Chapter 730: Chapter 629: Drawing Lots

Tang Haocheng had just nodded, but before he could make a sound, three chubby little hands shot up in the air. Gu Shaoying, Tang Haobo, and Tang Haofang, refusing to be outdone, all clamored, "Yummy food every day! I want some too!"

"Me!"

"And me!"

The three little ones were all foodies, and they were willing to do anything for a tasty treat. They raised their hands, afraid Xiao Man wouldn’t see them, and scrambled to stand on their chairs. Xiao Man had no choice but to soothe them, "Alright, I get it. Of course I won’t forget you when there’s good food. Now, be good and eat. The fish soup won’t taste as nice if it gets cold!"

Only then did the three little ones sit down again, giving each other celebratory high-fives across the table. "Yay!"

Then they all turned to look at Tang Haocheng in unison, their little faces tilted up, clearly showing off their victory.

Tang Haocheng: "..."

’When did I ever offend you guys?’

The adults seated around the table watched the children’s adorable and amusing antics and couldn’t help but laugh.

After serving the last dish, Xiao Man sat down beside Tang Haocheng. As Tang Qingshan and Gu Shaoqin poured drinks for everyone, Tang Haocheng pointed to the twins and asked, "Sis, of these two Little Doudings, which one is mine and which is yours? We need to get it straight today. I have to teach them a thing or two."

The story of how Xiao Man and her brother had wanted younger siblings to play with as "toys"—and how Tang Qingshan and Hao Wenli then fulfilled their wish by having twins—was a well-known, amusing anecdote among the Gu and Tang Families. So, no one was surprised by Tang Haocheng’s words. They just smiled, waiting to see how the two would be "divided."

Xiao Man said, "I’ll let you choose. You can take whichever one you like, and the other will be mine."

Tang Haocheng looked at the two little buns, who were eating so obediently and adorably with their spoons, and chuckled. "They’re both sweet babies, so there’s no need to choose. How about we play a game after dinner? Little Bo and Xiao Fang can draw lots. They’ll go with whichever one of us they draw!"

Xiao Man was speechless. She exchanged a quick look with Tang Haobo. ’This guy didn’t fall for the trap. He even has a counter-plan.’

Tang Haocheng, of course, didn’t miss the exchange of glances between his sister and the little bun, which only amused him more. ’I knew you’d try to set a trap for me. I’m not falling for it!’

The adults sipped their drinks, chatting as they ate. The children, who weren’t drinking, finished their food quickly and went to the living room to play, with the older ones looking after the younger ones. Tang Haocheng asked Gu Shaoqin to act as the officiant and prepare for the drawing of lots. However, Tang Haocheng himself ended up taking several calls in a row from classmates and teachers. His father, Tang Qingyun, also called. Since Tang Haocheng was heading to Beijing in a few days, he hadn’t disturbed his grandparents. Tang Qingyun had wanted to speak with Xiao Man, but Tang Haocheng saw his sister wrestling playfully with the three little ones on the sofa. Figuring she wouldn’t want to take the call, he made the decision to politely decline on her behalf. The father and son spoke for a bit before hanging up.

After hanging up, Tang Haocheng couldn’t help but sigh. His father had briefly mentioned the Wu Family and his mother, telling him not to worry or get involved, that his uncle and father had everything under control. Of course, he didn’t want to get involved, but he would have to face his mother eventually. ’I wonder what that will be like,’ he thought.

He had told his mother he was back in the country but hadn’t given her a specific date, worried that another embarrassing incident might occur. Fortunately, the Wu Family’s calls to the Tang Mansion were already being blocked; otherwise, the phone at home would probably have been ringing much more often tonight.

By the time the adults finished their meal and moved to the living room for tea, Tang Haocheng had finally finished his calls and had a moment to spare. Gu Shaoqin was also ready. He clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention, announcing that he was about to host the drawing of lots.

