The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 80

 

| TBBOTOF | 80

Tang Erhu hitched up the cow cart and drove it out of the courtyard.

As it was getting dark, the old yellow cow moved a bit slower, but the village road was still smooth enough to travel. There was a lantern placed on the cart, which had been sent by Wei Dong a while ago. He had specifically instructed Tang Erhu to light it when going out in the dark.

Tang Erhu usually didn't use it, but today he saw his sister-in-law in a hurry, so he took it out and lit it.

Luo Pingping sat on the cart with a worried look on her face, thinking about the gossip she had heard earlier, feeling confused.

The wooden wheels made creaking sounds on the gravel-paved village road, and occasionally they could hear a dog barking in a distant courtyard.

Tang Erhu endured for a while but couldn't hold back any longer, breaking the silence.

"Sister-in-law, are you in a hurry to go to Xu Ge'er's place because you need to find him for something?"

Luo Pingping snapped back to reality, looking at his broad back, she thought for a moment, then asked him, "Erhu, how long has it been since you last saw Xu Ge'er?"

Tang Erhu was taken aback by her question.

How long had it been... 

Tang Erhu frowned, "Last time I went to bring him pancakes, he said it's been getting colder recently, so he told me not to bother coming over too often to avoid getting cold on the way and getting sick, and to focus on their courtyard at home. Ah Li and Ah Yang are both helping out at home. It's been about a month since I last saw him."

After saying this, he half-turned to look at Luo Pingping, puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong, sister-in-law? How long has it been since you last saw him?"

"It's been over a month since you last saw him. I haven't seen him longer than you. Usually, we don't go to his side. If he doesn't come back, how could we meet?" Luo Pingping finished speaking, thinking that Tang Xu usually came back home at most every half a month. She was even more inclined to believe what those people had said about Tang Xu not doing well.

Luo Pingping felt anxious inside. Seeing Tang Erhu turning to look at her, she spoke with a serious expression, "When I went out for a walk after lunch this afternoon, I saw some people gathered by the dam chatting, so I went over. I thought I'd join in the fun, but then I heard them talking about our Xu Ge'er."

Tang Erhu looked at her with some confusion, "What did they say about Xu Ge'er?"

"They said he's sick and no one is treating him. They even said the Wei brothers are cursed to be around with, and whoever stays with them for long won't turn out well." Luo Pingping didn't dare to say more, just made it clear like this. 

After hearing it, Tang Erhu's eyes turned fierce.

"Damn their nonsense!" Tang Erhu exclaimed angrily.

Luo Pingping sighed and advised, "I felt more and more uneasy while cooking dinner tonight, so I came over to find you. Xu Ge'er hasn't come back for a while. Although it's normal for married women to spend more time at their husband's home, Xu Ge'er usually comes back home often. It's been a month since he last came home. 

Don't you, as a grown man, find that strange? I've been worrying a lot, and even Mom has mentioned it several times, asking if something's wrong on Xu Ge'er's side, why he suddenly stopped coming back."

Tang Erhu found her words quite reasonable.

"Maybe he caught a cold because of the weather?" He didn’t want to think of the worst. His child has been in bad health, so it was quite common for him to get  sick.

But Luo Pingping felt something wasn't right and retorted, "What kind of illness lasts for over a month? Besides, when he doesn't come back, Wei Dong occasionally comes over to your place, right? Has Wei Dong been to your place recently?"

Tang Erhu nodded in agreement, making a sound of acknowledgment.

He urged the old yellow cow with several pats, urging it to pick up the pace.

But the cow cart was much slower than a mule cart. When both of them were almost unable to bear it any longer, the cow cart finally stopped.

The iron gate of the mansion was closed. Tang Erhu jumped down from the cart to knock on the door.

Wei Dong was boiling water in the kitchen, Tang Xu said he wanted to soak his feet but was too lazy to take a bath.

Hearing a knocking on the door, Wei Dong goes to open it with a water ladle in his hand, only to see his father-in-law and his aunt.

Wei Dong shows a rare look of surprise and says, "Dad, Auntie, how come you're here?"

Tang Erhu urgently asks him, "Where's Xu Ge'er?"

"He's sitting on the kang, I was just boiling water for him," Wei Dong steps aside to let Tang Erhu drive the yellow cow into the house, "He said he doesn't want to take a bath, he's planning to soak his feet and then sleep."

"Sleep? Didn't you just finish dinner?" Despite the darkness outside, it's only been a short while since dinner for most families. Of course, there are households that either don't eat dinner or eat early. 

In the Tang family, they usually have dinner around this time.

Luo Pingping also nodded and added, "Is he feeling unwell?"

Wei Dong thought about Tang Xu's recent condition, nodded, and then shook his head.

Tang Erhu usually thought it was a good thing that his brother-in-law didn't talk much. Now he realized that it was frustrating not to hear a few more words from him at times like this.

Deciding not to ask further, they went straight into the courtyard.

Tang Xu was leaning against the quilt with his feet up, leisurely swinging his legs. He held a large bowl filled with various dried fruits, all of which he had prepared earlier intending to give them to Wei Xi, Tang Yang, and Tang Li as snacks. However, they ended up in his own mouth first.

Hearing footsteps, he didn't even lift his head. He pinched a soft piece of apricot and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing with his cheeks bulging, and complained softly, "Why are you so slow~ My feet are numb!"

Tang Erhu's mouth twitched. Putting aside other issues for now, one thing was certain: his child Tang Xu definitely hadn't suffered any grievances at Wei Dong's place.

However, he did look like he had lost a lot of weight and his complexion wasn't great.

"Xu Ge'er, are you sick?" Tang Erhu asked.

Tang Xu was startled, he turned his head abruptly and saw Tang Erhu standing by the door. He was pleasantly surprised, "Dad!"

