Free Web NovelChapter 135: Chapter 135: Summons from the Reaper
Little Tang Mo had been raised by Mrs. Tang in Xinghua Village, so naturally, he spoke with a regional dialect. Tang Yuanxiao was used to it. But then, to his surprise, Little Tang Mo suddenly started speaking perfect Mandarin.
And he didn’t just speak it; his pronunciation was impeccable.
With the way Su Li and Little Tang Mo spoke Mandarin, if you claimed they were born-and-bred natives of the Imperial City, absolutely no one would doubt you!
In fact, people would probably find it hard to believe they were from the countryside of Southwest Xinghua Village.
Little Tang Mo was so polite and lovable that a few of the other wives pulled him aside to chat, absolutely doting on him.
While they were busy talking, Tang Yuanxiao quietly pulled Su Li aside. "Momo’s Mandarin..."
Su Li nodded, finishing his thought. "I taught him."
Tang Yuanxiao rubbed his nose. "Thank you... You’ve worked hard."
Compared to the last time he’d seen them, it wasn’t just Su Li who had undergone a complete transformation; Little Tang Mo had as well.
Little Tang Mo’s old clothes, while not exactly ragged, were mostly worn-out. Regardless of whether they were store-bought or handmade by Mrs. Tang, they were by no means fashionable.
The clothes Su Li had gotten for Little Tang Mo, however, were another story entirely—they all looked great. On top of that, Little Tang Mo had spent the entire last six months with Su Li.
Su Li had been a dedicated teacher, and Little Tang Mo’s formal education had begun. Though he had only just started to read, the old saying, "A cultured mind lends an air of grace," certainly held true.
The once-shy and somewhat introverted boy Mrs. Tang had raised had been taught by Su Li to be more open and confident; he was a completely different child.
The same was more or less true for Su Li herself.
The gloom she carried from dying of illness in her past life had slowly dissipated over the last six months, replaced by the youthful energy befitting someone in the prime of her life.
When Tang Yuanxiao had gone home six months ago, Su Li had been tight on money and hadn’t bothered to dress up.
Half a year later, having earned her own money and gotten into university, Su Li now had the inclination to put some effort into her appearance.
With a sense of style decades ahead of its time, how could she not be beautiful and stunning with just a little effort?
Judging by the reactions of Tang Yuanxiao and the few wives she’d met, the answer was self-evident.
Unaware that she had left Tang Yuanxiao utterly stunned, Su Li heard his question and replied nonchalantly.
"No need to thank me."
’She hadn’t done any of this for Tang Yuanxiao; it was all for Little Tang Mo.’
The military wives stayed for a little while longer before leaving, full of praise for Little Tang Mo.
After they were gone, Tang Yuanxiao went into his room and came back out, handing Su Li a bag.
"Here."
Su Li took it, puzzled. "What is this?"
She opened it and took a look inside. "A bankbook? Why are you giving me a bankbook?"
Tang Yuanxiao seemed to freeze for a moment. "I just... I just wanted to give it to you."
He mumbled the last few words so quietly that Su Li couldn’t make them out.
"What was that?" Su Li asked, her brow furrowed.
Tang Yuanxiao stared at the bankbook in Su Li’s hands, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
A man earns money to support his family, and he gives that money to his wife to manage. That’s what many men do.
Tang Yuanxiao was the same. Now that Su Li had arrived, important household finances, like the bankbook, should of course be given to her to manage.
Handing over his bankbook every month was one of the happy duties of a married man.
Tang Yuanxiao paused for a long moment before finally answering, "The money I sent you before probably wasn’t enough, was it?"
He had his reasons for saying that.
He had gone into Little Tang Mo’s room and seen it was filled with books, clothes, toys, and snacks—the boy wanted for nothing.
Moreover, he didn’t see a single old piece of clothing; everything was brand new and things he’d never seen before.
’To raise Little Tang Mo like this,’ he thought, ’the money I sent back couldn’t have been enough.’
Thinking this just moments ago, his mind had gone straight to the bankbook, and he had decided to hand it over to Su Li.
For a brief moment, he had completely forgotten the reality of their impending divorce.
