The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 59

 

| TBBOTOF | 59

"Is Dongzi at home?"

The woman's voice outside the wall sounded somewhat genuine, but Wei Xi was puzzled. It was already dark, who would come looking for his brother at this time for no apparent reason?

Although his brother had become somewhat easier to get along with since getting married, he still had a stern attitude towards outsiders. During the daytime, hardly anyone came knocking, let alone at this late hour.

Wei Xi had a gut feeling that something was off, so he replied, "He's not here."

The voice outside seemed surprised and doubtful, then asked, "Are you Wei Xi?" Wei Xi was even more confused. Who could this person be?

He rarely ventured outside, sticking mostly to the confines of the courtyard, occasionally visiting his aunt's house. Who was this? The voice sounded unfamiliar, someone he didn't know.

Wei Xi became even more alert.

He had heard his brother Xu tell stories about children being kidnapped. Unfamiliar strangers would lure children out, knock them unconscious, and then carry them away.

At the time, Wei Xi thought it was unlikely, considering how everyone in the village knew each other. Surely, no one would do such a despicable thing.

But now!

Wei Xi's first reaction was to run to the backyard and check if the main gate was bolted shut. He found not only was it bolted shut but also locked, which eased his mind somewhat.

At least the person outside couldn't come in. The walls of his house were quite high, and on top of the wall, his brother had intentionally planted a circle of brambles with long thorns. Climbing over the wall meant risking getting pricked and bleeding.

The woman calling from outside didn't hear him respond, so she knocked on the back door twice.

"Wei Xi? I'm your second uncle's wife! Open the door for me!"

Wei Xi hesitated for a moment, then shouted back, "I don't know you!"

After shouting, he turned and ran. After taking a few steps, he quickly stopped, his chest rising and falling rapidly due to his heart beating too fast. He took a moment to calm down, then hurried to the front yard.

The woman outside, who claimed to be Wei Xi's second uncle's wife, waited for a while but didn't get a response to open the door. She shouted a couple more times, but this time, there was no reply at all.

Frowning impatiently, she clicked her tongue and turned back home.

She actually came earlier today, but the door was locked with a big padlock. She didn't expect anyone to be back in the yard in the evening, but still, no one opened the door for her.

She returned home in a huff, seeing Wei Zhongyi lying comfortably on the kang with his legs crossed. Zhang Cuihua couldn't help but walk over and give him a pat. “What's going on with your nephew? I've been there twice today, and they won't let me in!”

Wei Zhongyi was puzzled for a moment and asked, 'Which nephew?' He had quite a few nephews.

“Xiao Xi and Dongzi!' Zhang Cuihua shot back, 'Who else would I be talking about? I can't go to you for help! Whenever I ask you to go, you refuse!”

After hearing what she said clearly, Wei Zhongyi sat up in one swift motion, annoyed. “Who told you to go find Dongzi?”

“I couldn't find anyone else! If Dongzi hadn't beaten Ah Yu that time, Ah Yu wouldn't still be unable to find a wife!' Zhang Cuihua swung her fist at Wei Zhongyi, 'You useless thing! Your son is like that, and you're not even worried!'

Wei Zhongyi pushed her away irritably and retorted, “It was you who took ten taels of silver from Wei Dong and said you'd let it go. The town doctor has seen him so many times and said he's fine, but you just won't believe it. You keep nagging at him every time. I think it's your fault he still can't find a wife!”

Zhang Cuihua let out a cry, wailing loudly, but with no tears, just a raw, guttural sound.

In the side room, Wei Yu heard his mother's cries, feeling annoyed, he slammed the door shut with a loud bang. Zhang Cuihua, startled, shuddered, and her wails subsided.

Wei Zhongyi sighed heavily. "You, if you hadn't spoiled him rotten since he was young, he wouldn't have gone to provoke Wei Xi. Getting beaten by Wei Dong was a lesson he needed, but what happened? The doting mother ruins the child! Look at what you've turned him into!"

Zhang Cuihua immediately became defensive at these words. She could criticize her own son as much as she liked, but she couldn't stand anyone else saying a word against him, even if it was her man!

This led to another round of arguing.

