The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 165

 

| TBBOTOF | 165

At the crack of dawn, the couple woke up together. Wei Dong went out to get the cart ready, while Tang Xu headed to the kitchen to boil water and prepare breakfast.

Tang Xu also baked some small cakes to take along, knowing the children might get hungry on the road. He steamed a pot of egg custard and made plenty of crispy pancakes. 

For the main dish, he chopped some vegetables and stir-fried them with minced meat. Then he called out to the courtyard, "Breakfast is ready!"

Xu Ze hurried over to carry the crispy pancakes on a bamboo tray, Tang Yang brought out the stir-fried minced meat and vegetables, and Wei Xi carried the steamed egg custard. 

Afterward, the three of them went back to fetch the porridge and utensils.

Recently, Grandpa Xu's health had been declining, and he often had bouts of coughing. Tang Xu prepared a lily and pear soup in a small clay pot for him, serving two bowls and placing them on a tray.

Meanwhile, Wei Dong had already dressed the three boys and was helping them wash up.

When Tang Xu returned to the house, he saw Wei Dong holding a comb, carefully brushing the boys' hair as they sat in a row. Noticing Wei Dong's nervous grip on the comb, Tang Xu chuckled and reached out, "Let me do it. I'll comb their hair."

Although the boys' hair was short, it couldn't be left loose, so Tang Xu tied it up neatly. Each boy had two small tufts of hair on top of their heads, secured with hair ties made from cowhide. 

After finishing their hair, Tang Xu turned around and applied a bit of lotion to each of their faces.

The face cream Tang Xu used was homemade, using a recipe given by Old Wen. It had a pleasant fragrance, was non-greasy, and felt quite comfortable when applied. Tang Xu had made a large batch, distributing some to each household. 

Especially during the harsh winter winds, which left faces dry and chapped, the cream was a necessity for keeping the skin moisturized.

Old Wen had mentioned that this face cream was originally made for the nobility in the palace, with a specially blended formula of various ingredients that was far superior to what was sold outside. 

He even jokingly asked Tang Xu if he wanted to make more and sell it.

Tang Xu declined, saying he had no interest in that. The cream was applied directly to the face, and with so many different herbs in the mix, there was no telling who might be allergic to what. If someone had a bad reaction and their face became damaged, he’d be responsible and likely wouldn't just be paying a fine.

Besides, only wealthy and powerful families would buy such things for their household. Poorer families wouldn’t spend money on luxuries like this. 

Tang Xu had even seen Tang Li rubbing lard on her face several times, saying it helped keep her skin from becoming too chapped.

After getting the three children ready, Tang Xu led them to the dining room for breakfast. He served each child a bowl of egg custard and gave them a small pastry.

The pastries came in three flavors: one filled with sesame paste, one with red bean paste, and a savory one without filling. The warm pastries crumbled easily, and Old Xu ended up with crumbs caught in his beard.

Er Bao grabbed a pastry and started stuffing it into his mouth. Tang Xu quickly intervened, "Take small bites, or you’ll choke!"

Er Bao obediently took a small bite, chewing and swallowing it quickly before taking another. However, small bites didn’t satisfy his appetite.

Meanwhile, Wei Dong ate his pastry in two large bites, then took a gulp of multigrain porridge.

Er Bao's eating habits were quite in sync with his father's, but since Tang Xu insisted on smaller bites, it took Er Bao four or five bites to finish a single pastry. 

After that, he held his small bowl with both hands, taking a gulp of multigrain porridge while still managing to scoop egg custard into his mouth with a spoon. His movements, though a bit unrefined, were effective.

Da Bai, the chubby boy sitting nearby, ate quickly as well. Though his actions were slightly more refined than his younger brother's, they weren't much different.

Xiao Bao, on the other hand, ate slowly, taking very small bites of his pastry. By the time his two older brothers had each finished two pastries, he was still working on his first half. 

The egg custard had cooled slightly, and Tang Xu scooped up a spoonful to feed him. "Bao'er, have a bite," he coaxed gently.

