Chapter 582 - 501: Divorce
Chapter 582: Chapter 501: Divorce
Wu Qin got her wish to stay with the Wu Family. Since Yu Xiumin had to look after the children, she roped Wu Qin into doing the chores, making her cook meals and stew fish soup. Wu Qin, for her part, was quick and capable. While working, she seized every opportunity to run to Lin Aizhen and curry favor, putting in a good word for Wu Xiaowen. She repeated what she had told Gu Shaoling, telling Lin Aizhen not to believe Tang Manman. That claim about not having the herbs? A complete lie! She insisted she could get those high-quality herbs herself. Once they were mailed from her hometown in the South, all her grandparents had to do was take them to Tang Manman and have her prepare them according to the prescription.
’Of course, this would put Tang Manman in an awkward position. She’d probably be embarrassed and ashamed, right? But that can’t be helped now. Who told her to lie in the first place? She clearly has the herbs but insists she doesn’t, deceiving the elderly. How unfilial!’
At first, Lin Aizhen was skeptical. But after Wu Qin’s repeated assurances, she became half-convinced. A sense of relief and joy washed over her, and she broke into a smile, praising Wu Qin for being so sensible and capable, just like a loving grandmother would.
But when the couple Wu Xiaoyang and Yang Qianrong returned home with their brood of children, Wu Qin’s happy facade crumbled. Her three female cousins were nothing like Grandma Lin; they weren’t so easily fooled. She was forced to endure a barrage of death glares and sarcastic taunts. In the end, without getting a single bite of dinner, she was sent off to the hospital to deliver a meal and the fish soup to Grandpa Wu.
And she had to accept it all with a smile, pretending to be perfectly happy about it. Wu Qin felt like a lackey from some old movie. ’I hate everyone with the surname Wu,’ she thought bitterly. ’That’s right, every last member of the Wu Family is despicable!’
She remembered Liu Fengying calling Mo Xiaoman ungrateful, and Mo Xiaoman’s retort: "If you hadn’t taken the wrong baby home in the first place, would I have been stuck in your house for eleven years?"
Now, Wu Qin desperately wanted to hurl those same words at the Wu Family and Wu Xiaowen. ’Why do I have to be the one to go through this? Why am I always the one getting hurt, the one suffering? This was all your mistake to begin with—the adults’ mistake!’
Leaving the hospital, Wu Qin clenched her jaw and started running furiously along the side of the street, as if trying to outrun her anger.
’I have to get back to school before self-study starts. I absolutely cannot be late! No matter how much other people try to ruin me, I have to maintain a good image in front of the teachers and my classmates. Without Hao Hao’s tutoring and companionship, I can’t skip grades like Tang Manman. But my academic foundation is strong, and my grades are still excellent compared to my peers. The college entrance exams are right around the corner; I can’t slack off!’
Uncle Tang once said that an ugly duckling will eventually become a beautiful swan. As long as you work hard, you will definitely be rewarded!
’Tang Manman only got into a mediocre medical college. What’s so amazing about that? I, Tang Yaxuan, will get into Beijing University—the top institution of higher learning in all of Huaxia, a prestigious, top-tier university. I’ll learn six or eight foreign languages and become the most powerful, dazzling diplomat, making everyone practically drool when they see me!’
’Once I reach those heights, I’ll be noble and extraordinary. It will be Gu Shaojun’s loss for giving up on me. My dreams have predicted it so many times: I am destined to marry Brother Junfan!’
’He’s from an equally aristocratic and powerful family, just as noble and prominent. With Brother Junfan and me being so outstanding and dazzling, when the time comes for the Tang family to try and take me back, I’ll be sure to mock them a bit, and then I’ll change my name back to Tang Yaxuan!’
’Tang Manman, don’t think you’ve won just because you’re their biological daughter. This is a long game. Just you wait and see who will be the one laughing in the end!’
In the Traditional Chinese Medicine department office at De Ren Hospital, Xiao Man, dressed in a white doctor’s coat, was on the phone with Yang Liu’er when she suddenly sneezed. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief to cover her mouth, glanced at the wall clock, and said to Yang Liu’er, "Let’s leave it at that for now. We need to hang up. Shaojun and I agreed on a time, and if the line is busy when he calls in a minute, he’ll get worried!"