Meanwhile, Tang Xu and Wei Dong emerged from the cellar and saw Wei Xi waiting above. Even though it was dark, they could still tell from his expression that he wasn't feeling well.

Tang Xu's heart tightened, and he reached out to feel Wei Xi's forehead.

But Wei Xi's hand was too cold, and the moment Tang Xu touched his forehead, Wei Xi shivered uncontrollably.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Tang Xu grew more anxious and reached out to hug him.

Wei Dong stopped him, "Your body is too cold, you'll freeze him."

Tang Xu suddenly realized and apologized to Wei Xi, "I'm sorry, Xiao Xi, I forgot. So, where exactly are you feeling uncomfortable? You look really pale."

Wei Xi's expression changed instantly, and he pointed angrily outside, saying, "Just now, there was a woman outside calling for my brother and then for me, asking me to open the door. She claimed to be my second uncle's wife. I didn't open the door, but she kept knocking for a while. It was scary. Brother, do you think she was trying to kidnap me?"

Tang Xu opened his mouth but couldn't say anything.

Wei Dong, puzzled, glanced at both of them and asked, "Kidnap you? What are you talking about?"

Wei Xi leaned in close to his brother and quickly recounted the story about kidnapping children, emphasizing luring them out and knocking them unconscious.

Wei Dong's head was buzzing as he looked at Tang Xu, somewhat incredulous. "Did you tell him that story?"

Tang Xu awkwardly pulled the corners of his mouth and scratched his nose, "It's just... raising his awareness of safety, you know? We always leave him alone at home. What if someone sees our good conditions and tricks Wei Xi out? He's good-looking, if he gets kidnapped, he could fetch a good price!"

The more he spoke, the more ridiculous he sounded, and Wei Xi's heart raced twice as fast. Wei Dong, feeling helpless, raised his hand and covered Tang Xu's mouth to stop him from saying more nonsense.

"Alright, that's enough, he gets it. You go take a shower, I need to talk to Wei Xi," Wei Dong said.

Tang Xu glanced at him askew and peeled Wei Dong's hand off his mouth. His hand wasn't cold anymore, so he checked Wei Xi's forehead again and felt relieved to find that his temperature was normal. 

He reminded him, "Remember to take your medicine later. You didn't take it yesterday. You can't keep neglecting it like this." 

Wei Xi obediently nodded, "I'll take it with Brother." Sharing the suffering together, no one should be left behind. 

Tang Xu thought about the taste of his own body-regulating herbal soup, feeling a faint bitterness creeping up from the back of his tongue.

He didn't know what herbs Dr. Xu had added to it, although the effect seemed good, the taste was truly unbearable – neither sweet nor sour nor bitter nor spicy, it encapsulated all the flavors of life in one sip.

He had complained to Dr. Xu about it before, but the result was Dr. Xu checking his pulse and saying the medicine was working well, so there was no need to change it.

Heart-wrenching.

Tang Xu chuckled dryly at Wei Xi and squeezed out a sentence through his teeth, "Alright, I'll go brew the medicine. We'll drink it together." 

His departing figure seemed to exude a sense of heroic sacrifice, and Wei Xi stifled a laugh, only to be lightly tapped on the back of his head by his brother. It was a gentle tap, but Wei Xi immediately composed himself, standing up straight with his head held high.

"Brother, was that woman really Second Uncle's wife? Why did she come looking for you?" 

Wei Dong neither confirmed nor denied, "I didn't see her, so I'm not sure. But next time if something like this happens, don't open the door," he paused and added, "Don't get kidnapped."

Wei Xi: "..." Thanks for the advice!

After washing up and lying on the kang, Tang Xu calculated the tasks he needed to do later. He would check tomorrow if the "makeshift refrigerator" in the cellar worked. With the hot weather, the vegetables in the front and back yards' vegetable gardens were growing like crazy, almost a new variety every day.

Tomorrow, he would pick a batch of green beans and dry them in the sun, then fertilize the garden. With luck, they could harvest several rounds of beans.

For lunch tomorrow, he'd make some green bean braised noodles. If he wanted ribs, he'd have to go buy them early to avoid the butcher stripping them bare.

