The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 57

 

| TBBOTOF | 57

Wei Zhonghong didn't come empty-handed; she brought a few of her own pickled vegetables for Tang Xu.

"Don't think poorly of my cooking skills. These pickled vegetables are decent enough. I figured the small amount of pickled vegetables you have here must have been eaten up by now, so I brought you a few to taste."

Tang Xu washed the oil off his hands and smiled as he reached for the basket. He directly picked up a small piece of pickled vegetable that had turned slightly translucent due to the pickling process and put it in his mouth. 

The sourness made him squint, "Auntie, these pickled vegetables are well-flavored. I was thinking of asking Wei Dong to buy a few large jars a couple of days ago so we can pickle more vegetables this year."

"We indeed need to pickle more. Your family has a large area to store them. When it gets cold and there's nothing else to eat, every household relies on pickled vegetables to get by," Wei Zhonghong enjoyed chatting with Tang Xu. 

Not only was he easy to talk to and gentle in his speech, but he also always seemed to share her thoughts.

She did have some regrets. If only her third son had really married Tang Xu, he perfectly fit the image of the daughter-in-law she had in mind! But alas, he didn't choose her son. 

Nevertheless, even as her niece-in-law, Tang Xu was still good, and she cherished her frequent visits. She used to worry about being looked down upon when visiting too often, but now seeing Tang Xu's warm attitude towards her, Wei Zhonghong felt relieved.

"I also plan to make some spicy cabbage, pickled cucumbers, and oil-preserved cucumbers. I reckon the cucumbers we have at home won't be enough. Auntie, do you have plenty? If so, could you spare some for me?" Initially, Tang Xu didn't plan to make too many, as even though these items could be preserved, he was afraid of them losing flavor after being pickled for too long.

However, the men in his family had voracious appetites. If they were to eat just pickled vegetables with porridge and pancakes for a meal, Tang Xu himself could devour a whole large bowlful.

Nowadays, it's common for every household to have a dish of pickled vegetables on the table during meals, whether it's pickled radish, pickled cabbage, or something else. This was a regional taste preference, and Tang Xu was no exception. He felt that a meal was incomplete without a few bites of pickled vegetables.

Wei Zhonghong nodded, saying there were plenty of cucumbers on their side, and they would be ready to harvest soon.

"How do you pickle the oil-preserved cucumbers? Do you use soy sauce?" 

"I use soy sauce and seasoning oil. I've pickled a small jar. Let me scoop you a bowl to taste," 

Tang Xu turned around and went to fetch his precious jar. As he used more and more jars, the shelves in the room where they stored grains were becoming overcrowded. He planned to tidy up a separate room at the back of the house to use as a warehouse for storing grains and pickled vegetable jars. 

Tang Xu suggested organizing two rooms so that grains and other items could be stored separately.

The cucumbers, pickled in soy sauce and seasoning oil, had turned dark in color, with a glossy layer of oil. Before pickling, the cucumbers had been squeezed to remove excess moisture, resulting in limp-looking cucumber strips. 

However, with a crunch, they were still crisp when bitten into. Wei Zhonghong carefully tasted them and found that they had a better flavor and were crunchier compared to pickled cucumbers made using only salt and a mixture of ginger and scallions.

"Your cooking is delicious." She took another bite, the crisp sound causing her mouth to tingle a bit.

Tang Xu smiled with satisfaction at her liking the flavor. “Auntie, you should pickle some too. This one can be eaten the next day, no need to pickle for too long.”

Wei Zhonghong nodded eagerly. “Sure, teach me.”

Tang Xu briefly explained the steps to her, emphasizing the need to salt the cucumbers to draw out moisture and then press them with a heavy object to further remove water. He mentioned that pressing them overnight would suffice, and then they could be rinsed and soaked in the prepared seasoning sauce without needing to be air-dried.

Wei Zhonghong listened attentively. “I see you've already cut the cucumbers.”

“It's not necessary to cut them. Cutting shortens the pickling time, while leaving them whole allows for a longer pickling period. The pickled cucumbers can last quite a while when stored in a cool place.”

