The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 63

 

| TBBOTOF | 63

In front of the Wei family's gate, Luo Pingping got off the cart and saw the gate was open. She glanced back at Tang Xu.

Tang Xu clenched his fist and gave her a thumbs-up.

Although Luo Pingping didn't quite understand his meaning, she unexpectedly felt empowered. The middle-aged woman took a deep breath and shouted into the courtyard, "Old lady! Come out! Stop pretending to be dead inside!"

Her voice was slightly sharp and full of penetration.

When they drove over, many people saw them. Moreover, this was a residential area with strict security levels. After Luo Pingping shouted four or five times, many aunties and young wives who were cooking dinner heard the commotion and came out of their homes to watch the excitement.

Although the commotion that happened in front of the Wei family's mansion wasn't witnessed by everyone at the time, such things always spread particularly quickly. In just two or three hours, almost everyone in the village had heard about it.

The rumors varied, but they all revolved around the fact that the two ruthless old people from the Wei family went to cause trouble and ended up injuring Wei Dong's husband.

Now, seeing Tang Xu lying on the cart while an old lady sat next to him, crying louder and louder as she wiped her tears, and Wei Dong standing on the side with a stern face, his whole body emanating a menacing aura, people's eyes were stinging.

"Xu Ge'er brought his grandma along."

"That's right, it's good that he brought her. That old lady Chen Xiufen went to cause trouble because she thought nobody was backing them up."

"I know that old lady from the Tang family. She used to be a real shrew in the village, always cursing and yelling."

"I say Chen Xiufen deserved it. If she injured someone, she has to compensate. It looks like the injury is pretty severe; that basket is full of medicine packets. How much money is that going to cost?"

"Who knows, but it's definitely expensive. Last time, when my kid fell while picking fruits in the mountains and injured his arm, it cost us four or five taels!"

"Oh my, that much? Wow, your family must be rich."

"You wouldn't even care if your son gets injured!"

"Stop arguing, someone's coming out."

Chen Xiufen never expected that Wei Dong would actually come with people to their doorstep.

She came out with a sour face and, upon seeing Luo Pingping yelling outside the gate, angrily exclaimed, "Where did this little wh*re come from yelling in front of my door? Have you no shame!"

Luo Pingping initially felt some guilt while joining in Tang Xu's plan, knowing her own nephew was fine. She understood they were here to extort money, but she still had some moral burden.

But as soon as she heard the old woman's words, her expression changed immediately, and she shouted back in an even higher tone, "Even if I have no shame, I'm still better than a shameless old hag like you! You dare to come to our house and bully my nephew? Do you think our Tang family has no one! You injured someone, and you think you can just run away? Let me tell you, you have to pay up!"

Chen Xiufen's eyes twitched when she saw the basket of medicine packets on the cart, feeling a bit uneasy.

Was he really injured?

But even if he was, she couldn't admit it!

"I didn't push him, he just couldn't stand steady and fell with a touch. What does that have to do with me? Get lost, get lost, don't make trouble in front of my door!"

After shouting, she was about to close the door when Luo Pingping reached out to stop her. "We just came back from the town with medicine. If you dare not to compensate, we'll find the village head to sort this out. Do you think no one saw what you did? I've asked around, many people over there saw you push Xu Ge'er down! He was lying there, and you still won't admit it! You accuse others of having no shame, but I think it's you, this old hag, who has no shame for not acting your age!"

"You!"

"Oh dear God, my poor grandson! Bullied by an old lady right at our doorstep~ Please, strike this wretched woman down with lightning!" Wu Guizhi's crying suddenly escalated, as she sobbed and shook her body while slapping her thigh, all with theatrical flair.

In the distance, thunder rumbled faintly.

Those watching the commotion looked up to see the sky roiling with gray clouds, showing signs of gathering directly overhead. Luo Pingping was startled by her mother-in-law's outburst, her retorts stuck in her throat.

Stuck.

Tang Xu timely let out a painful groan and said with bitterness, "Grandma, it's your grandson's unfilialness that has burdened you to come and support me."

His expression was so sour that it made everyone's hearts tighten.

