Chapter 736: The Surprise
Chapter 736 -635: The Surprise
When Gu Shaoling was “dismissed,” she avoided everyone and returned directly to her room by another path. Xiao Man glanced at her from a distance and saw her red, swollen eyes and tear-streaked face. She found it strange. ‘Gu Shaoling didn’t run off to tattle to Granny Gu, Tian Xueqin, or Gu Qiyuan? That’s rare.’
Tattling was Gu Shaoling’s specialty. In the past, it didn’t matter if it was Gu Shaozheng, Zheng Shaolian, or one of the others who unintentionally provoked her—even if Xiao Man simply went against her wishes, she would never pass up a chance to go and complain. But this time, after a harsh whipping with a tree branch from Gu Shaofeng, she didn’t make a peep.
‘Is this how she treats her own brother? Or maybe Gu Shaofeng really does understand his little sister, and his “violent suppression” was a powerful enough deterrent.’
Gu Shaoling remained listless and silent during dinner. Afterward, she sat alone on the sofa watching TV instead of clinging to Tian Xueqin’s side like she usually did. Granny Gu was always talking with Grandma Tang and had no time for her. She wanted to play with Shaoying, but the little girl only hovered around Xiao Man and Wu Xiangyun. Gu Shaofeng, Shaozheng, and Shaolian were also sitting with them, gathered in a circle and teasing Tang Haobo and Tang Haofang, their group occasionally erupting in cheerful laughter.
Having been disciplined by her own brother and scolded by her third brother, Gu Shaoling didn’t dare approach their group. She recalled how her brothers used to dote on her, treating her like the center of their world. Now, the moment they stopped spoiling her, they had truly cast her aside without a second glance. Tears welled up in her eyes; she felt utterly wronged.
Tian Xueqin didn’t help in the kitchen. After dinner, she took over for Zhou Hui Lan, arranging and serving tea and fruit to put on a good show for the elders. Consequently, she had no time for her daughter and didn’t notice her low spirits. Jiang Yuyan, however, happened to see Shaoling secretly wiping away tears and was inwardly astonished. ‘Something isn’t right here. The arrogant, willful Miss Gu is usually the one bullying others. Why has she suddenly become the victim?’
After a moment’s thought, Jiang Yuyan walked over to Xiao Man’s group. “Who upset Shaoling?” she asked casually. “You’d better go coax her. If she makes a scene, the old lady will start scolding everyone.”
Several of them glanced over at Gu Shaoling. Gu Shaofeng said, “Shaoling was being disrespectful, so I taught her a lesson. Let her reflect on it by herself. Don’t worry about it.”
Gu Shaozheng was astonished. “She cried? Without tattling or making a fuss? Wow, that’s really not like Shaoling! Don’t worry, Third Aunt. I have a way to cheer her up later.”
Zheng Shaolian added, “We’ll just bring her presents over in a bit. A trendy new dress and handbag from overseas, her favorite brand of perfume… She’ll cheer right up. It’s no big deal.”
Jiang Yuyan just smiled and walked away. She had intended to remind Xiao Man and Wu Xiangyun that as the wives of Shaoling’s brothers, they should go keep their sister-in-law company. But Xiao Man wasn’t in the mood, and Wu Xiangyun was even less inclined to do so.
Jiang Yuyan sighed to herself. ‘Who can you even blame? Shaoling has offended them so thoroughly from the very beginning that they’ve grown completely cold to her. In the future, their relationship as sisters-in-law will likely be in name only. And this is all Tian Xueqin’s fault. How is this helping her children? She’s practically making enemies for them.’
The following afternoon, Tang Haocheng and Gu Shaoqin arrived by plane, bringing with them many local specialties and fresh produce prepared by Grandpa and Grandma. The two of them had also remembered to bring back a few fun little trinkets from the countryside for their younger siblings. The little kids were delighted and had a great time playing with them.
On Xiao Man’s birthday, in addition to the Gu family and a few relatives from Grandma Hao’s side, Pang Xiaoji and seven or eight other friends they usually hung out with showed up uninvited. They came partly to wish Xiao Man a happy birthday and partly to see Tang Haocheng. Two of Tang Qingshan’s good friends also came to visit; they weren’t there specifically for the birthday but were dropping by after a long time and just happened to arrive then. Soon after, brothers Sun Yiming and Sun Yinong, as well as Jun Rui, arrived one by one with gifts in hand. The small family dinner had unintentionally grown into a much larger party.
