The Abandoned Daughter's Second Chance

Chapter 573: Chapter 494: Grown Bold

After all that running and jumping, they were famished. Faced with a table of delicious dishes, the three of them ate their fill, completely satisfied.

After dinner, they left the Prince Manor Restaurant to find the streets already aglow with brilliant lights. Yang Liu’er and Xiao Man took Weiwei for a walk, and when they passed a square filled with children playing games, a lively and happy scene, Weiwei couldn’t resist. Despite having something on his mind, he was still just a little boy. After watching him run off to join in the fun, the two women found a place to sit and chat.

Yang Liu’er said, "I saw Wu Xiaowen at the orchid exhibition. She was following Bai Qingyue around like a shadow, acting all chummy. And hearing all that gossip... Ugh, tell me, how can she be so brainless? Even if she’s willing to throw caution to the wind and ignore what people say, she should still be on her guard. That woman, Bai Qingyue, is as cunning as they come. Whenever she acts friendly and flashes a smile at someone, you know she’s plotting something. I just can’t figure out what Wu Xiaowen has that Bai Qingyue would still be interested in."

Xiao Man snorted. "Wu Xiaowen herself probably has nothing for Bai Qingyue to gain, but that adopted daughter of hers does. Oh, right—Uncle Tang changed her name. She’s called Wu Qin now."

"It’s about time he changed it. She doesn’t deserve the name Tang Yaxuan! So what does she have that interests Bai Qingyue?"

"She’s just using Wu Qin’s biological parents from the countryside to stir up trouble. It was a lucky break, that’s all. She won’t be able to pull that off many more times. Don’t worry. Wu Qin is just Wu Xiaowen’s adopted daughter. The Bai family and Bai Junfan would never look twice at her. There’s no way they’d marry her."

Yang Liu’er scoffed. "Like I give a damn who they marry. But you won’t believe this—that Wu Qin has gotten bold. I saw her outside the convention center yesterday, probably there to find Wu Xiaowen. Usually, she’s so scared of me she scampers off like a mouse the second she sees me. But this time, she actually dared to block my path and openly challenge me."

"How did she challenge you?" Xiao Man asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Heh! She said Brother Junfan was hers and told me to stay away from Bai Junfan!"

"What did you say back?"

"If there weren’t reporters around, I would have answered her with a few slaps to the face. If murder wasn’t a crime, I would’ve just finished her off right then and there! But there were just too many people, so I had to swallow my anger and walk around her. She tried to follow me, so in the confusion, I stomped hard on the top of her foot a couple of times. That shut her up."

"You know why she’s so bold now? That time Bai Junfan flew her to G Province, he was actually doing business for the Bai family. He used her biological parents to acquire a batch of herbs. The Bai family must have given her some reward for it. She thinks she’s got skills now, that Bai Junfan needs her, and that the Bai family has her back. That’s why she doesn’t see you as a threat anymore."

Yang Liu’er snorted in disgust. "Big deal!"

At this moment, her heart was like a placid lake, without a single ripple disturbing its surface.

After being hurt hundreds, even thousands of times, a person grows numb. Having seen through it all, she had finally given up completely. She had stitched her broken heart back together, and it had become surprisingly hard. Now, when she thought of Bai Junfan, she might feel anger and hatred, but the adoration and love were gone. There was certainly no more longing or sadness.

The two then chatted about their respective schools before the conversation turned to the recent progress of the Lu and Yang Clothing Company. At this, Yang Liu’er’s eyes immediately lit up, and her face bloomed into a radiant smile. One moment, she was telling Xiao Man how many large orders they had, the next, she was making Xiao Man guess their recent income. Counting on her fingers, she calculated her semi-annual dividend, noting another large sum would come at the end of the year. Then she proposed buying courtyards and houses, saying that in a few years, the properties would appreciate, multiplying their investment several times over. Their company would keep growing, and the money would keep rolling in... Xiao Man was left speechless. ’Someone once called me money-obsessed? This girl right here is the real money-grubber, okay?’

By the time Weiwei had his fill of playing, it was already past nine o’clock. Since they were heading in different directions, they hailed separate taxis. Holding Weiwei’s hand, Yang Liu’er insisted on seeing Xiao Man into her cab first. She told the driver to drive safely and watched until the taxi had merged smoothly into the stream of traffic before she and Weiwei got into their own cab to head home.

When Xiao Man arrived home, Grandpa Tang, Grandma Tang, and Tang Qingyun were all in the living room. The television was on, but the three of them were sitting on the sofa talking instead of watching. When he saw Xiao Man had returned, Tang Qingyun asked if she’d had a good dinner. Grandma Tang beckoned for Xiao Man to come sit beside her, and Grandpa Tang offered her a bright yellow, fragrant piece of fruit.

Xiao Man thought she was seeing things. ’This isn’t the future. How can there be a tangerine this well-preserved in the spring?’

"Grandpa, where did this tangerine come from? It’s so fresh, it looks like it was just picked."

Grandpa Tang smiled. "It practically was. It took a day-long train ride to get to Beijing. They really do stay on the tree, enduring the wind, frost, rain, and snow, growing right up until now. It’s a bit like those pears you mentioned from the southern mountains that last through the winter."

Xiao Man peeled it and tasted a slice. She popped another into Grandma Tang’s mouth, then handed half of the fruit to Grandpa Tang. "It’s so sweet! Grandpa, Grandma, eat!"

Tang Qingyun had already eaten two earlier, but now he couldn’t help but gulp. Watching his parents savoring their pieces, he wanted some too. ’The tangerine from my daughter seems sweeter,’ he thought.

Grandma Tang said with a smile, "Your Aunt Xiao Zhang just brought these tangerines over. Her family has tangerine orchards back in her hometown. It’s a method passed down through generations that allows some of the fruit to remain on the trees without falling off."

"Aunt Xiao Zhang? Is that the one who went with you to Gongdao Village, Grandma? Is she coming back to work?"

Grandma Tang shook her head. "Her husband suffered a serious injury at work, so I gave her leave to go home and care for him. I even had you prepare some herbs for her. Now, I’m in great health and don’t need someone with me all the time. Besides, our household staff is full. We’re planning to arrange a different job for Xiao Zhang, and she has agreed."

"Aunt Xiao Zhang is a good person. I hope you can arrange a job for her that she’ll like."

"Of course. We have a few positions for her to choose from."

Grandma Tang patted Xiao Man’s hand. "Since you weren’t home tonight, your mom, your dad, and Hao Hao all called. Your parents are coming back to Beijing for a visit before May Day."

Xiao Man laughed. "Oh, wonderful! Mrs. Ai wrote last week that she’s gained a few more pounds. I wonder what she looks like now?"

"You silly girl, don’t make fun of adults."

"I’m not, Grandma! What did Hao Hao say? Is he going to call back?"

"Nothing in particular. He just called to check in and tell us how things are over there. He’s pretty busy, but he wants you to call him on Tuesday. He said he’ll be waiting."

"Hmph, that kid! Always making me call him. The long-distance fees are insane! What, is my money not real money?"

Tang Qingyun immediately pulled out his wallet. "Here, honey. I’ll reimburse you."

But Xiao Man didn’t want his money. "Grandpa..."

Grandpa Tang chuckled. "Alright, Grandpa will cover it for you. But I don’t have a penny to my name, so I’ll have to ask your grandma for the money."

Seeing his daughter sticking close to her grandparents without giving him so much as a glance, Tang Qingyun couldn’t help but sigh inwardly once more.