The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 130

 

| TBBOTOF | 130

The chubby little guy is out and about.

He is just over three months old, but he can already lift his head steadily without wobbling at all.

He can see the new world outside when he lies on his side.

Usually, his stroller is pushed around his own yard, and there's nothing new to see from the front. 

It pushes past through the back door quickly, there's hardly anything interesting to see.

But this time is different!

The chubby little guy's big round eyes are wide open, his two small chubby hands are gripping the stroller's railing, and his chubby face is full of serious expressions as he keeps staring at the passing scenery.

Wei Dong originally planned to take him to visit Wei Zhonghong's place, where there's a little girl about the same age there. He thought the two kids could play together, and he also planned to ask his aunt to help make a couple of winter jackets for the child.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he pushed the child stroller out and walked along the village road to the fork, he could see the wall of Wei Zhonghong's house after turning a corner. But they were surrounded by chatting village women by the roadside.

The chubby little guy had never been around so many strangers. Although there were many people at home, they wouldn't crowd around him all at once. With so many people around, the chubby baby became even more curious.

"Is this your son, Wei Dong? He's really good-looking!"

"He's so handsome, just like you!"

"Oh, he can tell we're praising him, he's even smiling!"

"Look, look, such a little baby already has teeth showing, Wei Dong, how did you manage to raise him so well?"

"Oh, he knows we want to see his teeth, he's even opening his mouth to show us!"

The chubby little guy was very cooperative. Hearing the word "teeth," he immediately opened his small mouth wide, making "ah-woo, ah-woo" sounds at the person speaking. After calling out, his big eyes curved into a smile, making him look very happy.

Wei Dong felt helpless. For the past few days, everyone at home, knowing the chubby guy had started teething, would say, "The little guy is teething, open your mouth and show us!"

After hearing it once or twice, this chubby kid remembered it and would open his mouth every time someone mentioned his teeth.

Wei Dong reached out to stop an elderly lady who wanted to touch his son's face and said indifferently, "No touching, just looking."

After saying that, feeling uneasy, he bent down and picked up the child, letting him lie on his shoulder. He did it so skillfully, and once his son was in place, he even took the thin blanket from the stroller and covered his shoulder with it.

The chubby little guy craned his neck to look around. His movements amazed the surrounding ladies even more.

Someone asked, "Wei Dong, your baby is only three months old, right? How is his neck so strong!"

Wei Dong looked at her and replied politely, "He eats well."

He wasn't wrong. His chubby son ate several meals a day.

"But didn’t you guys not hire a wet nurse? Can he get so chubby just on goat milk?" 

"You don’t know anything. His son was over eight pounds when he was born. He was well-nourished in the womb. If he had been born weighing four or five pounds, no one could raise him this well."

"That's right, Xu Ge'er was well taken care of. I've seen him several times, and his face was always so rosy."

"Well, it's true that having money makes a difference. Without money, who could afford to be so generous with the nourishment?"

The conversation was starting to turn sour, and Wei Dong didn't want to waste any more time with them. He supported his son lying on his shoulder with one hand and pushed the stroller forward with the other. The people around quickly made way for him, but some kept eyeing his stroller. 

As he entered Wei Zhonghong's yard, someone even remarked, "A stroller like that must cost at least three to five taels of silver."

"So what? Even if they don't have more children, they can pass it on to relatives. It's not a waste. Besides, they have money and are willing to spend it on their child."

"Wei Dong really spoils Xu Ge'er. Look around our village; how many men take their kids out for a walk? I heard Wei Dong even changes his diapers!"

"Speaking of diapers, I feel bad for them. Why don't they give the used ones to others? Those are worth money!"

"Exactly! Wash them clean, and they're still usable. He's just being fussy."

"Well, they have the means to be fussy. You want to be fussy, but you can't afford it!" The woman who said this rolled her eyes at those making sour comments and snorted.

"Hey, what are you saying, Widow Wang? Shouldn't you be taking care of your in-laws instead of sticking your nose in here?"

"I want to. What's it to you? Are we standing in your way? Mind your own business!" Widow Wang gave the woman a big eye roll, snorted, and walked away.

It's known that Widow Wang has a good relationship with Wei Zhonghong. How to put it—they share a similar temperament. Both of them have the kind of personality that doesn't tolerate the slightest grievance. While not exactly best friends, they often chat together. So when she heard someone badmouthing Wei Dong and Tang Xu, Widow Wang spoke up in their defense. Not for any particular reason, she just couldn't stand their sour faces!

She was very aware that since losing her husband, she'd been the subject of a lot of gossip. 

Sometimes, people would stare at her with strange looks when she walked by. She particularly despised those who talked behind people's backs.

Wei Zhonghong was surprised to see Wei Dong bringing the baby over and greeted them with delight as they entered the yard.

"It's windy out, why did you bring him out?" she complained, but her hands were quick to wash, dry, and reach out to take the baby.

Wei Dong adjusted the little hat on the chubby baby's head, "I asked Dr. Xu, he said it's fine to take him out for a bit as long as he's dressed warmly."

Wei Zhonghong, smiling, rubbed the baby's cheek against hers.

The chubby baby, with his big eyes full of confusion, looked at Wei Zhonghong for a while, then turned to look at his dad, reaching out his hands, "Ah, ah, ah~~~"

He didn't recognize this person and didn't want to be held by her!

