Chapter 447 - 387: Not Worth It
Chapter 447: Chapter 387: Not Worth It
Early Sunday morning, Tang Haocheng climbed out of bed. After washing up in a hurry, he slung on the shoulder bag he had packed the night before and tiptoed downstairs, hoping to leave before his grandmother woke. He pretended not to see his grandfather practicing his exercises among the garden shrubs as he darted out the door and ran to the mouth of the alley. He hailed a taxi, and only after closing the door behind him did he finally breathe a sigh of relief and tell the driver to take him to the hospital.
When the siblings got home yesterday, their grandparents were already waiting, delighted to see them. Mrs. Ai had recently been "dispatched" by their grandmother to Liaozhou to keep their eldest uncle company, so the weekend gathering of just the four of them—grandparents and grandchildren—was as lively and joyful as ever. That evening, Pang Xiaoji and a few other girls came over to invite his sister to a movie, but Tang Haocheng refused on his sister’s behalf. Pang Xiaoji indignantly demanded to know what right he had to stop Xiao Man from going out. Dealing with a simpleton like Pang Xiaoji always made Tang Haocheng feel like his own IQ was dropping, so he couldn’t be bothered to waste words on her. But Pang Xiaoji was relentless and insisted on knowing why, so Xiao Man had no choice but to tell her she had to prepare some herbal prescriptions for someone that night.
Unfortunately, their grandmother overheard. After they saw Pang Xiaoji and her friends off, she asked Xiao Man who she was preparing the medicine for. Helpless, Tang Haocheng told his grandmother about his mother being hospitalized and how his maternal grandparents were worried sick.
His grandmother didn’t care why Wu Xiaowen was in the hospital; she only asked if her life was in danger. Tang Haocheng couldn’t lie, so he honestly told her that his mother was out of danger. His grandmother snorted coldly. "If she’s out of danger, what’s the point of preparing medicine? If the hospital can handle it, you two stay out of it!"
His grandmother had put a stop to the matter, but his sister prepared the herbs anyway. They had herbs at home that were brought back from Gongdao Village, so it was easy to put them together. Late that night, his sister snuck up to the third floor and gave the dozens of prepared packets of medicine to Tang Haocheng. "Since I promised you, I won’t make things difficult," she said. "But you really have to remember: there won’t be a next time! As for these herbs, Wu Xiaowen’s prescription is for recuperation and nourishment. The ones for the Wu elders will be enough to restore their health after they finish the course. Tell them: don’t come looking for me again. It’s useless!"
Tang Haocheng sighed to himself. ’You reap what you sow. My sister despises the Wu Family so much; I really shouldn’t have put her in this difficult position. I only did it this time because Mom—Wu Xiaowen—looked so pitiful. And it’s obvious she’s extremely dependent on her parents. When her father had chest pains so bad he couldn’t speak and her mother, Lin Aizhen, fainted, Wu Xiaowen cried without any sense of composure, on the verge of collapse... If I can get the two Wu elders back in good health, so they can live a few more healthy years and keep Wu Xiaowen company, then maybe it will lessen her pain when future events unfold.’
’And I’m going abroad next year for a few years. I won’t be able to do anything about what happens with my mother and the Wu Family then.’
Tang Haocheng went to the hospital’s inpatient department and headed straight for the premium ward on the fifth floor. He knocked and pushed the door open, only to find the clean, white room completely empty. He froze for a moment, thinking he’d gone to the wrong place. A young nurse came over and told him, "The patient in this room was moved. She’s on the same floor, in Room 531."
Tang Haocheng asked when she was moved. "Was it at the patient’s request?"
The young nurse shook her head. "A male visitor came by. He complained that the room was too dim and would affect the patient’s mood, so he had her moved to a brighter one."
As she spoke, the nurse pulled the door shut again, muttering to herself, ’How is this room dim? She’s already got it good and she’s still not satisfied. Making a fuss over everything, as if trying to prove how frail she is. People with power and influence just love to show off!’