"Tomorrow morning, you get up and buy some ribs. I feel like having them."

"Mm, okay." Wei Dong replied with a slightly nasal tone as he closed his eyes, using one arm as a pillow. Tang Xu heard his partner's response and turned over, lying on his side, his eyes staring at the silhouette of Wei Dong's jaw in the darkness.

His mind continued to calculate. He needed to quickly sew up the mosquito net and hang it up tomorrow. Today, he bought two batches of gauze in town, enough to sew two nets. The leftover gauze would be used to wrap herbs to be ground into powder.

In a few days, when someone from Mr. Wu's shop came to collect the herb packets, he needed to mention the matter of cold noodles. Selling a hundred sheets a day at five wen each wouldn't be a loss, earning him half a tael of silver. However, he would have to send back a few bags of wheat to Mr. Wu's shop, or else they wouldn't have enough white flour.

Oh, and he needed to tell his father that they needed to sift the wheat several times when grinding it to get finer flour.

He also needed to sun-dry some fish, grind beans to make fermented tofu, and buy some red yeast rice from town. Next time, he'd ask Wei Dong to bring some back along with some glutinous rice; he was craving glutinous rice balls.

The ducks and geese they bought also needed nests quickly, or they might get sick if they got rained on, potentially developing into avian flu.

Just the thought of all these tasks energized Tang Xu in an instant, and he sat up abruptly.

Wei Dong, half-asleep and half-awake, was startled by his sudden movement. He reached out and pulled Tang Xu close, "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Tang Xu slapped his chest urgently, "Nightmare? I haven't even slept yet!"

"Then what's the matter?" Wei Dong hugged him around the waist and pulled him closer, "Too hot to sleep?"

"You stay away from me, and I won't be hot." Tang Xu pushed him away. This guy's body temperature was ridiculously high. When he got close, it felt like being pressed against a furnace. 

Tang Xu naturally had a low body temperature, so he didn't feel too hot when sleeping in the summer, but in the winter, it was unbearable under the covers.

Now, being pressed against Wei Dong, Tang Xu felt like this guy was deliberately hugging him to cool himself down. Wei Dong hugged him tightly, making it impossible for Tang Xu to push him away.

Wei Dong comfortably snuggled against him, shamelessly pressing his face against Tang Xu's back.

The clothes were uncomfortable against his skin, and Wei Dong even lifted them up.

Tang Xu couldn't take it anymore. He flipped over and sat on Wei Dong's stomach with force. Wei Dong, unprepared, let out a grunt as if Mount Tai had pressed down on him. He reached out and held Tang Xu's waist, "Not sleeping?"

"It's because you're not behaving! I was trying to talk to you seriously!" Tang Xu slapped his chest again and couldn't resist pinching it. The texture felt firm yet soft, with a hint of resilience – perfect for pinching.

Wei Dong grabbed his mischievous hand and held it down. "If you want to have a serious conversation, stop fooling around."

Tang Xu clicked his tongue in annoyance. It was getting late, so he stopped teasing.

He rolled over and lay down again, saying, "We need to quickly build shelters and nests for the ducks and geese tomorrow. The current space seems insufficient. We'll have to clear out some space by pulling out the Chinese cabbage together."

"We don't need to separate them. We can raise chickens and rabbits together, ducks and geese together. The enclosure is large enough. We'll make a few grass nests for them to live in, and as long as there are places to hatch eggs, they won't fight," Wei Dong suggested.

Tang Xu was skeptical, "How do you know that?"

"Our yard is big. If you just think about giving each of them their own nest, those smaller yards haven't seen any success raising them separately. In my opinion, let them all roam together, let the chickens, ducks, and geese find their own food on the hillside. They won't starve, and maybe the meat will taste even better from all the extra exercise. Our chickens in the coop are already so fat. When do you plan to slaughter one for us to stew?" Wei Dong suggested.

Tang Xu considered that free-range chicken might indeed taste better than conventionally raised ones. "Alright, we'll let them all out tomorrow. But we need to reinforce the fence on the hillside, or they'll definitely fly out."

