Chapter 21
the next day.
Lu Baozhu came to bother Lu Jinxian early in the morning, asking him why he came back so late yesterday and forgot to help him with his summer homework.
Her grades weren't actually bad; she could write fairly well even without tutoring. However, she knew that her third brother was the smartest person in the family.
Lu Jinxian thought for a moment and explained, "A friend of mine had a family emergency last night, so I had to go there temporarily."
The little girl's eyes flickered slightly: "Is he a very important friend?"
Lu Jinxian smiled but remained silent. After all, he didn't want to talk to his sister about Han Meng any further, since the two of them wouldn't have any contact afterward.
Lu Baozhu suddenly remembered something halfway through her walk and turned around, saying, "Oh, I remember now, Brother Yihan told me that Third Brother has a fiancée. Was it her who contacted you last night?"
The young man's gaze faltered. Although his family hadn't intentionally kept it from his sister, the engagement was ultimately an arrangement by their parents, and no one knew how it would end. Therefore, no one had proactively told Lu Baozhu, except...
Guo. Yi. Han.
After having breakfast, Lu Jinxian immediately went to Guo Yihan's house to find him.
Faced with her good friend's questioning, Guo Yihan was very frank: "Children also have the right to know about important things that happen in their families. When you were a child, didn't you also hate it when your parents didn't say anything?"
"..."
Lu Jinxian recalled some unpleasant memories, so she did not refute him.
Indeed, children often don't like being kept in the dark by adults.
"Hey, did you go to their house to watch yesterday?" Guo Yihan grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, cracking them as she spoke, completely unlike a business tycoon.
Lu Jinxian frowned: "She did such a risky thing, and she never came to the teahouse, of course I..."
"Of course I'm worried, right?" Guo Yihan replied with a smile. "I think you're just being stubborn and won't admit it."
Lu Jinxian silently looked at his friend in front of him.
The two were childhood friends and had known each other for so many years. They understood each other very well. Looking at Guo Yihan, he saw that although she was smiling, she didn't seem to be joking.
"Why do you say that?" Lu Jinxian asked.
"Because I've never seen you care about other girls so much. For example, my sister was robbed on the street last month, why didn't you care?"
"I have no idea."
Guo Yihan corrected, "It's because you don't care that you don't know. Even if Miss Han didn't tell you about it at the time, if you saw the headline in the newspaper the next day that the Han family had been robbed, you would still take the initiative to go to her and show your concern."
Lu Jinxian's gaze hesitated slightly. He was almost persuaded by Guo Yihan, but he quickly shook his head and denied it: "Then... it's just a little more concern."
Guo Yihan laughed and said, "Brother, when a man takes the initiative to care for a woman, that's the beginning of a relationship."
"Nonsense, I'm not arguing with you anymore, I'm going to the pharmacy to take care of some business." Lu Jinxian got up to leave.
"If you don't believe me, let's make a bet." Guo Yihan stopped him, a confident smile playing on her lips. "You take the initiative to ask Miss Han out."
How do we bet?
Guo Yihan: "If you actually take the initiative to ask someone out, then I've won the bet. If you don't ask, then you've won."
Lu Jinxian: "...Then I won't go."
He glanced at Guo Yihan for a few seconds, his eyes looking at her as if she were an idiot.
Guo Yihan grabbed Lu Jinxian, who was trying to slip away, and said, "Hey, okay, I admit defeat. But I think, whether you have feelings for Miss Han or just consider her a friend, it's fine to occasionally go out to listen to opera or have a meal together. After all, she has treated us to meals before."
Lu Jinxian nodded and said seriously, "Now you're finally willing to speak like a human being."
Indeed, we can't be anything more than friends, but being ordinary friends is perfectly fine. It's normal for ordinary friends to occasionally go out for meals together.
*
Han Xianfei was driving, with his wife and daughter inside.
"Madam, please let me know if you're coming back late. I've been waiting for you at the train station for so long," Han Xianfei said with a hint of resentment.
He had just returned from a business trip yesterday, and since he had just bought a car, he went to the train station to pick up his wife and go home together.
Unexpectedly, Tang Ying was on the next train. He didn't wait for her and didn't notice that she was on the next train, so he waited for a long time.
The couple had always had a good relationship, and Tang Ying knew that her husband was just venting and didn't really blame her.
Tang Ying said gently, "It's my fault, but isn't this a special case? I can only feel at ease after Xiaomei has been found."
Xiao Mei is the child of her sister and that scumbag. She takes her mother's surname, Tang, and is not even ten years old.
This is the only bloodline left in the world by her beloved sister. If she hadn't found this child and left him to wander the streets, she would probably have felt guilty towards her sister forever.
Thank goodness, thank goodness we found it...
Thinking of this, Tang Ying felt very fortunate and grateful to her daughter. If she hadn't recalled the time when Mengmeng played hide-and-seek as a child, she might never have found Xiaomei.
At this very moment, his family was on their way to see Xiaomei.
