The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 250

 

| TBBOTOF | 250

Afterward, Wei Zhonghong first went to the kitchen to take a look. Seeing that everything had already been tidied up, she turned around and went back into the house.

The head of the household, just now, while walking and talking, suddenly looked up and saw several people sitting inside. The conversation stopped abruptly.

Inside the house, the brothers were all there.

Wu Hong grinned widely and said, "It's boring to go back alone. I was thinking about calling Dad to play some leaf cards with me."

"Play what? Can't you see that your dad is exhausted? Hurry up and go back." Wei Zhonghong, preoccupied with something, impatiently waved them off.

Wu Hong laughed and walked out, stuffing his coat pockets full of roasted melon seeds before leaving.

Wei Zhonghong looked at her eldest and second sons sitting there, who were silent, and frowned, speaking irritably, "You two aren't leaving? Are you waiting for me to serve you another meal?"

Wu Shouye awkwardly wiped his nose and glanced at his younger brother sitting next to him. He gave him a look.

Wei Zhonghong became even angrier when she saw the two of them exchanging glances and snapped, "If you have something to say, just say it!"

Wu Shouxin smiled at his mother and said, "Just now, my wife told me that she wants to raise chickens and ducks. She wants to make sure there's a spot in the yard for them, so they won't be running around. Also, if we plant vegetables later, she’s worried that the chickens and ducks might damage them."

When Wei Zhonghong heard this, her expression softened slightly.

She didn’t speak immediately, but her mind was racing. Then she looked at her eldest son and asked, "What about you? Does your wife want to raise chickens and ducks too?"

She knew clearly that if both daughters-in-law wanted to raise chickens and ducks, they couldn’t keep them together, or it would cause more trouble.

"No, she didn’t say she wants to raise them. She said she’ll think about it," Wu Shouye scratched his head. Seeing his mother’s face darken again, he quickly added, "It’s just my idea—if we raise them, would we make any money?"

Wei Zhonghong couldn’t help but laugh, but then she couldn’t resist retorting, "So, if you don’t make any money, you won’t raise them?"

Wu Shouye fidgeted with his lips and said quietly, "If it doesn’t make money, who would want to go through all that trouble?"

Wei Zhonghong grabbed the broom used for sweeping the kang and threw it at him, "How did I end up with a son like you, who only knows how to take advantage of others!"

Wu Shouxin stood up to stop the angry Wei Zhonghong and glared at his older brother. "Mom, don’t get upset. Our capital is limited. We were just thinking that if we make a little more money, we could show more filial piety to you and Dad."

"I don't want your filial piety," Wei Zhonghong sneered and sarcastically said to Wu Shouye, "If you go around the whole village, which family doesn’t raise chickens and ducks, hoping to sell eggs and make some money? Just selling chicks and ducklings alone makes a profit. How come when it comes to you, it won’t make money? If you don’t let them die, who’s going to stop you from making money?"

Wu Shouye felt like that made sense and said, "Then we'll raise them too."

Wei Zhonghong waved her hand dismissively, "Go, go, go, just get out of here. Seeing you two makes me frustrated."

The two brothers exchanged a glance, and Wu Shouxin said, "Mom, where are we going to raise them? You have to tell us."

Wei Zhonghong replied, "Tomorrow, build a wall to separate the two of your families. The yard is just so big. If you want to raise them, this is the only way. When it's time to dry the grain, you can go to the backyard to do it."

Wu Shouye frowned. "Mom, who has their family separated by a mud wall? If outsiders see it, they’ll laugh at us."

"We’ve already given them plenty to laugh at. It’s settled. Tomorrow, I’ll have the old man come over to help you build the wall." Wei Zhonghong waved her hand again, "Now go, go, don’t just stand here!"

After the brothers left, Wei Zhonghong didn’t speak for a while, while Wu Qiang was silent too, occasionally coughing. Leaning against the stack of firewood, he gently said, "Don’t be angry with them."

"I don't want to be angry, but look at their personalities. How did I raise them like this? The past two years have been a mess!" Wei Zhonghong pounded her chest and took a couple of deep breaths. 

Then, she turned to him and said, "Forget about them. I need to talk to you about something." 

Wu Qiang smiled and nodded, "What is it?"

"I just mentioned your cough to Xu Ge’er, and he said that we should go with Dongzi’s merchant team to a bigger town to get you checked out," Wei Zhonghong said as she stood up and poured him a large bowl of warm water. "Here, drink some water first."

Wu Qiang took the bowl and drank the water, then looked at Wei Zhonghong.

After so many years of marriage, his character was soft and he wasn’t good with words. His wife, however, was strong and capable, handling everything inside and outside the house, and even gave him a son.

Though life had been tight in recent years, the family still had a good bond.

But unfortunately, money and human nature—ever since they saved up a bit of silver, all sorts of troubles started cropping up.

Wu Qiang wasn’t one to talk much, but he often kept his thoughts to himself. This led to a time when he couldn’t sleep well, and when Wei Zhonghong fell ill from worrying, he became anxious and irritable, causing his health to deteriorate even more.

At first, he didn’t pay much attention to the cough, thinking it was just from drinking too little water. 

But as time went on, he realized his coughing was getting worse, and when the herbal doctor suggested going to town to see a proper physician, Wu Qiang finally understood that his health was in serious trouble.

Even though he took medicine every day, the cough had somewhat eased, but his chest still felt tight and uncomfortable.

He hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time, but he had never mentioned it.

Wu Qiang remained silent for a long time, and Wei Zhonghong didn’t rush him either.

