Chapter 153: Chapter 143: Mr. Tang

For the National Day holiday, which combined with Saturday and Sunday for two and a half days off, Xiao Man, Guan Ailan, and Mo Linghui returned to Gongdao Village.

Zheng Shaolian also had leave from the military, but he wasn’t allowed to leave the Wancheng City District. He wrote Xiao Man a letter, asking her to visit Wancheng. Xiao Man wrote back, saying: "It’s time to pick mountain grapes again. I’m going back to pick a lot this time. Even if you can’t eat them right away, I can make wine and save it for you!"

Recalling the rich, sweet aroma of the mountain grape wine, Zheng Shaolian happily agreed.

Meanwhile, Xiao Man and her friends really did take advantage of the holiday to organize a "grand sweep" of the mountains, returning fully loaded with mountain grapes, figs, lemons, and also rice pestles, mountain hickory nuts, and mountain chestnuts.

The winemaking process was simple and easy. After seeing Xiao Man do it last year, everyone started copying her. Grandpa had wanted to pick mountain grapes and make wine himself for a while, since he saw that Grandma also liked to drink it. But Xiao Man said a book made it clear: the timing wasn’t right, and it wouldn’t taste good if brewed too early. So, Grandpa had no choice but to wait for her to come back before starting.

In truth, this was just Xiao Man’s excuse. How could ordinary wine possibly compare to the mountain grape wine she made herself, which was mixed with her "space" mountain grapes?

On the last day of their vacation, as Xiao Man and her two friends sat on the bus, chatting and laughing on their way back to the county middle school, they failed to notice a black sedan that passed them, drove into Gongdao Village, and stopped at the village entrance.

Inside the sedan was a weary-looking Tang Qingyun. He had driven all by himself from the provincial city. Exhausted from the long journey, he hadn’t gone back to his unit in Wancheng, but had come directly to Gongdao Village.

It wasn’t that he’d never been to Ping County before, but he had only ever been to the county seat. He was heading in the right direction, but nearly all the villages were close to the road, and he couldn’t figure out which one was the Public Justice Team. He had gotten out of his car to ask for directions several times, and this time, he had finally, truly arrived.

When the person he asked for directions heard Tang Qingyun inquire where Mo Guoqiang’s family lived, they couldn’t help but give him a second look. They gave him very detailed directions, a knowing smile appearing on their face.

Tang Qingyun found it a little strange, but what he didn’t know was this: Mo Guoqiang was a convict serving his sentence outside of prison. The only people who usually came to see him were public security officers. Since Tang Qingyun drove a sedan and had an extraordinary air about him, he was being mistaken for an officer coming to inspect Mo Guoqiang.

According to the directions from the villager, he only needed to take a path through the village from this end, and he could reach Mo Guoqiang’s house in about ten minutes. If he drove the car into the village and circled around to the other side, it would take more time and be too conspicuous. So, Tang Qingyun parked the car at the village entrance and followed the winding path inward on foot.

After turning who knows how many corners and asking a few children for directions, he finally reached a relatively open area. There were houses on one side and vegetable gardens on the other. A dirt path snaked forward, and there was even an intersection...

’This village is actually more complicated than the city.’

A seven or eight-year-old girl walked over, and Tang Qingyun asked her for directions as well. The girl was Mo Shuixia’s younger sister, Mo Shuiyue. She tilted her head to look at Tang Qingyun, then pointed with a look of disdain. "It’s this yard right here. You’re standing at his front door. What are you even asking for!"

With that, she skipped away.

Tang Qingyun gave a wry smile. At least he had finally found the right place. He turned to look at the courtyard gate, so rotten it looked like one kick could break it down; the low, rammed-earth wall with several gaps in it; and the shacks in the yard, haphazardly roofed with a mix of thatch and black tiles. The thought that his own biological daughter was living in such an environment made his heart ache.

