The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 56

 

| TBBOTOF | 56

The farce came to an end as Liu Xiangxiang and Liu Tieshu ran out of the Tang family's door in a sorry state.

Those who had gathered outside to watch the commotion were itching to know what had happened inside. However, some sharp-eyed individuals noticed the red marks on Liu Xiangxiang's neck.

And so, speculation began.

"Did Liu Xiangxiang try to hang herself inside just now?"

"Does she have the guts for that? Probably just trying to scare Tang Erhu!" Her neck is all red, her eyes are red, and her hair is a mess. Something definitely happened, who knows what?"

"Who knows what happened? Let's hurry and leave. Didn't you see how angry Wei Dong looked just now? If he sees us standing here, we might end up in trouble."

Even though Wei Dong didn't often appear in the neighboring village, rumors about him were still widely known among the people.

For instance, he was known to have a quick temper and would readily engage in physical fights.

Moreover, he was renowned for his immense strength and had never lost a fight.

For example, he wasn't afraid of getting into trouble when fighting; he would fight to the bitter end, even if it meant paying with money to defeat someone.

Moreover, he detested people gossiping about his family's affairs or spectating their troubles.

Previously, Wei Dong only had Wei Xi in his family, but now with Tang Xu added into the mix, Tang Erhu's small family was also under his protection. Those who had come to watch quickly dispersed, none daring to approach Wei Dong and stir up trouble for themselves.

As they scattered, Wu Guizhi and Luo Pingping, who had heard the news, didn't leave but instead entered the courtyard.

Inside the house, Village Chief Wei was lecturing Wei Dong. "If you keep acting recklessly, you'll eventually cause a major disaster! You're married now, but you still act as if you can do whatever you want alone! What am I supposed to do about you?"

Wei Dong had an expression of ‘Go ahead, say what you want, I'll listen to whatever you say,' nodding in compliance.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I was wrong."

"Is that the attitude you have when admitting your mistake?" Village Chief Wei's beard was trembling with anger.

Tang Erhu came over to apologize to Village Chief Wei, patting Wei Dong's back in passing. "Dongzi was just impulsive earlier. Village Chief, don't be angry. He was worried about me as his prospective father-in-law. Please forgive him this once."

The patriarch also nodded, "Yes, it's understandable. If it weren't for his intimidation, Liu Xiangxiang would have caused even more trouble. Didn't you see how she was just now? She was so angry she could have driven Tang Erhu to his wit's end."

"Erhu, Erhu!" Wu Guizhi's voice came from outside the door. Tang Erhu paused and quickly went out, seeing his mother stepping over the threshold.

"What's going on? Why did Liu Xiangxiang come here?" Wu Guizhi grabbed Tang Erhu's hand, anxiously inquiring.

Tang Erhu helped his mother to a chair and settled her down, while Luo Pingping greeted the village chief and patriarch as soon as she saw them. Village Chief Wei waved his hand and then glared at Wei Dong. "Be more careful!"

The patriarch nodded to Wu Guizhi and said, "Today, this matter was only resolved thanks to Wei Dong. Liu Xiangxiang's behavior was akin to madness. You all should keep an eye on her in the future. If she causes trouble again..."

He glanced at Wei Dong and continued, "If you see her causing trouble again, go find Wei Dong. You all won't be able to handle her."

After finishing speaking, he patted Wei Dong's shoulder. "Although what you did was quite frightening, I have to say, I'm quite satisfied with it. You're quite ruthless, young man."

Wei Dong smiled in response to the praise.

He escorted the patriarch and village chief out, and before Village Chief Wei got on the cart, he patted Wei Dong's chest once again and reminded him, "Be more careful next time!"

"I understand." Wei Dong nodded, somewhat nonchalant.

Inside the house, Tang Erhu and Tang Li recounted today's events to Wu Guizhi and Luo Pingping. The expressions on their faces kept changing just from listening to the descriptions, and they were infuriated. They couldn't even imagine if they had been faced with the same Liu Xiangxiang at the time, whether they would have been directly driven to death by her anger.

Tang Erhu sat with a stern face by the kang, rubbing his hands together. "We owe it to Dongzi for suddenly showing up. Otherwise, this family would probably have been completely emptied by her."

At that moment, Wei Dong walked in. Tang Erhu beckoned to him with a raised hand. "Come over and sit."

