The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 78

 

| TBBOTOF | 78

Tang Xu spat out the water from his mouth and weakly leaned back on the chair, which was cushioned with thick padding.

Only fifteen minutes had passed since his last bout of vomiting.

Ever since he started experiencing morning sickness a while back, he vomited as much as he ate every day. The reaction was so severe that he lost all the weight he had gained earlier.

He felt hungry if he didn't eat, and vomited if he did. Tang Xu was completely drained, with no energy left to even get irritated.

They also went to the town to see Doctor Xu, who explained that it was simply a matter of individual constitution. Some people go through pregnancy without any discomfort, smoothly delivering their babies. 

Others may struggle for three months, but once the baby is formed, the symptoms diminish. And then there are those who experience various discomforts from the moment of conception until delivery.

Doctor Xu could only provide Tang Xu with some dried tangerine peel, suggesting that he could steep it in water or just smell it to alleviate his symptoms.

Tang Xu found some relief from soaking dried tangerine peel and hawthorn in water and drinking it, but he still vomited.

Every time he ate something, he vomited. He felt hungry, yet he couldn't keep anything down.

He got hungry pretty quickly.

In the morning, as soon as he opened his eyes, he had a bowl of porridge. But before he could catch his breath after finishing it, he vomited it all out.

Once his stomach settled a bit, he tried another bowl. This time was better; he only vomited a bit, at least not everything.

Wei Xi stood nervously beside Tang Xu. Now, whenever Tang Xu covered his mouth, Wei Xi would start dry heaving too.

Tang Xu wiped his mouth and turned to look at Wei Xi. The young boy's face was pale, with a hint of fear in his eyes.

"What's wrong? What are you afraid of?" Tang Xu asked with a chuckle.

Wei Xi lowered his gaze to Tang Xu's stomach, then looked back up at him. "Brother-in-law, " he spoke cautiously, swallowing hard and lowering his voice, "Are you going to be like this all the time from now on? Won't you starve to death?"

Even though he was relatively mature for his age, seeing Tang Xu's rapid weight loss made the young boy panic.

In their village, there were many pregnant women and gers. Even though Wei Xi didn't often leave home, he had seen quite a few of them. But why didn't they look like his brother?

Eating something only to vomit it out... wouldn't that starve someone to death?

He didn't want his brother to starve to death!

Pregnancy is so hard!

Sob, sob, sob... If only he hadn't gotten pregnant.

It wasn't just Wei Xi; even Wei Dong had similar thoughts.

In the past two weeks, Wei Dong had been by Tang Xu's side all the time. Whenever Tang Xu showed the slightest hint of discomfort, he would immediately attend to him with utmost care.

Wei Xi, often engrossed in studying and practicing calligraphy in the study room every day, didn't spend much time with Tang Xu. It was only when he noticed Tang Xu had lost a lot of weight and was vomiting severely that he became alarmed.

Wei Dong served Tang Xu a small bowl of hawthorn water and placed it on the table. "Drink a little less," he advised.

Tang Xu smiled at him reassuringly and took small sips from the bowl. After finishing it, he felt much better in his stomach.

Fortunately, he hadn't been going out much recently, focusing on staying at home to take care of his health during the pregnancy. 

Otherwise, if the gossiping women in the village saw him in his current state, they would probably have a lot to say.

"I'm fine, you two don't need to worry," Tang Xu reassured them.

The Wei brothers seemed to be on edge, as if they were afraid he would vomit out the hawthorn water he had just drunk.

Tang Xu found it amusing and rubbed his stomach. "I'm really fine now, feeling much better."

Wei Dong pursed his lips and helped him up. "Go back and rest for a while." His tired appearance was truly heart-wrenching to see.

Tang Xu waved his hand. "I'll go for a walk in the courtyard."

He was drained of energy from all the turmoil in the past few days, he had been cooped up inside, feeling suffocated. He needed some fresh air.

As the snow fell lightly, Tang Xu wrapped himself up tightly and stepped outside. However, as he walked out, his feet slipped on the ground. Wei Dong, who was standing nearby to protect him, quickly grabbed him.

He shot his man a fierce glare in return for his protective action.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Wei Dong felt like his heart had leapt into his throat just now. If Tang Xu had fallen, it would have been disastrous.

