The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 93

 

| TBBOTOF | 93

Tang Dahu chased away all the onlookers, shut the courtyard door, and returned to the house, only to be stopped by Tang Xu at the entrance.

"Uncle, could you please help keep an eye on things at home? Although there's nothing valuable, there are some useful items. Please help them dig out everything for now, and later my father can decide what to keep or discard," Tang Xu spoke softly and politely, with a fitting smile on his face. "Also, could you ask Aunt to come back and help prepare some meals? We can't let those who are helping us go hungry."

Luo Pingping was still over there overseeing the digging and hadn't returned.

Tang Dahu nodded, "Alright."

Tang Xu looked around; Tang Li wasn't there, so she must have already gone back. "Uncle, please tell Aunt to find Ah Li and get some meat."

Tang Dahu waved his hand and turned to leave.

The two elders returned to their room. Inside, only the herbal doctor and Wei Dong were present. Tang Erhu lay on the kang, still conscious.

Tang Xu walked to the edge of the kang and said softly, "Dad, if it hurts, just shout. Brother Dong is quick with setting bones; it will be over in one go."

Tang Erhu looked at him helplessly and said hoarsely, "You go out too. Don't stay here and scare my dear grandson."

Tang Xu was momentarily puzzled about who the "dear grandson" was, then understood and looked exasperated.

"Dad, you're not in pain," he turned to the elderly lady who had just entered, reaching for the two large cloth towels she handed him and rolling them up. "Dad, bite on this."

Wu Guizhi frowned, pulling Tang Xu out, "Wait with Grandma in the other room. Your dad will be fine; take care of yourself."

Tang Xu responded with an "Oh," wanting to say he wasn't afraid, but since everyone in the room thought he would be scared, he obediently complied.

After he left, the herbal doctor prepared the ointment and placed it aside, as it would be applied to the wound later. "We also need some clean bamboo splints."

As soon as he finished speaking, he lifted the door curtain and came back in, carrying a bundle of bamboo splints in his arms. "Can these be used?"

"Yes," the herbal doctor nodded, selecting a few and setting them aside.

He looked at Wei Dong and nodded, "Let's begin."

Wei Dong, expressionless, glanced at Tang Xu.

Tang Xu pouted, turned around, and left the room. If they didn't want him to watch, then fine, he wouldn't watch.

Inside the room, Tang Erhu stuffed the cloth into his mouth, staring at Wei Dong with wide, nervous eyes.

Wei Dong reached out, without hesitation, and examined the fracture. He lifted his eyelids to glance at Tang Erhu, then applied force.

Tang Erhu felt a wave of darkness wash over his vision as pain shot through his body, causing him to shudder.

Had Wei Dong not firmly held down his injured leg, Tang Erhu might have moved too much and displaced the realigned bone again.

The herbal doctor wiped the sweat off his forehead. Even though he wasn't the one injured, he felt the pain.

Wei Dong tilted his head and gave a cold look, "Check if it's aligned correctly."

The herbal doctor responded with a series of "ohs," pressing around the fracture area and roughly estimating, "It should be set properly, but I think it's best to visit the medicine hall in town and have the doctor there take a look."

He was aware of his own skills—while he could handle minor ailments and prescribe some herbal remedies, dealing with a broken leg was beyond his confidence.

Wei Dong had the same thought, but considering it was the end of the year, the resident doctors at the medicine hall were likely home for the holidays. The skill of any remaining doctor was uncertain.

Thinking of this, Wei Dong remembered the retired Doctor Xu who had returned to his hometown. Over the years, Wei Dong had always sought out Doctor Xu, as he didn't hold other doctors' skills in high regard. Of course, this was just his personal opinion, not a criticism of the other doctors.

The herbal doctor used bamboo splints to stabilize the calf, wrapping it with several layers of gauze.

Tang Xu, waiting outside, heard voices inside and anxiously asked, "Ah Dong, is it done? How's my dad?"

He suddenly remembered that they still had some datura flowers at home, which could have been used as an anesthetic for Tang Erhu. In his haste, he had completely forgotten, causing his father to endure significant pain.

Wei Dong, his hands stained with blood, was in the process of washing them. Hearing the question, he replied, "It's done. Don't come in; I'll be out in a moment."

Tang Xu lowered his hand from the door, thought for a moment, and then shouted towards the room, "I'll be over at Grandma and Grandpa's place. Come find me there."

Wei Dong walked to the window and looked out. Through the window paper, he could vaguely see Tang Xu's figure walking away.

He turned back to the kang, reached out, and pulled the cloth from his father-in-law's mouth, asking, "Dad, how are you feeling? Any sensations?"

"No particular feeling," Tang Erhu sighed weakly and said with a bitter smile, "My leg are numb."

Wei Dong looked at the herbal doctor, "What's going on?"

"I applied a pain-relieving ointment; it's nothing to worry about. Change the dressing every three days," the herbal doctor replied. He wrote down the necessary herbs and handed the list to Wei Dong. "Get these herbs, or take him to the town for another check-up. I don't have much medicine left here."

Wei Dong nodded in thanks, took a silver tael from his money pouch, and handed it over. "Thank you for your trouble."

The herbal doctor accepted it without hesitation, expressed his thanks, and left some herbal tea, advising, "He might have a fever tonight. Someone should keep an eye on him. If the fever gets severe, come and get me."

Wei Dong thanked him and saw him out. When he returned, he saw that Tang Erhu had already drifted into a drowsy sleep.

He covered Tang Erhu with a blanket, leaving the injured leg exposed. The foot was already slightly red and swollen.

Wei Dong quietly stepped out, needing to discuss with the Tang family how to handle the situation going forward.