“I'll pickle some when I get back. We have plenty of soy sauce at home, and the soy sauce has already started to ferment. We can skim off quite a bit of soy sauce.” Wei Zhonghong chuckled as she held the large bowl, “I was going to return the bowl to you, but ended up bringing it back again.”

“No problem, we have plenty of bowls at home.” Tang Xu escorted her out, “Auntie, how's the wheat field at your place? Did you have a good harvest this year?”

“It's alright, about the same as previous years. We had plenty of rain recently, and there are many people working in the fields at my place. We're almost done with the harvest, just a few more days to go.”

Tang Xu nodded, "That's good. In a few days, it's estimated that there will be more rainwater. You'll have to dry it after bringing it back."

"Yeah, but with more people at home, we can harvest quickly. Is it difficult for Father to do it by himself?"

Wei Zhonghong had also heard about the separation between Tang Erhu and his wife. Although Heshan Village was large, there were no secrets to speak of, and idle gossip had long spread. However, she hadn't heard that Liu Xiangxiang had returned to stir up trouble again; she had only heard about Tang Erhu and his wife separating.

Tang Xu thought of what Tang Erhu had said during dinner just now, as if he still had to work for a few more days. So, he said, "Yes, with one more person, it will be slower. He said he can catch up."

"It's better to harvest quickly. Who knows when the weather will change."

As they spoke, the two had already reached the gate. Wei Zhonghong stepped out of the gate, turned to Tang Xu, and waved her hand, "Don't bother sending me off, just go back and busy yourself."

Tang Xu stopped in his tracks and waved back at her, "Take care, Auntie. Come over often when you're free, and we can work together."

"Sure, sure, I'll come over after finishing this busy period." Wei Zhonghong happily agreed.

After watching her turn onto the village road, Tang Xu finally entered the courtyard and closed the door, locking it.

Wei Xi, who was inside the house, heard the noise, pulled back the door curtain, and came out, asking, "Brother, you get along so well with my aunt, it's like you've known each other for a long time."

Tang Xu smiled and patted his head, "Auntie has a cheerful personality and is easy to get along with. It's getting hotter and hotter. Before going to bed at night, put a few more mugwort sachets on the kang; there are too many mosquitoes." 

Wei Xi nodded and showed him the red dots on his arm, "I applied some medicine, and it's not itchy anymore."

Tang Xu thought they should make a larger mosquito net out of gauze; after all, they had plenty of gauze at home. Although fumigating the house with mugwort could also drive away mosquitoes, the smell was quite pungent, and he didn't particularly like it.

"Go take a shower, get to bed early. You have to get up early tomorrow to string the meat."

"Okay, Brother, you should rest early too."

Tang Xu returned to the kitchen and saw Wei Dong sitting on the small wooden stool dismantling the sheep's head meat, which surprised him. "Didn't you go to take a bath? Are you done?"

Approaching, he felt the cold moisture on the man's body and frowned. He placed his warm palm on the bulging muscle of the man's arm. "Did you take a cold shower?"

Wei Dong didn't hide anything either, nodding, "It was too hot, so I rinsed with cold water by the well." 

"Too hot?" Tang Xu was momentarily stunned, feeling the temperature of the man's skin gradually rising under his palm. Suddenly, he realized.

Ah!

Mutton!

Aphrodisiac!

Although it was supposed to tonify kidney yang, that was for people with deficient constitutions.

But his husband already had a strong constitution, and he had eaten so much mutton tonight. If he added more...

Tang Xu involuntarily squeezed his legs together, slowly withdrawing his hand. Heat surged to his face, and he dared not even look at Wei Dong, feeling the rising temperature all over the man's body.

He swallowed and instructed, "Don't throw away the bones after dismantling them. Put them in a pot, add water, and simmer on low heat. Put the meat in well water to cool. I'll stir-fry it tomorrow morning. Um, I'm going to take a shower."

Wei Dong grunted in acknowledgment, watching Tang Xu hastily leave with narrowed eyes.

Why did it feel like his husband's tone was a bit off just now? It seemed a bit light. 

That night, Wei Dong truly lived up to the mutton cooked by Tang Xu, keeping him occupied until the rooster crowed before letting Tang Xu rest.

