Chapter 565 - 488: Sentiment
Chapter 565: Chapter 488: Sentiment
After the semester started, Xiao Man split her time between the hospital and the university. She stayed in her school dormitory at night, only going home to stay for one night on the weekends.
If it weren’t for her grandparents’ insistence, she wouldn’t even want to go home on weekends. Her Uncle Tang was there. Perhaps because of his Cultivation and the fact that he was living in the Tang Mansion, he had become very particular about his food and drink. Grandma Tang doted on her youngest son, so of course, all the nourishing pastes, specialty teas, dried fish, cured meats, and preserved fruits that Xiao Man painstakingly prepared for her grandparents were given to Uncle Tang first. He was starting to look younger and younger. On top of that, Grandpa Tang had restored Tang Qingyun’s allowance. With money to spend, he started dressing up, buying only the most expensive clothes and shoes. He was so dashingly handsome he could almost pass for a movie star. When he went out, people thought he was only in his twenties or thirties. But he was acutely aware of his own age and experience, especially the fact that he was a father of two—a point he was all too proud to repeat to everyone outside. At home, however, he would transform into a nagging preacher in front of Xiao Man. Under the guise of doting on and cherishing her, he would lecture and admonish her endlessly. When Xiao Man was in a bad mood, she really wished she could just kick him into next week.
At times like these, she really wished Dad Tang would come back soon. Right now, he was the only one in the Tang family who could keep Tang Qingyun in check. As for Grandpa and Grandma Tang, forget it. ’Such is the heart of a parent; as long as it’s their child, they’ll love and spoil them unconditionally.’ Xiao Man had come to understand this. She could only blame her bad luck for being stuck with such an oddball pair as Tang Qingyun and Wu Xiaowen.
But Tang Qingshan wouldn’t be back in Beijing for at least another three years or so. He was a sharp man. Just from the tone of Xiao Man’s voice on the phone, he could tell his daughter was in a bad mood. After a moment of thought, he decided to discuss it with Grandpa Tang. He wanted to transfer Xiao Man to Liaozhou Medical College so she could be with her parents.
Xiao Man quickly stopped him. Grandma Tang was her own grandmother, but she was also Tang Qingyun’s mother. If she were forced to choose, she might side against Tang Qingyun, but it would surely break her heart. Xiao Man didn’t want to make her grandmother sad.
’I should just forget it and endure it for a while.’ Grandma Tang was also busy looking for a new wife for her second son. Given Tang Qingyun’s looks, young women were flocking to him. She figured he would soon be too preoccupied to bother her.
It was the weekend again. Xiao Man knew Tang Qingyun would be coming to pick her up by car and didn’t want him to find her, so she got a ride with Sun Yiming. As they reached the main gate, she saw him, just as she’d expected. There was Tang Qingyun and the black sedan he always drove, but he had been stopped to the side. The only ones bold enough to block a car with that kind of license plate were Wu Xiaowen and Lin Aizhen.
Sun Yiming’s car carefully drove past them. Xiao Man didn’t even spare them a second glance. Lin Aizhen was blocking the front of the car while Wu Xiaowen had a grip on the door handle. There was no way Tang Qingyun could avoid getting out.
’Who knows how long those three are going to make a scene at the university gate. There’s bound to be a crowd. I just hope they don’t say they’re here for Tang Manman.’
Xiao Man was frustrated. ’I haven’t been in university for very long, and they’ve already made me famous—for all the wrong, embarrassing reasons.’
Sun Yiming offered to take Xiao Man to dinner, but she declined. "Maybe another day. My mood is ruined today."
Sun Yiming smiled at Xiao Man. "My father said that if you don’t come to the company to sign the papers soon, he’ll come to the hospital to find you himself one of these days."
"Please don’t," Xiao Man said. "I can’t accept a reward I haven’t earned. Besides, I’m not part of the Sun family. How could I take shares in the Sun Group? Please thank Uncle Sun for his kind intentions, but I don’t want to be resented or called greedy."