Wei Dong sat down beside him, nodding to Wu Guizhi and Luo Pingping. "Grandmother, aunt."

"Dongzi, why did you suddenly come over?" Wu Guizhi asked curiously.

Wei Dong replied, "I caught a wild mountain goat. Xu Ge'er is stewing goat meat at home, so he asked me to bring Dad and Li'er and Ah Yang over to eat meat."

Luo Pingping swallowed her saliva. Goat meat! She hadn't had it many times in her life.

Wu Guizhi gently patted Tang Yang's back as she held him, pleased with what Wei Dong had said about Tang Xu. She then glanced at Tang Yang, noticing he didn't have much of a reaction. She asked, "Are you still scared?"

Tang Yang shook his head, casting a glance at Wei Dong.

Wei Dong noticed Tang Yang's gaze and lifted his chin slightly. "What's wrong? Speak up." 

Tang Yang pursed his lips and glanced at Tang Erhu. Tang Li also looked at Tang Erhu.

After the siblings looked over, Tang Erhu looked back with some confusion and asked, "What's up? What do you want to say?"

Tang Yang glanced at Wei Dong again and murmured softly, "I don't want a stepmother." 

"What?" Except for his old lady who was holding him, no one else heard clearly what he said.

Wu Guizhi patted his shoulder. "Is this something you don't want? Don't tell me you want your dad to stay single forever." 

Tang Yang shrugged, looking gloomy.

Tang Li also said, "I asked big brother what to do if dad remarries, and he said I shouldn't worry about those things and just live my own life well. I think he's right. Dad, if you want to marry a new wife, just do it. You don't need to worry about us."

Tang Erhu was stunned by his daughter's words and didn't respond for a while.

Wei Dong sat quietly beside them, and after a while, Tang Erhu finally said, "I don't want to remarry now. Let's talk about it later." 

Wu Guizhi frowned, wanting to say something, but seeing the expression on her second son's face, she ultimately didn't speak up. 

"Dad, let's go cut some wheat again. After we're done, we'll head straight back to my place," Wei Dong suddenly spoke up.

Tang Erhu nodded and got off the kang. "Alright, can you handle it?" 

"I can learn," Wei Dong stood up. "Mother, eldest sister-in-law, please have a seat."

"Mother, I'm fine here. Don't worry about me. Sister-in-law, you take Mother back," Tang Erhu said.

Luo Pingping glanced at her mother-in-law, and the old lady nodded. "Let's go. The two of us can't help much here."

Tang Li and Tang Yang followed them out. After the old lady and Aunt left, the siblings looked at their father.

Tang Erhu ruffled their heads one by one. "Alright, tidy up the house. We'll go to your brother's place later. Stewed lamb, it's definitely going to be delicious!"

Tang Yang swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, I'll help Sister tidy up. Dad, you and Brother-in-law work hard!"

Tang Xu was busy at home dealing with the lamb Wei Dong had dismantled. He separated the ribs one by one. He planned to eat half and salt-dry the other half, along with processing the two hind legs in the same way.

He put the lamb offal in a basin to deal with later in the evening. After cutting most of the meat, he left a piece for Wei Xi to send to Wei Zhonghong.

Wei Xi didn't quite understand why they had to give the meat to his eldest aunt. 

Tang Xu, while rubbing salt onto the lamb leg, was teaching him about how to conduct oneself in society: "We are not a solitary household, and kinship should not be severed. Moreover, Eldest Aunt has often looked after us. Even if she accepted the money your brother gave her, it was only fair. She spent time helping you, and without compensation, once or twice is understandable. But if it happens repeatedly, who would be happy?

"We've been running a small food stall recently, and Eldest Aunt comes over to buy skewers and still pays with money. She never tries to haggle with you to get a discount, let alone eat for free. That's what a good-hearted person does.

"If you want to maintain relationships, even if you don't pour your heart out, at least you should understand the principle of reciprocity. Your brother brought back this mountain goat, and many people must have seen it. When the meat stew is fragrant and the smell wafts out, outsiders will surely say that our family lives well, making money and eating meat every day.

"There are always some people with malicious intentions. Even if they have no connection with you, they still look down on you. They don't want your family to live harmoniously. They rejoice when you're in trouble and get excited when there's chaos in your home.

