The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 33

 

| TBBOTOF | 33

The Tang family's old house was quiet. Luo Pingping was heating water and planning to take it to the main house for the elders when she heard the courtyard door banging. It was already dark outside, so who would come knocking on their door at this hour?

She went to open the door and was startled to see Tang Erhu's angry face. "What's wrong? Did something happen at home?" she asked, concerned. Tang Erhu didn't say a word but headed straight for the main house.

The elderly couple was about to wash their feet and go to bed when they heard the door open. They expected it to be their eldest daughter-in-law, but it was their second son. "Erhu? What brings you here again?" 

They hadn't seen him coming over so frequently before, especially not late at night! Wu Guizhi could tell from her second son's expression that he was not in a good mood. She asked him, "What's wrong? Did you quarrel with your wife again?"

"Father, Mother," Tang Erhu called out to his parents, then bent his knees and knelt down. "I want to divorce that wicked woman!"

"What?" Luo Pingping happened to walk to the door and almost dropped the basin of water she was carrying.

Wu Guizhi and Tang Guangliang were both taken aback. Why did he suddenly want a divorce?

Tang Dahu heard the commotion and rushed over. He quickly pulled his brother up. "What are you doing? Why can't you talk things out properly?"

Tang Erhu wiped his face and stood up under his brother's pull.

His eyes were red from anger and embarrassment. Even though he hadn't done anything wrong, he still felt ashamed.

Seeing him standing there stiffly without saying a word, the old lady became anxious and asked, "What's wrong? Tell Mother what happened, and Mother will make the decision for you."

"Mother, Liu Xiangxiang's mother wants to sell Xu Ge'er for twenty taels to a man in the county, an old man even older than me, to be his little concubine!" Tang Erhu's voice was filled with indignation.

Bang! The basin of water in Luo Pingping's hands finally spilled onto the ground.

She didn't care about the mess on the floor. With wide eyes, she took a few steps forward and exclaimed, "How dare she? How could she be so heartless! Isn't Xu Ge'er her own child? Why would she do this? Even if she loves money, she shouldn't sell Xu Ge'er!" 

Tang Erhu couldn't answer. He also wanted to know why Liu Xiangxiang would do such a thing.

"I don't want to live with her anymore. I'm afraid she'll think about selling Ah Li  in the future too, Mother, I'm scared. How did I end up marrying such a woman!" 

Wu Guizhi was so angry that her hands trembled, and her face turned red.

Seeing her mother about to pass out from anger, Luo Pingping rushed over to pat her chest and comfort her, "Mother, calm down, calm down, don't get too worked up."

Wu Guizhi panted heavily for a while before her complexion slowly improved. "Go, go call that stupid woman over here!" Luo Pingping responded and went to Tang Erhu's house to fetch Liu Xiangxiang.

Tang Guangliang looked at his second son, who was flushed with anger, and remained silent for a while before speaking with deep concern, "Erhu, divorcing your wife is not an option." 

Tang Erhu widened his eyes, not understanding why his father would say such a thing.

Tang Dahu understood his father's meaning immediately and helped to explain, "After all, she has given birth to four children for you. It's not something you can just divorce over."

"She gave birth to children, but that doesn't mean she can sell them!" Tang Erhu pounded his chest, furious. "She wants to sell my child!"

Tang Dahu's eyelids twitched as he restrained his slightly irritable younger brother and comforted him, "Erhu, I know, I know. Don't shout anymore, or you'll scare Mother even more."

"Erhu, when that stupid woman comes over, just scare her a bit. Tell her you want to divorce her, and she'll definitely be frightened. After that, she won't dare to speak out of line again," Wu Guizhi said sternly. "You can't really divorce her. She has given birth to and raised four children for you. If you divorce her over this one mistake, how will the villagers and our family view you?"

The old lady said this with her own selfishness. She was also very dissatisfied with Liu Xiangxiang. Well, how should she put it, this daughter-in-law was not the one she had chosen. It was Tang Erhu who had chosen her himself.

In the years before the family split, when they lived together, nobody thought that Liu Xiangxiang had any problems with her brain. But after the split, that fool revealed her true nature of loving money and being greedy. 

