Chapter 173: Chapter 161: One of a Kind

"Oh, my child..." The two clung to each other, a sobbing mess.

Tang Qingshan raised a hand to wipe his eyes, then got up to fetch a hot towel for his mother. Mr. Tang sighed as he took another one and gently wiped the tears from Xiao Man’s face. "Child," he asked, "you said you were switched at birth. How did that happen? If you knew, and your adoptive parents didn’t treat you well, why didn’t they take you back to find your biological family and switch you back?"

Xiao Man said, "They didn’t tell me the truth at first. I overheard them by accident. In the hospital, two mothers gave birth at the same time, and their babies were switched. People in my village confirmed it, too. My adoptive mother had to go to a city hospital to give birth due to an emergency, and she came back with me."

"Do you know which city hospital it was?" Tang Qingshan asked.

"I heard it was Wancheng Hospital. Wancheng has two hospitals, so I don’t know which one. So many years have passed, and no one ever came looking for me. My biological parents and the other child are probably living a good life. There’s no need for me to disturb their family. I have my Grandpa and Grandma. This is a family, too."

Grandma Tang held Xiao Man tightly. No one said a word. The television continued to play festive songs and dances, but the atmosphere in the living room had become strangely subdued.

Tang Qingshan glanced at his mother, then exchanged a look with his father. His eyes fell on the tea set on the coffee table. He stood up and went into the kitchen. He’d promised to brew a pot of good tea, but he still hadn’t gotten around to it. ’The water must have nearly boiled dry by now,’ he thought.

Worried that Tang Qingshan would use reboiled water for the tea, Xiao Man gently slipped out of Grandma Tang’s embrace and hurried into the kitchen after him.

Tang Qingshan did as she suggested, pouring out the water that had boiled down to half a kettle. But as he went to refill it, Xiao Man snatched it from him. "I’ll get it, I’ll get it! Your mom’s medicine is warm now. Why don’t you go take it to her?"

Tang Qingshan tenderly ruffled the young woman’s hair. "My mom... she’s your grandma! And you’re my daughter now. Got it?"

Speechless, Xiao Man poured a little water into the kettle and shook it vigorously to rinse it out.

Tang Qingshan teased, "What, you didn’t hear me? I can say it again. Twice, three times, as many times as you want!"

"Oh," Xiao Man mumbled. "I heard you."

Smiling with satisfaction, Tang Qingshan took the medicine to Grandma Tang. Xiao Man filled the kettle halfway with spiritual spring water and set it on the stove to boil.

When she returned to the living room carrying the kettle, Grandpa Tang and Grandma Tang simply smiled at her with loving eyes. Tang Qingshan also steered clear of the topic of her adoptive parents.

The spiritual spring water brewed with Da Hong Pao tea was a match made in heaven. After just one small cup, Xiao Man felt utterly intoxicated by the flavor. Grandpa Tang and Tang Qingshan drank cup after cup, unable to get enough. Although Xiao Man said it was fine, Grandma Tang had just taken her herbal medicine and insisted on not drinking any tea. She contented herself with smelling the rich aroma, praising it again and again.

Grandpa Tang held up his teacup, examining it from all angles. He even opened the purple clay teapot to take a look inside. "This can’t be right," he said, astonished. "I’m an old hand at this, and I’m usually far more meticulous than this when I brew tea. How come I can never get such a wonderful flavor and texture? And this fragrance... my goodness, it’s absolutely marvelous!"

Grandma Tang voiced the thought that was on Xiao Man’s mind. "You’re forgetting who brewed this tea!"

She dotingly took Xiao Man’s hand. "My sweet, precious granddaughter!"

"I know, I know," Grandpa Tang conceded. "But our precious granddaughter’s technique was so unrefined! She just picked up that big kettle and dumped the water straight in... To make such good tea that way is truly unheard of!"

"Of course! My granddaughter *is* one of a kind!"

The family burst out laughing at Grandma Tang’s domineering declaration.

Tang Qingshan sat down beside Xiao Man. "Do you have a secret? Tell your dad, so I can show it off next time we have company."

Xiao Man replied, "There’s no secret, really. Anyone who loves tea and brews it often should know it’s just a matter of controlling the water temperature. You should ask Grandpa about that."

Grandpa Tang prompted, "Everyone has their own tricks. Why don’t you share yours, granddaughter?"

"Well... I’m not sure how to explain it. Um, ’It’s something that can be understood but not conveyed in words’!"

Xiao Man’s answer made Tang Qingshan stare, but it sent Grandpa Tang into another fit of laughter. "She really is my granddaughter!"

Grandma Tang chuckled as well. "This child has already learned one of your grandpa’s tricks. When he can’t explain something, he just uses that line to get out of it."

On New Year’s Eve, the family—young and old—chatted happily until eleven o’clock. Like a stubborn child, Grandma Tang refused to go to her room to rest, no matter how many times they urged her. In the end, Tang Qingshan and Xiao Man had to practically escort her upstairs before she finally agreed to go to sleep.

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