The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 179

 

| TBBOTOF | 179

Snow fell intermittently. Whenever it did, they would continue to sweep it away.

By the end of the year, many who had gone out to work had returned to the village. Even though the weather was cold, there were many people out and about, creating a warm atmosphere.

On the third morning of the bitter medicine, the sound of a bell jingling came from outside the door.

"Who is it?" Opening the door to the small clinic outside, the person saw someone standing there and was momentarily stunned.

"Is Old Wen here?" Tang Qi’s face was full of anxiety.

Xu Ze nodded and opened the door wide. "Brother Qi, are your children ill?"

Tang Qi responded, "Both of them are sick."

"Ah?" Xu Ze was taken aback. Following Tang Qi's gaze, he saw a person covered tightly with a cotton quilt sitting on a cart pulled by a cow cart.

The person was wrapped up so tightly that Xu Ze didn’t realize it was a person at first glance.

At this moment, seeing movement by the side, Xu Ze realized that someone was holding a child.

He quickly pulled the door open wide and signaled Tang Qi to drive the cow cart into the yard.

Tang Qi thanked him and turned to drive the cart, while Xu Ze ran off to call Old Wen.

The old elders woke up every day before dawn and was currently in their room reading medical books.

It's said that one should learn as long as they live, and they followed this principle. Apart from preparing medicinal materials every day, they would read books. 

When the weather was good, they even took the medical books out to sun them, saying it helped prevent moisture and mildew.

Upon hearing the sound of the bell, the two elders had already started putting on their cotton jackets. This year, Tang Xu had new cotton jackets made, long ones reaching to the calves. 

They looked odd but were particularly warm, light as a feather, and very comfortable to wear.

Old Wen, who was curious, unzipped the lining and discovered it was stuffed with a lot of feathers.

If he had asked Tang Xu, Tang Xu would have told him that the feathers was from ducks and geese raised at home. Despite having many ducks and geese, they had only collected enough for these two long down jackets.

This winter has been especially cold, and thanks to these two down jackets, the two elders was kept from catching a cold while going in and out.

Although others don’t have down jackets, they do have rabbit fur capes, rabbit fur gloves, and the three little ones also have rabbit fur pants and boots. They look incredibly cute when they walk around in their furry outfits.

That said, Xu Ze ran over to call for help, and the two elders came out together. 

Old Xu, who had poor mobility and walked slowly, was reprimanded by Old Wen, “I already said the children are ill. Why did you come? You could have stayed inside and continued reading.”

Originally, Xu Ze was worried about Old Xu slipping and falling due to the cold and slippery roads, but it sounded quite harsh coming from Old Wen.

Fortunately, the two old friends had known each other for many years and were familiar with each other's personalities; otherwise, their friendship might have fallen out over this.

Hearing this, Old Xu glared at him and retorted, “Books can be read anytime. If both children are sick, can you handle it alone? I should help you.”

Old Wen gave a small laugh, muttering “old fool” under his breath, and reached out to help.

The two of them arrived at the small clinic, and as soon as they entered, they saw only Tang Qi and his wife, along with the little boy wrapped tightly in a quilt.

“Didn’t you say both children were ill? Where’s the other one?” Old Wen asked.

Old Xu went over and pulled down the quilt slightly to see the child’s flushed face and quickly said, “Don’t keep them wrapped up so tightly. They can hardly breathe.”

Tang Qi’s wife, who was from another village, also had the surname Li and was named Juanzi.

Li Juanzi, upon hearing this, quickly turned her face to look at Tang Qi, her expression anxious.

Tang Qi nodded and gave a polite gesture to the elderly couple, “My youngest brother is also sick. Both of them have developed rashes all over their bodies and have a fever. My mother called a herbalist to prepare a medicinal bath for them. I was worried it might be a contagious disease, so I hurriedly brought them over for a check-up.”

Old Xu glanced at Old Wen, giving him a look.

Old Wen stepped forward to examine the child. After observing for a moment and frowning slightly, he pulled back the quilt to reveal the rash-covered body, indeed almost entirely covered in red spots.