From outside the room of the elder couple, Tang Xu could hear the old lady's murmuring. 

Though she muttered to herself, she didn't say anything harsh, only lamenting that the second son's family faced many misfortunes. 

Just when they finally got rid of the troublemaker, they hadn't enjoyed a few good days before encountering such a major issue again.

"Grandma, I'm coming in," Tang Xu called out as he lifted the door curtain.

Wu Guizhi quickly came out to meet him, her eyes red. She grabbed his hand and said, "Xu Ge'er, what are we going to do about your father?"

Tang Xu helped the old lady into the room and greeted his grandfather, who was sitting cross-legged on the kang. "Grandpa."

Tang Guangliang nodded, noting that Tang Xu didn't seem too different. He asked, "It's been three months now, right?"

"Yes, a little over three months. I haven't been feeling too bad lately," Tang Xu replied, helping the old lady to sit by the kang. He also sat down. "Ah Dong has already set my father's bone. Since there are still a few days before the New Year, I want to take him to town to have a doctor properly examine the bone to ensure it's aligned correctly."

"Yes, yes, he should definitely get it checked," the old lady agreed repeatedly.

Tang Xu licked his lips, then fetched three bowls of water, handing them to his grandparents before taking one himself and drinking it in big gulps. Once his mouth was no longer dry, he said, "Given my father's condition, the house won't be rebuilt in just a few days. It's better for them to stay at my place. Ah Dong's house is big enough to accommodate them."

Tang Guangliang frowned, disapprovingly saying, "You're married into another family. Even if you have a good relationship with your family, you can't bring your father and siblings to live at your husband's house. It would make people laugh."

Although Wu Guizhi was worried about her second son, she also shook her head, "Your grandfather is right. Our house has enough space."

"It's not enough," Tang Xu was adamant. "It's not just my father; there are also three younger siblings. With the New Year approaching, it's inconvenient to crowd with anyone else. Besides, my father's leg injury needs good nourishment. I know you and Grandpa care about your son, and my uncle and aunt care about their brother. But you all have your own lives to live. As his son, if I don't take care of my father when he's in trouble, wouldn't that make me a white-eyed wolf?"

Wu Guizhi was moved by his words.

Tang Guangliang frowned, recognizing the truth in what Tang Xu said.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "Will Dongzi be okay with this?"

"We can ask and find out. Ah Dong is very kind and filial; he just doesn’t talk much."

Just as Tang Xu finished speaking, the door curtain was lifted, and Wei Dong entered.

"Grandpa, Grandma," he greeted the elders and then looked at Tang Xu. "We need to take Dad's leg to the town to get it checked out. I'll take him now, and when we come back, they will stay at our place. Can you drive the cow cart? If not, have someone return the cart, sell the pig to the butcher, and bring the chickens back to be kept together."

As soon as he finished, he saw Tang Xu smiling widely at him.

Confused, Wei Dong asked, "What's up?"

Tang Xu chuckled and turned to the elders, "See, Ah Dong thinks the same way I do. If you’re still worried, you can come stay with us for a few days."

Wei Dong nodded, "That's fine. Our house is big enough to accommodate everyone."

Tang Guangliang waved his hand, and although Wu Guizhi was tempted, she shook her head. "We don’t want to trouble you. Let Ah Li stay here. Ah Rui and Ah Yang can go with you to help take care of your dad."

"No, Ah Li will come with us," Tang Xu shook his head. He couldn't leave Tang Li behind; the young girl would be heartbroken. "She can help me with many things. Don’t worry, Grandpa and Grandma. Once everything is settled, you can come stay with us for a few days, so I can show my filial piety on behalf of my father."

Wu Guizhi, wiping her tears, held Tang Xu's arm, "Xu Ge'er, Grandma's heart feels so heavy."

"There's nothing to worry about. When a family is together, we can get through anything," Tang Xu said, hugging his grandmother's shoulder and patting her reassuringly. "Grandma, I'll go check the situation over there. You and Grandpa rest for a bit, I’ll keep an eye on my father. If you need anything, just shout, and I'll hear you."

"Don’t go," Wu Guizhi held onto him, worried. "You need to take care of yourself too. You’re not alone anymore."

"It’s fine. I’m doing well," Tang Xu said with a smile, gently extricating himself. He waved to her and left with Wei Dong.

After they left, Wu Guizhi returned to the room, talking to her husband, "Look at Xu Ge'er, such a good child. Thank goodness he wasn't spoiled by Liu Xiangxiang. Ah Rui, on the other hand, is useless. What did he say when he came over?"

"He didn’t say much, just that there was trouble at home and asked us to go see," Tang Guangliang said, showing a high level of tolerance for his grandson. Despite being upset with him for causing so much trouble, he softened when he saw how scared Ah Rui was. "Xu Ge'er is truly a good boy. I never expected him to treat our family so well."

Wu Guizhi sighed, sitting down to drink some water. "With the New Year approaching, this incident had to happen. I mentioned to our eldest son's wife that after the New Year, we should go to the temple and pray. Who would have thought something like this would happen? Old man, do you think our family has been cursed?"

"I think it's more like the second son's family is cursed. But despite all the turmoil, things haven't turned out badly for them," Tang Guangliang mused. He believed in superstitions to some extent, so he offered his own explanation. "With Xu Ge'er’s support, the second son's family will be able to stand on their feet."

Wu Guizhi thought for a moment and nodded. "That's true. They probably can't come for the New Year. We should plan a visit to their place. Xu Ge'er has mentioned it several times; we can't keep refusing."

The old man nodded, "Alright."

It’s a big house they hadn't visited yet.

 Previous TOC Next