The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 71

 

| TBBOTOF | 71

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, not long after, the families in the whole village began to relax and idle, preparing to plant winter wheat in a while. Tang Xu also planned whether to set up a greenhouse to try it out. 

Unexpectedly, in mid-October, it started snowing.

The night before, he was still discussing with Wei Dong, saying that the radish field at home should be ready soon, as radishes become sweeter after being frosted once. Only then did he realize that it would be snowing in a few days.

"Will the mountain roads be blocked?" Tang Xu turned to ask the man behind him. Wei Dong was currently stitching a fishing net, and the fishing net he was making was large, not the small ones he usually made for Tang Yang.

"Yeah, when the snow gets heavier in a while, the wild animals won't come out much, and the roads will be dangerous to travel. In the beginning of winter, I basically don't go deep into Dayou mountain anymore, and rarely go up to Xiaoyou Mountain." Wei Dong focused on his work, his stitching movements were not too skilled, but it was clear that he knew what he was doing.

Tang Xu acknowledged and went to the woodshed to take a look. Inside, there were neatly arranged coarse and fine firewood, as well as many branches and corn cobs. There were also plenty of straw and wheat stalks, all bundled up and stacked high in the corner.

Standing at the doorway of the woodshed and roughly estimating how much firewood they would need for the winter, Tang Xu turned back to find Wei Dong. "We don't have enough firewood. Should we buy charcoal?"

"Buy less, it should be enough. We have enough corn cobs at home to burn," Wei Dong glanced up from his work and asked, "Are you afraid of the cold in winter?" 

Tang Xu nodded, "Who isn't afraid of the cold? If it weren't for the fear of starving to death, I'd rather stay in bed all day and not go out." 

Wei Dong's eyes lit up suddenly, like a wild beast discovering its prey. Tang Xu's scalp tingled, realizing he had misspoken.

"Why are you making a fishing net? Planning to fish?" he awkwardly changed the subject, keeping his eyes fixed on the part of the coarse hemp rope held by Wei Dong, avoiding looking around randomly.

How could Wei Dong not know what he was thinking? With a light chuckle, he replied, "I was thinking that if we can't go up the mountain in winter, we can go fishing in the river. Many people from the village go fishing in the river in winter, but some people have bad luck and not only fail to catch fish but also fall into the river."

Tang Xu thought about the situation on the riverbank and felt that it might not be a bad idea to go fishing after the river froze. "Then I'll help you sew it." 

Sewing a fishing net with hemp rope was quite laborious. If one wasn't careful about the direction of the needle, it was easy to prick one's fingers and bleed.

Tang Xu had only ever woven nets before; sewing them was a first.

"No need, it will be finished soon. Don't tire your hands." Wei Dong spoke while working, and Tang Xu observed for a while before realizing that what Wei Dong called "sewing" was actually more like "crocheting."

He was skilled in knitting sweaters, and crocheting was just as familiar to him. 

There was a time in high school when he even crocheted handmade dolls to sell for money. Thinking about knitting reminded him of the two long-haired wild goats in the backyard. He felt a bit itchy to shear their wool and spin it into yarn.

However, the snowy season was approaching, and he remembered how cold winter could be. If he sheared the goats now, they might freeze to death once the heavy snow fell.

Not only could he not shear their wool, but he also needed to gather more hay for them to survive the winter.

"Let's cut all the grass on the slope behind the backyard these days. We also need to go to Yuanbao Mountain to cut some for our mule and goats to eat during the winter, as well as for the pigs. Tomorrow, you should buy more bean cake residue. It won't spoil outside in the cold weather."

Wei Dong responded with a grunt, unfolding the nearly finished fishing net in his hands and inspecting it. Some areas had unevenly sized holes, so he would stitch a few more stitches. 

"We need to start pickling vegetables for the winter," Tang Xu glanced at the radishes and Chinese cabbage in the yard, swallowing saliva. "Bring back several carts of potatoes and sweet potatoes, as well as some dried corn cobs. I'll weave them into decorations to hang under the eaves; it'll be a nice sight."

He glanced at the red chili peppers in the nearby vegetable patch. "These can be strung up to dry as well. Let's keep more of these." As he pondered which vegetables to save for seeds, Tang Xu absentmindedly straightened and coiled the scattered hemp ropes nearby.

