The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 39

 

| TBBOTOF | 39

After eating dinner, while cleaning up, Wei Dong helped wash the dishes. Tang Xu watched his exaggerated movements and couldn't help but feel a little anxious, afraid that he might accidentally break the dishes.

Fortunately, everything turned out fine.

The pot of simmered dish on the stove had already been extinguished. Tang Xu lifted the lid, sniffed the aroma, and tasted the broth to check its seasoning.

"It's best not to give this to Wei Xi tonight. If he still craves it tomorrow, I'll make him some shredded meat floss. I won't touch the salted lean meat and pork belly," Tang Xu instructed.

Wei Dong stood nearby, seemingly expressionless as he stared at the pot of dark red simmered dish. But if you listened carefully, you could hear the slightly hurried sound of his breathing.

It was inhaling, not panting.

How to describe it?

He rapidly inhaled the rich aroma of the meat, breathing it in deeply until he couldn't anymore, then slowly exhaled it out through his mouth. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale... reluctant to let go of the fragrance.

Tang Xu stood about two fists away from him, speaking to him but getting no response. When he turned to look at Wei Dong, he saw that his eyes were fixed.

It was as if he had gone mad, giving the impression that he wanted to jump into the pot.

"Wei Dong!" Tang Xu patted his arm, feeling the muscles tense beneath the fabric.

"Yeah," Wei Dong slowly shifted his gaze from the pot to Tang Xu's face.

Tang Xu squinted, picked up a piece of pig heart, and waved it in front of him. Wei Dong's gaze followed the movement. Tang Xu also noticed his Adam's apple rolling twice rapidly. Mystery solved: Wei Dong was lost in the aroma of the simmered dish.

"Open your mouth."

Wei Dong obediently opened his mouth as instructed, but immediately realized that it was inappropriate. He wanted to close it, but a warm piece of meat had already been stuffed into his mouth.

He blinked, closed his mouth, and the hot piece of pork heart meat sat quietly on his tongue. A unique blend of salty and spicy juice slid down his throat along his tongue, and he involuntarily swallowed.

Tang Xu: "…You should chew it."

Wei Dong then began to chew.

Unable to resist, he licked his lips.

Tang Xu noticed the tiny tip of his tongue that had just appeared, and his gaze drifted.

Oops! I'm blushing!

This time, it was Wei Dong who patted his shoulder. "What's wrong with you? Your face is so red."

Tang Xu pressed his warm cheek with the back of his hand, thinking to himself that this wasn't red, it was yellow!

Wei Dong glanced at the few small beads of sweat on Tang Xu's forehead. "Do you want a fan?"

Tang Xu shook his head. "It's just internal heat, what use is a fan?"

"You just ate a piece of pork heart meat. How was the taste?"

"A bit bland, but very delicious."

"If you let it soak overnight, it won't be bland anymore. Pour it into a basin, or the iron pot will rust." Tang Xu turned to fetch the basin from the shelf, but Wei Dong was quicker.

"Here."

"Thank you." Tang Xu poured the aroma-filled pot of broth into a basin, wiped his hands, and said, "Let's go."

"Just a moment," Wei Dong stopped him. "I have something for you."

Tang Xu felt a slight excitement.

Was it what he had been thinking? A token of affection!

"What is it?" Tang Xu looked puzzled as he saw the ceramic jar being handed to him. A token of affection? Shouldn't it be a hairband or a hairpin?

Wei Dong gestured for him to open the lid and take a look. Tang Xu reached out, moved the lid aside, and took a sniff. It smelled sweet.

"Wild honey?" Although he had already heard from Wei Xi that Wei Dong had found honey, he was still very pleased to hold a jar of it himself.

"Cliff honey," Wei Dong leaned the jar towards him. "There's a field of flowers near Xiaoyou Mountain. This honey is more fragrant than other honeys. I saved some for Wei Xi, and this is for you." Wei Dong's tone was gentle as he observed Tang Xu, who was staring at the jar with lowered eyes.

Tang Xu couldn't describe the mixture of emotions he felt—sour, swollen, and very sweet, sweeter than the cliff honey in front of him. This person was starting to care about him too.

