| TBBOTOF | 217
The northern side was at war.
Although it was just a minor skirmish on the northern border, the common folk didn’t seem too worried.
For one, it was far from them, and for another, the general leading the troops was very formidable.
Even though Tang Xu was far away, he still heard some rumors, things that made him concerned.
He recalled the experiences of the protagonist in that book he had read, which spanned at least ten years, so this was just the beginning.
However, it was already mid-December, and by now, Wei Dong and the others should be on their way back. He wondered if they would make it back in time for the holiday.
People here didn’t care much about New Year’s Day, but they placed more importance on the Lunar New Year.
Tang Xu, being a modern man, felt that New Year’s Day had to be celebrated. If it weren’t for his man being away, he would’ve dragged him along for some New Year’s fireworks!
On the first day of the year, things had to be bright and prosperous so that the whole year would go smoothly.
Thinking about his man, he couldn’t help but sigh.
Even though he had gone through a similar situation before, with his man being away for several days and him guarding an empty house, he still couldn’t help but worry and miss him.
Oh right, there was also a small incident...
Since Wei Dong had left in mid to late August, autumn had already arrived in that region.
Though there was still the occasional heatwave, the temperature difference between day and night was significant. It could get cold at night, and they needed to sleep with a light blanket.
Tang Xu worried that the three children might kick off their blankets at night and catch a cold, so he decided to sew three onesies for them to sleep in.
One day, Wei Zhonghong came over for a chat. Seeing him fiddling with fabric, she curiously asked what he was doing. Tang Xu explained.
"Ever since the three of them moved out to live on their own bed, I’ve been worried that they’d kick off their blankets and expose their bellies at night. Old Wen suggested having them wear bellybands, but Xiao Bao doesn't like wearing them and always pulls them off. If he doesn’t wear one, Er Bao won’t either. And then the two of them won’t let Da Bao wear one either," Tang Xu chuckled as he spoke, amused by the memory.
"So I thought I’d make something longer, covering their legs too, that they could wear to sleep. This way, even if they kick around, they won’t expose their bellies."
He turned and grabbed a notebook he usually used for drawing and writing, showing the design he had sketched to Wei Zhonghong. "Take a look, Auntie. Do you think making it like this would work? It won’t cover them completely, I will leave it with some straps."
Wei Zhonghong found the idea quite novel. Visualizing the design in her head based on his drawing, she smiled and nodded. "It looks good! Just make sure to use some soft fabric; otherwise, it might be uncomfortable to sleep in."
"Last time, Ah Dong bought some fabric for innerwear, and it feels really nice," Tang Xu said as he stood up to grab a large piece of fabric. "This one."
"Aiya, this fabric is wonderful, soft and smooth," Wei Zhonghong exclaimed as she touched it, even pressing it against her wrist to feel the texture. She repeatedly praised it, "This is really good, so soft, and the color is clean too."
The fabric was a pale blue-green color, and it seemed to have some cotton blended into it, making it a bit thicker than ordinary materials.
"This fabric must be expensive," Wei Zhonghong remarked, as she had never seen such fabric in the local fabric stores.
Tang Xu shook his head. Wei Dong had brought it back during his travels, and he figured it wasn't cheap, though he hadn't asked about the exact price.
"Make it a bit bigger so they can wear it longer. Your two boys are growing so fast. I haven't seen them in a while, and now Er Bao is taller than Da Bao!"
"Exactly! Auntie, do you think Ah Dong was like this when he was little? Growing so fast? I barely keep up with repairing their shoes. Er Bao keeps kicking the front of his shoes to pieces, and every ten days or so, I have to patch them up. I used to say I'd give him new shoes, but now, no new shoes last long enough. When they wear out, I just cut a piece of fabric and sew it over the hole. The other day, he even asked me why his shoes are 'flowery' and why his brother's shoes look different from his," Tang Xu said, sketching a pattern on paper before laying the fabric out on the kang bed.
Wei Zhonghong helped him smooth out the fabric and, laughing, asked, "And what did you tell him?"
"What could I say? I just asked him if he liked the flowery shoes, and he said no," Tang Xu chuckled, his hand trembling slightly as he almost cut the pattern crooked with the scissors.
