The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 79

 

| TBBOTOF | 79

It's true that living together for several years as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law does give some understanding.

Wei Zhonghong hurried back, her steps quick and urgent, practically trotting.

As she crossed the courtyard gate, she saw her eldest son carrying a dark brown jar from the kitchen towards the door. She immediately recognized it as the jar she used to pickle the plums. Her eyes widened, and she shouted, "You little brat, put that down!"

Wei Zhonghong's shout startled Wu Shouye, the eldest son of the Wu family.

Thankfully, he held the jar firmly, or else it might have slipped from his grasp due to the fright.

Wei Zhonghong rushed over in a few quick steps and raised her hand to slap him on the back of his neck, but she didn't put much force into it. Nevertheless, the slapping sound echoed loudly.

Wu Shouye winced in pain, dodging and bending his body to avoid the blows. He exclaimed, "Mom, Mom, please be gentle! Wait, why are you hitting me?!"

"Why would I hit you? Why don't I just beat you to death! You little brat, are you rebelling against me? How dare you touch my stuff! What were you doing holding my jar?! Where were you planning to take it?!" Wei Zhonghong snatched the jar back from him, holding onto it tightly.

Wu Shouye wiped the spit from his face and said in confusion, "My wife said the stuff in the jar had gone bad and couldn't be eaten, so she told me to pour it out. Mom, don't be mad, I probably misunderstood."

Wu Shouye wasn't stupid. Seeing his mother's demeanor, even though he didn't know the whole story, he could guess most of it.

He felt annoyed with his pregnant wife. Ever since she got pregnant, she had been causing trouble left and right.

Their second son's wife also found out she was pregnant earlier this month, but she didn't act up like his wife did, nitpicking everything.

Wei Zhonghong didn't care what he said. She uncorked the jar and sniffed it, then peered inside. She lifted her head and glared, asking, "Did you open it?"

Wu Shouye shook his head. "Mom, this is what you pickled? What is it?"

"I won't give you anything. Your wife doesn't like it, right? From now on, if she wants to eat something, let her make it herself. Don't come to me complaining about the food being tasteless. I can't cater to her preferences!"

Wei Zhonghong's voice rose as she scolded him, and Wu Shouye hung his head, not daring to say a word.

His wife, hearing her mother-in-law's voice from inside the house, didn't even dare to make a sound.

Wei Zhonghong still wasn't satisfied. She pointed at Wu Shouye's nose and scolded, "Whatever your wife tells you to do, you just do it. What, do you think she's always right? I painstakingly picked those plums, one by one! She praised them in front of me and then poured them out behind my back! Disgusting! 

Let me tell you, Wu Shouye, once your wife gives birth, we'll split the house. I won't take care of you anymore! You can live however you want, and I won't shed a tear if you starve to death!"

Wu Shouye panicked and reached out to support her. "Mom, please don't say such angry words. I'll make her come and apologize to you. We can't split the family!"

"Whether we split or not, I have the final say! Even your father wouldn't dare touch my things, yet you all want to sneak around and pour them out! 

Who knows what other sneaky things you might do in the future! I can't stand the sight of you!" Wei Zhonghong waved her hand, pushing him away. 

"Get out of here! One of these days, I'll make you all regret it!"

She stormed out with the jar in her arms.

Wu Shouye followed his mother to the door and saw her turning right, heading towards Wei Dong's house. He pursed his lips and turned back into the courtyard.

Wei Zhonghong hurried along as if being chased by wolves. By the time she reached Wei Dong's yard, she was panting heavily, sweat forming on her forehead.

"Auntie!" Wei Xi saw her coming in and quickly reached out to take the jar from her arms. "Give it to me."

Wei Zhonghong smiled and handed him the jar, reminding him, "Be careful! Don't drop it."

"I've gotten stronger now, Auntie. I'm almost as tall as you!" Wei Xi straightened his posture, allowing Wei Zhonghong to see for herself.

Wei Zhonghong was surprised. She pulled him closer and looked at him, then pinched his arm. "How did you grow so much? In a little while, you might even be taller than me." 

