Chapter 414 - 361: Relatives
Chapter 414: Chapter 361: Relatives
Holding Weiwei, Xiao Man watched with a smile as Yang Liu’er flew into a rage. They say women from Shanxi Province are as gentle as weeping willow branches, but this fierce outburst was something else entirely. Although her hands-on-hips, shrew-in-the-street posture was a bit unbecoming, she was so strikingly pretty that even her anger was a sight to behold. The visual impact was no less dramatic than a scene from a movie. Moreover, the content of her loud, articulate tirade was fresh and explosive. Phrases like "using a fiancée as a nanny," "dishing out private punishment in a dark room," and "calling the police to investigate a thief" were thrilling just to hear. It just goes to show that gossip is captivating anytime, anywhere. The crowd of onlookers was completely focused, savoring the drama and totally ignoring the impropriety of a young woman causing a scene in the street.
Some people had even formed small circles, whispering to each other as they sized up Bai Qingyue and her nieces. They clearly knew and recognized the members of the Bai family.
Bai Qingyue, a woman in her forties with uncommon experience and cunning, quickly collected herself. At her subtle glance, the sisters Bai Yifen and Bai Yifang immediately reacted, both striding quickly toward Yang Liu’er.
Xiao Man stepped in front of them just in time. "If Yang Liu’er hadn’t mentioned it, I would have never known," she said with a slight smile. "So the relatives she came to Beijing to rely on were the Bai Family all along? Also, Bai Junfan and Yang Liu’er have been engaged since they were teenagers. Why does Aunt Bai always say that Bai Junfan is single? If some other girl were to believe you and start dating Bai Junfan, ignorant of the situation, wouldn’t that just ruin her life?"
’Of course, she was deliberately mocking Bai Qingyue, accusing her of playing dumb. Ever since Xiao Man had come to Beijing to study, the Bai Family had been trying every conceivable way to cozy up to the Tang family. Bai Qingyue, a master of social maneuvering, had used all sorts of ploys to sweet-talk Xiao Man, practically wishing she could just tie her up and drag her back to the Bai Mansion. Her most frequent pretext was Bai Junfan. She would say things like how Brother Junfan had never cared for being around girls, but after visiting his dear Manman, he had put her on a pedestal in his heart, dreaming of her day and night. And before going abroad, he had endlessly instructed his family to take good care of his dear Manman for him... If Xiao Man were truly as sweet, innocent, and gullible as she appeared, the Bai Family would have deceived her terribly by now.’
’Having seen through Bai Junfan and developed a loathing for Bai Lihua, Xiao Man could no longer be fooled by Bai Qingyue’s act, no matter how well she played her part. Xiao Man normally loved wandering through the courtyard homes of Beijing and was happy to visit any family, but strangely, she had an instinctual aversion to the Bai Mansion. Just as she had refused to visit the Wu Mansion, she never even considered being a guest at the Bai Mansion, no matter how enthusiastically Bai Qingyue and the Bai sisters invited her.’
’Despite her obvious disdain, Bai Qingyue still hadn’t given up, buzzing around her like a blowfly. Xiao Man felt quite helpless about it. This was the perfect chance, with Yang Liu’er exposing the truth, to tear the lid off completely. If she brought everything out into the open, then surely Bai Qingyue and the Bai Family wouldn’t be able to pester her anymore!’
As expected, Bai Qingyue was left choking on Xiao Man’s words. When she listened to the whispers and low-voiced discussions of the surrounding crowd, who kept shooting meaningful glances at her and her nieces, she grew both furious and frantic. She wished she could just grab Yang Liu’er and kill her on the spot.
With Xiao Man shielding her, the Bai sisters couldn’t get to Yang Liu’er. Bai Yifang shrieked, "Manman, don’t listen to her nonsense! She’s just an ignorant, uncultured country girl. What right does she have to be my brother’s fiancée? Yang Liu’er is a toad trying to eat swan meat!"
