The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 95

 

| TBBOTOF | 95

Tang Rui couldn't drive an ox cart, but Tang Xu thought he could give it a try. 

However, it had started to snow again, and even though the snow wasn't heavy, Wei Dong was worried that Tang Xu might get cold. He insisted that Tang Xu sit on the flatbed cart, wrapping him up tightly to stay warm.

Tang Dahu said he could drive the cart to take everyone home and then walk back later.

Tang Xu felt it was a bit of a hassle for others, but Luo Pingping spoke up, "Let your uncle go. I'll take care of the cow when the cart gets back. The roads aren't great lately, and with many families holding feasts, the cart can be useful for transporting people and goods. Don't worry, I'll make sure your dad's cow is well-fed and won't miss a single meal."

Tang Xu thought this arrangement was good and turned to look at Tang Li.

Tang Li nodded obediently and pointed to the woodshed, "There’s plenty of dry hay and bean cakes inside, all prepared for the cow. Auntie will have to work hard, but if you need to feed the cow, bring it back here to feed it, and then take it back when it’s full."

With no one home, the other items had been moved to his brother’s house, leaving the old cow  alone. There was a high risk of it being stolen in the middle of the night, so it was better to take it to the old house where there were people around to watch over it.

Luo Pingping agreed repeatedly, her face full of joy.

Seeing Tang Erhu earn some coins by taking people to town, Luo Pingping had wanted to buy a cow herself in the spring. Now, with this convenient opportunity, she would certainly take great care of the cow without any neglect.

Wei Dong had already placed Tang Erhu on the flatbed cart. Tang Xu covered his father with a quilt and a raincoat. Looking at his father, who appeared dispirited, he held his hand and comforted him, "Dad, don't worry about anything else. Let's focus on healing your leg first. I'll take my younger siblings home and clean up the house and prepare a big room for you."

Tang Erhu firmly gripped Tang Xu’s hand, "Alright, I'll listen to you."

Wei Dong drove the mule cart to take Tang Erhu into town, while Tang Dahu drove the cow cart to take the Tang family’s three siblings back to the old Wei family home. There were so many things that one cart couldn't carry them all. 

Tang Dahu suggested taking the people back first and then making another trip to deliver the rest of the stuff.

“Uncle, when you head back later, there's a bamboo basket in the kitchen with New Year's gifts from my brother for Grandpa, Grandma, and you all. Please take it back with you,” Tang Li said.

Tang Dahu nodded with a smile and agreed.

The cow cart moved slowly, and the snow on the road was deep, making the journey from the Tang family to the Wei family take nearly an hour.

Hearing the commotion, Tang Yang ran out from the east wing. Seeing only his older siblings and not his father, he anxiously asked, “Brother, how is Dad?”

“Your brother-in-law took him to town. We'll do a thorough cleanup of the house when spring arrives. For now, you'll stay here,” Tang Xu said as he got off the cart. Despite sitting on the flatbed cart the whole time, he was still exhausted and sore.

Tang Xu reached out and called to the two younger boys, “Come over here and give me a hand.”

They quickly helped him, and Tang Xu stood on the ground, rubbing his legs. He turned to Tang Dahu and said, “Uncle, come inside to rest and have a cup of hot water before you leave, and let the old cow eat some hay.”

Tang Dahu looked up at the sky, which was gloomy with continuous light snow, and said, “Alright, I'll have a bowl of hot water before I go.”

“Ah Yang, take the old cow to the backyard and let it eat some hay. There should still be some in the big mule's trough. Xiao Xi and Ah Li, clean up the west wing and move your brother's tools to the back room,” Tang Xu said, looking at Wei Xi. “Is that okay?”

“Sure, but we'll have to wait for my brother to come back and move his tools himself. I can't lift them,” Wei Xi said, spreading his hands. “I also don't know how to hang them on the wall.”

Tang Xu thought for a moment and agreed.

“Alright, then wait until he comes back. Clean up the other rooms in the west wing and you and Ah Yang can sleep there. Don’t touch your brother’s tool room.”

"Okay, we have vacant rooms here too. Brother Rui can stay in one of them," Wei Xi said, looking back at Tang Rui, who had followed Tang Dahu inside. 

He asked Tang Rui, "Is that okay with you, Brother Rui?" Wei Xi pointed towards the east wing. 

There were five rooms there: one was used as a study where he and Tang Yang studied with the old scholar Wei, another was his own room, and the remaining three were vacant, one of which had a heated kang bed, while the other two were empty.

