The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 133

 

| TBBOTOF | 133

In the following half-month after the incident at the Sun family, the whole village knew about it. Almost everyone came to visit except for the two outsiders, and people even started demanding their house and land.

Her father-in-law had to argue with the troublemakers every day, leaving him exhausted both physically and mentally.

Eventually, by the end of November, her father-in-law passed away too. This infuriated the relatives of the Sun family, as they heard he collapsed suddenly and couldn't be saved in time.

After the funeral was over and the Sun family relatives quieted down for a while, trouble started again by mid-October. 

This time, not only did the outsiders cause trouble, but knowing Wang Cuicui was a widow living alone, someone came knocking late at night, saying inappropriate things. Even though they were driven away after being beaten, they came back again.

Because of her close relationship with Wang Cuicui, Wei Zhonghong often visited her when she had free time. She encountered several times the Sun family relatives coming to cause trouble. 

However, since they knew Wei Zhonghong had a close relationship with the Wei family, they didn't dare say anything disrespectful in front of her. But the implications were clear: Wei Zhonghong was an outsider and couldn't protect Wang Cuicui forever.

Wang Cuicui was past the age of tears and had a tough personality. She kept a large kitchen knife by her pillow, ready to throw it at anyone who dared to come looking for trouble at night.

In her own words, with nothing left to lose, killing one would be a fine companion in her grave.

Her fierce determination not only scared off those who came looking for trouble but also surprised Wei Zhonghong.

Wang Cuicui looked visibly worn out, and Wei Zhonghong understood she was being pushed to her limits. 

Wei Zhonghong tried to comfort her instead, saying, "You're not made of iron either. Why go through all this trouble at night and risk your health?"

Sitting on the heated kang, Wang Cuicui took a deep breath.

Of course, she wasn't made of iron, but she refused to give in.

Why should she give away her house and land to those people? For many years, ever since her husband fell ill, these relatives of the Sun family had avoided them like they were avoiding the plague. Even during the hardest times, she never saw them come to lend a hand.

"How could they be so heartless? I've never asked them for money. When my father-in-law sold the cattle at home, he never thought about borrowing money. Why do they want this now? Coming to demand the house and land—why should I give it to them?" The more Wang Cuicui thought about it, the angrier she became. 

She felt a lump of fire in her chest, feeling deeply aggrieved. "Sister Hong, how can they be so malicious? They deliberately came to provoke my father-in-law. Otherwise, he wouldn't have passed away so suddenly!"

Finally unable to hold back, the pent-up emotions burst out, and Wang Cuicui covered her face and sobbed.

Wei Zhonghong bit her lip and hugged her shoulders, offering the simplest comfort she could.

After a while, Wang Cuicui lifted her head and wiped away her tears. "Sister Hong, thank you for everything. This shouldn't have involved you in the first place."

Wei Zhonghong shook her head, dismissing the current topic. "Why are we talking about this? Actually, I've been wanting to talk to you about something. But with all these things happening at your home, I didn't feel right bringing it up."

This seemed like a good time, despite everything. Ever since the news spread about Tang Erhu wanting to remarry, the front of their house had almost been trampled by matchmakers coming to propose. All the eloquent matchmakers from the village had come over to introduce various candidates.

There were not only young widows but also unmarried young women.

Yet Tang Erhu didn't show interest in any of them.

Some were too frail, others didn't match his appearance, and those too young were unsuitable. 

No matter who came, he found something wrong. After a month of turmoil, the matchmakers finally gave up and stopped coming to bother him.

Tang Erhu's behavior had even upset the elders in the Tang family's old residence. The old lady had come over and scolded her son thoroughly. Tang Erhu just hung his head and took the scolding. He simply refused to marry someone he didn't like, no matter how much he was scolded.

This whole situation had deeply frustrated the old lady, who left declaring she wouldn't meddle in this matter anymore.

Tang Xu sincerely asked his suddenly rebellious father if he had someone in mind, but the answer was no.

This left Tang Xu puzzled.

No specific interest, no attraction to anyone else—was it possible he still held feelings for Liu Xiangxiang?

As this thought crossed his mind, Tang Xu's eyes widened in surprise, startling Tang Erhu.

Tang Xu didn't wait for his dad to ask what was wrong, rushing over to grab his wrist, anxiously asking, "Dad! You're not thinking of remarrying Mom, are you?"

"What nonsense are you saying?" Tang Erhu's face showed confusion, then realization dawned as he grimaced. "Why would I do that?"

Setting aside everything else, Liu Xiangxiang's previous antics had nearly driven him to collapse. If he were still thinking about her, there'd definitely be something wrong with his head.

Tang Xu studied his expression carefully, realizing his mistake.

Trying again, he asked urgently, "Dad! If you're not hung up on Mom, then why can't you find a new wife?"

Tang Erhu: …

Tang Erhu paused, closed his eyes briefly, and silently reminded himself not to react harshly. This was his own son, frail and fragile; he couldn't handle a slap.

Taking a deep breath, he replied, "Didn't you hear what the matchmakers said?"

"I heard," Tang Xu released his grip on his father's hand, cautiously stepping back. He sensed the tension earlier and didn't want to provoke him further. "Aren't they all good? They are young, beautiful and capable.”

Tang Erhu looked at him sternly.