"My dear grandson, how can grandma bear to see you bullied by an old hag!" Wu Guizhi grabbed Tang Xu's hand and turned to Chen Xiufen, spraying her words, "You better compensate us now. No matter what you say, we are in the right. Don't wait for us to call men to come and confront you. By then, we'll have the clan leader and the village head involved, and you'll be even more embarrassed!"

Chen Xiufen glared, "You're not the only one with men in your family; mine aren't all dead!"

After yelling, she turned back towards the courtyard and shouted, "Eldest son, come out! Old man, come out! I'm almost being bullied to death!" But despite her shouting for a while, there was no response from the courtyard, and even the door that was originally open slammed shut with a bang. The scene fell into silence for a moment.

Then, with a loud rumble, thunder cracked through the sky, startling everyone.

"Stop arguing, stop arguing, the clan leader is here!"

From the rear of the crowd, someone shouted.

Not only did the clan leader come, but even the herbalist was also here.

Wei Dong slumped onto the cart and grasped Tang Xu's hand tightly.

Tang Xu blinked, puzzled.

The clan leader from the Wei family was broad-shouldered and stout. He didn't look like the muddy-legged villagers who worked the fields; rather, he resembled a wealthy gentleman, appearing to be in his forties or fifties.

"What's going on here? Why is everyone gathered here instead of preparing dinner?" he asked as soon as he arrived. When he saw Wei Dong present, his steps noticeably faltered.

Tang Xu didn't notice as he was lying flat. Wei Dong, however, glanced over, his gaze cold enough to freeze.

The Wei family clan leader discreetly swallowed and inexplicably felt aching bones all over his body.

"You're the clan leader of the Wei family?" Luo Pingping glanced at him, puzzled. "I remember your clan leader was an old man. When did you take over?"

She had attended the 80th birthday banquet of the previous Wei family clan leader two years ago. That old man was still quite vigorous, and she hadn't heard anything about a change in clan leadership.

But those were internal family matters, she figured it must have been a decision within the family without any formal voting process.

Her casual question didn't sit well with Wei Wenming.

However, he maintained his composure and simply replied, "What are you all doing here? You come to someone's doorstep causing trouble and aren't afraid of getting beaten. Go back home quickly." 

Wei Dong sneered.

Wei Wenming heard that, swallowed hard, wanting to greet him but feeling ashamed to speak up first as the clan leader. So, he just glanced at him.

Chen Xiufen, seeing the clan leader arrive, quickly rushed over to him and grabbed his hand, bursting into tears.

"That damned star of misfortune! Marrying such a useless husband, they want to drive this old woman to her death. My life is so miserable!"

"You're saying something quite interesting. Who forced whom? If you hadn't come causing trouble at my doorstep, would my nephew have been injured? If he hadn't been injured, would we have come to ask for compensation from you? Do you think your family is so great that we would eagerly seek trouble for ourselves?"

Luo Pingping wiped the corner of her eye with her hand and asked the people around, "Everyone, please judge for yourselves. Our Xu Ge'er is such a gentle and polite child. He has never done or said anything wrong, yet he's being bullied like this! You injured someone and don't want to compensate, is there no justice anymore? If we have to, we'll take this to the authorities! And since you're the clan leader of the Wei family, you shouldn't be biased in favor of the old lady. Otherwise, our Tang family won't agree!"

Wei Wenming felt bitter.

He shouldn't have thought of coming to watch the commotion where people could see him! If no one had seen him, no one would have called him! Then he wouldn't have to stand here arguing with a shrew!

But now that he was here, with so many people watching, he had to make a statement.

"Injured? How did it happen?"

He didn't even need Luo Pingping to tell him. The onlookers nearby immediately chimed in, recounting the incident. The herbalist arrived at the cart, took a sniff of the medicine packets in the basket, and frowned.

"These are all medicinal herbs for conditioning the body. Xu Ge'er, what did Dr. Xu say?"

