Free Web NovelChapter 205: Chapter 205: A Slap
His mother’s arrival should have been a pleasant surprise, but for Tang Yuanxiao, it felt like being plunged into an icy abyss.
He felt as if he had been transported back to Xinghua Village, to the time when Su Li was falsely accused of having an affair. The woman before him, his mother, merged with the image of the paranoid, frantic woman from back then.
So unfamiliar.
"Tangyuan, you’re finally back! If you hadn’t come back soon, you might never have seen your mother again..."
Mrs. Tang threw herself at Tang Yuanxiao, grabbing his arm and wailing.
"Mom, please don’t cry. Don’t make a scene," Tang Yuanxiao said in a low, strained voice.
How could Mrs. Tang possibly stop?
How could she listen? She felt she was about to die from anger and heartbreak.
She tugged on Tang Yuanxiao’s arm and continued her tearful complaints, "...Tangyuan, did you hear what Su Li just said? She threatened me..."
"I was so good to her back then! I doted on her like my own daughter. I never hit her, never cursed her, never even said a harsh word to her. I never treated her the way other mothers-in-law in the village tormented their daughters-in-law."
"Wasn’t everyone in the village saying what a good mother-in-law I was? So many wives envied her. But Tangyuan, just look at her now..."
The veins on Tang Yuanxiao’s clenched fists bulged. He raised a hand, then lowered it, raised it, then lowered it again...
Su Li simply stood to the side, her eyes meeting Tang Yuanxiao’s. She had the strange feeling that she had seen or dreamed of this exact scene before.
’Tang Yuanxiao, did you ever imagine that after all this time, we would meet again under circumstances like these?’
The entire family courtyard came to life.
The sounds of children playing, the greetings of the wives, and the FLUTTERING of sparrows outside awakened the whole compound.
Su Li stood at the doorway, gently wiping the dust from the pot of Orchid by the door.
From the master bedroom, the voices of Tang Yuanxiao and Mrs. Tang drifted out intermittently, reaching Su Li’s ears.
Su Li had no desire to listen.
It was always the same old arguments. She could guess what they were saying even without hearing it. freewebnσvel.cøm
But as if fate were conspiring against her, snippets of their conversation still found their way to her ears.
"...Tangyuan, how could you let her live in a dorm? You have to keep a close watch on her! Think of all the male students at that school, all of them young and impulsive... What if she can’t control herself..."
"...SOB... How could you yell at me, Tangyuan? Everything I do is for your own good! Who do you think I’m losing my appetite and sleep for at home? It’s all for you..."
"..I’m her mother-in-law, don’t I have the right to discipline her? What if she develops feelings for someone else if I don’t keep her in line..." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
"...Even if you tell me not to say it, I’m going to! I’m telling you, you have to control her properly. If she won’t listen to words, you have to beat her until she does!"
"...Why can’t you hit her? A disobedient woman deserves to be beaten! I told you in my letters, you can let her manage the small money, but you have to control the big money. You need to take over and manage all the money that clothing factory makes..."
"That clothing factory belongs to Su Li!" Tang Yuanxiao’s voice was rarely this loud.
"What do you mean, ’hers’? She’s a daughter-in-law of the Tang Family! I’m telling you, Tangyuan, don’t be a fool. That factory belongs to our Tang Family. The Tang Family! It’s to be left to Momo in the future..."
Su Li’s eyes remained as calm as still water.
Another argument erupted in the master bedroom. Su Li couldn’t hear what Tang Yuanxiao said to Mrs. Tang, but in the end, only his mother’s aggrieved sobs remained.
It was a bit like the night before Tang Yuanxiao had returned to the city from his last family visit.
Amidst Mrs. Tang’s miserable weeping, Tang Yuanxiao opened the door and saw Su Li standing right outside.
The moment he saw her, Tang Yuanxiao froze on the spot.
The familiar yet distant Su Li he had faced when he went back to his hometown had returned.
Tang Yuanxiao’s heart sank.
All the way to the bottom.
With Mrs. Tang crying inside, the house was not a good place to talk. Tang Yuanxiao and Su Li ended up walking outside the family courtyard.
