The Beautiful Brother of the Orion’s Family (Wearing Book) - 349

 

| TBBOTOF | 349

Liu Daniu stared in a daze at the cloth bundle handed to him for a moment.

The bulging bundle looked heavy.

“Master, this… this is something I can’t accept.” Liu Daniu waved his hands repeatedly, looking flustered and uneasy.

He had already sold himself as a servant and taken the money, how could he accept anything more?

But thinking of his father’s health, as well as his mother and younger siblings, he hesitated, his hands rubbing nervously against his worn-out pants.

Tang Xu pushed the bag forward a little, reminding himself that even though the other party was just a half-grown boy, he was still an outsider and couldn’t just stuff it directly into his arms.

“Take it.”

Liu Daniu bent at the waist, bowing deeply again and again, repeatedly expressing his gratitude before taking the bundle. Then he turned and hurried back to the temporary shelter where his family was staying, handing it over.

He knelt on the ground, bowing three times with resounding thuds. “Father, Mother, your son cannot stay to take care of you. Please, take care of yourselves for now on.”

His parents’ tears fell like raindrops as they held their son tightly, wailing in sorrow.

Tang Xu couldn’t bear to watch the scene any longer. He tugged on Wei Dong’s sleeve and whispered, “Let’s wait over there.”

Wei Dong held his hand and nodded, and the two of them moved aside to stand by the roadside.

Liu Daniu knew he couldn’t afford to delay for too long. He wiped the tears from his face, his eyes red, and said, “Father, Mother, pack everything up quickly and find a safe place to settle. There are too many people around here, don’t let anyone steal from you.”

His parents nodded, their faces full of reluctance.

But no matter how much they didn’t want to part, they had no choice. The money and supplies were already in their hands, there was no room to hesitate.

On the other side, Chen Chushan was going through a similar farewell. He handed Tang Xu’s bundle to his parents, kowtowed, embraced his brothers tightly in farewell, and then turned to leave.

Having bought two servants, Wei Dong and Tang Xu originally planned to head straight home. 

However, as they passed by Fuyun Restaurant, ShopKeeper Wu spotted them and called them inside.

“It’s been a while since I last saw you two,” Shopkeeper Wu greeted them with a cheerful smile. Noticing the two leading a mule beside the cart, he casually asked, “Did you also buy some servants?”

“Yes,” Tang Xu replied with a grin. “Business seems to be thriving for you, Shopkeeper Wu. We’ve just built a new house, so there’s more space. We figured we’d raise more livestock and hopefully earn a bit more silver.”

The restaurant bought seasoning packs from their place every few months, so Shopkeeper Wu was well aware of their situation. He wasn’t the nosy type, but after some thought, he asked, “Would you two be interested in taking in a child?”

Tang Xu was momentarily stunned. “A child?”

Shopkeeper Wu nodded, stepped forward slightly, and lowered his voice. “The winter months have been harsh, and many refugees fleeing disaster have frozen to death. Our boss has a kind heart and couldn’t bear to see it, so he instructed us restaurant managers to find a place to gather them, at least to offer a warm meal. Saving even one life is worth it.”

Tang Xu nodded. “This is a good deed, a way to accumulate virtue.”

“Ah,” Shopkeeper Wu sighed, lowering his voice even further. “It was supposed to be, but with so many people gathered together, problems have started to arise.”

Tang Xu looked confused. “What kind of problems?”

Wei Dong, on the other hand, seemed to have an idea. He frowned slightly but remained silent.

As it turned out, once the refugees had food and shelter, other issues emerged. Somehow, a man had taken a liking to a woman who had arrived with her child. The two seemed quite close, always lingering around each other. 

The woman had a little girl, not even four years old, thin and frail, surviving the journey here was already a miracle.

But as the weather warmed and the roads cleared, the man decided to leave, claiming he was going to seek out his relatives. The woman, however, refused to let him go. One thing led to another, arguments escalated, and during a struggle, the man pushed the woman. She fell, hit her head, and ended up seriously injured.

The man, realizing he had caused trouble, fled in the middle of the night. The woman had no money for medicine or treatment, and within two days, she passed away, leaving behind the little girl.

Technically, this had nothing to do with Shopkeeper Wu. But since it happened within the refugee shelter, the child was left unattended, crying in hunger—she was utterly pitiful.

So, he thought of finding someone to take her in, maybe as a servant. At the very least, she would have food and a place to live.

But because she was too young. No one wanted her.

After hearing Shopkeeper Wu’s words, Tang Xu furrowed his brows tightly.

To be honest, there were already enough children at home—one more wouldn’t make much of a difference. But since Shopkeeper Wu was personally bringing this up, it meant there was something unusual about the child.

Sure enough, Shopkeeper Wu continued, “She might have been scared after seeing her mother die. She’s not quite like other children.”

“Where is she?” Tang Xu asked.

“She’s in the back courtyard’s storage room. We set up a place for her to sleep,” Shopkeeper Wu said, noticing Tang Xu’s expression and sensing a chance. 

He quickly stepped aside to lead the way. “The little girl is quite pretty, just terribly thin. If you’re willing to take her in, I’ll personally add ten taels of silver as a private gesture.”

Tang Xu halted in his tracks and turned to look at him. “Shopkeeper Wu, why are you…?”

Shopkeeper Wu gave a bitter smile and waved his hand. “That child is truly pitiful. I thought about taking her in myself, but when I mentioned it to my family, neither of my daughters-in-law agreed, and my wife scolded me for even considering it. If you really can take her in, consider this ten taels as a small dowry for her future.”

Tang Xu sighed. Everyone had their own troubles. If the child didn’t have any major issues, bringing her home wouldn’t be a problem.

When they finally saw the little girl, she was curled up in the bedding, only half her face peeking out. Seeing her like that, Tang Xu felt a pang in his heart.

Taking two steps forward, Tang Xu bent down and asked gently, “Do you want to come with me?”

The little girl stared at his face for a long moment before blinking and then, all of a sudden, she burst into tears.

Tang Xu was startled. What was going on? Did he look that scary?

Wei Dong, standing beside him, couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s not you.”

Most kids were lively and mischievous. By the time they were two or three years old, they had already learned to hold back their tears. Even younger ones rarely cried so freely.

Shopkeeper  Wu quickly stepped forward and patted the girl’s back, soothing her. “Grandpa is too old to take care of you. Go with him, alright? They’re good people, and they’ll take care of you.”

The little girl clung to Shopkeeper Wu’s clothes, her face covered in tears. After a while, her sobs finally quieted down.

Once she calmed down, Shopkeeper Wu picked her up, comforted her a bit more, and then gently set her on the ground, giving her a soft push forward.

Tang Xu reached out and picked her up.

She looked thin, but holding her, she felt even thinner.

His heart ached unbearably as he gazed at the little girl staring back at him. He gave her a gentle smile and asked, “Do you know your name?”

The little girl hesitated for a moment, then slowly shook her head without saying a word.

Tang Xu sighed softly. “Let’s give you a nickname for now.”

Shopkeeper Wu quickly agreed. “Yes, yes, a nickname first. A proper name can come later.”

“You should name her.”

“Me?” Shopkeeper Wu hesitated for a moment, then nodded. He reached out and gently stroked the girl’s messy, dull yellow hair, his voice warm. “Let’s call her Xiao Nuan—so she can have warm days ahead.”

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TL: Thanks to Chubbiest Cheeks for the newest chapter! 

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