The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 341

 

| TBBOTOF | 341

A meal of "slaughtered pig feast" lasted from noon until evening. It had been a long time since the house was this lively, so both the elderly and the young were very happy, and they had some drinks as well.

Even the little ones were allowed by Tang Xu to drink juice made from frozen grapes.

These wild grapes were picked in the summer by the kids themselves when they followed Wei Dong into the mountains. Seeing the grapes they had picked turn into a sweet and sour juice made them very happy.

Tang Xu usually wouldn’t let them drink such things, fearing that it would fill them up and they wouldn’t eat properly—of course, when he said this, he was mainly referring to Xiao Bao.

As they ate, it began to snow. Seeing the snowfall grow denser, Tang Xu suggested to his grandparents to stay overnight. The room they used to stay in had already been tidied up, so they could head home tomorrow once the snow stopped.

Wu Guizhi was about to refuse, but when she saw Tang Xu giving her a knowing look, she swallowed her words, nodded, and agreed.

After everything was settled, Tang Xu went to check on the elderly couple’s room.

As he lifted the thick cotton door curtain, he saw her sitting in the main room drinking water, while his grandpa, having had two drinks during dinner, was already lying down asleep, tipsy from the alcohol.

Wu Guizhi poured a cup of warm water, walked to the bed, and nudged the old man, telling him to get up and drink some water before going back to sleep so that he wouldn’t wake up later with a dry throat, making it uncomfortable and difficult to sleep soundly.

Watching from the side, Tang Xu grinned and whispered, “Grandma, you’re so considerate.”

The old lady put down the bowl, raised her hand, and tapped him on the forehead. "You're teasing your grandma now!"

Tang Xu grinned and hooked his arm around hers, leading her to the outer room.

After she sat down, he poured her some water, looking all obedient and well-behaved.

But Wu Guizhi could see right through his act. She took a sip of water, glanced at him, and asked, "Alright, spill it. You insisted I stay—what's the reason?"

"Liu Yao and Ah Li are planning to go to Yongcheng with Ah Dong in the spring to open a braised food shop. They’re hoping to earn some money by starting a business there," Tang Xu explained while carefully watching the old lady’s expression. 

Seeing that she didn’t react much, he continued, "Ever since Ah Li got married, my dad has been talking about wanting them to have a baby soon. But they're still young and want to work hard first, save up some silver, and be able to provide a better life for their child when they do have one. Don’t you think that makes sense, Grandma?"

Wu Guizhi raised an eyebrow and gave him a half-smiling glance.

Tang Xu lightly scratched the tip of his nose with his finger. Knowing that the old lady had seen right through his little scheme, he stopped beating around the bush and got straight to the point.

"Our family already has a live-in son-in-law. If we keep Liu Yao tied down and don't let him make a name for himself, people will start talking. They've got the ambition to go out and make a living—there’s no reason for us to hold them back, right?"

When the old lady remained silent, Tang Xu urged, "Say something, Grandma!"

"What’s there to say? I can see it clearly—you all have hearts bigger than this little town can contain," Wu Guizhi sighed. 

But deep down, she actually agreed with him. After all, who wouldn’t want to go out and earn more money?

Still, she had her concerns. She asked, "There won’t be any familiar faces over there. If something happens, our family won’t be able to help them right away. What if Ah Li is bullied?"

Tang Xu waved a hand dismissively. "Our family's shopkeepers are already running businesses there. Ah Dong goes over every five months. And you know Ah Li —she's not the kind to swallow grievances without speaking up. What could possibly go wrong?"

Wu Guizhi nodded. "You make a fair point. So, what? You’re telling me all this because you want me to talk your father into it?"

"Exactly!" Tang Xu nodded vigorously. "Yesterday, my dad just glared at me, insisting that everyone can make money here and that there's no need to go so far away."

Wu Guizhi understood her second son's feelings. When money was tight, no parent wanted their children to leave their side. 

Especially considering that one of his sons had already severed ties with the family, the thought of his daughter moving far away as well—possibly not seeing her for years—was understandably difficult for him to accept.

"I'll talk to your dad later and see what he really thinks," she said.

It was still early in the evening, just after sunset, and Wu Guizhi didn't feel like sitting around idly. 

So, she decided to step out with Tang Xu.

Tang Xu headed to the kitchen to prepare a sobering soup, planning to deliver a bowl to each room. Drinking it would make everyone feel a bit more comfortable after all the alcohol.

Just as he placed the medicinal herb pouch into the boiling water, the door to the main room swung open. Tang Xu turned at the sound and saw Tang Li walk in.

"Why aren't you resting in your room? What are you doing here? Ah Yao drank quite a bit, is he asleep now?" he asked with a smile.

Tang Li nodded. Seeing that there wasn’t much she could help with, she pulled up a small stool, sat down, propped her chin on her hands, and looked at him with a slightly nervous expression.

"Brother, did you ask Dad yet? Can we go?"

"What’s the rush? I just finished talking to Grandma, and she said she'd help ask Dad about it. You saw how much he drank earlier—he’s probably asleep by now," Tang Xu said, reaching out to gently press the top of her head. "Ah Yao wants to go out and explore, but what about you? What do you think?"

Knowing his sister's personality, he asked her directly.

Tang Li grinned, rubbed her face, then scooted closer to him and whispered, "I want to go! Every time my Brother-in-law and the others go out, I just stay behind… I haven't even been to the provincial capital yet."

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but poke her forehead. "You know, Dad and Grandma are worried you might be bullied, but you don’t seem scared at all."

"He wouldn’t bully me," she said firmly. "Besides, if he really dared to, I could still tell on him!"

After two years of marriage, she had seen Liu Yao’s character with her own eyes. The fact that she had married him in the first place meant she was truly satisfied with him.

Seeing that, Tang Xu didn’t press the issue further. He just figured he’d talk to their father in the morning.

However, at this moment, Tang Erhu wasn’t actually asleep like they thought.

He had drunk quite a bit at dinner, but for some reason, the alcohol tonight didn’t make him feel drowsy. Aside from the burning sensation in his stomach, his head remained unusually clear. 

So, after lying on the heated brick bed for a while, he still hadn’t fallen asleep.

Wang Cuicui had been tidying up inside and outside the house. After going in and out a few times, she noticed that Tang Erhu kept tossing and turning on the kang bed, which puzzled her.

"What’s wrong with you? Are you not feeling well?" She thought maybe he was feeling hot from the alcohol and asked out of concern.

Tang Erhu suddenly sat up from the bed, his face flushed, eyes sharp and focused.

Wang Cuicui was startled by his sudden movement. After a brief moment of surprise, she rolled her eyes. "What are you doing? Don’t you feel dizzy by getting up so fast?”

Tang Erhu pursed his lips and let out a reluctant hum. "Tell me, why do you think Ah Li is so determined to leave?"

Wang Cuicui was immediately exasperated. The young couple had found a way to make a living and wanted to go for it—why did their father have to keep trying to stop them?

He was worrying about things that didn’t need worrying!

"I still think it'd be better if they opened a shop here in town and be steady and secure," Tang Erhu sighed again, leaning back against the kang cabinet with a heavy breath.

Wang Cuicui thought for a moment, then sat down on the edge of the kang. 

She picked up a cloth draped nearby and gently wiped his face, then said, "Children have their own paths to walk. If they want to go, let them. We’re here to support them from behind. If things don’t work out, they can always come back."

Tang Erhu sighed again, he wanted to say more but kept his words to himself.

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