"Fly out? Even animals have brains. Even if they're dumb, they know you're feeding them well every day. Going out for a walk is just for fun. If they don't come back, where else will they find food?" Wei Dong spoke convincingly, as if he had raised a lot of free-range chickens before.

Tang Xu asked, "How do you know all this so clearly?"

"When I was a child, my mother used to raise chickens like that. At that time, our house didn't have a courtyard wall, so the chickens would roam freely everywhere. But my mother would feed them once in the morning and once in the evening. Every day, I would go up the mountain to find chicken eggs. It was exhausting," Wei Dong said, then fell silent for a moment. "Forget it, let's not let them roam. There's no one to collect the eggs."

Tang Xu sensed the sadness in his tone and reached out to hug him. "Okay, then. We'll let our little ones go pick chicken eggs all over the mountains when we have them in the future."

Wei Dong stiffened for a moment. "Little ones?"

"Yeah, our little ones," Tang Xu said softly.

Wei Dong flipped over and pinned him down, giving him a kiss. "Then you'd better give me a few more." 

Tang Xu: "..." Taking advantage of the situation!

A little exercise was helpful for sleep. Tang Xu's scattered thoughts were pushed away by Wei Dong, and he fell into a deep sleep.

Two days later, Tang Yang ran over to the main house by himself, telling Tang Xu that everything was ready at home, and they planned to start selling skewers and cold noodles tomorrow morning, but they didn't plan to make too much at first, just to test the waters.

Tang Xu nodded in approval after hearing Tang Yang's plans. He handed him a small basket filled with ingredient packets. "These are the seasoning packets. Tell Ah Li that she only needs to use one small packet each time to make a pot of soup. Don't put too much, or it will change the flavor."

Tang Yang sat nearby, holding the small basket attentively as he listened.

"For the skewers, make them the same size as we did before. Your brother-in-law will go to the river to catch fish later, and you can go with him. Bring back two fish for AhLi to stew one and make fish balls with the other."

"No need to trouble brother-in-law. Dad made a big net for me to go fishing in the river," Tang Yang said, a little excited. "Yesterday, I caught a big blackfish. Sister stewed it, but it wasn't as delicious as brother's stew, but it was better than mom's."

After he finished speaking, he pouted. "Brother, some of the kids I used to play with said I was a wild child without a mother, so I fought with them."

"Did you win?" Tang Xu pulled him closer and carefully examined his exposed arms. There were a few bruises, but no broken skin.

Tang Yang nodded solemnly. "Yes, I won. I beat anyone who said it, but Dad also scolded me when he came home." He frowned, looking indignant.

Tang Xu chuckled and patted Tang Yang on the shoulder. "What did Dad say when he scolded you?"

Tang Yang recalled with disappointment, "Dad said I was throwing rocks at people's heads. Luckily, I didn't hit anyone. If I had, I would have to pay for it, and if I killed someone, it would be a big problem."

"Dad's right. You shouldn't act so recklessly, you know?" Tang Xu patted him again, this time on the buttocks.

Tang Yang grimaced and sidestepped, "Brother, be gentle with the patting. Dad already made my butt swollen."

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I won't pat you. From now on, you need to be careful not to fight like that. It's okay to fight, but you can't be so aggressive. And no matter what, you need to protect yourself first. Don't play with those who said those things about you."

"I don't have time to bother with them. I need to earn money with Sister Li," Tang Yang said, looking around and not seeing Wei Xi. He then asked, "Is brother Xi sleeping again?"

"No, he's gone to the mountains with your brother-in-law. They'll be back soon," Tang Xu replied. He had run out of mugwort for mosquito repellent, so Wei Xi said he would go pick some. Wei Dong wasn't comfortable with him going alone, so he went along. After all, he needed to check the traps too.

Tang Yang responded with an "okay" and said, "I'll head back first. Brother, if you're free, come home tomorrow and take a look. Sister Li has collected the sesame seeds and they're currently being sun-dried."

"Keep the sesame seeds for yourself; don't give them to me," Tang Xu said as he escorted Tang Yang out. "When you go back, be careful not to run and risk falling."