Wei Dong finished sewing the fishing net and looked up to see the old scholar coming out from the eastern wing of the house. This old scholar was already in his fifties. 

Although he had spent most of his life striving for success in the imperial examinations, he hadn't completely handed over the household affairs to his parents, wife, or children. Despite his somewhat frail health, he never shirked his duties.

Based on this alone, even if his scholarly achievements were only average, Tang Xu felt he could entrust him with teaching the children how to read. At the very least, he had a good temperament and wasn't someone who turned a blind eye to the world's affairs, solely immersed in studying the classics.

The old scholar surnamed Wei was somewhat related to Wei Dong, but Wei Dong had already removed himself and Wei Xi from the family genealogy and established his own lineage. Thus, he didn't have much of a relationship with this Wei old scholar.

The Wei old scholar was well aware of his own worth. Initially, when Wei Dong asked him to educate Wei Xi in reading and writing, he refused. However, Wei Dong offered him a considerable sum of money, more than enough not only to teach two children but also twenty.

Tang Xu also noticed the Wei old scholar emerging from the house. He stood up, picked up a small basket nearby containing a plate of "laughing mouth" pastries he had fried that morning.

To make "laughing mouth" pastries, they needed to be fried and then coated with sugar, ensuring each crispy layer was coated with sweet syrup. Afterward, they were rolled in sesame seeds. Once cooled, popping one into the mouth would result in a crunchy, sweet, and fragrant delight.

The Wei old scholar taught Wei Xi and Tang Yang for a while, and every now and then, he would receive these little pastries from Tang Xu. 

At first, he felt embarrassed to accept them, but Tang Xu was so warm and hospitable that with just a few words and a smile, he found himself enjoying the delicious treat without even realizing it. Eventually, he stopped refusing and instead focused even more on teaching diligently every day.

"Elder, you've worked hard today. It's snowing, and the roads are slippery. Don't bother coming back and forth this afternoon. If it's still like this tomorrow morning, I'll have Wei Dong go pick you up." Tang Xu was genuinely concerned about the possibility of someone getting hurt due to difficult road conditions, especially since their homes were not close by.

The Wei old scholar accepted the basket with thanks and then chuckled, stroking his beard. "It's just a short walk, much easier than working in the fields. Don't let my white hair fool you; I still have good legs. I'll come back after I take a nap at home. This light snow doesn't require rest; I don't want to delay their lessons."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xu quickly praised the old scholar a bit and then escorted him to the door. Throughout the interaction, Wei Dong didn't say a word.

After the old scholar left, Tang Xu turned to Wei Dong and asked, "You don't seem to respect the Wei old scholar much."

Wei Dong smirked sarcastically and replied, "His family is closely related to the Wei Zhongguo family, probably like distant cousins of the same generation. The relationship is quite close."

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow. "So what? Has his family mistreated you and your brother? I don't see Wei Xi having any other attitude towards him."

Wei Dong waved his hand and stuck the used iron needle into the thread-winding board. 

While tidying up the fishing net, he explained to Tang Xu, "Among those surnamed Wei in my view, there are only two types: those who have cursed at us and those who haven't. 

His family belongs to the former, but it wasn't him who cursed; it was his son. However, his son was young at the time. After I gave him a good beating, he stopped. Besides, he also brought his son to apologize afterwards, and the matter was settled."

Tang Xu frowned, "Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

Wei Dong shrugged, "What's there to say? You chose him among so many scholars; there must be something remarkable about him. Why should I stop you? Besides, he brought his son to apologize, and the matter is over."

Tang Xu gritted his teeth and muttered, "Next time, I won't give him any pastries!"

Wei Dong chuckled and pulled him over, seating him on his lap. "Don't be like that. It wasn't a big deal to begin with. There's no need to be upset. We didn't lose anything."

Tang Xu thought about it and realized Wei Dong was right. He even went to ask Wei Xi afterwards, and Wei Xi said he didn't remember the incident. Even if he did, it wouldn't matter. The old scholar taught them well, and both he and his younger brother Yang enjoyed learning from him.

Due to the snowy weather, even though the snow wasn't heavy enough to accumulate, the village roads became muddy. It was fine to walk on them normally, but during rainy or snowy days, it became difficult to move even an inch.

The main issue was the mud sticking to the soles of their shoes. Walking from the back of the village to the front, one could accumulate pounds of mud on their shoe soles.

