Chapter 430 - 374: Start Saving Money
Chapter 430: Chapter 374: Start Saving Money
Most of the Mo Family relatives and close neighbors had already collected their share of the gifts. For some, like Fifth Auntie, Eighth Aunt, and a few of the families living behind them, when they came over to visit and watch TV, Grandma would just hand them their portions to take home. Mo Linghui, Mo Shuixia, and Guan Ailan had also taken their families’ shares. All Xiao Man had to do was visit the older generation to greet them and chat a bit. This included people like Mo Linghui’s mother and Mo Shuixia’s grandma, who rarely went out and were difficult to see, so she had to pay them a visit. There was also Granny Han, who had helped her before; Mrs. Zhen, who had breastfed her as a child; and Uncle Man Cang, who had pulled her out of the river... Grandma had arranged it all for Xiao Man, insisting that she absolutely had to visit them. Grandma was meticulous—she had packed each family’s gifts according to the ages of their members and even coached Xiao Man, sentence by sentence, on what to say at each house. Xiao Man listened attentively, agreeing to everything, not finding her grandma the least bit long-winded. ’What reason was there to be annoyed? In her past life, no one had been willing to teach her how to behave, even when she’d wanted to learn.’
After spending the whole morning riding her bike in a wide circle around the village, the task of visiting relatives and friends was finally complete.
This time, she wasn’t hassled by Liu Fengying when she passed the Mo Family Courtyard on her way to the Han family’s home and Mo Shuixia’s home. Xiao Man felt things had gone quite smoothly. ’Who in their right mind wants to run into someone so vexing?’
Granny Han, however, warned Xiao Man to be on guard. She said Liu Fengying had been visiting her sister in Dingshan Village for the past two days but would probably be back soon, and that it would be best if Xiao Man avoided running into her.
"The moment Liu Fengying has a little money, she gets full of herself. I don’t know when it started, but she’s been getting money sent from Beijing every month—ten or twenty yuan a pop. It’s more than enough for her, Xiao Zhi, Xiaohua, and Xiao Neng to spend freely. As for Mo Xiaoqiang and Mo Xiaofeng, they’re completely disabled, and Liu Fengying has no intention of getting them treated anymore. So, she just sent them to her sister’s place in Dingshan Village. She gives her sister ten yuan a month from the money sent from Beijing and also delivers some rice and grain regularly. Her sister has a whole brood of children herself and is dirt poor, so she was eager for that ten yuan and took in the two disabled kids to raise in her mountain village. Now that Liu Fengying is free of those two burdens, she only has the three able-bodied children with her, and her life is starting to look pretty decent. Someone must have told her you were coming back for the summer break, because she’s gotten even more smug. She’s been boasting all over the village, telling tall tales. Even if people don’t believe her, it’s still sickening to hear."
"Granny Han, what has she been saying?"
"She tells anyone who will listen that you, Xiao Man, and that Xuanxuan are getting along great now, that you’re as close as sisters, and that you’ve both become the precious, rich young ladies of the Tang family! Because the money orders that come to the village brigade office every month are sent by Xuanxuan, Liu Fengying can’t stop bragging that her own daughter, Xuanxuan, is the most filial. She asks, ’Otherwise, why would even your own mother, the official in the city, dote on Xuanxuan so much and praise her for being so considerate and sensible?’ But you, she says, you’re just a rebellious, disobedient child, so it’s no wonder your own parents don’t like you... She’s also saying that because you were so disobedient, your official mother sent you back to the village for the break and is even punishing you by making you take her—Liu Fengying—to Beijing for a while to broaden her horizons! She claims that from now on, both daughters will take turns sending her money, so she won’t have to worry about a thing and can just live a life of comfort and ease..."