Tang Yang nodded in agreement. After waving goodbye to him, he ran off. Tang Xu sighed and only returned to the courtyard after seeing Tang Yang turn onto the village road.

The next morning, they set off with a mule cart loaded with three bags of wheat to the neighboring village. 

On their way out, they encountered Tang Erhu, who was leading a yellow ox out of the gate, and they were both surprised.

Tang Xu asked him, "Dad, why are you leaving the house at this hour?"

Glancing at the old ox, which looked much livelier than the day they bought it, Tang Erhu chuckled and replied, "With the old ox helping out now, I don't have to get up so early. Why did you bring back the wheat?"

"Tang Li needs more flour for making liangpi, and what you left definitely won't be enough," Tang Xu said before Tang Erhu could speak, "I'll take the money, I'm not giving it away for free."

Tang Erhu's expression improved significantly. "Alright then, come into the courtyard. They're both threading skewers," he said. 

Then, Wei Dong glanced at Tang Xu and said to Tang Erhu, "Dad, I'll go to the field with you. Let them busy themselves."

"Sure thing. I'm planting corn today, and you can help me tamp the soil at the back," Tang Erhu nodded with a smile. First, Wei Dong moved the sacks from the cart into the courtyard, then he rushed to the field with Tang Erhu.

Tang Xu led Wei Xi into the courtyard but didn't see the siblings. He glanced at the small wooden table and stools placed to the side, then led Wei Xi into the kitchen.

"Brother! Xiao Xi," 

Tang Xu greeted them "Ah Li, Ah Yang," the three greeted each other. 

Then, Wei Xi went to wash his hands to help with skewering. He hadn't done it in a while, and his hands were still itching. 

Tang Li, seeing him come to help, thanked him with a smile before putting down the skewering activity to start making liangpi at the stove.

Tang Xu stood with his arms crossed, not intending to help, but he would speak up to remind her when she was ladling the batter. "That's too much, a little less... That's too little, add half a spoon... You use this large ladle every time, you need to control the amount yourself, otherwise the liangpi will steam unevenly, and the texture will be different."

Tang Li nodded, pursing her lips. She had tried many times at home these past few days, but she always struggled to get the right amount, and the shaking was also uneven. There would be thin and thick parts in one liangpi. If it weren't for his encouragement, Tang Li would have wanted to give up.

She had almost mastered it, but unexpectedly, she couldn't control the amount properly in front of her brother. Tang Li felt a bit frustrated.

"Take your time. Everyone shakes when they first start. You do it, and I'll watch you. After doing it more times, you'll get used to it," Tang Xu drank a sip of water from a bowl. "Did you mix the sesame and peanut sauce?"

"I did, but not too much. Brother, I plan to make thirty liangpi first. The ones that don't turn out well, we'll keep for ourselves to eat," Tang Li said as she carefully worked with her hands and talked to him.

Tang Xu nodded, his eyes scanning the kitchen. He noticed several jars in the corner and a piece of cured meat hanging from the beam.

"Who brought the cured meat?"

"Auntie brought it over. She heard that my mother and my eldest brother took all the silver from home. She was afraid we wouldn't have any meat to eat, so she brought over a piece," Tang Li said, then fell silent for a moment. "Brother, why would mother and big brother do that? Except for what father earned, the rest of the silver was all dowry from Brother's marriage."

The implication was clear that the silver had nothing to do with them, especially with her eldest brother. She never expected Tang Rui to leave even a single coin for father.

Tang Xu smiled without answering that question, changing the subject instead: "I noticed you haven't set up the small stove outside. Are you planning to sell in the courtyard?"

"Yeah, there's not much silver left in our family. If we buy another new pot, we'll really have nothing left. I discussed it with father and decided to sell in the courtyard. The road in front of our house isn't spacious, so if we block it all there, it won't be convenient for others to come and go," Tang Li said. The cold noodles she steamed this time were very good, translucent, thin, and even.

She picked them up and showed them to Tang Xu, who nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

"Keep going, follow this feel when making them. If you do, they'll all turn out well. Tomorrow someone from the Fuyun Restaurant will come to pick up the seasoning packets. I'll tell them about you selling cold noodles."