"I..."

Tang Xu's throat was dry and hoarse, and when he spoke, he felt a stinging pain in his throat... dirty, pervert!

Tang Xu glared fiercely at him, tears still lingering in the corners of his eyes.

Wei Dong lowered his head and kissed the corner of Tang Xu's eye, his tongue swirling, picking up the tear, then he planted a kiss on his face, making a popping sound.

This wasn't a kiss, it was a suction. Are you a reincarnated octopus, sucking me all over my body! Tang Xu pushed him away with all his strength, angrily saying, "I-I haven't made liangpi and gluten yet!"

"You're going to sell lamb offal soup and pancakes, it's cloudy today, a bit cool, they'll definitely sell well," Wei Dong got off the kang and poured him a large bowl of warm water. 

He then came back, hugged Tang Xu to his chest, one arm around his waist, the other holding the bowl, "Drink, then rest for a while. When it's almost time to set up the stall, you can get up. Or you can sleep as long as you want, Me and Xiao Xi will handle the stall."

Tang Xu hurriedly waved his hand, mocking him, "With your two skills, you'll ruin my lamb soup!" 

Wei Dong clicked his tongue, lowered his head to bite his lips, then pinched his chest, "Punishment for you!" 

"...Get out~~~!" he shouted weakly, trembling.

Wei Dong casually placed the bowl aside, pressed Tang Xu onto the kang, and lifted his leg. 

Tang Xu: "Wuwuwu!!! You!!!"

…

When he opened his eyes, it was already bright outside, and he could faintly hear voices.

Tang Xu didn't even want to think about what treatment his pot of lamb soup would receive now. He lay on the kang, pretending to be dead. But unexpectedly, as he lay there, he fell asleep again, only to be awakened by Wei Dong.

"You've slept all day, it's time to get up and eat," Wei Dong lifted Tang Xu from the kang. 

Tang Xu was limp, letting him manipulate, his messy appearance had already been cleaned up by the man, but the masculine scent still lingered in the room. "Your pot of lamb offal soup has all been sold, and the pancakes too."

Tang Xu grunted, half-closing his eyes listlessly.

He felt a bit roughed up, even though he had slept all day, he still felt weak, dizzy, and hungry.

But he couldn't eat much, feeling like there was something pressing against his stomach, making him uncomfortable. 

"Brother, is it that the congee my brother made isn't tasty?" Wei Xi, with a greasy mouth, leaned in, emitting a strong meaty aroma.

Tang Xu turned his head closer and sniffed, "Where did you get meat to eat?"

"My brother roasted the piece of lamb you hung up yesterday. Hehe, it's quite delicious. He can't cook, but he's good at grilling meat." Wei Xi said, licking his lips with a tangy and spicy flavor. He drank a mouthful of watery congee, "My brother said we shouldn't let you see us eating meat. Since you can't eat it, he's afraid you'll feel sad."

Tang Xu blinked his eyes, feeling quite sad indeed.

Wuwu, I want to eat spicy grilled meat too, but I can't!

He took a deep breath, pursed his lips, and pushed Wei Xi's little head back, "Go away, stay away from me, the smell of meat is too tempting."

Wei Xi covered his mouth and giggled.

Wei Dong came in from outside, carrying a plate with clean pink peaches inside, each as big as Tang Xu's fist, looking very juicy.

"You went to Xiaoyu Mountain?" Tang Xu was surprised. "When did you go?"

"After closing the stall at noon," he said, pulling down the money pouch from his waist and handing it to Tang Xu. With a clatter, "Inside are the copper coins from selling lamb offal soup and skewers today. Lamb offal soup with two pancakes sells for ten wen, and a bowl of lamb offal soup alone sells for nine wen."

Tang Xu took a sip of congee, raising an eyebrow after hearing his words. "Did they buy it?"

"They did. At first, they thought it was expensive. My brother said if they didn't buy it, he would leave, and someone else would buy it later. Then he lit the stove, and when the fragrance wafted out, they couldn't resist," Wei Xi said with a hint of excitement in his tone. "When I was selling skewers, someone even asked why you didn't come out. My brother said you were tired, and those people laughed strangely."

