The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 253

 

| TBBOTOF | 253

Strictly speaking, Tang Xu's family background wasn't simple.

Even though Tang Wei was Wei Dong's brother-in-law, it was only after marrying Tang Xu that Wei Dong started to restrain his temper a bit. 

The villagers noticed his change; nowadays, people greet him on the road, though before, they would avoid him whenever possible.

Right now, Tang Wei was following closely behind Wei Dong and Tang Yang, looking at the basket and chatting excitedly. He was clearly in high spirits.

He was a bit curious and quickened his pace to catch up, asking, “Ah Yang, what are you talking about that makes you so excited?”

“Brother-in-law promised to make a small bow for me when we get back, so I can follow him into the mountains to catch wild chickens!” Tang Yang’s smile was especially bright; it was obvious he had been eagerly looking forward to this small bow for a long time.

Tang Wei was a bit surprised and asked him, “Aren't you supposed to be studying? Do you still have time to go up the mountain?”

“I can’t be studying nonstop, can I? There’s got to be some time for other things. Big Brother also told me and Brother Xi not to pressure ourselves too much. Anyway, no one’s expecting us to achieve anything extraordinary; just being educated and sensible is enough,” Tang Yang replied, lifting his chin slightly, his gaze showing a hint of pride.

For a while after he passed the entrance exams to become a scholar, Tang Yang had been a bit arrogant. 

However, when Old Sun came to the house and gave a few lectures, Tang Yang became noticeably depressed and, for almost two weeks, hardly smiled.

At first, Tang Xu didn’t notice, as Tang Yang was always energetic around him. It was Wei Xi who eventually pointed it out to Tang Xu.

After that, Tang Xu had a talk with the two younger boys, making it clear they didn’t need to push themselves too hard; peace of mind was the most important thing.

After being cheered up by his big brother, Tang Yang was back to his cheerful, carefree self, a true young lad at heart.

Hearing this, Tang Wei couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. After all, sending someone to school and spending all that silver was usually done in hopes of earning an official title in return. 

And here the Tang family was, supporting not just one but two students. 

But he kept these thoughts to himself, knowing if he said them out loud, he’d probably get scolded.

It wasn’t his silver being spent anyway, so he shrugged it off. Smiling, he asked again, “So, have your studies gotten even more intense since you two passed the entrance exams? I was thinking of sending my own little one to the village school when they get a bit older.”

Tang Yang nodded. “The village school is great. If it weren’t for Big Brother asking Old Wen to invite Mr. Sun over to teach us for a while, I’d be heading back to the village school myself after the New Year.”

Tang Wei nodded in understanding and didn’t bring up the topic again. Over the past couple of years, Tang Yang, who used to spend his days running around catching fish in the river with the other kids, had really grown up. 

The gap between them had widened, and they no longer had much to talk about like before.

Tang Yang, too, found his older cousin rather dull and couldn’t find much to talk about with him. 

So he ran a few steps forward to catch up with Wei Dong, who had already walked some distance ahead, and called out, “Brother-in-law, take me up the mountain when it gets warmer!”

Wei Dong responded with a calm nod, his gaze scanning the surroundings. He raised his hand and pointed. “Over there.”

The river’s thick ice showed no signs of melting, and, thanks to a recent snowfall, it was covered by a fresh layer of snow that crunched underfoot.

Standing on the ice, Wei Dong gazed into the distance. Only after Tang Yang carefully made his way down from the embankment did he say, “Go over there and dig a hole.”

Tang Yang followed the direction Wei Dong pointed, looking out over the snowy, slightly reflective ice surface.

He blinked, looked at the pickaxe lying on the ground, and nodded.

He then carefully shouldered the pickaxe and began walking over to dig a hole, treading cautiously.

Luckily, he was young and nimble; otherwise, he’d have likely slipped several times.

Tang Wei, however, didn’t have Tang Yang’s agility. The moment he set foot on the ice, he began to slip. 

After falling a few times, he felt as if his backside was about to shatter.

Grimacing, he stood up and waved his hands, indicating that he was done. “I’ll just wait here,” he said, admitting defeat.

