| TBBOTOF | 205
While chatting at home, the old lady still felt a bit tired, so she went inside to tidy up and then lay down on the kang.
It was quite warm, but the old lady complained that he was wasting the heat.
“It’s already March; why are you still heating the bed?” Motioning for Tang Xu to take a seat.
There are plenty of dry branches in the mountains. If you don’t collect them, they’ll pile up, and soon it’ll be hard to walk up there. This way, it’s nice and warm.
“We took them out to dry earlier. If you feel uncomfortable sleeping, just tell me, and I’ll change it for you.”
Wu Guizhi nodded with a smile, “It’s comfortable. It’s better than at home. Your grandpa’s feet stink; after working in the fields, he complains he’s too tired to wash his feet. I’ve been arguing with him about it for ages, and I’ve long wanted to avoid sleeping in the same room with him!”
Tang Xu almost laughed. “I’ll make a few fragrant sachets for you tomorrow; you can hang them in your room.”
Wu Guizhi waved her hand dismissively, her face showing distaste. “What’s the point? It’ll just end up smelling worse with the combination. I remember when I tried putting fresh flowers in the summer to make the room smell nice; the flowery scent mixed with the foot odor and almost made me faint that night.”
She reminded him daily to wash his feet; she’d been doing so for decades. Unfortunately, after so many years, he still hadn’t developed the habit.
After a long day of work, he’d just kick off his shoes and get on the bed, as if he couldn’t smell that awful odor.
If it weren't for the lack of extra rooms at home, she really wouldn’t want to share a bed with him.
Tang Xu couldn't help but cover his mouth and laugh.
It really was tough for the old lady; no wonder every time he passed by the main house, the windows were wide open—it seemed she was airing out the smell.
“Grandma, you should rest for a bit…”
“What’s there to sleep for? If I sleep now, I won’t be able to sleep at night. You sit here, and let’s chat for a while,” the old lady interrupted him, her cloudy eyes sparkling at that moment.
Tang Xu was a bit surprised and looked at her. “Then I’ll go get some snacks; I’m a bit hungry after the walk.”
He went to the kitchen to grab the homemade sweet snacks and baked biscuits, along with some dried apricots and hawthorn cake.
He also poured two large cups of flower tea, placed everything on a tray, and carried it back to the room.
Passing by the main house, he peeked in through the window and vaguely saw Wang Cuicui sitting by the bed sewing something, while his three children were lying on the bed sprawled out in a rather awkward position.
The custom-made two-layer wooden bed would be installed soon once the weather warmed up, and Tang Xu was really looking forward to the day when his children would move out of the kang.
As he grew, it felt like there wasn’t enough space on the bed for him to roll around. At night, he often worried, afraid he might fall off.
The old lady wasn’t lying down either; she took advantage of his absence to set up the low table and sat cross-legged on the bedding.
When Tang Xu came back in and saw her eager expression, he laughed, “Grandma, do you have something you want to tell me?”
He placed the tray on the low table and went back out to grab a large bowl of five-spice peanuts. “Grandma, try these; I made them a couple of days ago, and they’re really soft.”
Even though the peanut shells were still intact, the peanuts inside were almost melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Both Old Wen and Old Xu loved them, and when they were freshly made, they would enjoy them with a small cup of sorghum liquor.
The old lady reached in and grabbed a couple, putting one in her mouth. As she cracked the shell open, the soft peanut filling inside was pleasantly salty with a hint of spice.
Wu Guizhi hummed, captivated by the texture and flavor.
“These taste a bit like the meat you stew,” she said after taking three bites.
Tang Xu nodded, taking a bite of a piece of sweet crispy cake. It was soft and slightly sweet, complemented by sesame, walnuts, and melon seeds, filling his mouth with delicious flavor.
Before, Wei Dong had taken Liu Yao to the mountains to pick a lot of wild grapes.
Although the grapes were small, they were very sweet. Tang Xu dried some into raisins, and they were already all gone.
He planned to go into the mountains with Wei Dong again this summer, to pick some wild grapes, wild pears, and apricots. With so many people at home, they could consume a lot.
Dried fruits were his favorite during winter, and he could also make some canned fruits to freeze in the icehouse; they tasted pretty good.
The fruit trees that Wei Dong had transplanted two years ago should bear fruit this year. After a couple of years, he hoped to see some returns; otherwise, it would be a waste of the fertilizer he used for irrigation.
“I want to cook some sunflower seeds, but they have to be roasted after boiling, which is too much trouble, so I didn’t do it. If you like this flavor, I’ll make you a pot of marinated peanuts.” He pushed a cup of flower tea toward her.
The fragrance of jasmine wafted up with the steam, prompting the old lady to take a deep sniff, savoring the aroma.
The old lady held the cup, blowing gently and inhaling the aroma. The wrinkles on her face relaxed as she said, “Your jasmine tea is really good.”
