The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 252

 

| TBBOTOF | 252

In the kitchen, Tang Zu’s wife, Wang Lanhua and Sun Ning’er were both there.

Hearing some noise, the two of them turned around from their work. Seeing it was Tang Xu who had come in, they looked a bit surprised, and one of them said, "Why did you come over here, Xu Ge’er?"

Tang Xu smiled and greeted them, "Happy New Year! Can I help with anything?"

"No, no, there’s no need for you to get your hands dirty. We can manage just fine," Sun Ning’er responded, her tone slightly strange, she was acting differently than usual.

Tang Xu didn’t actually leave as she suggested. Instead, he walked over to the stove and said, "Let me handle the cooking."

Both of them knew Tang Xu was skilled in the kitchen and had excellent cooking skills, so upon hearing this, they nodded.

Even though Wang Lanhua wasn’t much of a talker, she couldn’t help but softly say to Tang Xu, "Mother said she wants to make meatballs. Xu Ge’er, should we go for braised meatballs, or maybe a sweet-and-sour flavor?"

Tang Xu replied, "Let’s make both. My three little ones at home love the sweet-and-sour kind. And these ribs—are you planning to stew them?"

He pointed to a basin of ribs that had already been blanched. "How about we make steamed ribs with rice flour? That’ll be nice and tender, so the elderly can enjoy it easily."

"Alright, we’ll follow your lead," Wang Lanhua said with a shy smile, her expression soft and gentle.

Sun Ning’er joined in, asking Tang Xu, "Xu Ge’er, how should we prepare this fish? Your husband brought it over specially, and I haven’t had the heart to cook it yet."

Wang Lanhua's smile froze for a moment, and she subtly rolled her eyes.

Tang Xu didn’t show much reaction, as if he hadn’t noticed the undertone in her words, and simply said, “It’s been frozen for a few days, so it’s not that fresh anymore. It’s best to use a stronger flavor for it. Next time, he brings fresh fish, it’s better to eat it sooner rather than let it sit too long.”

“My mother-in-law said to save this biggest one until you could be here to enjoy it; the others have already been eaten,” Sun Ning’er replied, her eyes curving into a smile. 

She was quite good-looking—if only she didn’t have that scheming side.

Tang Xu didn’t say anything further. He reached out and took the basin, where the fish had already been gutted and cleaned rather well.

With this large carp, which tends to have a strong earthy smell, he knew he’d need to remove the odor line along the backbone to make it taste better.

He got busy in the kitchen, and the two wives would chat with him here and there, creating a harmonious atmosphere—until they heard some commotion in the courtyard.

Judging from the voices, it was clear that Tang Erhu had arrived, along with Wang Cuicui and the two kids.

Tang Xu wiped his hands and stepped out of the kitchen, where he saw Tang Li dressed in a light blue padded dress, her hair elegantly pinned up with a silver hairpin. She looked youthful and radiant, truly beautiful.

"You have grown well," Tang Xu murmured softly.

Tang Li walked over to him, smiling brightly and waving. "Brother, look at the new dress Auntie made for me! Isn’t it beautiful?"

"It’s beautiful, very beautiful," Tang Xu replied, nodding with a smile and motioning for her to spin around.

Tang Li, grinning, spun in a circle, smoothing down the dress with her hands before affectionately linking her arm through Tang Xu’s. "This dress is made from that piece of satin Brother-in-law brought back. I hardly dared to use it."

"There’s still that red piece, right? Use that one for a wedding dress when the time comes," Tang Xu said, reaching up to adjust the silver hairpin in her hair. "And on your wedding day, Brother will make sure you have a set of gold jewelry."

"Oh, no need for gold jewelry! I wouldn’t even know where to put it if I had any. I’d just worry every day about where to hide it so no one would steal it," Tang Li teased him, her tone sweet and playful.

“What gold jewelry?” Sun Ning’er had just stepped out of the kitchen and caught this last part, her eyes widening. 

She eyed Tang Li’s attire and, with a hint of envy, remarked, “Ah Li, you look stunning in that outfit! Look at the embossed patterns on the fabric—it must’ve cost a lot. I’ve never seen such fine material in my whole life!”

Tang Xu felt a wave of weariness. Why did some people always have to fixate on what others had, never content with what they themselves possessed?

