Free Web NovelChapter 293: Chapter 293: Letting Go
Tang Yuanxiao looked at Little Tang Mo’s cool, distant eyes, his heart a mix of pain and relief.
"Momo, thank you for agreeing to see me."
Su Li also let out a slow breath. She took Little Tang Mo’s hand and wrote four words in his palm.
"You did great, Little Mo."
Little Tang Mo had always been the one to write on her palm. This was the first time she had experienced the feeling of someone writing on hers.
Little Tang Mo found it both ticklish and novel. As soon as Su Li finished, he couldn’t help but snatch his hand back, rub it, and laugh out loud.
It was so ticklish.
Watching Little Tang Mo’s smiling face, Tang Yuanxiao found himself smiling as well.
His tense body slowly relaxed, and his furrowed brow gradually smoothed out.
Tang Yuanxiao was suddenly filled with a sense of release.
’I didn’t do the wrong thing. My choice was the right one.’
"Momo, I’m sorry I didn’t protect you well before. But remember, Daddy will always love you."
The meeting was brief, and those were the last words Tang Yuanxiao said before he left.
Why did Tang Yuanxiao feel this sense of release? It was because Little Tang Mo was willing to face him and because of the boy’s smile, but even more so, it was because of Mrs. Tang.
Mrs. Tang was in prison, and Tang Yuanxiao never missed a single visiting day.
He went every time, even when he really didn’t want to.
This particular day was New Year’s Day—a new year, a new beginning—and it happened to be a visiting day, so he went early as usual.
But after seeing her, Tang Yuanxiao felt as miserable as ever.
The weather was getting colder, and Mrs. Tang was getting older, thinner, and in worse shape.
Previously, when Mrs. Tang came to see Tang Yuanxiao, she at least knew to change her pants so he wouldn’t smell the odor on her.
She had changed them this time, too, but it was no use.
There was still a smell.
The pungent odor coming from his mother was so strong that Tang Yuanxiao could hardly believe it.
It was only then, unable to hide it any longer, that Mrs. Tang told Tang Yuanxiao about her incontinence.
"It was because I got scared! It’s been like this ever since that time. They all bully me and look down on me. I don’t even want to live anymore."
Mrs. Tang cried miserably, feeling utterly humiliated.
"I’ll ask the doctor if it can be treated. I’ll bring you medicine next time, and some more clothes."
Tang Yuanxiao felt his heart twist as if being cut by a knife.
Mrs. Tang had been one of the most fastidious women in Xinghua Village. Growing up, she had always kept herself, Tang Yuanxiao, and their home impeccably clean.
Tang Yuanxiao knew how agonizing it must be for such a tidy person to end up in this state.
"It’s only been a short while! When will this end? It’s all that little wild—" Mrs. Tang almost blurted out "little bastard." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Her suffering was too intense. Because her situation was so dire, over time, her hatred for Su Li had spread to include Little Tang Mo.
’Plenty of grandmothers have hit their grandsons. I raised him for so many years, so what’s the big deal if I hit him a few times?’
’And now there’s this whole muteness issue.’
Mrs. Tang was filled with anger and resentment. She felt regret and hatred, and the longer she stayed there, the more she felt that the whole world was unfair to her.
’Everyone else is fine, but I’m the one who’s in trouble.’
Brimming with resentment and looking gaunt and haggard, Mrs. Tang was a somewhat terrifying sight.
Tang Yuanxiao could both see and feel it.
Afraid she would upset Tang Yuanxiao if she said more, Mrs. Tang gritted her teeth and changed the subject.
She asked Tang Yuanxiao if he was doing well, eating well, and sleeping well.
"...When I was still at home, I would have sent you food by now. The family slaughters a pig every year, mostly to send some to you. This year, I couldn’t go home, so the house..."
Mrs. Tang thought for a moment. "Tangyuan, why don’t you go back home? The house has been empty for so long, that’s not good. You can also bring all the cured meat and stored food back with you."