Fortunately, she was quite fertile and gave birth to four children for the second son one after another. The old lady turned a blind eye to it and let it pass, anyway they didn't live together anymore.

How could she have never expected that Liu Xiangxiang would be foolish enough to be persuaded by Granny Wu Matchmaker to sell her child with just a few words? But divorcing his wife was definitely not an option. It would be simple to divorce her, but finding another wife would be easy.

But who knew if the one he remarried would treat the children at home well? As the old saying goes, with a stepmother comes a stepfather. She couldn't just watch those four children live worse than they were now.

Wu Guizhi's wrinkles deepened a bit. She actually felt that this matter might not be as simple as she thought. "Erhu, what exactly did Liu Xiangxiang say to you?" Tang Erhu looked at his mother. "What did she say?"

"How did she say that Wu Matchmaker instigated her to sell Xu Ge'er?" Wu Guizhi's eyes gleamed. The old lady didn't believe what Liu Xiangxiang said, at least not entirely, hence her questioning.

Tang Erhu began to recall from the moment he entered the house and explained in detail to his mother.

His sister-in-law, Luo Pingping, hurriedly left her own courtyard and slowly walked towards Tang Erhu's house. It wasn't intentional to delay the time, but the road was dark and difficult to walk on, and she was afraid of twisting her foot if she walked too fast. 

Mainly, as she walked, she thought that Liu Xiangxiang probably had something wrong with her brain, otherwise, how could a biological mother be so actively willing to sell her own child?

Yes, some poor families who couldn't make ends meet might sell their children, but that was only when they couldn't even afford to eat. Selling a child for money to feed a large family was different from marrying off a child to an old man for money. 

Even if it was to save their lives by selling their children, they would be pointed at and talked about for the rest of their lives. But there were no such families in Heshan Village.

There was such a family on Luo Pingping's maternal side, who sold their daughter for money. 

Although they had their reasons, they had been talked about for decades. Whenever it was brought up, it was said that their family had sold their daughter, how much money they got from selling their daughter, how they fed themselves with the money, and even used the leftover money to marry a daughter-in-law for their son. Their reputation had been shattered.

Saying this, even if the stepmother refutes, there will always be people gossiping, saying that dying will accumulate some blessings, and when a person dies, there won't be much talk about what happened afterward.

The distance between the two families wasn't far, so even though Luo Pingping walked slowly, it took less than a quarter of an hour to arrive. She gently pushed the courtyard door and it opened.

It seemed that her younger brother didn't remind those inside to bolt the door when he left.

She walked into the courtyard, the moonlight shining on the ground, allowing her to see the objects in the yard. Both rooms had lights on. After a moment of thought, Luo Pingping called out, "Liu Xiangxiang, are you sleeping?"

Whether Liu Xiangxiang was sleeping or not, Tang Xu and Tang Li heard the voice and both came out of the house.

Seeing it was their eldest aunt, the siblings quickly greeted her.

"Elder Aunt, why have you come? Come inside and have a seat." Tang Xu greeted her with a smile.

Luo Pingping couldn't help but curse Liu Xiangxiang in her heart when she saw Tang Xu. How much resentment did she have to have to do such a thing!

She held Tang Xu’shand and patted it, comforting him softly, "You've suffered."

Tang Xu was puzzled. Suffered from what? He didn't feel wronged at all. On the contrary, he even felt that his acting in front of Tang Erhu was too stiff, feeling a bit embarrassed.

He couldn't show his confusion on his face. He just forced a shallow smile, lowered his eyelashes, and softly replied, "It's okay, Auntie, don't worry."

Luo Pingping's heart was instantly touched.

"Your mother is just foolish. Don't bother about her. If you have any problems in the future, come to your aunt. If Auntie can't help you, there's still the old lady. She will definitely help you make decisions."

Tang Xu suddenly realized. Wow, his father wasn't bad at all. He actually went to complain to the old house.

He understood. He tilted his head, stared hard, blew some air, turned his head back with moist eyes, and his eyelashes trembled. "I know Grandma and Uncle care about me. If there's anything, I'll trouble you guys. Auntie, are you here to find me?"