The two fine pieces of fabric Tang Xu had set aside for Tang Li were items he had intentionally chosen to give from Wei Dong’s trip. 

He wanted his little sister to look her best. Each time Wei Dong brought something back, Tang Xu would share with all the families, ensuring no one was left out—yet somehow, someone always found a reason to be envious.

Tang Li shot Sun Ning’er a look, not bothering to hide her disdain as she retorted, “If you want some, just have my Brother-in-law to buy it for you. And if the good fabric isn’t available there, then take some silver to give to my brother-in-law to bring a piece back for you on his next trade trip.”

“I wouldn’t dream of buying such expensive fabric,” Sun Ning’er muttered, eyes narrowing as she huffed, “I’m no official’s daughter; who would I be dressing up for?”

Tang Li gave her a cold laugh. “I dress up because it makes me happy. My father, my aunt, and my brother—they’re all delighted to see me looking nice. There are plenty of people who appreciate it. Unlike you, who—well, even if you wore something fancy, I doubt it would make anyone happy.”

With that, she grabbed Tang Xu’s arm, steering him towards the house. “I want to show this outfit to Grandma and Grandpa.  I didn't even wear this dress when they came to pay New Year's greetings on the first day of the new year."

Tang Xu couldn’t help but smile, both amused and exasperated.

Once inside, they saw the two elderly family members sitting on the kang bed, laughing and joking with the three little ones, their faces full of joy, each wrinkle etched in a smile.

Usually, it was common to see Grandma holding the children and smiling, but it was rare to see Grandpa laughing this heartily.

“What’s got you all so happy? Grandma, don’t you think I look pretty?” Tang Li called out, beaming at the sight of her grandmother holding the children on the kang.

Wu Guizhi looked up and took in Tang Li’s outfit, exclaiming, “Oh my, you look stunning today! Why didn’t you wear this when everyone came over before?”

“The hem wasn’t finished yet; it was only just completed, so I put it on right away to show you,” Tang Li explained, sitting by the edge of the kang. “There’s also a red piece of satin, and Auntie says she’ll make it into a wedding dress. Grandma, I’ll need your advice on what kind of patterns to embroider on it.”

She lifted her hand to let Wu Guizhi feel the fabric.

Wu Guizhi ran her fingers over the cloth, nodding in approval. “Your aunt has good skills. Look at those tight, even stitches. You can tell from the seams that she put real care into it. If she’d been careless, there’s no way it would be this well done.”

Wu Guizhi was truly pleased with this daughter-in-law. Though she’d had her doubts when she first married into the family, she was straightforward and genuine, never scheming or causing trouble. She was also very attentive to the children, who had naturally grown close to her.

Thinking about this, Wu Guizhi felt even more grateful toward Wei Zhonghong, who had arranged this match. Without her involvement, this marriage might not have happened.

Tang Xu shook his head with an amused smile, then reminded the three little ones not to get too rowdy. Turning to Tang Li, he said, “You stay here and keep them company. I'll go finish cooking.”

"Why are you cooking? Where’s your aunt?” Wu Guizhi’s expression sharpened as she turned to look at him.

Tang Xu responded cheerfully, “Why can’t I cook? I’m doing it because I make it taste good, of course! Auntie is helping out with the prep work, and besides, my uncle’s wife is here, so she and Auntie can have a chance to chat. My father has to head back to the shop right after the New Year, and who knows when he’ll get to visit again.”

Wu Guizhi pointed a finger at him and chuckled, “You, always so good with words.”

Tang Xu just grinned and patted Tang Li on the shoulder. “I brought some crispy oil pastries with me. Go grab some and bring them here so Grandma and Grandpa can have a bite to snack on over until the food’s ready. And don’t come to the kitchen—you’ll end up getting your new clothes dirty.”

Tang Li nodded and went off to get the pastries, returning shortly with them.

Meanwhile, Wang Cuicui and Tang Erhu stopped by to say hello before heading over to visit Tang Dahu.

In the main room, Wei Dong noticed his father-in-law had arrived and quickly got up to bring over a stool. Once he saw him seated comfortably, he said, “I’ll go chop some firewood to help out.”

“It’s already chopped, no need for you to do it,” Luo Pingping said, reaching out to stop him.

