Chapter 216 - 200: Mayday
Chapter 216: Chapter 200: Mayday
"This is just a small punishment. It doesn’t even begin to make up for the injustice Manman has suffered! If Hao Hao hadn’t called and told us the truth, we would have been kept in the dark by them again! All these secrets, one after another... I’ve had enough. I wouldn’t be so angry if it were just that the Tang family ended up with a daughter-in-law like her—she’s not my flesh and blood, after all. But Qingyun is my own son, the one we doted on the most, and yet he... I’m so furious, I feel like my old illness is about to flare up!"
"Alright, alright. Let’s not be angry anymore. If you want to go to the South to clear your head, that’s fine. I’ll arrange it for you!"
"I don’t want that many people with me."
"It’s not many. Just four or five."
"That’s too many."
"Then two it is. Xiao Zhang will go with you. Any fewer, and you’re not going at all!"
"..."
As the old couple was muttering to each other in front of two pots of orchids in the living room, a car horn sounded in the courtyard. A staff member walked in and announced, "Brother Tang is back. Mr. Gu, Aunt Gu, and Third Brother Gu are here as well."
Grandpa Tang and Grandma Tang hurriedly stood up and went out to greet them. Xiao Zhang and the other staff member quietly carried the two pots of orchids away, wiped the coffee table clean, and prepared to serve tea to the guests.
Tang Qingshan greeted his parents and, after a few pleasantries, took his luggage upstairs. The group followed them into the house. Mr. Gu and Grandpa Tang were talking and laughing heartily as they walked. Gu Qifan, despite looking like he had urgent business and was in a hurry to leave, lingered, holding onto Grandma Tang’s arm and pleading in a low voice, "Auntie, those dried and candied fruits you gave Shaoyu last time, could you give me a small bag too? And is there any of that steamed dried fish we ate last week? Just a small piece, give me a small piece..."
Old Mrs. Gu overheard and slapped him on the back. "I was wondering why you were being so kind today, insisting on driving us over. So it turns out you had an ulterior motive! What are you, a child? Still asking for candied fruits and dried fish. As if we don’t have dried fish at home! Your second brother and sister-in-law just brought a huge bag back from Dalian. If you want to eat so badly, go get it yourself!"
Gu Qifan rubbed his back, his face screwed up in mock pain. "Mom, have mercy! My clothes are thin in this heat. That hurt! I’m starting to wonder if I’m like Manman, and you brought the wrong baby home by mistake."
Hearing this, Grandma Tang also raised her hand at him. "How many times have I told you? We are not to spread this around yet!"
"Alright, alright! I’ll remember!" Gu Qifan quickly ducked his head. "Auntie, you’ve always been so virtuous and magnanimous. How did you start learning from my mom, resorting to your fists at the slightest disagreement? You’re being too fierce, it’s not a good look!"
Grandma Tang said, "Well, I’m starting to agree with your mother’s methods. I have to hand it to her: you mischievous monkeys really won’t behave unless you’re disciplined. See? ’Spare the rod, spoil the child.’ All the Gu family boys turned out successful and filial. It was I who was too soft, and now, our Tang family is the one falling behind!"
Old Mrs. Gu snorted and rolled her eyes at Grandma Tang. "Oh, keep up the act, making me out to be some kind of monster. Anyway, I don’t have the time to call your bluff. That certain someone who chased her new husband around the bridal chamber with scissors, and that other someone who locked the door and beat her own husband with a stick... Compared to that level of ferocity, I’m nothing!"
Gu Qifan couldn’t help but laugh. "Mom, who was that?"
"Why don’t you ask your ’virtuous and magnanimous’ auntie? I’m sure she knows!"
Grandma Tang coughed and lightly patted Gu Qifan’s hand. "It’s no one you know, so why ask so many questions? Weren’t you just saying you wanted some candied fruit? I have a little left in the jar, you can take it."
"Oh! Thank you, Auntie!" Gu Qifan exclaimed with delight.
Old Mrs. Gu looked at her youngest son, speechless. Then an idea seemed to strike her, and her eyes glinted sharply. "Qifan, Shaoyu doesn’t like sweets. Who are you getting the candied fruit for? Is it for your wife? You two... are you expecting?"
Gu Qifan quickly lowered his voice. "Mom, Auntie, please don’t say anything just yet. Yu Yan went to the hospital... she’s over a month pregnant. But she’s afraid she might lose it again for no reason, like the last few times... We don’t want to get your hopes up for nothing, so she wanted to wait until things are more stable to announce it!"
"Honestly! You foolish children. You have no experience, yet you insist on handling things yourselves. This is exactly the kind of situation where you need us old women to take care of things!"
Old Mrs. Gu, both exasperated and overjoyed, grabbed her son. "We’ll leave your father here for now. Let’s go home and see your wife!"
"But Mom, she was sleeping when we left!"
"Fine, then. We’ll see her when we get back!"
Beaming, Old Mrs. Gu hurried over to tell Mr. Gu, who was also delighted. Grandpa Tang offered his congratulations and then looked at Grandma Tang. He saw her face was full of envy, her eyes fixed wistfully on her eldest son, and he couldn’t help but sigh to himself. ’Qingshan gets older every year, and he still doesn’t want to get married. What can we do about him?’