Chapter 260 - 239: Expression
Chapter 260: Chapter 239: Expression
Tang Yaxuan tossed and turned, unable to sleep all night.
With the two girls having switched their identities back, she felt as if she had lost her entire world, including her engagement to Brother Shaojun. This was the one thing she could not accept. She hadn’t wanted to dwell on it before, as Brother Shaojun had once said she was still young and should focus on her studies. He, too, had his own career to build, so marriage was a distant topic to be discussed when they were older. Because of this, she’d thought that even if Brother Shaojun found out about Xiao Man, he would just see her as another girl their age. It wouldn’t be urgent, and he wouldn’t think much of it. But now... if the person Liu Fengying had mentioned was truly him, and he was really by Xiao Man’s side, this couldn’t be treated as just some ordinary matter!
The more Tang Yaxuan thought about it, the more anxious she became, and she couldn’t help but blame Wu Xiaowen again. ’Mom is just so indecisive, insisting that I stay in the countryside for another semester. But what’s the use? Dad doesn’t listen to her anyway. How could he dare to defy Grandpa or delay taking up his new post? He acted like his pants were on fire, eagerly rushing off to work in that poor region as if someone were trying to steal the job from him! And all it did was prevent me from returning to the provincial city for school sooner.’
’If I were already in the provincial city, Mom would have an extra pair of eyes and ears. We would know the moment Brother Shaojun returned to the Provincial Military District, and the two of us could find a way to stop him from meeting Xiao Man!’
’Just like Mom and Grandma always said, in the arranged marriages of prominent families, the bride needs more than just a dignified and beautiful appearance. She must also have refinement, vision, and wisdom. I was raised from a young age to be a daughter-in-law for the Gu family. Mo Xiaoman grew up in the countryside, doing nothing but feeding pigs and chopping firewood, only ever thinking about her next meal. What does she have that can compare to me?’
Tang Yaxuan spent the entire night wide awake, lost in thought, and in a way, she was in perfect sync with the Brother Shaojun she yearned for. He, too, was awake all night. In the courtyard of Xiao Man’s home in Gongdao Village, accompanied only by the autumn wind and the evening dew, he repeatedly practiced his Cultivation Technique under the bright moonlight.
This was a Cultivation Technique that Xiao Man had spent considerable time copying from a secret manual in her space. It was suitable for Ancient Martial Artists, and with Gu Shaojun’s current power, he could just barely manage to practice it. Zheng Shaolian, however, could not; he could only focus on diligently practicing his Sun-style Tai Chi until he reached a higher realm.
Practicing a Cultivation Technique for the first time required immense concentration, so no one disturbed Gu Shaojun, leaving him to study and comprehend it alone. He possessed a high aptitude, and the spiritual spring water Xiao Man had given him was from the Three-layered Vortex Spiritual Spring, which had been improved under the guidance of the Black Mountain Spirit Lord. Gu Shaojun had even consumed the six lotus seeds from the small spring pond, making his constitution extraordinary and able to withstand the strain. Xiao Man had also secretly dissolved an Elixir Pill, which aided martial practice, into the water. Thanks to all this, he was able to master the Ancient Cultivation Method as soon as he started. After circulating his power just three times, his movements became smooth and natural. He gradually entered a state of deep immersion, completely losing track of time and ignoring even the crowing of the roosters. He only concluded his practice and stopped when the sky began to lighten and the sound of traffic on the road outside the courtyard grew more frequent.
Seeing that he was soaked to the bone, without a single dry thread on him, as if he’d just been pulled from the water, he couldn’t help but chuckle. He went straight to the well, drew water, and began to rinse off. The cool, sweet well water pouring over his head felt incredibly refreshing and pleasant. He became almost addicted to the feeling, dousing himself with over a dozen buckets before he finally stopped.
Around eleven o’clock that morning, Tang Yaxuan rushed to Gongdao Village, only to find that Gu Shaojun, Zheng Shaolian, and Xiao Man had already left. She pestered Grandpa, asking about the two young men who had visited. When she confirmed that one of them was indeed named Gu Shaojun, her heart plummeted. She bit her lip, filled with hatred and frustration. ’I hate Xiao Man! And I’m so angry with myself! I managed to stay up all night until dawn, but then I blinked once and fell fast asleep...’