He was a bit sleepy at the moment, not really in the mood to perform affection with Auntie. He hoped she would leave quickly and leave him some peace.

Tang Li stood aside, not knowing how to intervene, so she decided to stay silent.

Luo Pingping nodded slightly to the siblings and waved his hand. "You two go back to sleep. Mother asked me to come and call your mother over there."

After saying that, she went to the main house. Soon after, Liu Xiangxiang was pulled out by her arm. In the moonlight, you could only see Liu Xiangxiang's messy hair, and her facial expression was unclear, indicating her reluctance.

After they left, Tang Li hesitated and asked, "Why did Grandma call Mom over there?" 

Tang Xu shook his head. "I don't know. Let's go back to sleep. I have to get up early tomorrow to go up the mountain."

"Brother, do you want to marry Wei Dong?" Tang Li's face showed gossip, "When I was washing clothes by the river, I heard those sisters-in-law say that his family's condition looks good, but it's actually not that great."

One could imagine having a younger brother who needs soup medicine all year round. No matter how much money they have, they can't save much. If her Brother marries over there, he will still have to take care of a sickly younger brother. No matter how you look at it, Wei Dong isn't a good match.

Tang Xu remained calm and asked, "Do you know about his family situation? I'm not sure, I haven't had any contact with his family."

Tang Li leaned back and snorted, "What family? Besides having a sickly younger brother, his parents died long ago."

"What about other relatives?"

"I heard they've already split up and cut off relations." Tang Li advised, "Brother, his family doesn't have any elders to support them. If you marry over there, you'll have to take care of the whole family yourself, and it'll be exhausting without anyone to help."

Tang Xu nodded nonchalantly, but his heart was overjoyed.

Not having elders to support means not having to deal with his parents. Cutting off ties with relatives means not having to worry about anyone using seniority to pressure others. 

Having only a sickly younger brother means that once married, he could run the household and make decisions. With no in-laws to nitpick, and no relatives causing trouble constantly, it was a perfect match. Who wouldn't want such a marriage? Only a fool would refuse!

For Tang Xu, the fact that his family couldn't save money due to large expenses was simply not a concern. Money wasn't something you saved; it was something you earned. With brains and strength, who would be afraid of not earning enough?

Tang Xu's heart burned with eagerness to visit Wei Dong's family as soon as possible. He needed to check things out to ensure his own successful marriage. Tang Li didn't hear him speak anymore and assumed her brother had absorbed her words. 

Little did she know, their thoughts were completely opposite. His heart had already flown away. They went back to their respective rooms to sleep, unaware that the commotion at the old Tang residence was just beginning.

Luo Pingping dragged Liu Xiangxiang home in a hurry, scolding her along the way, "It's bad enough that you're greedy, but how could you even think of selling off Xu Ge'er for money? And you say it's for his own good, to let him live a good life as someone's little concubine? Can you still have any dignity if he goes to be someone's little concubine? And what about the future? 

Can you spend a lifetime with just twenty taels? Why don't you think about it? Xu Ge'er is such a filial child. If you treat him better, when he earns money, won't he spend it on you? Your vision is so short-sighted, only thinking about the present moment, without considering the consequences. 

If you really marry off Xu Ge'er as someone's little concubine, it will be difficult for our family to find good matches for the other three behind him!"

But Liu Xiangxiang couldn't care less about Luo Pingping’s words. Since Tang Xu recovered from his illness, she had become increasingly obsessed. She could only feel at ease if she saw the other party not doing well.

Unfortunately, things didn't go  Liu Xiangxiang's way, she asked for kindness but was not kind in turn, Tang Xu became more prosperous, causing her more distress.

Seeing her dragging her feet without a word, Luo Pingping clicked her tongue and urged her, "Hurry up! Erhu is going to tell Dad and Mom to divorce you. Why are you dawdling? Do you think going slow will help you escape?"

Initially, Liu Xiangxiang, who managed to hold herself together, stiffened momentarily upon hearing that Erhu was going to divorce her, then broke free from Luo Pingping’s grasp and ran off.