Wei Dong gave her a smile. “It’s fine; sitting around too much makes me restless. A little movement will do me good.”

In the courtyard, Tang Yang was chatting with Tang Wei. When Wei Dong had come in earlier, the two of them hadn’t been around, so he hadn’t seen them yet.

Now that they noticed him, Tang Yang grinned and called out, “Feeling cooped up inside?”

Wei Dong nodded slightly without saying much, then glanced at Tang Yang and asked, “How about going on a walk outside with me?”

Since chopping wood was out of the question, Tang Yang figured a stroll would be a good way to pass the time. Standing around awkwardly with Tang Wei wasn’t much fun either.

Tang Yang’s eyes lit up, and he cheerfully asked, “Brother-in-law, how come Brother Xi didn’t come with you?”

Wei Dong reached out and lightly ruffled Tang Yang’s hair, just as he often did with the family’s chubby cat, his expression warm. “Wei Xi stayed home to study with Old Sun. You’ve been having a lot of fun these past few days, huh?”

Tang Yang scratched his head, chuckling sheepishly.

Seeing the two heading toward the gate, Tang Wei hesitated briefly, then stepped forward to join them. “I’ll come too!”

Tang Yang turned back to Wei Dong and, after a quick thought, said, “Brother-in-law, wait for me a sec; I need to let my brother know.”

He sprinted over to the kitchen, lifted the curtain, and poked his head in, calling out, “Brother, Brother-in-law’s taking me out for a bit! We’ll be back soon!”

Tang Xu, who was scoring the whole fish with diagonal cuts, was startled by Tang Yang’s sudden shout, making his hand tremble slightly. 

He turned his head and asked, “Where are you off to? We’re about to eat soon.”

“No idea, maybe the riverbank? Not like there’s much else around here,” Tang Yang replied, shrugging, unsure of Wei Dong’s plans.

Tang Xu glanced over the bowls and plates on the counter, quickly estimating how long it would take to finish cooking. Turning back to Tang Yang, he said, “One hour should be fine, but don’t go too far.”

“Got it!” Tang Yang waved cheerfully, lowered the curtain, and ran back out toward Wei Dong.

“Brother-in-law, where are we going? My brother said we should stay close; they’ll be serving lunch in about an hour.”

Wei Dong nodded, gesturing toward a basket and a hoe resting by the courtyard wall. “Grab those. We’re going to catch some fish.”

“More fish?” Though Tang Yang sounded a bit surprised, he eagerly picked up the hoe and basket. “How should we eat them once we head back?”

“We’ll fry them up nice and crispy,” Wei Dong said, motioning for him to follow as they walked.

Meanwhile, inside, Tang Erhu and Wang Cuicui fell silent after hearing Luo Pingping’s update. 

Wang Cuicui frowned anxiously and asked, “What exactly is wrong with her? How could her illness linger like this for so long?”

With reddened eyes, Luo Pingping shook her head, her voice thick with emotion. “They said she lost a lot of blood during childbirth and never fully recovered. Then, with all the household work recently, she caught a cold. When Dahu and I went to see her, she was lying on the kang, looking weak.”

“She’s so stubborn. Why didn’t she tell you sooner? It must be that her confinement period wasn’t done properly,” Wang Cuicui said, reaching over to squeeze Luo Pingping’s hand gently. “As Xu Ge’er  said, even if it doesn’t seem ideal, it’s better to bring her home to recuperate first.”

Luo Pingping nodded. “I agree. I’m thinking of having Ah Yao bring her back right after the fifth.”

She finished speaking, then turned to Tang Dahu, giving his shoulder a firm pat. “Say something, will you? You’ve been quiet this whole time.”

Tang Dahu sighed, “Alright, we’ll do as you say.”

Tang Erhu shot a look at his brother, then turned to Luo Pingping. “Sister-in-law, don’t be mad at him. He may not say much, but he’s really worried.”

Luo Pingping huffed, ignoring both of them, and took Wang Cuicui by the hand as they left the room.

The two brothers exchanged a look and sighed, each feeling the weight of the situation.

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TL: It’s been awhile since the author mentioned Tang Wei and Tang Zu along with LP’s daughter-in-laws so it took me awhile to look back in my notes to remember them lol.

Also Thanks to Chubbiestcheeks we now have raws up to 339 chapers!

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