Chapter 156: Chapter 146: Result

"Silly child, Mom and Dad have worked so hard to raise you for over ten years. It hasn’t been easy, has it? In our hearts, you’re 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 Yaxuan’s sobs subsided and she grew calm, Wu Xiaowen sighed, her brow creased with worry. "Your father... he’s rarely stubborn, but once he gets an idea in his head, he’ll 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. It’s not like he’s never seen a poor village before, so what’s 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 around—it’ll 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, didn’t 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, she’d 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 personality—she has violent tendencies—I doubt she could even get into a regular middle school. And he’s 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 ’violent tendencies’ mean?"

Wu Xiaowen paused for a moment before sighing. "That’s 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, she’ll chase them down and start hitting them..."

"What? If we bring her here, what about Hao Hao and me? We’ll all be living together. We can’t just not look at her. Will she hit us? Mom, I’m scared!"

"Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. Mommy’s here. I won’t 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 can’t 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.

’I’ve been on guard this whole time, and the one moment I let my guard down, this happens!’ Wu Xiaowen couldn’t help but feel a flicker of resentment toward her husband, Tang Qingyun. ’Why can’t he understand all my hard work? Why won’t he consider my position as his wife?’

’I’m 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 Qingyun’s career. At this critical juncture, there can’t be any gossip. What would people think, what would they say, if a ’monster’ who also calls Tang Qingyun ’Dad’ suddenly appeared in our perfect, happy little family? Second, Xuanxuan and Hao Hao. My two darlings absolutely cannot be harmed! And finally, there’s Old Mrs. Tang. She’s 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 doesn’t care about me, their daughter-in-law, their grandchildren are their lifeblood. They’re bound to rush Tang Qingyun’s 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!’

’No matter what, I have to keep this business with Mo Xiaoman under wraps. Once Old Mrs. Tang passes away, I’ll be the matriarch of the Tang family. Then, I can make proper arrangements. I’ll let Tang Qingyun do as he pleases. He can dote on her, compensate her, whatever he wants. After all, she’s 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!’

Her mind made up, Wu Xiaowen tiptoed past the bedroom to the living room, sat on the sofa, and picked up the phone’s receiver. Slowly and deliberately, she dialed a number.

Wu Xiaowen hadn’t 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 hadn’t had time to follow up on!

But a glance at his watch showed it was already midnight. He couldn’t bear to wake his wife. ’She has it hard enough, raising two children on her own and working, and I dumped that task on her, too. Never mind, I’ll just call her tomorrow.’

But he put it off, and many more days passed. It wasn’t 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 wasn’t difficult. The problem was, she didn’t want to arouse any suspicion, which required some finesse and effort. She did indeed run around a bit, but she didn’t 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 she’d known she would.

Wu Xiaowen simply didn’t believe Tang Qingyun when he told her how amazing the girl’s grades were—good enough to get directly into a provincial-level middle school. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe her husband; she was just certain he’d been duped, completely taken in by a few words from his subordinates. ’A village elementary school? Even if her grades were off-the-charts amazing, there’s absolutely no way she could get into a provincial-level middle school!’

’Since Tang Qingyun made the first move, running off to the countryside without consulting me or giving any warning, then I don’t need to waste words. I’ll just take care of things first and explain later!’ 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, "There’s no mistake, she’s our daughter. Even Xiao Feng could see the resemblance. You don’t need to worry. Xiao Feng is married, and his wife is very attentive. They’ll take good care of her."

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