Chapter 229 - 211: Old Matters
Chapter 229: Chapter 211: Old Matters
"Mom, how could you...?" Tang Qingyun was horrified.
Grandma Tang smiled at her younger son, a sinister look in her eyes. "What, scared? This is your mother!"
Tang Qingyun: ...
’My scalp is tingling. Did Mom mean something else by that? Sigh... Xiao Wen, it’s better if you don’t get too close to her!’
Tang Qingshan noticed Grandma’s calm expression and was secretly amazed. Then he glanced at his own two children. They, too, looked perfectly composed after hearing that their paternal grandmother had killed someone—even more so than Tang Qingyun. He couldn’t help but feel even more satisfied.
"Grandma," Hao Hao asked, addressing Grandma Tang, "did my maternal grandmother know you killed that person?"
"She knew. I made a point of telling her."
"Then why did she still let Mom marry Dad?"
Grandma Tang sighed. "That’s what makes me so furious I could spit! Your maternal grandmother put on this big show of being magnanimous and open-minded. She said the past was the past, and that old grudges shouldn’t get in the way of her children’s happiness. But in reality, she must have been absolutely thrilled. I’m sure she was laughing her head off at me, thinking: ’See? Who gets the last laugh!’"
Tang Qingshan, Xiao Man, and Hao Hao exchanged glances, then all turned to look at Tang Qingyun in unison.
Tang Qingyun: ...
’Why do I get the feeling I’m about to be cast out by my own family?’
That afternoon, Xiao Zhang returned from his shopping trip to Ping County in Xiao Feng’s car. Grandma Tang and Grandma started sewing new curtains for Xiao Man. They also sorted out the return gifts for Secretary Mo and a few other families, planning to deliver them later. The villagers had heard that Grandma Tang and Uncle Tang were returning to Beijing and had brought over various local products. Feeling it was too much, Grandma Tang had bought some things to give in return immediately, and she planned to send some Beijing specialties after she got home.
Grandma Tang and Grandma came to an agreement. Grandma Tang said that since she had come to stay for a few days during the farming break, it was only fair that Grandma and Grandpa come visit them in Beijing with Manman during the summer vacation. Grandma smilingly agreed.
The local products Grandma Tang planned to take back to Beijing were astonishingly varied: pickled greens, sauces, dried vegetables, and dried radishes; cured pork, cured chicken, dried fish, and dried shrimp; raw honey, assorted whole grains, tea seed oil, and hemp seed oil; rice wine, grape wine, mulberry wine, and Cherokee rose hip wine; sweet potatoes, taro, and Chinese yam... Tang Qingyun was speechless. Why on earth would his mother want any of this? ’If I’d known,’ he thought, ’I could have just brought some of this stuff back with me on my trips to Beijing all these years. It would have saved me the trouble of racking my brain to find exotic delicacies.’
Little did he know that these seemingly ordinary items were anything but. Xiao Man had "exchanged" every last one of them. They were all incredibly precious—not only delicious but also wonderfully nourishing.
Tang Qingshan’s own haul consisted of several rolls of film capturing the scenery of the deep southern mountains, some tea, and... his daughter. Xiao Man had never called him "Dad" before, but after being provoked by Tang Qingyun, the word had finally slipped out!
Overjoyed, Tang Qingshan inwardly chuckled at his younger brother. ’That idiot. Where did all the cleverness and wit he had as a kid disappear to?’
Out of a desire to protect and care for his younger brother, Tang Qingshan had a long talk with Tang Qingyun that evening. The two brothers sat under the big pear tree, drinking tea and smoking until midnight. However, when it came to problems at work or his family life, Tang Qingyun was unwilling to go into detail, so Tang Qingshan let it drop.
The next morning, Xiao Feng and another driver arrived, each in a separate car, to take Grandma Tang and the others to Ping County. Guan Ailan and Mo Linghui were able to catch a ride with Xiao Man.
Secretary Mo and other villagers came to see them off. Fifth Auntie, Eighth Aunt, and Second Granny Qiu held Grandma Tang’s hands as they said their goodbyes. "It’s so good of you not to look down on our poor mountain gully. You have to remember us and come back to visit often!"
Grandma Tang laughed. "With such beautiful mountains and rivers, and with good people like all of you, this place is bound to prosper in the future! I’ll definitely be back. As soon as I finish all the food you’ve given me, I’ll come visit!"
Everyone laughed. Fifth Auntie wiped at her eyes as she chuckled, "In that case, we won’t mail you any more. You’ll have to come get it yourself!"
"Yes, I’ll come get it myself. Or when you all have some free time, you can bring it to me! I came here, and you showed me all around the village. I can show you all around Beijing in return!"
"Now that sounds wonderful... HAHAHAHA!"
The slightly sorrowful departure turned into a cheerful farewell filled with ringing laughter. The two cars drove far into the distance, but the villagers were still waving.