The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 225

 

| TBBOTOF | 225

The apprentice ceremony was somewhat simple, but after accepting the tea, they drank a couple of sips. Then, Old Sun held him in his arms and patted him several times on the back.

Old Wen, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but purse his lips. His heart was full of thoughts; with this, there was now a legitimate reason for them to stay here. Putting that aside, he didn't say much.

However, he was just grumbling to himself, as he could see that he was taking this in stride.

Tang Xu reached out to touch his head and turned to Wei Dong, asking quietly, "What if they are of different generations?"

"Just call each other whatever, it's fine." Wei Dong ruffled his hair. "I'm going to set up the frame so we can finish building the bamboo house tomorrow. How do you want it to be built?"

"Just like the previous one; it's mainly for drying ducks and chickens. The other one should be specifically for slaughtering chickens and ducks, and it needs to have a drainage system on the side. Otherwise, if the dirty water can't drain away, the stench will be unbearable."

"After that, give me the drainage plans so I can build according to your drawing." Wei Dong glanced at Xiao Bao and raised an eyebrow at him, "Want to go chop bamboo with me?"

Xiao Bao blinked his big eyes, looking at Tang Xu, "Dad, can I go?"

"Going out so late at night, aren't you afraid of the cold?" Tang Xu pinched his cheek, which was soft and had a great texture.

Xiao Bao patted the rabbit fur vest he was wearing and shook his head, "Not cold, it's very warm."

"Alright, go on then, go have fun with your father." Tang Xu put the wool hat on his head and patted his little head. "Go on."

Er Bao also ran over to hug Wei Dong's leg and tilted his head to look at Tang Xu, "I want to go too!"

Tang Xu, with no other choice, waved his hand, "Go, go, all of you go," and he put the same kind of hat on Er Bao’s head. 

Then he turned to look at his eldest son, "Are you going too?"

The chubby one nodded and jumped out of Old Sun's embrace, "I'm going!"

Tang Xu put a hat on him as well and reminded him, "Don't touch the bamboo, you hear me? The bamboo strips can cut your hands, and it really hurts if you start bleeding."

Xiao Bao quickly nodded, "I won't touch it!"

The chubby one also said, "Don't worry, Dad, I'll watch over my younger brothers."

But Er Bao wasn't afraid of getting hurt at all and said directly, "I'll help Dad!"

Tang Xu, feeling exhausted, waved his hand and, Go on, go on, stop standing around here, hurry up and help your father.

After everyone left, only Tang Xu and the old man remained in the house. He thought for a moment, then thanked Old Sun and explained his plans.

"Since Old Sun thinks highly of my boy and plans to stay here permanently, I won't say any fancy words, but I promise that I'll do my best to make sure you feel comfortable living here, and that you feel as welcome as if you were at home."

Old Wen stood by, listening with a cheerful smile. After Tang Xu finished speaking, he turned to Old Sun and said, "You old man, the fact that you just arrived and already accepted a closed-door disciple shows that you’re quite satisfied with this kid. Stop holding back, and start teaching him tomorrow!"

Old Sun shot him a glare but didn't refute what he said.

Tang Xu took a moment to realize what they meant, and quickly said, "There’s no need to start teaching just after you arrive. Things are fine as they are right now. Usually, Tang Yang and Wei Xi go to school to study, and if they have any questions, they can go and ask Old Sun. As for the chubby one, honestly, I don’t really want him to start studying too early while being cooped up inside. I was planning to wait until he turns five before formally starting his education."

Not only was Old Sun stunned, but even Old Wen didn't expect him to say that.

Anyone with a keen eye could see that this child was much smarter than other kids his age, especially the chubby one. While he might not be the absolute best, he was definitely exceptionally gifted. 

If he were born into a well-established family, they would probably have already invited all sorts of teachers to start educating him the moment they noticed his special talents.

Yet here he was, fully aware that the chubby one was brighter than other kids, and with a knowledgeable master right in front of him. 

And still, as a father, he was saying he wanted to wait until the child was five to begin his formal education!

What kind of thinking is that!

"Don't you want him to become a child scholar early on? With Ah Song's intelligence, passing the child scholar exam at five years old is well within reach!" Sun Zhengren stared directly at Tang Xu, his eyes sharp.

Tang Xu stood up, poured him some hot tea, and after setting down the teapot and sitting back down, he said, "A brilliant child isn't necessarily outstanding as an adult. I know my boy is smart, but I don't want to push him too hard while he's young. To be frank, our family isn't lacking in food or clothing, and letting him have a happy childhood seems more important to me. There's no need to get caught up in competition and send him to study and write at an age when he can't even control his bladder.

In the future, whether he wants to study and take the imperial exams or stay home and follow his father's footsteps as a hunter, it's up to him. I won't interfere too much in his choices.

Besides, how many people strive to pass the imperial exams just to stand out, and once they do, for what purpose? How many of them can stay true to their principles after passing, become officials, and genuinely work for the welfare of the common people? I don't believe that." His tone carried a hint of sarcasm as he reached the end.

There are plenty of corrupt officials out there, protecting each other while exploiting the people—aren't they the ones in power?

If one day, news of his eldest son's talent spreads, he's afraid that their peaceful life will be shattered.

So, Tang Xu is determined to preserve his son's rightful childhood as much as he can. As for whether this decision makes Old Sun happy or not, he doesn't really care.

After all, it was Old Sun who eagerly wanted to take his son as a closed-door disciple, not the other way around where they begged him to do so.

The initiative is in his own hands. If Old Sun doesn't like it, then there's nothing more to say except, too bad.

Old Wen lowered his eyes in deep thought, surprisingly finding that what Tang Xu said made sense.

Old Sun was completely stunned by Tang Xu's blunt words, remaining silent for quite a while.

Old Fu observed his master's expression and noticed that, besides surprise, there didn’t seem to be any sign of anger, so he chose not to speak.

He thought carefully about Tang Xu's words and realized that there wasn't really anything wrong with them.

Although they had just arrived and didn't fully understand this family yet, from his observations, even though the house wasn't decorated in a lavish manner, it was clear that they weren’t lacking in food or clothing. 

In the countryside, having such a comfortable and affluent lifestyle indicated that this couple was quite capable.

Given their abilities, it was understandable that they wouldn't be worried about the child’s future needs and might not feel the pressure to push him to achieve early success.

However...

Old Fu glanced at his master, sensing that he might be feeling a bit disappointed.

After a long moment, Old Sun slowly nodded and then burst into hearty laughter.

Tang Xu blinked, a bit confused, and turned to look at Old Wen. 

What was going on? Was Old Sun in shock?

Old Wen squinted his eyes at them, seemingly able to guess what was going through Tang Xu's mind at that moment.

"Alright, alright, let's go rest. If you’re so eager for me to teach, aren't there already two older kids in the house? I’ll teach them. Let the little one play for now, and we can talk about the future when the time comes."

Tang Xu nodded, agreeing that the future could wait until later. It's too early to make any decisions now.

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