Chapter 227 - 211: Things of the Past
Chapter 227: Chapter 211: Things of the Past
Wu Xiaowen dropped Tang Yaxuan off at school, then stopped at the entrance to Xiao Man’s home on her way back. She was no pushover and had a temper of her own; after being so thoroughly humiliated by Grandma Tang, there was no way she would debase herself by going inside. Instead, she stood by the car with a cold expression and sent the driver in to fetch Tang Qingyun. She demanded that he and Hao Hao return to Wancheng with her.
Tang Qingyun came out and they exchanged a few words, but he refused to go with her. His mother had come all this way; he had to stay and keep her company for at least a couple of days. He would be staying in the village tonight. Tomorrow, Xiao Feng would bring a car to take them to Ping County, and the day after that, his mother and brother would return to Beijing.
Besides, Hao Hao was starting school again tomorrow, so him going to Wancheng was out of the question.
Rejected again, Wu Xiaowen sullenly slammed the car door and drove back to Wancheng alone. The more she thought about it during the drive, the more upset she became, and tears streamed endlessly down her face.
Inside, the family was gathered around the table for lunch. Grandma stepped outside for a look, then came back in and said to Grandma Tang, "Hao Hao’s mother is truly angry."
Grandma Tang put a chicken wing on both Xiao Man’s and Hao Hao’s plates. "Let her be angry," she said. "She just resents me, that’s all. You can’t expect her to reflect on her own actions, can you? Her character has been warped for a long time. She and I will never see eye to eye."
As Tang Qingyun walked back in and sat down at the table, Grandma Tang continued, "When you were rebellious and unruly, you nearly drove me to an early grave, but I never once said I’d give up on you. So what made you think I wouldn’t accept Manman, even if she was ’ruined’ and had become ’ugly’? I wouldn’t stand by and do nothing even if a distant relative fell on hard times, let alone my own flesh-and-blood granddaughter! Qingyun, I gave birth to you. Is that really all you think of your mother?"
Tang Qingyun hung his head. "Mother, I... I was worried about your health back then. I was afraid you’d get worked up again. After all, a baby being switched at birth should never have happened. It was our fault for deliberately avoiding the doctor you sent. You never liked Xiao Wen to begin with, and if you flew into a rage over this, it would have been a disaster for everyone..."
"So you didn’t want a disaster? To cover for Wu Xiaowen, you chose to sacrifice Manman, hide the truth from your parents, and stab your own mother in the heart yet again? Oh, son, you truly are a model of filial piety, aren’t you!"
"Mother, I didn’t!" Tang Qingyun looked up, his eyes filled with anguish. "I just meant to wait a little while before coming back for the child... I really did come to Gongdao Village. I went to the Mo family’s home, saw the poor conditions, and was adamant about taking her back with me. But then... Xiao Wen arranged for Hao Hao’s maternal uncle to come over."
Grandma Tang sneered. "Hao Hao’s uncle came, took away a fake Manman, and the real Manman’s whereabouts became unknown! Was *that* the result you were insisting on? Are you satisfied? Do you remember when I forbade you to marry her? You yelled at me, ’I have to take responsibility! The baby is my own flesh and blood!’ Well, are you taking responsibility now? Even if she were an ugly little monster, she is still your child! Her name is Tang, not Wu. How could you just trust Hao Hao’s uncle to take her away without so much as a single look?"
Seeing that Tang Qingyun was on the verge of tears, Tang Qingshan added, "Mother, he’s just a victim of bad influence. Wu Xiaowen led him astray!"
Tang Qingyun, his eyes red, glared at him. "Brother, stay out of this!"
Tang Qingshan’s face stiffened, and his tone turned icy. "You have the nerve to say that again? Tell me this isn’t my business."
Tang Qingyun: ...
Xiao Man and Hao Hao ate in silence. Mo Chengfu practically buried his face in his bowl, trying to make himself invisible. ’City folk aren’t so different from us country folk after all,’ he thought. ’One little disagreement between brothers, and the older one still steamrolls the younger one.’
After they each finished two bowls of rice, Grandpa and Mo Chengfu went into the kitchen, ladled themselves a bowl of multigrain congee, and went to sit under the large pear tree to eat it slowly.
Grandma saw that Tang Qingyun was so shaken he’d lost all color in his face and couldn’t eat. Though she pitied him, she wasn’t about to say something she didn’t believe. She simply got up, ladled a bowl of multigrain congee, and handed it to him. After watching him eat a few mouthfuls, she said, "Don’t blame Aunt Su for being nosy, but I’ve seen my share of spoiled city girls. I don’t know about anything else, but Hao Hao’s mother clearly can’t stand Manman. Instead, she treats Xuanxuan like a precious treasure. I won’t stand for that."
"She’s no good in any other respect, either," Grandma Tang cut in. "A daughter raised by Lin Aizhen—what kind of character could she possibly have!"
Grandma Tang looked at her grandson and granddaughter and said slowly, "I don’t mean to speak ill of your mother and maternal grandmother in front of you. But in our family, once a child turns six, we no longer treat them like a little kid. You need to understand the ways of the world, be able to distinguish between right and wrong, and develop your own moral compass. You already know what kind of person your mother is, even if I don’t spell it out. Of all virtues, filial piety is the most important, and I won’t stop you from honoring your father and mother. But you must also see things clearly and protect yourselves. Don’t let your muddle-headed parents, their hearts blinded by selfishness, use all sorts of excuses to hurt you. Look at how Tang Qingyun and Wu Xiaowen treated Manman, for example!"