If it weren't for the fear of collapsing his image in Wei Dong's mind, he would have wanted to hug the man and cuddle him tightly.

"Don't you like it?" Wei Dong asked.

Tang Xu covered the lid back and looked up at him.

"I like it, but I can't bring it back to my house." His tone was firm, his expression serious. "If I take it back, I won't be able to eat more than a few mouthfuls before it's gone."

Wei Dong nodded. "Then you can have it when you come next time, it's in the pantry."

Tang Xu appreciated Wei Dong's non-intrusive attitude. They hadn't reached a point where they could be completely open with each other yet, so having a little distance while still respecting each other was quite nice.

The sky outside was gradually darkening, and Tang Xu couldn't delay any longer. If he walked back now, it would probably be completely dark.

"I'm going back," he said.

Wei Dong nodded and handed him a bowl filled with about a dozen stuffed pancakes. "Take these back and have them for breakfast tomorrow morning." 

Tang Xu had made a lot of stuffed pancakes, and even though Wei Dong could eat a lot, there were still plenty left. He didn't refuse and placed the bowl into the bamboo basket, which Wei Dong had already picked up ahead of him.

"I'll walk you," Wei Dong offered.

Tang Xu nodded and glanced at Wei Xi's room. The child was already lying in bed asleep.

Wei Xi had been running around with them all afternoon. After eating and washing up, he started to feel drowsy. He had originally planned to remind Tang Xu to come earlier tomorrow when he left, but ended up falling asleep in a daze.

Tang Xu quietly left the room, waved to Wei Dong, and said, "Let's go."

Wei Dong led him out through the back door, crossing the backyard. Tang Xu noticed that many of the flowers on the acacia trees were missing. There hadn't been any strong winds recently, so where were the flowers?

"I had someone help pick a lot of acacia flowers, dried them, and stored them in bags in the storeroom," Wei Dong answered before Tang Xu could ask. 

Tang Xu raised his head slightly. "Was it because I mentioned that they could be dried and stored?"

"Yes, I saw that you liked them," Wei Dong replied as he opened the courtyard gate and locked it from the outside. "There are many fruits in the mountains near Xiaoyou Mountain that are almost ripe. If you like, I'll pick some more when I go into the mountains again."

Tang Xu glanced at him sideways, then casually plucked a piece of dogtail grass and stuck it in his mouth. He needed to think. Today's Wei Dong was very different; he was being proactive!

Not only that, but Tang Xu couldn't understand why he had become more open and expressive. He kept saying, "If you like it, I like it," as if hinting to him, "I care about what you say, and I care about you too."

Was that a hint?

He was sure he hadn't misunderstood.

Tang Xu suddenly stopped walking.

Wei Dong walked beside him, continuously glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

Seeing him stop, Wei Dong stopped too.

"What's wrong?"

Tang Xu pursed his lips and continued walking.

Wei Dong was puzzled but didn't ask, just followed along.

Tang Xu felt excited yet conflicted.

He was afraid he had misunderstood the situation.

He was afraid of being rejected with various excuses.

What to do?

Perhaps if he doesn't say it today, there may never be such a good atmosphere again!

Seeing him stop again, Wei Dong turned to face him.

"You..."

"Wei Dong! Do you want to marry me!"

Tang Xu didn't beat around the bush; he directly asked whether Wei Dong wanted to marry him. Regardless of how much he said, in the end, he had to ask, so he might as well be direct.

Wei Dong originally felt a bit uneasy about not getting a response from Tang Xu, seeing him stop and walk again in a distracted manner, Wei Dong felt puzzled and wanted to ask if something was wrong. But before he could finish his sentence, Tang Xu interrupted him.

"..." Wei Dong's heart skipped a beat as he stared at Tang Xu, whose cheeks were flushed and eyes were watery and bright.

"Hey!" Tang Xu thought he was brave, but there was an unmistakable nervousness hidden in his gaze.

His palms were sweaty, his heart raced, and he raised his eyebrows, staring into the eyes of the man he admired and asked, "Do you want to marry me?"

