Chapter 187 - Extra 1: May we all be blessed with longevity
For the Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone came back to the Tang family house for dinner and to spend time with their two fathers.
Tang Bo Te and Yuan Qiu had been preparing since the morning and by the afternoon, Tang Bo Te was already sitting intently on the sofa waiting for his sons to return.
Tang Yi Yuan and Lu Cheng were the first to arrive. When Lu Tang Tang saw Tang Bo Te, he rushed straight into his arms and Tang Bo Te happily picked him up. In a few more years, he may not be able to carry him anymore.
He hugged his grandson while teasing the baby girl in Lu Cheng’s arms. Ever since Tang Yi Yuan gave birth to his daughter, Lu Cheng had been smiling from ear to ear every day, hugging her all day long and refusing to let go of her, and only Tang Bo Te, his respected father-in-law, could snatch her from his hands.
Tang Yi Yuan looked at them and smiled, placing the mooncakes and gifts he had bought for his two fathers on the table. Tang Bo Te took a look and the mooncakes they had bought were Yuan Qiu’s favourite, lotus seed paste with egg yolk.
After a while, Tang Er Yuan and Li Can also came back. Tang Er Yuan was found to be pregnant last month and now he looked rosy, while Li Can had lost a lot of weight, but it was obvious from his smile that he was enjoying himself. The more Tang Er Yuan tormented him, the happier he was.
Li Can also put the moon cakes and gifts he had bought on the table, and Tang Bo Te took a glance at them. It is his favourite mooncakes with five-nuts.
When Tang San Yuan and Gu An came back, because they were both celebrities, they wore sunglasses and hats on their faces, and didn’t take them off until they walked into the house. Gu An helped Tang San Yuan straighten the hair that had pressed by the hat, his eyes looking at Tang San Yuan were very doting.
Tang Bo Te smiled in satisfaction and looked down, the mooncakes they brought back was strawberry flavoured, and Tang Bo Te felt sweet just looking at it.
When Tang Si Yuan and Yan Qin Ye walked in, Tang Si Yuan accidentally tripped at the doorway, before Tang Bo Te could rush up, Yan Qin Ye was already holding his son with one hand and holding Tang Si Yuan with the other, the child in their arms giggled, and listening to the child’s laughter, everyone in the whole house couldn’t help but laugh along.
The mooncakes brought by Tang Si Yuan and Yan Qin Ye were filled with runny cheesy custard, which the young children in the family loved to eat.
Tang Wu Yuan and Song Xiao Bai walked in wearing military uniforms, they both looked one cleaner and more heroic than the other, and Tang Bo Te looked at them with relief, the Empire’s army would never fall with such young people in it.
The mooncakes they brought with them were the army’s special lotus seed paste mooncakes with snowskin and ham, and Tang Bo Te could not help but smile, missing the taste of these mooncakes a little.
When Tang Liu Yuan and Xia Cheng Lang walked in, not sure what Xia Cheng Lang said that Tang Liu Yuan’s cheeks flushed and he raised his eyes to glare at him, but couldn’t help but smile again.
The two of them had been sweet since they got married. Tang Liu Yuan’s icy temperament remained unchanged, but he always softened a little in front of Xia Cheng Lang, and every time he couldn’t help but be amused by him.
Looking at them, Tang Bo Te curled his mouth and asked, “What matter made you so happy?”
Xia Cheng Lang giggled and scratched his head, “Big Dad, Liu Yuan just had a checkup and there’s a baby.”
Tang Bo Te was immediately happy to hear this and happily helped Tang Liu Yuan to sit down on the sofa.
Xia Cheng Lang hurriedly followed, and then realised that the gift in his hand had not been put down yet, and hurriedly put the gift and mooncakes on the table. The mooncakes they brought were filled with roses, as bright and splendid as their mood today.
Everyone came forward to congratulate them and the atmosphere was extremely joyful, filling the room with laughter.
Tang Qi Yuan was carried into the house by Sheng Cen, and at first glance, Tang Bo Te was shocked. He thought that Tang Qi Yuan was unwell and he stepped forward to check on him, but Sheng Cen said that he had fallen asleep on the way.
Looking at his son’s sweet sleeping face, Tang Bo Te frowned, “What was Xiao Qi busy with last night that made him so sleepy?”
Sheng Cen coughed unnaturally and replied in an evasive manner, “Lack of sleep.”
