The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 77

 

| TBBOTOF | 77

Tang Xu felt that ever since he became pregnant, time seemed to fly by quickly.

In early November, Dr. Xu felt his pulse and confirmed the pregnancy. He advised Tang Xu to drink the tonic medicine he prescribed at home for about a month and to not worry about anything else as long as there was no bleeding. 

He was instructed to come back for another pulse diagnosis in early December.

After drinking the medicine for almost two weeks, Tang Xu hardly dared to do anything other than eating and sleeping. His complexion visibly improved, showing a healthy rosy glow.

When Tang Xu returned to Huichun Hall in early December, Dr. Xu was surprised to see that his face had noticeably gained some flesh.

"You've been taking care of yourself very well!" he exclaimed.

Tang Xu politely smiled but didn't say anything. Even when he washed his face, he could feel the extra plumpness.

The problem was, most people started gaining weight and getting chubby around the fifth month of pregnancy. 

But him? His belly hadn't even shown yet, and yet his face was already getting plump!

If he continued to pamper himself like this, he'd probably become round and chubby before his belly even showed his pregnancy.

He needed to control himself, at least increase his daily exercise.

Just as he was thinking about this, Dr. Xu stroked his beard and said to him, "You can't gain too much weight. Otherwise, the baby in your belly will be too big, and you'll suffer a lot during childbirth. 

Also, you need to move more. It's not like you can't move at all. How did you manage to gain so much weight in just one month?"

Tang Xu didn't want to talk to him about this.

Dr. Xu chuckled affectionately, "I understand you young couples. It's natural to be nervous when you finally have a baby on the way. And what about Wei Dong? He's here with you, isn't he? I need to remind him as well."

Tang Xu turned around and indeed didn't see Wei Dong.

He remembered that Wei Dong had come in with him earlier. "He's probably gone to fetch some herbal medicine." 

Their business with the seasoning packets at Fuyun Restaurant hadn't stopped just because of the cold weather. Instead, following Tang Xu's suggestion, they had started selling hot pot ingredients, resulting in a significant increase in daily customer traffic.

Not only that, but several restaurants in the county and the prefectural city also followed suit, selling hot pot ingredients after the weather turned cold. Naturally, the demand for seasoning packets from Tang Xu increased as well.

The shortage of spices at home had been on Wei Dong's mind for a while now. He probably went to the merchant's shop to buy spices.

"I tried the hot pot at Fuyun Restaurant, and it was really good," Dr. Xu said with a twinkle in his eye, as if inviting further conversation.

Tang Xu didn't have much to talk about with Dr. Xu. He simply nodded and said, "I haven't tried it yet, but I imagine it's delicious."

Hot pot. Even though he had already brought back those few pots he had wanted, he hadn't used them at all because Wei Dong wouldn't let him stand or move too much. It felt like such a waste.

Now, hearing that the hot pot at Fuyun Restaurant was good, Tang Xu's mouth started watering at the thought. 

Maybe he would go there later for a meal and taste it for himself, and perhaps offer some suggestions.

Dr. Xu nodded in agreement, but Tang Xu fell silent after that.

Dr. Xu looked a bit awkwardly at the other person. Tang Xu returned his gaze, and after a moment of silence between them, he suddenly asked, "Doctor Xu, do you have something to tell me?"

Dr. Xu adjusted his beard and said, "Are you still buying spices from the trading company?"

Tang Xu nodded, "Yes."

"I have a medicinal field, producing quite a lot of herbs," Dr. Xu looked at him, "How about buying from me?"

Tang Xu was taken aback. He hadn't expected this old man to be proposing a business deal with them. He straightened up a bit and asked, "What do you grow there?"

Dr. Xu glanced around, seeing no one nearby. He shifted closer, lowered his voice, muttered something to Tang Xu, then said, "I have all of these."

"Old man, you've really been planting a lot," Tang Xu said, surprised. He had thought this old man only focused on seeing patients and researching medical records, without any inclination towards other pursuits.

Dr. Xu sighed, waved his hand, and said, "One must prepare for the cost of the coffin in the future. I plan to stop practicing after the New Year. I'm getting old, and my health isn't as good."

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow. Oh, so this old man planned to make a big business move and then retire gracefully.

Tang Xu asked, "Doctor Xu, where do you live?"

Dr. Xu replied, "My hometown is Xujia Village, not far from your area. Wei Dong has been there. So, do you agree to do business with me?"