Tang Li nodded, "I am selling one hundred servings, five wen each. Brother, do you think it's okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine, what's not okay about it?" 

That day when they went to buy the cow, if it wasn't because he was afraid the ice would melt too much and delay them, he actually wanted to go to the restaurant. 

But it didn't matter, anyway, tomorrow Mr. Wu would probably come along with them. "Prepare one hundred servings tomorrow, they'll come early. The carriage moves fast, they'll probably set off as soon as it gets light."

"Okay, I'll get up early to prepare. Brother, if there are too many cold noodles, should I brush some oil on top? I feel like they might stick together."

"No need, look, when I sold them before, I didn't brush any oil and they didn't stick together." Tang Xu waved his hand, glanced at the two little ones sitting at the door of the stove room, and poured a bowl of water for each of them, handing it over.

The two children drank the water and went back to work.

"Sister Li, you can start simmering the soup ingredients now, bring out the fragrance." Wei Xi returned the water bowl to Tang Xu and said to Tang Li, "When my brother was at home, he would start simmering at this time."

Tang Li shook her head, saying helplessly, "I don't have that many stoves here. The soup ingredients have already been simmered in advance. I'll have Ah Yang go outside and shout a few times later. Many people in the village have been asking us when we'll continue selling skewers, so I'm not worried about not having any customers."

Tang Xu saw the wooden barrel beside him with the lid on, opened it to check the soup ingredients inside, scooped some with a clean spoon to taste, pursed his lips, then turned to Tang Li, saying, "It's a bit bland. You need to marinate the skewers longer for them to be more flavorful."

"Okay, I'll add half a spoon more salt next time."

"Alright." Tang Xu nodded. She couldn't add more salt now, or else the salt crystals wouldn't dissolve properly, making the skewers even less palatable. 

After all the skewers were prepared and Tang Li finished making the cold noodles, Tang Yang washed his hands and ran outside to start calling out.

"Tang Erhu's family is selling cold skewers and cold noodles in the courtyard!"

"Tang Erhu's family is selling cold skewers and cold noodles in the courtyard!"

He ran along the village road, shouting until his throat hurt. Only when he saw people coming out of their homes did he run back. After a short while at home, people began to come over with bowls in hand.

The small business here was equally bustling. People who had been craving skewers and cold noodles for days were now extremely satisfied and couldn't help but praise the taste after taking the first bite.

"Your family should have set up a stall here long ago. Otherwise, I always have to run far to get a bite," someone remarked.

"It's just not as cool, but the taste doesn't differ much," another person added.

Upon hearing this, Tang Li looked at her brother nervously.

Tang Xu chuckled, "Without well water here to keep things cool, it's definitely not as refreshing as where we used to sell. But if you want it cold, there's a way. Just add some ice cubes to the soup. However, the price will definitely go up by a couple of wen."

"That's fine, it's not much of a difference," the person replied.

"Yeah, whether it's cold or not doesn't matter, as long as we get to taste it," another agreed.

Tang Xu smiled and didn't say anything more. He turned around and went to the stove room to help cook the skewers. After they were cooked, he soaked them in cold water before putting them into the cold soup. By the time Tang Erhu and Wei Dong returned, there were no more customers in the courtyard.

Tang Yang and Tang Li excitedly rushed towards Tang Erhu. "Dad! We did it!"

"We sold them all! They were really happy when they heard we'll be selling every day from now on!" Tang Yang hugged Tang Erhu's leg, brimming with excitement. "Dad, we can make money now!"

Tang Erhu hugged them tightly, patting them vigorously. "You both did great, fantastic!"

The siblings grinned from ear to ear.

Lunch was eaten there, with Tang Xu making hand-pulled noodles, frying egg sauce, and mixing some cucumber strips with garlic paste, which was delicious. 

After they finished eating, Tang Li pulled Tang Xu aside to divide some copper coins, and Tang Xu agreed with a smile.

However, after dividing the copper coins, he added, "Don't give me my share every day from now on. Just save it up for a week and bring it to me. That way, I can use it to get the seasoning packets for the next week."

Tang Li nodded in agreement.

