"Mother, he's still with us," the little girl holding the butterfly lantern whispered to Tao Wan's mother.
"The great road leads to heaven, let her follow it," Tao Wanniang said irritably.
Ling Yunzhou followed at a leisurely pace. He was puzzled. Even if the two had divorced and he had given them the money, why couldn't they sit down and talk calmly? He had heard that Tao Wanniang wanted to open a restaurant with the Prince Rui's Mansion. Why the Prince Rui's Mansion and not him?
They bumped into each other during the Lantern Festival, and he really wanted to find out if he felt he had lost money somewhere. He told him to just say so, and he would do his best to compensate. They were both in the capital, and there might be times when they could help each other out in the future. Plus, they had a son together. Why bother?
Ling Yunzhou was completely baffled, so he really wanted to ask Tao Wanniang for an answer.
"Mom, the wonton stall." Little Qiao'er pointed to the wonton stall not far away and said.
"What, you're already craving something again after just eating?" Tao Wanniang said with amusement. "Your tummy is still bulging, isn't it?"
"No, Mother, I think the best wontons are the ones you make," the little girl said sweetly. "I'll make them for you whenever you want them."
"Good, Qiao'er has grown up." Tao Wan's mother said happily.
"Qiao'er, Linglong!" A slender young man waved his arm and called out from not far away.
"Mother, it's Brother Hua Manlou." Little Qiao'er stood on tiptoe to take a look and recognized the person.
Hua Manlou came out to play with his older sister, Hua Manru. He was wearing a well-fitting winter coat, which made the young man look very energetic.
"Manager Tao," Hua Manlou called out as he approached.
"Where's your sister?" Tao Wanniang had just finished asking when she saw Hua Manru, panting, squeeze through the crowd.
"Linglong, do you want to play with me and your sister? We know best where the fun places are," Hua Manlou invited Xiao Qiao'er.
"Manager Tao, little brother!" Hua Manru ran up to Tao Wanniang, breathless.
"Qiao'er, do you want to go play?" Tao Wan's mother asked Xiao Qiao'er.
Xiao Qiao'er glanced at Hua Manlou, then at Tao Wanniang, and nodded.
“Then go ahead, Zhang Liang, you go with Xiao Qiao’er,” Tao Wanniang said. “When you’re done playing, take her directly to the carriage.”
"Okay, Big Sister." Zhang Liang turned to look at Ling Yunzhou and asked in a low voice, "What do you plan to do with that person, Big Sister?"
"That's the father of my child. You all go ahead, I'll have a good talk with him." Tao Wanniang glanced at Ling Yunzhou and said with a half-smile. Someone is really too much of an eyesore!
Ling Yunzhou saw that everyone around Tao Wanniang had left. Judging from Tao Wanniang's appearance, she was waiting for him.
He strode forward and immediately asked, "Were you waiting for me?"
Tao Wanniang rolled her eyes and said bluntly, "What are your intentions in following me all this way? Why don't you just say it all at once!"
Ling Yunzhou looked around at the bustling crowd and finally pointed to a roadside stall, saying, "Let's go there."
Tao Wanniang didn't hesitate and went straight over, found a seat in the back, and ordered two bowls of hot soup.
"Tell me, what do you want to do by following me?" Tao Wanniang looked at Ling Yunzhou and asked directly, seemingly seriously but also somewhat casually.
Ling Yunzhou was taken aback, his brows furrowed slightly, and his gaze fell on Tao Wanniang's face as he slowly asked, "Why are you ignoring me like this?"
“We’re divorced. A decent ex should be like they’re dead!” Tao Wanniang said very decisively.
Ling Yunzhou was stunned again; those words were extremely harsh!
“We have two sons. If we two fight like this, it won’t be good for them either.”
Tao Wanniang chuckled, "General, aren't you overthinking this? Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Besides, they already have sons and daughters. Furthermore, General, you should know very well who is missing in their lives."
"To put it another way, if this were Lingjia Village, a son this age would have already separated from the family and started his own household. I've raised them all these years, and I'm still supporting them now. Isn't that more than enough?"
That's true, but Ling Yunzhou still felt that Tao Wanniang was prejudiced against him!
“Wan Niang, I won’t mention our past relationship. In the future, I hope you won’t keep me at arm’s length. If you have any trouble, come to me. After all, I am the father of your child.”
Tao Wanniang looked at Ling Yunzhou with a faint smile.
"General, are you plotting something against me?"
Ling Yunzhou was taken aback, and immediately denied it, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about? You are the mother of my child. I just want to make up for the seventeen years I have wronged you. Don't be so quick to refuse. It is only right that I spend the rest of my life making up for this debt."
"Ha!" Tao Wanniang scoffed. "But I don't need it!"
"I also heard that Ling Dajin boasted to the Emperor that he would never marry. If you get too close to me, won't you ruin my reputation?"
Ling Yunzhou's eyes widened instantly. This meant... "You want to remarry?"
Tao Wanniang tossed a strand of hair aside, smiled at Ling Yunzhou, and said, "Am I not pretty?"
Ling Yunzhou was speechless for a moment. Tao Wanniang was indeed beautiful. She was pretty when she was young and still had charm now. Time may have taken its toll on her youthful appearance, but it has added a lot of allure to her!
"No matter how beautiful she is, it has nothing to do with you anymore." Tao Wanniang then said quietly, "So, you understand the need to avoid suspicion. You, General, will not marry her. But what if I were to remarry? If I were to get too close to you, wouldn't people misunderstand?"
"Besides, no amount of compensation can make up for my seventeen years of living alone and raising the children with great difficulty," Tao Wanniang said again. "To give each other some dignity, I will no longer be harsh on you. As for you, just be good to the two children."
Ling Yunzhou stared at Tao Wanniang, his heart filled with turmoil. She still wanted to remarry, but who would she marry?
"Is there anything else you want to say, General Ling?" Tao Wanniang asked, seeing Ling Yunzhou's stunned expression, which mirrored that of her two sons.
"Why do you want to remarry? And why do you want a divorce?" Ling Yunzhou asked, shocked and puzzled.
“You’re a strange person. Seventeen years have passed, and our relationship is long gone. What use would I have for this empty title?” Tao Wanniang said matter-of-factly.
Ling Yunzhou still couldn't understand. She had waited for seventeen years, and now that wealth and glory were within her grasp, she didn't want them?
“If you are worried about the princess, then I can assure you that I will protect you and the child. I have no relationship with her anymore.”
They were talking at cross purposes, completely unable to communicate! Tao Wanniang looked at Ling Yunzhou, thinking, "Are military men really so inflexible?"
"Ling Yunzhou, I, Tao Wanniang, don't like you. Do you have to be so blunt with me? Even though I'm thirty-seven, I don't want to accept my fate." Tao Wanniang's smile faded. "What's rightfully mine, I won't give up a single cent; but what I don't want, you can't force me to accept!"
Ling Yunzhou frowned even more, scrutinizing Tao Wanniang for a long time before weakly asking, "Wanniang, what's wrong with me? We used to be husband and wife!"
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