The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 127

 

| TBBOTOF | 127

Tang Rui returned home for fifteen days and then left. Before leaving, he spoke with Tang Erhu.

Tang Rui was only a child at the time and had just become a scholar. Being a scholar was not particularly special in the village, as there were many scholars there. Aside from some tax reductions, it did not mean much. 

It was the first step on the path. Tang Rui was turning sixteen the following year, and according to tradition, he wanted to establish a career. Tang Erhu had mentioned this several times, but Tang Rui always refused.

This time, Tang Erhu said they would invite a matchmaker to find a wife for Tang Rui. Tang Rui, however, insisted on taking the academy exam first. If he passed and became a scholar, he would have more options. 

Tang Erhu didn't say much about it, but after Tang Rui left, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. So, he leisurely walked to the big house.

Tang Xu was in the yard enjoying the sunshine with his chubby son. It was already October, and the temperature had dropped. It was very cold in the mornings and evenings, but the afternoons were quite nice, with good sunshine. 

Every day after lunch, he would push the little cart around the front and back yards with his chubby son. By the way, the sow in the backyard was pregnant!

The family had been busy making mooncakes to earn money recently, so Wei Dong had been taking care of the livestock in the backyard. They didn't pay much attention to the pigsty since the two pigs were always fighting, and the sound of their squeals often echoed through the backyard. 

Initially, it caught everyone's attention, but after hearing it so many times, they became numb to it. They knew without looking that it must be the wild boar being bumped by the sow.

Wei Dong, who took care of the children and the livestock, was not very meticulous. He made sure the animals did not starve and kept their pen clean. After everyone finished their busy work and began preparing for the upcoming winter, they suddenly noticed one day that the pigsty was quiet. 

It wasn't that the pigs had stopped squealing, but their squeals were noticeably quieter. When Tang Xu went to feed the pigs, he found that the wild boar, which usually fought with the sow for food, had retreated to the back, waiting for the sow to finish eating before approaching the trough. 

Moreover, the wild boar seemed to have become smarter. If it wasn't full, it would whimper at Tang Xu.

How could he describe that sound? Anyway, the first time Tang Xu heard it, he was stunned for a long time, his mind filled with questions. The wild boar squealing so delicately? It even gave him goosebumps! 

One day, Old doctor Xu was strolling in the backyard, and noticed the sow lying on the hay mat, and then asked Tang Xu if the sow had gotten fatter. He also earnestly told Tang Xu that it was already a mature pig and that not arranging for it to breed wasn't good for it. 

A light bulb went off in Tang Xu's head. He ran to find his neighbor, Grandpa Wu, and asked him to come over to check if the sow was pregnant. And indeed, it was! 

Tang Xu was so happy that he gave both pigs extra food that day, letting them eat to their heart's content!

Speaking of which, when Tang Xu saw Tang Erhu coming over, he noticed his father wearing old clothes. He frowned and said, "Dad, didn't I tell you to make yourself a new set of clothes? Why are you still wearing this one? Look, it’s already patched several times."

It wasn’t that Tang Xu looked down on patched clothes, but Tang Erhu’s clothes had been patched three times already, with various colors of fabric stitched together in an unsightly way. 

I mean, it’s not that we can’t afford new fabric; why is he so reluctant to make a new set of clothes? 

Then Tang Erhu started talking, and Tang Xu mumbled softly in response.

"I’m not a delicate person; always wearing new clothes is a waste, especially when working in the fields. If they get torn, what then?" 

Tang Xu mumbled to himself, and Tang Erhu slapped the back of his neck. "Speak louder!"

Tang Xu pouted, "Dad, you've said this so many times, and I still can't remember."

"If you remembered, you wouldn't keep asking me every time," Tang Erhu snorted. He bent down to pick up his chubby grandson from the cart, lifting him up and down, "Grandpa's big, fat grandson, so good!"

"Dad, take him for a while. I need to take out the bedding for washing and drying," Tang Xu said, eager to go inside and tidy up the bedding now that someone was there to watch the child. With the weather still relatively good, he needed to get the bedding aired out before the colder, damper weather set in.

Tang Erhu stopped him, "Don't go yet, I came here to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" Tang Xu looked puzzled, pulling over a bamboo chair for his father. "Sit down."

After his father sat down, Tang Xu went to the kitchen to brew a pot of tea. The tea leaves had been sent by Boss Wu from the restaurant, brought over from the county seat. Tang Xu had tried it once but didn't like it, preferring fruit juice over the slightly bitter taste of the tea. 

Tang Erhu, however, enjoyed it immensely, his eyes narrowing with pleasure as he drank.

"Did Ah Rui leave early this morning?" Tang Xu suddenly remembered that Tang Rui had said he would stay home for half a month, and it seemed about that time. Recently, Tang Rui had been helping Tang Erhu with chores, but today, seeing his father alone, Tang Xu guessed that Tang Rui had left.

Sure enough, Tang Erhu nodded, shifting his chubby grandson to a different position on his lap. He picked up the tea cup with one hand, blew on it, took a sip, and said, "I just saw him off. I mentioned the matter of marriage."

Tang Xu was taken aback. "Marriage? Who's getting married?"