Tang Rui was a bit taken aback by the question but quickly nodded, "That's fine." 

At this point, having a place to stay was already a blessing. He knew he was relying on others and couldn't be too picky.

Tang Xu glanced at him but didn't say anything. He told Wei Xi, "You handle the arrangements. I need to go inside and rest."

Then he turned to Tang Li, "Ah Li, take care of Uncle. If there's anything, come find me inside." 

He gave an apologetic smile to Tang Dahu, "Uncle, make yourself at home. I need to lie down because my back hurts."

"Go on, go on. You mustn't overexert yourself in your condition," Tang Dahu said. 

He had never been to this place before, and upon entering the large courtyard with its corridors, he had been looking around in awe. 

Only when Tang Xu spoke did he snap out of it and quickly urged him, "Don't worry about me. Go rest, and take a nap."

Tang Xu nodded, supporting his back as he walked to the main house.

Inside, the kang was warm. He lifted the piled quilts, took off his heavy winter clothes, and lay down under the covers. The warmth of the kang eased the cold in his back and legs, making him sigh in comfort.

As he drifted off to sleep, he reminded himself not to sleep too long since he needed to get up and prepare dinner.

In the courtyard, Tang Li went to the kitchen to make a bowl of ginger sugar water for Tang Dahu. The warm drink was handed to him, and she invited him to come inside and warm up.

Wei Xi gave Tang Yang a look, signaling him to take their older brother to set up a room. "There's bedding in my kang cabinet. Take out a set, but don't move it over yet. We need to heat the kang to get rid of the chill first."

"I know how to heat a kang," Tang Yang nodded. Looking at his older brother, he said with a less-than-friendly tone, "Why are you just standing there? Come help me carry firewood."

Who's he waiting to serve him! He muttered in his heart but didn't say it out loud.

Tang Rui also looked displeased, but as a scholar, he maintained some dignity and cupped his hands to thank Wei Xi.

Wei Xi smiled at him, patted Tang Yang on the shoulder, and gently pushed him, whispering:

"Don't make your elder brother worry."

Tang Yang pursed his lips and nodded obediently.

Yes, his brother was pregnant now and shouldn't be upset.

The two went to tidy up the room, while Wei Xi went to the kitchen, took out the crispy cakes Tang Xu had baked earlier from the cupboard, put a few on a small plate, and brought them to the main hall.

"Uncle, try these. My brother-in-law made them earlier. Have a few to fill your stomach."

Seeing him there, Tang Li stood up and said, "I'll go help with the cleaning."

"Sister Li, you should eat something too. There's no rush to clean. My brother usually handles it. For the west wing, just light the kang later. Are you staying in the west wing or your old room?" 

Wei Xi stopped her, putting a crispy cake in her hand. "I thought you might want to stay in your old room. My brother-in-law has always kept it for you, with all your previous belongings."

Hearing this, Tang Li's eyes reddened. She lowered her head, wiped her eyes, and shook her head, saying, "No, I still need to take care of my father."

"Uncle Tang surely wouldn't want you to take care of him," Wei Xi sighed helplessly. "Sister Li, you're not married yet."

Tang Li blushed and glared at him, "You're just a kid. How do you know so much?"

Wei Xi pouted, thinking to himself that he hadn't originally known such things, but ever since his brother married his brother-in-law, he had learned much more than he should at his age.

Tang Dahu burst into laughter, crumbs spraying from his mouth. He quickly covered his mouth and took a sip of ginger sugar water.

The two young ones blushed from his laughter. 

Tang Li thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll stay in my old room. I’ll let my eldest brother take care of our father."

Wei Xi thought the kang bed in the room Tang Rui was staying in was quite large, so he nodded. "That works. Everyone can stay in the east wing. We won't use the west wing for now. We'll see about it when my brother brings Uncle Tang back."

After a brief conversation, Tang Dahu wiped his mouth and drank the last sip of water. He stood up and said to Tang Li, "Let's go. While the snow isn't too heavy, let's make another trip."

"Uncle, tell Auntie you're staying here for dinner tonight," Wei Xi said as he saw them off. "My brother-in-law definitely wouldn't want Uncle to go back hungry."

"Alright, I won't be polite with you," Tang Dahu waved, "Go inside, don't catch a cold."

As they drove the cart away, he turned to Tang Li, who was wrapped in a straw raincoat, and said, "This young one from the Wei family seems quite capable. He speaks and acts with great sense."

"Xiao Xi has always been very smart. He used to look weak because of his poor health, but now he's much better, and he's even grown taller," Tang Li replied with a smile.

