Chapter 464 - 404: Big Liar
Chapter 464: Chapter 404: Big Liar
Xiao Man got out of the taxi at the mouth of the alley and jogged through the cotton-like snowflakes to the gate of the Lu Family Courtyard. The gate was ajar, as if left open just for her, and she pushed it to enter.
She hadn’t seen Little Weiwei much this semester. This was mainly because Yang Liu’er was too busy. Only when Weiwei was throwing a particularly big fuss would Yang Liu’er bring him to the Medical College to find Xiao Man. Occasionally, Lu Jianling would bring him, but their visits were always rushed. Weiwei wasn’t happy about it, and Xiao Man felt very sorry. ’Everyone is just so busy.’ This semester, she had started participating in a drug research project led by Professor Liu, making her schedule very tight. She could only go home for one night if someone from her family picked her up on Saturday evening, and she had to hurry back to campus the next morning, leaving no time to visit Weiwei.
Since enrolling at the Economic and Trade College, Yang Liu’er seemed to have changed a great deal. She studied diligently and had become much more business-savvy. Not long after the semester began, she and Lu Jianling went into business together, starting a clothing company. Instead of just reselling apparel from different places, they were now focused on building their own brand and had already achieved some success. To Xiao Man, the company’s future looked incredibly bright. ’After all, Yang Liu’er is living a second life. For many things, she doesn’t even have to think—she can just repeat what others have already done.’
Xiao Man called out "Weiwei!" in the courtyard. The door to the main house flew open, and Weiwei shot out like a cannonball, launching himself at Xiao Man. His little face was flushed as he yelled excitedly, "Auntie Man, you’re finally here! My aunt said you wouldn’t come because of the snow. She’s a big liar, a big liar! Good thing I didn’t believe her. I’ve been waiting for you!"
Xiao Man picked up Weiwei. "That’s right, she is a big liar. I bravely rushed all the way here through the heavy snow, didn’t I? How could she spout such nonsense!"
Lu Jianling followed them out the door, chuckling. "Alright, I admit it, I’m a liar and a bad guy, happy now? Please spare me the public shaming and just get inside. If you two freeze, I’ll be the one in real trouble."
Once inside, Lu Jianling used a dry towel to brush the snowflakes off Xiao Man. A stove was lit in the room, making it very warm. Lu Jianling told Xiao Man to take off her overcoat, saying she’d be fine in just her thick sweater.
Xiao Man looked around the main hall and, seeing no one else, asked where Uncle Lu and Yang Liu’er were. Lu Jianling explained, "A family on the front street is having a wedding today. Our family gave a gift, so my dad went over to share a few celebratory drinks with the neighbors. He’ll be back later. As for Liu’er, she’s just in..."
But before his aunt could finish, Weiwei pushed aside the cloth curtain to the room on the left with his body and tugged Xiao Man inside with both hands.
Xiao Man knew this was originally the large suite where Weiwei’s parents had lived. It had been created by knocking down the wall between two rooms, dividing it into an inner and outer chamber. At first, Yang Liu’er had rented a side room in the Lu Family house, but Weiwei became so attached to her that his grandfather and Lu Jianling had her move into the suite to make it easier to care for him. Yang Liu’er was easy-going about it; thinking that Weiwei’s father wasn’t home anyway, she moved right in.
In the outer room, there was a large, heated brick bed under the south-facing window where the family often gathered. Xiao Man followed Weiwei in and sighed in relief. The furniture here was relatively new and nicely decorated; it was warmer and more comfortable than the main hall.
Weiwei said, "Auntie Man, let’s sit. Aunt Yang is in the inner room."
Xiao Man called toward the inner room, "Yang Liu’er, what are you doing hiding in there? Are you the bride or something?"
Lu Jianling followed her in, her eyes twinkling as she looked at Xiao Man. She gave her a quick wink, a huge grin stretching nearly from ear to ear. Xiao Man couldn’t help but touch her own face, feeling that this was all a bit bizarre.
A moment later, she understood the reason for Lu Jianling’s peculiar behavior.