Tang Xu suddenly felt that the watery congee in his bowl was even more unpalatable.

"Don't want congee? Have a peach, it's quite sweet." Wei Dong, who was sitting beside him, handed him a large peach. Tang Xu took it expressionlessly and thanked him without emotion.

Taking a bite of the peach, Tang Xu found it juicy and sweet, his eyes brightening. "So sweet!"

"I'll go pick more tomorrow. Many of them are ripe," Wei Dong said, relieved to see him enjoying it. He was afraid Tang Xu would still give him the cold shoulder, even though it was his own fault for acting impulsively.

Tang Xu nodded, planning to pick more peaches to make dried peaches and store them in jars, which could be preserved for a long time.

"Oh, by the way, the master who's supposed to dig the cellar should be coming these days, right? Do we need to prepare anything?" Tang Xu asked.

"No need. He'll bring his own people to dig. Just tell him where you want it, whether in the front yard or the backyard. They dig very quickly," Wei Dong replied. 

"Let's dig it on the side of the back shed, see which spot is suitable, and make it deeper and bigger."

"Okay," Wei Dong nodded, thinking he needed to make a trip to town to confirm the exact timing before starting the work.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and every household in the village began to sun-dry and mill wheat. With the help of a large mule, Tang Erhu didn't even need to exert much effort in crushing the wheat stalks with the large stone roller.

He only needed to guide the direction in front while the mule effortlessly pulled the stone roller, clattering around the sun-drenched field covered with wheat stalks.

"Dad~" Tang Yang ran over cheerfully, holding a large bamboo tube. "Dad, have some water!"

Tang Erhu's face was full of contentment as he gently patted his youngest son's face with his rough hands, then he opened the bamboo tube, took a sip of water, and asked him, "Where's your sister?"

"Sister is sewing clothes. She said she'd take advantage of the good weather to air out all the clothes at home. It's getting hotter, so it's time to switch to lighter fabrics," Tang Yang replied.

Watching his father lead the donkey around in circles, Tang Yang found it quite interesting and said he wanted to try it too.

"Go ahead. When we save up enough money, we'll buy a cow for our family, which will be able to help with a lot of work," Tang Erhu handed him the reins. "Hold on tight. If you don't have enough strength, it won't follow you."

Tang Yang nodded, happily pulling the donkey along, murmuring to himself, "You work hard, and I'll give you some fruit later! When I went to deliver the small fish and shrimp to Big Brother, he gave me some fruit. I'll eat half of it, and the other half is for you!"

The mule snorted twice and flicked its tail.

Tang Yang pulled the mule happily while Tang Erhu drank water and then began to sift wheat grains.

Meanwhile, Tang Li worked on needlework under the eaves. Her stitches were meticulous as she patched up old clothes, eventually piecing together a colorful vest for Tang Yang.

"Tang Yang, try the size later." 

"Got it!"

Tang Li put away her sewing basket, then went to the backyard to feed the chickens and pigs. After finishing that, she washed her hands and cut a cabbage from the vegetable garden. "Dad, it's too hot. Let's have some cabbage with sauce and rice!"

"Sure, get some more vegetables to dip in the sauce," Tang Erhu nodded in agreement.

Tang Li held about a hundred copper coins in her hand, earned from helping her brother sell skewers. She was busy with many tasks every day now, but she still managed to find time to make seven or eight straw crafts for Tang Yang to sell, which provided some income.

She took out two eggs from the jar where they stored eggs. She would fry them later with the sauce. If she cooked the eggs separately for her father and Tang Yang, they would definitely refuse.

Once, she saw her father working so hard in the fields that she decided to cook an egg for him every day. And Tang Yang was in a growing phase, so he had a bigger appetite. 

But because all the money in the family was taken by their mother, even though she had a hundred copper coins in her hand, she dared not spend them. So the family's diet was quite plain. She thought of cooking an egg for her brother as well.

But when she cooked two eggs, her father gave her half of his, and her brother did the same. In the end, three people shared two eggs, and she ended up eating the most.