"He said it's a tailbone injury and advised me to rest in bed for a while," Tang Xu breathed gently, tilting his head slightly towards him with a bitter smile. "We brought back the medicine together with Xiao Xis medicine. If you smell the ones with deeper colors, they are mostly medicinal herbs used for critical conditions. Dr. Xu mentioned there's a type of grass in the mountains that we could dig and brew ourselves to save some money."

The herbalist picked up another packet with a deeper color and sniffed it, nodding. "Yes, it's different. These herbs are used for gentle nourishment, with mild properties."

Their conversation wasn't exactly discreet, and the few who had initially doubted whether Tang Xu was exaggerating now believed him completely.

No one's money comes from thin air. Besides the medicine for Wei Xi, Tang Xu would also have to take some. Who would willingly drink medicine? It's not like it's sweet water!

With just this exchange, everyone's perception of Chen Xiufen changed completely.

"Chen Xiufen, you better compensate them quickly. With so many packets of medicine, asking for fifty taels wouldn't be too much!"

"That's right, resting and taking medicine delays a lot of things. Wei Dong finally had a few peaceful days, and look at what you've caused!"

"It's about to rain, you better compensate quickly. We still need to go back and cook!"

"Clan leader, you should say something. This is clearly her fault, not asking for much is just giving her face."

Wei Dong also looked over.

Wei Wenming's heart trembled. He said, "Isn't five taels a bit much?"

The herbalist shook his head and said, "Not at all. Just one packet of herbal medicine from Huichun Hall would cost at least two taels of silver. A ten-day supply would be twenty taels, and that might not even fully heal him. If he needs to continue taking it later, it would be another small fortune. Asking for five taels isn't too much."

Tang Xu discreetly poked his grandmother's leg with his finger, and the old lady looked at him. Tang Xu then gestured to Wei Wenming with his eyes, and Wu Guizhi understood.

Continue to act.

Although they had no blood relation and this was their first-time cooperation, the grandmother and grandson seemed to understand each other's thoughts. 

Wu Guizhi turned to Wei Wenming, crying, "My grandson has suffered greatly. If you don't intervene, I'll go back and call people. I don't care about losing face. I can't stand seeing my precious grandson being bullied to death! Don't think just because we live in the front village and you live in the back village that we're far apart. Our Tang family is also a prominent clan!"

After her cries, she nodded to her daughter-in-law. "Go, go back and call your husband. Let him gather all the men and teach those bullies a lesson for what they did to our Xu Ge'er!"

Luo Pingping sighed and turned to leave.

Wei Wenming hurriedly stopped her. "Wait, wait, sister-in-law, wait. Let's talk things out."

He knew very well that if people from two different surnames got involved in such a situation, it would never end. A small matter would escalate into a big one, especially since Wei Xiaoyuan and Chen Xiufen were not in the right to begin with.

Wei Wenming felt a headache coming on. He glanced at Wei Dong, who clearly wanted nothing to do with Chen Xiufen. 

Thinking about his temperament, Wei Wenming gritted his teeth and impatiently said to Chen Xiufen, "Stop making a scene here. It's your fault to begin with. You injured someone, so you should compensate. Hurry up and pay the money. If this escalates and everyone in the village knows about it, you'll lose even more face!"

"How can you help outsiders like this? You're the clan leader of the Wei family! You're being a traitor!" Chen Xiufen obviously didn't expect Wei Wenming to speak to her like this. After all, she considered him an elder for the other side!

Wei Wenming's eyes widened in anger. "What nonsense are you spouting? If I were helping outsiders, I would've just watched them beat you to death!" 

Chen Xiufen sat down on the ground and started wailing, cursing and crying. But this time, her anger was directed not at Wei Dong and Tang Xu, but at Wei Wenming.

The old lady's insults were harsh, and she kept repeating the same words. Wei Wenming's face changed color several times as he listened. 

He simply bypassed her and went straight into the courtyard, banging on the closed door a few times. "Open the door! Hurry up! If you keep pretending to be dead, I'll invite the elders of the clan to come and reason with you. We'll drive out all of you who let your parents cause trouble!"

The door was opened, and the couple appeared before everyone, their faces flushed with embarrassment. Wei Zhongguo gritted his teeth and said to Wei Wenming, "We don't have any money!"

