The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 299

 

| TBBOTOF | 299

Front and Back Yards

Harvesting vegetables—various types are ripening one after another. It was time to start drying vegetables and making pickles again, keeping everyone in the household busy.

In the past couple of days, Wei Dong hasn’t taken Liu Yao up the mountain. Instead, the whole family has been occupied with picking vegetables.

The vegetable plot is large, with a wide variety of vegetables. There are long ones, flat ones, and even flowery ones—all sorts of shapes and colors.

There are several types of peppers: round, pointed, green, and red. The eggplants come in purple and green varieties too. Many of the seeds were brought back by Wei Dong during his trading trips, and over the past two years, quite a collection has accumulated.

The cabbages are as big as human heads, and there are gourds and loofahs hanging on trellises. They’re quite sizable as well.

“Brother!” Tang Yang, who had grown a lot over the past year, called out. At ten years old, he was almost as tall as Tang Xu now.

With both hands, he held up a large, green bottle gourd and asked, “What do we do with this?”

“Slice it into strips and dry it later,” Tang Xu replied. He had never eaten bottle gourds before. 

He only knew that large gourds could be dried to make ladles or used as wine containers. He had never thought of eating them until Tang Mei mentioned that bottle gourds could be sliced and dried for consumption. That was why they planted some this year.

Although gourds grow quite large, their skins are tender, and they taste pretty good.

The family didn’t lack vegetables to eat, so Tang Xu planted gourds simply out of curiosity, knowing they could be both eaten and dried for future use.

“Don’t pick the bigger loofahs yet. I want to save the seeds and dry the loofah sponges to use as dish scrubbers,” Tang Xu reminded.

Tang Yang nodded and placed the bottle gourd he was holding onto the ground. “Got it, brother. Brother-in-law said he’s planning to take down the goji berry trellis. I noticed there are still quite a few goji berries growing on it, though they’re a bit small.”

“Pick them off. For our own use, size doesn’t matter,” Tang Xu said with a wave of his hand. He turned to pick up a small, thin metal cylinder from the table beside him. 

This tool was for slicing gourd strips. You press it onto the gourd, twist it, and it produces long, even strips. After blanching the strips, they’re hung to dry. 

Once fully dried, they’re bundled and stored in burlap sacks in a cool, dry storeroom. When it’s time to eat, the dried strips are soaked in water, washed, and stir-fried with pork for a wonderfully crisp and delicious dish.

“Pull out the bean stalks and bundle them up. We’ll need them for next year. Don’t chop them up for firewood,” Tang Xu reminded.

Tang Yang responded with an “Oh!” and waved his hand before running off to the backyard.

“Brother-in-law,” not long after Tang Yang left, Wei Xi appeared from the backyard, carrying a large bamboo basket on his arm. Inside were three big pumpkins. “These grew on the hillside. My brother said to cook them for dinner tonight.”

“Got it,” Tang Xu replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He looked up at the sky—clear and brilliantly blue without a single cloud. The blazing sun made the day unbearably hot.

Wei Xi placed the three large pumpkins from the bamboo basket into the kitchen before heading back to the backyard with the empty basket. There were still many vegetables to be transported. 

Once cleared, the ground would be tilled to plant some radishes and greens, which could grow big enough to harvest before the snow came.

Tang Xu continued slicing the bottle gourd, placing the strips into a basket. Looking around, he noticed Liu Ge'er and the younger children picking green beans, eggplants, and peppers in the vegetable plot. 

Because tomato vines have a strong smell that sticks to the hands and requires multiple washes to remove, the kids were reluctant to handle them.

Xu Ze walked over quickly and said to Tang Xu, “Brother, Old Wu said the medicinal herbs in the small plot out back are ready for harvest.”

“Go ahead and harvest them. You can help out,” Tang Xu replied.

“He won’t let me touch them. He’s out there with a small hoe digging himself,” Xu Ze said with a bit of frustration, pouting. “Does the old man think I’m too clumsy?”

“Of course not! Didn’t he praise you just a few days ago for being so careful when looking after the herb field? He’s probably just doing it himself because he’s diligent like that,” Tang Xu said with a laugh, offering some reassurance.