Wei Dong nodded and walked across the ice as if it were solid ground, his balance so steady it made Tang Wei’s eyes widen in amazement.

He thought to himself, Does he have spikes on his soles? How else is he managing to stay so firmly rooted on the ice without slipping?

Just as Tang Yang raised the pickaxe to strike down, Wei Dong reached out to stop him.

“What is it?” Tang Yang asked.

“You’re in the wrong spot,” Wei Dong replied, taking a few more steps forward. “Here.”

Tang Yang slid over to his side and looked down, noticing that this spot on the ice was a bit different. Though still frozen solid, it wasn’t as smooth and even as the surrounding areas, with slight indentations.

He immediately realized what this meant—before the New Year, his brother-in-law had brought people here to fish, and this must have been one of the ice holes they’d made back then.

Feeling energized, Tang Yang swung the pickaxe down hard on the ice.

With each swing, shards of ice flew in all directions, scattering everywhere.

Wei Dong didn’t move, calmly watching Tang Yang strike down a few times until his arms grew visibly tired. 

At that point, he reached out and took the pickaxe from him.

Tang Yang handed the pickaxe to Wei Dong, who brought it down with a single, resounding strike. The ice immediately cracked in a spiderweb pattern.

Tang Yang quickly backed away, his face showing a bit of fear.

Wei Dong continued, striking in a circular pattern about five or six times. Finally, he struck the center with all his strength, wedging the pickaxe deep into the ice. With a powerful lift, he managed to pry up an entire block of ice.

Tang Yang watched with his mouth slightly open, letting out an impressed “Wow.”

Wei Dong set the ice block aside. He planned to put it back later, as leaving a big hole on the ice could be dangerous; who knew if some child might wander onto the ice and fall in?

If something like that happened, it would undoubtedly cause a big problem for him.

Over at the riverbank, Tang Wei stood on his toes, eagerly watching. He regretted coming all the way out here only to end up waiting on the shore, feeling completely left out of the action!

The pain in his backside had mostly faded by now, so he took a deep breath, gingerly extended his foot onto the ice, and began to make his way forward. 

But he ended up stumbling, and after a few shaky steps, he fell forward again.

The loud thud of Tang Wei hitting the ice was impossible to ignore. Both Wei Dong and Tang Yang, who had been observing the water beneath the ice, turned around and saw Tang Wei sprawled out on the ice in a starfish position.

Tang Yang was startled and quickly slid over to him. “Cousin, are you okay?”

Tang Wei was a bit dazed from the fall. After a moment, he gathered his wits, rubbing his forehead with a pained grimace.

Tang Yang watched as a bump slowly rose on his cousin’s forehead and couldn’t hold back a snicker.

Tang Wei shot him a glare and extended his hand. “Help me up, quick!”

“I can’t pull you up,” Tang Yang said, shaking his head. He turned and called to Wei Dong, “Brother-in-law, can you give us a hand?”

The men in the Tang family were all tall and sturdy. Tang Wei, in particular, had a strong build, standing at about 1.8 meters—though not as towering as Wei Dong, who was over 1.9 meters—with a solid frame of muscle. 

There was no way that Tang Yang, still just a teenager, could lift him.

Wei Dong came over, helped pull Tang Wei up, and gave him a quick once-over. “Are you alright?”

Tang Wei blinked, his vision still a bit blurry from the impact, but he nodded slightly.

“I think I'm okay.”

As soon as Tang Wei finished speaking, his eyes widened. In the distance, from an ice hole behind Wei Dong and Tang Yang, a large fish suddenly leaped out of the water.

The fish flopped and struggled on the ice, sliding quite a distance away from the hole.

Tang Yang reacted the fastest, rushing over and diving to pin down the slippery fish.

“Brother-in-law! It’s huge!” he exclaimed with excitement.

Wei Dong nodded and glanced over at the hole. The river water had started to seep up, and a number of fish were now crowding around the hole, eager to get some fresh oxygen.