"So, when our family lives well, these bad people will go to Eldest Aunt's side to sow discord. Eldest Aunt may not think we're doing anything wrong, but what about her family? With several different surnames in her family, even if she doesn't say anything, what if others gossip? Wouldn't she be upset to hear that?"

After a long time, our relationship will inevitably be ruined by these bad people."

After saying that, he put the leg of lamb in the basin and picked up another one to rub salt on. He looked at Wei Xi sitting beside him eagerly and said with a smile, "In the past, when we kept to ourselves behind closed doors, it didn't matter what others gossiped about. It was all just idle talk, right?"

Wei Xi nodded, "Yeah, my brother said let them talk. If they dare to say bad things to his face, he'll go and beat them up!" He wrinkled his nose and waved his little fist as he spoke, trying to look fierce.

"But now that we're open for business, think about it. If there are two stalls selling the same thing, and one owner has a good reputation - rumors say he respects and cares for his elders, and is affectionate towards the younger generation, polite and courteous.

The other owner has a bad reputation - rumors say he's fierce and malicious, always ready to pick a fight, speaks coldly without any kindness, and has cut ties with his relatives, focusing solely on making money without caring about others.

Between these two stalls, who would you choose to buy from?"

Wei Xi's mouth dropped open, looking at Tang Xu with a skeptical expression.

"What's wrong?"

“Wow, brother-in-law, you're amazing! How did you know what those people outside were saying about my brother!" Wei Xi pouted slightly, pinching his fingertips. "Before, they used to say that both my brother and I were unlucky. They called me a jinx, and my brother would go and beat them up. 

Sometimes he'd beat them multiple times, regardless of whether they were men, women, old, or young. Anyone who dared to speak ill of me would get beaten up. Then they started saying bad things about my brother, saying he deserved to cut ties with his relatives."

"And now?" Tang Xu asked, lowering his gaze to look at him.

"Now?"

Wei Xi tilted his head, his eyes suddenly filled with excitement.

"Ever since you married my brother, people in the village have changed their tune. They praise my brother for being lucky to marry you, calling you a lucky star. They say that since you came, my health has improved a lot. They even praise your gardening and livestock skills. Even though you planted the crops late, they're growing so well, better than the ones planted early. They also say that our pig and chickens are all fat and healthy, clearly well-fed!"

Wei Xi took a sip of water from his cup and continued, "And there's more! When Sister Li and Brother Yang come to our house, people used to gossip about them at first, but they stopped later on. They praise Sister Li for being capable and Brother Yang for being sensible!"

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow, "What else did they say?"

Wei Xi thought for a moment and said, "They say you're filial, and they also say you have a good temper. You always smile at everyone, and seeing you smile makes them feel comfortable. They also praise your beauty and your competence! Basically, they all say my brother has struck gold in his luck, that he must have accumulated a lot of good karma in his past life to marry you."

Tang Xu laughed heartily, "Right, I also feel like I'm quite lucky."

"So, reputation also needs to be managed," Wei Xi nodded vaguely, glancing at the lamb meat on the cutting board, probably around two pounds.

"Then if I send the lamb meat over, will that improve our reputation?" Wei Xi asked.

"It's not that simple," Tang Xu explained. "With some people, you need to genuinely connect with them. If I have something good, I want to share it with them. Take this lamb, for example. If we eat it ourselves today without inviting Sister Li and Brother Yang, you would have more meat to yourself. Are you happy with that?"

Wei Xi became anxious upon hearing this and shook his head vigorously, "No, no, I want to invite them over to eat! I want them to come!"

"This is how relationships work. You have feelings for them, and you want to treat them well, just like when Brother Yang brings you the small fish and shrimp he catches, and then he plays with you and helps you with your work. It's not just about exchanging gifts; you can feel whether someone treats you well or not, right?" Wei Xi nodded, understanding perfectly.

"I'm sending you to deliver the lamb meat as a gesture of goodwill towards Auntie. She has shown kindness to me, and I want to reciprocate that kindness," Tang Xu said as he threaded the two lamb legs onto a bamboo pole using straw rope, then began to process the rib bones. "Go ahead. If Auntie refuses to accept it, just tell her that if she doesn't accept it, our families will no longer have any dealings with each other."

Wei Xi's eyes widened in surprise, "Huh?"

