Chapter 423 - 367: Xiao Man’s Dad
Chapter 423: Chapter 367: Xiao Man’s Dad
The military vehicle was at least half again as fast as the public bus. Leaving Wancheng at 3:30 p.m., they were back in Gongdao Village a little after 5:00.
They had already written to confirm the date of their return, and from the airport, Tang Qingyun and Tang Haocheng had called the village again to announce they were coming back from Wancheng. As a result, when the vehicles slowly drove into the village and finally stopped in front of Grandpa Mo’s gate, both sides of the road were already lined with welcoming villagers. The moment Xiao Man pushed open her door and stepped out, she heard countless voices crying out in delight, "Xiao Man! Xiao Man!"
"Xiao Man is finally back!"
"Xiao Man’s gotten taller! And even prettier!"
"That city water must be good for you! Look at Xiao Man, so fair and delicate. She looks so radiant and full of life!"
"That’s so true! No wonder all the girls want to marry into the cities. Everything is better there!"
"..."
Xiao Man was swarmed by the enthusiastic village women—grandmas, mothers, aunties, and sisters-in-law. One grabbed her hand while another linked arms with her. Some touched her ponytail, and others felt the fabric of her clothes. They all talked at once, firing off a constant barrage of questions. With only one mouth, Xiao Man didn’t know who to answer first, so she decided not to answer anyone. She just smiled and greeted them all as she went—"Grandma," "Auntie," "Sister-in-law"—and hearing her voice made them just as happy. They all crowded around her, guiding her toward the courtyard gate.
Grandpa and Grandma were already waiting at the gate. Since Xiao Man was surrounded by the women, Tang Qingyun first led Tang Haocheng and Mr. Gu over to greet the two elders. Secretary Mo, Mo Jiabao, and Mo Chengfu welcomed the men from the military command who had escorted Xiao Man and her brother, inviting them into the courtyard while calling for a few young men to unload the things from the truck.
Seeing Xiao Man draw near, Grandma wiped her reddened eyes with a handkerchief and happily reached out her hands. Xiao Man felt a sting in her nose. "Grandma!" she cried, rushing forward and throwing her arms around her.
At fifteen years old, Xiao Man was five-foot-four, making her much taller than her petite grandma.
Seeing the two of them so caught up in their tearful reunion that they were ignoring him, Grandpa patted Xiao Man’s shoulder. "There, there, don’t cry," he said. "Grandpa’s here, you know! Grandpa’s here too!"
Xiao Man couldn’t help but chuckle. ’Since when was my grandpa so funny?’
She turned to give Grandpa a hug, but the three of them had barely exchanged a few words before Guan Ailan and her friends, who had been waiting impatiently nearby, unceremoniously dragged Xiao Man away. Grandpa and Grandma could only stare helplessly. Seeing the crowd of villagers outside, they had no choice but to invite everyone into the courtyard to sit for a while, have some tea, and chat.
Fortunately, the setting sun was now hidden by clouds, and a light, pleasantly cool breeze was blowing. The chairs and stools already in the courtyard were all occupied, so newcomers had to find a random spot to sit, stand, or squat. The yard was packed to the brim with people, all talking and laughing. The atmosphere was incredibly lively.
This was the way of the village. When one family had something to celebrate, everyone celebrated together, drawn by the excitement and novelty. It was also an excuse to take a break from work and have a big get-together. Xiao Man was the first girl from Gongdao Village to get into a university—and one in Beijing, at that. She hadn’t been back in a whole year, so her return for the holidays was naturally a cause for a huge, lively celebration.
Tang Qingyun pulled three cardboard boxes from his car, filled with candy, cookies, and cigarettes he had bought. Beaming, Grandpa and Grandma helped him hand them out for everyone to enjoy.
