The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 105

 

| TBBOTOF | 105

Early in the morning on the third day of the Lunar New Year, after breakfast, Tang Xu got ready and, along with Wei Dong and Wei Xi, and prepared to visit Wei Zhonghong's home with New Year gifts.

Tang Erhu was sitting in a wheelchair, being pushed out into the yard by Tang Rui to bask in the sun. Seeing them carrying things and about to leave, he asked, "So early?"

"We're going early to help out with some tasks. We can't just go there to eat," Tang Xu replied with a smile. Seeing the thin blanket covering Tang Erhu's legs, he felt reassured and turned to instruct Tang Rui, "Don't stay outside too long. Take out the wool vest we made for Dad and put it on him." 

Tang Rui nodded and went back inside to get the vest, while Tang Erhu, looking helpless, said, "I don't need to wear so much. I'm sweating just sitting in the sun."

"It's because you're sweating that you can't be exposed to the wind. What if you get sick?" Tang Xu insisted.

Tang Erhu pointed at him, "You always say that about me, but you're not wearing much either."

"I'm not a patient," Tang Xu retorted with a pout.

Tang Erhu glared at him, "You're expecting a baby now, why don't you pay more attention to yourself than a patient like me?”

"Alright, alright. I've got a coat with me. I'll put it on if it gets windy," Tang Xu replied. Seeing Tang Rui come out and watching Tang Erhu put on the vest, he added, "Keep an eye on Dad. Don't let him take it off as soon as I leave." 

Tang Erhu, who had indeed planned to do just that, wiped his face, unwilling to look at him.

Tang Xu squinted, giving a light hum, "Dad, you can't fool me."

"Got it, got it. Just hurry and go," Tang Erhu waved them off.

Although Wu Weiming didn't come back this year, they received news that he had settled down, so they didn't need to worry.

Early in the morning, Wei Zhonghong started to get busy. Breakfast was simple, but she prepared a lot of meat dishes—chicken, duck, fish, and braised meat.

"Mom, why are you making all this? You didn't even make this much for New Year's Eve," the eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Shi, said, surprised, her pregnant belly prominent as she saw the spread on the stove. 

Wei Zhonghong chuckled, "Dongzi and Xu Ge’er are coming over. Of course, I need to make something good."

As soon as she heard this, the eldest daughter-in-law's mouth turned down in a pout. "There's no need to prepare such a sumptuous meal for them!”

"What’s wrong? These are my chickens and ducks I raised myself. I'll cook them how I like. Do I need your permission?" Wei Zhonghong's face darkened as she turned to glare at her. "Go stand somewhere else and stop getting in my way." 

The second daughter-in-law, Wei Shi, hearing the commotion in the kitchen, put down the bowl she was using to feed the chickens and came over. She too was shocked by the lavish dishes.

However, unlike Liu Shi, Wei Shi had a gentle temperament and usually didn't compete or argue at home. She asked softly, "Mom, are we expecting guests?"

"Yes, Wei Dong is bringing his husband, so I prepared all this," Wei Zhonghong replied.

Liu Shi rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Yes, Wei Dong is bringing his husband, so mother prepared so many good things for him."

Wei Zhonghong shot her a look. If it weren't for the fact that she was heavily pregnant and due in about a month, she would have dealt with her more harshly.

Wei Shi, hearing that Wei Dong was coming, said, "Then it's right to prepare some good dishes. Mother made a lot of money from Wei Dong's husband recently."

Wei Zhonghong wasn't a stingy person. Even when she didn't earn much money, she would kill a chicken every few days to make nourishing soup for the family. 

As for eggs, she raised many chickens and gathered at least five or six eggs a day. Given the large amount of land they had, the work was exhausting, so she would boil eggs for the family every day. Tang Xu taught her how to sell cold noodles, and they made quite a bit of money. 

They frequently added meat to their meals, so much so that while the family didn't have greasy mouths every meal, they definitely ate meat every other day. Even though she was dissatisfied with Liu Shi, she still made an extra boiled egg for her every morning because she was pregnant. 

