Chapter 374 - 327: How Are They Worthy?
Chapter 374: Chapter 327: How Are They Worthy?
’She hated this pair of old scoundrels. What right did they have to make her precious granddaughter go to all this trouble to treat them?’
The last time Manman had listened to Hao Hao and given Wu Yu Xuan a ten-dose prescription, Fang Qinglan had been furious when she found out. Tang Renqian had tried to console her, explaining that Hao Hao had his own reasons. He added that since Manman was studying medicine, she would inevitably have to shoulder the duty of healing the sick and saving the dying. Even setting aside the fact that he was her grandfather, easing a patient’s suffering was an act of accumulating merit, which could only benefit Manman.
Fang Qinglan was unconvinced. ’My granddaughter is still young. She hasn’t even finished her apprenticeship or graduated yet, so what’s the rush to shoulder this duty? If she wants to accumulate merit, she can wait until she’s a real doctor, facing patients every day. The merit she’ll rack up then will be practically endless! There are so many people in the world, what difference does it make if she doesn’t treat the Wu family? It’s less than a drop in the ocean!’
Tang Renqian could never win an argument with his wife, so he just let her have her way. In any case, he couldn’t stand the sight of the Wu Family these days either. The only reason he’d said a few words in their defense was because he couldn’t overcome his own innate sense of fairness.
In the end, there was still that thread of kinship. Without Wu Yu Xuan and Lin Aizhen, her maternal grandparents, Manman wouldn’t even exist.
But his wife was unyielding, and her reasoning was sound: if their granddaughter had been just a little less astute, Wu Xiaowen would have tormented her to the point of ruin long ago. It was debatable whether she would even still be in this world! Therefore, Tang Manman owed the Wu Family absolutely nothing.
On the contrary, upon closer inspection, it was the Wu Family who owed Manman—and the Tang family!
The Tang family had been a hair’s breadth away from being destroyed by Wu Xiaowen. She had tried to muddle the family bloodline by passing off an adopted daughter as the legitimate one, all to secure a marriage with the Gu family. That adopted girl was no saint; she was a manipulative schemer who used underhanded tricks to take Manman’s place! With poor Manman suppressed and unable to return home, his wife would have lost her will to live and would probably be in her grave by now. He would have been left all alone and wouldn’t have lasted long himself. Without his wife to urge him on, Qingshan would have definitely remained single for the rest of his life. Qingyun was easily influenced; without his father and brother there to reprimand him, he would likely have blindly trusted his own wife. Hao Hao was young and obsessed with his scientific research... The Tang family would have fallen right into Wu Xiaowen’s hands! He used to think Wu Xiaowen was gentle, polite, elegant, and poised—the very model of a well-bred lady from a scholarly family. Aside from a bit of feminine vanity, she seemed to have no major flaws. But now, the more he looked at her, the more unsatisfactory she seemed. Besides giving the Tang family two heirs, there was truly nothing else about this daughter-in-law that was pleasing to the eye, just as his wife had said.
Any superficial pleasantries he showed the Wu Family were entirely for Hao Hao’s sake. Since Manman was now officially under Qingshan’s name and wanted no connection to the Wu family herself, it was best to just let her have her way.
When Tang Renqian felt like playing the nice guy, he could be incredibly pleasant and amiable. But when he wasn’t in the mood, his expression would turn stern, so cold and serious it was chilling. With Fang Qinglan home today, it was obvious she had no intention of giving the Wu Family an easy time. Not wanting to spoil his wife’s mood, Tang Renqian exchanged a few pleasantries with Wu Yu Xuan, then made an excuse about having something to do and headed for his study.
Wu Yu Xuan watched longingly from behind as Tang Renqian went upstairs. He had actually been hoping for a few more cups of Tang Renqian’s tea; he hadn’t had his fill the last time he visited, and the memory had stuck with him ever since.
Ai Wenli brought out four small plates of fresh pastries. Having heard that Lin Aizhen was hospitalized, she worried about dietary restrictions that might come with her medication. Instead of brewing tea, she boiled a kettle of plain water, poured it into cups, and brought them out. Hao Hao helped hand the cups to his maternal grandfather, grandmother, and mother.
Lin Aizhen praised Hao Hao and pulled him down to sit beside her. She and Wu Yu Xuan then took turns asking him about school, their faces wreathed in loving smiles. They looked just like most grandparents who truly doted on their grandson. Meanwhile, she didn’t forget to make small talk with Fang Qinglan. It didn’t matter if Fang Qinglan was interested or not—as long as she deigned to say a single word back, it was enough.
Seeing that she wasn’t making any headway with Fang Qinglan, Lin Aizhen figured she might as well change her attitude and try to make the atmosphere a little more pleasant. Manman wasn’t back yet, anyway. Knowing full well that Fang Qinglan was deliberately playing games, Lin Aizhen decided not to be anxious anymore. Even if she didn’t get to see Manman today, it wasn’t worth getting into a huff with Fang Qinglan. On the contrary, she needed to maintain their relationship and make it even more harmonious and secure. After all, she didn’t just want medicine for her illness now; she was also hoping to get a long-term wellness prescription from Manman!
Sitting beside Lin Aizhen, Wu Xiaowen’s eyes followed Ai Wenli. She’d heard from Hao Hao that Tang Qingshan and this girl had already registered their marriage, making her an official member of the Tang family. She couldn’t help but feel a little curious. ’A man like Tang Qingshan is actually into this type of woman!’
’In Wu Xiaowen’s eyes, Ai Wenli’s features were merely average; strictly speaking, she was nowhere near good enough for Tang Qingshan. Her only virtue was her good skin—it was firm and smooth, and her face had a rosy glow. She was fair and plump, almost like a white steamed bun. That figure... I wonder if you could even see a waist when she wears a dress in the summer?’
But Lin Aizhen had said to her, "Women with large breasts and full hips are exceptionally fertile, and they often give birth to a son on the first try! Fang Qinglan chose this daughter-in-law for Tang Qingshan one hundred percent as a move against you and Hao Hao! Now that the old hag has recovered, she’s going to start making waves. You must be on your guard!"