Chapter 156: Chapter 146: Result
"Silly child, Mom and Dad have worked so hard to raise you for over ten years. It hasnât been easy, has it? In our hearts, youâre the most precious treasure, just like Hao Hao. We could never let you go! Our family of four will always love each other and never be separated, you understand?"
Wu Xiaowen held Tang Yaxuan in her arms, patting her comfortingly. As Tang Yaxuanâs sobs subsided and she grew calm, Wu Xiaowen sighed, her brow creased with worry. "Your father... heâs rarely stubborn, but once he gets an idea in his head, heâll just go and do it without a word, completely ignoring what anyone else thinks! I was wondering why he seemed so agitated these past few days. He actually went to that place. Itâs not like heâs never seen a poor village before, so whatâs the big deal? And he wants me to turn every single middle school in the provincial city upside down? That much work, all that running aroundâitâll be the death of me! I refuse to believe that girl will actually come to the provincial city for school. Your father must have been fooled!"
Tang Yaxuan wiped away her tears, her eyes darting thoughtfully. "Mom, didnât we send living expenses? She should have enough money to come to the provincial city for school."
"We did try to send a little extra for living expenses. If she used all that money on herself, sheâd have no problem eating and dressing well in the countryside. She could even get by in Wancheng. But it would be hard to live in the provincial city... Besides, with her face the way it is and that awful personalityâshe has violent tendenciesâI doubt she could even get into a regular middle school. And heâs talking about the best school in the provincial city? Is that even possible? I have no idea what your father is thinking!"
Tang Yaxuan flinched and pressed closer to Wu Xiaowen. "Mom, what does âviolent tendenciesâ mean?"
Wu Xiaowen paused for a moment before sighing. "Thatâs what Liu Fengying said. Because of her appearance, people often make fun of her. Over time, she developed some psychological issues. If anyone so much as glances at her, sheâll chase them down and start hitting them..."
"What? If we bring her here, what about Hao Hao and me? Weâll all be living together. We canât just not look at her. Will she hit us? Mom, Iâm scared!"
"Donât be afraid, sweetheart. Mommyâs here. I wonât let you or Hao Hao be mistreated or bullied! Come on, get back to sleep. You have to get up early for school tomorrow, and you canât let this affect your studies!"
Wu Xiaowen patted and soothed Tang Yaxuan until she fell asleep, then gently covered her with a light blanket. She got out of bed and walked onto the balcony for some fresh air. She needed to clear her head and think things through properly.
âIâve been on guard this whole time, and the one moment I let my guard down, this happens!â Wu Xiaowen couldnât help but feel a flicker of resentment toward her husband, Tang Qingyun. âWhy canât he understand all my hard work? Why wonât he consider my position as his wife?â
âIâm a mother, not a heartless monster. How could I not pity my own flesh and blood? But I have to consider the circumstances. First, Tang Qingyunâs career. At this critical juncture, there canât be any gossip. What would people think, what would they say, if a âmonsterâ who also calls Tang Qingyun âDadâ suddenly appeared in our perfect, happy little family? Second, Xuanxuan and Hao Hao. My two darlings absolutely cannot be harmed! And finally, thereâs Old Mrs. Tang. Sheâs never liked me, but her health is failing. The doctors say she has one or two years left at most. Even if the Tang family doesnât care about me, their daughter-in-law, their grandchildren are their lifeblood. Theyâre bound to rush Tang Qingyunâs promotion. The children and I might even have to move back to Beijing ahead of him, just so Old Mrs. Tang can enjoy a few days of happiness surrounded by her children and grandchildren before she passes. At a time like this, I absolutely cannot let her find any fault with me!â
âNo matter what, I have to keep this business with Mo Xiaoman under wraps. Once Old Mrs. Tang passes away, Iâll be the matriarch of the Tang family. Then, I can make proper arrangements. Iâll let Tang Qingyun do as he pleases. He can dote on her, compensate her, whatever he wants. After all, sheâs the child I gave birth to. After enduring poverty and hardship in the countryside for more than a decade, she deserves to enjoy life a little!â
Her mind made up, Wu Xiaowen tiptoed past the bedroom to the living room, sat on the sofa, and picked up the phoneâs receiver. Slowly and deliberately, she dialed a number.
Wu Xiaowen hadnât closed the bedroom door behind her. On the bed, Tang Yaxuan quickly sat up, straining to listen. She crawled to the head of the bed and, cautiously yet with practiced ease, picked up the extension receiver and held it to her ear... Gradually, her furrowed brow smoothed out, and a relaxed, triumphant smile spread across her plump, rosy face.
After the holidays, Tang Qingyun, as a local official, was so busy he could barely remember his own name. There were endless documents to read, endless reports to listen to, one endless meeting after another, and a constant stream of receptions for people from all walks of life... A week flew by in the blink of an eye. It was only on Sunday night, just before bed, that he suddenly remembered: there was something important he still hadnât had time to follow up on!
But a glance at his watch showed it was already midnight. He couldnât bear to wake his wife. âShe has it hard enough, raising two children on her own and working, and I dumped that task on her, too. Never mind, Iâll just call her tomorrow.â
But he put it off, and many more days passed. It wasnât until early November that Tang Qingyun finally got an opportunity to go to the provincial city for a meeting and stop by home. However, over the Mo Xiaoman incident, the couple had their first-ever major fight. Although it was just a small argument, the damage it did to the family was immense. Wu Xiaowen cried all night while the two children huddled around her, silent with fear. Tang Qingyun sat in the living room and smoked two straight packs of cigarettes. In the end, he had to swallow his pride, admit he had been too hasty, and comfort his wife and kids.
Wu Xiaowen worked in the education system herself, so looking for a student among the various middle schools wasnât difficult. The problem was, she didnât want to arouse any suspicion, which required some finesse and effort. She did indeed run around a bit, but she didnât actually search every middle school in the provincial city as Tang Qingyun had asked. Since he had mentioned the "best" schools, she limited her search to only a few of the top-tier ones.
In the end, she came up empty-handed, just as sheâd known she would.
Wu Xiaowen simply didnât believe Tang Qingyun when he told her how amazing the girlâs grades wereâgood enough to get directly into a provincial-level middle school. It wasnât that she didnât believe her husband; she was just certain heâd been duped, completely taken in by a few words from his subordinates. âA village elementary school? Even if her grades were off-the-charts amazing, thereâs absolutely no way she could get into a provincial-level middle school!â
âSince Tang Qingyun made the first move, running off to the countryside without consulting me or giving any warning, then I donât need to waste words. Iâll just take care of things first and explain later!â Instead of calling Tang Qingyun to explain, she welcomed her younger brother, Wu Xiaofeng.
She told Wu Xiaofeng about the switched-at-birth incident and asked him to go to Gongdao Village in Ping County, find Liu Fengying, and take the girl. He was to bring her back to the province where he lived, get her settled, and provide for her properly.
Only after the dust had settled did she let Tang Qingyun know.
Tang Qingyun had his heart set on seeing the girl and having a talk with her, but she was taken away before he could even get a glimpse of her. How could he not be furious?
Wu Xiaowen said to Tang Qingyun, "Thereâs no mistake, sheâs our daughter. Even Xiao Feng could see the resemblance. You donât need to worry. Xiao Feng is married, and his wife is very attentive. Theyâll take good care of her."