| TBBOTOF | 342
Tang Guangliang was snoring loudly on the heated kang. Meanwhile, the old lady lay there for a while but couldn't fall asleep, as she still had things on her mind. She decided to get up, put on her shoes, and head over to Tang Erhu's place.
Wang Cuicui heard the courtyard gate creak open. She stepped out of the house and saw the old lady pushing the door open. She quickly went up to greet her, "Mother, what brings you here? Haven't you rested?"
Wu Guizhi waved her hand dismissively. Though she was getting on in years, she was still quite agile. In just a few steps, she reached the window and peered inside before signaling with her eyes, "Is Erhu asleep?"
"Asleep? Not at all," Wang Cuicui smiled helplessly, supporting the old lady as they walked into the house. "He's been lying there for ages, tossing and turning, all restless."
"Because of Ah Li?"
"Mother, you know about it?" Wang Cuicui lifted the curtain to let her in.
Crossing the threshold, the two of them entered the house.
"Mother, what brings you here?" Tang Erhu sat up on the brick bed, looking at his mother in surprise.
Wu Guizhi shot him a glare. Only after sitting down on the edge of the bed did she speak, "Xu Ge’er told me everything. Why are you stopping those two kids from going to Yongcheng?"
Tang Erhu choked on his words, his expression turning a bit unnatural as he muttered, “No wonder he insisted you stay over—he went and tattled on me!”
Wu Guizhi raised her hand and gave his calf a firm slap. She didn’t hold back, making Tang Erhu grimace in pain. “Mother, why are you hitting me?”
“So what if I hit you?” The old lady’s face was stern as she scolded him mercilessly. “Didn’t Xu Ge’er explain it to you clearly? What’s so bad about those kids going out to make a living? Even if it’s a bit far, it’s not like there’s no one to look after them. Yet you’re still so unwilling. I think you’ve just gotten too comfortable these past few years and forgotten what it’s like to suffer without money!”
She had always been open-minded. Over the years, she had watched their family’s fortunes improve and knew exactly why. That was why seeing her son being so shortsighted made her furious.
Even the eldest branch of the family, who weren’t particularly close with Tang Xu, and the third branch, had benefited from Tang Qi’s business ventures and were now doing well.
The Tang family was on the rise, so there was no reason to stop Liu Yao from going out to earn money.
Wu Guizhi sighed, her tone turning more earnest. “Kids grow up and want to go out and explore. As a father, you can’t hold them back. Even if you manage to stop them this time, what about in the future? If a day comes when you need a large sum of silver, are you going to make them go around borrowing? Wouldn’t it be better if they had their own money to rely on?”
Tang Erhu understood the reasoning, but he just couldn't get past the hurdle in his heart.
Wasn’t it possible to make money anywhere? Wasn’t the shop in town good enough?
Wu Guizhi continued, “Right now, Da Niu is already helping out in town and clearly won’t be moving back to the village. She’ll probably stay in town for the long run. And with Ah Li and the others as well, do you really think that a shop in town needs so many people?”
Wang Cuicui shook her head from the side and added, “No, three people are more than enough.”
“There you have it,” Wu Guizhi said as she gave her son another pat on the leg—this time, without much force.
She softened her tone, trying to persuade him, “I know I shouldn’t interfere too much with the younger generation’s matters, but you should let it go too. Alright, I’ll make the decision on this—let them follow Dongzi. In three to five years, they’ll definitely come back for a visit. What’s there to worry about?”
Tang Erhu let out a long, heavy sigh after a while.
Fine! He’d stop worrying about it.
And just like that, the matter was settled.
The next morning, right after breakfast, Tang Li excitedly ran over to talk to Tang Xu, telling him that their father had finally agreed to let them go to Yongcheng to open a shop.
Seeing his sister beaming with joy, Tang Xu smiled as well. “As long as he agreed, that’s good. Start packing up. Once the New Year is over and the weather warms up, it’ll be time to set off.”
With so many people at home during the New Year, the celebrations were lively.
From New Year’s Eve to the fifth day of the new year, they spent their days eating and drinking at different relatives’ houses.
By the end of it, Tang Xu was completely exhausted.
On the evening of the sixth day of the new year, Tang Xu returned from the Tang family’s old house and collapsed onto the heated kang, lying motionless for a long while.
Wei Dong followed him in, saw his state, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “What, tired?”
Tang Xu waved a hand behind him without even opening his eyes. “I’m going to sleep.”