As he spoke, his voice turned into a whisper, and he trembled slightly. Tang Xu despised himself for being nervous. Since he had decided to ask, he might as well face it bravely!

His heart pounded rapidly, and for a moment, the surrounding sounds seemed to fade away. He realized that his hearing had become exceptionally acute, allowing him to hear his own heavy breathing and frantic heartbeat.

He was waiting for his response!

Wei Dong stared at his trembling, curled eyelashes in a daze for a moment, watching the color gradually fade from his flushed cheeks and his lips tremble. He realized that his silence might have made Tang Xu feel like he was silently refusing. 

He quickly nodded and said, "Yes."

God knows how difficult it was for him to squeeze out that one word from his throat.

"Yes!"

With just one word, Tang Xu's heart exploded with joy. The disappointment he felt due to Wei Dong's initial silence was suddenly replaced by exhilaration.

The affection between them was evident in Tang Xu's eyes and expressions, openly displaying his happiness to Wei Dong. The romantic atmosphere enveloped them, causing both of them to blush.

As the wind blew, Wei Dong lifted his hand but then hesitated, causing Tang Xu to look at him quizzically. Wei Dong, following his heart, reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind Tang Xu's ear.

His fingers brushed against the burning red earlobe, the touch gentle and tingling, sending waves of sensation throughout their bodies.

In perfect sync, they both froze for a moment. Wei Dong quickly withdrew his hand behind his back, while Tang Xu turned around and covered his burning ears with his hands.

"Let's go, shall we?"

"Yeah."

They walked in silence, one in front of the other, lost in their own thoughts. The sun slowly set, darkness enveloping the sky as thick clouds obscured the moon. The village road was deserted, with only occasional sounds of parents urging their children to hurry up and wash their feet coming from behind the windows of nearby houses.

Tang Xu walked cautiously, mindful of the uneven and rocky path. After kicking a stone for the second time and wincing in pain, Wei Dong took his hand in his, their hands fitting perfectly together.

As their hearts raced, Tang Xu felt a sense of unease. He shifted his hand that was being held, intertwining his slender fingers with Wei Dong's larger ones, transforming their grip from a handshake to tightly interlocked fingers.

He realized that it wasn't just his own palms sweating.

In silence, their hands tightly clasped together, they walked along the village road from the back to the front of the village, walking close together, occasionally brushing arms against each other.

Tang Xu felt his body temperature rising, his forehead and back damp with sweat.

When they reached the intersection where Wei Dong had stopped last time, Tang Xu stopped first.

Wei Dong stood still, looking down at him. "Why did you stop?"

"Huh? Are you planning to escort me to my doorstep?" Tang Xu's surprised expression was obscured by the darkness, only his eyes shining brightly in the faint light.

Wei Dong cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'll walk you home."

"Go to my house?" Tang Xu widened his eyes. "You mean, you want to come to my house and meet my parents?" 

Wei Dong nodded. "To propose."

Tang Xu: "..."

What is this?

What are you saying?

Since when are you this proactive?

"Wait, wait, wait. Is it appropriate to come to propose late at night?" Tang Xu quickly stopped Wei Dong who was pulling him forward. "My dad might go crazy."

Wei Dong continued to lead him forward. "It's okay, I'm not afraid."

"I'm afraid if you're not!" Tang Xu, unable to match Wei Dong's strength, was being pulled along. "What if my dad gets mad and kicks both of us out?"

Wei Dong: "Not afraid."

Tang Xu wasn't actually afraid, he just thought the whole thing was too rushed.

But he wasn't sure what Wei Dong was thinking, he wanted to ask, but he was afraid the other person wouldn't say.

Standing at the doorstep, looking at the closed courtyard gate, Tang Xu couldn't hold back anymore and asked, "Why did you decide to propose now?"

"I need your parents to know my intentions," Wei Dong raised his hand and knocked on the door. "Once I promise to marry you, I won't let you down."

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

He understood. Wei Dong didn't want to wait a single second longer, thinking it would be unfair to himself. Since he promised to marry, he wanted to propose immediately.

