The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 241

 

| TBBOTOF | 241

After the pig slaughter banquet, on the third day, Tang Xu and Wei Dong brought New Year gifts. 

The gifts were mostly the same each year: wine, meat, and cloth, with just a few variations.

Wu Guizhi felt the fabric of her new clothes, nodding repeatedly as she said, "The material is so smooth and feels cool to the touch."

"They say there's silk woven into it," Tang Xu said, walking around the old lady. He reached out and pinched the back of her waist, commenting, "It's just right—not too loose." 

Turning to Wei Dong, he added, "Next time, don’t waste money. This is enough to wear."

"It's the New Year; it’s nice to wear something new," Wei Dong said, glancing at the old man trying on his new clothes. Despite his words, his eyes were filled with satisfaction.

Luo Pingping watched enviously from the side. Although they had saved up a decent amount of silver, they were reluctant to buy such expensive-looking fabric, especially since it could only be found in Dazhou City.

Seeing that his aunt liked the gift, Tang Xu said, "When Auntie turns fifty next year, I’ll buy you another one."

Luo Pingping clapped her hands in delight. "You said it! This year, I'll also join in and host a banquet!"

Tang Xu nodded in agreement and glanced at Wei Dong.

Wei Dong raised his eyebrows at him, signaling he remembered it.

After having lunch at the Tang family’s old residence, the couple got back on the mule cart, which still had a pig leg, four large fish, and a jar of sorghum liquor.

"Where are you two going next?" Luo Pingping asked as she saw them off, noticing the items in the cart with a puzzled expression.

Tang Xu sighed and replied, "We’re taking it to Third Uncle. We can’t leave his family out. Did Tang Qi come over?"

Luo Pingping nodded. "He came over early yesterday to buy New Year gifts. He gave your grandma three taels of silver, saying he was too busy to prepare anything for the family, so he sent money as a gesture of filial piety. He won't be sending gifts this year."

Tang Xu thought that was perfectly fine; three taels of silver could buy a lot of things.

"He mentioned last time he came to give me the share money that he would be busy for a while. He said the spicy strips are selling well, and now they can’t keep up with production at home," 

Tang Xu added. He took a step closer to Luo Pingping and quietly asked her, "Auntie, what has my uncle been up to lately? Why is he at home today?"

Although Luo Pingping didn’t know if Tang Dahu’s gambling issues were solved, after being married to her husband for many years, she had sensed that something was off with him recently.

When asked, he only said that working in the fields had made him a bit tired and that he couldn’t get excited about anything.

Tang Xu knew that it was likely withdrawal symptoms making Tang Dahu feel uncomfortable, but as long as he didn’t return to gambling, it would be fine.

Luo Pingping sighed in resignation, "Who knows where he has been messing around? He only comes back just before dinner."

Tang Xu’s heart sank. "Where has he gone?"

"Not really anywhere specific, he goes once in a while. When I asked him what he was doing, he just said he was going for a walk to relieve his boredom at home," Luo Pingping replied, frowning. "He acts all mysterious about it, and when I ask him, he doesn’t say much. I’m too lazy to pry."

She seemed indifferent, but Tang Xu felt a sense of unease creeping in.

However, he didn’t want to push the topic further, fearing it might upset Luo Pingping.

He changed the subject, asking, "Earlier, my grandma said you plan to raise chickens and ducks with her this upcoming spring?"

As soon as the topic of business came up, Luo Pingping eagerly nodded. "Buying them costs quite a bit of silver, and raising them ourselves is more convenient. We’ll gather a lot of eggs. Dongzi has been bringing back more and more each time he goes. We should definitely do more. I was thinking of raising them together with your grandma to earn more."

Tang Xu nodded. "We could also ask the two sisters-in-law if their families are willing to raise some. We can’t just let you guys earn money while their families are still struggling; that might create some distance between you all later on."

Luo Pingping was taken aback; she hadn’t considered that much.

After seeing off the couple, Luo Pingping closed the courtyard gate and returned to the house. She had already lifted the door curtain but turned around and went to her mother-in-law’s room instead.

Wu Guizhi had just taken off her new padded jacket and was laying it out on the kang, repeatedly touching and rubbing it, her face filled with delight.

Tang Guangliang was sitting cross-legged on the kang, smoking a pipe. Seeing his wife's expression, he couldn’t help but tease her, saying, "Your hands are all calloused; don’t rub the silk so much!"

"Why do you have so much to say?" the old lady shot back, glaring at him defiantly. "Didn’t you just touch it earlier? You’ve got the tobacco in your pipe, and you’re reluctant to light it up, are you afraid that Dongzi won’t buy you more when you finish?"

Tang Guangliang snorted twice, knocked his pipe against the side, and packed some tobacco into the bowl before taking a deep drag.

With half-closed eyes, he looked completely absorbed and content.

Seeing him like this, Wu Guizhi complained, "If you want to smoke, go ahead. Just don’t fill the whole house with smoke; you’re making the clothes stink!"

"It smells so good; you just don’t understand," he replied dismissively. Still, he eventually got off the kang. Tang Guangliang knew all too well that if he didn’t go out, he’d be nagged about smoking for as long as he enjoyed the tobacco, and he didn’t want to listen to complaints while savoring his smoke.

As he stepped outside, he happened to run into his eldest daughter-in-law.

“Dad, where are you going?” Luo Pingping asked, puzzled, her tone confused as she questioned why he was leaving.

“I’m going to the yard to smoke,” Tang Guangliang replied, draping a jacket over himself and raising the pipe in his hand.

