The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 135

 

| TBBOTOF | 135

The old man's words were astonishing.

"Take a bath, change your clothes, shave your beard. This is a matchmaking meeting, you can't be all scruffy."

Just as Tang Erhu was about to lift the curtain, he heard the Old Xu's words after taking care of his appearance.

His mind was full of questions, and even his forehead wrinkles were filled with confusion.

What's going on? Who's having a baby?

Thinking of Tang Xu who had just had a chubby baby, could it be that another one is on the way?

That won't do. Although having more descendants is good for the family, you can't have them one after another in a short period!

Tang Erhu hurried into the room, not even checking the situation inside, and said anxiously, "You can't have another baby now. If you're going to have one, wait until the end of the year."

After saying that, he noticed there were other people in the room.

Tang Erhu: "..." He wished he could bury himself in the ground after those words.

Tang Xu: "…Huh? Dad, you…" Could it be that his father was thinking of having another child in his old age?

But thinking about it, forty isn't that old, they aren't even forty-five yet, so having another child isn't impossible.

After all, in this era, it's quite common for couples in their forties to have a second child. There are even some who have children in their fifties.

But there's a problem: in this medical environment, the risks for older pregnant women are too high.

So he turned to Tang Erhu and said, "Dad, even though I know you're in good health, having a child at your age is still not a good idea. You need to consider others too."

Tang Erhu was baffled. What did this have to do with him?

Wang Cuicui's face was already flushed red, burning hot, and she didn't need to touch it to feel the heat.

She lowered her eyes, not daring to look at anyone, her body tense with embarrassment.

Tang Xu finally realized that the words his father had blurted out earlier weren't directed at Wang Cuicui but at him.

His temples throbbed as he raised his hand to press against them. "Dad..."

Tang Erhu didn't let him finish, quickly raising his hand to stop him. "Shut up. Just shut your mouth first."

After saying this, he took a deep breath and addressed the only stranger in the room. "Um, sorry, I misunderstood earlier."

Wang Cuicui raised her head at his words, meeting his gaze before quickly lowering her eyes in slight embarrassment. "No, it's, it's okay."

Tang Erhu's face also turned slightly red.

According to Tang Xu's observation, his father seemed to have a good first impression of Wang Cuicui, otherwise, why would he be blushing?

Wei Zhonghong and Tang Xu exchanged glances, and just then, Xu Ze returned with a medicinal packet. Seeing the packet reminded them of what the old man Xu had said earlier.

"Wait a moment," Tang Xu reached out to stop him and said to the old man Xu, "Sir, don't give her the medicine that helps with conception. She's not here to check her body."

"What are you talking about!" The old man Xu glared at him, chewing on a biscuit. "This tonic is good for her health. It has nothing to do with having a baby."

"Weren't you just saying that if she wanted to have a baby, she needed to condition her body?" Tang Xu was confused.

The old man Xu clicked his tongue and waved them off. "Go, go, don't delay my work here."

The four of them were a bit confused as to why the old man suddenly became impatient. But Xu Ze, after they left, took Tang Xu's hand, looked up at him, and said, "Recently, great-grandpa has met some aunts who want to get pregnant and came for medicine. Great-grandpa checked their pulses and said their bodies were fine, and they could conceive after having marital relations. But those aunts didn’t believe him and just wanted the medicine. Later, great-grandpa asked them, and it turned out they weren't infertile but wanted to conceive a son." He glanced at Wang Cuicui and continued, "Great-grandpa probably thought this aunt was also here for the special medicine to conceive a son, which is why he said she needed to condition her body to have a baby."

Everyone suddenly understood.

No wonder he just said that one sentence; it seems he’s been pressured recently.

Tang Xu furrowed his brows, thinking about the women in the village and their obsession with having sons, and couldn't help but tsk.

Hearing his reaction, the three others turned to look at him.

Tang Xu pointed to the small pavilion in the backyard. "Shall we go sit over there?"

Wang Cuicui nervously moved closer to Wei Zhonghong, feeling a bit uneasy.

Tang Erhu, however, turned and walked over directly. Xu Ze looked at Tang Xu and asked, "Brother Xu, should I get you some water?"

"Yes, I've made some brown sugar ginger tea. Pour a pot and bring it over," Tang Xu said, patting Xu Ze's head and thanking him.

The pavilion was made of bamboo. Originally, there wasn't a small pavilion in the backyard. It was built after Tang Xu, pushing his chubby baby around, noticed there was no shade and mentioned it to Wei Dong. That very capable man went up the mountain to cut bamboo the next day.

Now, the four of them were sitting in the pavilion. Tang Xu looked at his father and then at Wang Cuicui.

No one spoke; one kept their head down blushing, while the other’s eyes wandered.

"Dad, this is Auntie Wang," Tang Xu finally broke the silence.

Tang Erhu shifted his gaze back, nodding gently at Wang Cuicui. His eyes scanned her face and body, not in an offensive way, but simply taking a good look.

After all, this was someone he was meeting for a potential match; he needed to know what she looked like.

Tang Xu smiled warmly at Wang Cuicui, his tone gentle. "Auntie, don't be so reserved. My eldest aunt has already told us about your situation. My dad may not be good with words, and you probably won't hear any sweet talk from him, but he's genuine. If you two live together, he definitely won't let you down."