"I don't care if you have money or not. Sell your house, sell your land. If you don't resolve this today and it escalates to the point where people from the Tang family come knocking, I won't intervene!" Wei Wenming was furious. What had nothing to do with him had now caused him a lot of trouble.

Wei Xiaoyuan couldn't contain himself inside the house any longer. Initially, he hadn't paid much attention to the commotion outside, as in his mind, his wife was quite capable of handling situations. However, with Wei Wenming's arrival, the situation had escalated beyond his expectations.

At this moment, he was rummaging through boxes and cabinets, searching for money. Even if he didn't want to compensate, he knew he had to bite the bullet and do it, or else today's events would never be resolved. The thunderous rumbling in the sky became more frequent, accompanied by flashes of lightning.

The sudden gusts of wind stirred up everyone's emotions.

People were becoming restless; they could see a heavy rain was imminent. Even if they wanted to watch the spectacle, they couldn't afford to get drenched in the rain.

When Wei Wenming came out of the courtyard, he held five taels of silver in his hand. He handed the silver to Wu Guizhi and asked dryly, "Is this enough?"

Wu Guizhi inspected the silver in her hand and, in a particularly pragmatic manner, tested each coin with her teeth. "Hmm, it's real," she confirmed.

"Next time, make sure you pick on someone your own size before bullying others. My precious grandson is not someone you can easily manipulate! And neither is my son-in-law!" The old lady glared fiercely at Chen Xiufen and said to Wei Dong, "Let's go home, son!"

Wei Dong nodded. As soon as Luo Pingping settled onto the cart, he slapped the mule's backside, and the mule trotted away with a swish of its tail.

Watching their departing figures, Chen Xiufen, sitting dumbfounded on the ground, finally snapped back to reality. She immediately lunged towards Wei Wenming, "Give me back my money!"

Wei Wenming, disgusted, pulled her away. He didn't dare to use too much force, as the old lady's hand was tightly clutching onto his pants.

"Wei Zhongguo! Hurry up and pull your mother inside! How long does she plan to embarrass herself?" He shouted towards the courtyard.

Someone from the crowd, who hadn't left yet, exclaimed, "Serves her right! She deserves this treatment!"

With just that one sentence, everyone present echoed in agreement.

To put it bluntly, Chen Xiufen has managed to offend almost everyone around her to some extent. She hasn't hesitated to berate the aunties and young women living nearby to their faces. If her husband so much as greeted a woman outside, she would storm over to their house to hurl accusations of seduction.

Initially, there was some commotion over her behavior, but eventually, it became clear that she wouldn't change. So, when someone finally put her in her place, they were all relieved.

"Let's disperse, it's raining!"

"Hurry up, I still need to go back and cook!"

The onlookers scattered, mainly out of fear of getting involved in trouble. They didn't even notice that Wei Wenming, the head of the Wei family, had been detained. Wei Zhongguo and his wife came out together, dragging her back home. Chen Xiufen was so hoarse from shouting that she could hardly speak.

She was practically dragged into the courtyard. Wei Zhongguo, both angry and frustrated, sent his mother back inside. Afterward, he turned to his father and said, "Dad, you need to keep an eye on Mom. Don't let her cause any more trouble! We had to pay five taels this time; who knows, next time they might demand fifty!"

Liu Guihua angrily sat down on the kang in the room and exclaimed, "We have to ask Wei Zhongyi for the money! If it weren't for our parents wanting money for his wife, this wouldn't have happened!"

Although Wei Zhongguo himself disliked his parents' actions, he was also irritated by his wife's complaints.

"You, shut up! Weren't you happy when Mom went? You even said she should ask for more money, saying that Wei Dong is rich now. Wasn't that what you said?" 

Liu Guihua pursed her lips and remained silent.

Chen Xiufen lay on the kang, wailing loudly. Wei Xiaoyuan poured her a glass of water. "Enough, consider it a lesson learned. Do you want those old folks to come and berate you one by one? That would be truly humiliating."

"My money, my silver, five taels of silver!" Chen Xiufen repeated this sentence over and over again, crying inconsolably. Wei Xiaoyuan sighed deeply, regretting everything.