As she ran, tears streamed down her face, muttering, "He can't divorce me! How could he! I don't believe it, you must be lying to me!" Rolling her eyes, Luo Pingpingmuttered under her breath, "What took you so long? Now you know to be afraid."

With one following the other, they entered the house. In the main room were Tang Sanhu and his wife, Li Xiu. Why had they come over so late at night when they lived separately? 

Earlier, Tang Erhu had gone to argue with the widow, Granny Wu, who lived nearby. Although not many people had heard at the time, rumors spread quickly. In less than half an hour, almost the entire village knew about the despicable deed done by Granny Wu.

When Tang Sanhu and Li Xiu were dividing their property, they bought a piece of land downhill, not far from Mrs. Wu's house. They vaguely heard a man arguing outside but couldn't make out what was being said.

Li Xiu had been complaining about not knowing which man had started shouting at his wife in the dark, not caring if others heard. But soon after she spoke, before they could even pour out the foot-washing water, someone knocked on their courtyard door. That's when they found out it was their own second brother who had been shouting. Li Xiu, disgusted, commented on how embarrassing her second brother was. When they heard the reason, they were shocked.

Their third sister-in-law was pregnant, already four months along. So, as soon as they closed their courtyard door, they came straight to the old Tang residence, claiming they were concerned about their second brother, when in reality, they just wanted to see the commotion.

This couple arrived just a moment after their sister-in-law.

Tang Wei and Tang Zu, the two brothers, huddled in their room. They didn't pay much attention to the noises since it was mainly an issue for the elders. As younger members of the family, they knew better than to interfere.

In the room, each brother had his own bed, but neither felt like sleeping. Both were listening intently to the commotion in the main room, occasionally exchanging glances and raising their eyebrows.

In the main room, the grandfather and grandmother sat in chairs, while their three sons and daughters-in-law stood on the floor. Even though the third daughter-in-law was pregnant, the grandmother didn't show her any kindness.

Originally, this matter had nothing to do with her. Pregnant women should stay at home and rest instead of running around causing trouble. Who would expect anyone to treat her kindly after coming to stir up trouble?

Li Xiu shifted and leaned against Tang Sanhuo. Seeing the handprints of Liu Xiangxiang's face, she exclaimed, "Second sister-in-law, you've ruined your appearance!"

Liu Xiangxiang glared at her with red eyes, filled with hatred.

Li Xiu had never gotten along with her since the beginning. Luckily, they had divided the family early; otherwise, they would have been arguing all the time. Wu Guizhi glared at the gloating third daughter-in-law and scolded her, "Shut up, or get out." 

Li Xiu sneered, holding onto her husband's arm and muttering softly, "Always picking on me."

Tang Sanhuo gestured to her, signaling her not to cause trouble.

The grandfather slammed the table and angrily ordered Liu Xiangxiang, "You foolish woman, kneel down!"

Trembling with fear, Liu Xiangxiang's legs gave way, and she knelt down.

Tang Erhu hesitated for a moment, then knelt beside her, his face red with shame as he said hoarsely, "Father, Mother, I've been unfilial."

Tang Guangliang sighed, pointing his finger at him, "You, I've said it when we divided the family, you have to live your own life, manage your own wife. Look at you now, father of four, middle-aged, what kind of life have you made for yourself?"

Tang Erhu hung his head in silence, full of shame.

Liu Xiangxiang was already panicking. She had wanted to make a scene when she rushed in earlier, but seeing so many people in the room, she didn't dare to act out.

No matter how much trouble Tang Erhu and Liu Xiangxiang caused at home, it was ultimately the couple's business when they were behind closed doors. But if it reached the ears of the elders and they intervened, she feared she would be in for a harsh lesson.

"Dad, I want to divorce my wife," Tang Erhu stated plainly. "She's too stubborn, I can't control her, and I don't want to bother anymore. Whether she has me or not, it's the same. By divorcing her, my child won't have a mother, but at least I won't have to worry about her being sold for twenty taels."

Liu Xiangxiang's pupils dilated, and she rushed forward to beat and hit Tang Erhu, wailing, "Tang Erhu, you heartless man! I've given birth to four children for you, I've taken care of you for so many years, and you actually want to divorce me! What did I do wrong? All I want is for our family to live better!"