Tang Xu waved his hand and shook Wei Dong's hand. "I'm fine, just slipped a bit."

Wei Dong held onto his hand tightly and positioned himself to protect him. "Walk slower."

Tang Xu couldn't help but feel resigned. If Wei Dong was already this protective now, what would it be like when his belly got bigger? Would he end up being pushed around in a cart?

He wasn't mistaken. Wei Dong had indeed visited the carpenter's shop in town and requested a custom-made cart that could be pushed and also serve as a seat. 

It shouldn't be too large but comfortable to sit in and easy to maneuver when pushed.

After listening to Wei Dong's requirements, the carpenter, Wang, was a bit bewildered. He said he would give it a try, sketching out some designs for Wei Dong to review at the shop. If the designs looked feasible, he would proceed with the construction.

If Tang Xu knew that Wei Dong was planning to make a wheelchair, he would definitely provide the drawings. After all, he was quite familiar with them, as his mother had relied on a wheelchair for mobility after being hospitalized.

The snowfall was light, but due to the lower temperature at the foot of the mountain, the snow didn't melt quickly when it landed on the ground. Instead, it formed a white layer on the stone slabs.

Tang Xu breathed out small puffs of white vapor, and caught a couple of snowflakes that drifted down and smiled, his eyes sparkling. "It's so chilly."

Wei Dong, captivated by his smile, leaned down and planted a kiss on Tang Xu's fair cheek.

Wei Xi covered his eyes with his hand, but his fingers left a wide gap, allowing him to peek through.

They strolled in the yard, when the closed iron gate was knocked.

Tang Xu looked up at Wei Dong with a hint of puzzlement in his eyes.

In this kind of weather, why would someone come knocking on their door instead of staying at home?

Wei Xi stepped out with small, careful steps. He had to be cautious too; if he fell, there wouldn't be anyone to help him up!

The gate opened, and Wei Zhonghong, with a red headscarf and a basket slung over his shoulder, saw Wei Xi and smiled, saying, “Is everyone home? I brought some tasty treats for you!”

Wei Xi quickly stepped aside, saying, “Auntie, please come in quickly.”

Wei Zhonghong walked into the gate, looked up, and saw two people holding hands and taking a stroll not far away under the corridor.

The smile on her face hadn't even formed yet, but her eyes were full of suspicion.

She hurried over, pushed Wei Dong aside, grabbed Tang Xu's hand, and anxiously asked him, “Why is your face so pale? Are you sick? Why do you look so thin?”

Tang Xu felt a bit guilty under her questioning and cleared his throat, glancing at Wei Dong beside him.

What should he say?

Wei Dong looked at him, shrugged.

That means, it's up to you. If you want to tell, then tell. If you don't want to tell, then keep it to yourself.

Tang Xu felt that no matter what he said it wouldn’t be good, Wei Zhonghong had always been pretty good to him. It wouldn't have been a bad thing if he had gotten pregnant. 

At that time, when he said he was just adjusting his body and not trying to get pregnant, the other party had genuinely expressed concern.

"You're trying to kill me with anxiety, hurry up and speak, what's going on!" Wei Zhonghong didn't hear him speak and pulled him anxiously, "If there's really something, just say it. You can't keep it from me."

Tang Xu held onto her arm, comforting her, "Auntie, don't worry, let me explain."

Wei Zhonghong endured patiently and looked at him.

Tang Xu dragged her into the room, and amidst their breaths, a sour smell occasionally wafted, causing his mouth to unconsciously salivate.

He quickly swallowed it down, so his saliva didn't spill out.

He gulped and wiped his mouth with his hand, "Auntie, what's in the basket?"

Wei Zhonghong glared at him, pulling the basket she was carrying back a bit, "If you don't explain clearly, you won't get to eat."

Tang Xu chuckled and said, "I'll tell you, why would I hide it from you? I just haven't organized my words properly."

"What do you mean by 'organize'?"

"I'm pregnant."

"What?"

"What are you pregnant with?"

Wei Zhonghong was momentarily stunned, but then her whole demeanor sharpened. Her gaze fixed intensely on Tang Xu, starting from his face and moving down to his stomach. "You're pregnant? You're not lying to me? There's really a baby?"

Tang Xu smiled and nodded, "It's been over two months. I went to the town early last month for a check-up. Doctor Xu confirmed it by checking my pulse. There's no mistake."