On that day, Tang Li returned to her room in the evening and cried for a long time with her face covered. She had to support the family and couldn't let her father worry anymore, nor could she let her brother live poorly.

"Sis! What are you thinking? The pot is smoking!" Tang Yang reached out and pushed her.

"Help me get a bowl of sauce," Tang Li turned to him and said. "And get two more big green onions." 

Tang Yang responded with an "okay," took a bowl for the sauce, and ran to get the green onions.

Tang Li stir-fried eggs with green onions and added soy sauce. She also cut radish slices and blanched them in water to make them sweeter and less spicy.

"Dad, I'll go buy some meat early tomorrow morning," she looked at Tang Erhu, "You and Ah Yang have been doing so much work these days. You need some meat."

Tang Erhu nodded. "Okay, then you take some money first. I'll give it to you when we sell the grain." 

Tang Li, who was squeezing the cabbage, paused and turned to him. "Dad, don't you plan to let me handle the money?"

Tang Erhu sighed, took a bite of the big steamed bun in his hand, dipped it in radish with egg sauce, and said helplessly, "I do want you to handle it, but your big brother needs money for school. 

The grain we have is for our own consumption, and we'll send some to your brother's side. There won't be much left after selling it. When we get the money, I'll give you half for household expenses and let your big brother save the other half. Whether it's more or less, that's all there is. He can take it or leave it."

Tang Li listened quietly.

Tang Yang muttered to himself, "He'll definitely take it. He's just like Mom, always fond of money." Tang Erhu glanced at him but didn't scold him.

Suddenly, Tang Yang remembered the idea of studying that his elder brother had mentioned to him before. He hadn't thought it was feasible before, but now he felt that maybe it was worth a try.

He stole a glance at his father's expression and cautiously asked, "Dad, do you think I'm smart?" 

Tang Li looked at him puzzled.

Tang Erhu also looked up. "What do you mean? You're quite clever, and you work hard. Why, do you want to learn farming from me?"

Tang Yang swallowed nervously and carefully said, "Big brother said that after the New Year, he'll find an old scholar to teach brother Xi how to read. He asked me if I wanted to learn too."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at his father's expression again. "Um, I kind of want to learn as well." Tang Erhu fell silent.

The middle-aged man ate his steamed bun without saying a word, taking several bites before finally nodding under his youngest son's anxious gaze. "Alright, then you can go and learn with him later. If you do well, you..." he exhaled, "you can also go to the county school to study."

Tang Li opened her mouth as if to say something about the expenses of going to school in the county, but then she thought that if her brother could get an education, it would be a good thing, so she remained silent.

Tang Yang hesitated again.

"Dad, do you really want me to study?" he asked.

"But our family doesn't have that much money," Tang Yang knew that if both he and his elder brother went to school, the money earned from selling grains in a year wouldn't be enough. It would be difficult enough to support one student, let alone two.

Tang Erhu spoke firmly, "Don't worry about that. If you can really excel in your studies and become a top scholar, I'll sell everything I have to support your education." 

Tang Yang's eyes welled up with tears of gratitude, but ultimately, he shook his head. "No, I won't study. I'll learn farming from you, Dad."

Tang Li pursed her lips and said, "Ah Yang, if you want to study, give it a try. Learning to read is also good. In the future, if you don't want to farm, you can find work in the town or county. Being literate will earn you more than doing manual labor."

After thinking for a moment, Tang Yang nodded. "Sis, you're right!"

Because of this incident, Tang Erhu hardly spoke for the next two days, and Tang Yang regretted it, feeling that he shouldn't have said things that would put pressure on his father. 

Early in the morning, Tang Erhu drove the mule cart, loaded with six large sacks.

"Where are you going, Erhu? Are you going to sell the grains now?"

"You've sold quite little this year!"

"You've harvested a lot of land. How come you're selling so little?" 

Tang Erhu smiled and waved to them, without saying much.

At the back gate of the main house, the cart stopped, and Tang Erhu knocked twice. The big mule brayed twice and swished its tail. Tang Erhu then went to the front gate and knocked. 

"Who's there?" came the voice of Wei Xi from inside.

