Chapter 308 - 277: Is It Starting Again?
Chapter 308: Chapter 277: Is It Starting Again?
In the midst of the furious argument, the phone rang. It was Tang Qingshan. His tone was flat as he said, "We had a farewell lunch for Shaojun at the Gu family’s place today. The whole family went, and we just got back not long ago, so dinner is running late. We’re about to eat now. Father said you two have to go back to G Province in the next day or two, and he might have something to discuss with you. Do you want to come back for dinner? If so, be quick."
Tang Qingyun paused for a moment, then agreed. He hung up the phone without saying a word to Wu Xiaowen, opened the door, and left by himself.
Wu Xiaowen had no desire to go to the Tang family for dinner, but she hadn’t expected Tang Qingyun to leave so coldly without even asking her to come. She sat stunned on the sofa for a moment before burying her face in her hands and sobbing uncontrollably.
Tang Yaxuan came out of her room and gently hugged the whimpering Wu Xiaowen. At that moment, she didn’t know what to do either. ’Should I tell Mom to stop fighting with Dad? But Dad is clearly influenced by the Tang Family. His temper is getting worse and worse, and he doesn’t care about Mom and me anymore. And Uncle Bai, who we saw today, was so gentle and kind. He was so considerate of me in every way. He feels more like a father than Tang Qingyun!’
Recalling what Uncle Bai had offered to discuss with her mother, Tang Yaxuan felt a surge of excitement. ’Uncle Bai said he would help me get into a well-known high school with a good environment and high-quality teaching. I wouldn’t have to go back to G Province; I could study right here in Beijing! Then in two years, I could go to university, and maybe even study abroad!’
’Uncle Bai seems much more capable than Tang Qingyun. At the very least, he doesn’t have a couple of old fogeys like Grandpa and Grandma Tang behind him. He’s generous and acts freely, doing whatever he wants without anyone controlling him. As long as Mom maintains a good relationship with him, he’ll take care of me. With his patronage, even without the Tang family, I’ll still have a prestigious status. When I grow up, I’m sure Brother Shaojun will be able to see clearly who is truly worthy of him!’
Tang Yaxuan suppressed the smile that had unconsciously spread across her face and patiently comforted Wu Xiaowen. Then, pretending to be casual, she asked, "Mom, Uncle Bai said today that you should call him if you need anything. Since you and Dad had a fight and you’re so upset, shouldn’t you tell Uncle Bai about it?"
Wu Xiaowen froze. She thought of Bai Lihua—so full of tenderness, so considerate in every possible way, yet already another woman’s husband. Meanwhile, she had entrusted her life to Tang Qingyun, only to be treated with such cold indifference! At this, the dam of her tears broke, and she began to cry even harder. She took a small notebook from her purse and started flipping through it. Tang Yaxuan thoughtfully moved the phone closer to make it easier for her to dial.
The phone number for the Bai Mansion. Wu Xiaowen had known it by heart more than a decade ago. Dialing it again after so long, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of awkwardness and hesitation.
A young, crisp female voice came from the other end of the line. "Hello, who are you looking for?"
Wu Xiaowen breathed a silent sigh of relief. ’Good, it’s not Bai Qingyue.’ She intentionally lowered her voice and said, "Hello, I’m looking for Bai Lihua. Is he home?"
There was a long pause on the other end, then the reply came: "One moment."
Then, Wu Xiaowen heard her shout, "Second Uncle, you have a phone call! An auntie is looking for you! You can pick it up over there!"
Wu Xiaowen frowned. ’Auntie? Everyone says my voice is gentle, sweet, and very young; you can’t tell my age over the phone at all. Who is that little girl? Shouting like a loudspeaker. She must be the daughter Lihua’s older brother, Bai Lixin, left behind, right? She should be about twenty by now. So boisterous... Just as you’d expect from a motherless child who grew up in the countryside. She has no manners at all!’
The girl who had answered Wu Xiaowen’s call was Yang Liu’er, not a daughter of the Bai Family.
At that moment, she was standing woodenly under the eaves of the corridor as Shun Ma poked her on the forehead, scolding reproachfully, "So reckless! No matter how many times I teach you, you never change! Anyone who can call this house’s number is obviously an important relative or friend. You need to soften your tone, be more polite... You can’t even answer the phone properly. You’ve really grown up for nothing!"
Normally, Yang Liu’er would have turned and walked away, unwilling to listen to Shun Ma’s nagging. But today, her pretty face was pale, and she simply let Shun Ma’s finger poke her again and again. She didn’t move an inch, her eyes vacant as if her soul had left her body.
On the evening of the third day of the Lunar New Year, the Bai Mansion felt deserted. Mr. Bai had taken his daughter, Bai Qingyue, and his second grandson, Bai Junjie, to a banquet and had not yet returned. The two eldest granddaughters from the main branch of the family were busy going out on dates. Bai Lihua’s two teenage daughters from his previous marriage each had their own friends to hang out with; they had been playing like crazy over the festival, hardly ever staying home. His current wife, Luo Chunxiang, had taken Bai Yingying, Bai Lili, and Bai Junlin to a relative’s house and wasn’t back yet. Bai Lihua had been in his study ever since he got home. That was why, when the phone in the main hall rang, Yang Liu’er, who was sitting there watching TV, was the one who picked it up.