On the other side, the mule returned quickly. After reaching the door, Tang Xu flipped over and got off the cart. He stretched and yawned lazily, leaning into Wei Dong's arms, then asked him, "Are you angry with me for doing this?"

Wei Dong was surprised. "Angry? Why would I be?"

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow and squinted as he smiled at him.

The more Wei Dong looked at his cute expression, the more he couldn't resist lowering his head and giving him a kiss.

"You two..." Wu Guizhi raised her hand to rub her eyes. "Can you pay attention? Let's go back quickly, don't dawdle here." She handed Tang Xu the clutched silver coins, which were slightly warm.

Tang Xu picked out one tael of silver from the bunch and handed it back, smiling. "This is for the hard work of Grandma and Auntie." 

Wu Guizhi thought for a moment and accepted the silver.

However, she pulled Tang Xu aside and advised him, "Don't go out recently. Listen to Grandma. If you're going to deceive them, do it thoroughly and make sure no one finds out."

"Grandma, I know. It's too hot recently, and I don't plan to come out to make trouble either. We should start harvesting and drying the vegetables from the garden at home." Tang Xu hooked his arm around the old lady's arm and escorted her into the yard. "Grandma, when the weather cools down and everyone isn't so busy, let's have a family meal together."

Wu Guizhi turned to look at him. "But it's not a special occasion, what's the occasion for the meal?"

"Just for the sake of having a lively gathering," Tang Xu replied briefly. "Once I'm done with my chores, I'll have Wei Dong come pick you up, and we'll go to my house for the meal." He then turned to Luo Pingping. "Aunt, if it rains tomorrow morning, come over at noon. If it keeps raining, go to Ah Li's place and let her teach you. I'll tell her later."

"Alright, you two hurry back now, don't get caught in the rain halfway. Wait a moment," Luo Pingping went inside and took out a straw raincoat, then grabbed two pieces of oil-paper. "Put this on to avoid getting wet, and cover the basket with the oil-paper to prevent the medicine from getting damp and moldy."

Tang Xu thanked her, "Grandma, we're leaving. Auntie, please help Grandma into the house. Thank you for today."

Wei Dong looked up at the sky, then hurriedly went to Tang Erhu's place with the donkey cart. 

When Tang Li saw them coming back again, he was puzzled, but Tang Xu immediately handed her a tael of silver.

"Elder brother, what's this for?" Tang Li looked confused.

"The money is for me to show filial piety to Dad. Take it and buy him some liquor to drink. If Aunt comes looking for you tomorrow, teach her how to make cold noodles. I've already told her," Tang Xu said as he reached out and patted her head twice. "I'm going back."

As the mule cart just entered the courtyard, heavy rain poured down. Fortunately, Luo Pingping had brought a straw raincoat, otherwise Tang Xu would have been drenched to the bone. He shielded the basket in his arms and hurried into the house.

Once inside, he opened up the raincoat and checked the basket covered with oil-paper. The medicine packets inside were not wet. He breathed a sigh of relief and hung up the medicine packets.

Wei Dong, soaked in the rain, dismantled the cart from the mule's back, and the mule immediately ran under the shed to take shelter from the rain.

"If it keeps raining tonight, you better stay inside," Wei Dong patted its neck.

The mule snorted in response.

Tang Xu quickly boiled water to cook, and Wei Xi, who heard the noise, came over wearing a straw raincoat. "Brother, you two finally came back. How did it go?"

"It's resolved," Tang Xu took out a tael of silver and gave him half. "Here, let's split the unexpected gains." Wei Xi nodded in acknowledgment and took it obediently.

"Brother, are you feeling alright?" 

"I'm fine. I went to Doctor Xu's place and had a check-up. Everything's fine. We also got the medicine for the next ten days," Tang Xu replied, looking at him. "After we finish these, you should go see him again."

Wei Xi nodded. "These past two days of rain, I've been feeling weak, like I might have a fever," he added. 