Tang Bo Te wondered in his heart. His Xiao Qi always goes to bed on time, and he is not a person who likes to sleep late ah. He couldn’t help having some doubts, went to the room and took the blanket to cover Tang Qi Yuan’s body with it.
The mooncakes that Tang Qi Yuan and Sheng Cen brought with them were palace mooncakes, a particularly large one with a generous amount of filling inside, and they were very conspicuous when they were placed there.
All the children1the raws actually says children’s children…I think it was a mistake. 🤔 had arrived, and the table was set with a large pile of gifts and mooncakes, of which the mooncakes had assembled almost all flavours.
Tang Bo Te couldn’t help but let out a low sigh, although all the cabbages were taken by pigs, but there seemed to be an advantage to having more golden pigs, and that was……the mooncake flavours he had received is more complete!
Ai……find someone to send these mooncakes to the orphanage tomorrow and give them to the children there. So many mooncakes, he and Yuan Qiu would need at least ten days to half a month to eat them all, sometimes when the children are too filial, it is also a sweet trouble ah.
The seven Omegas met and naturally had endless words to say. The Alpha’s were all familiar with each other and were already inextricably linked, and now because of the Omegas, the relationship was naturally more intimate.
The evening meal was served in the courtyard under the grape trellis. The wine they drank had a sweet, pure taste and it was brewed by Yuan Qiu himself.
Today, the moon was big and round, shining on the ground like a layer of silver light, and the breeze was blowing gently, rustling the grape leaves. Sitting here for dinner had a unique flavour.
Everyone talked and laughed, the meal was so relaxed and enjoyable that you could hear their laughter from a distance.
The children took turns toasting Tang Bo Te and Yuan Qiu. Yuan Qiu couldn’t drink, so Tang Bo Te drank them one by one for him. Tang Bo Te is in a good mood today, so he would not refuse anyone who came up. This wine was made by Yuan Qiu himself, of course he didn’t want to waste a drop, and he finished it cleanly every time.
The grape wine was not very strong, but after drinking too much of it, Tang Bo Te felt a bit drunk and his head was in a trance. When he came back to his senses, he found that all the people on the table had disappeared, leaving only Yuan Qiu by his side.
He sobered up with a jolt and asked nervously: “Where are the children?”
Yuan Qiu was peeling grapes and when he heard his words, he pointed out his finger towards the distance, and when he looked in the direction he pointed, the corners of his mouth curled up.
Not far away, Lu Cheng was setting off firecrackers, and Tang Yi Yuan was standing on the steps clapping his hands with his daughter and Lu Tang Tang in his arms. After Lu Cheng had lit the firecrackers, he ran away in a deliberately comical manner, making Tang Yi Yuan and the children laugh.
Lu Cheng ran to their side to help his son and daughter cover their ears and stole a sweet and fragrant kiss on Tang Yi Yuan’s cheek while the children’s attention was drawn away by the firecrackers.
Tang Er Yuan and Li Can were standing behind the grape trellis, their bodies close together. Under the moonlight, one of them was looking down and the other was raising his head, seemingly kissing, and Tang Bo Te only glanced at them before he hurriedly withdrew his gaze and looked towards the other children with some embarrassment.
Gu An was taking pictures of Tang San Yuan on the lawn. As a star, Tang San Yuan had to send out posts to celebrate with his fans at this time of the year. Ever since he got married, these pictures were taken by Gu An, because no matter how busy they were at work, they would definitely put off work to spend time together on a reunion day like the Mid-Autumn Festival.
After the photos were taken, Gu An rubbed his shoulders and deliberately shouted that he was cold, and Tang San Yuan immediately tensed up and tried to pull him inside to warm up, but Gu An reached out to take Tang San Yuan into his arms and said with a low smile: “It’s not cold if we cuddle together like this.”
Tang San Yuan smiled and reached out to hug his waist, resting his head on his shoulder.
Tang Si Yuan was standing beside the flower garden enjoying the moon, when Yan Qin Ye took off his jacket and draped it over him, then embraced him from behind and rubbed his cheek affectionately, the two of them whispering a few words from time to time, talking and laughing, as sweet as if no one was watching.
Yan Qin Ye picked a flower from the flower garden at some point and placed behind Tang Si Yuan’s ear, looked at him and smiled, then couldn’t resist dropping a kiss on his lips.
