Gu Shaojun memulihkan diri selama dua puluh hari di sanatorium kader wilayah militer. Alasan resminya adalah luka lamanya kambuh, dan karena pihak militer harus berkonsultasi dengannya dari waktu ke waktu, dia tidak dapat meninggalkan Provinsi G. Dia pulih begitu cepat semata-mata karena Xiao Man secara pribadi merawatnya menggunakan ramuan dari ruangannya. Jika dia hanya menerima perawatan di rumah sakit militer, dia akan membutuhkan waktu penuh enam bulan untuk pulih!
Adapun Klan Gongsun, Gongsun Hanshan tewas. Serangan habis-habisan dari Gongsun Xiang dan Gongsun Li gagal mengenai Gu Shaojun; sebaliknya, mereka justru saling mencederai. Kekuatan sisa dari serangan mereka memicu tanah longsor, mengubur mereka jauh di bawah reruntuhan. Anggota Klan Gongsun mendatangkan peralatan modern dan menggali dengan panik selama berhari-hari dan malam sebelum akhirnya berhasil mengangkat mereka berdua. Kedua kepala klan itu hancur tak dikenali. Gongsun Xiang benar-benar lumpuh, hampir tidak bernyawa. Gongsun Li tampaknya mengalami stroke; pikirannya jernih, tetapi dia tidak dapat berbicara, dan anggota tubuhnya menolak untuk mematuhi perintahnya. Mengenai apakah kultivasi mereka masih tersisa, itu adalah sesuatu yang baru akan mereka ketahui jika dan ketika mereka pulih.
Seluruh beban Klan Gongsun tiba-tiba jatuh ke pundak Gongsun Chongshan. Gongsun Chongshan diliputi kepanikan. Di masa lalu, dia mungkin sesekali berfantasi tentang keuntungan menjadi Kepala Klan, tetapi dia tidak pernah benar-benar mendambakan posisi itu. Bagaimanapun juga, ayahnya adalah Kepala Klan, jadi dia selalu berada di urutan pertama untuk mendapatkan berbagai keistimewaan. Itu sudah cukup; dia tidak merasa perlu menjadi orang yang memegang kendali. Namun sekarang setelah semuanya berubah menjadi kekacauan total, dialah yang harus membereskannya. Sangat merepotkan, sangat menyebalkan!
Gongsun Chongshan menghela napas berulang kali. 'Dengan segala urusan duniawi ini yang harus diurus, bagaimana bisa seseorang fokus dengan tenang pada Kultivasi mereka?'
Setelah Xiao Man mengucapkan selamat tinggal kepada Gu Shaojun dan kembali ke Beijing, dia disambut oleh Kakek dan Neneknya. Mereka datang ke ibu kota untuk menjenguk Nyonya Ai beserta bayi-bayi yang baru lahir dan menghadiri perayaan sebulan usia mereka. Dengan begitu banyak pekerjaan di rumah dan persiapan pembangunan rumah baru yang sedang berjalan, mereka sebenarnya hanya berencana tinggal selama seminggu, tetapi Kakek Tang dan Nenek Tang tidak mengizinkannya dan bersikeras agar mereka tinggal lebih lama.
Tang Qingyun juga telah kembali. Setiap hari Sabtu dan Minggu, dia dengan antusias berperan sebagai pemandu wisata dan sopir, membawa Kakek dan Nenek keluar untuk menikmati pemandangan. Dia sangat perhatian dan berbakti, sehingga Kakek dan Nenek menikmati waktu yang luar biasa dan merasa sangat tersentuh. Namun, Nenek Tang menarik Xiao Man ke samping untuk menceritakan yang sebenarnya:
"Paman Kedua-mu dengan bodohnya menjerat dirinya sendiri dengan seorang gadis—Nona Fan yang sering berkunjung itu. Ayahnya memiliki sedikit masa lalu dengan kakekmu, meskipun mereka sudah lama kehilangan kontak. Pamanmu pada dasarnya terjebak begitu saja, dan keluarga Fan telah menaruh hati padanya, tetapi dia tidak tahan dengan Nona Fan. Kakekmu telah memperjelas bahwa dia tidak ingin ikut campur, jadi pamanmu tidak punya pilihan selain bersembunyi. Lalu ada Wu Xiaowen, yang terus mengejarnya setiap hari. Pria malang itu berada dalam posisi yang sulit. Dia tidak boleh terlihat memiliki waktu luang, tetapi jika dia pergi keluar, dia ketakutan Wu Xiaowen akan mencegatnya dan membuat keributan besar. Jadi, dia menempel pada Kakek dan Nenekmu sebagai Jimatnya. Itu memberinya alasan yang sah untuk menggunakan mobil kakekmu, dan tidak peduli seberapa tidak tahu malunya Wu Xiaowen, dia tidak akan berani menghadang mobil kakekmu..."