Xiao Bao obediently opened his mouth and took the bite.

Old Xu, sipping his lily pear soup, watched Tang Xu feeding the child and remarked, "You should let him eat by himself. It's not like he refuses to eat." 

Xiao Bao might eat slowly, but he wasn't like some children who wouldn't eat unless fed.

Normally, Tang Xu did let him eat on his own. Since the little guy had a small appetite and ate slowly, they'd usually wait for him to finish after everyone else. 

But today was different. Tang Xu explained, "We’re taking them to town later. If we leave early, we can be back by evening."

"Why rush? You can stay overnight and come back tomorrow," Old Wen suggested, setting down his bowl of porridge and splitting a sesame-filled pastry with Old Xu. "There's nothing to do at home."

Tang Xu didn't really want to rush either, but he worried they might not have enough to eat while away.

Xu Ze quickly chimed in, "I can cook this time; I'm not sick anymore."

"Brother-in-law, you don’t need to hurry back. Ah Yang and I can help Brother Ze in the kitchen," Wei Xi added, offering his assistance.

Tang Yang nodded in agreement, knowing they could handle things at home, take care of the livestock in the backyard, and there was no urgent need to rush back.

Tang Xu glanced at Wei Dong, who gave a brief "Alright." There was no rush to return; they could stay in town for a few more days. 

Plus, Wei Dong was considering taking a trip to the county, which was closer from the town.

On the way there, Tang Xu asked casually, "What are you planning to do in the county?"

Wei Dong was holding Er Bao, who was sitting on his lap. 

Er Bao was poking the mule’s rear end with a small stick. Wei Dong gave him a light slap on the back of his hand, causing Er Bao to pout in grievance. He twisted around and stretched his hand out to Tang Xu, showing his slightly reddened hand. "It hurts!"

"Serves you right. If the mule got angry and kicked you, it would be more than just a red hand," Tang Xu said while half-heartedly rubbing Er Bao’s hand.

Er Bao sniffled but didn’t cry—he was tough!

Wei Dong looked down at him and said in a stern voice, "If you poke it again, you'll have to get down and run alongside the cart."

Er Bao didn’t quite understand the words but was frightened by his father's cold tone. He immediately burst into tears, throwing his head back and wailing.

The chubby boy, who had been playing with Xiao Bao in the cart, heard his younger brother crying and quickly crawled over to check, "What's wrong?"

"He got scolded by your father." Tang Xu patted his eldest son’s head. "You two keep playing; don’t get involved. Otherwise, your father might scold you too."

"Why would he scold me? I’m being good," the chubby boy retorted, though he still obediently returned to the cart. 

He saw Xiao Bao had knocked over the blocks they’d been building together and sighed, "Bao'er, it looks better when it's built up, not knocked down."

Xiao Bao wiggled his little feet, swaying them back and forth as he watched his older brother continue to build the blocks. 

As soon as the chubby boy had built up two layers, Xiao Bao stretched out his foot and kicked them down, knocking them over in one swift move.

The chubby boy didn’t get upset; he just kept building again.

The two of them played in harmony—one building, the other knocking down the blocks.

Tang Xu glanced over at them, he held Er Bao, who was still sniffling in his arms. He thought to himself how fortunate it was that his eldest son had such a good temperament. 

If it were Er Bao in the chubby boy's place, he would have thrown a fit and caused quite a scene.

“Why do you think Er Bao didn’t inherit your temper?” Tang Xu asked.

Wei Dong didn’t catch on immediately. “What do you mean?”

“You’re so calm and steady, but look at Er Bao—he’s like a firecracker, crying at the slightest thing,” Tang Xu said, patting Er Bao, who whimpered and nestled deeper into Tang Xu’s embrace, burying his head against Tang Xu's chest, refusing to let go.

“I was like that when I was a kid,” Wei Dong replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow, imagining what his usually stern and resolute husband must have been like as a child. He could almost picture the same stubbornness and fiery temper.