"It's me, your Uncle Tang!"

"Oh, coming!" Wei Xi opened the door, surprised to see him and the mule outside. "Uncle Tang, why are you here?"

"Where's your brother and brother-in-law?" Tang Erhu asked, "I came to bring you some new wheat for grinding when you eat."

Wei Xi was stunned by his words and glanced at the six large sacks on the cart.

"That's not convenient. My brother and brother-in-law went to the mountains to pick peaches. Maybe you can wait for them to come back."

Tang Erhu said, "There's still work to be done at home. Who knows when they'll be back? I'll move the grains to the granary myself." Wei Xi had no choice but to acknowledge and lead him inside.

When Wei Dong and Tang Xu returned, it was almost dark, and they came back with a full load.

Recently, the weather had been too hot, and Tang Xu didn't want to be busy in the kitchen every day. So, he had stopped the small food stall business. He planned to resume selling hot and spicy noodles when the weather cooled down in autumn, which would also appeal to the villagers' appetites.

So, early in the morning, they went into the mountains with baskets and bags, picking lots of fruits, including chestnuts and walnuts. When they descended the mountain, Wei Dong was carrying a pole.

"Brother! You're finally back," Wei Xi exclaimed excitedly when he saw them. He grabbed Tang Xu's hand and led him to the kitchen. "Uncle Tang came by just now and brought six big sacks of new wheat. He said we can grind them when we eat."

Tang Xu was taken aback and went into the small grain storage room to take a look. The six sacks were neatly stacked in the corner, supported by stones and wooden boards.

Wei Dong followed him in and commented, "He brought quite a lot."

Considering the land that Tang Erhu had, after deducting the taxes, they would have around twenty bags left. He gave them six bags, kept six for themselves, and planned to sell the rest. New wheat grains were sold for nine coins per catty to merchants. Each bag weighed around 180 catties, so considering it as 200 catties, one bag of grains would sell for about 1,800 coins.

"He sold all the remaining new wheat, and getting fifteen taels for it would be considered a lot. When the rice harvest comes, he's afraid he might only get ten taels for it.

After finishing harvesting the wheat, he'll immediately turn over the land and plant other crops. Anyway, this land cannot be left empty. It still needs to be fertilized and taken care of properly. After harvesting these crops, he'll continue planting.

Year after year, this is how we reverse crop cultivation, otherwise where would the food come from to eat?

Tang Xu felt a surge of emotions in his heart. He took several deep breaths to suppress the sourness in his nose.

"Well, I'll go over later."

"I'll go," Wei Dong said, "You shouldn't go, he definitely won't feel good if you go."

Tang Xu was stunned, looking up at his partner, "Do you know what I'm going to do?"

"Give him the silver, of course. You don't want to take it for free. But I think he definitely won't accept the silver. Directly giving him the silver won't work either; he'll probably feel hurt."

Tang Xu frowned as he was pulled back into the house by him. Sitting down on the kang, he asked, "If I go and give him the silver and he refuses, will you be able to make him accept it? Now he seems to like you more than me!"

Wei Dong laughed, "Don't worry, I'll handle it."

The last sentence carries a hint of emotion. His adoptive father now genuinely admires Wei Dong in every aspect, praising him whenever he can, almost to the point of calling him his son.

"I won't give him silver. I'll buy grains from him instead." Wei Dong gently pinched his leg, "He sells this wheat in the town anyway, whether to me or others. He sells it for nine wen outside, I'll buy it for seven wen."

Tang Xu widened his eyes and slapped his shoulder lightly, "You're making it too cheap for him!" 

Wei Dong held his hand, kissed it, "We'll take it all. Whatever he planned to sell, plus what he brought to us, we'll buy it for seven wen."

Tang Xu blinked, then nodded, "Your approach is good! Then go quickly. Oh, also send them a basket of fruits. If there's too much, it might go bad. Tell Ah Yang to come here after finishing, our cellar can be put to good use now. I'll dry some fruits for storage."

The cellar had been usable for two days already. Tang Xu didn't know how much money was spent; Wei Dong took care of everything. It was all neatly arranged, with stone slabs covering the floor. Tang Xu specifically asked for the ladder to be replaced with stairs for convenience.

