Chapter 572 - 493: Stepmother
Chapter 572: Chapter 493: Stepmother
Xiao Man felt helpless. No good deed goes unpunished, and now she was even getting blackmailed. It seemed she should stop being such a bleeding heart in the future.
On Wednesday night, she took some time off to go home and grab a few things. She saw some tickets for an orchid appreciation event on the living room coffee table. When she asked her grandmother about them, her grandmother laughed and said these kinds of flower shows happened every year. In reality, they were just social gatherings for the upper class and their wives. Their true intentions had little to do with the flowers; not many people were there to genuinely appreciate them. This was especially true for the so-called high-society women, who were all two-faced. Besides being masters of flattery and knowing which way the wind blew, they inevitably spent their time comparing themselves to one another. Some even gossiped about trivial family matters right there at the event. Grandma Tang and Granny Gu had gone twice before but didn’t want to go again this year, finding it all rather dull.
’Since Grandma isn’t going to the flower show, these tickets will just go to waste,’ Xiao Man thought. ’But Yang Liu’er could definitely use them. She’s doing so well in the fashion industry; it wouldn’t hurt for her to socialize more and meet some upper-class ladies.’ So, after a quick word with her grandmother, Xiao Man took two tickets and gave them to Yang Liu’er and Lu Jianling. As expected, Yang Liu’er treated them like priceless treasures, grinning from ear to ear. Xiao Man was happy too, thinking she’d done a good deed. She never expected to get a call the very next day from a completely distraught Yang Liu’er, who claimed she had been so devastated at the orchid show that she’d suffered internal damage. She insisted that Xiao Man had to treat her to a nice meal at Prince Manor Restaurant to help her vent her anger and calm her nerves.
Xiao Man knew Yang Liu’er was just being dramatic and using it as an excuse to eat the imperial cuisine at Prince Manor Restaurant and satisfy her craving. Since she was free that weekend anyway, she granted her wish. They set a time, and she took Yang Liu’er and Weiwei to Prince Manor Restaurant.
They were in the same private room as before, Gu Shaozheng’s. While they waited for the food to be served, Weiwei ran off on his own to fiddle with the small trinkets on the coffee table, leaving Yang Liu’er to tell Xiao Man about what she had encountered at the orchid appreciation show the day before.
She had been furious at the time, but a day had passed, and she wasn’t as worked up anymore.
There were four kinds of dried fruit on the table. Seeing that one of them was pine nuts, which Weiwei loved, Yang Liu’er grabbed a small saucer and began shelling them for him as she spoke to Xiao Man.
"We actually got a lot out of that flower show. I would have been really happy about it, if we hadn’t run into the Bai family."
Xiao Man had a feeling. When it came to people in Beijing who could devastate Yang Liu’er, the Bai family was number one.
As the saying goes, caring too much clouds one’s judgment. Yang Liu’er carried Bai Junfan in her heart like a precious treasure, and anything involving him could make her defensive and hesitant.
As for Yang Liu’er’s previous claim that she was going to make a clean break with Bai Junfan, Xiao Man had just listened without taking it seriously. She couldn’t believe it, not yet. Being fickle is a common human flaw, and besides, Yang Liu’er was head over heels in love with him.
Xiao Man asked with a smile, "Was it that future great-aunt of yours? How did she lecture you this time?"
Yang Liu’er rolled her eyes. "Bai Qingyue? What great-aunt? I’ve told you, it’s impossible. Not in this life, not in the next!"
"Really?" Xiao Man played along, her tone teasing.
"Of course! I, Yang Liu’er, have some backbone and pride! Yesterday, Bai Qingyue humiliated me in front of so many people. She really infuriated me. In a fit of anger, I got hot-headed and made a vicious vow."
"A vicious vow? So that’s why you dragged me here. You know I study Chinese medicine; I know a thing or two about neutralizing poisons."
"Oh, stop it! I’m in no mood for jokes."
"Well, let’s hear it then."
