Chapter 731: Chapter 630

Tang Qingyun returned to Beijing, spent two days and a night with his son and parents, and then left in a hurry once more.

Xiao Man overheard her grandpa, her father, and her second uncle talking about the latter’s work situation after dinner. She recalled the public opinion of Tang Qingyun in Wancheng and thought, ’It seems Tang Qingyun’s intelligence plummets whenever he has to deal with Wu Xiaowen. Without her interference, he’s actually quite capable in his official duties. In fact, from what I’m hearing, you could even say he’s dedicated and hardworking.’

This time, Tang Qingyun had come home to visit his parents and his son, Hao Hao, who had returned from abroad. However, he had no intention of taking Hao Hao back to his city with him. He claimed he was simply too busy to look after his son, and since Hao Hao only had a little over a month for his vacation, it was best to let him spend it however he pleased.

As for the elixirs needed for Cultivation, Tang Qingshan would provide them. Grandma Tang, however, spent the better part of the day holed up in the second-floor storage room before emerging with three large cardboard boxes. She had the staff load them all into Tang Qingyun’s car. No one could see what was inside, but everyone could guess. It had to be food, of course.

As soon as the college entrance exams were over, Gu Shaoqin spent a few days running around Beijing with Tang Haocheng, getting up to who-knows-what. Afterward, he pulled Xiao Man aside to suggest, "Let’s go to the South to visit Grandpa and Grandma. We can leave tomorrow. No need to wait for your summer break to officially start. It’s only a few days away, so just ask for time off!"

Xiao Man eyed the two of them suspiciously. "Leave tomorrow? I find it hard to believe you miss Grandpa and Grandma *that* much."

"We’re just being dutiful," Gu Shaoqin said with a perfectly straight face.

Xiao Man laughed. "Fine, but I still have some unfinished group work. I should at least wait until the break officially starts. Why are you two in such a rush?"

"Uh..." Gu Shaoqin glanced at Tang Haocheng, who just shrugged, his tone tinged with resignation. "We have to go visit Grandpa and Grandma eventually, not to mention Da Zhi and Dapeng. We might as well go a few days early. It’ll keep my mom and my maternal grandma from getting their claws into me..."

’So that’s what this is about,’ she realized. ’He’s trying to avoid Wu Xiaowen and the Wu Family.’

"What exactly do they want you to do?"

Tang Haocheng forced a smile. "My maternal uncles’ case is closed. The amount of money involved was huge, and my older uncle spent some of it in a way that it can’t be recovered. My maternal grandfather is furious and refuses to pay the restitution for him. They were sentenced to six and two years, respectively. But now... my grandmother and my mother want me to get them both out of prison. I haven’t even had a chance to explain the steps involved, or whether it’s even possible, and they’re already talking about arranging new jobs for them. They’re saying no more factories or hospitals this time. It has to be a government agency, and they have to be at least mid-to-high-level officials—respectable, prestigious positions that are good enough to restore the family’s lost honor!"

"Tch. They sure have some nerve."

"They don’t just dream it—they expect *me* to make it happen! You should have seen the look on my maternal grandmother’s face when she was saying all that. She was... unhinged. Not normal! And my mom... how did she become like this? The second she’s in front of her own mother, she’s like a puppet. She accepts every command, good or bad, unconditionally! Then she turns to me, crying and screaming, trying to force me to do it. I’m her son, but I’m not an idiot! I can’t see them right now. I need to find a quiet place to think."

"Think about what?"

"Sis, I’m thinking about taking Mom abroad, far away from our maternal grandmother. When I return in a few years, she can choose to either stay overseas or come back with me. By then, maybe she’ll have changed and won’t be so easily controlled by her mother anymore."

"That’s a great idea. Just make sure you keep it secret. Don’t let the Wu Family find out where you are abroad. That way, Lin Aizhen won’t be able to bother you. What’s there to think about? Just go for it."

"I do have one reservation: Mom’s personality. She’s so high-maintenance. You know I’m going there to study, and I’m worried she’ll be a distraction."

"You’re not planning on living with her, are you? Just make the right arrangements. Give her plenty of money and set her up in a different city, far away from you. Then, play weak and complain to her. Just say that you’re useless and can’t help the Wu Family, so the two of you have no choice but to run away. Wu Xiaowen will be too afraid of getting an earful, so she won’t dare to casually contact anyone back home! Trust me, once Wu Xiaowen is away from Lin Aizhen, she’s not stupid at all. In fact, she’s quite clever. I heard she was an honor student back in the day. That smarts of hers is more than enough to get by abroad. Who knows, maybe living overseas is what suits her best. She might end up thriving so much that she completely forgets she even has a son!"

Gu Shaoqin, who was listening in, snorted with laughter. Tang Haocheng couldn’t help but crack a smile and sigh. "Sis, you seem even more excited about this than I am."

Xiao Man mimicked his shrug. "What can I say? She may have given birth to me, but there’s no mother-daughter affection between us—only hatred. I don’t want to see her, but I can’t exactly do anything to her. If I tried to harm her, it would probably come back to bite me one day. Her leaving is a cause for celebration as far as I’m concerned, so of course I think your idea is brilliant."

That evening, Tang Haocheng called Tang Qingyun, then discussed his plans with his grandfather and eldest uncle. His uncle led him into the study and handed him a file folder. Tang Haocheng opened it, flipped through the contents, and put them back, his expression unchanged. ’The family actually owns property overseas?’ he thought. ’It can’t have been purchased in the last decade. Don’t tell me we’ve owned it for decades?’

Tang Qingshan cleared up his confusion. "They were indeed purchased decades ago. Your grandfather was a man of very particular tastes in his youth. He disliked staying in other people’s houses and wanted to be fashionable by going on study tours abroad, so he just casually bought houses wherever he went. These particular properties are all in the country you’re heading to, scattered across various cities. Since you’re taking your mother with you, pick one to claim as your own and use it to settle her in."

They spent three days making preparations, but Xiao Man’s break was still slow to arrive. Gu Shaoqin muttered something to Tang Haocheng, mentioning that Wei Zhenling had recently visited his home to see his grandparents. While serving tea, Gu Shaoqin thought he overheard them say his older brother would be coming back. He hadn’t mentioned it to Xiao Man because he wasn’t sure.

The two of them put their heads together. Xiao Man’s birthday was in ten days. If Brother Gu had any sense, he would be back for it. At that point, Xiao Man would surely ignore them in favor of Brother Gu, and they might even get the cold shoulder. They decided it was best to head for the South first.

On the day of their departure, Gu Shaoying, Tang Haobo, and Tang Haofang each grabbed hold of their respective older brothers, wailing so tragically that everyone assumed the little ones couldn’t bear to see them go. The adults were both touched and sympathetic, spending ages trying to coax and comfort the children. They then rained curses down on the two older boys who were trying to make a panicked escape: "What’s your hurry? Can’t you at least comfort your younger siblings before you go? What kind of big brothers are you? Don’t you have any heart?!"

Tang Haocheng and Gu Shaoqin, on the receiving end of the scolding, felt completely wronged and innocent. They wanted to dote on their younger siblings too! But the three little ones were clearly shouting, "I want to ride on an airplane too! I want to have fun and eat good food! Take me, take me, take me..."

Holy crap! Of course they had to run! ’If we took those three little monsters on a trip, we’d pass out before we even got there!’

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