Chapter 300 - 271: No Match
Chapter 300: Chapter 271: No Match
Wu Xiaowen grew anxious when she saw Xiao Man run off without a word. ’I made a promise, how can I go back on my word now? How will I face my relatives after this? I’ll lose so much face!’
She hurried after her, shouting, "Manman, stop! I’m talking to you, didn’t you hear me? Those are relatives from my side of the family. They’ve never even met you, yet every adult in their family gave you a red envelope with their blessings. You can’t be so heartless and ungrateful..."
Xiao Man just wanted to get away from her. She sped around a corner of the covered walkway and nearly collided with someone. After reaching out to steady the person, she looked up and sighed inwardly. ’Wu Xiaowen, oh, Wu Xiaowen, you’ve brought this upon yourself. You can’t blame me for it!’
Grandma Tang stood there, her face contorted with rage. Behind her was Grandma. The two of them must have come out at some point and likely overheard the entire conversation between Wu Xiaowen and Xiao Man.
Grandma Tang waved a hand, signaling for Xiao Man to help Grandma back inside. Then she turned to face Wu Xiaowen. Her voice was level, yet it sounded as if it were filled with shards of ice, each word cold and piercing.
"Tell me, who’s the heartless and ungrateful one? A granddaughter of the Tang family—do you think she needs your pathetic little red envelopes? Hmm? You give her a red envelope, then hound her relentlessly, forcing her to find medicine to cure you. Wu Xiaowen, are you even human? You listen to me: my granddaughter is still a child. She doesn’t know any better. If you dare to get any funny ideas about her, or use her name to swindle people, I will never forgive you! And your whole Wu Family clan—stop scheming against my granddaughter. Tang Manman is my eldest son’s daughter. She has nothing to do with your Wu Family! Piss me off again, and I’ll make sure you all have hell to pay!"
They were guests in someone else’s home, and the doors to the main hall, where the matrons and ladies of prominent families were gathered, were not far away. Wu Xiaowen knew she couldn’t make a scene here. She suppressed her roiling grief and indignation, biting her lip so hard it nearly bled. Finally, her face pale, she choked out, "Mom..."
"Don’t you dare call me ’Mom.’ I don’t want a daughter-in-law like you!" Grandma Tang tilted her chin up, her gaze as piercing as steel needles.
Wu Xiaowen covered her face as tears streamed through her fingers. "You... what right do you have to treat me this way? Manman is my daughter, and I gave birth to Hao Hao too! I’m their mother, I have rights... I have this right!"
"Are you trying to say you have the right to hurt them? Who was it that did everything in their power to stop Qingyun from looking for his child? Because of your selfishness and cruelty, Manman was nearly killed. If Manman had died, Hao Hao would have been kept in the dark his entire life, never knowing he had a biological sister. Instead, he would have treated an enemy as his sister, willingly respecting and protecting her... Is that deception not cruel? How is that fair to Hao Hao? And you still have the nerve to call yourself their mother? You bring shame to mothers everywhere!"
Wu Xiaowen: ...
She completely broke down, her body swaying as if on the verge of collapse. Before Old Mrs. Tang, no matter how she struggled or mustered the courage to stand her ground, she was ultimately defenseless. ’The old woman is too formidable,’ she thought. ’I’m too young to be her opponent!’
Xiao Man had wanted to stay, but Grandma pulled her back into the hall. Grandma then went to find Granny Gu and exchanged a few words with her. Granny Gu then led her eldest daughter-in-law outside. A short while later, Grandma Tang returned with Granny Gu, but Zhou Hui Lan and Wu Xiaowen were nowhere to be seen.
Behind two large potted plants, Tang Haocheng was staring blankly into space. Gu Shaoqin nudged him. "They’re all gone. The fight’s over. Do you still want to go find Tang Manman?"
Tang Haocheng glared at him. "Who are you calling Tang Manman? That’s my sister. You should call her ’sister,’ too!"
A blush crept across Gu Shaoqin’s fair face. ’Doesn’t everyone know that?’ he thought. ’She’s going to marry my older brother and become my sister-in-law. But what can I do? I just like calling her by her name.’