Tang Xu chuckled, "I'm just kidding. Just deliver it and come back."

"Got it!" Wei Xi picked up the meat and placed it in a large bowl, then turned to leave.

Now he could walk faster without coughing, even jogging a few steps without issue, as long as he didn't sprint. Auntie Wei Zhonghong wasn't home; she was out in the fields helping with the wheat harvest. In the courtyard was his eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Shi.

Liu Shi was three months pregnant, she was expecting her first child since marrying into the family. She was usually very meticulous. Lately, she had been craving the spicy skewers sold by Tang Xu, which she liked to mix with mixed grain rice, and it could fill two bowls.

However, every time she went to buy them, she would be nagged by her mother-in-law, which made Liu Shi quite unhappy. She had muttered a few times to her husband, saying that Tang Xu didn't know how to behave. Her mother-in-law was the elder in the family, and she had always helped out with chores over there. Yet, she wouldn't even give her a bowl of soup, and she still charged copper coins for a few skewers.

The eldest son of the Wu family didn't think there was anything wrong with his mother, nor did he think Tang Xu was doing anything wrong. Instead, he felt that his wife had been acting a bit strange since she got pregnant.

"Opening a business means people come to buy things, not to freeload. Why do you think you're special? There are plenty of people with the surname Wei who are related to Wei Dong, but you don't see them asking for freebies. Besides, when your mother helps out over there, she gets paid with copper coins. Where do you think you get the copper coins to buy skewers? It's all money earned by your mother!" 

Liu Shi felt embarrassed and didn't dare to argue further.

Now that everyone in the family had gone to work in the fields, she was the only one left strolling around the yard.

"Is Auntie home?" Wei Xi turned into the courtyard from the village road and called out from outside the gate.

The Wu family didn't have the habit of closing the courtyard gate during the day. When Liu Shi saw Wei Xi, she quickly walked over, smiling, and asked, "Xiao Xi, why are you here on such a hot day? What do you have there?"

As she focused, she saw a piece of meat—it was bright red. But why was it so thin?

Stepping forward, she caught a whiff of a strong, gamy smell, and her stomach churned. She quickly covered her mouth and took a step back, retching.

Wei Xi was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Are you okay, sister-in-law? My brother brought back a goat he caught. He said they won't be selling it and have been busy lately, so he thought he'd give you a piece of meat to eat and replenish your strength."

He hadn't learned this from Tang Xu; he had picked it up from listening to Tang Xu talk a lot.

Although her stomach felt uncomfortable, Liu Shi's eyes lit up at the mention of goat meat.

"No wonder it looks different from pork, no wonder there's so much lean meat."

"Xiao Xi, how can I accept this? You should take it back and eat it." She stared fixedly at the large bowl, insisting on being polite.

Wei Xi remembered Tang Xu's instructions and pushed the bowl into her arms, waving his hand as he left. "Sister-in-law, you keep it. Tell Auntie about it when she comes back. You can return the bowl to the stall tomorrow. Sister-in-law, you should go back and rest. I'll leave now."

Liu Shi took a few steps forward, as if to insist, but then she lowered her head, and the strong smell rushed into her nostrils again.

"Urgh~"

When Wei Zhonghong returned early from the fields and entered the house, she saw her eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Shi, sitting in the yard on a chair, her face slightly pale and listless.

She was startled, brushing off the dirt from her clothes and hurriedly asking, "What happened? Why do you look so terrible?" She remembered that Liu Shi's cheeks were rosy before she went out. "Is it because your stomach is upset?"

"Urgh~ No," Liu Shi weakly waved her hand, pointing to the large bowl placed beside her. "Xiao Xi brought over some goat meat. The smell was too strong, and it made me feel nauseous. I didn't dare to put it in the kitchen. Mother, please take a look and see how to deal with it, urgh~"

Wei Zhonghong was startled by her constant retching, but having given birth to four children herself, she knew that pregnant women often experienced this kind of vomiting reaction. 

So, she wasn't too worried and suggested, "If you're feeling really uncomfortable, go find the village's herbalist and ask him for some antiemetic medicine."

Liu Shi's stomach churned, feeling like she wanted to vomit but couldn't. Seeing her mother-in-law take the large bowl into the kitchen, she felt bitter inside.