Bai Yifen also sneered. "She can dream, but something this good wouldn’t fall into her lap in eight lifetimes! Do you know how prestigious the title of the Bai Family’s eldest direct grandson is? And what is Yang Liu’er? How dare she even covet him? Does she think we’re all dead or something?"
Yang Liu’er’s body trembled, and her eyes turned crimson again. The vicious slander had cut her deep, and a stifling anger welled up in her chest. If Xiao Man hadn’t been so insistent on shielding her, she would have thrown herself at the aunt and her nieces and fought them with everything she had.
Xiao Man pushed Weiwei into Yang Liu’er’s arms. Weiwei stroked Yang Liu’er’s face and comforted her in his childish voice. "Aunty, don’t be angry. When Weiwei grows up, I’ll chase them away! We won’t have to see them anymore!"
Yang Liu’er hugged Weiwei tightly, her tears falling like rain.
Xiao Man shielded the two of them and backed away a few steps from the Bai sisters. She then said to Bai Qingyue, "I’m out with a child today, so it’s not a convenient time to talk. Plus, it’s not right to block the entrance to the store like this. We’ll be leaving now, so do as you please."
Bai Qingyue quickly called out to stop her. "Manman, you’re a good girl. Come with me. Don’t get mixed up with her. Look at her, she’s a compulsive liar! There’s something seriously wrong with her character!"
Xiao Man glanced at the onlookers, then smiled at Bai Qingyue. "But Yang Liu’er is a relative of your Bai Family. It’s not very appropriate for Aunt Bai to be talking about her like that, is it?"
"No! How could the Bai Family possibly have relatives with the surname Yang? Yang Liu’er was living in our home because of her paternal aunt, Shun Ma. And Shun Ma is just a maid who does menial chores for us. A maid’s relative is completely unrelated to us, her masters!"
Xiao Man was speechless.
Tears were still trickling down Yang Liu’er’s face. Hearing Bai Qingyue’s words, she suddenly let out two cold laughs and glared like a red-eyed rabbit. "It’s true that Shun Ma’s surname used to be Yang, but now, she won’t even admit she’s from the Yang Family! Every day she taught me how to work, how to be a subservient, obedient little slave. She oppressed me, she shortchanged me, and why? Because she considers herself a member of the Bai Family and feels obligated to take your side! Old Mrs. Bai passed away young. You could practically treat Shun Ma as the new Old Mrs. Bai, couldn’t you? If you really think about it, how many people in the Bai Mansion would have to call me ’Cousin-Aunt’? And yet you stand there and lie through your teeth, denying you’re related to me at all. You people are truly shameless!"
Her words were somewhat vague, yet they hinted at a much deeper meaning. The Bai sisters stared wide-eyed, while Bai Qingyue went pale and stood frozen, as if she had been struck by lightning.
But Yang Liu’er suddenly acted as if she’d just recalled a hilarious joke. She threw her head back and cackled endlessly, tears streaming down her face. She looked like a madwoman.
Afraid of frightening Weiwei, Xiao Man quickly took him back into her arms. Grabbing Yang Liu’er with her other hand, she ignored the Bai aunt and nieces behind them and walked right out of the Overseas Chinese Store.
Once they were out on the main street, Xiao Man let go of Yang Liu’er. "You were so full of momentum just now, cursing them out with your hands on your hips. Why did you end up crying? You’re not even as mature as Weiwei, and he’s only five. He understands things more clearly than you: anything that hurts you or makes you unhappy, you chase it away! You don’t keep it around! You’re just a glutton for punishment, taking this empty engagement so seriously. If you keep this up, the Bai family will humiliate you every single time they see you, and you’ll be miserable for the rest of your life!"
Yang Liu’er wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and sniffled, her face a mask of lonely anguish. "Then what am I supposed to do? Give up the engagement and forget Brother Jun Fan just because of his family? I... I can’t do it!"
Xiao Man didn’t know what to say. She had no right to interfere in another person’s romantic affairs. At most, she could offer a few comments from the sidelines. The choice, the decision—it was all up to Yang Liu’er.