Chapter 381 - 332: Severing Ties (Part 3)
Chapter 381: Chapter 332: Severing Ties (Part 3)
Out of the corner of her eye, Tian Xueqin could clearly see the two old women standing there, yet she hadn’t heard a peep out of them. ’Forget Grandma Tang,’ she thought, ’but my own mother-in-law dotes on her precious granddaughter the most. Why isn’t she coming over to save Shaoling and protect her? Could it really be true, what Sisi and the others heard people gossiping about—that this Manman is a damned jinx who specializes in stealing people’s good fortune! What is a jinx? A terrifying thing that latches onto someone, tormenting them until they’re left with nothing!’
’Take Tang Yaxuan, for example. Such a delicate and precious girl, well-behaved and courteous. The Tang family had raised her on a pedestal, like a goddess in the clouds. They wouldn’t have just thrown her away, would they? In a few more years, she could have made a good marriage. But because Tang Manman couldn’t stand her, she was discarded just like that, thrown right into the mud. The sight was so tragic, so miserable, it was unbearable to watch!’
Tian Xueqin hadn’t believed that Tang Manman could steal her daughter’s good fortune. ’Who is my daughter? The only granddaughter of her generation in the Gu family, pampered like a princess by everyone! A prominent young lady in Beijing society! How could she let some girl from the countryside steal her luck? But then I thought about Tang Manman’s foul-tempered grandmother, who knows a thing or two about her acupuncture technique and once revived my father-in-law. Now my in-laws, and even the whole family, look at her differently. They let her get away with murder, siding with her even when she’s in the wrong. Shaoling calls me constantly, and most of the time it’s to complain that her grandma gave something that should have been hers to Manman... The more I think about it, the more I believe that gossip might be true!’
Tian Xueqin’s clenched fists tightened. Taking a quiet breath, she put on a kind smile and said to Xiao Man in a gentle tone, "Our Manman has always been such a sweet and lovely girl. It must have been Sisi and Shaoling who were being silly and upset you. But no matter what, you’re all friends, right? For the sake of your friendship and all the good times you’ve had, why don’t you let them go first so they can catch their breath? Please? Oh, that’s right! Manman, do you like coral? Or pearls? Your auntie brought a few very beautiful gifts this time. You can have first pick, and the others can have what’s left. How does that sound?"
Xiao Man sneered. She tightened her right hand, choking the defiant Tian Sisi until her legs kicked wildly and her face turned purple. Just as Sisi was about to pass out, her eyes rolling back, Xiao Man relaxed her left hand. She tapped a pressure point with her index finger, and Gu Shaoling regained consciousness. Then, lifting both girls, she let them go at the same time. The cousins crumpled to the ground like a pair of wet noodles, whimpering and gasping for air.
Tian Xueqin immediately moved to crouch down and check on her daughter and niece, but Xiao Man rudely blocked her path. "Let them catch their breath. I want an explanation. And if I’m not satisfied, this isn’t over!"
"You!" Tian Xueqin was furious now. With her daughter out of Xiao Man’s clutches, she had less to fear. She spun around to face the two matriarchs. "Mom! Aunt Tang! Look at Manman! She’s completely out of line! Who jokes about taking someone’s life?"
Before the grandmothers could say a word, Xiao Man turned to Tian Xueqin. "So you can’t joke about life and death. What about reputation, character, and dignity? Are those fair game for jokes? Ms. Tian, you’re a military doctor. You save lives and heal the wounded. You’ve seen countless patients. Don’t you have any special insights? Or do you believe that as long as a person is still breathing, nothing else matters?"
Tian Xueqin tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and looked at Xiao Man calmly. "You’re all just children who usually play so nicely together. Why get into such a serious discussion? I was sitting right over there, watching and listening. The two of them didn’t do anything to you that was out of line."
"So, Ms. Tian, you believe that making things up, slandering someone, and causing them harm *isn’t* out of line? Is that it? Then you must think there’s something wrong with my head. That I’m violent, crazy, and delusional? That I attack people at the drop of a hat?"
Tian Xueqin’s eyes flickered. "I never said that."
"Of course you wouldn’t say it out loud. But your every word and action implies it: ’You’re a violent maniac, child. You’re not normal!’ You’re a doctor, an influential vice-dean. I’m supposed to respect you, especially since I’m in medical school now and might even end up working under you one day. To prove I’m a normal person, I’ll tell everyone exactly why I went after those two. The truth is, I’ve always despised them. I don’t know if I was just being too polite or if they’re just incredibly thick-skinned, but they never took the hint when I gave them the cold shoulder. They’d come looking for me on weekends, but I would never go out with them because I can’t stand their endless gossip and their vulgar, trashy hobbies. They were constantly provoking me, and I just endured it. They’re the children of relatives and family acquaintances, after all, and I didn’t want to make things too tense. But I’m done enduring. As of today, I am officially cutting all ties with them! And I demand they explain themselves. What is a ’damned jinx’? What does it mean that I ’stole someone else’s good fortune’? Be specific. Whose fortune did I steal? And where did this rumor come from? Who started it? Tell me, right now!"