The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 159

 

| TBBOTOF | 159

While Wei Xi was writing the letter in the study, he looked puzzled and asked, "Do you have an address to send it to?"

Wei Zhonghong froze for a moment. She had overlooked that detail. They only knew Wu Weiming was in the north, but the north was vast with several provinces. They could inquire around, but at the moment...

Tang Xu sighed and, seeing the clear anxiety on Wei Zhonghong's face, reached out to comfort her, "Don't worry, Auntie. If Wu Weiming sent you a letter that means he doesn’t have anything to hide from you. This time, we weren’t prepared. Let’s write the letter first. When he sends another letter, you’ll be ready to reply immediately. You don’t have to limit yourself to just one letter. After three years, you must have a lot to tell him. Write more, and make sure to give the courier extra money for the delivery."

Wei Zhonghong thought it over and nodded, "Alright, Xiao Xi, help your aunt by writing more."

Wei Xi quickly responded, "No problem, Auntie. Don't think my handwriting is ugly.”

"Anything is better than your cousin’s," Wei Zhonghong said. Although her words seemed stern, her expression relaxed significantly.

Tang Xu didn’t stay to listen, knowing it was a mother’s personal advice to her son, and it wasn’t his place to be involved.

With July approaching, it was time to start preparing for the three children’s birthdays. Since the birthdays were close together, Tang Xu planned to celebrate them on the same day, making it a lively family event with a few tables of guests.

He mentioned the plan to Wei Dong, who had no objections and agreed to notify everyone.

On the morning of July 12th, Tang Xu was already busy in the kitchen. Breakfast was simple, just porridge and pancakes, as the grand meal was reserved for lunch.

As he was working, he heard a commotion outside. Peeking out the window, he immediately broke into a delighted smile.

"I thought you guys wouldn’t come back."

The commotion was caused by the return of Tang Erhu and his family of four. Ever since they went to town to open a shop, it seemed like the profits were too good to leave behind. Despite multiple requests for them to come back and rest, they had always refused.

Tang Erhu gave his son a playful glare.

Wang Cuicui, smiling broadly, picked up the chubby toddler who had rushed over and bounced him up and down. She said, "How could we not come back for their birthdays? Your dad has been talking about it for days."

Tang Xu chuckled and grabbed Tang Erhu’s arm, pulling him inside. "Dad, what did you get your three grandsons for their birthdays?"

"Go away, isn’t it hot? I have no money," Tang Erhu said, his face stern. But even as he spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out three small silver bracelets wrapped in red cloth. "Here."

Tang Xu picked up one of the bracelets, smiling as he looked at his father. "Dad, you must have made quite a bit of money to afford these."

Tang Erhu raised his hand and gave Tang Xu a light smack on the head, his action large but with controlled force. "Do you not know whether I made money or not?"

Tang Xu grinned, knowing his father had indeed made quite a bit.

Tang Li and Liu Yao first put their bags away at home and then brought over the things they had bought in town to distribute to everyone. 

The whole family, from the oldest to the youngest, received gifts. Tang Xu didn’t criticize them for spending money; instead, he accepted the gifts with enthusiasm.

"Brother, what do you need help with?"

After not seeing each other for half a year, Tang Li had noticeably matured, a sign that her exposure to the outside world in town had been beneficial.

Tang Xu was considering asking her about her relationship with Liu Yao, but with so many people around, he thought it might make the young girl shy.

"Liu Yao, come help me pick up people," Wei Dong called out to Liu Yao, who was heading toward the kitchen. He gestured for Liu Yao to bring the cow cart and accompany him to pick up guests.

Liu Yao nodded in agreement, quickly telling Tang Li and Tang Xu that he was heading out and then running to the backyard.

Wang Cuicui was inside changing the children’s clothes. She had bought new fabric in town and made three beautiful outfits for them. The clothes made the children look even more refined and lovely.