"Sure, as long as you can consistently provide good quality herbs, I'll buy from you," Tang Xu said. "Can you ensure a continuous supply?"

Dr. Xu patted his chest. With a bright gleam in his eyes and the prospect of making a significant profit, he was in a very good mood. "Of course, my three sons are all in the business of cultivating herbs. Whatever you need, I'll make sure you have a steady supply."

"What about the prices?" Tang Xu asked again.

The old man waved his hand, "It will definitely be much cheaper than what you get from here. I've known Wei Dong for so many years, do you think I would still dare to cheat him?"

Tang Xu pondered for a moment and realized, indeed, considering Wei Dong's temperament, if the old man were to deceive them, Wei Dong would probably march straight to his doorstep and destroy the medicinal field.

…

Wei Dong returned from the trading company with spices. 

As he entered Huichun Hall, he saw Tang Xu coming out from inside, with Dr. Xu still by his side. The two of them were chatting and laughing, evidently, the pulse diagnosis just now had yielded positive results.

Wei Dong put his arm around him and looked at the old doctor, asking, "Does he need to drink any more medicine?"

"What medicine to drink? You treat it like sweet water instead of medicine soup. When you go back, don't let him lie down all the time. He needs to move around more, do some appropriate work. Otherwise, if he gets too fat later on, both parent and child will be at risk." 

Old Doctor Xu patted Wei Dong's shoulder as if he were patting his own nephew, affectionate. "Take good care of Xu Ge'er when you go back. If you need anything, come find me in Xujia Village."

Wei Dong nodded, then paused, "Aren't you still working at Huichun Hall?"

Tang Xu poked his waist and said, "Let's go first, I'm hungry."

The meaning was quite clear, don't mention it here.

After the two of them left, the old doctor turned around with a smile and went back to his consultation room, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and leisurely drank it.

Wei Dong and Tang Xu went straight to Fuyun Restaurant with the mule cart. It was lunchtime now, and the atmosphere in the restaurant was lively, with occasional shouts from people.

"Bring a plate of lamb, a plate of beef, and add a plate of cabbage and tofu!"

With more people shouting, the waiters inside were busy bustling around.

Every time Tang Xu came, Xiaomu could always spot him first. But today, as Xiaomu passed by Tang Xu, he only shouted at him, "Guests, please come inside," before hurriedly running off.

Tang Xu found this amusing, and as he turned his head to look, he happened to catch sight of Boss Wu wiping sweat behind the counter. Their eyes met instantly.

Boss Wu was surprised and came over to greet them, "Why are you here today?"

"I just went to Huichun Hall, thought I'd come over and see if Chef Liu's skills have deteriorated," Tang Xu chuckled, gesturing towards him with a playful smile. "Boss Wu, you go on with your work, no need to mind us."

"How can I not attend to you?" Boss Wu personally led them to the backyard as they walked. He said, "We've made some changes in the backyard. 

There are a few separate rooms reserved for important guests like yourselves. You don't have to squeeze with others, and the noisy atmosphere won't disturb your mood."

His words were pleasant, and his attitude was even more friendly. Tang Xu couldn't possibly refuse, so he smiled and agreed. Then he glanced at the menu hanging on the wall and noticed that many of the previous dishes had been replaced, but surprisingly, they still had Snowy Bean Paste and Fish-flavored Shredded Pork.

Manager Wu noticed his gaze and explained with a smile, "Chef Liu said that even though we've started selling hot pot, we can't let customers think that our restaurant doesn't serve other dishes. 

So, we've kept all the previous menus. Snowy Bean Paste is particularly popular right now. Many people like to order it after having spicy hot pot, saying that it helps alleviate the spiciness."

Tang Xu thought that if they wanted a dessert to accompany the hot pot and alleviate spiciness, it would be best to have something like ice jelly or sweet porridge. 

Alternatively, they could serve some fruit platters. Since there were no fresh fruits available now, canned fruits could be used as substitutes.

He thought to himself that he would wait until after dinner to mention it to either Boss Wu or Chef Liu.

After all, the restaurant business was doing well, and he was making money along with it.

Moreover, with canned goods, he could make another profit. Even if this stuff couldn't make him rich overnight, at least he could engage in long-term buying and selling.

Tang Xu hadn't ordered anything, just asked Boss Wu to bring out two flavors of hotpot base, and whatever other dishes or meat were fine.