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Tang Erhu. His father’s gaze wandered, looking at Wang Cuicui, then at something else, and back to her again.

Wang Cuicui nodded but didn't say anything.

Wei Zhonghong tugged on Tang Xu's sleeve. "Let's go check if the chubby baby is awake. We haven't held him all day."

Tang Xu nodded, "Right, he should be waking up soon. Dad, you and Auntie have a chat, see if you have things to talk about."

As the two of them left, the pavilion instantly became quiet.

The awkwardness spread.

Wang Cuicui glanced up at Tang Erhu and happened to meet his gaze. Both were startled and quickly looked away.

She squeezed her fingertips, took a deep breath, and gathered her courage to speak. "I'm turning forty this year. I usually do the housework and farm work."

Tang Erhu nodded. "I know. Your hands show that you do a lot of work."

Wang Cuicui quickly covered her hands, her face turning a bit red.

Her hands were full of calluses, even on the fingertips, making them not pleasant to look at.

Tang Erhu extended his hand to show her. His hands were similarly rough, with calluses and small scars that wouldn't fade, evidence of a lifetime of hard work.

The same hands of a laborer.

Wang Cuicui felt an inexplicable urge to laugh, and she did. Her appearance was quite ordinary, but when she smiled, her eyes curved into crescents, instantly making her seem more approachable.

Tang Erhu was taken aback for a moment, then coughed to clear his throat.

"Um, I have something to ask you."

Wang Cuicui looked up at him. "Go ahead."

"Do you want to remarry?" Tang Erhu asked sincerely.

Wang Cuicui stared at him in surprise, then slowly blinked and said, "I do."

She genuinely wanted to. Regardless of the reason, living alone was always lonely. If someone could help share the burdens of daily life, it would make things much easier for her.

So she nodded in agreement. "But if my troubles aren't resolved, even if I wanted to, I couldn't get married."

"Your issues shouldn't be hard to solve. My son Xu Ge’er is smart; he'll definitely come up with a way." Tang Erhu didn't exactly know how he felt about Wang Cuicui, but she seemed more genuine and reliable than the other women the matchmaker had suggested. She seemed like someone he could get along with.

There has to be a mutual connection for things to progress.

Tang Xu didn't ask much about their conversation. Later, after dinner, Tang Li came over to deliver some fried cakes and called Tang Xu over, saying their dad wanted to see him.

Tang Erhu had just finished soaking his feet. When Tang Xu walked in, his father immediately said, "I think Wang Cuicui is pretty good."

Tang Xu was taken aback by his father's directness. "So, you mean you're interested in her?"

“Yeah, she's pretty good. She speaks directly without beating around the bush, and she looks capable. But she's worried that marrying me will bring trouble to our family." Tang Erhu and Wang Cuicui had talked some more after their initial conversation. They didn't delve too deeply into details, but it was clear that they were both satisfied with each other.

Tang Xu sat on the edge of the kang, tapping his chin with his fingers, eyeing his father.

Tang Erhu felt uncomfortable under his son's scrutiny and clicked his tongue. "Say something."

"What should I say?" Tang Xu pouted playfully. "If you agree, of course I'll support you. If it's about her land and house, we can just buy them."

"Huh?" Tang Erhu looked bewildered. "Buy them?"

Tang Xu nodded. "I'll go see the village chief tomorrow to draft a contract, then buy the house and land. With the contract in hand, what can the Sun family do even if they come causing trouble? They think Auntie Wang can't protect her property."

The ancestral land has a contract with Wang Cuicui's late husband's name on it. No matter what, those ten acres of ancestral land have nothing to do with the Sun family. Even if she and her late husband didn't have a son, as long as the contract is in Wang Cuicui's hands, the Sun family can't take it away.

However, keeping the contract with Wang Cuicui isn't safe either. The Sun family causing trouble could eventually pressure her into giving in.

"We'll hold onto the property. When she marries over, we'll return it to her as a part of her dowry. What do you think, Dad?" Tang Xu leaned in closer with a smile, whispering, "I think Auntie Wang is quite nice. Ah Li told me she helped her out last time. She also thinks Auntie Wang is pretty good."

Tang Erhu blushed a little at his son's teasing and nodded.

Tang Xu clapped his hands with a grin. "Then I'll go talk to her about it tomorrow."

The next morning, Tang Xu handed the chubby baby to Wei Dong and headed to Wei Zhonghong's house. Together, they went directly to Wang Cuicui's house.

The front of Wang Cuicui's house was bustling with activity; four men from the Sun family, all middle-aged, were there.

They were banging on the door, shouting for Wang Cuicui to open up.

"If you don't open the door, we'll break in!"

Wang Cuicui, holding a stick, opened the door with a fierce expression. "Don't you dare push your luck!"

Seeing her face flushed with anger, Tang Xu quickly moved to her side, gently pushing her back into the courtyard with a cheerful smile. "Auntie, don't be mad. Look, I'm here, and you can't back out of what we talked about yesterday. I brought the silver notes."

Wang Cuicui was taken aback, and so was Wei Zhonghong.

Only Tang Xu, turning to face the four middle-aged men with a sly, charming smile, said, "Uncles, have you come to help us move since you heard I'm buying the land and house?"

For a moment, everyone was stunned.

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