There were also several birthday gifts that arrived by mail. One came from overseas, sent by that diplomat with the surname Pang. He was Tang Qingshan’s childhood friend, whom Xiao Man had met once when she first arrived in Beijing. Back then, he had playfully tried to steal Xiao Man from Tang Qingshan to make her his own daughter. While Tang Qingshan and Hao Wenli were getting together, he had quietly gotten married himself before taking a post abroad. Every year since, he had mailed Xiao Man presents for the New Year and her birthday.
The house was bustling with friends and family, and Xiao Man was quite happy. Deep down, however, a thread of anxiety remained: the person who had promised to return and give her a surprise was still nowhere to be seen.
Time waits for no one, and the dinner party was about to begin. Just as she thought her hopeful anticipation was doomed to disappointment, Gu Shaojun finally appeared.
Xiao Man was the first to run out and greet him. Everyone else tactfully stayed behind, not following right away. Only the little kids, who didn’t understand the situation, saw their “big sister” run off and tried to run after her. When they were held back, they started to fuss and wail, drawing a ripple of laughter from the living room.
Gu Shaojun stood by the car, tall and imposing in his military uniform. A joyful smile lit up his handsome face as he opened his arms, waiting for Xiao Man to jump into his embrace. He held her tight, but she just burrowed into his arms, refusing to let go and nuzzling her head against his chest. She couldn’t quite believe he was really back.
Gu Shaojun chuckled in her ear. “A few little ones have run out, and the adults are following close behind because they’re worried. If we stay like this… well, I certainly don’t mind!”
Xiao Man hurriedly pulled away from him and looked back. Sure enough, the three little ones were making their way down the steps. “Sister” Shaoying was taking good care of the boys, holding onto them one by one while yelling, “Slow down, slow down, don’t fall!” Behind them, the adults from both families were emerging.
Gu Shaojun stepped forward, saluted, and offered his greetings. Grandpa Tang smiled and said, “It’s good you’re back. We were all waiting for you.”
Grandpa Gu chided him good-naturedly, “You brat, couldn’t you have traveled a little faster? It’s Manman’s birthday today, and the poor girl has been waiting anxiously. I, this old man, vouched for you, and you almost made me break my promise! Hmph!”
Tang Qingshan nodded at Gu Shaojun. “You’ve worked hard. You’re back at the perfect time. I just overheard that Pang girl and her friends making plans with Manman to book a private movie screening and go disco dancing after dinner. Young people these days… they really know how to have fun.”
A flicker of understanding crossed Gu Shaojun’s eyes. He caught the undercurrent in those words. His future father-in-law was rebuking him for not prioritizing Manman, and implicitly warning him: Manman’s birthday could be perfectly happy and lively, even without him!
Gu Shaojun turned to look at Xiao Man, a pang of guilt in his heart. Still, he felt that compared to the future they would have, this little delay had been well worth it. He smiled and said, “It is my fault. I’m sorry for letting you down today, Manman, and for disappointing everyone. I’ll do better in the future, I promise. Yes… today is a happy occasion. If you want to go out, then let’s go. I’ll take you all after dinner. What do you say, Manman?”
Xiao Man was confused. ‘When did my dad hear Pang Xiaoji and me talking about going to a movie or a disco? I don’t think I mentioned anything like that at all.’
When she heard Gu Shaojun offer to take her out, she was instantly overjoyed and said, “Yes, yes!” over and over. She then ran over to shake Tang Qingshan’s arm, begging him to let her stay out late and asking him to be the one to explain it to her grandparents.
Tang Qingshan: “…”
‘Is my daughter trying to kill me with anger?’
‘My future son-in-law shamelessly insisted on an early engagement, and now that he has it, he’s already slacking off on my daughter’s birthday? Unacceptable! I did my best to knock him down a peg, to make him wake up and realize—you’re not married yet, things can still change, so don’t you dare get complacent!’
‘But not only did my daughter fail to back me up, she ran straight to her future husband’s side without a second thought! And the excuse I pulled out of thin air ended up giving him the perfect opportunity to whisk her away!’
He couldn’t help but sigh with sorrow once more. ‘A daughter’s loyalties always lie elsewhere. Once she’s grown, you can’t keep her home!’