convenient to eat without getting hands dirty.
He took out a cloth bag and filled it with most of the bean dregs cakes for the donkey, putting them all in the back basket. He also filled two bamboo tubes with green bean soup.
Six vegetarian burgers probably wouldn't fill Wei Dong up completely, but there was no other choice. He was in a hurry, and there was no need to rush the preparations now.
"Here," Tang Xu said, carrying the back basket to the backyard where the cart was already hitched up. The donkey had finished drinking water. Tang Xu placed the back basket on the cart and reminded Wei Dong, "Wear your straw hat; it's uncomfortable to be in the sun too long. Also, I made a wheat straw fan for you. Use it to cool yourself down if it gets too hot."
Wei Dong nodded, bent down to kiss Tang Xu's forehead twice, and said, "I'm going to the county. I won't be back tonight. You should go to bed early."
Tang Xu was taken aback. "To the county?" He thought Wei Dong was going to the town.
"Yes, to the clinic. I asked them to help with checking on the house last time," Wei Dong touched his face, "Remember to take your medicine on time. I'll probably be back in about three days."
"Okay," Tang Xu nodded, calculating the days. "Don't take too long. Auntie is welcoming the new daughter-in-law on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. If you're not back, I'll take Xiao Xi to her place."
"I'm not going far. I'll be back in five or six days at most," Wei Dong chuckled, pulling Tang Xu into his arms and kissing him passionately. Tang Xu leaned against him, closing his eyes obediently and opening his mouth.
When the two of them were engrossed in their affectionate moment, the mule beside them grew impatient, making a spitting noise and swatting them with its tail. Startled, Tang Xu pushed Wei Dong away and turned to face the big long-faced mule beside him.
Tang Xu: ...I really want to stew a pot of mule meat soup—_—.
Wei Dong kicked the mule, and the big mule trotted away with a huff.
Quite a lively movement.
Tang Xu looked at the cart being dragged away by the mule, sighed, and said, "Where did its composure go? It seems unusually cheerful."
"It's pent-up," Wei Dong said expressionlessly, glancing at the donkey pulling the cart out of the courtyard.
"I'm leaving. You and Wei Xi shouldn't go too far these days," he added after grinding his teeth.
Tang Xu nodded, "I know. When you come back, let's go pick peaches in the mountains. I also want to pick some chestnuts."
"Okay," Wei Dong kissed him on the lips again before reluctantly turning away.
Wei Xi only learned that his brother was going to the county during dinner. Not seeing him at lunch didn't seem unusual, but not seeing him at dinner raised some questions.
"My brother said he's going to the county?" Wei Xi held a bowl of meat porridge.
"Yeah, there's something else he needs to take care of," Tang Xu also held a bowl, scooping a spoonful of meat porridge and blowing on it. "Take your time to eat and don't burn yourself."
Wei Xi nodded, taking small, delicious bites. "We'll have this for breakfast tomorrow, right?"
"Since your brother isn't here, we don't really need to get up so early," Tang Xu hadn't slept in for a long time. Usually, he woke up as soon as the rooster crowed to make breakfast for Wei Dong so that he wouldn't have to make do with a meal in the mountains.
Even if he wanted to stay in bed, there would always be noises when they got up to wash. If Wei Xi heard them, he would struggle to get up, mainly because he didn't want to miss the meal. "You can sleep in tomorrow. If you wake up late, we'll just have two meals."
Wei Xi agreed after some thought.
After taking a shower and returning to bed, Tang Xu thought he wouldn't be able to fall asleep, but he ended up falling asleep after tossing around a couple of times. He slept until dawn, not even waking up to pee, a sign of deep sleep.
Realizing he had slept too much, Tang Xu sat on the kang for a while before putting on his shoes and getting up. Wei Xi had just gotten up too. When they saw each other, they both grinned. Stretching their arms and yawning, Tang Xu went back to get the basin before heading to the back of the house with Wei Xi to brush their teeth and wash their faces at the well.
"I don't like the taste of this toothpaste, it's not fragrant," Wei Xi pouted at Tang Xu. "Brother, my brother and I picked a kind of grass leaves on the mountain yesterday. They smell really nice. My brother said they made his mouth feel cool, but I didn't try."
Tang Xu raised an eyebrow. "Probably mint leaves. It's good stuff. Were you two on Yuanbao Mountain yesterday?"
"No, my brother took me to Xiaoyou Mountain. We followed the traps he set all the way there," Wei Xi washed his face and leaned in mysteriously next to Tang Xu. "My brother is angry today. He said it was probably a wolf pack that came down the mountain in the rain and dragged away the prey in the traps. Several traps had fallen over, but there was nothing in them."
Tang Xu exclaimed, "He must be furious."
"What do you mean by furious?"
"Is he planning to kill all the wolves in the mountains?" Tang Xu chuckled.
Wei Xi nodded. "He said he'll seize the opportunity to kill off the entire wolf pack."
"He's just dreaming," Tang Xu sighed, planning to discuss this dangerous topic with his man later. "Let's go, let's think about what to eat for this meal."
"Brother, can I go play with my little brother Yang? It's boring being alone," Wei Xi followed him to the kitchen, muttering as they walked, "Little brother Yang likes to come to our house to play. I also want to show Sister Li the grass bead curtain I made. She said the grass beads I strung look nice last time."
Tang Xu sighed, "I guess they won't be able to make it over soon, but you'll be able to meet on the sixth day of the lunar month."
"The sixth day?" Wei Xi was puzzled. "Why? That's still several days away."
"On the sixth day, I'll take you to a wedding banquet. My eldest aunt's two sons are getting married. I'll take you to share in the joy," Tang Xu pinched his little nose. "After dinner, we'll clean the pigsty and the chicken coop, and then we'll pull out the grass in the field."
Wei Xi nodded, "Okay!"
Wei Dong said he would be gone for three or four days, but he ended up being away for a full nine days. The next day was the day of the wedding banquet.
In the evening, when Tang Xu heard the sound of the courtyard gate, he thought he was imagining things. It wasn't until he heard the creaking sound of the door being gently pushed open that he quickly sat up from the kang, not even bothering to put on his shoes.
"Oh my goodness, you're finally back!" Seeing the tall figure standing in the hall drinking water with his back to him, Tang Xu rushed over excitedly. Wei Dong turned around and hugged him with one hand while holding a small teapot of cow's drink in the other.
He was incredibly thirsty, drinking the whole pot of water before turning around to hug Tang Xu tightly.
"If you're going to be away for so long next time, can you at least have someone tell me over there?" Tang Xu complained, looking up at him. "Both Wei Xi and I were really worried."
Wei Dong nodded and leaned down to kiss him softly. "Okay, I promise."
Tang Xu furrowed his brow, raising his hand to caress his face and asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen?" With a soft grunt, Wei Dong bent down and lifted him up in his arms. "I missed you," he whispered.
Tang Xu's breath caught for a moment as he hugged Wei Dong's neck. "I missed you too."
"Tomorrow we have to attend the wedding banquet, so we can't stay up too late..."
"Yeah, I'll try my best..."
1 Comments
Thanks for the chapter!
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