Tang Bo Te squinted for a while before he saw Tang Wu Yuan and Song Xiao Bai in the corner, surprisingly practising boxing by the moonlight. When Tang Bo Te first saw them, he couldn’t help but be startled and thought they were fighting, but only after looking closely did he realise that they both had smiles on their faces and their moves were going back and forth, no one was exerting themselves, they were just playing some fake tricks.
When Tang Bo Te thought about it carefully, he was relieved to see that although they had been bitter nemesis, they had never quarrelled since they got married, and every time they quarrelled, they were just flirting2打情骂俏 (dǎ qíng mà qiào): a couple pretending to beat, scold and joke as a way to flirt with each other. and were hugging each other at the next moment.
Tang Bo Te was thinking this when he looked up and found that Song Xiao Bai had indeed dragged Tang Wu Yuan into his arms, hugging and not letting go, and the two of them were laughing together.
Tang Bo Te shook his head helplessly as Tang Liu Yuan and Xia Cheng Lang sat on a stool not far away, snuggling together and admiring the moon. Xia Cheng Lang gently placing his hand on Tang Liu Yuan’s stomach, his movements careful, the joy of being a first-time father on his face .
Tang Bo Te had once seen such a smile on his own face before these seven little ones were born, and he couldn’t help but smile at the thought, glancing gratefully at Yuan Qiu.
Tang Qi Yuan was standing by the grape trellis looking up at the moon in the sky, his mouth was chanting, seemingly reciting ancient poems about the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Sheng Cen was squatting at his feet, rolling up his somewhat long trouser legs and whispering a few words in response from time to time.
Tang Bo Te shook his head as he remembered how Sheng Cen had looked in the political arena, and wondered what people would think if they saw their Emperor looking like this, but Sheng Cen had never concealed his affection for Tang Qi Yuan in front of everyone, and people would probably be not be surprised if they saw them like this. After all, there was no one in the Empire who didn’t know that their Emperor and Empress were in love and envied by others.
The moonlight shone on the children, each with a happy smile on their face.
Tang Bo Te withdrew his gaze and smiled gratefully, tilting his head back to take a sip of wine and reaching out to put his arm around Yuan Qiu’s shoulders.
Yuan Qiu curled his lips and leaned into his embrace, peeling a grape and feeding it into his mouth, asking: “Figured it out yet?”
Tang Bo Te nodded, “Figured it out.”
“Tell me.” Yuan Qiu found a comfortable position in his arms and leaned back.
Tang Bo Te whispered: “Although my cabbages are gone, as long as my children are happy and blessed, I am content.”
Yuan Qiu smiled lowly, looked at the full moon in the sky and whispered: “Don’t worry, I will always be with you.”
“En.” Tang Bo Te smiled contentedly and hugged Yuan Qiu a little tighter, the children had their happiness, and they had theirs too.
May we all be blessed with longevity, though thousands of miles apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.
The author has something to say.
I finally finished writing the Mid-Autumn Festival extras, did you all see the moon and eat mooncakes tonight?
I saw some angels saying they wanted to read the story of the two dads, so if I have time, I will write another extra.
Don’t worry, the seven little tang yuans will live happily ever after!
I bow to everyone and thank you for your support.
melon: Such a sweet reunion chapter. 😊 I’m a little disappointed that Yi Yuan’s daughter doesn’t have a name…oh well.
That’s all for the 7 Tang Yuans! Next chapter will be about how Tang Bo Te and Yuan Qiu met.
Also bit of fyi on the title of this chapter, since I can’t put a footnote on it, I’ll write it here:
The title is the first half of this proverb: 但愿人长久,千里共婵娟 (dàn yuàn rén cháng jiǔ , qiān lǐ gòng chán juān), it means ‘May we all be blessed with longevity, though thousands of miles apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.’ This phrase is often used to express thoughts and good wishes for distant relatives. Originated from Su Shi’s ‘Water Melody’ from the Song dynasty (宋·苏轼《水调歌头》). It is a lyrical poem and you can read the translation of the full poem here.
Just wanted to share it because I thought it is pretty. 😊1the raws actually says children’s children…I think it was a mistake. 🤔2打情骂俏 (dǎ qíng mà qiào): a couple pretending to beat, scold and joke as a way to flirt with each other.