The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 317

 

| TBBOTOF | 317

In the first three days after Wei Dong went up the mountain, Tang Xu didn’t feel much different. 

He was busy every day taking care of the little ones and handling various tasks; there was no shortage of things to do.

When he woke up—or rather, hadn’t really slept well the night before—he had been tossing and turning, plagued by dreams and sudden awakenings all night long.

Since he couldn’t sleep, he simply sat up, rubbed his face, and tried to refresh himself.

He had been married to Wei Dong for many years, yet this was the first time he felt such unease after his partner left. Even in the past, no matter where the man went, he had never felt this way.

Tang Xu couldn’t sit still. He climbed off the kang, grabbed a light jacket hanging on the nearby rack, and pushed the door open to step outside.

The autumn morning was heavy with mist, and being at the foot of the mountain, the temperature was several degrees lower than elsewhere. The cold wind outside gave Tang Xu a shiver, instantly clearing his drowsy mind.

He exhaled a puff of white breath. The sky was still dark, and even the rooster in the backyard hadn’t crowed yet. Tang Xu stood dumbfounded at the door for a moment, feeling an inexplicable sense of emptiness and unease.

Realizing his emotions were off, Tang Xu didn’t force himself to sit idle and decided to find something to do.

He went to the kitchen, started a fire, and boiled water, then got busy preparing feed for the pigs.

With the weather getting cooler, the feed for the livestock in the backyard was always served warm to prevent any health issues, which could have serious consequences if ignored.

While mentally planning his tasks, Tang Xu momentarily lost focus. The knife in his hand slipped and cut his finger.

Blood instantly gushed out. He froze for a moment before the pain finally registered.

"Big Brother!" Tang Yang's voice came from behind. Tang Xu, pressing down on his wound to stop the bleeding, turned to look at him. "Why are you up so early?"

Tang Yang, still half-asleep with barely open eyes, froze for a moment when he saw Tang Xu's hand covered in blood. His pupils suddenly shrank, and he became fully alert. "Big Brother, what happened!"

Tang Xu looked at him helplessly. That shout was so loud it made his ears buzz.

"Why are you yelling? You'll wake the whole family. It's just a cut, nothing serious. Go over to the small cupboard and bring me the medicine." He motioned with his chin toward the rack against the wall.

Tang Yang quickly went over, brought down a small wooden box, and opened it to reveal various small porcelain bottles and a roll of what looked like very soft cloth.

One by one, he picked up the porcelain bottles and checked the labels pasted on them. Finally, he found the one labeled "Wound Medicine," pulled out the stopper, and poured the medicinal powder onto Tang Xu's bleeding wound.

Who knew how much blood-clotting herb was mixed into that powder, but in just a few moments—from the time the blood initially washed away the powder to when the powder sealed the wound—it had stopped the bleeding completely.

"Quick, wrap it up," Tang Yang said, holding a piece of soft cloth and gesturing toward Tang Xu’s injured finger.

Tang Xu sighed. "Cut it with scissors first. How are you going to wrap it with such a big piece?"

Tang Yang clumsily cut the cloth, the strips coming out crooked and uneven. But luckily, they were good enough to cover the wound.

By the time he was done, Tang Yang was sweating. He wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead, put the small medicine box back on the rack, and grabbed a rag to clean the bloodstains off the stove.

"What do you want to do, Big Brother? I'll help," he said, glancing at the fire in the stove. "Do you need more wood?"

"Feed the pigs and mix food for the chickens. Take care of the livestock in the backyard, and tidy up the rabbit pen too—and change the hay," Tang Xu instructed. 

His finger throbbed with pain, but it wasn’t unbearable. He picked up the knife again and continued chopping the sweet potatoes and bean dregs on the cutting board.

"Big Brother, take a break. I’ll do it," Tang Yang said, reaching for the knife.

Tang Xu didn’t argue and let him take over. Hearing the rooster crow outside, he glanced toward the window. A faint light was seeping in.

Morning had arrived.

"Why are you up so early?" Tang Xu asked, sitting down on a small stool near the stove. The big iron pot on the stove had already been refilled with water, and he had added some grains to cook porridge.

"I woke up half-asleep because I thought it seemed unusually quiet outside. I thought maybe Brother-in-law had returned and was planning to help out. When I came over and saw the light in the kitchen, I decided to check. Why are you up so early, Big Brother?" 