Seeing Tang Haocheng staring at a leaf, lost in thought again, Gu Shaoqin asked, "What’s on your mind? You didn’t answer my question."
Tang Haocheng grunted in acknowledgment, his brow furrowing slightly. "Shaoqin, did you hear what my grandma said earlier? She said that if my sister had been killed by Xuanxuan’s biological parents, I would have gone my whole life without ever knowing I had a real sister."
Gu Shaoqin nodded. "Yeah, that’s right. You would’ve kept treating Xuanxuan like your real sister, willing to give her anything, willing to do anything for her—just like how I am with my little sister! But my sister is my real sister. I saw my dad carry her out of the delivery room with my own two eyes. It’s right for me to dote on her! But Xuanxuan is a fake. Her family harmed your real sister just so she could take her place, and they even expected you to love and protect her... It’s terrifying to even think about!"
"Shaoqin, probably no one would believe me, but I’m going to tell you anyway. You can just listen." Tang Haocheng’s expression was a little dazed, but his eyes were clear and resolute.
"Okay, go ahead. I’m listening." Gu Shaoqin had always been a good listener.
"I’ve had the same dream many, many times. In the dream, the situation my grandma described actually happens! But my sister doesn’t die. She’s turned into a hideous monster, so scary that I’m afraid to even get near her! She’s cut off from the world, locked away in a dark room, while Xuanxuan completely takes her place. Xuanxuan gets all of our parents’ love, lives a happy life, has a successful career, and marries the man she loves... My heart just ached. The happier Xuanxuan became, the more miserable I felt. I wanted to take my real sister away with me. Mom and Dad could abandon her; it would be enough for just the two of us to be together. But she refused. She left... and never came back!"
Tang Haocheng’s eyes were bloodshot, tears welling up. Gu Shaoqin’s mouth hung open in a stunned expression. "She died?"
"No, she didn’t die! Someone hid her away. That person is in a wheelchair. He’s sick, but he’s incredibly powerful. He stops me from getting close to my sister. I can’t see his face clearly, but he looks a bit like Brother Shaojun. And there’s someone with him... who looks like you!"
"Nonsense! How could Brother Shaojun possibly be in a wheelchair? And I wouldn’t stop you, I’d help you! Besides, if Xuanxuan takes Manman’s place, isn’t the person she marries Brother Shaojun? If Brother Shaojun is married to her, why would he then hide Manman away?"
Gu Shaoqin laughed. "See? It’s definitely a dream. It’s a complete mess and makes no sense!"
Tang Haocheng wiped the tears from his face. "It’s a dream, I know, but what I feel in the dream is so real! I’ve had this dream so many times, and it’s always the same! I’ve even tried to consciously look for anything different. The last time, I looked in a mirror and realized... I was an adult in the dream!"
Gu Shaoqin almost burst out laughing. "So did you see me as an adult, too?"
"Of course!"
"What did I look like?"
"You looked okay, I guess. Anyway, you looked like you. I recognized you!" Tang Haocheng said. "You’re not the important one, anyway. My main goal in the dream is to find my sister. But every time I confront that person, he won’t let me get past him. He’s too powerful, and there’s nothing I can do. The moment I get anxious, I wake up. It gets stuck at that exact point every single time!"
Gu Shaoqin was speechless. After a moment, he said, "You’re sure you recognized the grown-up me? And I don’t help you, I help that guy instead? What, am I an idiot?"
"The guy in the wheelchair looks a lot like Brother Shaojun. If that’s the case, it makes sense that you’d help him, right?"
"Alright, that’s enough nonsense. ’What you think by day, you dream by night.’ It means nothing once you wake up! Look at my older brother. Does he look like someone who would end up in a wheelchair? He practices Ancient Martial Arts; he’s incredibly strong!"
"See? I told you you wouldn’t believe my dream!"
"I do believe you. But that person in the wheelchair... next time, try to get a better look. I’m positive it’s not my older brother!"
"..."