Tang Haocheng was silent. ’The day before yesterday, he had rushed over right after Wu Xiaowen was moved to a ward from the operating room. At the time, he had found the four-patient ward too crowded and pulled some strings to get her moved to a premium ward. He never thought she would be moved again today. Who arranged it this time?’
It was on the same floor, so he quickly found Room 531. He knocked and went inside. Sure enough, his mother, Wu Xiaowen, was lying in bed. His sister’s Blood Rejuvenation Pill was remarkably effective; his mother had already recovered the night before. Right now, she looked perfectly fine—healthy and rosy-cheeked. A sweet smile graced her face, her eyes were lively, and her complexion was as radiant as a sunset cloud. There wasn’t the slightest trace of the person who had nearly bled to death.
Wu Yu Xuan, Lin Aizhen, and Xuanxuan were not there. A man was sitting by the bed with his back to the door. Wu Xiaowen’s smile had been directed at him. Tang Haocheng had only knocked twice before barging in, and he seemed to have startled Wu Xiaowen. Her smile stiffened slightly, and she gave a soft cough before saying gently, "Hao Hao, you’re here!"
A glint flashed in Tang Haocheng’s eyes. He saw two hands, which had been clasped by the edge of the bed, suddenly let go. His face instantly darkened. His gaze was so full of hatred it could have been a knife, ready to run the man before him straight through.
’Rumors were one thing, but to see his own mother being touched by a man who wasn’t his father... how could he, as her son, possibly bear it?’
Bai Lihua stood up, turned to Tang Haocheng, and smiled. "Ah, it’s Hao Hao. You’ve grown quite a bit. You worked so hard taking care of your mother last night. Why didn’t you sleep in a little today?"
Tang Haocheng’s face was taut as he said coldly, "Who are you?"
Bai Lihua froze. ’Tang Renqian sometimes brings his grandson to banquets. I’ve clearly seen him many times, so why is this kid... I’ve heard that all geniuses have their flaws. Could it be that Tang Qingyun’s son is face-blind?’
Bai Lihua’s smile became even more amiable and friendly. "I’m Uncle Bai. How could you not know me, Hao Hao? My son, Bai Junjie, has hung out with you before, right? You two are good friends, aren’t you?"
"No, I don’t know any Bai Junjie!" Tang Haocheng’s expression was frosty. "Please leave. I am here now, and you are not welcome!"
Bai Lihua opened his mouth to speak, but Wu Xiaowen had already cried out in alarm, "Hao Hao! What is wrong with you? Who taught you to be so rude? Uncle Bai is Mommy’s... Mommy and Daddy’s friend! He came to visit me and keep me company so I wouldn’t be bored. You should be thanking him! What are you waiting for? Apologize to Uncle Bai right now!"
Bai Lihua quickly waved his hands. "No, no, it’s fine. Hao Hao is still young."
Wu Xiaowen looked at her son with deep disappointment, her tone reproachful. "Look at him, he’s big and tall. How is he young? He’s a year older than Junjie, but he’s not nearly as sensible!"
Tang Haocheng was so angry his hands were trembling. ’Is this woman really his mother? He truly wished that he and his sister had been born to someone else!’
Taking a deep breath, Tang Haocheng decided it wasn’t worth staying here and getting worked up. ’His time was precious. He needed to go back and have a meal with his grandparents and his sister. Then he had to get back to school, back to his beloved laboratory. So many mysteries were waiting for him to explore and unravel. Wasting his time on these people was completely not worth it!’
Tang Haocheng walked up to Wu Xiaowen and started rummaging through his shoulder bag. It was a large canvas bag he had chosen specifically, about the size of a mail carrier’s satchel, and it was stuffed to the brim with dozens of medicine packets for three people. Tang Haocheng threw all the packets onto Wu Xiaowen’s bed. Then he handed her a sheet of kraft paper. The instructions for how to take the medicine were written on it. Each person had three courses of treatment, and the packets for each course were bundled separately with hemp rope so they wouldn’t get mixed up.