Originally, they had only planned to catch a few small fish to fry up later. But seeing so many fish surfacing, the opportunity was simply too good to pass up.

Catching fish bare-handed required skill, as the fish were slippery, and putting hands into the icy water would be not only freezing but difficult to grab hold of anything.

Wei Dong looked around, then went back to the shore to pick up two sturdy sticks, each about two fingers wide. After testing their weight and length, he took the knife from his belt and sharpened the ends of the sticks to a fine point.

He brought the sticks back, handed one to Tang Yang, and gestured for them to stand back a bit. Then he began to spear the fish.

Not every thrust hit its mark, but sometimes Wei Dong managed to spear two fish at once.

He’d lift the stick and give it a flick, sending the speared fish flying onto the ice.

Tang Yang quickly collected each fish and tossed them into the bamboo basket.

Watching Wei Dong’s swift and practiced movements, Tang Wei—now no longer dizzy—picked up another stick, saying, “Let me give it a try. Looks pretty easy.”

Wei Dong nodded and stepped back to give him room.

Then, Tang Yang and Wei Dong both watched as Tang Wei repeatedly jabbed his stick into the ice hole, over and over, splashing water everywhere. His pant legs were soaked from the spray, yet not a single fish was speared.

After a while, Tang Wei, now warm and even sweating from the effort, wiped his face with his hand and, panting, looked over at Wei Dong with a wry smile. “I give up. This isn’t for me.”

Tang Yang, eager to try, grabbed a stick and prepared to give it a go.

But just as he took a large step forward, Wei Dong reached out and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him slightly off the ground.

Tang Yang froze, instinctively struggling for a moment.

Wei Dong, with a calm expression, said, “You were about to fall in.”

Tang Yang paused, then looked down, feeling a chill run down his spine as he realized he had nearly stepped right into the ice hole.

After Wei Dong set him down safely to the side, Tang Yang quickly thanked him, “Brother-in-law, you saved my life!”

Wei Dong, showing little emotion, gave him a reminder. “Don’t stand too close. This whole area around the hole could give in.”

Tang Yang nodded quickly and moved to stand where Wei Dong had been, getting into position to spear a fish.

But, like Tang Wei, he ended up drenched in sweat from the effort and didn’t catch a single fish.

Wei Dong sighed, waved his hand, and said, “Alright, both of you, stand aside.”

Tang Yang chuckled sheepishly, stepping back as he handed the stick to Wei Dong. Watching Wei Dong spear fish with ease, he muttered, “Why is it that you’re good at everything, Brother-in-law?”

Wei Dong glanced at him and replied, “You need a stable stance. If your legs are shaky and your arms lack strength, of course you won’t be able to catch fish. Hunting would be even harder.” 

He gave Tang Yang a look that made him feel self-conscious, adding, “You’ve grown taller but haven’t built up any strength.”

Tang Yang nearly burst into tears at that, grabbing the bamboo basket and scurrying away, looking like a duck slipping and sliding across the ice.

Wei Dong sighed, shaking his head.

He carefully resealed the ice hole, filling in the area with loose ice shards to make it safe. Turning to Tang Wei, he said, “Let’s head back.”

Tang Wei nodded, reaching out to help carry the pickaxe.

Wei Dong carried the two wooden sticks back, planning to use them as firewood.

Meanwhile, in the Tang family's old house, Luo Pingping sat on the kang, wiping her eyes as she spoke with Wang Cuicui. She had finally voiced all the worries that had been weighing on her heart, and the relief was palpable.

Wang Cuicui handed her a handkerchief and comforted her, saying, “Whatever it is, you should speak it out. Keeping things bottled up for too long will only make you sick.”

Luo Pingping let out a long breath, wiped her tears, and said, “You know, when I first saw her, I felt like I wanted to kill that family right then and there.”

Wang Cuicui didn’t try to offer any advice but simply listened quietly.

Once Luo Pingping had calmed down a bit, she continued, “This is something we can hide from my mother-in-law, but when she sees my eldest daughter, she’ll be shaken.”