Xu Ze grabbed a small stool and sat down nearby. He took some green beans from another basket, slicing them in half with a small knife and tossing them into an empty basket. “I heard Uncle Tang say he’ll be heading back to town in a while,” Xu Ze remarked.

Tang Xu nodded. “My father’s been thinking about it. With autumn around the corner, it’s time to reopen the shop.”

“Will Sister Li go too?” Xu Ze asked. He knew Tang Li had been busy lately sewing her wedding dress. She had been working on needlework at home every day, barely taking a break.

“She probably won’t come along. I was thinking of asking my eldest cousin to go and help out, so Ah Li can stay home and focus on her wedding dresses. She’s making two sets, after all, and doing it herself takes time,” Tang Xu said. 

He glanced toward Tang Mei, who had just stepped out of the house, and called out loudly, “Cousin!”

Tang Mei looked over with a smile. “What is it?”

“What do you think about what I mentioned last time?” Tang Xu gestured with his chin for her to take a seat on a nearby stool.

Tang Mei hesitated for a moment before realizing what he meant. “You mean going to town to help with the shop?” she asked uncertainly.

“Exactly,” Tang Xu nodded, grabbing another bottle gourd and fixing it onto a stick before resuming the task of scraping it into strips. “I talked to Father about it the other day. He said it’d be good for you to go. You’d get to see more of the world and meet more people—who knows, maybe you’d even find someone suitable.”

Tang Mei gave him a light slap on the shoulder. “Stop talking nonsense.”

“It wasn’t what I said—it was my father!” Tang Xu replied, grinning. “He said Uncle Dahu has brought it up a few times, he was worried about you living on your own. He’s thinking of asking a matchmaker to help find a reliable man for you.”

Tang Xu looked at her with a mischievous expression, teasing, “Did Auntie mention this the last time she came over to see you?”

Tang Mei sighed, exasperated.

How could she not mention it? Every time she visited, she brought it up, to the point where Tang Mei’s ears were practically sprouting calluses from hearing it.

“I said I’d rather just raise the two boys on my own, and they scolded me for it,” Tang Mei said, glancing at her two sons. 

Thinking of her older son, who had been spoiled by the Sun family into a troublesome child, her expression darkened. “They said Goudan is too young to remember much, so even if I remarried, it wouldn’t affect him much. But Xiao Yang is different—he’s old enough to understand. How would he feel seeing me living with another man?”

Tang Xu tilted his head to scratch an itchy spot on his chin and frowned slightly as he listened. “Xiao Yang isn’t the kind of child who wouldn’t understand you. You really should try talking to him about it.”

Tang Mei exhaled deeply. “How would I even bring it up? I wouldn’t know what to say.”

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow. “Want me to talk to him for you?”

Tang Mei couldn’t help but laugh. “Sure, go ahead.”

“Then are you going with Father and the others to town this time? If you’re considering it, it might be worth giving it a try. You’ll only be there for about a month or so before coming back. Besides, Ah Li and Ah Yao’s weddings aren’t far off now,” Tang Xu said, steering the conversation back on track.

“Should I bring Goudan along?” Tang Mei hesitated. She worried that bringing her younger son to town might just create more trouble. Besides, there was cooking and other work to be done here. 

If she left, it might be hard for everyone to manage.

Tang Xu thought for a moment and then said, “Take him with you. Goudan is still too young to be apart from you. Leave Xiao Yang here. He can stay with Old Sun and keep studying. I’ve noticed the old man is really fond of him.”

"He's gotten a bit clever," Tang Mei said with a light laugh, clearly pleased with her son's quick mind. "Alright, I’ll go and give it a try. I just hope I don’t end up dragging Second Uncle and Second Auntie down."

Tang Xu waved a hand dismissively. "No way. You’re way more efficient than Ah Li."

“Brother, you’re just picking on me!” Tang Li, who had been stifling herself inside the house, shouted as soon as she overheard.

Tang Xu jumped in surprise and turned to look at her. "You finally decided to come out, huh? I was wondering how long you were going to keep yourself cooped up in there. How’s the progress coming along?"

"My eyes are strained from staring at the patterns for so long. Auntie told me to come out and get some fresh air," Tang Li said as she flopped onto her stomach over a nearby surface. "What did you just say about me, Brother?"