In previous years, he had never felt this exhausted, but this year, with the whole family—both young and old—coming back and stirring up chaos, he had been running around nonstop.
Between cooking, keeping an eye on things, and chasing after his little ones, he was completely drained, both physically and mentally. He was truly exhausted beyond belief.
Wei Dong didn’t say anything more. He turned and left the room, first checking on the children, who were obediently washing up on their own. After making sure they had finished and gone to bed, he brought in a basin of warm water and sat beside his drowsy husband to wipe him down.
Tang Xu kept his eyes closed and let him do as he pleased, but the sleepiness was gradually chased away by all the moving around.
When he felt Wei Dong trying to remove his pants, he quickly opened his eyes and protested, “No way! Not tonight—I’m so tired I can’t even move my legs!”
Wei Dong paused, then burst into laughter. “Am I that kind of person? Seeing how exhausted you are, how could I still be thinking about that? I just want to clean you up so you can sleep better.”
Tang Xu chuckled a little sheepishly, quickly pulling off his pants to wash up. Then, in one swift motion, he rolled into the inner side of the bed, straightened the covers, and burrowed into the blankets.
Even after lying down, he couldn’t fall asleep right away. Listening to the quiet sounds of movement, he waited until his husband finally climbed into bed. Then, in one smooth motion, he turned over and nestled into Wei Dong’s warm embrace.
Lifting his head slightly, he planted a light kiss and murmured, “Not sleeping?”
“Sleep. We said we’d visit relatives during the New Year, but they hardly had time to chat for a few words,” Wei Dong replied, smiling as he looked at Tang Xu.
Seeing him act all clingy and affectionate, Wei Dong’s heart swelled with happiness, and his eyes were filled with tenderness. He rubbed his slightly stubbled chin lightly against Tang Xu’s smooth forehead.
Tang Xu winced a bit from the roughness, tilting his chin up and gently pushing him away. He asked, “What was that for?”
“We’ll leave in ten days. I’d told the caravan folks about it back then,” Wei Dong answered.
In ten days, it would be the sixteenth of the first month. Originally, they had planned to leave after the second day of the second month, but it looked like they would head out right after the Lantern Festival.
Tang Xu felt a bit concerned. Snow had been falling every few days, and though it wasn’t heavy enough to block the mountain paths, the roads were still thick with snow. Traveling might not be as easy.
“Why so early? Didn’t we say we’d wait until after the spring thaw to leave?”
“You said ‘after spring,’ but it seems we’re not talking about the same time,” Wei Dong replied in a low voice, pulling Tang Xu into his arms, yawning as he spoke.
“When Wu Hong came back, he brought a lot of orders. There’s a high demand for goods, so we need to leave earlier. We’ll take it slow on the road.”
Tang Xu nodded. “So, Liu Yao and Ah Li are coming with you? Have you spoken to them about it?”
“I’ve already told them. They know,” Wei Dong replied, sensing Tang Xu’s worry. He lightly patted his back and reassured him, “This time, I’ll help them get the shop running, then we’ll return. Don’t worry.”
Tang Xu gave a small hum in response and closed his eyes.
Before long, it was the fifteenth day of the first month. Normally, the day would have been filled with the warmth and joy of family gatherings, but knowing they would be leaving the next day, the whole family was in a somber mood.
Tang Xu didn’t say much. After seeing everyone off, he quickly had them all head back home, and then he went to Tang Li’s room.
“Brother, what did you want to say?” Tang Li greeted him as he entered.
“This is for you.” Tang Xu looked around the room but didn’t see Liu Yao. “Where’s Ah Yao?”
“He said he was going with Brother-in-law to visit Wu Hong. What’s this?” Tang Li looked at the small cloth pouch in his hands. It wasn’t heavy, but when she opened it and saw what was inside, her eyes widened in surprise. “Silver notes?”
Tang Xu poked her gently on the forehead. “This is your savings, your secret stash. Understand? Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
Tang Li’s eyes reddened, and before she could say anything, she tightly clutched the pouch and threw herself into Tang Xu’s arms, bursting into tears.
Though Tang Li knew it was her own choice, the thought of leaving home so far behind still made her feel fearful and uneasy.
Tang Xu didn’t say anything. He simply patted his sister’s shoulder gently, waiting for her to calm down before giving her his advice. “Whatever you do, talk it over with Ah Yao first. Don’t act impulsively. And remember to write home often.”
Tang Li nodded vigorously, her voice choked with emotion as she promised.
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