"Twenty taels! Our family can live so well with twenty taels!" Tang Erhu pushed her away angrily, his hands shaking with rage as he pointed at her and yelled, "You want to sell Xu Ge'er for twenty taels, and when that money runs out, will you sell  Li’Er for twenty taels too? Are you even a mother? I don't think he's your biological son, that's why you treat him like this!"

Liu Xiangxiang looked at him in astonishment, trembling lips murmuring, "What nonsense! How can you say I'm not his mother? He's my biological son!"

Wu Guizhi interrupted loudly, "Even if he's your biological son, you're still selling him to an old man! How heartless can you be! Divorce your wife, Erhu, divorce her, I agree!"

Tang Erhu stood up, intending to find the head of the Tang clan, but Liu Xiangxiang threw herself at his legs.

She cried out, "I was wrong, I really know I was wrong, I won't dare anymore, forgive me this time, I'll definitely treat him well. Please, don't divorce me. Think about Ah Rui, think about Ah Yang, and Li’Er, they're all still young, they can't be without a mother. I was wrong, I really was, I beg you, I promise to listen to you in the future, please don't divorce me."

Liu Xiangxiang's face was covered in tears, crying miserably, but no one in the room sympathized with her. You reap what you sow.

Tang Erhu understood that his mother's agreement to divorce his wife was just for show. He also realized that until she did something truly harmful to the family, he couldn't bring himself to divorce her.

Seeing that she couldn't break free, Liu Xiangxiang's eyes lit up, and she continued to plead.

She repeated over and over again that she was sorry, she wouldn't dare anymore, and she would listen to whatever he said in the future.

"Enough, stop crying," the old lady said with a disdainful expression. "You're giving me a headache."

Liu Xiangxiang sniffled, wiped away the tears and snot from her face, and held onto Tang Erhu's pants leg tightly.

"Mother, I really know I was wrong. I'll definitely listen to Erhu in the future. I won't be greedy anymore."

"Can you really do what you say?"

Wu Guizhi looked at her. "Will you listen to everything Erhu says?" Liu Xiangxiang nodded repeatedly, eagerly promising, "Mother, trust me, I'll really listen to him."

Wu Guizhi turned to her husband and asked, "What do you think?"

Tang Guangliang glanced at his wife, then at his second son, and asked him, "Erhu, since you're the one living with her, why not forgive her this one time?"

Tang Erhu lowered his head and looked at Liu Xiangxiang, thinking about how she was like a madwoman when she got carried away, which was exhausting for him. But then again, she had been good to him, and this incident had crossed his bottom line, igniting his anger.

"Alright, I'll let it go this time. But if you dare to have any crooked thoughts again, I'll definitely have the clan leader witness our divorce!"

Liu Xiangxiang eagerly responded to him, "Okay, okay, I won't dare anymore. You can rest assured. I'll apologize to Xu Ge'er when I get back, and I'll definitely treat him well in the future."

Tang Erhu snorted coldly. "You'd better remember what you said." Wu Guizhi waved her hand tiredly. "Alright, alright, everyone leave. Don't stay here and bother us."

Tang Erhu pulled Liu Xiangxiang up and said, "Mother, elder brother, elder sister-in-law, sorry for the trouble. I'll make sure to manage her better from now on." 

Tang Dahu waved his hand, feeling exhausted for his brother. "Go on, go on, go back and rest early."

On the other hand, Luo Pingping remarked, "When I went over earlier, Xu Ge'er hadn't slept yet. His eyes were red, he must have been frightened." 

Tang Erhu wiped his face. "I understand, sister-in-law. Let's go back first." 

He glanced at the third brother and his wife, didn't say anything, and walked away with Liu Xiangxiang. Tang Sanhu clicked his tongue, finding the whole scene quite enjoyable. Li Xiu pushed him. "Let's go, let's go."

"Where are you going? I haven't said anything to you yet!" Wu Guizhi didn't want to let any daughter-in-law off lightly. She needed to seize this opportunity to discipline them properly, so they wouldn't act recklessly just because their husbands favored them.