He remembered that Tang Rui wasn't even sixteen yet. But then he understood. Around here, even if they didn't get married right away, they would get engaged first. Many kids got engaged at thirteen or fourteen. 

Tang Rui would be fifteen next year, which was considered the age to start discussing marriage.

"No one yet. I brought it up today to ask if he had any preferences, so we can give the matchmaker some guidance," Tang Erhu said, giving Tang Xu a stern look. 

He looked down and saw his grandson drooling, quickly wiping it off with a soft cloth. "He said he wants to take the academy exam next year and will consider getting engaged after becoming a scholar. I'm worried that if he does well, he'll want to aim higher and forget about these things. They say you should establish a family before a career. He's getting older, and without someone to help. He still has his sister washing his clothes. It's embarrassing."

Tang Xu understood. His father wasn't worried about Tang Rui not finding a wife but about him forgetting to get married if he succeeded academically. Also, what did he mean by needing his sister to wash his clothes? 

Did Tang Rui save up his dirty laundry while studying in the county and bring it home to be washed?

Tang Erhu answered his question. "At the school, there's a woman who washes clothes for a penny a piece."

Tang Xu rubbed his chin, thinking about Tang Rui's behavior over the past half-month. To be fair, Tang Rui had indeed worked hard and contributed more than before, when he would ignore even the most obvious chores.

But…

But then Tang Xu asked, "Dad, did he ask you for money this time?"

"No, he took eight of the ten taels he earned back to school. Last time he was here, he helped your sisters with their stall, writing and reading letters for people, even copying books, and earned three or four taels. He hasn't asked me for money all year," Tang Erhu said, his face filled with pride. 

He was proud of his eldest son earning money on his own, feeling a sense of accomplishment as if his son had finally learned to walk upright.

Tang Xu nodded slightly, and he had some guesses in his mind.

Tang Rui hadn't necessarily reformed; he had learned to hide his flaws. Like his mother, Liu Xiangxiang, he loved and craved wealth but had the brains to go with it, unlike Liu Xiangxiang, who lacked intelligence. A smart person knows what to do at the right time. As he grew older, Tang Rui learned different things and, after hitting a wall with Tang Xu, he grew.

He learned to assess situations, avoid direct confrontation, and flatter when needed. He knew how to change his family's perception of him and how to keep his weaknesses hidden. After all, just at the beginning of the year, he had a fallout with his father. If he didn't try to mend that rift, it would have been truly foolish.

Tang Xu didn't want to think ill of anyone. After some reflection, he saw Tang Rui's behavior as a sign of maturity. As long as he didn't cross any moral boundaries, it wasn't a big deal. Besides, everyone had their own life plans.

"Dad, I think Ah Rui has his own sense of judgment. Let him decide for himself. He's been studying away for years and has seen a lot. He probably won't be interested in any girls in the village. Don't worry about it too much. Next time he comes back, tell him that if he has someone in mind, he should let you know so you can arrange a matchmaker. If he doesn't, don't push him. If you push too much, he'll just get annoyed."

Tang Xu poured another cup of tea, glanced at his drowsy son, and reached over to hold him. 

The chubby boy had started to recognize his family members, and whenever he saw his dad or grandpa reaching out to hold him, he responded enthusiastically. He not only stretched out his arms but also made gurgling sounds from his little mouth.

"Come on, let grandpa rest for a bit. Daddy will warm up some milk for you," Tang Xu said as he stood up with his son in his arms. He then added, "Dad, if you’re so worried about Ah Rui, why not worry about yourself a bit more? When Auntie was staying here, I heard her nagging you three times, asking when you'll find a wife."

After saying this, Tang Xu quickly turned around and ran off with his chubby son. Tang Erhu was stunned for a moment before angrily shouting, "You little rascal, stop right there!"

Old doctor Xu, having just finished sorting herbs, stepped outside to get some fresh air. He saw Tang Xu dash past him and then heard Tang Erhu's roar. Old doctor Xu sighed, stroked his beard, and thought to himself how lively things were. His expression was quite relaxed, with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.

Xu Ze emerged from behind, holding two packets of herbs. "Grandpa, I'm going to take these to Brother Xi."

"Alright," Old doctor Xu said, looking down and patting Xu Ze's head. "You're really something, Ze'er."

Xu Ze grinned happily, pleased with the compliment. Recently, Wei Xi had been coughing with the changing seasons, so Old doctor Xu had prepared some cough medicine for him to take over three days to see if it helped.

Inside the house, two young boys were practicing calligraphy at a table. Tang Yang put his brush down first, resting his chin on his hand, and asked Wei Xi, "Brother Xi, can you give me some advice?"

"What advice?" Wei Xi looked up, his brush suspended in the air, letting ink drip onto the paper. He quickly put the brush down and picked up the now-stained piece of paper. "What's troubling you?"

"When Auntie left, she told me and my sister to persuade my dad to find a wife while he's still young. Staying single makes people in the village gossip," Tang Yang said, looking worried. "How should I persuade my dad to find a stepmother for me?"

Wei Xi: "..." This question is too difficult for me!

Outside the door, Xu Ze raised his hand to knock: "..." He knows the answer to this! If you get a stepmother, you'll get a stepfather too!

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