For a long while, Tang Yuanxiao didn’t know what to say. He hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself, before finally starting with an "I’m sorry."
"Su Li... I’m sorry."
He hated saying "I’m sorry" when the words were useless, but he felt he had to say it anyway. An apology might be pointless, but to say nothing at all would be even worse.
Hearing this, the corner of Su Li’s mouth twitched, and she gave a faint shake of her head. "You don’t have to apologize."
’He says sorry, I say it’s okay, but that doesn’t mean it will actually be okay.’
"Don’t pay any mind to what my mom said."
Su Li hummed softly in agreement. She didn’t pay it any mind. She *couldn’t* pay it any mind.
Not wanting to continue the topic, Su Li forced a smile.
"Are you hurt? Did the mission go smoothly?"
Tang Yuanxiao nodded. "I’m not hurt. It went very smoothly."
"That’s good." Su Li nodded. "Your timing is perfect, actually. I have some business in the Imperial City, so I’ll have to head back in a bit."
Tang Yuanxiao nodded. "If you have things to do, go take care of them. My mom... don’t worry about her. I’ll talk to her over the next few days."
Su Li didn’t reply.
Tang Yuanxiao continued, "Thank you for last night."
"It was nothing, just a small effort." Su Li shook her head and looked at Tang Yuanxiao.
"I already know that a divorce would affect your promotion. I’m very happy you were able to come back safely."
Tang Yuanxiao stiffened for a moment. "I just didn’t want to put you in a difficult position."
Su Li nodded. "I know. So thank you for that."
"Don’t mention it," Tang Yuanxiao said hoarsely. "Don’t worry about it. This will all blow over soon. It just means I’ll have to go on a few more missions."
He had always advanced his career based on merit. He would just have to work harder and achieve more.
Su Li was speechless for a moment before nodding. "Okay. If you need me to do anything, just ask."
Tang Yuanxiao nodded silently, then told Su Li about Little Tang Mo skipping a grade.
After a brief exchange, Su Li checked the time and stood up. "I have to go. Classes start up again tomorrow. Could you please let Grandma Xiao Mo know?"
"Okay." Tang Yuanxiao’s hands clenched and unclenched before he finally asked in a raspy voice.
"That... Yu Zhengqing..."
Su Li paused. "Senior Yu saved me once before. I was just repaying the favor last time."
Tang Yuanxiao nodded. "Let me walk you out."
Su Li shook her head. "No need, I can get back on my own. You should go see Grandma Xiao Mo first. I’ll find Little Mo and tell him."
Tang Yuanxiao nodded in silence.
There were so many things he wanted to say, a thousand words on the tip of his tongue, but in the end, not a single one came out.
Su Li found Little Tang Mo, said a few words to him, and then, suppressing her reluctance to leave, returned to the Imperial City.
She arrived in the Imperial City around noon. After a quick lunch, she went to the market to find a contractor for renovations.
The book distributor had already sent word that the books could be gathered and shipped soon, so Su Li needed to get ready.
Su Li spent half the day running around under the hot sun before she finally found a suitable contractor. They agreed to start the renovations at noon the next day.
With her business concluded, Su Li dragged her exhausted body home.
Drained both mentally and physically, Su Li washed her face, skipped dinner, and fell asleep.
Her last thought before drifting off was, ’It’s good to be busy and tired.’
’When I’m busy and tired, I don’t have time to think too much... to think about Mrs. Tang...’
The next day was Monday. Su Li had classes all morning. After they were over, she wolfed down a quick meal in the cafeteria and rushed to the off-campus bookstore.
The contractor she had hired was already waiting at the door.
The contractor had just gotten engaged, and true to the saying that a happy occasion puts a person in high spirits, he wasn’t annoyed at having to wait for Su Li and was even smiling broadly.
Su Li apologized as she unlocked the bookstore door. Inside, she explained everything to the contractor, and once he understood, she prepared to leave.
"Alright, I’ll be leaving then. I’ll let you get to work."
"Sounds good. Just come back before dark to check on things and lock up," the contractor said, seeing Su Li to the door.
Su Li smiled and said her goodbyes to the contractor. She had just turned to leave when a slap landed squarely across her face.