Xiao Man: "..."
'Kalau dipikir-pikir, memang ada banyak tamu di rumah sejak aku kembali. Kukira itu karena bayi-bayi telah lahir, dan aku tidak mengenali sebagian besar kerabat serta teman dari pihak Nyonya Ai. Aku mengira perwira wanita itu, Nona Fan, adalah salah satu dari mereka. Aku sama sekali tidak menyangka dia ada di sana demi Tang Qingyun. Kepribadiannya memang tidak begitu menyenangkan; bahkan aku merasa dia terlalu kaku dan tegas. Dia hanya akan duduk diam di kursinya dan menatap Tang Qingyun. Wajahnya dipenuhi amarah diam-diam saat melihat Tang Qingyun mengajak kedua sesepuh itu jalan-jalan, tetapi dia tidak mengikuti. Seandainya dia adalah 'bunga teratai putih' seperti Wu Xiaowen, dia pasti sudah bergegas sejak lama, membanjiri para sesepuh dengan kata-kata manis untuk mengambil hati mereka dan kemudian dengan mulus ikut naik ke mobil. Bukankah itu akan menyelesaikan semua masalahnya?'
'Sepertinya perwira wanita itu tidak memiliki peluang. Mengingat perangai Tang Qingyun, dia adalah tipe orang yang hanya bisa jatuh cinta pada 'bunga teratai putih'. Dia tidak akan punya keberanian untuk terlibat dengan wanita seperti dia.'
'Jadi Kakek dan Nenek sebenarnya hanya dimanfaatkan oleh Tang Qingyun, sementara mereka dengan bahagia berpikir betapa hebatnya kepribadian pria itu.'
Urusan Tang Qingyun bukanlah urusan Xiao Man, jadi dia hanya mendengarkan lalu melupakannya. Di waktu luangnya, dia lebih suka memasak makanan lezat, menghabiskan waktu bersama para sesepuh, dan bermain dengan adik-adik bayi laki-lakinya yang menggemaskan.
Kedua adik laki-lakinya telah tumbuh cukup besar. Kulit mereka cerah, gempal, dan sangat menggemaskan. Sebagai anak kembar, wajah mereka identik, dan gen ayah mereka sangat dominan karena keduanya mirip dengan Tang Qingshan. Namun, kepribadian mereka bagai langit dan bumi. Yang satu lincah dan aktif, selalu menendang-nendangkan kaki dan melatih suara ocehannya, mengajak orang lain berbicara dengannya. Sebaliknya, yang satu lagi sangat penurut dan tenang hingga hampir membuat khawatir. Dia hanya akan mengeluarkan beberapa suara merintih sebagai tanda saat lapar atau perlu diganti popoknya; selebihnya, dia hanya tidur dengan mata terpejam. Selama dia diberi makan dan diganti popoknya sesuai jadwal, dia bisa melewatkan seharian penuh tanpa mengeluarkan suara sedikit pun. Nyonya Ai dan ibunya—yang sedang berkunjung untuk membantu merawat cucu-cucu kesayangannya—sempat sangat khawatir. Nenek Tang harus menenangkan mereka sambil tersenyum, berkata, "Anak-anak keluarga Tang memang seperti ini semua. Tang Qingshan, Tang Qingyun, dan Tang Haocheng semuanya sama tenangnya saat bayi. Mereka jarang sekali menangis."
Namun, untuk menenangkan pikiran semua orang, mereka meminta seorang dokter untuk memeriksa kedua bayi tersebut secara menyeluruh, yang mengonfirmasi bahwa mereka berdua sangat sehat.
Kemudian, setelah Kakek dan Nenek tiba, Nenek juga tersenyum sambil mengenang masa kecil Xiao Man. Dia hanya menangis karena lapar. Begitu kenyang diberi air beras, dia akan langsung tenang dan puas—begitu penurut hingga membuat hati merasa iba.
Namun, kata-kata Nenek mengirimkan gelombang kesedihan ke seluruh anggota keluarga. Cucu perempuan sulung keluarga Tang, yang seharusnya disayang sejak saat dia dilahirkan, justru terpaksa bertahan hidup hanya dengan air beras. Lupakan air susu ibu; dia bahkan belum pernah mencicipi susu formula sekalipun!
Nenek Tang kesal pada Tang Qingyun, tetapi dia benar-benar sangat membenci Wu Xiaowen. Seandainya wanita itu tidak mencoba berlaku pintar dengan bersembunyi, dan sebaliknya mengikuti rencana untuk melahirkan serta membawa anak itu kembali ke Beijing untuk dibesarkan, apakah cucu perempuannya yang berharga harus menderita begitu banyak?