Tang Xu was startled and quickly reached out to feel his forehead. The temperature seemed normal, but it was slightly warm. He then checked his own forehead and Wei Xi's hand, which felt slightly cold.

"You're already running a fever," Tang Xu said, feeling a bit panicked as it was the first time he had seen the boy fall ill since he knew him. Other than feeling weak, Wei Xi didn't seem to have any other discomforts.

Seeing Tang Xu's worried expression, Wei Xi tried to reassure him. "Brother, we have medicine at home. My brother always makes sure to have medicine prepared for me in advance." 

However, Tang Xu still felt that having medicine prepared might not be enough. Chinese medicine doesn't always bring down a fever quickly.

At that moment, Wei Dong came in from outside, soaked from the rain.

"What's for dinner? I'm hungry," he asked, then noticed Tang Xu's troubled expression and glanced at Wei Xi, furrowing his brow. "What's wrong?"

"Wei Xi has a fever," Tang Xu said urgently. "We can't let him sleep alone tonight. If his fever spikes and we don't notice, it could be dangerous." 

Wei Dong paused, then reached out to feel Wei Xi's forehead. "Feeling uncomfortable?"

Wei Xi shook his head. "Not uncomfortable, just weak," he replied. 

Wei Dong looked at Tang Xu. "It's okay, I'll sleep with him tonight."

While Tang Xu was worried, he also understood that he was Wei Xi's brother-in-law, and he needed to maintain some distance from the young teenager, even though he wasn't very old himself. Considering how Wei Dong had been taking care of Wei Xi for so many years, Tang Xu believed he would be capable. 

Later that evening, Tang Xu made a simple dumpling soup and even fried some corn cakes in case Wei Dong needed more food. After dinner, he boiled a large pot of water and instructed Wei Xi to return to his room while waiting for it to boil. 

Once ready, Wei Dong carried the pot over. "Let Wei Xi soak his feet in it, make sure the water is warm but not too hot," Tang Xu instructed.

Wei Dong nodded in understanding.

The rain had subsided, but Tang Xu couldn't sleep. Frowning, he sat up on the kang bed and lifted the mosquito net, peering out the window. Despite the light rain, it wasn't too dark outside.

Water pooled on the stone slabs, forming small puddles. Tang Xu deliberated for a moment before deciding to get off the kang. He put on his straw sandals, grabbed his raincoat, and draped it over himself before pushing the door open and stepping outside.

He walked lightly to the window of Wei Xi's room in the east wing, listening for any sounds inside. With a slight creak, Tang Xu was startled, causing him to jump.

Turning his head, he noticed that the window, which had been closed, was now slightly ajar.

"You scared me. What are you doing?" Tang Xu whispered to Wei Dong. "Why are you looking in? Hurry up and close the window; we don't want Wei Xi catching a cold from the draft."

Wei Dong asked him, "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I can't sleep," Tang Xu replied. After a moment's thought, he reached over and closed the window. Then, he waited by the door, which soon opened. Sidling inside, he quickly closed the door behind him, took off his raincoat, and tiptoed into the room. "Is Wei Xi running a fever?"

"Yeah," Wei Dong responded.

He lit the oil lamp, and in its glow, Tang Xu could see that Wei Xi's forehead was burning hot while his hands and feet were icy cold. Tang Xu called out to him a couple of times, but Wei Xi didn't respond.

Without asking too many questions, Wei Dong went to fetch water for him.

Meanwhile, Tang Xu frantically searched his memory for any useful fever-reducing techniques he had seen in short videos before, but he couldn't recall any.

Wei Dong returned with the water basin, and Tang Xu waved at him. "Cloths, bring me two clean cloths," he requested.

Wei Dong went to fetch the cloths for him.

Tang Xu first placed a cloth on Wei Xi's forehead to cool him down and then dampened another cloth to wipe his arms.

He looked up at Wei Dong. "It would be best if we could get his clothes off and wipe his body to reduce his temperature. Can you help with that?"

Wei Dong took a deep breath and picked up the cloths. Even when he tried to be gentle, his strength inadvertently caused Wei Xi to grimace uncomfortably. 

