Chapter 715 - 618: Words Left Unsaid
Chapter 715: Chapter 618: Words Left Unsaid
They spent over four joyous hours playing in the mountains. By the time they were ready to leave, the couple from the peach grove still hadn’t shown themselves again. They remained quietly in their own little world, and naturally, no one brought them up, pretending to have forgotten their existence entirely.
Xiao Man sighed to herself. ’Some things are just destined to happen; there’s no stopping them.’ In her previous life, Mr. Wei had cheated because he found Mrs. Wei old and unattractive. But in this life, Xiao Man had given Mrs. Wei a special tonic to preserve her youth and health. When Mrs. Wei returned to Beijing for the engagement party last July, she was the picture of elegance and dignity with her fair skin, black hair, and rosy complexion, looking absolutely radiant. Compared to that woman from earlier...
’Alright, maybe Mrs. Wei had overdone it with the tonics after her appetite improved. She was a little plump, her waist a bit thick, while the other woman was all willowy grace—delicate, fragile, and clinging. But that woman’s makeup was a mess, revealing fine crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes, and the skin on her neck and arms wasn’t as firm or radiant as Mrs. Wei’s. If you were to pit them against each other, it was a classic case of voluptuous versus slender beauty, each with her own charms. It probably just meant Mr. Wei’s aesthetic sense was more aligned with a certain Han emperor than Emperor Ming of Tang. Or maybe he didn’t care about looks and was just hopelessly devoted, truly in love with his old flame?’
This was all just Xiao Man’s bored, gossipy speculation. In reality, she didn’t buy for a second that Mr. Wei didn’t care about looks. It was classic scumbag behavior: the forbidden fruit always seems sweetest. He convinced himself it was true love, willing to abandon his wife and child, betray his family, and carry on a sordid affair. A textbook scumbag.
And to think he still put on such a magnanimous and cheerful act. Xiao Man wondered what Mr. Wei would think if he knew the group outside had already seen right through him.
In the previous life, it was in 1985 that Mrs. Wei’s husband told her he loved someone else and demanded a divorce. Now, Mr. Wei had been caught by so many people yet remained so brazen and unabashed. It meant he had been carrying on with his first love for a long time and was probably already prepared for a divorce. Mrs. Wei, however, would be caught completely off guard, defenseless. She would be heartbroken, despairing, and utterly disillusioned. During the divorce, she had no control and let Mr. Wei decide everything. In that life, Mr. Wei had given Wei Ma a sum of money, supposedly enough to last a lifetime. But after the divorce, Wei Ma was so disheartened she became a shell of her former self. She didn’t care about food or clothing, so how much could she have possibly spent?
The divorce had been partly due to coercion and partly a fit of pique, all without consulting the two elders. Old Mrs. Wei was Mrs. Wei’s biological aunt and would have supported her unconditionally—after all, she had literally been angered to death when she found out. Thus, Mrs. Wei had suffered a major loss in both the divorce and the division of assets.
’Now, in this new life, I can’t let things go according to Mr. Wei’s wishes again. He’s the one who betrayed his marriage and family; he’s the party at fault. He should be the one forced out with nothing.’
Xiao Man was just wondering how to warn Mrs. Wei when, as luck would have it, she received a call from her two days later. Mrs. Wei said she was preparing to return to Beijing and wanted to bring Xiao Man some specialty fruits and snacks from Qing City. She asked what Xiao Man’s favorites were so she could bring more.
Xiao Man found it strange. Mr. Wei was in Beijing, so why was Mrs. Wei staying behind in Qing City alone, only returning after the holiday? She couldn’t help but ask:
"Auntie, didn’t you get time off for the May Day holiday? Or does your office have a rotating schedule? How come you can only return to Beijing after everyone else has gone back to work?"
Mrs. Wei’s cheerful, hearty laugh came through the phone. "My job is actually quite relaxed. I get all the holidays, no rotating shifts. It’s just... oh, it’s all your Uncle Wei’s doing. He quit his government job first to focus on managing his own company, and now he wants me to quit too. I thought about it, and he has a point. The elders are getting on in years, and one of us really should be with them all the time. The husband works to support the family, the wife manages the household. It’s only natural that I should be the one to take care of the elders and handle things at home, so he doesn’t have to worry about anything. So, I’m just finishing up the paperwork and then I’ll be moving to Beijing for good. You’ll have to come visit often! I’ll cook all your favorites! As for your Uncle Wei, he has to travel between both cities. The company in Qing City is well-established, and he’s setting up the head office in Beijing. He went to Beijing last month and has been there for a while, juggling looking after the elders and handling business. It’s been so tough on him! Just yesterday he was rushing me to come back, and now he has to come back to Qing City himself... Sigh, and with Zhen Ting away from home all year... our little family has so much trouble just being together! But your Uncle Wei says things will get better. I believe him. I’m sure things will only get better and better from now on!"
Xiao Man fell silent, unable to bring herself to say what she’d planned. ’It’s better to wait until we meet in person,’ she decided.
Fortunately, she got a call from Gu Shaojun right after, and she told him what was happening. Gu Shaojun told Xiao Man not to worry, that he would tell Wei Zhenling and it would be best to let him handle it himself.
Gu Shaojun also shared a bit of exciting news. "Sweetheart, I’m going to disappear for a little while again, so no calls. Be good and wait for me, okay? I have a big surprise for you!"
Xiao Man tried to ask what it was, but the line was already dead. All she could do was stomp her foot in frustration.
That weekend, Xiao Man received two large packages from Mrs. Wei in Qing City. Inside were the local specialties and snacks she had promised, along with a letter. In it, Mrs. Wei explained that something unexpected had come up and needed to be handled, so it might be a while longer before she could return to Beijing. ’Wei Zhenling must have told her,’ Xiao Man figured. ’If he can get someone to investigate and gather evidence, take leave from the military to be with his mother, and get this whole thing cleared up decisively, then even though Mrs. Wei will be heartbroken, she’ll have her son to rely on. It won’t be as bad.’
Before she knew it, it was June. True to his word, there were no calls from Gu Shaojun, much to Xiao Man’s frustration. Tang Haocheng, on the other hand, was full of enthusiasm. His weekly overseas call had turned into a call every two or three days just to make his presence felt. The guy was the type to fight relentlessly for any goal he set, never stopping until he succeeded. He had actually finished a very important research project ahead of schedule, achieving remarkable results. And so, he was returning to China! Even though he could only stay for a little over a month, it was more than enough to get him excited.
He had originally intended to come back for his sister’s engagement ceremony, but his wily future brother-in-law had somehow pushed it through a year early. Tang Haocheng was very displeased and had a mountain of complaints about Gu Shaojun.
Luckily, aside from missing his family, there was something else to look forward to: the twins at home. He had heard their voices on the phone countless times but had insisted they not send any photos, wanting to meet them in person. They had agreed long ago that the twins would be their, the siblings’, "playthings." Xiao Man had generously let him have the first pick. Once he chose his charge, the one left over would be Xiao Man’s.
The two adorable kids were at that fun, playful age—an age that would last for three to five years at most. After turning five, boys became little terrors. By then, Xiao Man and her brother would likely be running for cover. Tang Haofang was especially noisy and mischievous. Xiao Man had already secretly coached Tang Haobo, hoping Little Bo would cooperate with her to make sure Tang Haocheng picked Tang Haofang... then everyone would be happy.