’Xiao Man stole my identity as the Tang family’s granddaughter, and that wasn’t enough for her. Now she’s openly trying to steal Brother Shaojun too! This is too much!’ Tang Yaxuan felt she could no longer just sit back and wait for disaster. ’Grandpa and Grandma in Beijing support Xiao Man out of familial affection, but they don’t get to decide matters of the heart!’
’I’ve been Brother Shaojun’s fiancée for six or seven years, and he has always been so protective and doting toward me. It’s just like Mom and Dad said: feelings are built up over time, growing deeper and deeper! Right now, there’s a complete blank slate between Mo Xiaoman and Brother Shaojun. What right does she have to his affection and his protection?’
After some painful reflection, Tang Yaxuan made a decision. She would go to the commune’s post office at once and send a telegram telling her mother she was sick. She would ask for money to buy a ticket straight back to the provincial city. She refused to stay in this isolated, remote, and impoverished place any longer!
Meanwhile, Wu Xiaowen was on a train to Feng City—Father Wu had fallen ill again. Mother Wu had called to urge her to come, so Wu Xiaowen had no choice but to request leave from work to visit her father. Her supervisor approved the leave, but for some unknown reason, he did so with a long face, sternly criticizing her habit of taking long absences. His words were harsh, completely lacking his previous warmth and magnanimity.
Since she was the one asking for a favor, Wu Xiaowen had no choice but to swallow her frustration for the time being. After a day-long train ride, she arrived in Feng City. When she saw her father lying in bed looking half-dead and noticed how much whiter her mother’s hair had become, her mood soured even further.
The plan to return to Beijing, which had been spoken of as a sure thing, had fallen through. Despite their year-long efforts to salvage the situation, nothing had worked. The family was stuck in Feng City in an awkward predicament. Not only were Father Wu and Mother Wu frantic, but Wu Xiaoyang and his wife complained endlessly, one playing the good cop and the other the bad. Even her nieces, who were now old enough to understand the situation, had traded their former admiration for contempt. When they ran into her, they would just shoot her a glare and couldn’t even be bothered to call her "Aunt."
Wu Xiaowen was furious. Mother Wu scolded her granddaughters and berated her eldest daughter-in-law for failing to teach them manners. Yang Qianrong twisted her lips into a sarcastic smile.
"You can’t really blame them, can you? These girls were meant to live the lives of wealthy young ladies, but instead, they grew up in the countryside cutting grass and picking up cow dung every day. How tragic! When they heard their dear aunt had a way to bring them back to Beijing, they practically starved themselves, saving every bit of the Silver Coins and nice things sent from abroad to contribute to the cause. And in the end? It was all for nothing! Who could stand that? Look at Dad, he’s fallen ill several times over this. The fact that these girls haven’t caused you any major trouble is already quite remarkable! Or is it that some people are allowed to break their promises and take money without delivering, but we aren’t even allowed to look upset about it?"
Hearing this, Wu Xiaowen flushed with shame and anger. "All my thankless efforts recently, wasn’t it all for your sake? The situation changed, what could I do? I’m not a god; I can’t make everyone do my bidding! Stop your nonsense! Who took your money and things?"
Yang Qianrong sneered. "Oh, so if you can’t get it done, you can’t get it done. Are you going to deny the debt now, too? We might not have known before, but ever since Dad got sick last time and you came back, don’t think no one saw how much you took from Mom! In the last two or three months alone, Wu Xiaoyang sent you money twice—a thousand each time—supposedly to give as ’gifts’! Our family suffered because of our overseas connections. Now that policies have relaxed, we’ve received a bit of compensation in Silver Coins, but it’s not an endless treasure trove. This is a big family! We’ve been going hungry, saving money meant for food just so you can squander it. How could we not remember every single detail? But don’t worry. We all share the Wu name. What’s taken is taken. It’s not like we’re going to chase you down and force you to spit it back out!"
"You... how can you speak like that? You have no class!"
Wu Xiaowen’s face flushed red with anger. ’It’s true I’ve spent a bit much recently, but wasn’t it all for the Wu Family, for their sake?’
’If Beijing were still sending money, I wouldn’t even glance at the Wu Family’s money!’
’But ever since Hao Hao went back to Beijing for university, the allowance sent from Beijing to G Province has been completely cut off. Or perhaps it hasn’t. Xiao Man is still in Wancheng Ping County, but unfortunately, she’s not on my side. Because she refuses to come live with me, that old hag won’t give me the money!’
Wu Xiaowen gritted her teeth, resentment festering within her. ’That girl is rebellious to the bone. How could I have ever given birth to someone like that?’