This care increased Liu Shi's appetite, and she constantly checked if meat was being cooked in the kitchen. Sometimes she even coaxed her husband to complain about their financial situation to Wei Zhonghong. 

Wei Zhonghong kept all this in mind, planning to settle these accounts once Liu Shi safely gave birth.

"Auntie!" a voice called from outside the courtyard gate. Wei Zhonghong quickly put down what she was holding, wiped her hands on her apron, and happily walked out.

"I'm over here, I've been waiting for you!" She quickly went out to greet them.

Since they didn't live far, they hadn't taken a cart. Wei Dong carried a basket on his back, Tang Xu held onto Wei Dong's arm with one hand and grasped Wei Xi's wrist with the other, and walked carefully. 

Despite the snow on the road being partly cleared, it was still slippery. Tang Xu had slipped earlier when they left, scaring his brothers half to death. 

Once they entered the courtyard, Tang Xu let go and cheerfully greeted Wei Zhonghong, "Happy New Year, Auntie!"

Wei Dong and Wei Xi also wished Wei Zhonghong a Happy New Year from behind.

"Good, good, good. You didn't wear much clothes today, are you cold? Come inside and sit," Wei Zhonghong said, holding Tang Xu's hand and looking him over. Noticing his slightly protruding belly, she asked, "How's your appetite lately? Still nauseous?"

"Not anymore. I’m eating quite a lot," Tang Xu replied, glancing at Wei Dong.

Wei Dong took off the basket from his back and said, "Auntie, we brought some New Year's gifts for you. Should I put them in the kitchen?"

"You didn't need to bring any gifts," Wei Zhonghong scolded him, then turned to Tang Xu, "It must have been your idea."

In the past, even during the New Year, Wei Dong and Wei Xi wouldn’t visit relatives. It was only this year that they had become so close to her, thanks to Tang Xu's efforts to mediate. 

Wei Zhonghong was very grateful to Tang Xu, not only because she liked him but also because he genuinely cared for the Wei brothers. Wei Xi's health had improved day by day, and Tang Xu got pregnant soon after entering the family. 

Such a wonderful husband was truly rare to find.

"We can't just enjoy your cooking without bringing something for you too, Auntie," Tang Xu said playfully, holding Wei Zhonghong's arm and smiling brightly. "Auntie, what are you going to cook later? I want to eat braised chicken. Xiao Xi said your braised chicken is delicious!"

Wei Xi nodded eagerly and added, "Yes, I’ve had it twice before!"

Wei Zhonghong laughed heartily and pinched Tang Xu's cheek. "You little rascal, I'll make it for you. Not only chicken but duck too! I'll braise a big fat duck for you!"

Tang Xu licked his lips, "Then I'll have to eat an extra bowl of rice later."

As they chatted, they reached the kitchen door. Liu Shi and Wei Shi had come out to greet them.

Even if Liu Shi wasn't thrilled, she still had to smile for the occasion.

Especially when Liu Shi saw the basket Wei Dong was carrying, filled with many things, her eyes widened in surprise.

How much did that basket cost? How much money did they spend?

Wei Shi was also taken aback. She stood there with her mouth half-open, looking up at Wei Dong and nervously asked, "Are all these gifts?"

Wei Dong nodded. "There's a bag of candy at the bottom and a jar of high-quality sorghum wine that Ah Xu brewed himself."

Upon hearing about the wine, Wei Zhonghong went over to take a look and gasped, "...Why did you bring so much!"

Aside from a frozen pork leg on top, there was a fat chicken, a jar, a bag of candy, and a cloth bundle.

"Since Sister-in-law is about to give birth, I bought some fabric," Tang Xu explained with a smile when he saw them all looking at him. "I thought since she's good with her hands, she could make some baby clothes. They'd surely look beautiful."