"They look so good. Our Xiao Bao is just adorable!" Wang Cuicui exclaimed, pulling little Xiao Bao's hand to make him stand on the bed. She admired him from every angle, unable to get enough.

Xiao Bao’s big, bright eyes sparkled as he called out to Wang Cuicui in a sweet, milky voice, "Grandma~~"

Wang Cuicui was initially surprised but then delightedly hugged him, shaking him gently. "You spoke? When your dad went to town last time, I asked him, and he said you weren’t saying anything yet!"

Meanwhile, Er Bao, who had been dressed, was already waddling around on the bed, walking quickly and steadily.

Tang Erhu stood at the edge of the bed, stretching out his arms to act as a guardrail, preventing Er Bao from tumbling off the bed if he moved too fast.

"Why is this kid so full of energy?" Tang Erhu said with a chuckle as he intercepted Er Bao, stepping back a bit to avoid being knocked over.

Er Bao pouted and made a playful noise as he wriggled out of Tang Erhu's arms, and then, with a burst of energy, ran towards the bed and immediately turned to charge back at his grandfather.

Tang Erhu, caught off guard by the sudden burst of movement, let out a yelp and quickly tried to get Er Bao’s little shoes on so he could safely come down from the bed.

"Grandpa, Er Bao is running around!" shouted the chubby boy, his little face full of concern.

But it was too late. Er Bao was already standing on the floor, and the moment Tang Erhu let go, he darted off.

Wei Junsong, now looking like a little adult, covered his face with his hands and shouted at his stunned grandfather, "Grandpa, hurry up and chase him, my little brother is running away!"

In an instant, the room was filled with a chaotic chase. Er Bao dashed around with surprising speed, zigzagging and dodging, making it a challenge for Tang Erhu to catch up. He was clearly well-practiced in the art of running around in the yard.

Meanwhile, the chubby boy was holding onto Xiao Bao’s hand, walking slowly and steadily, showing a mature side for his age.

Wang Cuicui followed behind, worried that if one child fell, the other might not be able to catch him. She was prepared to help if needed, but in reality, both children were moving steadily and cautiously.

"Er Bao! Stop running!" Tang Erhu, now out of breath, shouted hoarsely, his voice strained from the exertion. He tried to call Er Bao back, but the little one was already far off, still darting around with boundless energy.

Wang Cuicui reached out and grabbed Erbao who was running in front of her, and looked up at the men coming from the hallway. With a smile, she said, "You’ve made your grandpa all tired out."

Tang Erhu approached, feigning anger as he swatted at Er Bao’s backside. "How could you run around like this? What if you fall and get hurt?"

Er Bao twisted around, clearly enjoying the attention, and exclaimed, “Let go! Let go!” He wanted to be freed to continue his running spree.

After a few days of being able to walk, Er Bao had quickly taken to running, and he was even more stable on his feet while running than walking. He didn’t just run around; he also enjoyed chasing the large geese in the backyard, much like his older brother used to do. The yard was alive with the commotion of chickens flapping and cats leaping as the children played.

The chubby cat, who had been reluctant to exercise, had found a new purpose in daily play with Er Bao, making for a delightful, harmonious duo.

With sweat pouring down his face, Tang Erhu fanned himself with his hand and turned to Xu Ze, who was holding a tray of water. "Ze'er, could you get me a fan?"

"Yes, Uncle," Xu Ze responded, placing the tray on the table and going into the house to fetch a fan.

Tang Xu, hearing the commotion, came out of the kitchen to see Er Bao in his new clothes, wriggling around restlessly in Wang Cuicui’s arms. His father was seated and drinking water, sweating profusely from the chase.

“Dad, don’t worry about him. Let him run. He’ll stop when he’s tired,” Tang Xu said. Initially, he was concerned about his son falling and was always by his side. 

After being outrunned a couple of times by Er Bao, he stopped following him around. The yard was safe enough, and there was no risk of Er Bao running away.