“Does he scratch?” Old Wen asked Li Juanzi.

Li Juanzi shook her head, “No, just cries.”

Old Wen nodded slightly, indicating for her to open the child’s mouth and check the tongue.

Meanwhile, Xu Ze ran to the kitchen to inform Tang Xu that Tang Qi had arrived. Tang Xu, still puzzled, placed the freshly made dumplings into the pot, saying, “So early? You should have him come over here.” He thought Tang Qi had come to deliver the monthly share of earnings.

Xu Ze waved his hand, picking up a spatula to help with the pancakes. “No, he brought his child to see the doctor. Both children at his home are ill.”

Tang Xu frowned and turned to him, “What illness?”

“I’m not sure. My great-grandfather and Old Wen have gone over. If they came so early, it must be something serious,” Xu Ze said, quickly covering his mouth.

Tang Xu gave him a helpless look, “You can’t speak like this in front of others. It’s considered bad manners.”

Xu Ze nodded repeatedly, “Got it.”

Tang Xu soon finished frying a small basket of dumplings. After a moment of thought, he wiped his hands and said to Xu Ze, “Ze;er, finish frying the rest and call us for dinner. I’ll go take a look.”

“Alright.” Xu Ze placed the dumplings Tang Xu had prepared into the pan, drizzling a little oil on the surface, and focused intently, keeping the spatula ready at hand.

Tang Xu smiled and said, “Don’t be so nervous. It’s just cooking, no need to be so tense.”

“I can’t help it; I’m afraid they’ll burn,” Xu Ze shook his head, still keeping his eyes on the pan.

Tang Xu shrugged and patted him on the shoulder before heading out.

When he returned to the house, he saw Wei Dong dressing the three children. Looking up at Tang Xu’s arrival, he raised an eyebrow, “Is it time to eat?”

“Yeah, almost. You all can eat after washing up. I’ll go to the small clinic to check. Ze’er said Tang Qi brought his child to see the doctor. I’m not sure how it’s going,” Tang Xu glanced at the three children sprawled on the kang and asked, “When will the bed be ready?”

“They said it would take a couple of days. It’s too cold to work properly right now,” Wei Dong said, putting a cotton vest on Xiao Bao, smiling at how cute he looked as he wobbled on the kang.

Xiao Bao, still half-asleep, rubbed his eyes and leaned against Wei Dong with a pout, clearly not fully awake.

Er Bao was in the best spirits. Even though winter clothes were thick, he could still manage to put on summer clothes by himself.

Wiggling his bottom, he slid off the kang and, wearing his small cotton boots, looked up at Tang Xu and said, “Go eat, yay~”

“What ‘yay,’ say ‘meat’!” The chubby little one also got off the kang and, seeing his younger brother had put his clothes on backward, bent down to pat his little leg, “It’s backward. Change it.”

Er Bao looked down, noticed his slippers were on the wrong feet, and switched them.

“Yay!”

“Meat!” The chubby one corrected him and turned to Tang Xu, “Dad, why can’t my brother talk properly?”

“It’s normal for their age. It’s rare to have someone who can babble so much before one year old,” Tang Xu said, pinching the chubby one’s cheek. He had lost quite a bit of weight due to illness recently, and his face had lost some of its plumpness.

The chubby boy nodded, taking it as praise, “I’m awesome!”

“Go wash your face and brush your teeth. Look after your brother; make sure he brushes properly,” Tang Xu said, poking Er Bao’s cheek.

He thought to himself that with how quickly these two children were growing, they’d probably be taller than him before they even hit ten years old.

“Ah Dong, after you’ve finished washing, go to the main room to eat. I’ll check on the situation over here.”

Wei Dong agreed.

Tang Xu hurried to the small clinic. The fire pot inside kept the room warm. As he lifted the curtain and entered, he saw Old Wen writing a prescription.

“Everything okay?” Tang Xu asked, looking at Tang Qi.