"I told Bai Qingyue: ’Are the men of your Bai family all decked out in gold and jade or something? Does everyone just have to like them? Even if he were Tang Seng’s flesh, I, Yang Liu’er, wouldn’t give a damn!’ That old woman was finally so angry she was speechless for a moment. Bai Yifen, who was next to her, pointed at me and cursed, saying her brother would be back soon and that I’d better not pester him if I had any guts. I shot right back: ’So Bai Junfan is being transferred back? Big deal! Just you watch. I’ll be married before he even sets foot in Beijing again. And if I can’t find someone to marry, then I hope a car runs me over and kills me!’"
"Wow, that really is a vicious vow, and there’s no antidote for that one. You should have at least given yourself some more time! Didn’t Bai Junfan say he’d be back in two months when he left? Almost half that time is already gone. What are you going to do if you can’t find anyone to marry? Really let yourself get killed?"
Yang Liu’er, who had just taken a sip of tea, choked on it when she heard this. "Me, die? It’s not that easy!"
Weiwei overheard them and ran over, hugging Yang Liu’er tightly. "Auntie, you’re not going to die, you can’t die! You promised you’d watch over me and protect me as I grow up!"
Yang Liu’er quickly patted his back. "Silly boy, Auntie has you. How could I bear to die? Even a few lifetimes wouldn’t be enough!"
An idea sparked in Xiao Man’s mind. She patted Weiwei’s head and said with a smile, "Your Aunt Yang made a vow. She has to get married, or she’ll have to die. But where is she going to find a suitable person to marry just like that? If she suddenly says she wants to marry someone, that person wouldn’t dare accept without getting to know her first, right?"
Weiwei’s dark eyes darted back and forth for a moment, and then he suddenly smiled. "What’s so hard about that? Isn’t my dad great? My dad knows Aunt Yang. My dad would definitely dare to marry Aunt Yang!"
The room fell silent for a moment. Yang Liu’er seemed to choke again, covering her mouth with a handkerchief and coughing desperately. Xiao Man laughed without reservation. Weiwei moved closer to Xiao Man, and with an innocent expression but a strangely worldly tone, he said, "Aunt Xiao Man, am I right? This way, my Aunt Yang won’t have to die, and my dad will have a wife."
"Yes, Weiwei, you’re so smart! That’s a great idea!" Xiao Man praised him. "But there’s one thing you didn’t think of: if that happens, you’ll have a stepmom. Aunt Yang is a good auntie, but once she becomes a stepmom and gives you a little brother or sister, she might turn into a wicked one."
Weiwei blinked, looking a bit lost. He turned back to look at Yang Liu’er. "Aunt Yang... a stepmom?"
Yang Liu’er reassured him, "Don’t listen to your Aunt Xiao Man. She’s just talking nonsense."
"What nonsense? Are you saying you’d be a good stepmom to Weiwei?"
"Of course I’d be a good stepmom! I... hey! You... you little brat! What do you mean, stepmom? I’m his real mom!"
Realizing she had fallen into the trap, Yang Liu’er grabbed a few pine nut shells and threw them at Xiao Man. Xiao Man dodged them and said to Weiwei with a laugh, "Your Aunt Yang made a vicious vow and really has to get married within a month. She’s not quite right in the head at the moment. She might just go out and grab a random man off the street to marry... If she doesn’t become your stepmom, she’ll be someone else’s mom!"
Weiwei nodded seriously. "I’ll tell my dad as soon as I get home. I’ll have him marry Aunt Yang right away and become my mom! Don’t you worry, Aunt Xiao Man!"
"Hey, you silly boy, what am I worried about? This has nothing to do with me..."
Yang Liu’er’s face flushed red. She stood up and playfully swatted at Xiao Man, who jumped away with a laugh. "I was just joking with Weiwei! You’re not that petty, are you?"
Weiwei stuffed the pine nuts that Yang Liu’er had shelled for him into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out as he chewed vigorously. ’I’m not joking, though!’ he thought.
Just as they were laughing and fooling around, there were two knocks on the door of the private room. The waiter had arrived with their food.