Yang Liu’er emerged from the inner room, but she wasn’t alone. She was pushing a wheelchair carrying a man. Judging by his frame even while seated, one could tell he was over six feet tall. He had a sturdy build, with a rough, tan complexion and sharp, resolute features—the spitting image of a rugged man from the Northwest. Xiao Man’s eyes swept over his face, and she immediately guessed, ’This must be Weiwei’s father.’
’Lu Jianling had said he led a construction team in the Northwest building bridges and roads, and that he wouldn’t be back for another three to five years. Seeing him in a wheelchair, he must have been seriously injured and sent home to recover.’
Sure enough, Lu Jianling whispered from behind Xiao Man, "That’s my brother. He injured his back and legs pretty badly. He only came back after getting most of his treatment over there. They sent him home the day before yesterday. It scared us half to death!"
Yang Liu’er’s face was beet red. She shot Xiao Man a disgruntled look. "What are you talking about? I was changing my clothes in there. And, uh, Brother Lu... his-his clothes got wet, so he had to change too!"
’So the two of them were changing in there... together?’
Yang Liu’er averted her gaze from Xiao Man, her ears turning red. "Weiwei was being mischievous, jumping all around. I was carrying a bowl of medicine, and he bumped into me and knocked it over. It spilled all over me and Brother Lu. It was just... just our jackets, so... so we just quickly changed them!"
Then she shot a fierce glare at Lu Jianling, who was still grinning widely. ’It’s all her fault. With all that commotion, she acted as if she was deaf and blind, unable to see or hear a thing. She just kept bustling in and out, ignoring me no matter how many times I called her!’
’I just thought, since it was only our jackets, I could grab new ones from the wardrobe, slip mine on, help Brother Lu change his, and be done with it. But no, Xiao Man had to show up at that exact moment. I wonder if she believes a word I said.’
Faced with this situation, Xiao Man really didn’t know what to say, so she decided to play dumb and let it pass with an awkward chuckle. Her gaze shifted to meet Lu Jian Country’s, and she smiled to greet him first. "Hello."
Lu Jian Country’s personality seemed to match his appearance—as steadfast as a mountain. He hadn’t made a sound during the entire exchange. When Weiwei ran to his side, he reached out, wrapped an arm around his son, and gestured for him to be quiet. The adults were talking.
When Xiao Man greeted him, Lu Jian Country’s face broke into a smile, his expression becoming much more animated as a warmth filled his eyes. "You must be Tang Manman, right? Hello! I’m Lu Jian Country. Yang Liu’er and Weiwei have mentioned you in their letters. Thank you. Thank you for visiting Weiwei so often and for helping Yang Liu’er."
Xiao Man quickly shook her head. "Oh, not at all. I don’t visit that often; in fact, I haven’t seen them in a long time. It’s just that today is Weiwei’s birthday, and I happened to have the day off—speaking of which, Weiwei, this is your birthday present. Happy birthday!"
As she spoke, Xiao Man pulled a light-blue box from her backpack. It was tied with a red ribbon fashioned into a neat bow. Even though he was a boy, Weiwei loved it. He held the box, admiring the bow for a long moment before reluctantly letting Yang Liu’er untie it. When she lifted the lid, Weiwei jumped with delight. Inside was a silver-gray model airplane—the kind of toy every little boy dreamed of getting.
"Auntie Man, when I grow up, I’m going to be a pilot! I’ll fly way up in the sky, and I’ll take you flying with me!" Weiwei proclaimed cheerfully, holding the little plane high in the air.
Xiao Man smiled. "Okay, okay. I’ll be waiting."
Yang Liu’er was speechless. ’It reminded her of a phrase popular among the young people of her previous life: ’I’ll take you along to act cool and fly high!’’
She leaned in, bringing her face close to Weiwei’s. "Are you only going to take your Auntie Man flying? Not me?"
Weiwei looked at Yang Liu’er, then glanced back at his dad before nodding readily. "I’ll take you! I’ll take you and Dad flying with me!"
Yang Liu’er smiled, pleased. All she wanted was Weiwei’s attention; she didn’t really care who else came along for the flight.