The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 345

 

| TBBOTOF | 345

Before the New Year, Wei Dong’s liquor shop had been closed because they were waiting for a batch of sorghum liquor to fully ferment.

Tang Xu would occasionally check on the fermentation process in the storage room and then work with others to distill the liquor.

"Brother, should we take this batch directly to the shop?" Tang Yang sealed the mouth of a wine jar and looked up at his older brother, who was tasting the liquor with a small wooden spoon.

Tang Xu dipped the tip of his tongue into the liquor, and the sharp spiciness immediately spread across his tongue. 

He tilted his head, stuck out his tongue slightly, and placed the wooden spoon into an empty bowl beside him before saying, "Let’s keep it at home for now. We’ll wait until Ah Dong returns before deciding. If we put it in the shop too soon, someone might steal it."

Tang Yang chuckled, continuing to scoop liquor from another jar as he worked. "Brother, after the shop opens, can I go help out?"

At just sixteen, Tang Yang had already grown tall and strong. The Tang family had a good foundation—most of the men were tall and robust. Especially in recent years, with plenty of food and rest, Tang Yang has grown even taller.

Tang Xu looked at him in surprise, raised an eyebrow, and smiled. "Why do you suddenly want to work at the shop?"

"I'm already this old, and I don’t have to work in the fields anymore. Sitting around at home doing nothing feels a bit useless," Tang Yang grinned broadly. "Besides, in a few years, I’ll have to get married too. I need to save up some money."

"Dad must have already prepared the money for your marriage. Do you really need to earn it yourself?" Tang Xu laughed, tapping Tang Yang’s forehead playfully. 

Then he teased, "You’re still so young, and you’re already thinking ahead, huh?"

"That’s why I need to save up some personal money too! Brother, just let me go. There's nothing much for me to do at home anyway. The younger ones are studying with Master Sun, Xiao Xi and Ze’er are learning medicine from Old Wen, and I’m the only idle one left. I know how to read and do calculations, so I can at least be a small shopkeeper at the tavern," Tang Yang said confidently. 

He wasn’t good at everything, but he was pretty decent at math.

Tang Xu raised an eyebrow, realizing that his big but somewhat goofy younger brother was indeed good at math.

His eyes shifted thoughtfully, and he waved Tang Yang over, motioning for him to follow him into the main hall.

In the hall, there was paper and ink. Tang Xu immediately gave his brother some addition and subtraction problems within a few hundred, as well as a few multiplication and division questions. 

To his surprise, though Tang Yang wasn’t particularly fast, he got all the answers right.

This truly amazed him.

Back when Tang Yang and Wei Xi were studying, Tang Xu had only occasionally checked whether they were memorizing their lessons properly. To be honest, he never understood all those scholarly, flowery words himself. 

Aside from making him drowsy, they didn’t spark any interest in him.

"You actually have some potential to be an accountant."

However, letting him run a tavern all on his own was still out of the question. Tang Xu ran through the people he knew in his mind, searching for a suitable candidate, and thought of Tang Qi.

Although their family wasn’t particularly close with Third Uncle’s household, Tang Qi had still shared some of his earnings with him over the past two years. He was reliable, which made him the first person to come to mind.

"Tomorrow, if you have time, go to Third Uncle’s house and see if Tang Qi is home. If he is, bring him over, I have something to discuss with him."

Tang Yang was surprised. "Why are you calling him? Weren’t we just talking about the tavern?"

"I’m asking him to run the tavern with you. How could I feel at ease sending you alone?" Tang Xu rolled his eyes in exasperation and patted Tang Yang’s arm. "Learn from Brother Qi properly. He’s gained a lot of experience these past two years."

Tang Yang nodded, quickly accepting the arrangement. "Alright, I’ll go find him tomorrow."

The next morning, as soon as he finished washing up, he didn’t even sit down for breakfast. He grabbed a steamed bun and dashed outside, leaving the whole family baffled by his urgency.

"Where’s he rushing off to without even eating?" Old Wen asked in confusion as he watched Tang Yang’s hurried figure disappear.