Lately, Tang Yang was being sent over by his father every morning for studying. 

After returning home, his father would be busy weaving baskets and grass nests with the collected straw and wheat straw. They sold these in the town for a penny or two each, making four or five a day.

Since he had gone through a period of having no money in his pocket, Tang Erhu knew how accurate the saying "No money, no illness; if you have money, you'll have ailments" was.

So, he started doing some flexible money-making activities to supplement the household income. Although during the hot weather, they could save up a bit with their skewers and cold noodles, it wasn't enough to expand the house or build a couple more rooms for when their son gets married in the future. Besides, they also needed to prepare for their daughter's marriage. Everything required money.

With this urgency in mind, he felt the need to work harder. When he wasn't busy with field work, he would weave baskets with wheat straw and corn leaves. If there were other odd jobs available, he would do those too. Although the earnings weren't much, he could still make about ten coins a day.

Tang Erhu saw it as a way to exercise his body. His skill in weaving baskets was taught by his father. Despite his rough appearance, Tang Erhu was quite dexterous with his hands, at least more so than Wei Dong. If something broke at home and couldn't be used, he could repair it.

During market days in town, Tang Erhu would drive his cow cart with his woven products on display. He would sell to whoever was interested, taking things as they came, while continuing to work on his items on a small wooden stool.

Some people, seeing him dressed in old clothes, would come over to show off their better attire. Tang Erhu would take the opportunity to promote his woven baskets, and surprisingly, he managed to sell quite a few.

With not much work to do in the fields, Tang Erhu with his recently bought cow, allowed him the opportunity to venture out. Today, with the snowfall, he drove Tang Yang to the main house early in the morning for his studies and then took a detour directly to Yong'an Town from the back of the village.

The snow in Yong'an Town wasn't heavy, almost negligible. The layer of ice particles on the ground had already melted, leaving the earth moist but not muddy.

Tang Erhu leisurely rode in his cart pulled by the yellow ox, lazily yawning.

The snow couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of market day. Tang Erhu found a quiet spot to park his cart, watching the busy pedestrians on the street. He didn't call out to attract customers. Instead, he simply laid out his pre-woven baskets and mats on the ground, while he sat on the cart and continued weaving.

Next to him was a stall selling radishes. The radishes looked plump and fresh, still covered in dirt, indicating they had just been pulled out of the ground.

The old man selling radishes noticed Tang Erhu silently weaving baskets without calling out to attract customers. He glanced at the baskets stacked together and then at his own radishes laid out on the ground.

"Hey, buddy, you look unfamiliar. You haven't been here before, have you?"

 Tang Erhu heard the voice and turned to see the old man sitting on a small stool, smiling at him. He nodded in response to the old man's words.

The old man, seeing that Tang Erhu didn't speak, rubbed his hands nervously and cautiously asked, "How much for one of these baskets?"

Tang Erhu politely replied, "Three coins for the basket, two coins for the mat."

"Only three coins for such a big basket?" The old man originally just wanted to ask if Tang Erhu wanted to sell together, but hearing how cheap his items were, his interest was piqued.

Tang Erhu just nodded in response. He didn't have any hidden intentions, so he generally answered questions straightforwardly.

"You're selling these too cheaply. There's a basket weaver selling down the street. Their baskets are smaller and not as well made as yours, yet they're asking for five coins each!" The old man's tone rose noticeably as he took a basket woven from corn leaves, squeezed it, and exclaimed, "Your craftsmanship is excellent!" 

Tang Erhu took his praise as it was and merely smiled before continuing with his work.

The old man clicked his tongue. He usually struck up conversations with people, even if they seemed impatient, but this person didn't say anything at all.

"I sell carefully selected radishes. Take a look; they're all about the same size and straight." The old man pointed to his stall, and indeed, the radishes on the ground were as he described. 

However, Tang Erhu glanced at them briefly before looking away, not finding them particularly interesting.

Radishes were something that almost every household in the village grew. Since Tang Erhu had plenty of radishes from his own land, he wasn't curious about others' radishes. He thought to himself that this man must be good at growing radishes to make them look so nice.

The old man sighed and gestured to the radishes, then to Tang Erhu's baskets. "Let me be frank, neither of us is going to sell much individually, but if we join forces, we might make a decent profit."