Atas undangan penuh antusias dari Paman Lu, Xiao Man mengajak Kakek dan Nenek berkunjung ke Keluarga Lu. Setelah itu, persis seperti dugaannya, Paman Lu datang menjemput mereka setiap hari.
Gu Shaojun recuperated for twenty days at the military district’s cadre sanatorium. The official story was that his old injuries had flared up, and since the military needed to consult him from time to to time, he couldn’t leave G Province. He recovered so quickly only because Xiao Man had personally treated him with herbs from her space. Had he only received treatment at the military hospital, he would have needed a full six months to recover!
As for the Gongsun Clan, Gongsun Hanshan was dead. The all-out strike from Gongsun Xiang and Gongsun Li had failed to hit Gu Shaojun; instead, they ended up harming each other. The residual force of their attack triggered a landslide, burying them deep beneath the rubble. The Gongsun Clan Members brought in modern equipment and dug frantically for days and nights before finally excavating them. The two patriarchs were mangled beyond recognition. Gongsun Xiang was completely crippled, barely clinging to life. Gongsun Li appeared to have suffered a stroke; his mind was clear, but he couldn’t speak, and his limbs refused to obey his commands. As for whether their cultivation remained, that was something they would only find out if and when they ever recovered.
The entire burden of the Gongsun Clan suddenly fell onto Gongsun Chongshan’s shoulders. Gongsun Chongshan was overcome with panic. In the past, he might have occasionally daydreamed about the benefits of being the Clan Leader, but he never truly desired the position. After all, his father was the Clan Leader, so he was always first in line for any perks. That was enough; he didn’t feel the need to be the one in charge. But now that everything had devolved into a complete mess, he was the one left to clean it up. It was so troublesome, so infuriating!
Gongsun Chongshan sighed again and again. ’With all these worldly affairs to deal with, how is anyone supposed to peacefully focus on their Cultivation?’
After Xiao Man said goodbye to Gu Shaojun and returned to Beijing, she was greeted by her Grandpa and Grandma. They had come to the capital to visit Mrs. Ai and the new babies and to attend their one-month celebration. With so much work to do back home and preparations for building a new house underway, they had only planned to stay for a week, but Grandpa Tang and Grandma Tang wouldn’t hear of it, insisting they stay longer.
Tang Qingyun had also returned. Every Saturday and Sunday, he eagerly played the part of tour guide and chauffeur, taking Grandpa and Grandma out to see the sights. He was attentive and filial, and Grandpa and Grandma had a wonderful time and were very touched. However, Grandma Tang pulled Xiao Man aside to tell her the real story:
"Your Second Uncle foolishly got himself entangled with a girl—that Miss Fan who’s been visiting so often. Her father has some history with your grandpa, though they lost touch a long time ago. Your uncle basically walked right into it, and the Fan family has taken a liking to him, but he can’t stand Miss Fan. Your grandpa has made it clear he’s staying out of it, so your uncle has no choice but to hide. Then there’s Wu Xiaowen, who’s out there chasing him down every single day. The poor man is in a tight spot. He can’t afford to look like he has any free time, but if he goes out, he’s terrified Wu Xiaowen will corner him and make a huge scene. So, he’s latched onto your Grandpa and Grandma as his Amulet. That gives him a legitimate reason to use your grandpa’s car, and no matter how shameless Wu Xiaowen is, she wouldn’t dare block your grandpa’s car..."
Xiao Man: "..."
’Now that I think about it, there have been a lot of guests at the house since I got back. I figured it was because the babies were born, and I didn’t recognize most of the friends and relatives from Mrs. Ai’s side. I’d assumed that female officer, Miss Fan, was one of them. I never imagined she was here for Tang Qingyun. Her personality really wasn’t very likable; even I found her too rigid and stern. She would just plant herself in a seat and stare at Tang Qingyun. She watched him take the two elders out, her face filled with silent anger, but she didn’t follow. If it had been a ’white lotus’ like Wu Xiaowen, she would have rushed over long ago, showering the elders with sweet words to get on their good side and then smoothly hopping into the car. Wouldn’t that solve all her problems?’
’It seems the female officer doesn’t stand a chance. Given Tang Qingyun’s temperament, he’s the type who can only fall for a ’white lotus.’ He wouldn’t have the guts to get involved with a woman like her.’
’So Grandpa and Grandma were actually just being used by Tang Qingyun, and they were happily thinking what a wonderful person he was.’