"I don't have parents, and I don't know many customs. I just need to ask when I come to propose," Wei Dong knocked on the door again, and a voice came from inside. 

Tang Li ran over to open the door, but when she saw the tall figure outside, she took two steps back in fright, almost falling. Tang Xu reached past Wei Dong to grab her and said, "Next time, bring the oil lamp when you come to open the door. You shouldn't open it without asking who it is."

"I thought it must be Brother coming back. Dad was just talking about it," Tang Li stole a glance at Wei Dong, nervously moving closer to Tang Xu. "Brother, who is he?"

Tang Xu smiled, "Your future brother-in-law."

Tang Li widened her eyes in shock, staring at Wei Dong for a while before finally recognizing his face.

"Brother, you, you, you..."

"Alright, stop stuttering. Let's go find Mom and Dad. You go back to your room," Tang Xu interrupted her, ushering her back inside before taking Wei Dong to the main room.

Tang Erhu and Liu Xiangxiang had heard the knocking. Liu Xiangxiang had originally wanted to say something sarcastic, but thinking that Tang Erhuo didn't like such comments and might get angry, she swallowed the words that were about to come out.

"Dad, Wei Dong is here," Tang Xu knocked on the main room door. "He's here to propose."

The anger that Tang Erhu was about to explode with was extinguished by these words.

Tang Erhu got off the kang and put on his shoes before heading to the main room. When he saw the tall, strong man standing next to his son, taller and more muscular than himself, and quite handsome albeit with a somewhat cold expression, he scowled at them both.

"What time is it? You promised to come back before dark." 

Tang Xu smiled. "Wei Dong bought a lot of meat, and I helped him prepare it, so it got late. Dad, I made some meat pies. We can heat them up and eat them tomorrow morning."

Tang Erhu glared at him but didn't respond, turning his gaze to Wei Dong.

Wei Dong didn't have much else to say, simply stating, "I want to marry Xu Ge'er."

"What are you going to use to marry him? If you want to marry Xu Ge'er. you'll need to pay twenty taels of silver!" Liu Xiangxiang interjected from the side. 

Wei Dong nodded and without further ado took out four five-tael silver ingots from the money bag hanging from his belt and placed them on the table. "Twenty taels of bride price." Regardless of Tang Erhu and Liu Xiangxiang's expressions.

Tang Xu was stunned.

He had always thought that the round money bag contained emergency medicines or something of the sort, but it turned out to be silver ingots! Carrying so much silver out with him, wasn't he afraid of being robbed?

Wei Dong glanced at Liu Xiangxiang, then looked at Tang Erhu, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes before quickly concealing his emotions. He turned to Tang Erhu and said, "I don't have parents, and my relationship with my relatives is not good. I don't know anything about proposing marriage. I came here today without delay because I didn't want to waste time, and I wanted you to see my sincerity towards Xu Ge'er."

Tang Erhu was impressed by his bold action of taking out the silver just now, and now hearing him speak, he felt quite pleased. Liu Xiangxiang had already hugged the four silver ingots, her intentions clear: once given, they wouldn't be taken back.

Her greed was too obvious, and Tang Xu turned his eyes away in disgust.

"Alright, we'll find a matchmaker for the betrothal, and then we'll have a feast. That'll be considered your engagement," Tang Erhu said. Wei Dong nodded, then glanced at Tang Xu.

Tang Xu blinked at him, curious about what was going on.

Wei Dong replied, "I'll go back first and have the matchmaker come tomorrow." 

After speaking, he glanced at the silver ingots in Liu Xiangxiang's hands. Did he give the money too early for the betrothal ceremony? 

Tang Erhu turned to look at Liu Xiangxiang, frowned, reached out, forcibly snatched the silver 

ingots from her embrace, and handed them back to Wei Dong.

"We need to pick an auspicious day for the engagement. You don't need to rush," Tang Erhu advised.

"No need to pick a day. Tomorrow is fine, I'm in a hurry," Wei Dong replied, dismissing the importance of choosing an auspicious day. For him, seizing what he wanted firmly was the most auspicious thing.