Yang Liu’er knew how difficult it was for Gu Shaojun to make a call from the border, so after one last quick reminder, the two of them hung up.
A moment later, the phone rang. Xiao Man picked up the receiver, and Gu Shaojun’s voice came through, formally calling out, "Comrade Tang Manman." Xiao Man looked at the wall clock and smiled to herself. ’There must be someone with him, probably a superior! He’s really one of a kind, bold enough to call his girlfriend in front of his commanding officer. And he’s so precise, too. He said five-thirty, and he wasn’t a second late.’
The call ended in under ten minutes. They only exchanged ordinary words, but for two people in love, simply hearing the other’s voice was enough to sense the mutual joy and longing in their hearts.
Before leaving work, Xiao Man stopped by the pharmacy to pick up a few boxes of pills for Luo Chunxiang’s condition. She had just learned from Yang Liu’er on the phone that Luo Chunxiang was back in Beijing and would be coming to the hospital for a follow-up appointment the next day. Xiao Man decided to prepare her second course of treatment. She would place the medicine into the Treasure Pearl Space to enrich it overnight, enhancing its efficacy. Tomorrow, when Luo Chunxiang came, she could take it home. Combined with a few sessions with the hospital’s acupuncturist, her illness would be completely cured.
The next morning, a little after ten, Xiao Man had just arrived at De Ren Hospital from the university. As she changed into her work uniform and walked toward the outpatient area, a tall woman stood up from a long bench in the waiting room. It was Luo Chunxiang. She smiled and greeted Xiao Man, her complexion looking much healthier than before. Just as Xiao Man exchanged a few words with her, six or seven men stood up from the bench one by one. A mix of old and young, they were all tall and sturdy, with dark, weathered skin. One of them was built like a black iron tower. They walked up and surrounded Xiao Man and Luo Chunxiang.
Xiao Man glanced around in surprise but could tell they meant no harm. Of course, even if they had been hostile, she wouldn’t have been afraid.
Luo Chunxiang, however, pointed at the men and introduced them to Xiao Man. "These are my older brothers and my nephews. After I returned to my family home, I told them everything about my situation with the Bai Family. My parents said that’s no way for a person to live and that I shouldn’t live like that anymore. So they had my brothers escort me back and help me get a divorce."
Then she turned to the oldest among them. "Big Brother, this is Doctor Tang. She’s young, but her medical skills are incredible. Don’t stand so close, you’ll scare her!"
Luo Chunxiang’s eldest brother looked to be about fifty. He had a dark, ruddy complexion and a solid, muscular build—the kind you get from a lifetime of farm work. He grinned at Xiao Man, his stoic expression melting away into a simple, honest kindness.
"I never expected Doctor Tang to be so young. We’ll just call you Doctor Xiao Tang, is that alright? Doctor Xiao Tang, you’re truly incredible. You cured my sister’s illness. Our whole family thanks you!"
He turned and gestured to the large bundles held by two of the younger men, adding sheepishly, "We’re just country folk, so we don’t have much to offer as thanks. In here are some dried vegetables our womenfolk prepared, along with some dried roe deer meat and other game we hunted in the mountains..."
Xiao Man quickly waved her hands in refusal. "No, no, that’s really not necessary. You’re all too kind."
"Please, Doctor Xiao Tang, just accept it," Luo Chunxiang insisted. "It’s not that much, and it’s for both you and Liu’er. Liu’er said to leave her share with you and that she’d be over in a little while."
When Xiao Man heard this, she stopped protesting. She couldn’t speak for Yang Liu’er, so they would have to wait for her to arrive to decide whether to accept the gift.
After Luo Chunxiang’s follow-up consultation, Xiao Man discussed her recovery and the next steps for her treatment. She then went through the procedure of writing up a prescription for the senior physician to review and sign before getting the medicine for Luo Chunxiang. By then, her next scheduled patient had arrived. Coincidentally, Yang Liu’er also showed up at that moment. After exchanging a few words with Xiao Man, she led Luo Chunxiang and her family of brothers and nephews away.