The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 156

 

| TBBOTOF | 156

After breakfast, Tang Xu and Wei Dong arranged for someone to help take care of the children at noon. The kids agreed, but they looked at Tang Xu with concern.

Tang Xu looked confused.

"Brother, what about lunch?" asked Tang Yang with a slightly worried expression as he held Er Bao in his arms.

Tang Xu chuckled, pinching the soft flesh of Er Bao. "I’ve prepared steamed wild vegetable buns for you. I’ve already made the meat filling."

Tang Yang immediately brightened up, set the Er Bao down from his arms, and took his hands, slowly guiding him.

However, Er Bao wasn’t satisfied with the slow pace. He pushed away Tang Yang’s hands and started walking on his own.

Though his balance wasn’t perfect yet, he took a few steps and then sat down.

The little guy wasn’t discouraged. He got up with a determined look and continued.

Tang Xu rubbed his forehead. "Well, looks like he’s getting the hang of it."

Tang Yang was equally surprised and then thrilled. "Er Bao, you’re amazing! Come to uncle!" He took a few steps back and clapped his hands to encourage the baby.

Tang Xu thought this looked quite similar to how he played with his chubby cat.

Wei Xi, holding Xiao Bao in his arms, leisurely swung the baby’s chubby legs while watching Er Bao with amusement.

The chubby boy looked around and then rushed over to hug Tang Xu’s leg, looking up with hopeful eyes. “Daddy, can you take me with you?”

“What for?” Tang Xu asked with a smile.

“To eat!” The little boy puffed out his cheeks and shook his hand holding Tang Xu’s pants.

Tang Xu thought for a moment and nodded. “Alright, I’ll take you along. But remember, you can’t take things from others in the future. Do you remember what Daddy told you?”

“I remember!” The chubby boy nodded vigorously.

Since he had been scolded by his dad after his father complained, he remembered the lesson well.

He knew he shouldn’t take things from others, especially food. His family had everything he needed, and if he wanted something, Daddy would make it for him.

He also knew not to accept money from others and not to believe everything people said.

Daddy had explained that some bad people use sweet words to trick children and then kidnap them to sell them elsewhere. If that happened, there would be no more food or toys, and he wouldn’t have Daddy or Father anymore!

The chubby boy had been very frightened and cried a lot, but he had remembered everything Daddy told him.

After placing the buns into the steamer and telling Wei Xi how long to steam them, the family of three tidied up and set out for the banquet.

On the way, Tang Xu reminded the visibly excited little boy once again not to follow strangers.

The chubby boy nodded eagerly, patting his little chest. “I know!”

When they arrived at Liu San’s house, it wasn’t the grand feast Tang Xu had imagined. Instead, there were three tables set up in the yard, already occupied by many guests who seemed to be familiar faces given their warm expressions.

Tang Xu and Wei Dong’s arrival caused some surprise among the guests.

Liu San’s siblings were all astonished. Liu San quickly came over to greet them, saying, “Come in, come in, come inside.”

As he spoke, he noticed the little boy looking up at him. Liu San saw that the child was really quite good-looking, with features that seemed to highlight his best traits.

“Greet him.” Tang Xu gently tapped the back of the chubby boy’s head.

The chubby boy looked puzzled and turned his face. “What should I call him?”

“...” Tang Xu’s mouth twitched involuntarily. “Call him ‘uncle’.”

“Uncle~~ I’m Wei Junsong, you can call me Ah Song.” The chubby boy, completely at ease, grinned with his big eyes and spoke with a sweet tone.

Liu San was taken aback by the address, feeling a bit flustered. He quickly responded, “Ah, come in, come in. Uncle has candy for you.”

“Thank you, Uncle~” The chubby boy immediately raised his hand, indicating he wanted to hold hands.

Liu San held his hand, feeling a wave of tenderness. He thought to himself that if his own son grew up to be as cheerful and lively as this child, he would be very content.

Upon entering the house, Liu Qiaoniang had just finished feeding her baby and was tidying up her clothes.

Hearing the noise, she looked up and saw Liu San holding the chubby boy’s hand, with Tang Xu and Wei Dong following behind.

She said with surprise, “You’re here! Please, make yourselves comfortable. We’ll be having the meal soon.”

In the room was also an old lady, frail and hunched over, looking quite sickly.

Tang Xu glanced around briefly and did not focus on the old lady. He smiled at Liu Qiaoniang and greeted her, “Auntie.”

The term “Auntie” caused both Liu Qiaoniang and the old lady sitting on the kang to be taken aback. The old lady stared intently at Tang Xu’s face, as if trying to detect some familiar trace from his features.

Unfortunately, Tang Xu didn’t resemble the Liu family but looked more like his own father(ger).

The old lady’s face tightened, and her expression grew less pleasant.

Tang Xu noticed the sudden change in her breathing but chose to ignore it. Instead, he took out a small red envelope from his pocket and handed it to Liu Qiaoniang with a smile, saying, “A gift for my little nephew’s full moon celebration.”

“You…”

“There’s no reason to refuse a red envelope.” Tang Xu interrupted her, pushing the red envelope into her hand. He then said to the chubby boy, “Call her Auntie.”

“Auntie~” The chubby boy took a few steps forward, gave her a sweet smile, then turned to look at the baby on the kang, standing on tiptoe to get a closer look. He then remarked, “He’s fatter than my little brother.”

Liu Qiaoniang laughed and held the red envelope tightly in her hand. Feeling something hard inside, she was taken aback, wondering if it contained something other than copper coins.

“Qiaoniang, is it that child?” The old lady suddenly spoke up.

Liu Qiaoniang nodded, “Yes, Mother, this is my brother’s child, named Xu Ge’er.”

The old lady looked at Tang Xu with a lifted face.