His attitude was too forceful, leaving Tang Erhu speechless.

Tang Xu also nodded in agreement. Indeed, the sooner they got engaged, the sooner he could freely come and go from Wei Dong's house without worrying about gossip from others. 

Although he didn't care about such idle talk, Tang Erhu did, and ultimately, he cared about maintaining his reputation. After all, he was the head of the household, and if he got upset, this engagement might be in jeopardy.

Therefore, Tang Xu was eager to marry himself off, not wanting others to dictate his life.

Fortunately, meeting someone he genuinely cares about, or else getting married would have been a long wait. Maintaining family relationships and ensuring their steady development is not a simple matter.

Tang Erhu frowned in thought for a moment, glanced at Tang Xu, then at Wei Dong, and finally nodded. 

Tang Xu escorted Wei Dong to the door, and the two stood there talking. Wei Dong spoke first, "Apart from the twenty taels, what else do you want?"

"I don't want anything else. Apart from the twenty taels, you don't need to give me anything. I doubt I have any dowry to bring to your house," Tang Xu thought for a moment, then took a step closer to him, tiptoeing.

Wei Dong instinctively felt that Tang Xu had something to say in private, so he bent down and turned his head. Warm breath brushed against his ear, causing Wei Dong's Adam's apple to bob twice.

Tang Xu grabbed his arm, lowered his raised foot, and whispered softly in his ear, "I'm not the child of the Tang family." 

Wei Dong's body stiffened, and he turned to look at him. Their breaths intertwined as their noses brushed against each other.

Tang Xu remained still, and Wei Dong didn't move either.

"I don't know who my biological parents are. Only Liu Xiangxiang knows about my background in this family."

"I need to leave quickly, or else things will change!"

"I like you, so I want you to marry you, not because I see you as a lifeline."

"I don't want you to regret it," Wei Dong stared into his eyes, breathing in his scent. Thousands of words condensed into one sentence, "I want you, only you." 

Tang Xu's lips curved up, forming a beautiful smile, "Hmm, me too."

After seeing off Wei Dong, Tang Xu went back to the main room. Tang Erhu was sitting on the kang, and Liu Xiangxiang brought him a bowl of water.

Seeing Tang Xu come in, Liu Xiangxiang rarely showed him a smile and asked affectionately, "Xu Ge'er, how did you know that Wei Dong had money? I never expected him to be so generous, asking for twenty taels and giving twenty taels. You've found yourself a good family."

Tang Erhu frowned, clearly not liking to hear Liu Xiangxiang say these things.

But he also felt that Liu Xiangxiang's words made sense. Wei Dong was indeed generous, evidently different from the rumors about him being poor. "Did you two already discuss this at his place?"

Tang Xu sat down on a chair, hesitated for a moment upon sensing Tang Erhu's meaning, then shook his head, "No, I only asked him on my way back."

"Asked what?" Liu Xiangxiang sat on the other side, staring at Tang Xu.

She never expected that her plans would fall through, but she ended up with money in her pocket instead. This wild brat might be somewhat useful after all.

Tang Xu smiled and said, “I asked him if he was willing to marry me. Mother, aren't you hoping for me to get married sooner? I finally met someone I like. I have to seize the opportunity, don't you think so?”

Liu Xiangxiang's smile disappeared instantly, and she rolled her eyes at him.

Tang Erhu sighed, “Alright, if he sends a matchmaker tomorrow to propose, you'll have to go early in the morning to inform your grandparents at the old house.”

“Yes, I'll go tell them early tomorrow. Shouldn't we host a banquet at home? After all, it's the first child in our family to get married.” Tang Xu glanced at Liu Xiangxiang, whose expression was turning sour, and said to Tang Erhu with a smile, “Wei Dong gave a dowry of twenty taels. Father, you can't be stingy. We should at least prepare for ten or eight tables to make it lively for the relatives.”

“Ten or eight tables?” Liu Xiangxiang exclaimed, “We don't need to spend so much money! Two tables are enough!”

Although Tang Erhu also thought that ten tables were too many, two tables were too few, at least six tables were needed.