In these two days, Tang Xu moved the small jars from the shelves and the large jars from the corners to the cellar. As time went on, there would be more jars inside, and he planned to use part of the space for storing pickled vegetables.

The cellar was warm in winter and cool in summer, with just a slight damp earthy smell. Apart from that, it had no issues. 

"Okay," Wei Dong nodded, pushing him towards the kang, "Rest for a while. I'll cook." 

Tang Xu jolted, "No way, I'll do it." 

He darted down from the kang again. Wei Dong chuckled and didn't stop him.

After dinner, when it got dark, Wei Dong leisurely made his way to Tang Erhu's house.

The courtyard gate was closed, and there were no oil lamps lit in Tang Yang and Tang Li's rooms, everything was dark. However, there was some light coming from Tang Erhu's main room. Wei Dong knocked on the door, and after a while, he heard footsteps. 

Tang Erhu asked, "Who is it?"

"Dad, it's me, Dongzi."

Tang Erhu hurriedly took a few steps and unlatched the door. "Why are you coming so late?" 

Wei Dong entered, asking, "You're not sleeping yet?"

"Not yet, can't sleep," Tang Erhu replied, letting him in. Seeing Wei Dong coming over, he probably guessed his intention. Without waiting for Wei Dong to sit down, he said, "If you've come to give me silver, I won't take it."

Wei Dong waved his hand and said, "Dad, let me be frank with you. Xu Ge'er is planning to give you silver. We both understand the situation at home now. It's not right for us to take your grains for free."

Tang Erhu became unhappy, saying, "What's wrong with me giving grains to my own son and son-in-law? You don't treat me like a father anymore, you're still being polite to me!"

"Dad, if we didn't treat you like a father, we would just take the grains back directly," Wei Dong poured himself a bowl of water and poured another for Tang Erhu. "I'll buy all your grains for seven wen, except for what you keep for yourself, all of it."

Tang Erhu was stunned, his eyes widening as he looked at him. "You'll buy it? Why do you need so much grain?"

Wei Dong explained his thoughts to him. Tang Erhu listened with furrowed brows and nodding occasionally, but in the end, he shook his head. "No, that won't do. You'll lose out."

"How will I lose out? If I go out to buy grain, it'll cost me eleven or twelve wen. Buying from you, I'm still making a profit. Besides, if I sell it elsewhere, I'll make more. Don't worry about it, if you don't agree, I'll come take it back tomorrow." After Wei Dong finished, Tang Erhu raised his hand and patted his arm.

"You cheeky brat, learning to threaten me just like Xu Ge'er!" Wei Dong grumbled, feeling the force of the man's hand.

"Dad, take a rest." Wei Dong put the money pouch hanging from his waist on the kang table and pushed it towards Tang Erhu. "We don't have any silver at home, only copper coins. Take your time counting, I'll go load it up."

Tang Erhu: "..."

He had a reasonable suspicion that this rascal was doing it on purpose!

Word of this incident somehow spread through the village, and the next day, someone asked Tang Erhu if he had indeed sold all the newly harvested wheat to his son-in-law.

Tang Erhu didn't see the need to hide it and nodded cheerfully. "Yes, he took it away last night."

"How much did you sell it for?" The woman asking the question thought if the price was right, she might ask Wei Dong if he would buy hers too. If it was cheaper than in town, even better. Maybe she could get two or three wen cheaper per hundred catties.

Tang Erhu gestured with his hand, indicating seven.

The woman gasped, then exclaimed loudly, "Are you crazy? The grain shops in town and the government both buy at nine wen, why did you sell for seven?"

When the grain officials came to collect taxes, they had already taken away the portion of grain to be taxed. The grain left for Tang Erhu was about the same as what the woman's family had. Doing the math in her head, she realized he had only sold for about seventeen or eighteen taels.

What a loss!

But Tang Erhu didn't feel like he had lost at all. In fact, he felt like he had gained. If he had stuck to his previous methods, he wouldn't have gotten seventeen taels for the remaining grain.

Still, he felt somewhat uncomfortable about it.