Wei Zhonghong let out an "Oh dear" as she felt the baby struggle, fearing she'd hurt him if she held on too tightly. She quickly moved closer to let him grab onto Wei Dong's clothes, then said ruefully, "It's only been a few days without seeing his aunt, and he's already forgotten me!"

The chubby baby, hearing her voice, stared at her for a long while. The voice was familiar, but the face wasn't.

Suddenly, Wei Zhonghong had a realization and took off her apron, wrapping it around her head.

The chubby baby's eyes widened, and he began to reach out toward her, making happy noises.

Wei Dong handed his wiggly son back to Wei Zhonghong.

Wei Zhonghong laughed, "You little rascal, you didn't recognize me without my head wrapped."

Back when she was making mooncakes at the big house, everyone had to keep their heads covered to prevent hair from falling into the food. No one had noticed this, but Tang Xu had mentioned it, and then everyone in the kitchen had covered their heads.

So, during those days, whenever Wei Zhonghong held the chubby baby, her head was always wrapped. That's the image he was familiar with, which is why he didn't recognize her today.

Now that he recognized her, the chubby baby willingly pressed his chubby cheek against hers, laughing gleefully.

This little guy really was a charmer. Anyone he was familiar with, he would lean in and press his face against theirs. The family knew not to kiss the baby casually, so they would just rub their faces against his chubby cheeks whenever they held him.

The chubby little guy loved being close to his dad. He not only rubbed his face against his dad's but also gave him kisses. However, he didn't like rubbing against his father's face because sometimes his father's beard would prick him. 

Ever since the chubby baby started refusing to get close to men with beards, both Tang Erhu and Wei Dong began shaving their beards clean, making sure to have a smooth face every day.

Tang Xu even praised the chubby baby, saying he was a good boy who loved cleanliness. Men around here usually liked to keep a beard. 

Tang Xu himself didn't like having a beard and had told Wei Dong that he looked better without one. Previously, his husband was too lazy to shave daily, sometimes letting it go for three or four days, resulting in a rough stubble that could be quite prickly. 

Now, not only did the chubby baby like to rub against his father's smooth face, but Tang Xu did too.

Speaking of which, while Wei Zhonghong was cuddling the chubby baby, she looked at Wei Dong and asked curiously, "Did you bring him over because you needed something from me?"

"I wanted him to see other kids around his age, to get him familiar with them."

"Oh," Wei Zhonghong said, feeling a bit annoyed. "Ever since my eldest daughter-in-law started taking care of her own child, even after learning that Tang Xu had given birth to a son and no longer pined for her daughter, she kept her child close by, taking her everywhere, afraid to let her out of her sight for a moment. Now I don't need to help with the childcare, but it's hard to even get a glimpse of the child."

She went on to complain to Wei Dong, "My second son's child was born half a month later than yours, and we still don't dare to take him outside."

Her second daughter-in-law had given birth to a son, and the family was delighted as he was the eldest grandson of the family. However, for some reason, the child wasn't thriving. He remained skinny, with barely any meat on his bones, and would cry easily, making him hard to soothe.

A chubby baby is always more adorable, especially when they are not only chubby but also easy to soothe, capturing the hearts of the elders. The chubby little guy was just that.

Wei Dong listened to her complaints without saying a word. When she finished, he asked, "So, Aunt, are you not busy these days?"

"Not busy. I don’t have to manage the fieldwork, just cook a few meals for the family. Why, do you have another favor to ask?" Wei Zhonghong inquired.

"I'd like you to help make a few winter jackets for the baby. Ah Xu's sewing skills are still a bit lacking," Wei Dong said politely.

In reality, Tang Xu considered himself decent at making clothes—cutting the fabric, piecing it together, and sewing it up. It should be wearable if it didn't fall apart. However, he soon realized that many aspects required skill. Though he believed his craftsmanship was good, that was just his own opinion.

Of course, Wei Dong was supportive. He always expressed that he liked the clothes Tang Xu made for him. The problem was that they weren't durable, often tearing at the sleeves with a simple lift of the arm. 

Eventually, Tang Xu gave up. He was fine with mending clothes but decided to spare himself and the fabric from making new ones.

After hearing this, Wei Zhonghong laughed and said, "Sure, making little jackets is quick."

Wei Dong thanked her, "I'll get the fabric, and you can make a few for your grandsons too."

Wei Zhonghong understood that he didn't want her daughters-in-law to complain. She patted his arm and agreed without further comment.

Not staying long, as he estimated it was time for the baby to eat, Wei Dong took his son back home. 

As they were leaving, Wei Zhonghong went out to see them off and happened to encounter Widow Wang passing by her door.

"Cui'er, where are you heading?" Wei Zhonghong waved Wei Dong off, indicating he could go, and turned to Wang Cuicui. "Why are you out at this time?"

Wang Cuicui stopped and sighed with a bit of sorrow. "My father-in-law is coughing again. I'm going to the big house to get some medicine from Dr. Xu." Ever since her husband passed away, her father-in-law's health had been deteriorating, and she had been managing the household inside and out by herself.

"And where is your father-in-law?"

"He’s in the field. He said he needed to move around and not lie in bed all day. Otherwise, he'd waste away," Wang Cuicui waved her hand, "I'll talk to you later. I need to get the medicine first."

Wei Zhonghong waved her off and watched her go, her mind churning with thoughts.

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