The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 121

 

| TBBOTOF | 121

August, the first day of the dog days of summer.

Not only is it hot, but also humid.

The chubby baby’s full name is Wei Jun Song, also known as chubby boy.

The baby was very well-behaved, and every day, apart from eating, he would sleep. When he was awake, he would cry and fuss. The family all said that the chubby baby was a treasure who came to repay their kindness.

However, there was a big problem.

Perhaps due to the hot weather, the chubby baby developed prickly heat, which made him itch and cry every day. Dr. Xu came and prepared a medicinal bath for him, and Tang Xu also applied some mung bean powder on his body, which provided some relief.

But this was only a temporary solution. Due to the frequent rain, the house was a bit damp, and the child not only had prickly heat but also developed eczema in the folds of his arms and legs because he was chubby.

Tang Xu held and comforted him every day, fanning him while doing so.

Now the chubby baby refused to be held by anyone else; only Tang Xu could hold him without him crying.

Tang Xu had gained some weight during the confinement month, looking plump and healthy. But a few days after the confinement period ended, because the chubby baby could only be comforted by him, the weight he had gained quickly disappeared.

Tang Xu held the sleeping chubby baby, turned to Tang Li, who was fanning him, and smiled wryly, "It's more exhausting than anything else. I can't do anything now."

Tang Li saw that there was a small red patch on the chubby baby's chin again, quickly took a soft silk handkerchief to gently wipe it, and then applied some mung bean powder, saying softly, "Why don't we ask Auntie to come and help for a while? I can help with cooking at home once the small food stall is closed."

Although the new house was already built, Tang Xu felt it should be aired out a bit. Although there was no formaldehyde pollution from various paints now, the newly built house still felt very damp and gloomy, and moving in immediately didn't feel healthy.

So after the new house was built, the kang beds in several rooms were heated for several days to drive away the moisture.

Tang Li and Xu Ze were busy at the small food stall every day. Tang Erhu often went to the fields, Wei Xi and Tang Yang studied with Old Scholar Wei and Old Doctor Xu, and Wei Dong went to the mountains every day, often bringing back a lot of prey.

Only Tang Xu stayed home every day, comforting the chubby baby in the courtyard, not daring to let him get too much sun. The chubby boy had fair and tender skin, and over the month, his originally flushed complexion became fair and rosy. His big eyes were black and lively. 

Maybe it was due to excellent prenatal care, but the chubby baby seemed more alert than other children. Despite his young age, whenever someone talked to him while he was awake, his eyes would fix on them, and he would often grin.

Tang Xu didn’t think much of it, but the family all said the baby was smart. Fine, if you all say he’s smart, then he’s smart.

Holding the chubby baby in his arms, Tang Xu thought about sending Wei Dong to the town to check if the custom-made baby stroller was ready. Although Tang Xu could design it, he only drew a rough sketch. 

Fortunately, the craftsman they hired was skilled. Having seen Tang Xu's drawing for Tang Erhu’s wheelchair before, he found it not too difficult to make a baby stroller based on the sketch.

Before going to bed at night, Tang Xu placed the sleeping chubby baby in his small bed, hung the mosquito net, and turned to look at Wei Dong, who was undressing. "Ah Dong, can you make a small hammock outside tomorrow? I noticed that the chubby baby likes to be rocked, but he’s too heavy, and my arms get sore from rocking him. Putting him in a hammock would make it easier."

Rocking would also create a breeze, keeping him cooler.

Tang Xu thought his idea was quite clever. Since he hadn’t raised a child before, he didn’t know what to prepare in advance. He had to learn as he went, adding things that were suitable for the baby, both hardware and software.

Their once somewhat empty room had recently filled up with things for the chubby baby: many cloth balls that could be grabbed by small hands, several baby bibs for the child to change into, and most of all, a lot of diapers.

Due to Tang Xu's insistence, the diapers for the chubby baby were all disposable. He would throw them away after one use, thinking they were too dirty to wash. Urine-soiled diapers could be washed, dried, and used once or twice more, but never a third time. Diapers with feces were simply thrown away, no matter how clean they could be washed.

They had money, so they could be extravagant.

In this era, it wasn't easy to generate much garbage. The family would frequently break pots and bowls. Vegetable leaves from cooking were fed to the chickens, ducks, and geese in the yard. Bones were either crushed for fuel or thrown into the manure pit in the yard as fertilizer.

While Tang Xu found the diapers dirty, Tang Erhu felt they were worth cleaning and saving, considering the fabric cost more than what they wore.

"Why save them?" Tang Xu asked, tossing the used diaper into a small bucket, then cleaning the chubby baby's bottom.

"If you find them dirty, you can save them for your nieces and nephews. Ah Rui and Ah Yang will get married and have children; these are good things, and it's a waste to burn them," Tang Erhu said, sitting on the heated bed and holding the chubby baby's small foot.