Tang Yang turned his head to look at him, then suddenly grinned. "Big Brother, are you worried about Brother-in-law? Worried enough that you couldn’t sleep?"

Tang Xu snorted lightly. He wasn’t embarrassed at all by his younger brother’s teasing. Instead, he pouted and grumbled, "He said he’d be back in four days. Today is the fourth day, but who knows when he’ll come down from the mountain. I didn’t sleep well all night."

"Brother-in-law is so capable, there’s no way he’d be in danger," Tang Yang reassured him. "But still, you cut your finger so badly—Brother-in-law will definitely feel heartbroken when he sees it."

Tang Xu glanced down at his finger, now tightly wrapped in layers of cloth, and smiled slightly.

The two of them hadn’t chatted for long when voices began to rise outside. Before long, Liu Ge’er and Xu Ze came into the kitchen. They looked a bit bewildered when they saw the two brothers inside.

It wasn’t hard to guess why. Tang Yang was the one bustling about in front of the stove, his clumsy movements clearly betraying his lack of experience, while Tang Xu was sitting idly in front of the fire, tending it.

Their roles seemed completely reversed.

"Brother Xu…" Xu Ze hesitated before asking, "What are you two doing?"

"It’s nothing. I accidentally cut my finger just now, so Ah Yang is helping me with the cooking," Tang Xu said with a smile, raising his bandaged hand slightly. His tone carried a hint of excitement as he added, "Today, we’ll get to try Ah Yang’s cooking."

Tang Yang’s cooking skills? 

They were doubtful at best. He was struggling even with chopping sweet potatoes, dropping chunks onto the floor every now and then and awkwardly bending down to pick them up.

"So, what’s Ah Yang cooking for us?" Liu Ge’er leaned in for a closer look. The large basin of chopped ingredients didn’t look like something meant for people to eat, no matter how you looked at it.

Tang Yang chuckled sheepishly. "These are for feeding the pigs. Big Brother said we’d steam some buns for breakfast."

Liu Ge’er couldn't stand watching him struggle with the knife anymore. He reached over and took it from Tang Yang’s hands. "Let me do it. By the time you’re done, the pigs will be starving and crying out."

As if to confirm his words, the sharp squeal of a sow echoed from the backyard, making everyone jump in surprise.

The sky was a bit overcast, and it seemed dimmer than usual. It looked like they had all gotten up a little later than normal.

"I’ll go feed the chickens and ducks," Xu Ze said, picking up the bowl of mixed feed he had prepared. One bowl wasn’t enough, so he grabbed three.

Seeing him struggle with the heavy bowls, Tang Yang went over to help.

The two boys, both tall and thin, had gone through the voice-change period recently, and their voices had dropped considerably. Tang Xu watched them carrying the bowls outside and, after a moment, blinked and asked, "Liu Ge’er, how old are you this year?"

"Sixteen," Liu Ge’er replied, as though anticipating what Tang Xu was about to ask. "Brother Xu, I haven’t thought about getting married yet."

"We’ve talked about this before," Tang Xu said, looking at him. "You can’t stay at home forever. You’ll need your own little family someday."

Liu Ge’er forced a smile, one that was tinged with bitterness.

He swept the small sweet potato pieces from the cutting board into a large bowl on the floor, then added the chopped bean cakes on top. After pouring in some hot water, he stirred the mixture.

"I’m scared," he murmured quietly.

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow.

Liu Ge’er hesitated, then spoke quietly, "I won’t know them well,  and for someone to suddenly ask me to marry them scares me."

Tang Xu exhaled deeply, thinking to himself that blind marriages were indeed like that. But since Liu Ge’er had asked, it was clear he needed to be matched with a good family.

"Brother-in-law is back!" Tang Yang’s loud voice rang out from the backyard, interrupting Tang Xu’s thoughts.

Tang Xu instantly sprang up from the small stool, but his vision blurred, and he staggered a bit.

Liu Ge’er was startled and rushed over to support him.

Tang Xu steadied himself and waved his hand. "I’m fine, I’m fine."

He quickly turned and hurried toward the door, his face full of urgency.

Nothing could stop him now from going to see his man!

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