In the family, only Wei Dong and Tang Yang could keep up with Er Bao’s energy. Even his eldest son was outrunned by his younger brother.

One time, when Wei Xi helped watch Er Bao, the little one nearly made his uncle sick after running after him. 

Tang Xu had scolded Er Bao harshly that time, causing the child to cry loudly and behave more cautiously for three days. 

But as usual, Er Bao was back to his lively self by the fourth day.

Seeing Er Bao wanting to play outside, Tang Xu let Wang Cuicui release him. 

‌‌The fat cat had been lying under the eaves and watching. When Er Bao ran over, it kicked its legs and rushed over to pounce on its legs.

Wang Cuicui was startled, leaning forward, only to see Er Bao grabbing the fat cat with both hands and holding it securely in his arms.

“That cat must weigh at least ten pounds!” Wang Cuicui exclaimed, looking at Tang Xu.

Tang Xu shook off the water on his hands, glanced at the cat being carried on Er Bao’s shoulder, and couldn’t help but smile. “It’s more like fourteen or fifteen pounds. It’s so fat it doesn’t even have a neck.”

People often said that out of ten orange cats, nine are fat, and the one remaining is just a bit thinner. It was certainly true for his own cat, which was so well-fed it looked more like a small mountain lion than a house cat.

“He’s really strong,” Wang Cuicui couldn’t quite understand. A one-year-old child, not to say he’s particularly big, but his strength is impressive. Despite only weighing about thirty kilograms, he managed to carry a rather fat cat steadily and even ran out with it.

Tang Xu raised his hand to brush some stray hair behind his ear. “He is just like his father. Ah Dong’s strength is particularly great, and Er Bao’s strength is also impressive. I was quite surprised the first time I saw him pick up the fat cat.”

Not just surprised—on that day when he saw his son lift the cat onto the kang, he was so startled he almost cried out.

After saying a few words, Tang Xu returned to the kitchen to continue cooking. Since it was the birthday of his children, he had specially baked a cake. However, there was no cream; instead, he had layered fruit jam between the cake layers.

He had made a cake before, and the soft texture received praise from the elders and the children, especially Xiao Bao, who loved it very much. 

Usually, he wasn’t that enthusiastic about meals, but on that day, he grabbed the cake with both hands and ate piece after piece.

The aroma of the baked cake was sweet and inviting. The chubby boy and Xiao Bao stood at the kitchen door, peeking in.

Tang Li turned around and saw the two of them, quickly saying, “Don’t stand there; it’s hot.”

Xiao Bao hadn’t seen Tang Li for a long time and didn’t remember who she was. He looked at Tang Xu and shouted, “Dad! Eat~~”

Tang Xu chuckled. His children, regardless of their age, learned to say "dad" and "eat" first.

“Go wait in the pavilion with your older brother. Grandma and Grandpa will be here soon. Don’t run around, understand?” Tang Xu poked his soft cheek, and seeing him looking up at him in confusion, he smiled and said, “Good boy, Dad will get it for you soon.”

Xiao Bao smiled, not understanding, and chewed on his finger, saying, “Eat!”

“Eat, eat, eat. Here, take this dried meat to chew on,” Tang Xu turned around and handed a piece of dried meat to Xiao Bao, while also wiping his damp little fingers clean.

The chubby boy reached out, saying, “I want some too.”

“Take the bowl outside. When Er Bao sees you two eating, he’ll want some as well. Look after your two younger brothers—and drink your water,” Tang Xu said. Although the dried meat made specifically for the children wasn’t salty, they shouldn’t eat too much.

The chubby boy agreed, holding the dried meat in one hand and pulling his brother with the other, heading to the pavilion.

Wei Dong and Liu Yao had brought the Tang family’s relatives over, and, surprisingly, even Tang Sanhu’s family had come.

Seeing Sanhu’s wife pregnant again, the old lady was shocked.

She didn't even know when she got pregnant!

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