| TBBOTOF | 261
On the morning of the eighth day of the lunar month, at dawn, Tang Xu got out of the warm bed, climbed down from the heated kang, and put on his padded jacket and trousers, stepping onto the floor.
As soon as he stepped out, a damp chill swept through his entire body, making him shiver involuntarily a few times.
It was cold. Tang Xu thought the fire under the kang had gone out, but it turned out that the temperature outside had dropped significantly.
When he pushed the door, it took some effort to get it open. Snow had already piled up past the threshold.
Tang Xu frowned, turned back to grab the small iron shovel used for clearing ash from the kang, and cleared away the snow at the door before finally managing to push the door all the way open.
The scene before him was a vast expanse of silver-white. Under the dim light of dawn, the reflection on the snow made it appear even more dazzling, almost blinding.
“Brother-in-law, why are you up so early?” Wei Xi came out of his room, carrying a chamber pot in his hand.
Since Old Sun had come to stay with their family, Wei Xi would wake up every day before dawn to recite passages and practice calligraphy. By the time he finished two sheets of calligraphy, the rest of the family would usually be getting up as well.
Tang Xu yawned and shivered as he came out of his room. “I felt cold while I was sleeping, so I got up to check on the kids.”
Wei Xi responded with an "oh," quickly heading to the backyard to empty and clean the chamber pot before starting his morning reading routine.
Tang Xu went to the side room where the four children were sleeping. Inside, it was warm and cozy, with no trace of the cold from outside.
He tiptoed carefully, gently pushed open the side door, and peeked in. On the top bunk of the wooden double bed, the second and youngest children were sleeping soundly, their little feet sticking out from under the covers. On the lower bunk, the chubby boy was half sprawled on Sun Yang, snoring softly.
Sun Yang, despite being squashed, was also sleeping deeply.
Tang Xu walked over, gently pushed the chubby boy off, freeing Sun Yang’s half-squashed body. Then he tucked them both in carefully before tiptoeing out of the room.
The courtyard was silent, with only the occasional rustling sound of snow falling from the treetops. Tang Xu glanced up at the sky. It wasn’t too gloomy—not bad.
This unexpected overnight snowfall had caught many off guard, causing some to fall ill. The weather had been warming up recently, and no one expected the sudden cold snap.
Tang Xu sneezed and wrapped himself tighter in his down jacket, feeling a little dizzy.
Who would have thought that a simple morning routine—chatting briefly with Wei, checking on the four kids, and then heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast—would lead to this?
At the time, he only felt slightly cold, but the kitchen warmed up quickly once the fire was lit.
However, after breakfast, he started feeling unusually tired. He went back to bed for a nap, only to wake up with a full-blown fever.
It was already afternoon by now. Most of the snow in the courtyard had been cleared away by Wei Dong, who had worked with Zhao Ming, Liu Yao, and a few other young men.
Tang Xu initially thought that drinking some herbal medicine and sweating it out would be enough to recover, but his headache only got worse, and waves of chills continued to sweep over him.
Getting sick during the New Year festivities left Tang Xu feeling a bit dejected.
Slumped on the heated kang, he watched as Wei Dong brought over a bowl of pitch-black herbal medicine. His face scrunched up in displeasure.
“Do I really have to drink it?” he asked, already dreading the taste. He had no idea what kind of herbs Old Wen had prescribed, but the bitterness lingered on his tongue long after each dose, leaving it numb.
Wei Dong raised an eyebrow at him, the meaning clear: no drinking, no recovering.
Tang Xu sighed, reluctantly took the bowl, and, with his eyes squeezed shut and his nose wrinkled, downed the medicine.
After finishing, the bitterness sapped him of all energy. He burrowed into the soft quilt, pouting pitifully as he gazed at Wei Dong.
Wei Dong, charmed by his adorableness, took a small piece of honey candy from his pocket and popped it into Tang Xu’s mouth. “Sweet enough?”
Tang Xu rolled the candy from one cheek to the other, smacking his lips. “Not bad. Where did you get it?”
“I made it myself,” Wei Dong said, handing him a small bundle of candies wrapped in oil paper.