"That's good. While you're staying here, help your brother out as much as you can. His health isn't great right now, don’t tire him out by having him taking care of the entire family." 

To the Tang family, Tang Xu was like their good fortune, so Tang Dahu was very concerned about Tang Xu's health.

Tang Li nodded, "I know, Uncle. Aunt already talked to me about it before."

Tang Dahu said no more as the wind picked up, blowing cold air out of his mouth whenever he opened it.

Tang Li wrapped her straw raincoat tighter around herself and also closed her mouth.

Wei Dong had taken Tang Erhu into town to check on his leg. The mule, with its long legs, ran quickly, but the round trip still took four hours, and it was dark by the time they got home.

Tang Erhu's injured leg was rewrapped in thick bandages and covered with leather. They were warned to keep it warm to prevent the cold from settling in and causing lasting pain.

"Brother's back!" Wei Xi heard the commotion at the back door and ran out from the kitchen.

Tang Dahu quickly put down his bowl and stood up to follow.

Tang Rui and Tang Yang were not idle either and also went to see what was happening.

Tang Xu stopped Tang Li, gesturing with his hand. "You don't need to go out. It's cold. Bring over the food we saved for them and boil a pot of hot water."

Tang Li responded with a quick "Okay," and turned to bring out the dish covered in the large pot.

Tang Xu got up and looked outside, seeing Wei Dong carrying their father to the east wing. He raised an eyebrow and turned to ask, "Is Dad staying with Ah Rui?"

"Yes, Xiao Xi said it’s convenient for big brother to take care of Dad," Tang Li nodded, setting a pot on the stove and pouring two cups of hot water from the kettle onto the table. "Brother, do you think it's not a good idea?"

"I think it's a great idea," Tang Xu replied with a smile, waving to Wei Dong who was looking over, and called out, "How did it go?"

Wei Dong nodded to him, carrying Tang Erhu inside. The warm air hit them, and the kang bed was already made up with thick quilts.

"Dad, does it hurt?" Tang Yang asked as he lay on the kang, "Are you hungry?"

Tang Erhu patted him with amusement, saying, "It doesn't hurt anymore. With the medicine on, I don't feel anything. And I'm not hungry. I ate buns on the way back. You go eat."

Tang Erhu looked up at his older brother and expressed his thanks.

"We're brothers, no need for thanks. I'm still using your old cow!" Tang Dahu waved his hand and swallowed. "I'll take them to eat, and we can talk later."

Tang Erhu nodded and glanced at Tang Rui, who stood quietly to the side. He didn't acknowledge him.

Tang Rui opened his mouth and softly asked, "Dad, do you want some water?"

Tang Li came in from outside, setting down a pot of hot water. "Brother said for you all to go eat first, and come back to see Dad later. Dad, wait a moment, I'll bring your food over."

"Alright, alright. Just get me the food after you eat," Tang Erhu waved his hand. "Go eat before it gets cold."

Tang Xu didn't wait for Tang Li to bring the food. He served Tang Erhu a big bowl of mixed grain rice, two cornbread buns, and a large bowl of stewed dried beans, eggplant, potatoes, and pork. He had cooked a large pot of it, not making other dishes as everyone was tired from the day's work.

The dish was generously filled with meat and smelled delicious.

"Dad," he called out, carrying the tray. The door curtain lifted, and Tang Xu said to Tang Rui, who had lifted the curtain, "You all go eat, I'll stay with Dad."

Wei Dong nodded, "Did you eat enough?"

"I'm full. You all go eat," Tang Xu placed the tray on the kang table and helped Tang Erhu sit up. 

"Uncle, you should eat too, and go back early to not worry Aunt, Grandpa, and Grandma."

"Alright, let's go eat," Tang Dahu led the others back to the kitchen to eat.

Tang Erhu leaned against the wall, and Tang Xu placed a chicken feather pillow behind him, then moved the kang table closer to him. "Dad, have some water first to moisten your throat. Your lips are all pale."

Tang Erhu spoke hoarsely, saying, "Xu Ge'er, I've caused you trouble."

"What nonsense are you saying? I don’t want to hear you say that," Tang Xu frowned, sitting down beside the kang and handing him chopsticks. "Dad, eat quickly. Don't think about unnecessary things. If you keep talking like this, I'll get angry."

"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore. Dad won't say anymore," Tang Erhu said as he picked up his bowl to eat, his appetite surprisingly good.

Tang Xu smiled gently, but his mind held some other thoughts.

Previous TOC Next