After a while, when Wu Qiang was about to shake his head and refuse, Wei Zhonghong spoke up.

"We’ve been married for so many years. Even if you don’t say anything, I know that your health hasn’t been well lately. It’s not that I didn’t notice, but I understand you’re hiding it from me because you don’t want me to worry too much," she said, her eyes reddening. 

She moved a little closer, took Wu Qiang’s hand, and gave him a small smile. "Don’t talk about the cost of treatment either. Over the past two years, we’ve saved up some silver. Even if it’s all spent, it’s no big deal. If we run out, we can earn more."

Wu Qiang didn’t speak, but he tightened his grip on her hand.

Wei Zhonghong continued, "Dongzi said that the trip isn’t too tiring, and I’ll go with you. We’ll go together, get you treated, and then come back. It won’t take long. As for the land, let the eldest and second sons handle it. If they can’t finish, we’ll rent it out. Right now, your health is the most important thing."

Wu Qiang let out a soft sigh, then nodded. "Alright, it’s all up to you."

After returning home, Tang Xu handed Xiao Bao over to Liu Ge’er to take care of, letting him wash up and nap, while he went to visit Old Wen.

"Old man, I have something I want to ask you."

Old Wen put down the medical books in his hands and grabbed a piece of sachima from the table, popping it into his mouth. "What’s wrong?"

Tang Xu watched as he finished the piece of sachima in one bite and couldn’t resist commenting, "Didn’t you just say a few days ago that you should eat less sweets because your teeth were bothering you? Sachima is too sweet."

"You made it for us to eat, didn’t you? Besides, this stuff is soft and crispy, and it’s delicious," Old Wen said with a grin, picking up his teacup and taking a sip of jasmine tea. "Now, what is it you wanted to ask?"

Tang Xu sat across from him and saw that he was reaching for another piece of sachima. He sighed helplessly, then explained the situation of his uncle.

Old Wen didn’t show much reaction, simply nodding slightly. "It’s correct to have him go to the state city to see a doctor for his lung problems. If it’s left untreated, it’s only going to get worse."

"Do you have any suggestions, old man?" Tang Xu asked.

Old Wen shook his head. "Tuberculosis is contagious. Are there any others in his family who are coughing?"

"No, everyone else is fine."

"Then it’s not tuberculosis. It should be something else. I’m not very familiar with this, but you should take him to see a doctor this morning. Don’t delay it, it’s not good for his health," Old Wen said as he wiped his hands and then his mouth. "Are you going with him?"

"I’m not going. My aunt will go with him. I’m planning to have them all go when Dongzi heads out with the merchant group," Tang Xu said with a smile, his eyes curving. "Old man, do you know any doctors skilled in this kind of medicine? Could you recommend one?"

"Well, I do know one," Old Wen thought for a moment, then pointed to the desk. "Hand me some paper and a pen."

Tang Xu quickly fetched them, and once Old Wen had finished writing, he leaned over to take a look.

The handwriting was quite neat, but the content was unintelligible to him.

While he could recognize some traditional characters, this was written in a cursive-like script that he couldn’t make out, although he could tell it was an address or something similar.

"Will Dongzi be able to find this place when he goes on his journey?" Tang Xu asked, holding up the paper.

Old Wen nodded. "It’s not far from Mincheng City. Just go around a different route, and he should be able to find it. I’ve been there before, and we’ve kept in touch with letters over the years."

Tang Xu realized that Old Wen received letters from friends almost every two months. He hadn’t paid much attention to who sent them, but now it became clear that the old man had kept in contact with his friends all along.

"When is Dongzi leaving?" Old Wen poured himself another cup of tea and took a small sip. "If he’s leaving soon, have him bring something for me."

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow. "He said he’s leaving after the New Year. The exact date isn’t clear, but probably by the end of this month. What do you want him to bring, and who should he bring it to?"

Old Wen smiled. "An old friend of mine is hosting a banquet for his grandson’s wedding. I don’t feel like going, so I’ll send something instead." He turned around and retrieved a small box from a drawer in the heated bed’s cabinet. 

The box was a deep purple, intricately carved wood, about the size of a palm, with fine carvings.

Tang Xu blinked and stared at the box in curiosity.

"What’s this?" He took the box and looked up at Old Wen.

Old Wen chuckled and nodded toward the box, gesturing for him to open it.

Tang Xu opened the box and was immediately dazzled by a flash of gold. Upon closer inspection, he saw a pair of golden bangles, each beautifully carved.

His eyes widened slightly, and he didn’t dare to touch them, fearing the delicate carvings might be damaged. 

Instead, he carefully cradled the box in both hands, staring at the bangles. "Old man, you’re going all out. These aren’t cheap, are they?"

These two items, with their uncertain weight and intricate hollow carvings, were clearly valuable. Tang Xu couldn’t help but click his tongue—Old Wen must be quite wealthy.

Old Wen chuckled lightly. "These were given to me as a reward. I made it out safely, thanks to the help of my old friend."

Tang Xu nodded, then closed the box. "So, where’s the address?"

Old Wen wrote down another note and handed it to him. "Just deliver it to the address on this. And there’s a letter too. I’ll finish it tonight and give it to Dongzi."

Tang Xu responded, "Alright. You rest here, I’ll go check the kitchen. Is there anything specific you’d like for dinner?"

Old Man Wen smiled. "I’m happy with whatever you cook. Just make something casual."

Tang Xu smiled back, standing up with the small wooden box in hand. "I’ll take this back and put it away first."

"Go ahead, go ahead, I want some egg drop soup."

"Alright."

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