Supporting her stomach with one hand and linking arms with Tang Sanhu with the other, Li Xiu pinched him.

Tang Sanhu grinned and said to his mother in a playful tone, "Mother, Xiu Xiu is pregnant and tired. It's late already. I'll take her home first."

Wu Guizhi shifted her attention and scolded her third son, "Afraid of getting tired yet you came all this way just to watch the commotion. It's really hard work, all because I spoiled you day by day! If you have the energy, you should stay at home honestly and stop messing around outside!"

Tang Sanhu pretended to be clueless, chuckled, and hurriedly walked away with Li Xiu.

Luo Pingping truly admired her mother-in-law. She treated all her sons equally, and there was no favoritism towards any of her daughters-in-law.

When Tang Erhu and Liu Xiangxiang returned home, the main house was lit with oil lamps. Hearing the sound of the courtyard gate, Tang Xu came out of the house and said to them, "Mom and Dad are back. I've heated some water. Go wash up before sleeping."

Tang Erhu pushed Liu Xiangxiang forward. "Say something!"

Suppressing all her dissatisfaction with Tang Xu, Liu Xiangxiang grinned. If she had pointed teeth, her expression would have looked like she was about to bite someone.

Tang Xu looked at Liu Xiangxiang and asked softly, "Mom, is there anything you want to talk to me about?"

Liu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth, her expression fierce as she was facing away from Tang Erhu. However, she had to make a statement.

"Xu Ge'er, Mother was wrong. Mother was blinded by greed and believed the nonsense from that old woman, Wu. Please forgive Mother."

Tang Xu nodded in acknowledgment, without questioning the nonsense, smiling lightly and saying in a carefree tone, "You are my Mother, I am your child. How could a child be angry with his mother? Mother, there's no need for this. I know you were just worried about me, so I don't mind."

Liu Xiangxiang almost spat blood out of anger, but she had to endure and agree, "Yes, yes, it's all good if you don't mind."

Tang Xu turned to go to the kitchen to fetch water and took the food to the main house.

That night, they all slept late. When Tang Erhu and Liu Xiangxiang woke up, breakfast was already prepared in the kitchen, and Tang Xu was absent. Tang Li was scooping porridge out of the pot.

"Big brother went to the mountain and said he won't come back for lunch. Dad, should I set the table?" Tang Yang ran to the main house and asked. Tang Erhu was putting on his shoes and grunted in response.

Tang Yang ran to the kitchen to fetch the food.

Meanwhile, Tang Xu set out with his basket at dawn, carrying a jar of shredded meat, a pair of hemp socks, and his breakfast of steamed bun stuffed with dried radish and pickled vegetables.

Feeling good, he walked lightly, eating as he walked. When he reached the bamboo forest, he had finished his bun.

He thought he was early, but to his surprise, Wei Dong was already there.

"You didn't come up here before dawn, did you?" Tang Xu took a few steps closer, glanced at the three cut bamboo trees on the ground, and handed over the bun from his basket. "Have some breakfast."

Wei Dong wiped his hands on his clothes, took the bun, felt its soft texture as he squeezed it, and noticed the pickled vegetables inside. He took a big bite and asked, "Did you steam this?"

"Yeah, I steamed it fresh early in the morning. What's wrong?" Tang Xu took a few sips of water from his pouch, puzzled why he asked, "Not good?"

"Delicious," Wei Dong said with his cheeks puffed, taking three big bites of the steamed bun. "It's softer than the ones I buy outside. Mine are always hard."

Tang Xu chuckled. "Hard? Either the dough didn't rise, or you kneaded it too hard."

Wei Dong nodded as if learning a lesson. "I'll try not to knead the dough too hard next time."

"Not kneading it won't work either. You have to knead it gently," Tang Xu said, then sensing something amiss, he asked, "You don't always steam hard buns, do you?"

Wei Dong: "Uh... occasionally."

"Well, that's alright then. A few times hard, a few times soft," Tang Xu reassured.