However, he also knew that if he insisted on not accepting the silver, Tang Xu would probably get angry, and he might even disown him as his father. So, he split the copper coins into two halves without counting them carefully. He took half for himself and asked Tang Li to take the other half and keep it safe.

Thinking back to his daughter's astonished expression at that time, Tang Erhu couldn't help but find it amusing now.

"What are you planning to plant on your dry land?" another familiar man asked him.

Tang Erhu, carrying a hoe, grinned and said, "I'm going to plant some millet, sweet potatoes, and soybeans. My son-in-law likes to eat millet. I won't plant maize or sorghum anymore, as he says he has those planted already. He asked me to plant more soybeans to fertilize the land."

The man asking the question couldn't help but burst into laughter, teasing him, "Now you even have to listen to your son-in-law about planting? You're really something!"

Tang Erhu chuckled and didn't mind the teasing. He went to burn the wheat straw in the field, planning to turn over the soil slowly after it burned out. 

However, he thought that he needed to buy a cow in town when he had the time. Working alone was too tiring and inefficient.

In the past, all the money at home was controlled by Liu Xiangxiang, not giving him a penny. But now that he had money in hand, he knew he had to buy the cow first; otherwise, he would feel embarrassed to keep bothering the big donkey.

With these thoughts in mind, after lunch that day, Tang Erhu told Tang Li about his plan to buy a cow.

Tang Li and Tang Yang both nodded vigorously in agreement with his decision. 

However, Tang Yang suggested, "Dad, if you're going to town to buy a cow, take my big brother with you!"

Tang Erhu was puzzled. "Why?"

Tang Li explained, "Big brother is really good at bargaining. Remember when we bought the big donkey? The seller asked for twenty-five taels!"

Tang Erhu was astonished. "Twenty-five taels? That's too expensive!"

"Right? Guess how many taels big brother actually paid in the end," Tang Yang said mysteriously.

Tang Erhu made a guess. "Twenty-two?"

"Nope."

"Twenty?"

"Nope."

Tang Erhu pondered. "...It couldn't be seventeen taels, could it?"

"Less than that," Tang Li waved her hand, smiling. "Big brother paid fifteen taels."

Tang Erhu clapped his hands together. "After dinner, I'll go find your big brother and have them come with me to town to buy a cow." 

"Dad!" the siblings exclaimed excitedly, "We want to go too!"

Tang Erhu thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright, you can come. Ah Li, bring all the copper coins with you. I don't think what I have on hand will be enough." Tang Li nodded in agreement.

Inside the main house, Tang Xu was digging hawthorn seeds with Wei Xi. The hawthorns were bright red and quite large, with a sweet and sour taste. 

He planned to dry some hawthorn fruits and store some fresh ones in jars. He remembered that properly sealed fresh hawthorns could be stored in a cool, shaded place for several months without spoiling.

He placed the intact ones without wormholes into jars and dried some seeds in the sun. He also planned to make some other snacks with them.

"Brother Xu, where's my brother? Is he out in the mountains again?"

"Yeah, I asked him to pick more walnuts and chestnuts. The batches of fruits have been ripening recently, and there are quite a few people gathering fruits in the mountains. I plan to make more dried fruits and fruit preserves to eat in winter. 

Now that we have a cellar, we can store them for quite a while." He had discussed with Wei Dong that they would go into town to buy some ice blocks in a couple of days. Last time they went to the pharmacy in town, he had already arranged for saltpeter, and he also planned to buy some makeshift refrigerators, which would be convenient.

Wei Xi stuffed a hawthorn into his mouth, his face contorting from the sourness. 

"It's so sour!" 

Tang Xu chuckled. "Wait a moment, I'll fry some hawthorn snowballs, and they won't be sour anymore."

"Brother!" A penetrating voice came from outside the courtyard walls. "Open the door!" 

Tang Xu was surprised and quickly went to open the door. He saw a family of three outside and was pleasantly surprised. "Why are you coming over at this hour?"

Tang Yang rushed over and hugged his leg, looking up at him. "Brother, let's go buy a cow!"

Tang Xu: ????

Buy a cow???

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