The reason Tang Ying didn't bring Xiaomei to the mansion yesterday was mainly because the child is timid, and she was worried that the child would be afraid of the relatively spacious house. Also, bringing Xiaomei to the Han family's house suddenly might make Mengmeng uncomfortable.
So Tang Ying temporarily had the maid take Xiao Mei home. The maid's house was about the same size as the place where her sister lived in Beiping.
"Is this the place?" Not long after, Han Xianfei stopped the car. The surrounding area was a row of bungalows.
"Yes, this is it." Tang Ying got out of the car and went straight inside. "Shufang, bring Xiaomei over here."
Soon, a maid named Shufang came out leading a little girl.
"Thank you so much for your help these past few days. Here, this is my reward for you." Tang Ying handed Shufang a few silver dollars.
Shufang tried to politely decline, but the other party simply stuffed the money into her pocket.
"Madam, you..."
"Don't mention it. You're the one who helped me find Xiaomei, and I even had to trouble you to take care of her all night yesterday."
"Madam, you have really wronged Xiaomei. She is very well-behaved and doesn't need anyone to take care of her at all. She can do everything by herself."
As she spoke, Shufang gently pushed the little girl in front of Tang Ying.
"Little Mei, your aunt is here, quickly greet her."
The little girl was exquisitely beautiful, with delicate eyebrows like willow leaves and big eyes; she was the kind of child who was instantly adorable.
Tang Ying bent down, looking at Tang Xiaomei with great anticipation.
While on the train, Xiaomei barely spoke a few words to her, and never called her "Auntie" or "Auntie" in any way.
But the little girl just blinked and didn't say anything, her eyes filled with fear.
Han Meng remained silent for a while, looked the little girl up and down, and said, "Mom, let it go. My cousin is probably a bit introverted and doesn't know you well yet, so she's afraid to talk to you."
Children like Tang Xiaomei, if described using 21st-century buzzwords, would be considered socially anxious. However, this term doesn't exist in our time, so others probably wouldn't understand why this child speaks so little.
Tang Ying patted Tang Xiaomei's head with pity in her eyes: "That's right. Xiaomei had a hard life in Beiping before and had almost no contact with our family."
Shufang: "Little Mei is a good girl. Now that she's with you, Madam, she won't have any more hard times. She'll be able to eat her fill, stay warm, and even go to school."
Based on her behavior just now, Han Meng understood the implication and asked, "Does Auntie want us to pick her up today?"
The maid's eyes darted away.
Tang Ying: "Shufang?"
Shufang looked troubled: "Madam, you know my family situation. My husband is dead, and I'm the only one taking care of the elderly and children in the family. If I have to take care of a child for a long time, I'm afraid I won't be able to manage."
"Although... Xiaomei is really sensible."
She sighed and took out the few silver dollars she had just received from her pocket. "My problem isn't that I'm short of money, it's that I'm really too busy, Madam, Master, Miss."
"It's alright, you can keep it." Tang Ying pushed her hand away. "I originally wanted to raise Xiaomei by my side. She is my sister's bloodline. My sister is gone, so it is only right for me to take care of her."
After saying that, she turned to look at Han Xianfei and Han Meng, her meaning clear.
She really wanted to take Tang Xiaomei with her and raise her like her own child, but she still had to ask her family's opinion. If her family disagreed, she would have to arrange another place for Xiaomei to live and have someone take care of her.
Han Xianfei laughed and said, "Madam, don't look at me like that. When have I ever objected to your idea? Xiaomei is your niece, so she is my niece too."
Next, everyone's attention was focused on Han Meng.
Han Meng felt a little confused: "What's wrong? I have no objection."
Tang Ying was taken aback.
I know my own daughter's temper.
She had even anticipated while still on the train that Han Meng would likely throw a tantrum if she knew that Xiao Mei was going to stay at the Han family's house.
"If there are no objections, then it's decided." Han Xianfei said.
Han Meng pouted: "No, Dad, you should ask the children for their opinions."
Han Xianfei was also taken aback, and exchanged a glance with Tang Ying.
Tang Ying organized her thoughts and asked Tang Xiaomei, "Xiaomei, would you like to live with your aunt?"
Tang Xiaomei still refused to speak.
Han Meng advised, "It's better to live together. It will be more convenient for you to go to school. You can study hard, serve your country in the future, and bring glory to your family."
The little girl stared at Han Meng with her big eyes.
To bring glory to the family...
Her mother had also told her this word.
"The saddest thing in my life is that I didn't listen to my family and brought shame to our clan. You must never be like me. You must study hard, distinguish right from wrong, and bring honor to our family. It would be even better if you could atone for my sins," her mother said as she hugged her.
"Okay," Tang Xiaomei finally said.
Han Meng laughed and said, "That's great, I almost thought you were mute."
And so, they brought Xiaomei to the mansion.
Han Meng wanted to help tidy up Xiao Mei's room, but Yu Zhi and the others told her that Lu San Shao had come to see her again today.
"Miss, the third young master of the Lu family said he would like to invite you to lunch at Mingyue Restaurant tomorrow."
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