She then looked down at his pants and noticed that they had been patched up with another piece of fabric, albeit on the back, and there was cotton stuffed inside the pant legs.

Wei Zhonghong felt comforted by this gesture alone.

Meanwhile, Tang Xu returned to the room and sat on the kang, busy sewing a large pair of pants.

These were Wei Dong's. Tang Xu wondered how this man wore his clothes; they seemed to wear out quickly.

He had to patch them up at least twice a month. When he asked Wei Dong how he wore them, he simply said he wore them normally.

Tang Xu muttered to himself as he sewed, Iron Egg!

Wei Zhonghong lifted the door curtain and entered the room, seeing him sewing. She smiled and said, "Don't strain your eyes while you're pregnant by doing all this."

"I'm not that delicate," Tang Xu said, making room for her and patting the kang. "Auntie, sit here. It's warm."

Wei Zhonghong perched on the edge of the kang, crossing her legs. She reached under the bedding and recoiled her hand as it was too hot. "Your kang is burning hot. It's so hot, be careful not to get too overheated."

Tang Xu sighed helplessly and chuckled, "My hands and feet are always cold. Wei Dong said that a hotter kang would warm me up, but Auntie, could you please talk to him? I've been drinking a lot of water lately, and it makes me have to go to the bathroom all the time."

Wei Zhonghong laughed and slapped her thigh. "He never listens to me."

Wei Dong entered from the outer room, carrying a bamboo tray with a bowl of red dates inside. These dates were preserved by Tang Xu back in autumn and had a slight hint of alcohol. They were fresh and sweet, with a slight crunch.

There was also a bowl of frozen pears, with a few dark pears soaking in water. Some pears were enveloped in a thin layer of translucent ice.

Tang Xu reached out eagerly, but Wei Dong dodged his hand.

He clicked his tongue and grumbled, "You always keep the kang so hot. If I don't eat a couple of frozen pears to cool down, I'll really get overheated."

"Has he gone to see a doctor about his cold hands and feet?" Wei Zhonghong asked while popping a date into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. The taste was quite delightful.

Tang Xu reached out and crushed the thin layer of ice on top of the pears. 

He picked up one of the dark pears, squeezed it, and took a bite, enjoying the sweet juice inside. "It's so refreshingly cool," he exclaimed with narrowed eyes.

Wei Zhonghong chuckled at his enjoyment and gave him a pat. "I asked you a question. What did the doctor say?"

"What else could he say? He said there's nothing wrong and just advised me to be careful with what I eat and to stay warm. But the thing is, I know my own body. This kang is so hot that I have to put extra layers of bedding on top just to sit on it without burning my butt," Tang Xu replied as he sucked on the pear, answering Wei Zhonghong's question. "I've told him several times, but he won't listen. He insists on keeping it so hot."

Wei Dong sat silently beside them, not saying a word.

Tang Xu was annoyed by his attitude and kicked his thigh twice.

Wei Dong didn't even flinch. He even took the kicked foot in his hand and rubbed it through the sock.

Wei Zhonghong, seeing the affectionate interaction between the two, smiled, but still said to Wei Dong, "It's clear that you care about him, but if you overcare and cause him problems, you'll only worry yourself more. If the doctor says there's nothing wrong, then there's nothing wrong. And don't keep the kang so hot. I've been sitting here for a while and I'm already sweating."

Wei Dong grunted in response, sounding a bit sulky.

Wei Zhonghong thought to herself that it wasn't too bad; he actually seemed to be taking her advice, which was rare.

Tang Xu glanced at Wei Dong and snorted softly. "I've been saying that you shouldn't keep it so hot. Even Wei Xi's room doesn't have a kang as hot as this one. Doesn't your mouth feel all inflamed and blistered from the heat? Aren't you in pain?"

Wei Dong licked the blistered area on his tongue and his face turned slightly darker.

Tang Xu sighed and handed him a frozen pear. "Here, eat two or three of these, and then drink some honeysuckle tea to soothe the inflammation."

Wei Dong nodded in acknowledgment.