Leaning on his chin, he looked at Wei Dong and shared his earlier calculations with him.

Wei Dong couldn't help but laugh outright, which puzzled Tang Xu, causing him to stop mid-sentence and ask, "What are you laughing at?"

The man chuckled and lightly poked Tang Xu's face, saying, "You think they've made a lot of money off you?"

Tang Xu understood his meaning and chuckled softly, "You're right. But they're really easy to get along with and very sincere."

Not to mention, Boss Wu had earned quite a bit of money from him. Even if he had any other intentions, he would weigh his options carefully.

"Even if he had a new business partner, it might not be as smooth as it is now," Tang Xu remarked.

Tang Xu hated trouble. If it weren't for Dr. Xu's goodwill towards them, he wouldn't have agreed to buy those medicinal herbs for making spices from the other party.

Wei Dong pondered the considerable amount of money that Fuyun Restaurant had sent to Tang Xu recently. 

Frankly, it was quite a sum. His husband hadn't done much; he basically earned money by just talking at home. But why stop there?

Of course, when it came to grinding those seasoning powders. Wei Dong was the one who did that.

Soon, the two flavors of hotpot base arrived. They were served in small charcoal pots with a small iron pot placed on top. The charcoal burned brightly, heating up the broth inside the pot, emitting a warm and fragrant aroma.

"This spicy flavor is a bit overpowering," Tang Xu waved his hand to disperse the steam, leaned forward, took a couple of sips, and made a face, "It's not as fragrant as the one I stewed."

Wei Dong nodded, "At home, you mix several types of chili together, so it's fragrant and not too spicy." 

He picked up a slice of meat and dipped it into the red-hot broth. After it cooked, he fished it out, blew on it, then put it into his mouth. 

After chewing and swallowing, he gave his feedback, "It's salty. It doesn't have the delicious taste of the beef broth you make."

Tang Xu also cooked a slice of lamb for himself and tasted it, making a face, "The meat isn't sliced as thinly as yours. Let's make do with it."

While they were having their meal, Boss Wu didn't allow anyone to interrupt them. Although the couple wasn't entirely satisfied with the taste of the spicy broth, the chicken broth tasted really good.

After Tang Xu finished eating, he leaned on his chin and looked at Wei Dong.

Tang Xu then told Wei Dong about Dr. Xu's retirement plan and asked, "Do you think it's okay to buy these herbs from him?"

Wei Dong tore off a piece of oil cake, wrapped it around some cooked meat and vegetables, and nodded.

Seeing Wei Dong enjoy his food, Tang Xu couldn't resist tearing off a piece of oil cake for himself. 

He fed himself small bits at a time, saying, "Dr. Xu mentioned that you've been to his hometown and know about his medicinal field."

Wei Dong continued to nod, too busy eating to speak.

"In that case, it's settled. After the New Year, when he returns to his hometown, we'll pay him a visit."

Wei Dong nodded again.

After Tang Xu finished his cake, Tang Xu wiped his hands, poured himself a glass of warm water, and sipped it slowly. "When you come next time to get medicine for Xiao Xi, mention it to him. Oh, and if he goes back to his hometown, who will Xiao Xi see if he needs medical attention?"

Wei Dong finally finished his two pieces of cake and took a sip of water before responding, "There should be other physicians coming to take consultations. Huichun Hall is not lacking in skilled doctors, so there's no need to worry about Xiao Xi's health. Besides, I think he's been doing quite well lately."

Tang Xu thought for a moment. It seemed that apart from the time when Wei Xi caught a cold and had a fever when it rained, it had been at least three months now since the young boy had experienced any physical discomfort.

"Could it be that you're less prone to illness as you get older?" he mused. 

He had heard before that as children grow older, their immune systems strengthen, reducing the frequency of illnesses. 

However, Wei Xi still had some health issues brought in from his mothers womb, and it wasn't clear what exactly was wrong.

"What exactly is wrong with Xiao Xi?" Tang Xu asked Wei Dong.

Wei Dong recalled the time he took his brother to Huichun Hall when he fell ill. What did the old doctor say?

There were a bunch of medical terms, but he couldn't remember them.

He only vaguely knew that Wei Xi was a premature baby, even if it was only half a month early, it still had a significant impact on the child.

Due to lack of breast milk feeding, his brother has been weak and frail since childhood.

"He seems to have a weak heart," Wei Dong remarked.

