Chapter 221 - 205: Sudden Illness
Chapter 221: Chapter 205: Sudden Illness
They set up two tables for lunch. It was a rural custom to invite relatives to keep distinguished guests company. Secretary Mo and his wife, their eldest son and his wife, and their several children all came, as did Mo Linghui with her parents, Sixth Uncle and his wife, and Eighth Uncle and his wife. With the old and young, the two tables were filled to the brim.
Lin Liuping had heard there was a jeep parked outside Xiao Man’s house, so she was eagerly waiting for Squad Leader Zhao to come buy salt. When he never showed, she couldn’t wait any longer and ran over to Xiao Man’s house herself. She found guests there and wanted to slip away, but it was too late. Zheng Shaolian shouted, "Lin Cunhua, stop right there!" It was a rather peculiar way to address her, and everyone looked at Lin Liuping and laughed. Flustered and annoyed, Lin Cunhua couldn’t throw a fit, so she had no choice but to listen to Grandpa and Grandma and stay for lunch.
The spread was lavish: white cut chicken, braised fish in soy sauce, old duck soup with sour bamboo shoots, braised pork knuckle, stir-fried pickled long beans with pork belly, steamed cured pork, meat-filled egg dumplings, and Mapo Tofu. Along with a few seasonal vegetable dishes, the food covered the tables. The men’s table had rice wine and red wine, while the women’s table was also served some red wine.
Fifth Auntie and Grandma sat on either side of Grandma Tang, worried she wouldn’t be used to such a chaotic rural scene. Grandma Tang just chuckled and said, "Chaotic? Not at all! This is what you call lively. Adults and children all gathered together—it’s so festive to see. I couldn’t be happier!"
Then she urged everyone to start eating. "With all this delicious food, I can’t hold back anymore. Don’t mind me, everyone. I’m not going to be polite. As long as you don’t think I’m being rude!"
The guest of honor was so easygoing that everyone else relaxed, too. They all dug in, and the lunch was a happy and satisfying affair.
After lunch, Lin Liuping and Xiao Man started clearing and washing the dishes. Zheng Shaolian took out an envelope and was about to follow them to the kitchen when Tang Qingshan stopped him. "Is that girl your girlfriend?"
Zheng Shaolian quickly shook his head. "How could I have a girlfriend? Lin Cunhua is the one my comrade-in-arms has his eye on. You know how I was running transport to the front lines? I happened to run into him on my way back. The guy said he didn’t die, so he could go for it, and asked me to deliver a letter for him."
When Lin Liuping received Squad Leader Zhao’s letter, she treasured it, tucking it carefully into her pocket. Zheng Shaolian and Xiao Man teased her a bit from the side, but she didn’t mind. Blushing, she finished her chores, said a word to Grandma, and ran back to her consignment shop to get back to work.
In fact, Lin Liuping had received a call from Squad Leader Zhao a few days prior. It had only lasted three short minutes, with static on the line, and they’d barely been able to say a few words. But Lin Liuping had cried for a long time afterward. Just like that, her heart was tied to him.
Squad Leader Zhao had just come off the battlefield. The first call he made was to Lin Liuping. He told her he had earned a merit, suffered a minor injury that wasn’t serious, and wanted to give his military medal to Lin Cunhua. He said he might not be handsome, but he promised he could be the best green leaf to her flower, forever supporting and cherishing the village belle!
In the afternoon, Zheng Shaolian returned to his unit, but Tang Qingyun didn’t leave. He didn’t get a chance to speak with Grandma Tang alone, so he followed Tang Qingshan around. Tang Qingshan took out a new camera and gave it to Xiao Man, teaching her how to use it and some photography techniques. Xiao Man immediately started snapping pictures all over the courtyard—CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! Seeing her handle the camera so professionally, her movements fluid and her eye for framing and angles so sharp, Tang Qingshan smiled. "Not bad, not bad at all. You’re my good daughter!"
Xiao Man shook the camera and said, "Thanks, Dad!"
