| TBBOTOF | 211
When Wei Zhonghong noticed the two of them coming down from the mountain, she quickly went to meet them and asked, "Dongzi, how’s my fourth son?"
Wei Dong beside her shook his head slightly and replied, "He's fine, doing well."
He didn't say much more, leaving the mother and son to talk on their own.
Tang Xu patted Wei Dong on the shoulder, indicating for him to speak properly.
Wei Dong didn’t say anything.
Wei Zhonghong carried the bamboo basket on her back and walked down the mountain with them, her steps slightly quickened, clearly eager to get home to see her son.
"Auntie, slow down a bit. He’s already home, so what’s the rush?" Tang Xu, lying on her man’s broad back, said, "What if you twist your ankle like me?"
"I would let Dongzi carry me," Wei Zhonghong turned her head and replied with a chuckle.
Wei Dong reached out to support her, clearly concerned as well.
At the entrance of the house, they parted ways. Wei Zhonghong waved her hand and said, "Go on, go on, the kids must be waking up by now."
"Auntie, tomorrow at noon you and Wu Hong should come over for a meal. Let’s have a gathering to welcome them back." It’s always lively when people come home.
Wei Zhonghong agreed right away and turned to head home.
Xu Ze was watering the vegetable garden. Seeing the two of them coming through the gate, he quickly ran over and asked, "What’s wrong brother Xu?"
"I twisted my ankle," Tang Xu said to him, pointing at the bamboo basket hanging on Wei Dong's chest. "Ah Dong, give the basket to Ze’er, and let's go wash up and change."
After Wei Dong set the person down, he took off the basket from his chest and handed it to Xu Ze. Then, he turned around, bent his back, and scooped Tang Xu up in his arms, carrying him in bridal style.
Tang Xu originally thought that since they were already home, he could walk back slowly by himself, but his man gave him a princess carry.
Well, if he’s going to carry him, so be it. They've been together for a long time, there’s no need to be shy.
The two of them were completely at ease, but Xu Ze, watching from the side, blushed.
Wow, brother Xu and his partner have such a good relationship~
Wei Dong didn’t even carry him into the main house; instead, he headed straight to the bathhouse in the back, where the two spent more than an hour.
By the time they were done, Tang Xu was still being carried by his man—not because his ankle hurt this time, but because his waist hurt and his legs were too weak to stand.
Fortunately, the family knew that the two of them were like newlyweds after being apart for a while, so none of the elders teased them about it. Otherwise, even with Tang Xu's thick skin, he would have been so embarrassed he’d angrily kick his man.
The three little ones had already woken up, got dressed, and washed up. As soon as they saw their father had returned, they screamed with excitement and rushed over to hug his legs.
Wei Dong dodged the three little ones and put Tang Xu on the kang. Then, he lifted his eldest child, looked him over, then picked up Er Bao and gave him a once-over.
After nodding slightly, he placed the two brothers aside. Finally, he bent down to pick up Xiao Bao, who had his little arms outstretched, wanting to be hugged. He held Xiao Bao close and rubbed their cheeks together.
“They’ve all grown... and gotten heavier.”
A clear difference in treatment.
Seeing him holding the youngest while the other two stood on the kang, staring longingly, Tang Xu couldn't help but silently criticize—He’s raising the older ones like wild kids but pampering the youngest like a treasure.
“Father, I missed you~~” Xiao Bao wrapped his soft little arms around his father’s neck, rubbing his chubby cheek against his father’s face, speaking in a clingy tone.
Tang Xu winced at the sweetness, feeling it was too saccharine.
"Xu Ge’er, are you two ready? It's time to eat." Wang Cuicui called from outside.
“We’re coming!”
During the meal, Tang Yang and Wei Xi had already left. Wei Dong looked at Tang Xu, puzzled.
Before he could ask, Tang Xu explained, “I sent them to the village school. Old Wen’s friend hasn’t replied yet, so I didn’t want the two of them to waste time at home. The school also helps prepare them for exams. They’ll leave in a few days.”
He didn’t go into detail, but Wei Dong nodded in agreement after hearing this.