"No, it's often hard and occasionally soft, but never as soft as yours," Wei Dong said expressionlessly, his gaze serious. Tang Xu blinked rapidly. What was that supposed to mean? Why did he suddenly feel attacked?

What did he mean by "soft"?

Where was he soft?

Was he implying something?

Shaking his head, Tang Xu dismissed the thought. Stop overthinking!

He cleared his throat, hoisting his basket. "Let's go, to your place."

Wei Dong paused, glancing at his basket containing a jar and some oddly shaped cloth. "Now?"

He thought Tang Xu would dig some bamboo shoots first.

Tang Xu smiled brightly at him, his lips red and teeth white. "Of course, I planned to meet you and go directly to your place. We won't dig bamboo shoots now; we haven't finished eating the ones at home."

Wei Dong nodded and hoisted the bundle of bamboo onto his shoulder. "Let's go then."

As they descended the mountain, Tang Xu casually picked some wild vegetables and put them into his basket, thinking he could use them for lunch at Wei Dong's house later.

It didn't take them long to reach Wei Dong's house from the mountain. The courtyard wall was high, enclosing a large area.

Tang Xu spotted a house made of blue bricks and large tiles from the slope, wondering which wealthy family in the village could afford such a grand residence.

However, when he followed Wei Dong to the front door and watched him push it open, Tang Xu was astonished.

"This is your home?"

Wei Dong tossed the bamboo into the yard and turned to see Tang Xu still standing outside the gate. He nodded. "Yes, come on in."

Tang Xu's heart raced. Oh my, wasn't this his dream home?

The courtyard was large and spacious, divided into two halves by stone slabs. On one side, there was a large vegetable garden with sparse and poorly grown vegetables, with uneven rows that disrupted the aesthetic.

The house consisted of a main building and east and west wing rooms. The main building was large, and there was even a rear building. One could say it was a grand courtyard.

It was hard to imagine that such a large house was only inhabited by Wei Dong and his brother.

Following Wei Dong inside, Tang Xu felt moved as he stepped on the stone path. This was truly "down-to-earth." 

Only heaven knew how long he had endured without complaining about the dirt roads, both inside and outside the house. Especially on rainy days, the muddy path was a real struggle!

"Wei Xi and I live together. Our parents passed away," Wei Dong explained when he noticed Tang Xu's curious glances around.

Tang Xu nodded and didn't try to portray himself as innocent and naive. He spoke frankly, "I know. I told my father yesterday that I was coming to your house, and he told me some things about you."

Wei Dong paused in his steps and turned to look at Tang Xu. "Your father knows you're coming to my house?"

Tang Xu also stopped, the distance between them only half a meter. He looked up at Wei Dong's handsome face, feeling his heart rate increasing. "Yes, I can't just casually come to see you without letting my family know. I'm not that kind of person!"

Wei Dong's expression seemed to twitch. "You're right."

Tang Xu smiled, changing the subject. "What about your brother? I brought him a gift." Wei Dong felt like he had been zoning out more than usual today.

"He should be inside and still asleep."

At this hour, most children in other households would have already been up helping with chores. For some reason, Wei Dong felt compelled to explain, "He's not feeling well, so he usually sleeps longer."

"Children need plenty of sleep and food to grow," Tang Xu said, placing the basket down and pulling out the pair of hemp socks. "Here, these are for you."

Wei Dong was surprised. He glanced at Tang Xu and then at the fabric in his hand. "For me? Why?"

"It's impolite to visit empty-handed, and you said you wanted to give me a fish fork. Besides, I won't lose out," Tang Xu's smile faded, and he stuffed the socks directly into Wei Dong's arms. "These are socks I knitted myself, for wearing on your feet. Try them on, and if they don't fit, I can adjust them."

Wei Dong had never felt so awkward and pleasantly surprised at the same time.

He held the lightweight socks in his hands, looking a bit dumbfounded as he stared at Tang Xu, his expression sincere.

Tang Xu felt a bit embarrassed under Wei Dong's gaze, scratching his burning ears and shifting his gaze to a group of chirping chicks in the distance.

"Brother!" Wei Xi's voice was like music, bringing Wei Dong back to reality and relieving Tang Xu, who had been curling his toes in embarrassment. When Wei Xi saw Tang Xu, his eyes widened slowly. "Ah! You, you, you, you are!"