“There’s plenty more; I’ll dry some when they bloom this year.”
In his yard, there were many wildflowers that Wei Dong had brought from the mountains. Some Tang Xu recognized and knew could be dried and brewed, while others he didn’t know, but the old man said they had medicinal properties, so he made sure nothing went to waste.
By the way, the mandrake in the yard didn’t survive; it wilted shortly after being dug up.
However, Tang Xu collected the entire plant and stored it properly. Before Wei Dong left, he even gave him some just in case, since his husband knew how to use it.
The old lady smiled as she sipped the flower tea, then grabbed a piece of the small square sweet cake, taking a bite and chewing with satisfaction.
Tang Xu munched on two pieces of sweet cake and two biscuits, washing them down with some flower tea, finally easing his hunger.
“Grandma, do you want to talk about something?” He realized they had been eating without really discussing anything.
Wu Guizhi nodded, knowing his personality, and got straight to the point. “Have you heard Dongzi mention anything about someone in our village gambling?”
Tang Xu was taken aback, feeling a bit confused. He hadn’t expected the old lady to want to gossip.
Thinking it over, he shook his head. “No, Ah Dong doesn’t gamble and doesn’t have much contact with people in the village.”
Wu Guizhi sighed, looking troubled. “Your uncle borrowed some money from your grandpa a while ago and kept it a secret. Your grandpa only has a little change—just a few coins. How could he lend him money?”
Tang Xu's heart sank. This conversation was taking a turn he hadn’t anticipated.
Ignoring his conflicted expression, the old lady took a sip of the flower tea, as if she had been holding this in for a long time and finally found someone to share her thoughts with.
She went on, “Your grandpa said the first time he borrowed a few coins, he thought it was too little, but he promised to pay it back quickly. Then he borrowed again—one or two silver coins. Your grandpa didn’t give it to him and didn’t believe his excuse about buying wine and meat. Our family is doing well now; we eat meat almost every day, and you bring over so much wine. He and your grandpa never lack for food and drink.”
Tang Xu couldn't help but twitch his mouth. How should he put this?
Tang Dahu really didn’t seem to have much sense, borrowing money from his own father to gamble.
Surely a father would understand his son better than anyone else?
“When your grandpa first heard about it, he thought your uncle was keeping a mistress,” the old lady sighed.
Seeing Tang Xu’s expression, she clicked her tongue. “At that time, no one thought he would gamble; no one in our family was into that.”
Tang Xu nodded, his expression complicated. “Yeah, Dad doesn’t like it either. He says just hearing him shout and fuss gives him a headache.”
What he didn’t know was that his husband had caused quite a scene at the casino.
“Exactly! Then he got scolded. He said he wasn’t fooling around; he was just gambling. That’s when we found out he lost and is in debt.” The old lady's eyes widened. “How can he be so foolish!”
Tang Xu pouted, got up to refill the old lady's cup, and then sat back down. “How much does he owe?”
The old lady raised her hand and held up four fingers.
Tang Xu hesitantly asked, “Four taels?” That wouldn’t be too much.
The old lady clicked her tongue, shaking her head.
“Forty taels?” Tang Xu frowned.
The old lady nodded.
“Forty taels isn’t too much; Auntie should have saved quite a bit these past couple of years. She could probably come up with that,” he said, but if Auntie found out that her husband was gambling and in debt, it would certainly disrupt their household.
“It’s not just about paying it back,” the old lady set her cup down, looking troubled. “He has a gambling addiction now, he sneaks out every few days. Whenever he comes back, it’s always in secret. You can’t tell me he’s not going to gamble again!”
Tang Xu took a deep breath, slowly exhaling.
This was becoming quite a problem.
However, with the busy farming season upon them, most men were out working in the fields, so it seemed unlikely that many would be gambling with Tang Dahu.
But then again, there were certainly people who didn’t need to work—plenty of lazy men, idlers, and some spoiled younger sons at home.
“Grandma, are you asking Dongzi if he knows any gamblers because you want him to help?” he asked uncertainly.
The old lady nodded and shook her head. “Even if Dongzi knows them, if they get caught, it’s not like they can’t organize a game. Your grandpa said a lot of people in the village can sit around with just a couple of stones and gamble for half a day.”
Tang Xu let out a dry laugh. What she said made sense.
“Then we can only let Uncle realize how dangerous it is,” he suggested, rubbing his chin.
The old lady looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“Set him up; scare him a bit. Have him lose a big amount all at once—enough that he can't pay it back and faces some threats. A little shouting and intimidation will surely frighten him. After all, Uncle isn’t a hopeless gambler; he still cares about the family, so there’s hope for him,” Tang Xu reasoned.
“But if we do that, Auntie will definitely find out, and then there’ll be quite a commotion.”
The old lady fell silent.
Tang Xu didn’t speak either. Anyway, they would have to wait for Wei Dong to come back before deciding on a course of action, so there was no rush.
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