“Xu Ge’er said the same thing. After we finish eating, I’ll talk to her.” Luo Pingping gave a faint smile, pulling at the corner of her mouth. “It’s a good thing Xu Ge’er gave me some advice, otherwise my daughter would never come back.”

“It’s only natural that family members would help each other. After the fifth day of the New Year, things should be better,” Wang Cuicui added.

Luo Pingping nodded. “I think so too.”

In the kitchen, Tang Xu had already finished preparing all the dishes. Only the final step of stir-frying was left. 

The fish stewing in the pot and the steamed ribs were almost done. He turned to Sun Ning'er and Wang Lanhua, saying, "We can set the table now. Have them bring the bowls and chopsticks. I'll finish stir-frying the remaining dishes, and the cold dishes are ready to be mixed; I've already added all the seasonings."

Wang Lanhua quickly responded, lifting the curtain and going out.

Sun Ning'er, a step slower, walked to the door, then suddenly turned back and approached Tang Xue. She spoke in a low voice, "Xu Ge’er, can you give me some advice? When spring comes, can you help my husband make a living?"

Tang Xu looked at her with surprise and asked, "Aren't you helping Auntie make dried duck? Why are you looking for a side business?"

Sun Ning'er was about to unload her frustrations when Wang Lanhua's voice interrupted her as she returned.

"Ning’er, come help watch the kids! Grandma tried to coax them, but they're still crying."

Sun Ning'er had both a daughter and a son; her son, only six months old, was crying loudly.

Earlier, Tang Xu had heard the faint cries but thought it was just normal crying, not realizing how persistent it had been.

It seemed like the baby was probably hungry and needed to nurse.

Sun Ning'er stamped her foot and looked at Tang Xue, speaking urgently, "Xu Ge’er, please help me. I really need money."

Tang Xue sighed, "Take care of the child first. We can talk about this later."

He didn't immediately agree to her request. After all, he knew both Tang Wei and Sun Ning'er very well. Even if it was a good idea, it could create trouble with the family. If he gave advice to them, then the family would also get involved, and the issue of money could lead to disputes. 

He didn't want to cause unnecessary conflict.

The table in the main room was set, and as he heard Wei Dong's return, Tang Xu began to stir-fry the dishes.

The dishes were quickly ready and brought to the table—mealtime was now.

There were many people, so even with two tables, it felt a bit crowded. The table at their home was one that could rotate, so everyone had to stand up to serve themselves.

Da Bao sat between Er Bao and Xiao Bao. As the eldest brother, he was very busy, constantly helping Er Bao with his food, reminding him to eat slowly, and then turning to Xiao Bao, urging him to chew faster.

After being busy for a while, Tang Xu glanced at his son and said, "Da Bao, let them eat by themselves, you should eat properly too."

The chubby boy puffed out his cheeks and said in a childish voice, "Master said, I need to take care of my younger brothers!"

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow, "Did your master also say you could talk while you're eating?"

The chubby boy pouted, finding it hard to keep his promises. He liked to chat and eat at the same time—it was much more fun!

Tang Xu placed a piece of steamed spareribs into his bowl and tilted his chin, "Eat up. After you're done, you can go look at the fishes your father caught. You can also ask your uncle how your father did it and how amazing it was.”

The chubby’s boy eyes widened, and he nodded enthusiastically, picking up his bowl and continuing to eat.

During the New Year, everyone was lively, and a few cups of wine were drunk. The sorghum liquor that Tang Xu had brought earlier was placed on the table, and almost all the men had poured themselves some. Tang Dahu and Tang Erhu were particularly excited when they saw the wine.

Tang Xu took a small sip, savoring the rich taste of the liquor, which seemed to improve the longer it was stored.

"Want more?" Wei Dong asked as Tang Xu set down his glass and turned to him.

Tang Xu shook his head, his fair skin now tinged with a faint pink. He glanced at his man with a smile, "One drink is enough; anymore and I'll get drunk."

"Drunk? I’ll carry you back later," Wei Dong replied, refilling his glass.

It was rare for his husband to drink, and he had never seen him drunk before, so Wei Dong was quite curious.