Inside, Wu Guizhi had finished folding the clothes and putting them away in the cabinet. She picked up a broom to sweep the dust off the kang. Hearing the commotion at the door, she turned her head and saw her daughter-in-law coming in.

“Why aren’t you resting in your room and coming over here instead?”

Luo Pingping moved to sit on the edge of the kang and pulled the busy old lady over. “Mom, don’t sweep anymore; I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?” The old lady sat on the kang, crossed her legs, and casually grabbed a handful of peanuts, offering them to Luo Pingping.

Luo Pingping waved her hand to take them and said, “Just now, Xu Ge’er asked me to check if my two daughters-in-law's families want to join us in raising chickens and ducks. What do you think about that?”

Wu Guizhi was taken aback. “Xu Ge’er brought it up?”

“Of course! I thought about it too. He said if our family’s life keeps getting better, my daughters-in-law will think about their own families' poor conditions, and that’ll make them uncomfortable. They’ll start complaining to me,” Luo Pingping explained with a sigh. “I thought about what he said. Previously, my eldest daughter-in-law had mentioned it to me too, but I didn’t dare promise anything, so I just brushed her off.”

Wu Guizhi was shelling peanuts and nodded after a moment. “Since Xu Ge’er mentioned it, you should bring it up to them. Just make it clear that raising chickens and ducks isn’t without risks. I wouldn’t want them coming to us later if they raise them poorly and can’t sell them.”

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about. Xu Ge’er has so many livestock that he has to feed them medicinal herbs every month. When Old Xu was still around, he had a special blend for them, and it made the poultry and livestock less prone to illness. It’s not cheap either, so if we raise more, we’ll need to keep buying it,” Luo Pingping glanced at her mother-in-law’s expression, worried that she would be reluctant to spend money.

Wu Guizhi saw her concern and scoffed, “Do you think I don’t know what’s important? I had Xu Ge’er bring the medicine over a long time ago, and I’ve already given him the money.”

“If we don't want it, we still need to provide it. If we raise fewer animals, we’ll use less medicine, but if we end up raising more later, it wouldn’t make sense to stop buying it,” Luo Pingping quickly replied.

“Do you think I don't understand that? When they bring the children over to pay New Year’s greetings, I’ll give the kids big red envelopes,” Wu Guizhi said as she threw the peanut shells on the ground and brushed her hands to get rid of the crumbs. 

“You need to talk to your two daughters-in-law and mention it to your eldest daughter as well. Even though she’s married, I can’t just watch her live frugally. Our family used to be tight on money too, but now that things are better, as a mother, you should care for your daughter.”

Luo Pingping nodded repeatedly. “She hasn’t come back in two years; I have no idea how her life is going.” 

Her eldest daughter married early and was already the mother of three children. After having her third child two years ago, her health had declined. Although she sent gifts during the New Year festivals, she hadn’t returned, saying the journey was too far and the children were too young to be left alone.

“If she doesn’t come back, you and Dahu won’t go see her? Your eldest daughter's personality is such that even if she’s not doing well, she wouldn’t tell you,” Wu Guizhi said. 

She wasn’t one to favor sons over daughters, but perhaps because she had three sons, she had a particular fondness for her granddaughter. In fact, she was quite happy when her granddaughter was born, and she had even given Da Niu her nickname.

How could she not return to her maternal home for two years? She never even bothered to come back during the festivals, and her children were not the type to be unfilial.

“She sends someone to deliver New Year’s gifts but doesn’t come back to visit. Either she’s not in good health, or she’s afraid there’s something you might see. Last year, I suggested you both go visit her, but you insisted I was overthinking,” Wu Guizhi huffed, her face filled with complaints.

Luo Pingping sighed, holding back her words. “Mom, you’re a mother-in-law too. What mother-in-law likes to have their daughter-in-law's family coming over all the time? Besides, Da Niu has been married for several years. Even if Sun Zhao is a bit quiet, he’s not a bad person at heart.”

“It’s hard to say if he’s good or bad, but his mother is definitely not kind,” the old lady remarked. 

Even though she had only met the couple once, she found the daughter-in-law’s mother to be difficult to deal with, her demeanor sharp and unpleasant.

Luo Pingping felt a wave of anxiety at her mother-in-law’s words.

Seeing her lost in thought, the old lady sighed again. “You listen to me. It’s best to make the trip soon. Tomorrow morning, you and Dahu should take the cart and go over. Don’t go empty-handed.”

“Mom, is it really okay for us to show up unannounced?” Luo Pingping was still a bit worried.

“What’s wrong with that? A mother is just concerned about her daughter’s health. Besides, it’s almost the end of the year. What’s the big deal about visiting your in-laws? If they dare to criticize you, don’t tolerate it. Ask them why they haven’t let your daughter come home for two years. It’s not like she’s been sold to the Sun family!” Wu Guizhi thought to herself that if it weren’t for her old age and fear of the long journey tiring her out, she would have gone along too.

She waved her hand, shooing her daughter away. “Go on, go on! Don’t come back here looking so miserable. Ask your two daughters-in-law what they think, and then discuss with Dahu about when to leave tomorrow. Remember!”

Luo Pingping was startled and quickly nodded. “Got it, Mom. I’ll remember. Dahu is sleeping inside; I’ll talk to him in a bit.”

Wu Guizhi rubbed her face and grumbled, “He’s either going out or staying in bed; he’s turning into a useless person! He doesn’t even think to help out with the farm work. I don’t know what he’s thinking!”

As soon as Luo Pingping heard this, she quickly lifted her foot to head outside; she didn’t want to be held back for another round of scolding.

Seeing her leave in a hurry, Wu Guizhi huffed and muttered, “Not a single one of them makes it easy for me!”

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