The journey back in the cart was tiring, but Wei Dong didn’t rest. Instead, he accompanied the three kids, playing and running around in the backyard. The three little ones were shouting and laughing, making quite a lively scene.
Recently, the ewe that had been pregnant gave birth to a lamb. The youngest child pulled on Wei Dong’s hand, leading him to see the lamb. Initially, the ewe was bleating aggressively, but as soon as she saw Wei Dong, her body trembled, and she backed away nervously.
Wei Dong glanced at the lamb, then looked down at the youngest, his tone gentle as he asked, “Do you want to eat lamb meat?”
If Tang Xu were here, he’d probably roll his eyes hard enough to hit Wei Dong in the face.
Why would you think about eating it?
Clearly, Xiao Bao just wants to play with the lamb!
The youngest shook his head and reached out, saying, "Wanna pet it~"
Wei Dong grabbed the little lamb, which was bleating non-stop, and was about to place it in the child’s arms. However, the lamb struggled restlessly, not being the least bit cooperative. Wei Dong’s expression turned cold, and he said, “Move again, and I’ll butcher you.”
It was unclear if the lamb sensed his murderous intent, but it immediately stopped struggling and trembled in fear, allowing Xiao Bao to hug it.
Xiao Bao beamed with satisfaction, hugging the lamb and smiling sweetly at Wei Dong. “Thank you, Father~”
“Father! Look!” Er Bao came running over excitedly, holding up a small bamboo basket in front of his father, proudly announcing, “I picked these! Lots of them!”
The chubby boy wasn’t as fast as his younger brother and arrived a bit later. Upon hearing this, he pouted and grumbled, “I’m the one who showed you where to find them! Why did you tell, Father? Without me, you wouldn’t have found so many!”
Wei Dong raised an eyebrow and patted his eldest son on the head.
If nothing else, his eldest son was really eloquent, he is just like his husband. This kid would definitely be someone who could verbally spar with anyone in the future.
“Father, did you bring us anything good from your trip?” The chubby eldest noticed the lamb in Xiao Bao arms and went over to pet it too. Tilting his head, he said, “This little lamb's wool is so soft.”
“If you like it, I’ll catch a few more for you to play with another day.” Wei Dong was unusually patient with the three children.
Even the rowdiest, Er Bao, seemed particularly cute to him.
The chubby boy swallowed, edging closer to his father. In a quieter voice, he asked, “Father, can you catch some to eat?”
Wei Dong was surprised, then asked, “You want to eat lamb?”
The chubby boy nodded enthusiastically. “Uncle Qi brought over a lamb leg, and the stew Dad made with it was so delicious.”
Not long ago, Tang Qi, while out selling spicy snacks, happened to come across someone selling lamb. The price wasn’t too steep, and since he had been craving it, he bought two legs.
He gifted one to Tang Xu, who didn’t hesitate to accept it. In return, Tang Xu sent two pork legs with Tang Yang, as a gesture of thanks. After all, lamb was more expensive than pork.
Wei Dong nodded. “Alright, in a few days, I’ll go into the mountains and catch some lamb for you to eat.”
“Don’t tell Xiao Bao what kind of meat it is,” the chubby boy whispered, snuggling up against his father's leg and lowering his voice. “If he finds out it's from the lamb, he definitely won’t eat it!”
“He won’t,” Wei Dong smiled and lightly pinched the chubby cheeks of his eldest son. “He eats chicken and rabbit meat without any issues.”
The chubby boy rubbed his face, thinking it over. That’s true— as long as they don’t eat this little lamb, Xiao Bao won’t be upset.
“Dad, give me a piggyback ride!” Er Bao, noticing his dad and older brother whispering, grabbed Wei Dong’s pants and tried to climb up.
Wei Dong easily lifted him up, setting him on his shoulders. “Don’t move around too much.”
He spun around in a circle with Er Bao on his shoulders, then set him down and lifted the chubby boy onto his neck for a turn as well. Xiao Bao looked up at them with a curious gaze but didn’t ask for a ride.
It was too high—he was scared.
A simple hug from Father was enough for him.
After lunch, Tang Xu urged his husband to take the three kids back to the house for a nap, while he and Wang Cuicui took Xu Ze to turn over and dry the ducks that were being sun-dried.