Xiao Man thanked Granny Han, feeling as if she had just swallowed a fly. ’In my past life, I worked like an ox for Liu Fengying, only to be trampled on and humiliated. In this life, Tang Yaxuan uses Wu Xiaowen’s money to support Liu Fengying, and in return, Liu Fengying calls her "the most filial" while Wu Xiaowen praises her for being "considerate and sensible."’ Although Xiao Man felt indifferent toward both women, this kind of blind favoritism truly infuriated her.
The consequence of Xiao Man’s foul mood was that she went back and took her anger out on Tang Haocheng. She told him to stop living at Grandpa and Grandma’s house and to leave with Tang Qingyun the next day. He was just freeloading without paying for living expenses, she ranted. If he had any backbone, he should make Tang Qingyun pay for him. Since their parents could afford to raise Tang Yaxuan, why couldn’t they support their own son?
Tang Haocheng was completely baffled by his sister’s tirade and felt very wronged, but he didn’t hold any resentment. ’She’s right,’ he thought. His grandparents had raised him his entire life. Even when he went to stay with his parents for a few days, his grandparents were the ones who paid for his expenses. He truly had never spent a single cent of his parents’ money.
’But why did my sister suddenly fly off the handle about this? Is she all right?’
Tang Haocheng went over to Gu Shaoqin, and the two of them spent a long time discussing and speculating. In the end, they both concluded that his sister must have been provoked by that madwoman, Liu Fengying, again. Liu Fengying only ever pestered his sister for money, and the only reason she was so shamelessly relentless was because their muddle-headed father and foolish mother refused to let Tang Yaxuan return to the Mo family!
At this thought, Tang Haocheng was filled with rage. ’Tang Yaxuan and I aren’t related by blood, yet she held such an important place in my heart for so many years! And she clearly knew the truth all along, yet she shamelessly and brazenly continued to usurp everything that rightfully belonged to my sister, hoping to destroy her and take her place forever! She has such an obviously wicked and venomous heart—someone to be avoided at all costs. Why can’t our parents bear to let her go? Why would they rather put their own biological daughter in danger?’
Despite possessing a supposedly genius-level intellect, Tang Haocheng simply could not fathom his parents’ thoughts!
His own sister was less cherished than their adopted daughter. Overcome with grief and indignation, Tang Haocheng suddenly felt a desperate need to find out for certain: in his parents’ hearts, did even he matter less than their adopted daughter?
The night before Tang Qingyun was scheduled to return to work, he heard from Gu Shaoqin that Manman and Hao Hao had fought. Then, his son hit him with a brutally direct question: who was more important, his biological children or his adopted daughter? Heartbroken, Tang Qingyun immediately grabbed Tang Haocheng and went to find Xiao Man. He solemnly declared, "I’ve lived for decades and made many mistakes. I’m only realizing it now, and I’m full of regret, but the past can’t be changed! However, I can promise you this: I only have two biological children in this life, and no others! As for adopted sons or daughters, whoever wants to raise them can go ahead. I’m done with it. Now that the country is opening up and the opportunities are great, many people are working hard to send their children to study abroad. I need to start saving money, too, to plan for my own flesh and blood. I can’t worry about anyone else!"
Xiao Man and Tang Haocheng listened with downcast eyes, neither saying a word. Tang Qingyun had no idea what they were thinking, but he was very clear that this was indeed his recent resolution. ’With my father and older brother around,’ he thought, ’the children might not even need my money to study abroad. They probably don’t even want me getting involved. But as their father, I have to make the effort. Otherwise, if I didn’t have the backing of the Tang family, what would become of me?’
Tang Qingyun began to watch his spending and tighten his purse strings, but far away in Beijing, Wu Xiaowen was completely oblivious. Seeing that the year was only half over and the money in her passbook was almost gone, she couldn’t help but feel anxious. She eagerly awaited the day Hao Hao would go to his father’s place. Then, she could call Tang Qingyun to discuss their son’s summer arrangements and use the chance to repair their relationship, which had been strained for months. After being a loving couple for more than a decade, Wu Xiaowen was confident she knew Tang Qingyun’s temperament inside and out; winning him back over wouldn’t be difficult at all.