It was goat meat, supposed to be good for health, but she couldn't stand the smell. She didn't even know if the meat would be edible once cooked. If it wasn't, it would be such a waste.

Because of this incident, she couldn't help but curse Tang Xu in her heart, thinking he was pretending to be kind. Why send out meat when they couldn't even eat it themselves?

If Wei Zhonghong knew what she was thinking, she might not have hesitated to give her a slap despite her being pregnant. It was shameless to curse someone even when someone kindly sent you meat to eat.

As she continued to prepare the goat meat, Wei Zhonghong asked her eldest daughter-in-law outside the house, "Did Xiao Xi say anything when he came over?"

"He didn't say anything. He just left the bowl and went away, saying to return it to the stall tomorrow."

"You go to the vegetable garden and pick a few green radishes. Stewed radish with goat meat is very nourishing." Wei Zhonghong's hands moved swiftly as she thought about having to visit the main house later. Someone had kindly sent such a large piece of meat; it wouldn't be appropriate not to thank them in person.

On one side, Wei Zhonghong was busy, while Tang Xu was even busier at home.

If the sheep entrails weren't dealt with, they would start to smell by tomorrow. 

After stewing the sheep ribs in the pot, he sat on a small wooden stool and used some grass ash to scrub and wash the sheep entrails. He also burned off the hair from the sheep's head over the stove fire and left it soaking in a basin of water to be cleaned later.

"I'm back, Brother-in-law!" Wei Xi entered the kitchen cheerfully, but the smell hit him hard, so he shouted and backed out again. 

Tang Xu glanced back and said, "Don't come in, go to the vegetable garden and pick two green radishes, some spring onions, and cilantro."

"Got it!"

While Tang Xu washed the sheep intestines, he thought about keeping some to stuff sausages and having Abai buy some meat tomorrow. He would cook the liver separately and fry it later. He shouted again, "Xiao Xi, pick two more carrots!"

"Okay!"

Tang Xu washed the basin of sheep entrails with water and grass ash several times, sniffing as he worked, then rinsed them with clean water. When the overpowering smell had nearly dissipated, he nodded in satisfaction and said, "They're ready to be cooked."

Both windows of the kitchen were open as Tang Xu boiled the water, blanched the entrails, then removed and washed them before continuing to cook.

"Brother-in-law, I'm going to feed the pigs." Wei Xi put the washed radishes and herbs into a basin, sniffed the air through the door, finding it less pungent now. With relief, he stepped inside and asked, "What should I feed little Hui?"

"Bean cake with sweet potatoes and potatoes, just chop them up and boil them, it'll be ready. Also, cut some grass for the pig. Be careful not to scald it while cooking," said Tang Xu as he was busy cooking and didn't have time to prepare the pig's food.

Wei Xi nodded, "Okay, what about the chicken and rabbit?"

"Chicken can eat the same as the pig, and there are vegetable leaves for the rabbit. Grab some for it," Tang Xu replied as he lifted the lid of the pot stewing lamb chops, checked the soup, confirmed it was enough without needing to add more midway, and then pushed a stick of firewood burning in the stove into the adjacent stove.

He actually wanted to roast a lamb leg.

The front legs weren't big, and it wouldn't take long to roast them.

Deciding to do it, Tang Xu went straight to the backyard, moved a slab of stone piled in the corner, and then went to the hillside to find a few similarly sized rocks.

He peeled a thick tree branch and skewered the lamb leg onto it, placing it over the burning firewood.

"Brother!" Tang Yang's voice came from outside the high courtyard wall, and Tang Xu shouted back, "I'm at the back!" 

Then he saw Tang Yang coming around the back of the house, heading straight for him.

"Brother!"

Tang Xu looked at him and smiled, saying, "Why are you alone? Where's Dad and Ah Li?" 

"They're at the back. What are you doing, brother?" Tang Yang squatted down beside him, staring at the lamb leg roasting over the fire. "Are we just eating this?"

"We also have stewed meat. This is a roasted lamb leg, I just started." Tang Xu patted his head, "Go wash your hands and face. Your face is all red from the heat. I've brewed some mung bean soup in the well to cool down. I'll fetch it up and give everyone a bowl to drink."

Tang Yang nodded, looking around and not seeing Wei Xi, he asked, "Where's brother Xi? I didn't see him when I came from the backyard."

