| TBBOTOF | 279
In mid-June, the weather gradually turned hot. With plenty of rain, the crops in the fields grew lush and green, with tall stalks of corn.
Even though he came from a farming family, Tang Xu was very concerned about the yield.
The household's supply of manure and fertilizer was being taken care of, ensuring everything was running smoothly.
Once the grain harvest came in, it would bring joy to both sides—producers and recipients alike.
Walking leisurely around the fields, Tang Xu often paused to chat with the tenant farmers. With his good looks, cheerful demeanor, and engaging conversation, the tenants were especially fond of him.
“Sir, what brings you out here today? Look at these corn plants—they’re growing so well!”
“My sorghum is doing great too. It’s already sprouting. This year’s bound to be another good harvest!”
“Too much rain isn’t ideal either; we’re worried about waterlogging.”
“This year’s rains have been peculiar. They always fall just before noon. But then the sun comes out and dries the fields. Wet and dry in turns—it saves us the trouble of watering it, at least.”
Tang Xu listened to their chatter with a faint smile, occasionally chiming in with a question.
Though he wasn’t particularly skilled in farming, he did help look after the household vegetable patch. Still, he felt that field crops were more reliant on nature’s whims.
Listening to their conversations turned out to be quite interesting.
After a short while, Tang Xu noticed Luo Pingping approaching and called out to her while bidding farewell to the tenant farmers. “Auntie!”
Luo Pingping carried a bamboo basket and, upon hearing Tang Xu’s call, quickly raised her hand to wave.
The two were about ten meters apart when Tang Xu noticed her gesture, so he stopped and waited for her to come over.
“Auntie, what brings you here? What are you carrying?” Tang Xu took the basket from her hands, lifted the cloth covering it, and peeked inside. “Why’d you go to the trouble of making cold rice cakes?”
The rice cakes, stuffed with sweet bean filling, were soft, glutinous, and fragrant—beloved by both the young and old in the household.
However, because they were sticky, Tang Xu hadn’t made them much recently. With the hot weather, he was cautious about his family overindulging, fearing they might upset digestion.
“Your grandpa has a craving for these. I just made some and thought I’d bring you a few. I also wanted to check in on the little ones. Can Goudan walk now?”
She’d been preoccupied with making dried and cured duck lately, so it had been a while since her last visit.
Tang Xu smiled and nodded. “Yes, he can walk now, and not just walk—he can call out for his mother too. He eats more than just tiny bites these days, and he’s even put on a bit of weight.”
The youngest child in the Tang family, just a year and a half old, had been frail and undernourished before.
After coming to this household and being fed well every day, the child had quickly caught up in nutrition. Not only could he walk steadily now, but his body had also grown much stronger.
Luo Pingping was pleasantly surprised. “Really? He’s finally catching up! Those daily steamed egg custards you’ve been making haven’t gone to waste!”
Tang Xu chuckled. With plenty of eggs at home, he made sure the elderly and the children had eggs daily, prepared in various ways—boiled, fried, or as custards. Everyone in the household enjoyed them.
Initially, though, Goudan didn’t seem to like the egg custards much. Maybe he wasn’t used to the texture, as he’d often spit it out after taking a bite.
But now he had grown fond of them and eagerly finished his daily serving, which was steamed separately in a small bowl.
Listening to Tang Xu, Luo Pingping couldn’t suppress her smile, which spread across her face no matter how she tried to rein it in. She couldn’t even say a word, just reaching out to pat his shoulder affectionately.
Tang Xu understood her unspoken sentiment and reassured her, “Auntie, no need to be so polite with me. He’s my nephew, after all.”
Luo Pingping smiled and warmly acknowledged, “That’s true.”
She then teased him, “What brings you all the way out here? Normally, you don’t even step out of the gate.”
Tang Xu didn’t feel embarrassed since it was a fact. “Well, Ah Dong hasn’t come back yet. Usually, he’s the one who checks on the fields. I thought I’d come take a look. It’s been raining quite a bit lately, and it’d be trouble if the crops got waterlogged.”
“Your uncle has been fretting at home, too,” Luo Pingping sighed. “He keeps saying it’s been raining so much since late May. If it keeps up during the wheat harvest, we’re in for trouble.”
Farmers who relied on the heavens for their livelihood feared both too much and too little water—waterlogging would ruin the fields, while drought would parch the crops. Either way was a problem.