The Tang Qingyun of the past would never have made such a gesture. Although he had worked his way up from the bottom ranks, he carried himself with the stiff air of a high official. He’d only ever visit the countryside to put on a show for the newspapers, and he certainly wouldn’t deign to make small talk with the villagers. But after the switched-at-birth incident, his biological daughter chose to stay in the countryside with Grandpa and Grandma rather than acknowledge him, and Gongdao Village became his fixation. He had seen how Grandma Tang and Tang Qingshan won over the villagers completely by handing out candy on every visit, and he took note. From then on, whenever he had time off, he would come to visit Grandpa and Grandma, never failing to bring candy, cigarettes, and liquor. He also leveraged his experience as a local official, discussing policies, offering advice, and listening to the villagers’ concerns and hardships. Though he had been transferred from the area, he still had old connections, so pulling a few strings with the higher-ups to solve practical problems was a simple matter. Through these frequent interactions, the villagers came to see Mr. Tang as approachable, warm, and kind. They began to overlook his less-than-honorable role in the baby-swapping incident. While people in Beijing were accustomed to thinking of Xiao Man as Tang Qingshan’s daughter, in Gongdao Village, the locals unanimously acknowledged Tang Qingyun as her biological father. The village cadres and the younger generation addressed him as "Mr. Tang," but the elders, children, and women simply called him "Xiao Man’s Dad" to his face!
For the privilege of being called "Xiao Man’s Dad," Tang Qingyun wanted nothing more than to stuff his car to the brim with gifts every time he came to Gongdao Village.
Seeing his father handing out treats, Tang Haocheng remembered that his grandmother had also prepared candy for the villagers. His sister had been whisked away by Guan Ailan and the other girls, so she obviously couldn’t see to it. He and Gu Shaoqin began organizing the unloaded goods, reading the labels on each package and pointing them out to Grandpa and Grandma to show them what was inside. He opened the bags filled with various specialty snacks from Beijing. Grandma called over Mo Jiabao and Yu Wumei, and they loaded the candy and snacks into a large winnowing basket, carrying it out and doling them out by the handful for the villagers to try.
It was too crowded outside, so Guan Ailan, Mo Shuixia, and Mo Linghui pulled Xiao Man straight into the house to talk.
In the kitchen, Fifth Auntie and Eighth Aunt were directing a couple of the younger wives as they prepared the food. Mo Xinghua was in charge of the tea. She was brewing chrysanthemum tea, and after it was done, she had to let it cool to the right temperature. Then she poured it into a large aluminum urn with a spigot, which they had borrowed from the grain station. She asked two young men to help carry it to a table under the pear tree so everyone could help themselves. Once that was done, she hurried into the house as well.
The reunion between the two was, of course, a happy one. Xinghua laughed and said, "I went out to the gate just now, but I saw you swarmed by all the aunties, with Grandpa and Grandma staring on like their eyes were about to pop out. I knew it was pointless to wait—I’d never get a turn. I figured I might as well come back and get my work done first."
"Tell me about it! If I hadn’t pried her away, Grandpa and Grandma would still be clinging to their precious darling," Guan Ailan said, rolling her eyes. Everyone burst into a fit of giggles.
Xinghua pulled Xiao Man into the room where she used to stay. The four walls had been painted a fresh, stark white. Xiao Man’s bed, cabinet, and desk were mostly untouched, but the small partitioned-off area where Tang Haocheng used to sleep had been removed. In its place stood a new bunk bed, a wardrobe, and a desk.
Xinghua pointed to the new bed and wardrobe. "Grandpa and my dad made these for me after you left for university," she said. "They didn’t let anyone touch your bed or cabinet. Grandpa said that once they save enough money, if things go well next year, he’s going to build a big, new, modern house. For now, we’ll have to keep sharing a room. Before the break started, Grandpa and Grandma said you were definitely coming back, so we rushed to get the house ready. My dad and brother repainted every room. The two guest rooms in the wing have been tidied up and made with fresh bedding, too. Everything is new and clean, so Uncle Tang and Hao Hao can rest easy."