Tang Qingyun’s face darkened at the side. "Manman, that’s your uncle! Your father is over here!"
Xiao Man pretended not to hear, busying herself by looking down at the camera’s viewfinder.
"Manman, your father is talking to you!" Tang Qingyun raised his voice.
Tang Qingshan frowned. "Qingyun, watch your tone. You are just Manman’s uncle. I am her father!"
"Impossible!" Tang Qingyun looked at Tang Qingshan, a flicker of anger on his face. "I told you I don’t agree! The children were switched, and I’ve already followed Father’s wishes to have them return to their respective homes. Manman is my biological daughter! Everyone knows I have a son and a daughter. If I give Manman to you, what am I supposed to do? Should my family be missing a daughter?"
"You won’t be missing a daughter. Tang Yaxuan is your daughter."
Xiao Man capped the camera lens and said to Tang Qingyun, "You did indeed follow Grandpa’s wishes and switch the two children back. But that day... the scene of you all crying like a river had burst its banks, holding each other so tightly, unable to part... it affected me deeply. It made me feel incredibly guilty. It felt like my appearance was what made you all so heartbroken, that I was destroying the deep bond between father and daughter, mother and daughter, that you’d built over so many years. I don’t dare return to you. I’m afraid you’ll resent me! And you... you would never be able to truly love me, because you’ve given all your love to Tang Yaxuan. What use is there in leaving me with nothing but a hollow title? Do you remember why I asked you for money for the meal that day? It’s because someone told me that Wu Xiaowen publicly promised she would come back for Tang Yaxuan after a while! And you? Your actions were even more touching: you emptied your pockets and gave every last cent to Tang Yaxuan, not even keeping a single penny for yourself! Tang Yaxuan, coming from the city to the countryside, can’t endure the hardship. She deserves sympathy. But what about me? I grew up in the countryside, scratching a living from the dirt. Who’s here to sympathize with me? And on what grounds should I have treated you to a free lunch? That’s the reason I asked you for money! I envy and am moved by the love you have for Tang Yaxuan, but I would never dare to hope for it myself! So, I agree with Grandpa and Grandma’s decision! Dad Tang being willing to take me in as his daughter is the only reason I have to enter the Tang family. Otherwise... I suffered enough at the hands of Liu Fengying for the past eleven years. I have no desire to go to your home only to face a cold mother and a counterfeit father and bring more trouble on myself! I’m happy to live just like this, staying with Grandpa and Grandma. I’m very happy and very free!"
"Manman..." Tang Qingyun looked at Xiao Man, his eyes filled with anguish and grief. He called out her name weakly, his face turning from deathly pale to ashen, then to a sallow yellow, looking worse by the second. Large beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. Tang Haocheng ran to him. "Dad, does your stomach hurt?"
At his son’s words, Tang Qingyun clutched his stomach with one hand and slowly bent over.
Tang Qingshan rushed over in a few strides to support Tang Qingyun, pulling over a chair for him to sit on. "Is your stomach bothering you? Qingyun, since when do you have stomach problems?"
Hearing the commotion from the main hall, Grandma Tang and Grandma came out. They saw Tang Qingyun slumped in the chair with his eyes shut tight, his face a deathly gray, and his clothes soaked with sweat. Grandma Tang panicked and cried out, "What’s wrong? Qingyun... Qingyun, say something!"
Tang Qingyun opened his eyes and said through gritted teeth, "Mom, I’m fine. I just... ate too much, and my stomach can’t handle it!"
"Oh dear, then have some hot water," Grandma said, about to run and pour some. But she turned, saw Xiao Man, and pulled her over. "Quick, give your... give Secretary Tang a pulse diagnosis. If it’s serious, write up a prescription for him. We’ve got plenty of herbs at home!"
Xiao Man: "..."
’Grandma, are you trying to make things difficult for me? I was just trying to draw a line between us, and now you want me to rush over and treat him? What is that supposed to look like!’