Wei Zhonghong clapped her hands in excitement, her joy overflowing, even more so than when she found out her own daughter-in-law was pregnant.

She seemed to be on the verge of dancing with joy.

Seeing Wei Zhonghong's unrestrained happiness, Tang Xu's mood also improved considerably. 

Once the excitement subsided, he continued, "It's said that the first three months of pregnancy are unstable. I was afraid that if too many people knew, it might scare the baby away. So, I didn't tell anyone. I planned to wait until after three months."

Wei Zhonghong nodded as she listened, and when he finished speaking, they both entered the main room. 

She turned around and gently pushed Tang Xu into a chair, then casually picked up the teapot from the table and poured a cup of warm water for him.

Handing the cup over, Wei Zhonghong said, "You need to be careful. Don't catch a cold in this cold weather, walk slowly when you go out, and don't slip."

Wei Dong, who had followed them into the room, chimed in, "He almost slipped just now."

Wei Zhonghong immediately frowned, "Why didn't you hold onto something?"

Wei Dong: "..."

Tang Xu chuckled and pulled Wei Zhonghong to sit beside him, with Wei Xi joining in.

"Auntie, what exactly did you bring?" Wei Xi asked curiously, but he didn't reach out to lift the cloth covering the basket.

Tang Xu nodded in agreement, "I've been able to smell a sour-sweet scent."

Wei Zhonghong slapped her forehead, "Look at me, I was too caught up in happiness." She placed the basket on the table, pulled back the cloth, revealing what was inside. "Try it, see if you like it."

Tang Xu looked at the large bowl inside the basket, containing a bowl of green and red fruits, pickled, round and smooth, resembling mountain apricots.

He picked one up and sniffed it. Amidst the sour-sweet scent, there was a hint of fermentation. Taking a bite, it was crispy yet soft, tangy enough to make one shiver, instantly causing saliva to flood his mouth. As he chewed, a hint of sweetness emerged.

Tang Xu, with a look of enjoyment on his face, chewed on one fruit and spat out the pit, looking surprised. "It's plums!"

Wei Zhonghong smiled, "These need to be pickled for over three months before they can be eaten. I made them myself, and there are plenty left. 

My family didn't like them, but I find the taste special, so I wanted you to try them." 

Wei Zhonghong saw him pick up another one with his fingertips and pop it into his mouth, she laughed even more happily. "If you like them, I'll bring the whole jar for you later."

Tang Xu didn't beat around the bush with her. He nodded, "Let Wei Dong go get it. Auntie, don't bother going back and forth. The road might be slippery." 

He thought of Wei Zhonghong's eldest daughter-in-law, who was also pregnant, about six or seven months along. 

If Wei Zhonghong brought these pickled plums over, wouldn't they also want to eat them there? So he asked, "Auntie, save some of these plums for Sister-in-law. She's pregnant too, right?"

"She looks down on the stuff I pickle, saying it's too sour and unpleasant to bite into," Wei Zhonghong said indignantly, gritting her teeth.

Originally, she pickled these plums because her eldest daughter-in-law said she didn't enjoy anything she ate while pregnant. So she made them especially for her. But what happened?

Wei Zhonghong served her a bowl, and her daugher-in-law said “Thank you, Mom, I like this,” right in front of her, then dumped it all out as soon as she turned around.

Wei Zhonghong was almost sick with anger at the time. Even if she didn't like it, rejecting it outright in front of her wouldn't have made her upset.

She didn't even tell the rest of the family about it. Even if she did, it wouldn't have made a difference. Everyone advised her, especially now that her eldest daughter-in-law is pregnant, to just let things go.

Today Wei Zhonghong served a bowl and brought it over. She thought Tang Xu liked to try different foods, so maybe he could tolerate this taste.

Unexpectedly, there was another pleasant surprise, and Wei Zhonghong's mood instantly improved, feeling content all over.

"I'll bring it over to you later," Wei Zhonghong said, not even wanting to sit down. She waved her hand and turned around. "I'll go get it now."

She hurriedly turned and left.

Tang Xu was taken aback and quickly grabbed her. "Auntie, don't rush, sit for a while!"

Wei Zhonghong waved her hand. "Why shouldn't I rush? I don't want that annoying thing to dump the whole jar out again!"

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