Tang Xu shot him a sideways glance but didn’t stop him from pouring more wine.

Tang Qi’s family hadn’t come over yet, saying they would visit in the next couple of days of the new year. 

Wu Guizhi picked up some fish and put it in Tang Xu's bowl, saying, "Ah Qi’s child is more promising than his father. Look at this, just over a year, and he can already make those spicy strips—what do you call them? Spicy strips, right?"

Tang Xu chuckled and nodded.

The old lady continued, "They’ve sold the spicy strips so far away, and he said he didn’t earn much."

Tang Xu nodded. "Not much, but the amount of silver they sent me has increased."

Wu Guizhi snorted with a little mockery, then said, "You didn't see Li Xiu's proud face. She was dressed so well, even showed off her bracelet when she was holding the child, deliberately letting me see it."

Tang Xu chuckled lightly and quickly took a sip of water. "Oh? Didn’t you ask her about it?"

Wu Guizhi raised her eyebrows, her tone lifting. "I gave her enough face! Why should I ask her? What’s so special about a silver bracelet? I don’t have one!"

She finished speaking and immediately changed her expression, smiling as she picked up a piece of braised goose leg and put it into Tang Xu’s bowl. "My grandson bought this for me!"

Tang Xu couldn’t help but laugh at the way she was showing off and asked, "Ah Qi bought it for you as a gift?"

"Mm, he said that no matter how much silver he earned, he couldn’t forget his roots, so he insisted on giving it to me," the old lady said, rolling up her sleeve to show him the bracelet on her wrist. It was a simple silver band, nothing fancy.

"It’s pretty shiny," Tang Xu complimented.

The old lady happily lowered her sleeve. "You know, I’ve lived to this age and finally gotten to enjoy myself. You and Dongzi often send me good things, and Ah Qi has really established himself. It’s good that Li Xiu doesn't have him under her control—thank goodness this son has good ideas."

Tang Xu encouraged her with a smile, "Take whatever your descendants give you and enjoy it. When you get more pieces, you can switch them up and wear them when you go out. Show off to your old friends and see how they react to it."

The old lady lightly smacked his arm and scolded, "What kind of words are you saying? Am I someone like that?"

Tang Xu laughed but didn’t respond directly. 

He thought to himself, You probably haven’t realized yet, but after the New Year and when the weather warms up, once everyone starts walking around and chatting, at least half the village will know that the famous Ah Qi from the Tang family bought a silver bracelet for his grandmother.

"When it’s your birthday, I’ll get you a pair of earrings," Tang Xu added, putting some shredded vegetables into her bowl, casually mentioning that he had already been thinking of this for a while.

The old lady beamed. "Alright, if you get me some, I’ll accept them. All my money came from you."

She was someone who valued money but also knew when to be generous—understanding well that sometimes a little extravagance was important.

Over the past couple of years, since Tang Xu had his children, Wu Guizhi had also been giving them red envelopes, always of the same amount, making sure everything was equal. 

Tang Xu had gained the elders' favor, and his children was loved by the older generation. Wu Guizhi, however, was a bit partial, giving Tang Dahu’s side of the family’s grandchildren fewer envelopes than she did for Tang Xu’s children.

Tang Xu, of course, had always assumed the old lady was fair, giving all the great-grandchildren the same amount, but now he was starting to notice the subtle favoritism.

The meal had been lively, and by the time they finished, it was almost dusk. The sun was setting, casting the sky in a dim light.

Having had a bit to drink, Wei Dong accompanied them, a slight trace of alcohol still lingering on him.

Tang Yang took over the task of driving the cart. Tang Xu carried Xiao Bao into the cart and turned to wave at Luo Pingping, who was sending them off. "Auntie, we're leaving now."

Luo Pingping smiled and waved back as she nodded.

Tang Yang gave the mule a gentle pat on the rear, and it started moving at a quick pace. 

After they had left and were out of sight, Luo Pingping turned back, entering the yard with a determined look on her face. She shut the gate behind her with a snap, then marched straight toward Tang Wei’s house.

Previous TOC Next