Tang Haobo and Tang Haofang stopped their other games and obediently walked over to Gu Shaoqin. Gu Shaoqin’s preparations were surprisingly meticulous. He had found a square cardboard box somewhere, about a foot wide and long. It was quite large. Taking the Little Doudings’ small hands into account, the two paper wads inside were as big as ping-pong balls, making them easy to grab.

Tang Haobo, being the older brother, graciously let his younger brother go first. Tang Haofang, however, insisted on waiting until Tang Haobo had also drawn before they opened their paper wads. The result left Xiao Man very satisfied—just as she had wished, Tang Haobo was hers, and Tang Haofang belonged to Tang Haocheng.

Of course, she didn’t let any of her satisfaction show. Tang Haocheng just shrugged nonchalantly and scooped Tang Haofang into his arms with a smile.

In truth, the twins had different personalities but were equally adorable, and everyone loved them both. But since they had agreed from the start to take one each, they might as well go through with it as a fun game.

Tang Haofang wrapped his arms around Tang Haocheng’s neck and shouted excitedly to Gu Shaoying, "Sister Shaoying, this is my big toy! He’s all mine, you can’t steal him!"

Gu Shaoying tugged on her brother’s sleeve. "I won’t steal him, I won’t! I have a big toy, too!"

Tang Haobo snuggled up to Xiao Man and lifted his little chin smugly. "Who doesn’t? Mine is the best!"

Xiao Man and Tang Haocheng were completely baffled. They looked at each other, thinking, ’What’s going on? Who’s the toy here?’

Grandma Tang, Granny Gu, and Mrs. Hao, who were sitting on the sofa idly chatting and enjoying the show, all burst out laughing. Mrs. Hao laughed the hardest. The men gathered around the tea table also caught on and roared with laughter.

The little ones had actually turned the tables, claiming their older siblings as their toys. Their ability to learn was really something else.

Over the next few days, Tang Haocheng took the gifts he had brought from abroad and went to visit his mother. At Wu Xiaowen’s strong insistence, he reluctantly accompanied her on a trip to the Wu Mansion. He returned very late that day. No one knew what he had experienced at the Wu Family’s home, but his expression brightened the moment he walked through his own front door. He laughed and joked with everyone and even led the two little buns in a game with chess pieces. Grandma Tang was still a bit worried, but Grandpa Tang said it was nothing to be concerned about. "Hao Hao is grown up now," he said. "Even if he’s not yet worldly-wise, his heart is pure and his eyes are sharp. He can distinguish good from evil and knows what he should and shouldn’t do. We don’t need to worry about him."

Tang Qingshan agreed with Grandpa Tang. Xiao Man only asked a couple of casual questions, and just as expected, Tang Haocheng smiled and told her not to worry, that he knew what to do.

Per Wu Xiaowen’s request, Tang Haocheng had to spend time with her during the day, but at night, he would go to the Gu Mansion to stay with Gu Shaoqin.

Gu Shaoqin was taking the college entrance exam this year. He was a straight-arrow kid who had progressed through school at a normal pace, never skipping a grade or using private tutors. Facing the exam, he wasn’t nervous at all; he was confident in his academic record and didn’t need Tang Haocheng for any last-minute cramming. His mother, Jiang Yuyan, however, was a nervous wreck. She had Gu Qifan call and even drive over to pick Tang Haocheng up, insisting that he, as a good friend, had to stay with Gu Shaoqin for a few nights, even if it was just for moral support.

Gu Shaoqin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. His parents had clearly been spooked by what happened with Gu Shaoling. Last year, her college entrance exam scores hadn’t met the cutoff, but she had gotten into a prestigious university anyway by pulling some strings. Gu Qifan and Jiang Yuyan cared a great deal about their reputation and didn’t want Shaoqin to become another laughingstock for their social circle to gossip about.

There was no point arguing about it now; they could only wait for the exam results. Gu Shaoqin had always been methodical and rarely crammed at the last minute. He already knew his material inside and out. So, for the next few nights, he and Tang Haocheng just played chess and chatted. He was quite interested in Tang Haocheng’s stories about studying abroad. His friend still had several more years overseas, and Gu Shaoqin began to consider whether he, too, should go abroad for the experience.

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