Tang Qingyun’s affairs were none of Xiao Man’s business, so she simply listened and moved on. In her free time, she preferred to cook delicious food, spend time with the elders, and play with her adorable baby brothers.
The two little brothers had grown quite a bit. They were fair, chubby, and unbelievably cute. As twins, their faces were identical, and their father’s genes were clearly dominant, as they both took after Tang Qingshan. Their personalities, however, were night and day. One was lively and active, always kicking his legs and practicing his coos, babbling away to get people to talk to him. The other, in contrast, was so docile and quiet it was almost worrying. He would only make a few whimpering sounds as an alert when he was hungry or needed a change; the rest of the time, he just slept with his eyes closed. As long as he was fed and changed on schedule, he could go an entire day without making a peep. Mrs. Ai and her mother, who was visiting to help with her precious grandsons, were worried sick at one point. Grandma Tang had to comfort them with a smile, saying, "The Tang children are all like this. Tang Qingshan, Tang Qingyun, and Tang Haocheng were all just as quiet when they were babies. They rarely cried."
But to put everyone’s mind at ease, they had a doctor give both babies a thorough examination, which confirmed that they were perfectly healthy.
Later, after Grandpa and Grandma arrived, Grandma also smiled as she recalled Xiao Man as a baby. She only ever cried from hunger. Once she was fed her fill of rice water, she would become quiet and content—so well-behaved it made your heart ache.
Her words, however, sent a wave of sadness through the family. The Tang family’s eldest granddaughter, who should have been cherished from the moment she was born, had been forced to survive on rice water. Forget breast milk; she had never even tasted formula!
Grandma Tang was annoyed with Tang Qingyun, but she absolutely detested Wu Xiaowen. If that woman hadn’t tried to be clever by going into hiding, and had instead just followed the plan to give birth and bring the child back to Beijing to be raised, would her precious granddaughter have ever had to suffer so much?
At Uncle Lu’s enthusiastic invitation, Xiao Man took Grandpa and Grandma to visit the Lu Family. After that, just as she expected, Uncle Lu came to pick them up every day. A different "tour guide" naturally meant different destinations, and Grandpa and Grandma happily spent another week sightseeing with him. This continued until Zheng Shaolian came to take them to Tianjin, explaining that he was too busy to travel around, so he had to ask them to come and keep him company for a few days.
When they returned to the Tang family’s home in Beijing, Grandpa and Grandma couldn’t stop talking about Zheng Shaolian’s huge company, their faces beaming with vicarious pride. Grandpa said with deep emotion to Grandpa Tang and Grandpa Gu, "I finally understand it now—the kids who cause the most trouble are the ones destined for greatness! Look at Hao Hao. He didn’t know the area or anyone, yet he braved the elements to run all the way to the countryside by himself to find his sister. He scared Grandma and me half to death! Now he’s gone abroad at such a young age; his future is boundless. And then there’s Shaolian. What a strange, difficult temper he has. A single meal with him could throw a whole group of people into chaos, and everyone called him their ’little ancestor.’ Now look how capable he’s become! There’s a reason for it all. They’re fine young men!"
Hearing this, Grandpa Tang and Grandpa Gu roared with laughter.
Before they knew it, the end of the year arrived. Although Mo Jiabao reported that all was well at home every time he called—saying that Secretary Mo was helping supervise and the new house was already up to the third layer, so they shouldn’t worry—Grandpa and Grandma still couldn’t feel at ease and decided it was time to return. Grandma Tang and Granny Gu considered that the Lunar New Year wasn’t far off, and what family doesn’t value being together for the holidays? So, they stopped insisting they stay. Instead, they prepared a complete set of New Year’s gifts for them. Tang Qingshan rushed back to see the two elders off at the airport. Since Tang Qingyun had nothing major going on, Grandpa Tang tasked him with escorting Grandpa and Grandma all the way back to Gongdao Village.
Xiao Man’s school break hadn’t started yet, so she could only go as far as the airport to see them off. She said reluctantly to her Grandpa and Grandma, "I’ll come back with Brother Shaolian for the New Year."
But Grandma patted her hand and said, "You should spend the Spring Festival in Beijing this year. The whole family is so happy about your two new little brothers, and it wouldn’t be right for their big sister to be gone during the holiday! Besides, our home is a total mess with the construction. If Shaolian were to come, he’d have to stay in the herb garden. It’s not a big deal for him to stay a night or two, but you should wait. Come back during your summer vacation next year. The new house will be finished by then, and Grandma will have a beautiful new room all ready for you. Be a good girl, okay?"
Komentar Chapter (0)
Login buat ikut berkomentar.
Belum ada komentar di chapter ini. Jadi yang pertama!