Tang Xu felt sorry for him and quickly stopped Wei Dong, saying, "That's enough, let me do it. You go and prepare the medicine for him."

Wei Dong pursed his lips and didn't move.

"It's late, why are you still jealous! Do you want Wei Xi to get brain damage from the fever?" Tang Xu punched him lightly. Wei Dong clicked his tongue, then turned around to prepare the medicine.

Tang Xu didn't completely undress Wei Xi; instead, he felt the child's feet, which were cold. He fetched a thick blanket from the chest and covered Wei Xi's feet with it before wiping his body. He wiped his chest, back, and armpits, then changed the cloth on his forehead.

Wei Xi, in a haze from the fever, faintly saw a figure gently wiping his body. It felt as if his burning body had eased a lot. He softly called out, "Brother?"

“Hmm? Have some water.” Tang Xu brought the water bowl over and used a small spoon to feed Wei Xi. Wei Xi obediently opened his mouth, and the lukewarm water slid down his throat, relieving the dryness in his throat. After drinking a few sips of water, he closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

Tang Xu continued to wipe his body and change the cloth on his forehead. After waiting for almost half an hour, Wei Dong finally entered with the brewed herbal soup. "Wake him up to take the medicine," Wei Dong said, placing the herbal soup on the nearby table by the kang.

Tang Xu glanced at him. "How can he drink such hot medicine right now?" He touched Wei Xi's feet and felt that the temperature had eased back a bit, no longer as cold as before.

"Check if he's sweating." Wei Dong reached into the quilt and nodded. "Yes, he's hot and sweaty."

"Get a clean set of clothes for him to change into," Tang Xu instructed as he picked up the medicine bowl and stirred it with the spoon to cool it down. He heard the faint rustling sound behind him but didn't turn around.

His partner wasn't one to overlook even the smallest details, and it was better to avoid potential issues altogether.

"Alright," Wei Dong spoke up.

Tang Xu turned his head and saw Wei Xi sitting up, his eyes already open. "Xiao Xi, drink your medicine." He handed over the bowl of medicine.

Wei Xi obediently took it and drank it all in one go.

The taste of the medicine was bitter, but Wei Xi didn't flinch at all. After finishing it, he lay back down, and Wei Dong swiftly took the bowl away. Wei Xi muttered something and then closed his eyes, falling asleep.

Tang Xu reached out to feel his forehead, and the temperature wasn't as high as before.

He placed a cloth on Wei Xi's forehead and then asked Wei Dong, "Why didn't you think of cooling him down earlier?"

Wei Dong placed the bowl on the kang table. "I was planning to go down from the kang to prepare more medicine. I only opened the window when I heard something outside."

"Next time something like this happens, you should cool him down first. If possible, it's better not to drink this kind of fever-reducing herbal medicine. It's not good for the body." Tang Xu knew well that sometimes medicine could be as harmful as it was helpful. If not necessary, he really didn't want to drink this bitter soup.

Wei Dong nodded, "Got it."

Tang Xu, worried, hadn't left. When it was barely dawn, Wei Xi's temperature rose again. Tang Xu noticed and hurriedly used his previous methods to cool him down, then fed him water.

Wei Dong was sleeping soundly beside them, not even turning over.

Tang Xu sighed. The current situation between them perfectly illustrated what it meant to be a mom staying up all night taking care of a sick child and a dad who just slept without a care in the world.

Thankfully, the herbal medicine worked, and Wei Xi's temperature returned to normal. Tang Xu pulled him up and made him drink another bowl of water. Wei Xi grimaced and muttered that he needed to use the bathroom.

With half-closed eyes, he got off the kang, found the chamber pot in the corner, and relieved himself. Tang Xu looked away, thinking he really was a considerate brother-in-law.

As the sky outside grew brighter, Tang Xu had basically not slept all night. He saw Wei Xi return to the kang to sleep, so he tucked him in and checked his hands and feet, feeling warm.

Feeling relieved, he got off the kang and went out.

The rain had stopped in the middle of the night, and now the air outside was exceptionally fresh. Tang Xu took a few deep breaths and went to the kitchen to cook millet porridge in a clay pot. In the backyard, the rooster in the chicken coop flapped its wings and crowed, stretching its neck.