Tang Xu gave a slight nod in acknowledgment but didn’t address her.

The old lady’s mouth moved, but no words came out. Instead, she glanced at Wei Dong, who was standing behind Tang Xu.

Even though Wei Dong was not involved in Liu family village activities, she had heard occasional rumors about him. 

After staying here for a couple of days, she had also heard quite a bit about their situation.

The old lady had been mulling over things for the past few days, and now, with Wei Dong present, she chose to hold back some of her words and swallowed them instead.

The dishes were ready in the kitchen, and Liu San came over to invite everyone to the table.

During a full moon celebration, which is a time for family and friends to gather, Liu San had spared no expense. The three tables were lavishly set with a variety of dishes, including meat, fish, and alcohol.

Wei Dong drank a bowl of wine but abstained from drinking further, while Tang Xu and the chubby boy enjoyed their meal quite happily.

The food was delicious, and the chubby boy, with a full belly, was contentedly eating meat.

“Dad, eat this.” He used his chopsticks to put a meatball into Tang Xu’s bowl.

Tang Xu smiled and thanked him.

The table was filled with relatives from Liu Qiaoniang’s side. They were unfamiliar with the exact nature of Tang Xu’s relationship with the Liu family, but his striking face seemed oddly familiar.

Some of them eyed him with suspicion, finding his expressions and mannerisms somewhat recognizable.

However, no one brought up any unnecessary questions at the moment. The table was filled with the aroma of delicious food, and everyone was focused on eating.

As the meal neared its end, Liu Qiaoniang came out holding the baby, showed him to everyone, and then went back inside. She had called Tang Xu over, saying that the old lady wanted to speak with him.

Wei Dong glanced at him from the side.

The meaning was clear, and it was evident that she wanted to question him about something.

Tang Xu shrugged and patted the chubby boy’s shoulder. “You sit here and behave. Dad will be back soon.”

The chubby boy nodded and moved closer to his father. “I’ll be good~”

Tang Xu tapped his forehead with a smile and turned to enter the room.

Inside, the old lady was still sitting cross-legged on the kang. Upon seeing Tang Xu enter, she immediately spoke, “Even though you’re married now, you’re still part of the Liu family. You can’t forget your roots.”

Tang Xu was puzzled. What did she mean? Did she want him to acknowledge his heritage?

The issue was that the Liu family didn’t seem to care much for gers.

Liu Qiaoniang didn't expect her mother to say such a thing. When she asked her to call Tang Xu just now, she said that it was not easy to see him and she wanted to give him a red envelope as a little thought from an elder.

But now, it seemed like her mother was making demands.

“Mother!” Liu Qiaoniang exclaimed anxiously. “You didn’t say that earlier.”

“What did I say wrong? Isn’t he part of the Liu family?” The old lady retorted, her voice rising.

Her raised voice startled the sleeping baby, who began to wail loudly.

The old lady frowned in irritation, clearly bothered by the commotion.

Tang Xu looked at the old lady with a smile and asked, “You haven’t even fed me a bite, so how can you say such words? We’re not really acquainted, are we?”

The old lady was taken aback, clearly not expecting such a response.

“You! Do you have any manners?” she demanded angrily.

“No,” Tang Xu responded with a cold laugh. “Manners are useless if they don’t fill your stomach.” He rolled his eyes, glanced at Liu Qiaoniang, and smiled.

“Auntie, we’ve eaten. It’s time for the kids naptime, so we’ll be heading back. I’ll bring over some clothes that Er Bao and Xiao Bao used to wear for my little nephew in a few days. It will save a lot, so I hope you don’t dislike it.”

“Not at all, not at all. How could I mind?” Liu Qiaoniang replied with a broad smile.

Tang Xu nodded at her, then turned to leave. After taking a step, he looked back at the old lady and said, “My surname is Tang. I’m Tang Xu.”

With that, he walked out decisively.

The old lady was infuriated by his final remark and slammed her thigh, about to yell. Liu Qiaoniang intervened, “Mother, do you want everyone to hear this?”

The old lady, still fuming, snapped, “I’m doing this for you!”

“For me? Mother, I’m not foolish. I can understand what you’re trying to do. This is his success; it has nothing to do with us.” Liu Qiaoniang calmed the crying baby and opened the red envelope Tang Xu had given. 

Inside was a small silver lock.

“What’s this?” the old lady asked, reaching out.

Liu Qiaoniang didn’t hand it to her but showed it briefly. “Mother, sit down. I need to take this back to Xu Ge’er.”

The old lady snatched the small silver lock from Liu Qiaoniang’s hand. She examined it and scoffed, “Such a small thing, he does not even know how to properly give a gift for his elders.”

Liu Qiaoniang felt particularly uncomfortable but carefully put the silver lock away, thinking she might find an opportunity to return it to Tang Xu in the future.

After leaving Liu San’s house, Tang Xu and Wei Dong took the baby on a mule cart back home. 

On the way, they ran into Luo Pingping. Tang Xu called out in surprise, “Auntie!”

Luo Pingping turned, surprised to see them. “Where did you go? I thought you’d be at home.”

“We had a meal and some wine. What brings you here?” Tang Xu asked, gesturing to her to get in the cart.

Luo Pingping waved her hand. “I just went on a short walk; no need for a cart. I’m fine.”

Tang Xu decided to walk with her back home and asked Wei Dong to take their son ahead.

As they walked side by side, Luo Pingping glanced around to make sure no one was listening and asked, “How’s your father’s business?”

“Quite good,” Tang Xu raised an eyebrow, smiling at her. “Auntie, are you here for that?”

Luo Pingping, feeling a bit embarrassed, rubbed her hands together and nodded. “Yes, that’s the reason.”

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