Chapter 162: Chapter 152: Tang Qingshan

Gu Shaoqin explained to Xiao Man, "Our family and the Tang family have been close for generations. When we say Brother Tang... well, that refers to the eldest brother in the Tang family, since they also have a second brother. In turn, they call my brothers Brother Gu, Second Brother Gu, and Third Brother Gu."

Xiao Man asked, "Then what do they call you?"

"We’re in the grandchild generation, so they just call us by our names."

’This Gu Shaoqin is so silly and naive. His delicate, almost frail appearance is adorable,’ Xiao Man thought. She had the urge to pinch his cheek again. This time, however, Gu Shaoqin dodged quickly. Blushing, he said, "Let’s hurry. Grandpa is calling for us."

Mr. Gu had been in a coma for days, then suddenly woke up and checked himself out of the hospital immediately. The news must have been quite a shock. The moment he walked through his front door, people began flocking from all over to see for themselves. The Gu family’s main hall was filled with distinguished guests and hearty laughter, with Mr. Gu’s booming voice the loudest of all. Xiao Man couldn’t help but reflect, ’I used five or six of my spatial medicines, brewed with spiritual spring water. Besides the miraculous effects, they also contain a significant amount of energy. The fact that Mr. Gu could handle it all without any apparent discomfort shows that his Combat Power must be very high.’

In reality, Xiao Man had no idea that after she and Gu Shaoqin left, Mr. Gu had rushed to the bathroom with a violent case of diarrhea. His muscles and bones had also ached with spasms, as if they were being dislocated. But he suppressed the pain with sheer willpower, refusing to show any of it. ’What’s a little pain to be afraid of? As long as I can walk and move, I’m not a patient!’

The Gu family’s eldest and second sons couldn’t return for the time being. The third son, however, worked at the municipal Public Security Bureau and had rushed back home, along with his wife. At the insistence of his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. Gu agreed to receive guests, but he was currently reclining on a chaise lounge that had been carried into the living room.

The guests stood or sat, gathered around Mr. Gu, their voices rising and falling as they chatted.

Seeing Xiao Man and Gu Shaoqin peek their heads in from outside the living room, Mr. Gu immediately beckoned. "You two, come over here! Quick!"

Gu Shaoqin led Xiao Man inside to stand before Mr. Gu. Someone nearby clicked their tongue in admiration. "What a fine pair of children! As if carved from jade, so elegant. A true golden boy and jade girl!"

Xiao Man scoffed internally, ’This guy is definitely a suck-up!’

Mr. Gu ignored him, simply chuckling as he patted Xiao Man’s arm. "Little girl, Grandpa has figured it out. I really haven’t ever met you before. But I did make a discovery. Come on, let me show you someone. Where’s Qingshan? Boss Tang?"

"Uncle, I’m here," a clear, cheerful voice replied.

Xiao Man froze for a second. ’That voice... sounds like Tang Qingyun?’

Lifting her head to look across the room, her eyes went wide. The man looked just like Tang Qingyun. ’This must be Boss Tang—Tang Qingshan!’

In her past life, Tang Qingshan had been a major figure, but he remained a bachelor his entire life, even into his old age.

When Tang Qingshan got a clear look at the little girl’s face, he froze as well. His handsome brows arched slightly. "This is... Why does she look like one of my family’s children?"

The people nearby all laughed. Someone teased, "Boss Tang, getting jealous seeing how nice another family’s child is? You should hurry up and start a family of your own. Stop dragging your feet."

Others began comparing the features of the man and the girl, finding it remarkable. "You know, it’s true. This girl really does look like Boss Tang. Don’t tell me she’s..."

"She’s what? Don’t be ridiculous!" Old Mrs. Gu entered, followed by her eldest daughter-in-law, who was carrying a tray of hot desserts. Old Mrs. Gu said with a smile, "This child is my grandson’s god-sister. She just arrived from the south and has never been to Beijing before. Her home is deep in the mountains and old forests!"