"After feeding the pigs, he was a bit tired and went back to rest in the house. You can go call him in a while."

Tang Yang acknowledged with a sound of agreement and then ran back to the backyard.

Wei Dong came over to see Tang Xu roasting the lamb leg and raised an eyebrow, "You know how to roast meat?"

"I wanted to make a rotating rack, but couldn't find a suitable branch. Can you roast?" Tang Xu looked up at him, noticing a lot of grass debris in his hair, and asked in surprise, "Did you help Dad with the fieldwork?"

"Yeah, I helped out and even did a fair bit of harvesting. Dad praised me as a good worker." Wei Dong ran his hand through his hair, "I can roast. You go do something else; I'll handle this."

Tang Xu nodded and stood up, making room, "I thought you guys would be back earlier. It's almost dark now. What were you up to? I haven't even cooked the pancakes yet. Good thing I prepared the dough early."

"Yeah, we got delayed for a bit. You go make pancakes, I'll handle the meat. Bring the seasonings you want to use." Wei Dong dodged the topic Tang Xu was asking about and focused on flipping the lamb leg.

Tang Xu didn't think much of it and went into the kitchen to get the saltwater, chili powder, and a small bowl of bean oil. "We'll start by brushing with saltwater, then when it's almost dry, we'll brush with oil. Make sure to make some cuts with a knife, don't let it burn!"

"I got it, I can roast meat." Wei Dong held the knife and made a couple of cuts. "Like this?"

"Looks good." Tang Xu nodded in satisfaction, poking him in the face, "Our chances of having delicious roasted meat depend on you!" 

Wei Dong suddenly felt the pressure, "Alright, I'll do my best."

After finishing their conversation, Tang Xu didn't see his father and sister coming from the backyard, feeling a bit puzzled, he went to take a look. Tang Li's face was still swollen, and she was now patting her face with ice-cold well water. 

Tang Erhu was busy brushing the big mule, which was also feeling the heat after this trip.

"Dad!" Tang Xu walked over, patting the mule's neck, feeling warm, "Did Wei Dong help you with wheat harvesting?" 

Tang Erhu nodded with a smile, "Dongzi is efficient in work, much faster than me." 

Tang Xu was surprised, "But he didn't know how to do it, right?"

"He can learn. With his physique, he doesn't hinder fieldwork," Tang Erhu scooped water from the gourd ladle to pour over the mule's body, then brushed its fur, "Xu Ge'er, it's a blessing you married Dongzi. He's a good lad, very good."

Tang Xu was puzzled. Why did his father suddenly start praising someone?

"Dad... did something happen just now?" Tang Erhu's smile froze on his face, and he remained silent.

Frowning, Tang Xu didn't press further, simply saying, "Just finish brushing. Dad, rest inside later and have some water. I'll go make pancakes."

Tang Erhu nodded quickly, not probing further. He didn't know how to explain it to his son.

Tang Xu walked back and saw Tang Li still washing her face by the well. He approached her with a stern expression, grabbed her and lifted her up. Seeing the swollen red marks on half of her face, his expression turned cold. "Did Mom go back home?"

Tang Li pursed her lips and hung her head, too afraid to look at him.

Tang Xu pulled her back, took her into the main house, and fetched his own towel to wipe her face. "You think I wouldn't notice if you didn't say anything? If you won't speak, I'll ask Tang Yang."

Tang Li used the towel to cover her face, her eyes red from crying. "Mom took Uncle back home to steal pigs and chickens. She even hit me and Ah Yang, calling us white-eyed wolves. She said you're doomed and Dad hitting her won't change anything. She, she..."

Tang Li broke into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

Tang Xu felt a heavy weight in his heart. He reached out and gently pulled the young girl into his arms, patting and comforting her. "It's okay, it's okay. So, how did she leave? Did she take all the pigs and chickens with her?"

In reality, he wasn't entirely satisfied with this approach. Giving in to Liu Xiangxiang once would only encourage her to come back for more in the future. 

Such shameless behavior needed to be dealt with decisively to make her afraid to come knocking again.

As the saying goes, bullies are afraid of those who aren't afraid to die. Liu Xiangxiang was a crazy bully, and facing someone fearless, she would back off. 

However, he didn't expect Tang Li to shake her head after hearing his question.