Tang Xu, however, wasn’t overly worried. “No need to think too far ahead. Right now, things seem fine. The farmers were just saying that it usually rains in the morning, and by the time the sun comes out in the afternoon, the fields have dried. At least it saves us the effort of irrigating the crops ourselves.”
Luo Pingping nodded in agreement. “Your uncle has been much more relaxed these past couple of days. Normally, around this time of year, he’d be running back and forth watering the dry fields. The rice paddies, on the other hand, are doing quite well. From what I’ve seen, the rice is growing beautifully.”
The two chatted as they walked back. Since the fields were a bit far from the house, besides discussing the crops, Tang Xu also asked about the health of his grandparents.
With everything keeping him busy lately, it had been a while since he had visited the old folks.
“Your grandma has mentioned you several times,” Luo Pingping said, recalling. “She’s wondering what your house over here looks like now that it’s been built. She even wanted your uncle to drive the cow cart over and take her here to have a look. But your grandpa stopped her, saying it’d only add to your burden if they came over to help. He told her to stay home and rest.”
“My grandma must’ve been upset with him for that,” Tang Xu chuckled, a bit self-reproachful.
“It’s my fault, too. I’ve been so busy here that I haven’t had the time to visit. I was planning to make a trip recently, but then it started raining for days on end. Once the weather clears up, I’ll take the kids and go see them.”
“That’d make her really happy,” Luo Pingping said with a smile.
On their way back, they encountered several familiar women from the village. Some were bringing meals to their husbands working in the fields, others were heading to town to shop while the weather was good, and a few were going to the mountains to collect wild mushrooms.
Whenever someone passed by, they exchanged greetings.
As they neared the house, Luo Pingping asked if she could check out the new house first. Tang Xu agreed and accompanied her for a look.
“Why have you enclosed such a large area?” Luo Pingping asked in surprise, eyeing the tall courtyard walls made of brick and stone. They looked grand and impressive.
“We decided to enclose the front house too,” Tang Xu explained, gesturing with his hand. “The main gate will be moved to a different direction, and this side will serve as the back door. Since there’s plenty of land, we’re planning to build a few small courtyards. That way, when the kids grow up, they can each have their own space. It’ll be spacious and bright.”
Luo Pingping exclaimed repeatedly in awe, marveling at how much money must have been spent.
Tang Xu didn’t mention the exact cost. Building in the countryside was much cheaper than in the city. The bricks and stones were quarried from the nearby mountains, and the main expenses were labor and time.
Tang Mei was cooking in the shed when she heard voices. Looking up, her face lit up with a joyful smile. “Mother, what brings you here?”
“I came to check on you all,” Luo Pingping said, noting her daughter’s rosy complexion and the added fullness in her cheeks. Without even needing to ask, she could see that her daughter was doing well. “Need any help?”
“No need, it’s almost done.” Tang Mei waved her hand and turned back to remove the steaming tray from the stove. Inside were a batch of mixed-grain steamed buns.
Tang Xu sniffed the air, catching the savory aroma of a stew. “Cousin, is that meat and radish stew I smell?”
He lifted the pot lid and saw chunks of meat along with a few split bones. He remarked, “If we had a dog, these bones wouldn’t go to waste.”
“You’ve been saying we should get one, so why haven’t you brought home a couple yet?” Luo Pingping retorted. “Besides, with such a big courtyard, having a dog for guarding the house would be a good idea. What if a thief sneaks in?”
“We were planning to get one, but we haven’t found any with good traits yet,” Tang Xu sighed. “Plus, with the poultry and livestock in the backyard roaming freely, I’m worried a dog might end up attacking them.”
He added with a chuckle, “Ah Dong always says, ‘Who’d dare steal from us? That’d be risking their life.’ But still, when he comes back, I’ll ask him to find a good dog or two. Once the courtyard is finished, it’ll be even more secure. Having a few dogs around will help me sleep more peacefully at night.”
Luo Pingping nodded in agreement, appreciating his reasoning.
“Auntie, stay a bit longer. I’ll make lunch,” Tang Xu said, glancing up at the sky to check the time before turning to her.
Luo Pingping waved her hand. “I’ll help Da Niu here for a bit first. I’ll come over later. You go on ahead.”
Tang Xu didn’t insist. After greeting Tang Mei, he headed back to his room.
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