Xiao Man: ...

’You’re the one talking nonsense, old lady! I’m not a monkey, why would I live in some ancient forest deep in the mountains?’

Mr. Gu roared with laughter. He said to Xiao Man, "How about that, little girl? Pretty funny, huh? This big fella looks almost exactly like you. No wonder I thought you looked familiar."

Zhou Hui Lan set the desserts on the table and added with a smile, "It’s true. The moment I saw this child, I thought she looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. If she were a boy, I would have immediately thought of Qingshan!"

Tang Qingshan walked over in a few strides, about to speak to Xiao Man, but Zhou Hui Lan took her hand and called out to Gu Shaoqin. "Come on, you two. The adults are talking. Let’s give them some space."

Tang Qingshan placed a hand on Xiao Man’s shoulder and followed them out of the living room. "Sister-in-law," he asked, "where are you taking her?"

Zhou Hui Lan smiled. "The poor child has had a long journey. She’s tired and hungry. Everything’s ready. I’m going to get her some hot food, let her wash up, and then get some sleep."

Tang Qingshan lowered his voice. "I just saw Shao Jin. He said something about... from Wancheng..."

Zhou Hui Lan glanced back toward the living room and also whispered, "Yes. They brought the child from Wancheng overnight. The younger boys arranged everything themselves. It was so rushed that we barely know the details ourselves. So, Qingyun probably doesn’t know either. We weren’t able to pass on a message from him for you... Mom and Dad’s instructions are: Niu Niu is still young and hasn’t finished her training, so we’re not revealing that she studies medicine for now. We’re just saying that Shaolian brought his god-sister to Beijing to meet Shao Jin and for everyone to celebrate the New Year together... We’ve already briefed the hospital. Not a single word will get out."

Tang Qingshan nodded in understanding and patted Xiao Man’s hair. "Then go get some rest first. We’ll talk again after you’re feeling better. And remember, I’m Mr. Tang! Since you’re Shaolian and Shao Jin’s sister, that makes you my daughter too, you know!"

Xiao Man was speechless. ’You’ve got to be kidding me. How does that math even work?’

Zhou Hui Lan smiled. "Take your time, you’ll understand eventually. Shaolian and Shao Jin both call him Mr. Tang, so you can just do the same."

Since the family’s only daughter wasn’t around, Gu Shaoqin ate with Xiao Man. But as soon as the meal was over, he was shooed away because it was time for Xiao Man’s bath.

Zhou Hui Lan, a natural homemaker, was the type who loved to fuss over people. She ignored Xiao Man’s repeated protests, insisting that Xiao Man was too young to wash herself properly and would take too long, cutting into her sleep time. She stayed with her in the bathroom, washing her hair and scrubbing her back, before wrapping her up in a large towel... Xiao Man wanted to cry but had no tears. ’What am I supposed to do? I’m so not used to being treated like a little doll.’

A young woman in her twenties came in holding a stack of clothes. On top was a pure-white cotton nightdress, along with a new set of underwear. Xiao Man was about to say she had brought her own clothes, but Zhou Hui Lan smiled. "These are all brand new. We washed them and put them in the dryer right away, which is why they’re only just now ready. Go ahead and wear them."

So, Xiao Man kept her mouth shut.

Thankfully, no one was there to watch over her when it was time for bed. She had a large room all to herself. Looking around, she saw that the furniture was all crafted from precious wood—antique, elegant, and exquisite. It was so timeless that it wouldn’t look stuffy or outdated even decades from now. Only a family with the Gu family’s standing could have preserved such pieces through the current era.

Xiao Man quietly slipped out of bed and slid the bolt on the door. Then, she sat upright on the bed and performed a few cycles of Breathing Regulation and Qi Circulation. She listened for any sounds from outside, but there was nothing. Not even a single person passed by in the hallway. Realizing they wanted her to get a good rest, she relaxed and confidently vanished into her space.

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