Tang Erho finally showed some interest and asked, "So, how do you suggest we sell together?" 

"Put them together and shout out to attract customers," the old man replied eagerly, rubbing his hands. Tang Erhu nodded in agreement.

The old man thought Tang Erhu would start shouting out immediately after agreeing, but instead, he just lowered his head and resumed weaving baskets. 

The old man couldn't help but feel a little helpless.

Well, if Tang Erhu wasn't going to shout, he would do it himself. After all, he still had radishes to sell.

Tang Erhu watched as the old man took a basket and filled it with seven or eight radishes. 

Then, the old man began shouting, "Freshly picked radishes, sturdy woven baskets, all for just eight coins, eight coins!"

Tang Erhu glanced at him, thinking the old man was being unrealistic. Charging five coins for just a few radishes was too expensive. Who would be foolish enough to buy them? Surprisingly, there were indeed some buyers.

However, most of the buyers were interested in the baskets. The old man claimed he wouldn't sell the radishes separately; they had to be purchased together. 

Some people even went to ask Tang Erhu, who was weaving baskets nearby, about the price and if he sold the baskets separately.

Tang Erhu glanced at the old man.

The old man nodded as the other party had already sold the radishes, saying, "Three coins for the large ones, two coins for the small ones." 

Then he found himself surrounded. He hadn't expected his baskets to be in such high demand.

"Why are so many people buying baskets?" Tang Erhu pondered on the way back.

When he arrived at the main house and mentioned it to Tang Xu, Tang Xu chuckled, "You're selling them too cheap."

Tang Erhu waved it off with a smile, seeming indifferent. "Whether it's cheap or not doesn't matter. Our corn leaves are just used for burning. Making money from them is pure profit. In just a few days of selling baskets, I've made over fifty coins."

Tang Xu handed him a cup of water. "Father, don't be reckless just because you have a cow cart. The roads are slippery due to the snow these days, and the cart isn't entirely safe."

"It's okay. I used to walk to town anyway, and now with the cow cart, I don't get tired sitting on it," Tang Erhu replied. These days, he found joy in earning money and wanted to venture out more, feeling particularly restless.

Tang Xu, feeling helpless, handed Tang Erhu a basket of open-faced dumplings. 

Seeing Tang Erhu's frown indicating he didn't want them, Tang Xu explained, "I know you don't like sweet food, so these are savory, with five-spice flavor. If you have time, could you weave some coverings for me? I'm planning to freeze dumplings and bean buns for later."

Tang Erhu nodded, "If you're freezing bean buns, they'll need to be larger. I have some good sorghum stalks left, which we can use for stitching."

"Wei Dong mentioned going fishing in the river later. Will you join?" Tang Xu gestured for Tang Erhu to come inside and sit for a while, "He sewed a large fishing net this morning."

Tang Erhu became intrigued and nodded, "I'll go back and weave a large net myself. I've seen people drilling holes in the ice on the river surface, and they can catch quite a lot of fish."

"It's almost New Year's, so the fish you catch can be eaten or sold," Tang Erhu became increasingly excited as he spoke, as if he were about to cast the net immediately.

Tang Xu chuckled, showing support for Tang Erhu's newfound "second career" enthusiasm.

When Tang Yang finished his afternoon classes and saw his father waiting for him, the young boy was momentarily surprised but then happily ran over, asking, "Dad, are you here to pick me up?"

Tang Erhu raised an eyebrow and gave his son a pat on the back, saying, "Otherwise? Why else would I be here?"

Tang Yang chuckled and showed his father the several large characters he had written today, saying, "Teacher praised me, saying I wrote very earnestly." 

Tang Xu blinked and reached out to take a look at Tang Yang's writing. Hmm... it was indeed quite earnest, at least better than the last time, which was a messy blur. Although it still had several twists and turns, resembling a caterpillar.

Tang Erhuo flipped through the pages and nodded, "Good, not bad. Keep up the good work!" 

Tang Xu turned his head and noticed that Tang Yang had his papers upside down...

After the father and son left, Tang Xu prepared dinner. It was only at that moment he realized that Wei Dong was not at home. Wei Xi was studying in the room, and upon hearing a knock on the window, turned to see Tang Xu outside. 

Smiling, he waved and asked, "Brother-in-law, is dinner ready?" 