Tang Xu placed his bowl of porridge on the table, turned his head to glance outside, and explained, "He’s going to find Tang Qi. He’s probably worried that if he goes too late, Tang Qi won’t be home."

"What’s so important?"

"It’s nothing major. The shop has been closed for a while, and we originally planned to wait for Ah Dong to return before hiring people. But Ah Yang is impatient and can’t sit still, so he wants to help out at the shop. I wasn’t comfortable letting him go alone, so I figured Tang Qi could go with him, and they could run it together." 

Tang Xu turned back and carefully arranged the side dishes on the tray. When he saw Er Bao reaching out with his hand to grab food, he immediately shot him a glare. "Er Bao!"

Er Bao quickly pulled his hand back, sat up straight, and looked up at his dad obediently.

"Don’t grab with your hands, use chopsticks." Tang Xu placed an empty bowl in front of him.

Er Bao let out an "Oh" and obediently picked up his chopsticks, poking at a steamed bun.

"With your family’s circumstances, you could easily set up a business in the city instead of just sticking to this small patch of land in the village," Old Wen commented as he picked a soft piece of date cake and glanced at Tang Xu.

Tang Xu sighed and gestured at his own face. "Even though I’ve read books and understand what ‘a treasured jade invites trouble’ means, with this face of mine, it’s just safer to stay home and keep things low-key."

To put it plainly, their family was considered well-off in the village. They had money, plenty of relatives, and if something happened, there were people who could support them.

But if they went elsewhere, in a place where they were unfamiliar with the land and the people, even if Wei Dong was strong and skilled in a fight, it wouldn’t be enough. 

Two fists couldn’t fend off a dozen hands. If trouble really came knocking, even if they were in the right, there might be nowhere to seek justice.

So, to avoid unnecessary complications, Tang Xu preferred to stay put.

Old Wen chuckled at his expression and, after thinking it over, found his reasoning sound. Still, he said, "Do you plan to hide in the village forever? What about the kids? Won’t they leave one day?" He gestured toward Xiao Bao with a tilt of his chin.

Tang Xu smiled faintly, stirring his porridge with a spoon. "By the time they grow up and go out into the world, at least a decade will have passed. By then, if nothing else, Ah Dong will surely have secured a foothold somewhere. If not, then we’ll reconsider."

Truthfully, Tang Xu understood that Wei Dong was ambitious and willing to take risks. When the time comes, he won't stand in his way at all.

Old Wen nodded and thought for a moment before saying, "When Dongzi comes back this time, send him to see me. This old man may not have much, but I do have some connections. I used to avoid getting involved in those circles, but now I can help him establish himself a little."

Tang Xu smiled brightly and thanked him, not saying much more.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Tang Yang, with his quick pace, arrived at his Third Uncle’s house within two quarters of an hour. The courtyard gate was closed, so he raised his voice and called out, "Brother Qi! Brother Qi, are you home?"

Tang Qi had just finished breakfast and was tidying up. Now that the weather was warming up, he was preparing to head out and sell snacks again.

Hearing the voice, he was momentarily stunned. When he realized it was Tang Yang, he quickly walked through the courtyard to open the gate. "What are you doing here so early in the morning?"

Tang Yang grinned and grabbed his arm, trying to drag him away. "My brother needs you for something. You’ve eaten already, right? Come with me quickly!"

Tang Qi, completely baffled, was pulled forward several steps before managing to yank his arm back. "What’s the rush? What’s this about?"

"It’s a good thing!" Tang Yang’s heart was burning with excitement, he didn’t want to waste a single moment.

Tang Qi frowned. "Hold on, let me tell my wife first." He turned back into the courtyard, and after a moment, he returned. "Alright, let’s go."

Tang Yang noticed that Tang Qi even brought his carrying a bundle with him but didn’t say anything. 

He simply followed along as they headed back.

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TL: Thanks again to Chubbiest Cheeks for providing the newest chapters! o(≧▽≦)o I bet you guys were not expecting an update right? 

Me neither! I thought I would have to wait for months for a new update lol