"I said you’re not as quick with your hands as our eldest cousin. This time, when Dad and Auntie go to town, she will bring Goudan along to help out, while you and Ah Yao stay here to help me with the work. Sounds good?" Tang Xu teased with a grin.

"Fine by me. Why wouldn’t it be?" Tang Li replied breezily. "Last time Auntie Lou mentioned to Auntie Wang that our eldest cousin working in the kitchen over at the other house wasn’t a long-term solution. There’s too many men coming and going—it’s not the most suitable place for a woman to be."

Tang Li sat down next to Tang Xu and took the small tool from his hand. "Take a break, Brother. I’ll help you with this."

Tang Xu stood up to make room for her, then went to fetch four glasses of honey water, bringing them back and handing one to each person.

After Xu Ze drank more than half of his honey water, he set the cup on the nearby table. 

Glancing at Tang Mei and then at Tang Li, he asked, “If Auntie didn’t want Sister Mei cooking for those people, why didn’t she just tell Brother Xu directly?”

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow as he sipped his honey water.

Tang Li shrugged. “Who knows? She probably didn’t think it was a big deal. She only mentioned it in passing, she didn’t say much else.”

Tang Mei looked at Tang Xu apologetically, but before she could speak, Tang Xu raised a hand to stop her. “I know what you’re going to say. This is partly my fault for not planning things better. Someone in the village probably gossiped about it, and Auntie overheard. She must’ve been worried about you and mentioned it to Auntie Wang.”

Tang Mei sighed softly.

“Don’t stress about it. Just go to town with Dad and the others. You can stay in my room there.”

Tang Li, having finished her honey water, licked her lips and handed her cup back to Tang Xu. “Brother, pour me another one.”

Tang Xu playfully poked her cheek before taking the cup and refilling it. As he returned, he added, “Ah Li is right. Don’t overthink things. Just live your life the way that makes you happiest.”

Tang Mei chuckled at his words and nodded in agreement.

With the decision settled, Tang Xu brought up the plan to Tang Erhu and Wang Cuicui during dinner that evening. Both had no objections to Tang Mei taking her younger son and heading to town with them to help run the shop.

After dinner, Sun Yang came to find Tang Xu. Sensitive as children often are, he had overheard that his mother was planning to leave for town with his younger brother, leaving him behind. The thought made him uneasy.

Tang Xu gestured for Sun Yang to sit on the kang while he worked on mending a pair of pants for his eldest son with needle and thread.

“Uncle, is my mom going to leave me behind?”

“What nonsense are you thinking?” Tang Xu couldn’t help but chuckle. 

He reached out to pinch Sun Yang’s cheek gently. “Your mom is taking your younger brother to town because he’s still too little to be away from her. She’s not taking you because you need to stay here and continue studying with Old Sun. How could she ever leave you? She loves you so much.”

Sun Yang visibly relaxed, his tense little body finally at ease.

After a moment of thought, Tang Xu asked, “If your mom wanted to get remarried, would you be okay with it?”

Sun Yang paused, surprised by the question, then nodded. “If my mom wants to remarry, she can. I’m already grown up. If anyone tries to bully her, I’ll protect her.”

Tang Xu found the boy’s response both amusing and admirable. He only asked if Sun Yang agreed, but the boy’s only focus was on his mom’s happiness—his answer clearly showed he didn’t object.

Just then, a loud voice called from outside the house. “Brother Yang!” It was Er Bao.

Sun Yang answered immediately, hopping off the kang. He waved at Tang Xu. “Uncle, I’m going to play with Er Bao!”

Tang Xu nodded, smiling. “Go on, go on. Just be careful!”

Sitting quietly on the kang until now, Wei Dong finally spoke up. “Is your eldest cousin going to town because she really wants to, or is it because she’s afraid of people gossiping and has no choice?”

Tang Xu shook his head. “I don’t think so. I didn’t ask.” He stretched lazily and glanced at the pants in his hands, pursing his lips. “How does this even happen? The crotch has ripped twice now.”

Wei Dong chuckled lightly. “He probably took too many big steps.”

Tang Xu shot him a sidelong glance, sensing there was more behind the comment, but Wei Dong didn’t elaborate.

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