Tang Xu grunted in affirmation, "Where did your brother go? Did you see him?"

Wei Xi looked bewildered, "I thought he was busy sewing the fishing net in the backyard."

Tang Xu shared the same bewildered expression, wondering where he could be.

In fact, Tang Xu had forgotten that before Tang Erhu arrived, he was cooking pig feed in the backyard. Wei Dong had helped him cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes, then mentioned he wanted to go to the riverbank to test the fishing net. Tang Xu had just nodded absentmindedly.

Now, he had forgotten all about it.

It wasn't until after he and Wei Xi had finished dinner and soaked their feet in hot water that Wei Dong returned, dragging the wet fishing net behind him. He also carried two baskets filled with fish, shrimp, and crabs of various sizes, all lively and energetic.

"You!" Tang Xu's eyes widened in astonishment. "You went fishing?"

Wei Dong looked at him inexplicably, not understanding why he was so surprised. "Didn't I tell you I was going to test the fishing net?" 

Tang Xu rubbed his face, realizing he had completely forgotten about it. It had slipped his mind entirely.

"There are so many fish, it seems like they won't all fit in the backyard pond, and it'll freeze over there in the cold weather," Tang Xu inspected the bucket and found that most of the fish were alive.

"No problem, I'll just throw them in. If they freeze, they freeze. Let them fend for themselves, and we'll eat the rest," Wei Dong carried the bucket towards the backyard. 

Tang Xu thought it was a good idea; drying some fish for future consumption would be great.

"Do you think you caught a lot or a little?" 

"Actually, it's not much. There are bigger fish in the river, and the chances of catching them increase after the river surface freezes," Wei Dong emptied the bucket into the pond with a clattering sound, splashing water everywhere.

The ducks rushed over, and the geese, along with their goslings, waddled into the water, quacking as they ate.

Even the little orange cat, which had been napping somewhere, came running at the sound. It dashed through the grass and pounced by the edge of the pond, extending its claws to catch fish, meowing incessantly as it did so.

It fished for a while, getting its paws wet and its body dirty, but it didn't catch any fish. Frustrated, it howled at Tang Xu and Wei Dong.

Tang Xu looked at the cat, which had grown significantly recently, and with a tsk, he scooped two fish out of the bucket for it. After rinsing them with water, he threw them in front of the cat, watching as it ate while making purring sounds. 

Unable to resist, Tang Xu turned to Wei Dong and remarked, "This one's also a foodie. It'll definitely become plump in the future."

Wei Dong thought about how all the fluffy ones at home had been fed so much they were all chubby. 

Unable to resist, he patted Tang Xu on the shoulder and when Tang Xu looked up, he complimented, "It's all thanks to you."

Tang Xu: "..." He didn't really consider that a compliment.

After Wei Dong finished dinner and the two of them tidied up, they returned to the room. Tang Xu lay on the kang and felt that his feet were a bit cold, so he stretched them into Wei Dong's blanket, resting them against his thigh.

Wei Dong was startled by the cold touch, he pressed down on Tang Xu's feet and rubbed them, "Cold?"

Tang Xu shook his head, wiggling his toes, "Not cold, just chilly feet. It's always like this."

His restless feet kept shifting on the other's thigh, making Wei Dong itch. So he just grabbed Tang Xu's leg and pulled him into his own blanket.

"Ah!" Tang Xu was startled.

Wei Dong pulled him into the blanket, holding him close, he hummed, "You troublemaker."

Tang Xu chuckled softly, hugging the broad shoulders, whispering, "On a chilly night, sweating from exercise is most suitable."

 Wei Dong chuckled lightly, kissing the corner of his mouth, saying in a deep voice, "Then you should exercise more so your body can warm up." 

Tang Xu blushed, giving a soft hum in response.

The next day, almost noon, Tang Xu woke up and didn't move, recalling the events of the night before, he smiled.

‘Dead tired’, he thought. Their family's two roosters crowed every morning, but it didn't wake him up, indicating his sleep quality was still good.

Feeling refreshed, warm under the blanket, he didn't want to move at all, maybe he could sleep a little more. 

"Brother Xu, wake up! My brother brought back a cow! It's dead!" Tang Xu, who had been daydreaming, looked up at the ceiling beams, hearing the shout, and a list of dishes flashed through his mind.

A cow! It's been so long since he had beef. Now he felt energized!

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