Chapter 566 - 489: Renaming
Chapter 566: Chapter 489: Renaming
Tang Qingyun didn’t get home until ten o’clock at night. Xiao Man and her grandparents had just finished a call with Tang Qingshan and Ai Wenli in Liaozhou. The three of them were having a lively chat on the sofa when they heard a car pull into the courtyard. A moment later, a weary-looking Tang Qingyun walked in, calling out, "Dad, Mom, I’m back."
He took off his coat, hung it up, and walked over to the sofa. Sitting down beside Xiao Man, he rested a hand on her shoulder and sighed with a smile. "Our Manman is back, too. Did you eat dinner with Grandpa and Grandma?"
Xiao Man stood up, dodging his touch. "Second Uncle, you just came in from outside. You should at least wash your hands and face. That’s not very hygienic."
"Oh, Manman’s right. I just came from the hospital, so I should definitely wash up first. I’ll go do that now!"
Grandpa Tang chided, "A grown man like you still needs Manman to remind you of things. How did you manage all these years?"
Grandma Tang added with a pout, "And what’s this about being at the hospital? Didn’t we call you before you left? We told you Manman wasn’t there and that you should go pick her up from school. Then you just vanished, only to show up now. What have you been up to?"
Tang Qingyun had already walked a few steps away, but he turned back. "Let me wash up, and I’ll explain. Mom, I haven’t even had dinner yet."
"You... honestly!" Grandma Tang said with a helpless sigh. She got up and headed to the kitchen to get him some food, muttering, "He just doesn’t know how to take care of himself. It’s nearly midnight, and he still hasn’t eaten dinner. No wonder he used to have so many stomach issues. Thank goodness Manman is studying medicine and nursed him back to health."
When Tang Qingyun came out after washing up, Grandma Tang had already placed a meal on the coffee table: three side dishes, a bowl of fish soup, and a bowl of rice. It had been kept warm in the steamer just for him. There was no point in him eating alone in the dining room, and besides, Grandma Tang was eager for him to finish so she could question him.
As he once again savored his favorite, delicious silverfish soup and the wonderful dishes Xiao Man had cooked herself, Tang Qingyun’s eyes narrowed in contentment. Unwilling to finish too quickly, he ate slowly, chewing every bite. At the same time, he began to explain to Grandma Tang why he’d gone to the hospital. She listened quietly at first, but her anger soon flared. After letting out a few curses, she couldn’t resist giving Tang Qingyun a couple of hard smacks on the back.
Grandpa Tang and Xiao Man were sitting across from each other at a chessboard, one patiently teaching while the other diligently learned. They heard the commotion between the mother and son but couldn’t be bothered to pay it any mind.
It wasn’t anything new, especially since it involved Wu Xiaowen and the Wu Family.
Tang Qingyun said, "...A batch of ancient documents was just unearthed—all bundles of bamboo slips. Mr. Wu was invited to appraise them. He must have gotten overly excited about how precious they were because he wouldn’t let the workers touch them and insisted on moving them himself. The ground was uneven, so he slipped and fractured his lower leg. He’s already at the hospital for treatment and is otherwise fine, but Wu Xiaowen and her mother were dead set on dragging Manman over to take care of him. Of course, I blocked them from finding her. Manman’s not an orthopedic surgeon, she’s busy with her studies, and she barely gets to come home as it is. Why should she get involved? That’s what started the argument. In the end, I drove the mother and daughter back to the hospital, said a few words to Mr. Wu, and then arranged for a private suite with the hospital director to smooth things over. That was the end of it."
Grandma Tang fumed, "There are countless doctors in Beijing, yet he comes looking for Manman for every little ailment. Is my Manman supposed to be his family’s private physician? It’s infuriating!"
"Mom, uh... Manman’s maternal grandmother... they said that since Manman is his granddaughter and is studying medicine, they’d feel more comfortable having family look after him."
"Do they really treat Manman like their granddaughter? From where I’m standing, it looks more like they’re press-ganging a laborer, just snatching her up whenever they feel like it!"
"How absurd!" Grandpa Tang finally lost his patience. He turned to Tang Qingyun and said, "My granddaughter is studying to be a doctor, and she may well become one someday. But that doesn’t mean she’s obligated to treat people whenever and wherever they demand. Doctors are human, not gods! She needs to eat, rest, and have her own personal time! You did the right thing. We are done with the Wu Family. If it happens again, you don’t even need to acknowledge them."
"I understand, Dad," Tang Qingyun replied, then turned to Xiao Man. "Manman, your maternal grandfather..."
Xiao Man cut him off. "You’re mistaken. Mrs. Ai said she still hasn’t confirmed who my maternal grandfather is, so as of right now, I don’t have one!"
Tang Qingyun paused. "Alright, well... Mr. Wu, then. I promised to pass on a message from him. He wanted to know if you could give him some more of that medicine you had Hao Hao deliver last time. He can pay for it."
Xiao Man shook her head. "I had Hao Hao tell them last time that it was the final batch. Besides, the amount I prepared should have lasted them until June. If they finished that medicine and took proper care of themselves, I could guarantee them ten years of good health. Any time beyond that would be a bonus. It’s only early March—how could they be out of medicine already? Did they give it away? Is the medicine I make so cheap in their eyes? In that case, they can try buying it somewhere else. I said there was no more, and there will be no more."