Tang Qingyun took a deep breath, walked forward, and called out, "Is anyone home?" Hearing no reply, he reached out and pushed the gate open.

The dilapidated and filthy state of the courtyard made Tang Qingyun even more agitated. He raised his voice, "Is anybody here?"

A door on Mo Laoer’s side of the house opened, and Mo Xiaosu walked out. Looking at Tang Qingyun, she spoke very politely, "Mister, are you here to supervise Mo Guoqiang? He hasn’t run off anywhere. He went to do some labor work. The production team leader asked him to go. I heard it with my own ears."

Tang Qingyun paused for a moment, then nodded at Mo Xiaosu. "Are you... Mo Guoqiang’s daughter?"

Mo Xiaosu replied, "You’re mistaken, Mister. I’m not part of their family. My dad’s name is Mo Guozhuang, and I’m Mo Xiaosu."

Tang Qingyun realized this was a child from the extended Mo family clan and asked again, "Then do you know where Liu Fengying went? Is no one else home?"

"I don’t know about Liu Fengying. The people in that family are all crazy. They sleep during the day and make noise at night, like ghosts. And their house is so stinky and dirty... Mister, why don’t you come sit in my house for a bit?"

Mo Xiaosu had barely finished speaking when the courtyard gate banged open with a CLANG. Liu Fengying walked in, carrying a shoulder pole and cursing, "Mo Xiaosu, you little bitch, I caught you, didn’t I? You dare curse my family one more time and I’ll pull out all your teeth!"

Terrified, Mo Xiaosu clapped a hand over her mouth. Forgetting all about Tang Qingyun, she turned, ran back into her house, and slammed the door shut!

Liu Fengying threw down the bundle of firewood from her shoulders, brushed the grass clippings from her clothes, and looked up. When she saw Tang Qingyun turn around, she froze as if struck by lightning, completely stunned.

Ever since Mo Xiaoqiang got into trouble, strangers—usually public security officers—often came to the house. Hearing Mo Xiaosu’s words from outside and seeing the man’s back as she entered, she had assumed it was another officer. She never, ever expected it to be Tang Qingyun—Xuanxuan’s rich and powerful father!

’What do I do now? Mo Xiaoman... Xuanxuan! No! Nothing can happen to Xuanxuan!’

’My family is in ruins—the old, the young, the crippled, the useless—but I can grit my teeth and endure it all because I still have my precious Xuanxuan. Xuanxuan is the only one I can rely on, the one I need to rely on! I have to protect Xuanxuan, even if it kills me!’

"Um, Tang... Tang..." Liu Fengying stammered, tightly clutching the corner of her shirt.

Tang Qingyun said, "Call me Mr. Tang."

He was also surprised. The Liu Fengying he had met before, though dressed as a village woman, had been healthy and rosy-cheeked, with neat clothes and a decent spirit. It hadn’t been that long, so how had she ended up like this? The woman before him now, with a sallow, haggard face, messy hair, and ragged clothes... the difference was truly vast.

"Ah? Oh! Yes, yes. You’ve come this time to..."

"I came to see... the child. She’s..."

’She should be in middle school by now.’

Before he could finish, Liu Fengying cut him off with an urgent shout, "Mr. Tang!"

Tang Qingyun frowned. Liu Fengying glanced toward Mo Laoer’s door. Though she was extremely reluctant to let Tang Qingyun see the state of her own home, to prevent Mo Xiaosu from eavesdropping, she still walked over, pushed open her own door, and said to Tang Qingyun with a forced smile:

"Please, come inside and sit. We can talk inside. I’ll make you a cup of hot tea!"

Tang Qingyun didn’t stand on ceremony. The entire purpose of his trip was to see the child and to understand the specifics of her living situation.

He stepped inside. Before his eyes could adjust to the gloom, the light from the open doorway revealed several children sitting or lying on the floor, a sight that made Tang Qingyun’s scalp prickle in horror.

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