Wei Zhonghong brought over the jar that Wei Xi had put down earlier and placed it on the kang. She opened it and showed it to Tang Xu. "This should last you for a while. Don't eat too much. If you lose your appetite or feel nauseous, just have a few."

Tang Xu nodded and picked up one from the jar, popping it into his mouth. "Auntie, your pickling skills are excellent. The flavor is just right. If it were any more sour, I wouldn't be able to eat it."

"As long as you're enjoying it," Wei Zhonghong said, still annoyed by the earlier incident. "I'm glad I came back early. Otherwise, they would have poured the whole jar out!"

Tang Xu didn't pry further. It was their business, and he believed in not getting involved in gossip.

Wei Zhonghong muttered a few more words but didn't say much else. After sitting for a while longer, she left.

Tang Xu didn't stop her, escorting her to the door himself. He watched her disappear around the corner before turning back inside.

Wei Dong sat beside him, asking, "What do you want to eat for lunch? I'll prepare it."

Tang Xu, who had just enjoyed the pickled plums, was quite hungry now. 

However, he didn't feel like eating something greasy. "Let's steam some cornmeal cakes and make an egg soup. I'll also stew some meat for you and Wei Xi."

"Why just for us two?" Wei Dong furrowed his brows. "Don't you want to eat meat?"

Tang Xu nodded. "I don't feel like it."

Okay, if he doesn't want to eat, then he doesn't have to eat.

Wei Dong helped with lunch, and this time Tang Xu didn't vomit immediately after eating, but instead felt nauseous for a while before vomiting.

He actually thought it was better this way, feeling relieved compared to instantly throwing up after putting food in his mouth.

In the following days, Tang Xu reduced the frequency of drinking hawthorn water and started eating pickled plums. However, he couldn't hide the fact that he was pregnant for long.

The main thing was that day at noon when Tang Xu escorted Wei Zhonghong out, several women who were collecting firewood on the mountain saw him. His appearance looked like he was seriously ill and suffering.

Soon after, in a village where there wasn't much to do in winter, various rumors began to spread.

The content of the gossip was basically as follows:

"Wei Dong’s husband seems seriously ill. He looks so thin!"

"It's unfortunate. Just when they managed to save some money, it all had to be spent. I can see that he doesn't look well at all!"

"Oh my, I've heard before that there's a medicine jar in that house that's always filled with medicine. No good comes to anyone who enters! Look, he's probably worn out. You see how those two brothers are doing better and better? The younger one seems like a completely different person now. Who would believe it's not because of him!"

"Don't spread rumors like that! If Wei Dong hears, he might beat you to death!"

"I'm not spreading rumors, it's true! Go see for yourself if you don't believe me!"

Someone really did go to the mountain to cut down firewood near Wei Dong's big house to peek into their courtyard, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tang Xu. And sure enough, they did see him a couple of times.

Seeing him was a shock, to say the least.

Soon enough, news of Tang Xu's pregnancy spread throughout the entire village.

The gate of the Tang Erhu family's courtyard was heavily knocked on. In the early winter evening, when it was already dark, they usually closed the gate after dinner.

Tang Yang swallowed the bun in his mouth and ran outside with half of it still in his hand. The chilly wind made him shiver.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The wooden gate was knocked on.

"Coming, coming, who is it?" Tang Yang mumbled with the bun in his mouth as he responded.

Luo Pingping, with a cold expression, pushed the door open after Tang Yang unlocked it and asked him, "Where's your father? Tell him to come with me to your brother's house!"

Tang Yang, puzzled, asked, "Why?"

Luo Pingping, still cold-faced, replied, "Why ask so many questions? Erhu! Erhu! Come out quickly, we need the cow cart and go to your brother's house!"

Tang Erhu heard the commotion and came out from the main hall, also holding half a bun in his hand.

Tang Erhu, sensing urgency in his sister-in-law's tone, quickly finished his bun, put on his coat, and went to catch the cow cart. "Let's go."

Luo Pingping followed him out the door.

The two siblings were left looking puzzled, wondering what's going on?

______________________________________________________________________________

Previous TOC Next