"You can’t say that, Manman. You know in your heart that you’re the greatest benefactor to the current Sun Group. It’s widely rumored that you are Imperial Doctor Sun’s last disciple, and the Sun Group believes so too. Otherwise, why would my great-grandfather have placed the symbol of the Sun family’s lifeline in your hands? This is a token of our entire family’s gratitude. It was also unanimously approved by the Sun Group’s senior management after much discussion. It’s not much, just ten percent of the shares. You deserve to have it."
’Ten percent. In the future, what would that be worth to the Sun Group? A massive, massive fortune. Even a direct descendant of the Sun family might not own that much.’
Xiao Man shook her head. "I don’t want it. All I did was follow Elder Sun’s last wishes, and I’ve already been compensated. I’ve read the Sun’s Medical Books, Elder Sun allowed me to use the secret recipes inside, I’ve used the Sun’s Golden Needle and silver needle, and I’ve even forged my own gold and silver needles based on them. I gained the title of the Imperial Physician’s disciple because of it... That’s more than enough."
Sun Yiming chuckled softly, his gaze sweeping over her with gentle indulgence. ’What an adorable girl. So pure, as if she were an ethereal being not of this world.’
’He was born into a large, complex family. Even growing up overseas, he could feel the crushing pressure of the fight for personal gain. The harm inflicted by one’s own clan, one’s own blood, was all the more suffocating and despairing. Sun Yiming was willing to believe there were people in the world who cared nothing for fame or fortune, and Mo Xiaoman was the most genuine one he had ever seen. No wonder his great-grandfather had that idea, telling Shaoyao to urge his father to propose a marriage to the Mo family as soon as possible... What a pity. Gu Shaojun had been one step ahead!’
Sun Yiming sighed inwardly and continued, "My father made a special trip to Liaozhou to discuss this with your father. Xiao Man, whether you accept it or not, this is something my father is determined to give you. It’s his way of repaying you. You have to understand, the full complexity of the Sun family is beyond what you can imagine. When you were safeguarding the Sun’s Medical Books and secret recipes, it was as dangerous as carrying a bomb. The slightest misstep could have led to disaster! If you hadn’t followed my great-grandfather’s last wishes, control of the Sun Group would never have fallen into our branch’s hands. We are the direct line of descent, and by rights, the direct line should hold power. But if we hadn’t secured control, you can imagine what the fate of our branch would have been! So you’re our savior. You saved our immediate family and the lives of others in the direct line. You are our greatest benefactor. When my father said this before, I thought he was exaggerating a bit, but from the time I returned to the country until now, I no longer think so. Xiao Man, it’s true. The Sun family has had many ’accidents’ recently, over a dozen of them, big and small. We can’t speak about them publicly, but it’s enough to fill a long thriller movie, and perhaps even more terrifying! You had the foresight to turn the Buddha Beads my great-grandfather treasured into Amulets for us to carry, and they all worked. My little sister thought the beads were old-fashioned and didn’t wear hers, and as a result... Luckily, her car just overturned within the city, and her life wasn’t in danger. But the pain she’s in is immense, and now it’s too late for regrets."
"That’s just..."
"Xiao Man, I stopped thinking of you as an outsider a long time ago. Please, don’t distance yourself from us, okay?"
Xiao Man was speechless. She didn’t know what to say.
’The Sun family has been chasing me about these shares for a long time now. If I keep refusing, I’ll just seem pretentious. It might be better to just accept them. When the time is right, I can propose a few projects in cosmetics and health supplements. I can borrow Imperial Doctor Sun’s name, and we can all make money together.’
"I’ll call my dad and talk it over with him again. We’ll see what to do," Xiao Man finally relented.
"Great, it’s a deal then! I’ll tell my father as soon as I get back. It’ll save him from constantly sighing about this unfinished business."
Sun Yiming was delighted. He drove Xiao Man to the Tang Mansion, where Grandma Tang invited him to stay for dinner. After the meal, he drank some fragrant tea personally brewed by Xiao Man and played two games of Go with Grandpa Tang before leaving for home in high spirits.