Wei Dong rushed with the donkey cart to take Tang Xu and Wei Xi back home. Just as they arrived at the back door, they heard someone calling out to them from behind.

Wei Dong turned his head, frowning.

Tang Xu also looked back and saw a woman walking towards them with an impatient expression, whom he didn't recognize. "Who's that?" he asked.

Judging from her husband's expression, he seemed to know her, and didn't seem to like her very much.

Wei Xi explained to him, "It seems to be the person who came to our house that day."

Since he was very young, Wei Dong had completely severed ties with the old house, so he hadn't seen any blood relatives besides Wei Zhonghong for a long time due to the distance between the main house and the old one.

Zhang Cuihua hurriedly walked up to Wei Dong and grabbed his arm. Before she could say anything, Wei Dong raised his hand to push her away. Tang Xu blinked and gestured for Wei Xi to enter the house first.

Wei Xi pursed his lips, initially wanting to stay here, but he understood that his brother didn't want him to hear any unpleasant words, so he obediently led the donkey into the courtyard.

When Wei Dong saw Wei Xi enter the house, he glanced at Tang Xu.

Tang Xu returned his gaze, the meaning clear: I'm not leaving. Not only did he not leave, but he also reached back to close the back door of the courtyard.

Even though his husband hadn't said anything, Tang Xu knew that many people weren't worthy of entering this mansion.

Wei Dong raised an eyebrow, his initial dislike upon seeing Zhang Cuihua tempered slightly by Tang Xu's actions. He turned to face Mrs. Zhang, speaking indifferently, "What do you want from me?"

Zhang Cuihua was filled with grievances before seeing anyone, but now that she saw someone, she didn't dare to speak up. 

Tang Xu was puzzled. If she came all the way here, there must be a reason, so why wasn't she speaking up? After a moment's thought, he smiled and asked very friendly, "Auntie, who are you? What business do you have with my husband?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cuihua's expression changed multiple times. She glanced at Tang Xu's overly delicate and beautiful face, sneered inwardly, and pointed at Wei Dong, saying angrily, "I am his second aunt."

Tang Xu looked puzzled and turned to Wei Dong. "Husband, you have a second uncle? I thought you only had one elder aunt."

"You!" Zhang Cuihua was furious. "How dare you speak like that!"

"My husband's way of speaking has nothing to do with you. If you have business, say it. If not, don't loiter around our doorstep," Wei Dong said impatiently, extremely annoyed to see her. It was she who had led the charge, saying that he and his brother were doomed and would sooner or later bring misfortune to their family. She had even said not to come to their house, or else it would bring bad luck to their entire family.

Then there was her son, about the same age as himself, who bullied Wei Xi, pushing the two-year-old Wei Xi down and mocking him for not being able to speak properly, calling him an ominous star.

Thinking back to when he had beaten that man soundly, making him wet himself and reportedly breaking some bones, Wei Dong didn't regret it. He compensated him with ten taels of silver, but he didn't regret it.

"You've injured my son! He can't even find a wife now. You have to compensate him!" Zhang Cuihua yelled at Wei Dong with her head held high. "I didn't come to you before because I thought you didn't have money. But now that you have money, you have to compensate!"

Tang Xu looked bewildered.

"How did you injure her son?" he asked.

Wei Dong explained coldly, "His son insulted Xiao Xi. At that time, Xiao Xi was not even three years old, still unsteady on his feet and unable to speak clearly. He was playing in front of his own house when that bastard insulted him and pushed him, causing him to fall and hit the back of his head. 

He even rolled his eyes back then. I happened to come back and saw it, so I beat the man. I heard he broke a few bones. I compensated her with ten taels of silver at the time. That was several years ago."

Tang Xu chuckled and sarcastically remarked to Zhang Cuihua, "Auntie, do you have a problem with your brain? You're asking for money for something that happened several years ago? Who do you think you are? 

Besides, didn't we already compensate you at that time? Now you come to our doorstep to extort money? Do you think we're fools to just give you money because you ask for it?

Moreover, isn't it your son's fault for not being able to find a wife? If you prepared more dowry for him, he would have no trouble finding a bride. With a hundred taels, he could even marry a girl from the county."