Seeing Tang Xu struggle with the scissors, clumsy in his movements, Wei Zhonghong reached over to help him. "When you're making shoes for him, use more layers and buy coarse, thick fabric. It's the kind farmers wear when working in the fields."
It was cheap, durable, and absorbed sweat well.
Tang Xu nodded and made a mental note of it.
With Wei Zhonghong’s help, the three extended and modified onesies were quickly finished.
Tang Xu called in Xiao Bao to try one on. The little one tugged and pulled at the fabric here and there, clearly curious about the new clothes.
After putting it on, Xiao Bao ran two laps around the kang. The outfit reached down to his calves but didn’t hinder his movement.
It was perfect.
After changing him back into his regular clothes and letting the child go out to play, Tang Xu suddenly heard Wei Zhonghong ask, "Are you two planning on having another one?"
Tang Xu was stunned, wondering if he had misheard.
"Auntie, what did you say? Have what?"
"What else? A child, of course! Er Bao and Xiao Bao are already two and a half years old. If you two have another little one now, it’d be easy to take care of them together," Wei Zhonghong said, her tone matter-of-fact.
In her mind, the more children, the better. Especially since the family wasn’t lacking money, no one would mind having more kids. A full house of children would only make things more lively.
Tang Xu shook his head vigorously, a hint of alarm in his eyes. "No, no, three are more than enough to tire me out."
Having another one? He was afraid that would wear him out completely.
Wei Zhonghong didn’t press the issue; she had only asked casually.
“It’s getting cold, and the three of them are in that room without a kang. Aren’t you worried they’ll freeze?”
“In a little while, I’ll build the fire wall and add a heating system,” Tang Xu replied while sewing, holding a piece of fabric in one hand. “Ah Dong said he’d start building a house on that piece of land behind us next year. I was thinking of setting up the heating system there directly. It’ll be a bit more work, but much warmer.”
Wei Zhonghong had never seen what a heating system was, so she asked, "What’s a heating system?"
“It’s a pit dug underground where you burn firewood. Then, you lay stone slabs on top. The heat from below radiates through the slabs, warming the room. It’s similar to a fire wall,” Tang Xu explained briefly.
Wei Zhonghong nodded, somewhat understanding. “You really think things through.”
After that, the three children wore their extended sleeping gowns every night. Taking advantage of Tang Yang and Wei being at home, Tang Xu had them help build the fire wall.
In October, they had two snowfalls, and with the dropping temperatures, the fire wall proved useful, keeping the house warm.
Now it was December. Although it wasn’t snowing continuously like last year, there were still occasional snowfalls, covering the ground with a thick layer of snow.
The three children at home loved to run outside in their thick cotton jackets, playing in the snow, building snowmen, and having snowball fights. Their joyful shouts filled the air every day.
Wei Dong returned the day before New Year’s Day, and not only did he come back, but he also brought two other people with him.
That day, light snow was falling, and it was already getting dark when the loud clang of the big iron gate in the backyard echoed through the air.
Tang Xu had just finished giving the three little ones a bath. He was using a warm towel to dry Xiao Bao's hair when he heard the sound. He paused his movements and turned to look outside.
The chubby boy poked his head down from the second floor, excitedly asking, “Is my father back?!”
Tang Xu thought for a moment and nodded. “It should be. You stay here and watch your little brothers. I’ll go check. Don’t come out!”
The three children nodded, eagerly watching him.
“Just wait until I have your father come over to help you sleep,” Tang Xu said, waving his hand before heading out.
“Ah Dong!” Tang Xu walked briskly toward the backyard, catching sight of Wei Dong’s tall figure in the distance. His eyes lit up with joy as he quickened his pace to run over.
Wei Dong opened his arms and caught him, spinning him around while holding him close, then leaning down to give him a kiss.
Tang Xu looked up at him, smiling. “You came back so late!”
Wei Dong responded with a soft "Hmm," indicating that he had run into some issues.
"What happened?" Tang Xu's heart skipped a beat as he took a step back to carefully observe him from head to toe. "Are you hurt?"
"No," Wei Dong replied, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "I brought back two people with me."
Tang Xu was taken aback. "Huh?"
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