"Dad, you need to know, no matter how clean they look, they can never be truly clean. If I say no, it's no. When they have kids, I'll buy them new ones," Tang Xu said decisively, not swayed by anyone's opinion.

Somehow, word got out, and the village women started gossiping, their sour words flowing out. They even gossiped to Wei Zhonghong and Luo Pingping, who promptly rebuffed them.

There was no need to say more. Just one sentence:

"They have money and are willing; why do you care?"

The large courtyard was once again billowing with smoke, visible from afar. Groups of women, who had nothing to do after eating, gathered in the shade to chat. One glance at the black smoke made them purse their lips.

"Tsk tsk, look at that, burning at the same time every day. What are they burning?"

"What else? Their eldest son's diapers. Can you believe such waste?"

"They have money to spare. Besides, how do you know it's a waste? Maybe they’re just using scraps from old clothes."

"I saw it myself," one woman suddenly raised her voice, drawing the attention of others sitting a bit farther away. She swayed her neck and hummed, a hint of pride in her tone. "Everyone says their baby’s diapers are made from good material. The other day, I visited and happened to see Tang Li hanging up freshly washed ones in the yard. I helped her hang them up, and the fabric felt so smooth and soft. I heard they even added cotton and silk!"

"If they're disposable, why wash them?"

"You're misunderstanding. They wash the new fabric after buying a bolt of it, cut it up, and then wash it again before using it for the baby. They’re very particular about it. I asked Tang Li how much a piece of that fabric costs, and she actually told me."

"According to you, a piece of that fabric costs at least ten taels of silver."

"More than that. I have a relative who works as a wet nurse in a wealthy family in the county, and she said the diapers their young master uses are made from fabric better than what she wears, costing about a hundred taels a piece!"

"Why is it so expensive?"

"Good fabric helps prevent diaper rash. Their child is pampered and well-cared for."

"That’s the child of a county official. Their family can’t be compared to ours."

“Don’t say that. They earned the money, so why shouldn’t they spend it on their son? It’s not like they’re spending your money, so why do you care?”

While they were gossiping, they saw several women coming over with bowls in their hands, clearly holding cold skin noodles. One woman exclaimed, “Oh, I should go buy some cold skin noodles too. My husband loves them with his meals.”

“I’m going to get some skewers. My little rascal has been asking for them for days.”

“How do they make those things anyway? I tried making cold skin noodles at home, but they turned out tough and not chewy at all.”

“That’s their moneymaking skill. It’s not something you can easily learn.”

Even the best cooks in the village, and chefs from the restaurant, had tried many times to replicate the cold skin noodles. They knew it was made from flour, but couldn’t get the same texture. After wasting a lot of flour, the chefs gave up, deciding it was better to develop new flavors instead of struggling with something they couldn’t perfect.

Some village women, not wanting to spend money daily, made their own cold skin noodles, which, although not as chewy, were passable when mixed with vinegar and salt.

Tang Li’s small food stall mainly sold cold soup skewers, cold cakes, and cold skin noodles. The cold cakes were made by mixing several kinds of flour and steaming them. They were soft, sticky, and had two slightly sweet fillings.

Tang Xu initially made cold cakes because he wanted to eat them. However, they turned out to be a hit with both the old and young in the family, especially Old Xu. His teeth were mostly loose or gone, and he usually needed soft food. The cold cakes were soft and sticky without being too chewy, and they were refreshingly cool. 

Old Xu ate three pieces in a row. If they weren’t worried about him overindulging, he could have eaten more.

Later, Tang Xu sent Wei Dong to the town’s grain store to buy several types of flour. After teaching Tang Li the proportions, their food stall began selling cold cakes. The cold cakes quickly won over the villagers' hearts.

Some women tried to replicate the cakes at home but failed. While many households could make cakes, theirs often turned out too sticky or would stick to the bowls. Tang Li's cold cakes, however, had a perfect texture that no one could replicate, even after multiple attempts at steaming.

The cold cakes also caught the attention of the Fuyun Restaurant. This time, it wasn’t Boss Wu himself who came but Chef Liu himself. Knowing Tang Xu had just had a baby, Chef Liu brought some gifts, and Boss Wu also brought presents.

“Chef Liu, you’re too kind,” Tang Xu said, placing the chubby baby in the stroller and gently pushing it while smiling at Chef Liu. “Are you here about the cold cakes?”

Chef Liu appreciated his straightforwardness and nodded. “Yes, I’m here to learn your technique.”

Chef Liu patted the young man beside him and laughed, rubbing his hands together. “This is my nephew. He’s been learning from me for two years. I’ll have him cook a meal for you. If you like his cooking, you can keep him. I noticed you’re quite busy here and don’t have a dedicated cook. You don’t need to pay him much, just provide him food and lodging.”

Tang Xu blinked, suddenly realized, is he looking for him to become his apprentice?? 

The problem is, with his mediocre cooking skills, how can he be someone’s master!

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