Tang Xu was sipping his tea and almost choked.

If he didn't know his partner well, he might have misunderstood.

There were too many heart problems, and they could only be managed slowly. So far, Wei Xi seemed to be doing relatively well under their care.

Tang Xu didn't inquire further. Seeing Wei Dong finish his cake, he asked, "Are you full?"

Wei Dong shook his head and wiped his mouth. "Half full. Let's go home and have some meat buns and soup for dinner."

"Sure, I'll check if we have any pork lard later. We can render some meat fat and I'll make buns with pork lard residue and pickled cabbage filling. They'll be extra delicious."

Wei Dong nodded. "And let's make some with leek and lamb filling too."

"Alright." It was no problem anyway; they had a lamb leg in the freezer. They could just take it out, trim the meat, and chop it for filling. It wouldn't be much trouble.

When they went to settle the bill, Boss Wu waved his hand and said it was on the house, insisting that they come back to dine there in the future without hesitation.

Tang Xu smiled and agreed, and he even mentioned his ideas to Boss Wu. As for how to implement them, it would be up to their kitchen staff to figure out. After all, it wasn't possible to plan everything in detail.

Boss Wu nodded happily, promising to talk to Chef Liu and have him and his apprentices look into it.

…

They drove to buy the meat with the mule cart. It wasn't just a piece of pork fat, but half a pig.

Tang Xu sat on the cart and didn't get off. When he saw Wei Dong come out carrying half a pig, he was a bit stunned.

"Why did you buy so much?" Tang Xu shifted aside. The pig was quite large, with thick fat under the skin, and even the two trotters were big.

Wei Dong patted the meat and said to him, "The pig was just slaughtered. He's starting to sell pigs for the Lunar New Year. 

This pig is the best one he's received recently. Anyway, we have space to freeze it, so we don't need to buy one before the New Year."

"It's still more than a month away from the Lunar New Year; what's the rush?" Tang Xu poked the meat with his finger. It bounced back nicely, and the meat was still warm. "Alright, then you go back and butcher it."

Wei Dong nodded. "There's also a set of trotters. Do you want it?"

"Of course, bring it back. I'll stew a pot of intestines and stomach. I also want to make stir-fried pig liver with potato strips. 

Oh, since he's starting to sell pigs, ask him if he has any good-quality boars, preferably uncastrated ones. If he does, bring one back. We need to find a mate for our piglet." Tang Xu finished speaking and looked up at Wei Dong. 

What's with the expression on his face?

Wei Dong looked both helpless and shocked.

Why did they suddenly need to raise a boar again?

Moreover, "All the pigs he receives are slaughtered. The boars he has are castrated. If you want to find a mate for the pig," Wei Dong coughed, "Wait until spring, and I'll go to the mountains to catch a wild boar to mate with it."

A wild boar mating with domestic pigs?

Tang Xu felt they could give it a try. "You can catch a young wild boar for us to raise. Otherwise, if we bring back a big one, what if it bullies our Fatso?"

Wei Dong nodded expressionlessly. "Got it."

Such a request was, of course, reasonable.

They took a bucket of offal. Worried about the strong odor, Wei Dong also shoveled a lot of grass ash over it before driving Tang Xu home.

Not long after they entered the village, they ran into Tang Erhu, who was carrying a hoe and heading to the fields.

Seeing them, Tang Erhu, the father, was momentarily stunned, his expression freezing as he noticed the half pig.

"Why did you buy so much meat?" He directed his question at Wei Dong. In his mind, his child couldn't possibly buy so much meat all at once.

Tang Xu jumped off the cart and happily called out to his father, "Dad! Where are you going?"

Then, pointing to the half pig, he said, "Wei Dong said we have space at home to freeze it, so we bought more to eat first. I'll make buns tonight and bring some to you."

"What's there to bring? You guys eat it yourselves. Ah Li said she wants to stew some green beans and pancakes," 

Tang Erhu said, eyeing the basket on the cart, which contained quite a few medicine packets. He glanced at Tang Xu with concern, and upon closer inspection, he noticed that his face seemed to have filled out.

Although he still had a pointed chin, his cheeks, which used to be somewhat gaunt, had gained a bit of flesh. It seemed like he was doing really well, with a healthy flush on his cheeks.

Seeing this, Tang Erhu felt satisfied that his child was being well taken care of.

He asked, "Are all these medicine packets for Wei Xi?"