Tang Xu shrugged, acknowledging he understood now.

They are just talking big, but really, if they were that good, how could they end up being offered as remarriage candidates? Especially those unmarried women. 

Even with Tang Xu and Tang Li in the family, who can earn a decent living, everyone knows 

Tang Xu may seem soft and easygoing, but Tang Li, even if she hasn't mastered everything like her older brother, she's learned enough that no one can easily control her.

Among those proposing matches, how many truly want to marry Tang Erhu and live with him? And how many are just after his money? You don't need much brains to figure that out.

"Forget it, let's just go with the flow," Tang Erhu sighed, feeling frustrated. For over a year, he hadn't been able to relieve himself, and for a middle-aged man, that was quite uncomfortable. But he wasn't the type to act recklessly. 

He tossed and turned at night, feeling restless and overheated even lying on the kang.

Tang Xu clicked his tongue, feeling a bit annoyed. This was a situation that couldn't be rushed, so it was left unresolved.

Visitors still came knocking, but the result was always the same: Tang Erhu refused. Without his consent, no one could force him into a remarriage, and so the matter dragged on until mid-October.

Now, as thoughts of Tang Erhu's unresolved marriage came back to her, Wei Zhonghong felt the urge to play matchmaker again.

Seeing her secretive demeanor, Wang Cuicui asked suspiciously, "Sister Hong, what are you thinking? Just say it."

"Regarding that matter, you've probably heard about it," Wei Zhonghong organized her words slightly, watching Wang Cuicui's expression carefully as she continued, "It's about my nephew's father-in-law, looking for a remarriage."

Wang Cuicui paused for a moment, her mind taking a beat to catch up before understanding she was talking about Tang Xu's father, Tang Erhu.

While Tang Erhu's divorce hadn't become village gossip, it wasn't completely unknown either. 

Especially after Tang Xu brought his father, recovering from a leg injury, to live with him, the village gradually learned about their family situation.

Thinking about that family, Wang Cuicui couldn't help but swallow nervously, and asked uncertainly, "He, he's interested in me?"

"No, no, no, it's not like that," Wei Zhonghong quickly reassured her, waving her hands to dispel any misunderstanding. "A couple of months ago, they mentioned wanting to remarry. Tang Erhu is a good person, reliable and capable. You can see from how willing Tang Xu is to take care of his father that their family is close-knit."

Wang Cuicui nodded slightly, staying quiet and listening intently as Wei Zhonghong continued. 

Initially hesitant to bring it up, Wei Zhonghong found once she started talking, it flowed more easily than expected.

"I won't talk nonsense with you either. These past two months, that matchmaker has been visiting frequently, talking about marriage. I heard from Xu Ge’er that his father doesn't approve of anyone. It's not that he has high standards, but he hasn't found anyone who can really settle down. I mentioned you to them before. However, his mother was there at the time. When she heard you might bring two elderly men with you, she wasn't happy. She even threw a fit, so I couldn't say anything more. I was planning to ask you about it, to see what you thought. Before I could ask, your family started having one thing after another."

Wei Zhonghong looked at her, seeing her blank expression, feeling uncertain.

She gently patted the back of her hand. "Don't think I'm just randomly suggesting this. I really believe you and him could make it work."

Wang Cuicui took a deep breath, slowly exhaling before she finally regained her composure.

This was like winning the lottery. Tang Erhu, even though he was in his forties, was considered a catch in the whole village.

He had capable children, a filial son-in-law, a house, and fields. Even if there was no dowry, it would still be a good deal.

Although her home wasn't very close to the Wei family's mansion, it wasn't far either. She hadn't tasted the food from Tang Li's little food stall, but seeing how everything he put out sold out, she knew it must taste absolutely delicious.

Not only was it delicious, but it was profitable!

But Wang Cuicui's first concern wasn't about money. She said, "Sister Hong, you know my situation. With things stirred up like this, to put it plainly, I don't want to give them my house and land. I have a lot of messy things going on, and how could they look favorably upon me?" She even hurried her own sister away right after the funeral, afraid of burdening her, let alone a stranger with whom she had no prior interaction.

Wei Zhonghong snorted softly. "Let me tell you this, if the Sun family knew you were marrying Wei Dong's father-in-law, do you believe they'd dare to make a fuss again? They think my son has mellowed out these past couple of years, but they wouldn't dare to stir up trouble."

Wang Cuicui's eyelid twitched, looking at her with a mix of tears and smiles. "How can you say such things about your own nephew? Besides, I'm not young or pretty anymore. His conditions are so good, how could he possibly be interested in me?"

Wei Zhonghong felt that there was a chance after hearing this, at least it was not a flat rejection.

She shifted her gaze and leaned forward slightly, asking her, "Just tell me if you're interested. If he’s interested, could you meet with him? Just to see each other, we won't rush into a blind marriage. Both of you need to find each other agreeable before anything else."

Wang Cuicui licked her dry lips and stared at the parched skin on the back of her hand, taking a deep breath. "Alright, I'll meet him."

Wei Zhonghong grinned broadly. "Great, I'll go over and talk to them in a bit."

Wang Cuicui: "..." There's no need to be so anxious.

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TL: The author really killed off WC's family-in-laws. Not sure how to feel〈≖_≖〝〉