Tang Xu grabbed a handful of unpeeled grains and put them in a bowl. Then he went to the vegetable garden and picked two heads of cabbage to feed the small animals at home.

He bought bean residue cakes every three days, and all the animals in his family ate them. This stuff made them grow fat, especially the pig at home, which had grown quite a bit and was all meat.

After cooking the pig feed, he went to the backyard to check on the mule, putting half a cabbage and a few pieces of bean residue cakes in its trough.

The big mule had already run off to the hillside to graze, but when it saw him coming, it trotted back and glanced at the trough. It crunched loudly on the big cabbage.

"I'll bring you some peaches later," he patted the mule's back.

The mule swished its tail happily, enjoying its meal.

Tang Xu went back to the kitchen and checked on the millet porridge in the clay pot. It was almost done. He quickly covered it and turned off the fire.

Then he went to the pig feed and scooped the cooked pig feed into the trough.

"Ah Xu," Wei Dong came over, seeing Tang Xu sweating from his busy work. He called out, "Let me do it, you go back to sleep."

Tang Xu waved his hand, "I've cooked millet porridge for Xiao Xi. Later, you can take it to him. Also, bring him a small bowl of cucumber with oil. He can eat them together."

Wei Dong nodded, "Is there anything else he can eat?"

"I've fed him everything. We were in a hurry yesterday, so Ah Yang didn't bring back the small fish and shrimp he caught. If you have time, go over there and also talk to Dad about yesterday's events. I think Ah Li might nag at him, and if he misunderstands, he might get anxious again," Tang Xu washed the iron pot clean, wiped his face with his hand, "I'll stay at home and take care of Xiao Xi."

Wei Dong reached out and hugged him, kissing his forehead, "You've worked hard."

"Hmph," Tang Xu glared at him, "You slept quite well. Alright, alright, I'll go cook."

Back in the kitchen, he kneaded dough and rolled out noodles, then he and Wei Dong ate hot egg noodles together.

The sky was still somewhat overcast, but it wasn't raining anymore.

Tang Xu went to the east wing of the house, while Wei Dong drove the mule cart to Tang Erhu's place.

Inside the house, Wei Xi had already woken up and was sitting on the kang, eating porridge.

Tang Xu entered the room and saw him eating, feeling relieved.

"Feeling uncomfortable anywhere?" Tang Xu sat down by the kang, reached out to feel Wei Xi's forehead, which was warm. "After finishing your meal, you should lie down for a while," he said. Wei Xi put down his bowl and stared at him without saying anything.

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow and smiled, asking, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Wei Xi pursed his lips, feeling a bit embarrassed, and asked him in a soft voice, "Brother-in-law, were you the one taking care of me last night?"

Tang Xu nodded, and suddenly Wei Xi's face flushed red.

He was puzzled for a moment, then realized and laughed, "It was your brother who changed your clothes, not me. I didn't see anything."

Wei Xi let out a sigh of relief. "You scared me."

"You're thinking too much for a little kid like you," Tang Xu pinched his cheek. "Hurry up and eat. After you finish, drink some more water, then sleep for the rest of the morning. You'll probably be fine by then."

"Thank you, brother-in-law," Wei Xi sincerely thanked him. "I know if it weren't for you taking care of me, I wouldn't have recovered so quickly." 

Tang Xu ruffled his hair, "We're family, there's no need to thank me for that."

Wei Xi nodded and continued eating his porridge with one hand while picking up cucumber slices with the other.

"What are you having for lunch, brother-in-law?"

"You're already thinking about lunch before finishing breakfast? What do you want to eat?" Tang Xu asked.

"I want to eat meat porridge and salted duck eggs," Wei Xi looked at him eagerly, "Is that okay?"

"Sure, I'll make you some corn cakes too. I noticed your brother enjoyed them last night," Tang Xu took the pots and bowls from the kang table, "You go rest, I'll come back after cleaning up."

Wei Xi nodded and settled back, pulling the covers over himself.

He felt happy, incredibly happy. 

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