Tang Xu nodded and then thought for a moment before saying, "Dad, have you finished the sorghum wine from your side? I brewed some more recently. I'll have Dong ge bring some over for you tonight."

If it had been something else, Tang Erhu would probably have refused, but sorghum wine was his favorite. He would open one of the two small jars at home every day, scoop out a small cup, and sip it slowly, never wanting to gulp down a big mouthful.

But the wine really packed a punch; every time he drank it, he guaranteed a deep, uninterrupted sleep throughout the night, without any need to get up.

So when he heard about the new batch of wine, Tang Erhu's eyes lit up. "Alright, have Dongzi bring it to me," he said eagerly.

Wei Dong nodded.

Tang Erhu reached out and pushed Tang Xu onto the cart. "Hurry back home. It's getting cold outside; don't stay out too long. Everything is fine at home. 

Your brother has been studying hard lately. He hasn't gone out to play with the other boys who come to our house. He said he wants to practice writing."

Tang Xu smiled broadly and praised, "He's so well-behaved! He deserves a reward for that."

Tang Erhu waved his hand, saying, "What reward? He knows that if he doesn't study well, the next time he sees Wei Xi, he might be left behind by him. He wouldn't want to lose face."

Tang Xu chuckled continuously and waved to his father, saying, "Dad, you should head back home earlier too. If the fields freeze over, there's no point in working on them."

"I know, I know. Hurry back," Tang Erhu waved to them.

"We're heading back now, Dad," Wei Dong patted the mule's rump.

Tang Erhu nodded, stepping aside. The mule trotted away, flicking its tail at Tang Erhu as it went.

Back home, Tang Xu was urged by Wei Dong to rest, but he waved his hand, saying he wasn't tired.

"Even if you're not tired, lie down for a while," Wei Dong bent down and lifted him up. "Even if you're not tired, isn't our baby inside tired?"

"Alright, you win," Tang Xu didn't struggle and obediently let himself be carried back into the house. "Take out the lamb leg to thaw, then divide that half pig, cut some fat to render oil, and chop some of the lean meat for filling."

"I got it. You'll have to handle the rendering part; I'm not good with controlling the heat," Wei Dong acknowledged his limitations. 

He could do it if he had to, but the fat he rendered tended to turn yellowish and dirty-looking, not the clean white color Tang Xu could achieve.

Tang Xu nodded, "Okay, wait until I wake up."

The person who claimed not to be sleepy yawned, covering their mouth, their tone of voice sounding a bit sluggish.

Wei Dong laid the person on the kang, gently touched his forehead, and caressed their cheek, saying softly, "Go to sleep."

Tang Xu murmured in acknowledgment. After Wei Dong left, he sat up and changed his clothes.

Tang Xu couldn't fall asleep without changing clothes after coming in from outside and lying on the kang.

This time, Tang Xu hadn't been asleep for long when he felt a slight, pulling pain in his lower abdomen. 

Dr. Xu had mentioned before that for over a month now, he would feel occasional soreness and swelling in his belly, all of which were normal occurrences. 

He advised not to worry too much and to come see him if the pain became unbearable.

Tang Xu tossed and turned on the kang, clutching his stomach. Unable to sleep with his eyes closed, he decided to just get up.

Glancing at the sky outside, Tang Xu estimated he hadn't slept for even half an hour.

"You didn't manage to sleep at all, did you?" Wei Dong noticed Tang Xu coming out and asked in surprise, "Didn't I tell you to rest a bit more?"

Tang Xu smiled bitterly, pointing to his stomach, "I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable. Don't worry, Dr. Xu said it's a normal phenomenon."

Wei Dong nearly rushed over to carry Tang Xu away, but upon hearing this, he calmed down slightly. "What else did he say?"

"Nothing much," Tang Xu repeated the old doctor's advice, "It's probably just these few things. Anyway, you can't restrict my activities. If I gain too much weight, it won't be good for me or the baby."

Wei Dong nodded, "Got it."

Wei Dong didn't even eat the steamed buns when they were ready, instead, he sent quite a few over to Tang Erhu's place, with both kinds of fillings and two small jars of sorghum wine.

When he returned, he brought a pot of fried green beans cake, smelling delicious.

Tang Xu had a good appetite and ate a lot, but ended up vomiting everything before going to bed. 

From then on, his daily torment of pregnancy began.

 

  

Previous TOC Next