Wei Dong couldn't help but chuckle. His husband was indeed eloquent.

Zhang Cuihua was left dumbfounded by Tang Xu's words, but after she recovered, she began to protest, "It's because he injured Ah Yu that he can't find a wife!"

"What do you mean by 'injured'? Did he kick your son to the point where he couldn't take care of himself? Or did he kick him until he became disabled?" Tang Xu's voice was even louder than hers, and he showed no fear.

Tang Xu, always one to assert himself, made it clear that anyone who dared to cheat him would lose face, not him.

Let her keep shouting; after all, the one who'd be embarrassed wasn't him.

"You, you, you," Zhang Cuihua pointed at Tang Xu for a while, but couldn't come up with another word. She couldn't speak, but Tang Xu didn't stop either.

Accompanied by a disdainful eye roll, Tang Xu retorted, "What about you? You're the one lacking capability. It's because of you that your son can't find a wife. You shamelessly come to someone else's doorstep to ask for money, despite your old age. 

How shameless of you! You keep saying that my husband injured someone, but where's the evidence? Do you have a doctor's report from the pharmacy proving he's injured? You're just making noise out of thin air. I could also say that you owe my family a hundred taels of silver. So pay up!"

Each of Tang Xu's words struck Zhang Cuihua, and her face turned red with anger.

Wei Dong looked at Tang Xu in surprise and couldn't help but whisper, "Take it easy, you'll end up killing her with anger."

"I haven't even touched her. What's her fainting got to do with me?" Tang Xu grabbed Wei Dong and took a few steps back, putting some distance between themselves and Zhang Cuihua. "Is this distance okay?"

"What do you mean?" Wei Dong asked, puzzled by his question.

"I'm afraid she might faint and fall on us," Tang Xu smirked, arms folded. He then turned to Zhang Cuihua and said, "Auntie, are you going to pay up? If not, please leave. Thank you."

That "thank you" was just too sarcastic.

Tang Xu had vented his frustration, leaving Zhang Cuihua gasping for breath, her face turning a purple-red color from anger. Tang Xu thought she probably had high blood pressure; there was a chance she might burst a blood vessel.

Hastily, he turned back, pushed open the courtyard door, pulled Wei Dong inside, and as he closed the door, he added, "Leave quickly. Don't loiter in front of our house. We have no grudge against you, but if you keep lingering, it won't end well for you."

With a bang, he shut the door.

Outside the door, Mrs. Zhang felt dizzy and disoriented. She had prepared many words to say when she came, but Tang Xu's rapid-fire sarcasm had left her dumbfounded, unable to say anything.

She banged on the iron gate, but unfortunately, no one paid attention to her.

Feeling resentful, she returned home. Mrs. Zhang lay down on the kang and wailed, crying and complaining bitterly. Wei Zhongyi and Wei Yu returned from the fields and heard her wailing, which irritated them to no end.

"I've told you countless times, I don't want to marry a wife, I want to marry a husband. What's wrong with you, Mom? Why are you bothering Wei Dong?" Wei Yu was furious, standing by the kang and venting his frustration. "I've told you so many times, it's not that I'm incapable, it's just that I'm not interested in girls. Why won't you listen to me?"

Zhang Cuihua sat up abruptly, feeling dizzy from the sudden movement. She raised her hand to her forehead and angrily retorted, "Why aren't you interested in girls? It's all because Wei Dong injured you! I'm telling you, it's his fault!"

"Zhang Cuihua, why do you insist on making Ah Yu marry a girl? What's wrong with him wanting to marry a guy?" Wei Zhongyi was almost driven crazy by his wife. 

His son was already twenty years old, and there were suitors, but Wei Yu had insisted on wanting to marry a man, which his mother adamantly opposed.

He was forced to tell his mother that he wasn't interested in girls, it had caused a big argument. The marriage arrangements had been postponed for two years. 

The suitor who came for Wei Yu had been directly rejected by his mother, and the family of the girl who came for marriage had been rejected by Wei Yu. As a result, despite being twenty years old, there was still no progress in his marriage.

"I only have one son. I want to marry him to a girl and have more sons. Is that wrong?" 

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