“Xu Ge’er, now that Dongzi is back, I’m planning to head to town in a couple of days. I’m worried your dad and the others might be too busy,” Wang Cuicui said as she placed the bamboo pole on a nearby rack and wiped her hands. “The weather’s been getting warmer, and there’ll definitely be more customers.”
Tang Xu chuckled and said, “Auntie, you’re worried about my dad, huh? Afraid he’ll be too busy to eat or sleep well. In a couple of days, I’ll have Dongzi take you to town. You can ask Ah Li and the others if they want to make some dried marinated ducks over there. After finishing up the regular store sales, there’s usually some free time. They could make some dried ducks then. Even if we don’t sell them during the traveling sales, they’d make for an extra specialty in the shop.”
Wang Cuicui thought his suggestion was good and agreed, saying she would ask about it.
She hesitated for a moment before glancing at him and then asked, “How many ducks is Dongzi planning to bring along next time when he goes on the sales trip?”
“I’m not just thinking about selling marinated ducks; I also want to sell smoked chickens. We have plenty of fruit trees here, and using fruitwood for smoking gives the meat a unique flavor,” Tang Xu explained, then couldn’t help but lick his lips, chuckling. “I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. Let’s catch a couple of chickens later, and we’ll have smoked chicken for dinner tonight.”
Tang Xu was a man of action. Over the past couple of years, the fruit trees had grown lush, and during pruning, he kept the trimmed branches.
“Auntie, you and Ze’er go catch the chickens. I’ll get the roasting setup ready.”
After he left, Xu Ze said, “Since brother Dong came back, brother Xu seems much more lively than before.”
“Well, of course! With his husband away, he was definitely worried and anxious. If it weren’t for the three kids keeping him grounded, Xu Ge’er would have surely gone with him,” Wang Cuicui replied as she looked up to check the drying ducks.
After turning them over, she moved the bamboo pole to the other side and continued, “He doesn’t go out much. He really only talks with a few people at home, so it’s been pretty boring for him.”
Xu Ze nodded. Normally, he and others would still chat with the neighbors from time to time.
There were a few gers of similar age in the village that Xu Ze knew, and they’d sometimes meet up to do some sewing or handiwork.
But as for Tang Xu, he hardly ever left the house, and Xu Ze had never seen him socializing with people his own age in the village.
Thinking about this, Xu Ze frowned slightly. “It seems like my brother doesn’t have any friends.”
Wang Cuicui shook her head and said, "It’s not 'seems'—he really doesn’t have any friends."
No one quite knew why, but although Tang Xu was always polite to everyone, if you tried to think of anyone in the village he was particularly close to, there really wasn’t anyone.
At least, there wasn’t anyone whose husband would seek him out for casual conversations or banter. When he ran into acquaintances in the village, they would exchange polite greetings, but that was it.
Xu Ze tilted his head, pondering before he added, “It feels like aside from family, no one else really matters to him.”
They were lucky to be part of that family.
Wang Cuicui hummed in agreement, as she shared the same feeling.
After putting the three children to sleep, Wei Dong didn’t lie down right away. Instead, he put on his shoes and went to the courtyard.
He saw Tang Xu busy working and asked, “Aren’t you tired?”
The thought of making smoked chicken with fruitwood later filled Tang Xu with enthusiasm, so he wasn’t tired at all.
While Tang Xu wasn’t feeling tired, Wei Dong didn’t let him keep working. He quickly grabbed a knife and chopped up the branches with a few swift strokes, then pulled Tang Xu over to wash his hands and led him back inside the house.
"Go to sleep."
Despite saying he wasn’t tired, once Tang Xu lay down, they hadn’t exchanged more than a couple of sentences before his eyelids grew heavy.
“I’ll… be up in a bit… to… check on the smoked chicken…” His voice trailed off into soft snores.
There was no more response.
Wei Dong smiled, pulling Tang Xu closer into his arms. He glanced over at the three children sleeping soundly on the other side of the room and thought to himself, It’s about time to set up that bunk wooden bed.
It would be even better if it could be moved to the other empty room!
The kids are getting older—they need to start sleeping separately from their parents.
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