"No? If you didn't give it to her, how did she leave?" Tang Xu's tone was filled with surprise. "Did Dad threaten her?" 

Tang Li shook her head again.

"Speak up, don't shake your head." Tang Xu handed her the towel back to hang, "What exactly happened?"

Then Tang Li explained Liu Xiangxiang's actions and how Wei Dong scared her off.

After listening, Tang Xu was lost in thought for a while. Tang Li called his name several times, but he didn't respond until she pushed him gently, "Brother, what's wrong? Say something."

Tang Xu snapped out of it and asked her, "Did your brother-in-law really say so much?"

Leaving aside other matters, the fact that Wei Dong actually had the patience to converse with Liu Xiangxiang was something he hadn't anticipated. 

Tang Li was also puzzled, saying, "Brother-in-law is just like you, he can talk a lot!" 

Tang Xu pursed his lips, giving her a stern look, "Am I really that talkative?" 

Tang Li nodded vigorously, very sure of herself, "Yes, brother, you're really good at talking now, and you talk really well."

"Alright, case closed. Looks like I have influenced him," Tang Xu said.

"You go rest in the house for a while. Since the matter is resolved, don't dwell on it too much, okay?" Tang Xu gently pressed on the top of the young girl's head, "Things will get better in the future."

With red eyes, Tang Li nodded, biting her lip in response.

Tang Xu went to the kitchen, passing by Wei Dong who was focused on roasting the lamb leg. He patted him on the shoulder and commented with a hint of admiration, "I didn't realize, but you're quite skilled."

Wei Dong coughed and tilted his head slightly, smiling when he met Tang Xu's gaze. "It's alright, as long as the method works."

"What if you accidentally exert too much force and strangle her?" Tang Xu slapped his shoulder with force, "You can't do this next time!"

Wei Dong sighed, reaching out to pull him closer for a hug, "I understand, I won't do it like that again." Tang Xu squinted, looking skeptical, "Really?"

Wei Dong remained silent.

"You're just trying to placate me!" Tang Xu punched him, "Can't you find another way to scare her off?"

Wei Dong looked up at him, with a hint of confusion in his eyes, "What other method? If she had screamed a few more times back then, I think even your dad would have been driven crazy."

 Tang Xu thought carefully, realizing that there might not have been a better method given the circumstances.

"Then you can't scare people like that in the future either."

Wei Dong nodded, "Alright, alright, I'll listen to you. I won't do it like that in the future." 

Tang Xu was satisfied and pushed his shoulder, "Let go, I want to check on the stew." 

Wei Dong glanced at the nearly roasted lamb leg and brushed it with saltwater again. "Should I sprinkle the chili powder later?"

"Yeah, after sprinkling it, we need to roast it slightly to bring out the fragrance," Tang Xu replied as he entered the kitchen, where the aroma of lamb filled the air. 

The broth in the pot was ready, so he took out the cooked meat, cut it into small pieces, and put it back into the milky-white lamb soup to continue cooking. Tang Xu kneaded the dough that had risen and started making flatbread.

"Brother! It smells so good, too good!"

"Brother, give us a bite, we can't resist!" Two young boys peeked in, sniffing the aroma and drooling.

Even Tang Erhu was lured by the fragrance, but instead of entering the kitchen, he stood beside Wei Dong, looking down at the sizzling, oily roasted lamb leg.

"Is it done?" the middle-aged man rubbed his hands together, eagerly anticipating.

Wei Dong lightly scored the slightly charred and crispy surface of the lamb with a small knife, and a rich aroma of meat immediately filled the air. He sprinkled some chili powder on top, flipped the lamb leg, and sprinkled it on the other side. "It's almost done. Dad, want some wine?"

"Drink! Let's drink heartily today!" Tang Erhu's pent-up frustration finally dissipated at this moment. He patted Wei Dong's shoulder and said, "You did well, but don't be so impulsive next time and scare Xu Ge'er."

Wei Dong nodded, "I understand, Dad. Xu Ge'er already scolded me earlier."

In the kitchen, Tang Xu gave Tang Yang and Wei Xi each a piece of lamb ribs to nibble on, along with a piece of cooked radish to taste. Both were perfectly cooked. Additionally, the seasoning of the pot of lamb offal soup was just right.

"Set the table, bring the flatbread over first," Tang Xu spooned meat and lamb offal soup into bowls, then quickly stir-fried some lamb liver with carrots.