Tang Xu was puzzled by his repeated "you" but smiled and asked, "Who am I?"

"Sister-in-law!" Wei Xi promptly answered.

Tang Xu's face turned red instantly.

He turned his head in a panic to look at Wei Dong, who was also standing there dumbfounded, his body stiff. Though his face wasn't red, his neck and ears were.

Oh, I'm not the only one feeling flustered. What's there to be embarrassed about?

Quickly adjusting his mindset, Tang Xu smiled and brought out the small jar, walking up to Wei Xi gently. "Nice to meet you. This is a gift for you, homemade shredded meat. You can have it with porridge, noodles, or steamed buns. It tastes alright. I hope you like it."

When Wei Xi blurted out "sister-in-law" earlier, he had scared himself, fearing his brother's reaction. Now, being treated so kindly by Tang Xu and receiving handmade food from him, Wei Xi was nervous, excited, and overwhelmed. 

He quickly reached out to take it. "Thank you, I really like it!" The jar was heavy, and he struggled a bit to hold it, but he didn't want to let go.

Wei Dong walked over and took the jar from him, giving him a stern look. "Don't say nonsense and make trouble." 

"Brother, I'm Wei Xi," Wei Xi obediently said to Tang Xu, smiling warmly.

This child didn't look well at all, thin and pale, with barely any flesh on his bones. Moreover, there was a strong smell of Chinese medicine emanating from him. He must have taken a lot of medicine to be saturated with that scent.

Tang Xu felt a pang of heartache seeing Wei Xi, who at such a young age had to constantly take medicine. Without realizing it, he reached out and gently smoothed the dry hair on Wei Xi's head. "Hello, I'm Tang Xu. Can I call you Xiao Xi?"

Wei Xi nodded vigorously. "Of course, you can, Brother Xu." Tilting his head up, his eyes, particularly large in his thin face, sparkled brightly. "Brother Xu, you look really handsome!"

Tang Xu chuckled and turned to Wei Dong, complimenting, "Your brother is quite eloquent."

Wei Dong grunted in agreement, thinking that his brother was indeed quite articulate. Wei Xi wanted to say more but suddenly felt his throat go dry and began coughing. He panicked, turning to the side and covering his mouth, trying to stifle the cough. He couldn't afford to leave a bad impression on Brother Xu!

Tang Xu was surprised by his skillful mouth-covering technique and paused for a moment, realizing that Wei Xi must have been scolded a lot to react so strongly to a simple cough. He quickly went over and grabbed Wei Xi's arm. "Don't cover your mouth. Just cough slowly. Covering it will make it harder to breathe."

He crouched down and gently patted the child's back, feeling the shape of each bone clearly under his hand. Tang Xu was shocked; the child was skin and bones, with hardly any flesh on his body.

He licked his lips and reassured him softly, "Don't be afraid. I won't make fun of you." Wei Xi's eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Since as far back as he could remember, Wei Xi had been subjected to countless hurtful words. Everywhere he went, all he received was disdain and disgust. Except for his elder brother, no one had ever shown him any kindness.

For the first time, someone was comforting him so gently. Wei Xi bit his lip hard, forcefully holding back his tears.

He couldn't cry!

Wei Dong stared at the two of them, feeling an indescribable bitterness in his heart. "Wei Xi, go inside and don't catch a cold."

Wei Xi looked at Tang Xu with reluctance in his eyes, wanting to say something but fearing another coughing fit.

Tang Xu continued to gently stroke his chest and smiled at him. "I won't leave. I'll cook something delicious for you at noon. Go inside, put on some more clothes, and listen to your brother."

Wei Xi's eyes lit up immediately, and he nodded quickly before hurrying back inside.

He was so happy!

If Brother Xu could be his brother's husband, he would be exceptionally happy!

Tang Xu waited until the child had gone inside before standing up and smiling at Wei Dong. "Your brother is really obedient. I like well-behaved children who listen."

Wei Dong: "..."

There was a feeling, called jealousy, and it swept over him.

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