After the initial joy, he suddenly felt a bit aggrieved. His nose tingled, and his eyes welled up with tears instantly, "Dad~~"

Tang Erhu was almost scared by Tang Xu's rapid change of expression. He quickly walked over, hugged him, and patted his back, saying, "What's wrong? Did Dongzi bully you? Tell Dad, I'll handle it for you!"

Luo Pingping also entered the room. Seeing the father and son's expressions, and noticing Tang Xu's thin face, she was astonished and opened her mouth wide. 

Then, she turned and shouted at Wei Dong, "How are you taking care of him? How did my Xu Ge'er become so thin!"

When Tang Xu heard Luo Pingping's voice, he quickly looked up and exclaimed, "Auntie, you're here too!"

"Could I not come?" Luo Pingping went over and sat beside him, reaching out to feel his forehead for temperature and pinching his arm. Her face was full of concern, "Are you sick? Why didn't you tell your dad? Even if there's something you can't tell your dad, you could tell Auntie. How could you bear it alone? Look at how thin you've become!"

Tang Xu's mouth twitched slightly. He thought to himself that he was just hiding the fact that he was pregnant from his family, and now everyone seemed to think he was seriously ill, on the verge of death.

Tang Erhu urged him again, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Wei Dong brought two glasses of water and placed them on the table, then glanced at Tang Xu.

"Dad, Auntie, please have a seat and drink some water," Tang Xu said.

"What's the point of drinking water? We aren't in the mood for that!" Luo Pingping glared at him.

Tang Xu handed them the glasses, smiling, "I didn't mean to keep it from you intentionally. Dad, please drink some water, your mouth must be dry."

Tang Erhu picked up the glass and found that the water was warm and just right for drinking. He took a sip and looked at Tang Xu, saying, "Alright, spill it. What have you been hiding?"

Tang Xu thought that since he couldn't hide it anymore, he couldn't let his husband be criticized for no reason. He straightened his belly and patted it, "Because of him."

Tang Erhu was taken aback, his eyes glanced at Tang Xu's stomach, and he hadn't reacted yet, "Who?"

But Luo Pingping immediately caught on after a moment of shock, her eyes widening with delight, "Really? Xu Ge'er, are you serious? Are you pregnant?"

"Pregnant?" Tang Erhu's mind seemed to lag for a moment as he repeated, his mouth gaping.

Luo Pingping clapped her hands, "Erhu, you're going to be a grandfather! Xu Ge'er is expecting!"

"Pregnant? Already?!" Tang Erhu's face lit up with joy, his voice rising in excitement.

Tang Xu smiled and nodded gently, "He's quite lively. I haven't been able to eat well for the past month, so I've lost some weight. I've seen the doctor a few times, and everything is fine."

"Why didn't you tell us about such a big thing earlier? It could have caused unnecessary worry for your dad and me," Luo Pingping complained while sipping her water, but her face was beaming with happiness. "You two kept it well hidden."

Tang Xu smiled as he gently touched his belly and then his face, "Isn’t it said that it's best not to announce it publicly within the first month. Neither of us expected to conceive so quickly. I had just stopped taking the medication to regulate my body."

As he spoke, his face reddened slightly, and Wei Dong brought over hot water to soak his feet. With elders present, Tang Xu felt a bit embarrassed.

But Tang Erhu spoke up, "Hurry up and soak your feet, don't catch a cold. You need to take extra care of yourself, especially now that you're pregnant. You can't afford to be careless."

The last sentence was directed at Wei Dong, who nodded solemnly.

Tang Xu blushed, but he obediently placed his feet in the hot water, letting out a soft sigh and rubbing them together.

Wei Dong brought over a small wooden stool and sat beside him, reaching out to wash and massage his feet.

Perhaps due to the pregnancy, Tang Xu had been feeling a strange swelling sensation in his feet when walking lately. It wasn't exactly swelling, but a different kind of discomfort.

He didn't think too much of it, though. A good night's sleep after soaking his feet usually alleviated the discomfort. Besides, Dr. Xu had returned to his hometown recently. 

While Xujia Village wasn't too far from here, it still took over two hours by mule cart to get there, and Tang Xu didn't want to bother with the journey in this cold weather. As for consulting other doctors, he didn't quite trust them.

So, Tang Xu decided to wait for a month and then visit Dr. Xu to get diagnosed and collect some herbal medicine from him.

Luo Pingping glanced at the large bowl of preserved fruits on the kang table. She picked up the bowl and sniffed it, the sour aroma piercing her nostrils.

Furrowing her brow, she set the bowl down and said, "You shouldn't eat too much of the sour ones. Be careful not to upset your stomach."

"I've been better recently. My eldest aunt gave me a jar of pickled green plums, which are good for nausea. Auntie, you don't have to worry. I've been able to eat normally these past few days. Earlier, I couldn't even finish a meal without throwing up four times," Tang Xu explained.

"It's like that when you're pregnant. One day you might crave something sweet, and the next day you might want something spicy," Luo Pingping patted his shoulder. "Eat whatever you want. If you don't feel like cooking, send Dongzi down to my place, and I'll prepare something for him to bring back."

Tang Erhu nodded and suggested, "How about having Ah Li come over to take care of you?"

"No need, no need. Dong Ge is taking care of me. Dad, please don't ask Ah Li to come over. She's just a young girl; how could she take care of me?" Tang Xu felt touched but declined firmly.

He took his feet out of the basin, not daring to soak them for too long. After drying them off, he shifted on the kang and looked at Tang Erhu and Luo Pingping with a smile. "Dad, did you and Auntie come over specifically to see me at this late hour?"

Suddenly, he felt like he was a precious treasure!

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