“Have you ever thought about the future?” Tang Xu asked, glancing down at Er Bao, who was now starting to drift off to sleep, lulled by the motion of the cart. 

Tang Xu gently patted him, his voice softening. “What do you think our three kids will be like when they grow up?”

As a father, he couldn’t help but think about the future, especially about how they could raise these three children to grow into capable and successful adults.

It's not that he wants them to grow up; it's just that he feels they need to go out and see the world. They can't stay in the village their whole lives.

Even though he’s not someone who likes to go out much, he still hope that the kids can rely on their own abilities to venture out.

Wei Dong turned his head to look and saw the two kids in the vehicle. The chubby one was holding Xiao Bao, both lying down with a blanket over them, already asleep.

Er Bao was nestled in Tang Xu's arms, also fast asleep.

He glanced at Tang Xu. They had been living together for more than three years, and time had passed so quickly. He could still clearly recall the moment when he first accepted the rolled pancake that Tang Xu handed him.

Wei Dong was silent for a while before saying, 'We'll find a son-in-law for Xiao Bao in the future.'

Tang Xu was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, 'Why, are you afraid someone might bully your son?'

He asked casually, not expecting his man to look at him seriously and nod several times with determination.

Tang Xu was stunned for a moment and then teased him, 'So, what kind of husband do you want to find for him?'"

Wei Dong paused for a moment without saying anything.

Tang Xu noticed the increasingly gloomy expression on Wei Dong's face and wondered why he was getting so upset.

"Let him marry a woman."

Although it's commonly accepted that gers who can bear children are expected to marry men, there have been cases of gers who don't like men and end up marrying women. 

Though this might lead to some gossip, it's not forbidden.

Tang Xu widened his eyes, "What?" 

He didn't mind the idea of a ger marrying a woman. He always thought that when their son grew up, he could marry or be married to whomever he wanted. 

So whether Xiao Bao married or was married to someone wasn't something he had given much thought to.

But Wei Dong was already considering the idea of Xiao Bao marrying a woman when he was only a year and a half old, which seemed a bit ahead of its time.

With a stern expression, Wei Dong said coldly, "When he grows up, he'll look even more like you."

Tang Xu had a puzzled look on his face, then suddenly understood.

He couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

He shook with laughter for quite a while, and Er Bao, who had been asleep in his arms, squirmed uncomfortably. 

Tang Xu quickly placed the child back in the carriage, then shifted his body to lean against his man, and whispered, "Are you jealous?"

Wei Dong huffed in response.

Their youngest son's face looked as if it had been copied directly from Tang Xu's, and Wei Dong feared that as he grew older, he would look even more like his husband.

Looking at their youngest son, who resembled his husband, and imagining him marrying a man made Wei Dong feel uncomfortable.

In fact, he was considering not letting their son marry at all in the future. He also couldn't bear the thought of his son marrying a woman.

Not hearing him speak, Tang Xu stared at him for a moment, processing his thoughts. Then, unable to hold back, he laughed and kissed Wei Dong's chin, saying, "Don’t be upset. Maybe when he grows up, he won't look so much like me."

Wei Dong managed a faint smile, lowered his head to look at him, and wrapped his arms around him without saying a word.

In his heart, he thought, how could he not look like him? 

He resembled him so much as a child; he would probably look even more like him when he grows up.

Tang Xu listened to the steady beat of Wei Dong's heart and smiled.

He felt really happy to have someone who cared about him so deeply.

"It seems a bit early for us to be thinking about this now. Let’s leave it to them to decide later. If they want to marry, they will; so don’t worry about it," Tang Xu said, reaching up to touch Wei Dong's face to comfort him. "I'll always be here with you, and I won’t go anywhere. So don’t dwell on unhappy thoughts."

As for the fact that he was the one who brought up this topic, Tang Xu chose not to dwell on it.

Wei Dong nodded, leaned down, and kissed him.

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