Liu Shi was astonished. She hadn't expected there to be fabric for her as well. Fabric for baby clothes couldn't be cheap!

It certainly couldn't be!

She rubbed her hands together and grinned, "Why did you think of me too? Oh, Xu Ge’er, you are too kind."

Wei Zhonghong, unceremoniously rolled her eyes at Liu Shi, bent down and took the cloth bundle from the bottom of the basket. 

When she opened it, she found a piece of light pink embroidered fabric. It was at least six feet long—enough to make not just baby clothes, but two sets of adult clothes as well. The fabric was smooth and soft to the touch, clearly expensive.

"This material is good; it must have cost a lot!" Wei Zhonghong said, feeling the material again. 

Seeing her two daughters-in-law looking eagerly, she turned and let them touch it too. "And you bought so much. For a baby, you don't need this much fabric."

"You can make several outfits to change into," Tang Xu said with a smile. "Besides, Second Sister-in-law is also pregnant, so the children in the family can use it in the future."

Wei Shi looked expectantly at Wei Zhonghong.

Liu Shi felt a bit uneasy, thinking that her own child was about to be born while Wei Shi's still had some time to go. But since the fabric was such a large piece, she couldn't keep it all to herself, especially since it wasn't explicitly given only to her.

She touched it and smiled, "Xu Ge’er, you have great taste. This fabric isn't even sold in the fabric stores in our town."

Tang Xu smiled and didn't say much more.

The three brothers in the house, hearing the commotion, came out and greeted everyone again.

Tang Xu went inside and greeted Wu Qiang, then told Wei Dong to stay and talk with them while he headed to the kitchen. "Auntie, can I help with anything?"

Wei Zhonghong looked up and, seeing him come in, hurriedly tried to send him away. "You don't need to work. Go sit inside; the smoke and grease here aren't good for you."

"Ah Dong is talking with Uncle and the others. I'd just be bored sitting there," Tang Xu said, taking a couple of steps into the kitchen. "I'll just sit here and chat with you, Auntie. Don't chase me away."

Wei Zhonghong poked his forehead gently. "Then sit there and don't move. I'll get you some sunflower seeds."

Wei Zhonghong went out for a short while and came back with a small basket filled with sunflower seeds, peanuts, pieces of malt candy, and dried red dates.

"Eat, but don't eat too much. Save room for the meat," she said, giving him a handful of sunflower seeds. "These are fresh from this year's harvest. Try them and see if they taste good."

"Thank you, Auntie," Tang Xu said, cracking open some sunflower seeds. "Did you boil these in salted water?"

"Yes, your uncle doesn't like roasted seeds. He prefers them with a bit more flavor. How do you like them?" Wei Zhonghong asked as she chopped a whole chicken into pieces and then placed them in a large pot to blanch.

"They're great! Next time, you could try adding the spices you use for braised meat. That would give them a five-spice flavor, which is also delicious," Tang Xu suggested, munching on the seeds. After eating a small handful, he took a sip of water since the taste was a bit salty for him.

Wei Shi, who was helping with the cooking, overheard and asked, "You mean adding soybean paste to the sunflower seeds?"

Tang Xu was puzzled. "What?"

Seeing his confusion, Wei Shi explained, "Mother likes to use soybean paste when braising meat."

Tang Xu understood and clarified, "No, I meant using spices like star anise and others for braising meat."

Wei Zhonghong shook her head and said, "Those spices are expensive. We usually just use a few to remove the gamey taste from chicken or duck. Using them for sunflower seeds would be a waste."

"Oh, I see," Tang Xu replied, not wanting to push the matter. He thought to himself that he could bring some spices over another time.

Inside the house, Liu Shi was carefully measuring the piece of fabric. She was hesitant to cut it, considering how large, beautiful, and soft it was.

She brightened up at the idea of making a thin shirt for herself, and with a swift snip of the scissors, she cut out a large piece.

She decided to make a thin shirt for herself first, which would be perfect to wear after giving birth to the child!

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