"If the villagers ask about me, just say I’m sick and can’t travel, so I’m not coming home."
Mrs. Tang was terrified of the news of her imprisonment reaching the village and was being extremely cautious.
"What’s the point of me going back if you’re not there? Besides, there isn’t much meat left at home. I’ll write a letter later and tell my uncle and his family to take it."
Tang Yuanxiao thought for a moment. "If you really want to eat the cured meat from home, I can ask them to mail some to me. I could cook it and bring it to you."
"Forget it. What’s the point of you bustling around all by yourself?"
As Mrs. Tang spoke, the conversation inevitably turned to the major issue of Tang Yuanxiao’s marriage.
"Tangyuan, you’ll be 28 after the new year. You can’t delay your marriage any longer! You need to get married and have children quickly, while you’re still young and can earn money."
"Otherwise, what will you do when you’re old and your children are still young?"
Mrs. Tang was truly worried. At Tang Yuanxiao’s age, he should have already had two children, just like he’d had Little Tang Mo before.
But as it turned out, Little Tang Mo wasn’t Tang Yuanxiao’s child at all.
Now, Mrs. Tang’s dreams at night were all about Tang Yuanxiao getting married.
"What are you going to do if you don’t get married soon? It’s not like no one wants you. Shanshan likes you. She graduated from high school, at least, and has a job. You two know each other inside and out, it would be perfect!"
Mrs. Tang brought up the same old topic again, much to Tang Yuanxiao’s exasperation.
"Mom, I’ve already told you, nothing is going to happen between me and Qin Caihua."
"Shanshan is a good girl, why are you so against her? Fine, even if you don’t fancy her, you still need to find someone."
"You have to give me a biological grandson! Otherwise, what hope do I have, suffering in here all day and night..."
Mrs. Tang rambled on, every other word about a "biological grandson" or about Tang Yuanxiao getting married.
Every time Tang Yuanxiao saw his mother, he felt a mix of dread and misery, but he couldn’t bring himself not to visit, out of worry.
After seeing his mother, Tang Yuanxiao felt incredibly depressed. He realized he hadn’t seen Little Tang Mo in a long time and missed him terribly, so he decided to call Su Li on a whim and ask if he could see the boy.
And he did.
Seeing Little Tang Mo’s smile, seeing that he was doing well, and then thinking back on his mother’s attitude, Tang Yuanxiao suddenly felt a sense of release.
He had been right not to insist on keeping custody of Little Tang Mo.
’Otherwise...’
’This is good, too. It’s good.’ frёeωebɳovel.com
Tang Yuanxiao had been drinking heavily lately. But after returning that day, he cleaned his filthy, disheveled home from top to bottom.
He cleared out all the liquor bottles.
He walked on in silence, under the strange looks of others.
After throwing out the trash, Tang Yuanxiao looked up at the sky.
The new year had begun.
’My life alone... has also begun. And there will be many, many more days like this to come.’
’I have no right to be decadent anymore. I have to pick myself up and move forward.’
Due to recent events, Tang Yuanxiao’s duties as captain had been temporarily assigned to Yu Le. Yu Le was in anguish over it, but couldn’t defy a military order.
Yu Le had also been suffering a great deal these past few days because of him.
’What did Yu Le do wrong? It’s all because I wasn’t good enough that he’s in so much pain.’
Tang Yuanxiao let out a breath. It was time for him to wake up.
Tang Yuanxiao went to find Yu Le.
That night, Yu Le and Tang Yuanxiao talked all night long and had a good cry, for Mo Jianjun and for themselves.
"Yu Le, you do a good job. Don’t feel guilty towards me all day long, there’s no need for that. After the new year, I’m going to participate in the selection trials."
The captain’s responsibilities were bound to fall on Yu Le’s shoulders sooner or later. Tang Yuanxiao patted Yu Le’s shoulder. "You do a good job."
"You too. Do well in the trials, and come back safe and sound."