Hearing Tang Yuanxiao’s explanation, Su Li immediately replied, "Oh, the money you sent. I didn’t use any of it. I brought it all with me."
Su Li stood up and went to Little Tang Mo’s room to get her bag.
She took out the money she had set aside and the ring, placing them on the table in front of Tang Yuanxiao. "This is all to be returned to you. As for the money spent on Little Mo... I was happy to spend it, so you don’t need to worry about it or give me anything."
Tang Yuanxiao stared at the money and the ring before him, his brow deeply furrowed. "You didn’t use a single cent?"
"That’s right. I’ve been earning my own money," Su Li said, downplaying it.
Tang Yuanxiao had no idea what a huge splash Su Li had made back in Fengcheng County. Qin Shanshan’s letter had only mentioned that Su Li took the college entrance exam; she certainly wouldn’t have detailed Su Li’s spectacular success.
Although Tang Yuanxiao had heard Su Li mention starting a company before, she later became a substitute teacher. He had assumed she hadn’t gone through with the company and that her "earnings" were just her salary from teaching.
"Your salary as a substitute teacher isn’t very high, and you spent it all on Little Tang Mo... You should use this."
He let out a soft sigh, then changed the subject. "By the way, I looked into two jobs for you."
Su Li was surprised. "Jobs?"
"Yes, jobs. One is a substitute teacher position, which you’ve done before. The pay is a little better than in Xinghua Village. The other is a bookkeeping position. Think about which one you’d like to do, and I’ll ask someone for a favor to get you placed."
Tang Yuanxiao was a man of his word. He had been looking into this matter ever since returning from his family visit, trying to consider all the angles for Su Li’s sake.
"Thank you for the trouble, but I won’t be taking either. I’m going to..."
Tang Yuanxiao cut her off. "Su Li, I told you before. Even after the divorce, you need financial security. You don’t have to turn them down just because they’re from me. I’ve looked into both positions, and they’re both decent."
Little Tang Mo walked up to Tang Yuanxiao and tugged on his sleeve. "Daddy, Mommy is going to go to school with me."
Little Tang Mo, of course, knew that Su Li was here to attend university.
Tang Yuanxiao knew that Little Tang Mo used to go with Su Li to the school where she taught, so he assumed the boy didn’t understand the adult conversation. He patted Little Tang Mo’s head with a helpless smile and went along with it. "Yes, yes, she’s going to school with you."
The substitute teacher position he’d found was at the elementary school affiliated with his work unit. It would be great if Su Li were willing to be a substitute teacher there, but he was afraid she’d refuse. ƒrēewebnovel.com
Tang Yuanxiao glanced at Su Li’s expression and decided not to press her for an immediate decision.
’In any case, even after the divorce, I’ll still look out for her,’ he thought. ’We can talk about this again later.’
Su Li had no intention of broadcasting the news about her university acceptance. Seeing that he wasn’t asking any more questions, she didn’t volunteer the information, either. Instead, she quietly asked the question that mattered most to her.
"When can you write up the application?"
Tang Yuanxiao’s expression stiffened. "Even if I write it now, it’s too late to submit it. The office is already closed."
"Oh. Then write it tonight and submit it tomorrow morning," Su Li immediately replied.
Tang Yuanxiao was speechless.
’This is going to be the death of me,’ he thought. ’When I visited home, Su Li pestered me about the divorce every single day. Now that she’s here, it’s the same thing all over again.’
Tang Yuanxiao had a feeling that if he didn’t write it immediately, Su Li would start nagging him about it relentlessly.
Just as he was stewing in frustration, the voice of his good friend, Yu Le, called from outside.
"Captain Tang? Ma’am?"
Little Tang Mo immediately jumped up to open the door. "Uncle Yu."
"Little Mo!" Yu Le’s eyes lit up. He immediately scooped up the boy and bustled into the room.
"Old Tang, I was looking all over for you! Didn’t expect you to get back first." He gave a meaningful wink. "Coming home to find your wife waiting for you... Nice surprise, huh?"
Tang Yuanxiao, who had, with lightning speed, stuffed the money and ring back into Su Li’s bag, was speechless.
’A nice surprise? More like a nasty shock...’