With a dowry of twenty taels, if they were too stingy, it would be embarrassing in front of outsiders.

“Father, think about how many gifts we give when we visit others' homes. Aren't you planning to earn back those gifts? Although hosting a banquet costs money, the gifts we give out won't come back. Besides, wouldn't it give our in-laws more face to see how generous their son-in-law's family is?” Tang Xu persuaded enthusiastically.

Tang Erhu was tempted.

He calculated the approximate number of guests. Even ten tables might not be enough. He had a rough idea of how much money the family had, and even with the twenty taels dowry, they couldn't spend it all at once on the banquet.

"Since we're marrying off a ger, there's no need to make a big fuss. Let's stick with six tables; that should be enough for close relatives," implying that they wouldn't invite those relatives they didn't have much interaction with.

 After all, marrying off a ger wasn't a big event worth celebrating extravagantly. If it were their son getting married, hosting ten tables would be feasible.

Tang Xu calculated the cost of six tables and couldn't help but sneer at how stingy it seemed. He glanced at Liu Xiangxiang and asked, "Mother, since you received twenty taels of dowry, should you prepare some decent dowry for me?"

"Tomorrow is the proposal ceremony. Where do I have the time to prepare dowry for you? No, just pack up your bedding and clothes and take them with you. Which family sends a dowry when their son gets married? You've got some good ideas," Liu Xiangxiang said, fearing Tang Erhu's reprimand. 

Then she turned to her husband and continued, "If we wait a few more months to finalize the engagement, I can even make a red robe for you. Since Wei Dong and Xu Ge'er are in a hurry, let's go with their plan. Xu Ge'er is not young anymore. If he gets married early, we might even have a grandchild by this time next year."

In over a month since coming here, Tang Xu heard Liu Xiangxiang speak so calmly for the first time, and for the first time, he couldn't refute her. This feeling was quite novel.

"Engagement and marriage are different," Tang Xu also wanted to fight for some benefits for himself and said, "Anyway, we still need to choose the wedding day. Mother, you'll have enough time to make me a red robe."

Liu Xiangxiang was about to burst out laughing at his daydreaming.

Tang Erhu nodded firmly, "Right, we can't have no dowry. You use the money to buy red fabric and make two sets of wedding robes for Xu Ge'er, and also make a set of groom's attire."

He turned to his glaring wife and said in a deep voice, "Didn't you say you'll treat him well in the future? And now, when he's getting married, you're not contributing anything as a mother? Is this how you treat him well? Are you still his real mother?"

Tang Xu heard this questioning remark from the side and almost applauded Tang Erhu.

His stepfather was really good at hitting the nail on the head!

Taking a deep breath, Liu Xiangxiang reluctantly nodded. "Fine, I'll make them!" Her words were gritted through clenched teeth.

Tang Xu was ecstatic, laughing heartily. "Thank you, Mother. You're so good to me."

Tang Erhu looked at him helplessly, unable to ignore the hint of self-satisfaction in his words.

Waving his hand, he said, "Go on, go to bed. Don't sit here anymore."

Tang Xu returned to his room and lay on the bed, laughing out loud.

This was great! He was one step closer to getting himself married!

In life, you have to set small goals first - find a man who is pleasing to the eye and marry yourself off.

Life should have a second small goal - to have a yard that he can control himself, to raise chickens, ducks, and geese, and also to raise pigs, dogs, and cats! These two goals were set by him before he transmigrated, but now he reversed the order.

Before, he had a yard all to himself and dreamed of finding someone he liked to live with. Now, he found someone he liked, and could immediately live with them in the same yard.

That night, Tang Xu was too excited to sleep. He didn't know when Wei Dong would bring the matchmaker to propose, so he decided to get up early. He hastily dressed and washed up, then hurried out to the old house.

At the old house, he told his elders that he and Wei Dong had already decided to propose and exchange gifts today. The elders were all surprised, looking sleepy and confused.

"Why so fast?" His aunt asked, running out with her hair not yet combed. "Getting married isn't something you do whenever you feel like it. Did you two consult a fortune teller to pick an auspicious day?"