“I didn’t make much, but if you like them, I can make more.”
Tang Xu shook his head. “I don't usually like candy. This is enough.”
He smacked his lips, quickly chewed up the candy in his mouth, and drank a cup of warm water.
“Lie down and rest for a bit,” Wei Dong suggested.
Tang Xu hummed in agreement, shifted to lie down, pulled the quilt snugly over himself, and muttered with his eyes closed, “Have the children stay at my dad’s place for a couple of days. I don’t want them catching this from me.”
Wei Dong nodded. “Got it. Go to sleep.”
The next time Tang Xu opened his eyes, it was already the next morning. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a long while, feeling groggy and physically weak—he’d clearly overslept.
Not long after he woke up, Wei Dong came in carrying a bamboo tray with two bowls on it.
“You’re awake?” Wei Dong placed the tray on the small table by the kang, then reached out to touch Tang Xu’s forehead. “You had a fever all night.”
Tang Xu blinked and reached out, grabbing Wei Dong’s hand. With a bit of effort, he used it as leverage to pull himself up.
"I don’t feel like I still have a fever," Tang Xu muttered, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead. His temperature seemed fine, but his body felt sticky and uncomfortable.
His body was weak, and he slumped sideways against the kang cabinet, his eyes drifting to the tray on the small table.
There were two bowls on the tray: one filled with plain white rice porridge and the other with dark herbal medicine.
He hadn’t eaten much since yesterday, and now he was starting to feel a bit hungry—until his gaze landed on the bowl of medicine, which instantly killed his appetite.
Wei Dong helped him rearrange the quilt, folding it neatly and tucking it behind him as a cushion. Then he picked up the bowl of porridge and sat down beside him, ready to feed him.
Being spoon-fed by his own husband left Tang Xu with no room to refuse. The moment he opened his mouth, a spoonful of porridge was promptly delivered, and before he could even process it, another was already at his lips.
After finishing about half the bowl, Tang Xu couldn’t take another bite. He quickly turned his head away and patted Wei Dong’s arm to signal he was done.
Wei Dong put the bowl down and looked at him. “Full?”
Tang Xu glared at him— full didn’t even begin to describe it; he was practically about to burst.
Wei Dong wiped his mouth with a cloth and asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Uncomfortable everywhere,” Tang Xu replied weakly. “Did I have a high fever last night?”
“You were rambling nonsense,” Wei Dong said, clearly still shaken by what had happened.
Tang Xu had been sleeping soundly at first, but as his body temperature spiked, Wei Dong had rushed to get warm water and wiped him down to cool him off.
However, while Wei Dong was busy, Tang Xu began mumbling incoherently, humming and muttering things Wei Dong couldn’t understand. “I have no idea what you were saying. Not a single word made sense.”
Tang Xu scratched his face and tilted his head, trying to recall, but nothing came to mind.
He decided not to dwell on it and shuffled closer, scooting over until he was leaning against Wei Dong. “I feel all sticky. Can I take a bath?” he asked, gazing up at his man with pitiful, pleading eyes.
Unfortunately, Wei Dong’s heart wasn’t easily softened. This kind of act didn’t work on him.
“I already wiped you down. The stickiness is from sweating afterward. You can’t bathe yet. Wait until you’re completely recovered,” Wei Dong said, handing over the bowl of herbal medicine. “Old Wen changed the prescription. It’s not as bitter as last time.”
Tang Xu looked at the bowl suspiciously, not quite convinced. But with Wei Dong watching him so closely, there was no escaping it.
Tang Xu shouldn’t have believed Wei Dong’s nonsense. He took the bowl, drank the medicine, and immediately his face twisted in a grimace from the bitterness.
His illness dragged on intermittently for several days. In the blink of an eye, it was already the thirteenth day of the first lunar month.
By then, Tang Xu had finally recovered completely and was reunited with the children he hadn’t seen for days.
TL: Funny enough I can relate to what Tang Xu is going through right now, snow came out of nowhere today and I am starting to get sick. By the time I post this chapter I hope I am not sick by Thanksgiving week. Stay warm everyone!
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