Tang Qi gave a tired smile. The past few days had been chaotic with the children’s illness, leaving him and his wife exhausted and nearly neglecting their business.

“Nothing serious, no smallpox,” Old Wen replied casually.

Tang Xu was startled. Back then, without vaccines, diseases like smallpox, which were highly contagious and difficult to treat, could be very dangerous.

Old Wen nodded, “Just a common rash. The children are young and it’s a normal occurrence. They’ll be fine after taking the medicine for a couple of days.”

“Besides your child, what about him?” Tang Xu looked at Tang Qi, “Is your younger brother also sick?”

Tang Qi nodded, sighing, “My mother said it’s nothing serious and called a herbalist to check him.”

He didn’t fully trust herbalists, but with both of the younger children falling ill with similar symptoms, it was concerning. Such matters needed careful attention; what if it really turned out to be something as serious as smallpox?

“This ointment,” Old Wen said, handing a prescription to Old Xu, “apply it once a day, and give the medicine once a day. Boil two bowls of water down to half a bowl. Don’t let it burn.”

Old Xu took the prescription, examined it carefully, and nodded, “Add a bit of licorice, it will make it sweeter!”

“You old fool, why are you adding licorice to every medicine? Just follow the prescription as it is,” Old Wen scolded.

“You can’t have little children drinking bitter medicine without them fussing. There are no conflicting properties in the medicine, so a bit of licorice won’t hurt,” Old Xu grumbled, adding licorice to the prescription himself.

He muttered, “It also helps with coughing, clearing heat and detoxifying.”

Old Wen didn’t argue further, only said, “Add a small amount, don’t overdo it.”

“Got it, got it. I’m not foolish,” Old Xu said, waving the prescription and then handing it to Tang Xu, “Go, get the medicine.”

“I’m supposed to get the medicine?” Tang Xu looked puzzled, glancing at the list of herbs on the prescription. He recognized the names, but the quantities and proportions were beyond him.

“Where’s Ze’er?” Old Xu looked around, not seeing his grandchild.

“He’s frying dumplings. I made lamb-stuffed dumplings, and also cooked some thin porridge and salted eggs. Once we’re done here, we’ll head back for a meal,” Tang Xu said, shaking the prescription he was holding. 

“I’ll have Ze’er get the medicine later. Brother Qi, you and your wife should come over for a meal. It’s freezing cold; you probably didn’t have time to eat before rushing over.”

Tang Qi thought for a moment, then nodded, “Alright, thank you, Brother Xu.”

“Don’t mention it. We’re all family here. Bring the child over; it’s a good time to apply the ointment,” Tang Xu said.

Old Wen added, “Apply the ointment in a bit. For such young children with a fever, don’t keep them too bundled up. If the heat doesn’t escape, it might make things worse.”

Li Juanzi quickly nodded in agreement.

In the side room, Tang Xu took the ointment from Old Wen. Li Juanzi fed the baby and then applied the ointment to his body. The redness on the child’s skin was noticeably reduced.

Li Juanzi finally sighed in relief, gently patting her son who had fallen into a deep sleep.

After four or five days, he was finally calm.

The door creaked open, and Tang Qi came in with a tray and bowls, bringing three dumplings and a bowl of porridge. “Let’s eat. After we finish, we’ll head home.”

“Mm,” Li Juanzi placed the baby down beside her and picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks. “Brother Xu’s cooking skills are really impressive; these dumplings are all the same size.”

“The filling is fragrant too,” Tang Qi said, watching her eat while glancing at their sleeping son. He complained, “I had suggested that we bring my younger brother too, but she wouldn’t listen.”

Li Juanzi paused in her chewing, took a sip of porridge, and didn’t respond.

“Once we get home, we should also try the ointment on the younger brother. He keeps crying all the time and it’s quite disruptive,” Tang Qi added.

Li Juanzi nodded slightly but didn’t say anything further.

Tang Qi sighed and said, “You eat first. I’ll go over to eat too.”

“Okay.”

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