Tang Xu waved his hand. "Wei Dong said we don't need to pick an auspicious day. He's bringing the twenty taels of silver for the betrothal today."

"Twenty taels?" Aunt's attention quickly shifted. Tang Xu nodded seriously. "Twenty taels."

The old lady looked at Tang Xu and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry?" 

Tang Xu chuckled, "I'm in a hurry to have babies." 

The old lady: "...She feared she might be deaf!

"I'm going back now. When we set the date for the wedding banquet, I'll come back and tell Grandpa and Grandma." After saying this, he bounced away, his light footsteps revealing how good his mood was.

Tang Guangliang and Tang Dahu didn't even have a chance to ask a question before Tang Xu had left the yard.

"Wife, what does Xu Ge'er mean?" Tang Guangliang looked at Wu Guizhi. "Which family marries so casually?"

Wu Guizhi actually had some guesses in her heart, but it was not easy to say to her old man at home, so she just shook her head and said, "Who knows what's going on in the minds of kids these days. Let's not bother about it. Even if we do, nobody will listen."

Luo Pingping glanced at her mother-in-law, and after their eyes met, neither of them spoke. 

After breakfast, when the men went to work in the fields with their tools, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law finally got a chance to talk.

They talked about Tang Xu's hurried marriage proposal.

"Mom, why do I feel like something's not right?" Luo Pingping sat on the kang sewing shoe soles. These were for the two sons' weddings; as a mother, she had to make a new pair of cloth shoes for each one.

Wu Guizhi was also sewing, her eyesight was poor, and she had to squint to sew properly. Hearing her daughter-in-law's question, the old lady shook her head. "I also feel that something's not right."

"Mom, do you think Xu Ge'er knows something?"

"If he knows, he knows," the old lady sighed. "There's nothing I can do about it. The fact that he came over to tell us this means that Erhu's side has agreed, right? If their parents are willing, what else can we say?"

Luo Pingping nodded and made a few more stitches with a fine needle. "It's better for him to marry early than to stay at home and be tormented by Liu Xiangxiang."

Wu Guizhi looked up at her and chuckled, "They may not necessarily torment each other. Alright, let's get back to work. Your two daughters-in-law are about to enter the door, and you're still concerned about others."

Luo Pingping pursed her lips and lowered her head to carefully sew the shoe soles.

Tang Yang stood up quickly as the family was having breakfast when someone knocked on the courtyard door. He grabbed a pie and ran to open the door.

He had the same reaction as his sister when she first saw Wei Dong. He was startled and quickly turned back, running towards the house while calling out to his brother.

When Tang Xu came out to see, he saw Wei Dong accompanied by a middle-aged woman he didn't recognize, but she was dressed quite elegantly.

The matchmaker was from the neighboring village, known as San Pozi (Third Auntie).

San Pozi was her nickname, and she shared the same surname as Wei Dong, indicating a close blood relationship. However, she had never imagined being invited by Wei Dong to accompany him for a marriage proposal.

Even now, Wei San couldn't quite wrap her head around it. She had been matchmaking for so many years, but this was the first time she encountered such an unconventional marriage proposal.

Wei Dong being an orphan and not knowing much about customs could be overlooked, but what surprised her was the Tang family's acceptance of such a proposal.

Even if they were in a hurry to get married, wouldn't they at least choose an auspicious date instead of showing up unannounced?

She was also curious about the small wooden box on Wei Dong's shoulder. She had been wondering the whole way what kind of betrothal gifts could be inside.

But she would find out soon enough. Betrothal gifts should be opened and displayed; there was no point in hiding them.

She would see what they were offering as betrothal gifts soon enough.

"Have you eaten?" Tang Xu approached and greeted Wei Dong with a smile, then nodded towards Wei San, "Auntie must be tired after running around."

Tang Xu's smile momentarily stunned Wei San, thinking to herself that he was indeed a good catch. No wonder Wei Dong was eager to marry him; this guy was just too handsome!

As a matchmaker, Wei San had seen her fair share of young men, both from their village and neighboring ones, but Tang Xu's exceptional appearance was truly rare.