In the dining hall, several small bowls were laid out: stewed lamb ribs with radish, lamb offal soup, stir-fried lamb liver, roasted lamb leg, and a large bowl of freshly made flatbread.

It was a feast of lamb!

"Dinner's ready!" Tang Xu sprinkled chopped coriander and green onions into the bowls of lamb offal soup, smiled, and waved his hand. "Let's eat!"

The family members were all fully focused on their meal. Initially, Tang Erhu wanted to chat with his son-in-law while enjoying some wine, but the taste of the lamb dishes and soup was so delicious that he couldn't help but indulge. 

Even the radishes were sweet and refreshing, and he kept eating one after another, forgetting about his wine.

The flatbread was a bit dry when eaten alone, so they broke it into pieces and soaked it in the lamb offal soup. The small pieces of bread soaked up the creamy soup, making each bite both savory and soft.

Tang Yang and Wei Xi sat together, holding their bowls and slurping the soup and eating the meat without lifting their eyelids, fully focused on their meal.

"Don't eat too much of the roasted lamb, it's spicy and might cause internal heat," Tang Xu reminded them.

Both nodded, holding onto the lamb ribs and gnawing on the meat.

Tang Li was also enjoying her meal. She looked at Tang Xu and asked, "Brother, can we cook noodles with this soup too?"

"Noodle sheets would be the best. When you two go back later, take a pot of lamb soup with you. Tomorrow morning, you can cook the noodle sheets separately, and when they're ready, pour them into the soup," Tang Xu scooped some meat for her, "Here, have some more."

With his mouth full of oil from the meat, Wei Dong asked, "Can we also have that next time?"

"Sure, we still have a sheep head cooking. Once it's done, we can remove the meat and stir-fry the sheep head meat," Tang Xu thought about the remaining lamb offal, realizing he could sell another batch tomorrow. "What do you think is a fair price if I sell lamb offal soup with flatbread tomorrow, how many copper coins per bowl?"

"Ten coins!" Tang Yang raised his head and shouted to his brother, "I won't sell it for less than ten coins!"

"Ten coins might be a bit too much, probably nobody will buy it," Tang Erhu shook his head, thinking it was expensive. If it were him, he definitely wouldn't buy it. 

However, Tang Xu thought ten coins was quite reasonable, considering two flatbreads and a bowl of soup. "Let's give it a try tomorrow. If nobody buys it, we can just eat it ourselves. It won't go to waste," 

Wei Xi nodded in agreement, "Brother-in-law can sell anything he makes!"

Tang Xu smiled at him, "Come on, let's eat. After dinner, take a walk in the yard with Ah Yang so you don't get indigestion."

After dinner, it was already dark. Tang Erhu hurriedly loaded his children onto the cart to take them home, bringing along a large pot of lamb soup with plenty of meat inside. He initially didn't want to take it, but Wei Dong insisted, saying they couldn't leave without it. Tang Erhu patted his brother-in-law's arm a couple of times and eventually placed the pot on the cart.

On the way back home, after a moment of silence, Tang Erhu said to his children, "You both saw what happened today. In the future, consider your mother as if she's gone. We don't have her anymore. Even though your brother isn't my biological son, he's been good to me, to you, and to this family. When you grow up, whether you get married or have a wife, you must remember to treat your brother well. Understand?"

The siblings replied in unison, "Understood! We will definitely treat our brother well!"

Tang Erhu sighed, considering whether to sell less of this year's new grain and share some with his son-in-law's family. They consumed a lot, and he didn't cultivate land himself. Even if he collected rent, he might not be able to get back much grain.

With this thought, he felt a lot more relaxed.

Meanwhile, Tang Xu was in the kitchen dismantling the meat from the sheep's head. The aroma wafted into his nose, tempting him despite feeling full. He couldn't resist grabbing a piece of skin and tasting it.

"It's delicious!"

"It sure is," Wei Zhonghong entered with a bright smile, "The meat you stewed smells much better than mine!" 

Tang Xu turned around, pleasantly surprised, "Auntie, come and taste it. It was just cooked and its still warm!" 

Wei Xi followed behind Wei Zhonghong, nodding as she heard her brother-in-law's words. He learned that one should be warm and genuinely welcoming.

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