Moreover, his demeanor didn't seem like something that could be cultivated in a rural household. Wei San glanced around the Tang family's courtyard and thought to herself that this was just an ordinary farming family; how could their son turn out so outstanding?

As the prospective son-in-law arrived, both Tang Erhu and Liu Xiangxiang came out to greet them.

Standing face to face in the courtyard, Wei Dong took the small wooden box off his shoulder and handed it to Liu Xiangxiang. It felt heavy.

Liu Xiangxiang's eyes lit up as she carefully opened the box. Inside were all scattered silver coins, each worth about half an ounce. Not only that, there were also two strings of copper coins.

Liu Xiangxiang's heart raced as she picked up each silver coin and bit them to make sure Wei Dong wasn't tricking her.

Counting the silver coins made her heart ache; she felt like she was losing something!

Since the other party could produce so many silver coins and copper coins, it meant they still had those four silver ingots in hand. This was no poor family; they were clearly quite wealthy!

Tang Xu was stunned when he saw the box full of scattered silver coins, and it took him a while to recover. Seeing Liu Xiangxiang's changing expression, he suddenly realized what was going on. Suppressing the urge to burst into laughter, he took a deep breath and subtly winked at Wei Dong.

Such a trickster! But I like it! He's so cunning!

This guy is really something!

He must have deliberately exchanged the silver ingots for scattered silver coins, just to make Liu Xiangxiang regretful and unable to retract. He probably thought that by marrying Tang Xu to a wealthy man, he would have a better future. Poor Liu Xiangxiang will probably have a hard time for a long time.

Tang Xu feels so weak compared to Wei Dong. Look at him, effortlessly delivering a half-deadly blow to Liu Xiangxiang. Amazing!

They call it a betrothal ceremony, but in reality, it's just a formality with an outsider present to deliver the gifts. Their marriage is already set.

As for when they'll have the wedding ceremony, honestly, Wei Dong and Tang Xu never even thought about it.

When Wei San left the Tang family's house, she was in a daze. She didn't do anything today and still got rewarded with two taels of silver. Holding onto that money felt like holding onto hot coals.

Turning back to see Tang Xu walking hand in hand with Wei Dong, Wei San didn't know what to say.

"Um, Dongzi, you two should still be careful. After all, you're not married yet." Even married men don't stroll around the village holding hands with their gers!

No sense of shame!

Tang Xu blushed and pulled his hand back, while Wei Dong looked displeased and glanced at  Wei San. Wei San clicked her tongue in disapproval and quickly walked away.

However, as she went along, she told everyone she met that Wei Dong was engaged, and his fiancé was Tang Xu from the Tang family in the neighboring village. She said Tang Xu was handsome and well-built, with a rosy complexion, and would surely conceive quickly after marriage.

Anyway, she just said whatever sounded good. Tang Xu himself couldn't believe what she was saying.

But it didn't matter. As long as everyone in the village knew that he and Wei Dong were engaged, he could freely come and go from Wei Dong's mansion without any worries!

"Where are you going?" Tang Xu's heart was racing, realizing he was heading in the wrong direction.

"Going to the county seat," Wei Dong said, taking out two marriage certificates from his hand. "To register."

Tang Xu tilted his head and looked at him stupidly. "Register for what?"

Wei Dong found Tang Xu's expression adorable and couldn't help himself. He lightly pinched Tang Xu's delicate cheek with his finger.

"Marriage contract," he said.

Tang Xu still looked clueless. "What's that?"

"We'll go to the government office to register and get a marriage contract. Then you'll be my lawful husband," Wei Dong explained, showing him the document with Tang Xu's household registration information. "This is yours."

Tang Xu took the paper and struggled to read the traditional characters. He could roughly understand it: date of birth, birthplace, parents' names.

He handed the paper back to Wei Dong, suddenly realizing something was wrong.

He looked up awkwardly and scratched his head. "I can't read."

Wei Dong raised an eyebrow, chuckled, and nodded without saying anything.

Tang Xu: ...

He had a feeling his cover was about to be blown.

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