Chapter 616: Chapter 532: Before the Journey

With all the exams over, the long summer vacation finally arrived. No one was more excited than the students and teachers. Xiao Man was thrilled, too. Even though she couldn’t enjoy the entire break like other students, she could take a trip back to her hometown in G Province. Just thinking about it made her ecstatic.

She gave Hao Hao a call. When he heard he couldn’t go to Gongdao Village with her, he started wailing dramatically on the other end of the line, and Xiao Man couldn’t help but laugh. In this life, Hao Hao was still the cool and aloof academic prodigy on the surface, but that was just an act. Around family, he was lively and talkative, sometimes even mischievous and playful—a genuinely warm and caring guy. ’In her previous life, Grandma Tang passed away early from an incurable illness, and Grandpa Tang followed her soon after. Tang Qingshan moved out of the Tang Mansion, and the entire Tang family essentially fell into the hands of Wu Xiaowen and Lin Aizhen. It’s easy to imagine what Tang Haocheng went through. His cold, indifferent, and distant personality must have started forming back then.’

’The Tang Haocheng of today is how he’s supposed to be.’

Grandma Tang really wanted to go back to Gongdao Village with Manman, but her daughter-in-law was pregnant and needed looking after, so she couldn’t get away. Ai Wenli also missed the free-range chickens and ducks from Gongdao Village. Their plump, fragrant taste was just divine; the mere thought of it made her mouth water. She rested her hands on her belly and said to Grandma Tang,

"I know you see how big my belly is and think I’m struggling, but I’m honestly fine. I feel pretty much normal. Maybe these two kids are just sturdy. It’s only a few hours on a plane; it should be okay. Why don’t I go along too?"

The moment Grandma Tang heard this, she refused. "You can forget that idea right now! Is this something to joke about? Don’t say such things, you’ll frighten Brother Mu and Su! Just stay put. I won’t go either; I’ll stay here at home with you."

Xiao Man laughed. "Mom, you’re really something. If my two little brothers take after you, this house is going to be a riot. With three daredevils, Dad will be overjoyed!"

Grandma Tang imagined her two adorable, chubby little grandsons who would soon be here, and she couldn’t stop chuckling. Ai Wenli laughed and playfully slapped Xiao Man. "Your mother is courageous, not a daredevil!"

After she finished her arrangements and handed over her duties at De Ren Hospital, Sun Yiming walked Xiao Man out, looking utterly dejected. ’If only I hadn’t taken on this Wu Xiaowen business, I could have gone with Manman to Gongdao Village. Sigh...’

Xiao Man made a trip to the Lu Family’s house. Weiwei was on vacation too and was waiting for Aunt Xiao Man to teach him kung fu. When he heard Aunt Xiao Man say she had to go to the South first and would teach him when she got back, he was instantly disappointed. Xiao Man promised to bring him back fun toys and tasty treats from the South, and only then did the little guy cheer up again.

Uncle Lu had Yang Liu’er and Lu Jianling prepare some local specialty gifts for Xiao Man to take back to her village. Xiao Man tried to refuse, but Uncle Lu insisted, saying,

"They’re for your grandpa and grandma back home. I know you’ll be checking your luggage, so it’s no trouble to take these along. I’m still dreaming about your grandparents’ corn liquor and cured meats and pickles! You have to let me know the next time they visit. I want to invite them to stay with me for a bit. Your own grandparents are always so busy, but I’ve got all the time in the world. I can show them around, let them taste all the different foods in Beijing, and introduce them to us old-timers from the North. I promise we’ll all have a wonderful time!"

Since this was an exchange of pleasantries between the older generation, Xiao Man couldn’t very well refuse. She accepted the gifts with a word of thanks, deciding she would just explain it to her Grandpa and Grandma when she got there.

Back home, Grandma Tang would pack the things for Xiao Man to take back to Gongdao Village. Grandma Tang often sent packages to Gongdao Village, so she knew what they needed right now.

There was a military direct flight to Wancheng in three days, which Grandma Gu said was perfect. It would give her time to get some things ready for Xiao Man to take with her.

Seeing that she still had time, Pang Xiaoji and her friends dragged Xiao Man out to hang out for two days. With the long vacation finally here, the group of teenagers was buzzing with excitement. They didn’t bother with an itinerary, just going wherever they pleased. They ran wild everywhere, having the time of their lives.

When Xiao Man returned home, she discovered that Dad Tang was back, along with Zheng Shaolian. Both of them had amassed a huge pile of things for her to take to Gongdao Village. Xiao Man pouted. "What do you think I am, a pack mule? You should just deliver it yourselves. I can’t possibly carry this much."

Zheng Shaolian ruffled her hair. "You think I don’t want to go? Tell Grandpa and Grandma something for me: I’ll definitely be back to spend New Year’s with them this year. Have them save a pig for me—we’ll slaughter it when I get back. And save plenty of chickens, ducks, and geese too. Grandpa said on the phone that he’s raising a flock of goats on Qingniu Mountain, and some oxen... Hmm, I’m going to bring a chef with me to cook up a feast!"

Xiao Man was speechless. ’Is that what you call spending New Year’s with the elderly? It sounds more like you’re planning to drive their livestock to extinction.’

Dad Tang chuckled. "It really is a lot of stuff. We’ve arranged for someone to meet you on the other end, so you’ll just have to watch it being loaded and unloaded from the vehicle. How about we send someone to go with you?"

"No, that’s not necessary. As long as someone is there to help, I’ll be fine. I was just feeling a little overwhelmed seeing all this stuff, and from so many different families. I’m worried I won’t be able to explain it all clearly." Xiao Man couldn’t help but laugh, but the truth was, she found it incredibly frustrating. Every time she had to transport so much stuff, she got annoyed. She could clearly handle it all with a wave of her hand, but she couldn’t use her space. Watching people manually haul everything back and forth was just exasperating for her.

The Gu Mansion had prepared a dinner banquet. The whole family was planning to go over in the afternoon when Tang Qingyun called from another province. He said to Xiao Man, "Wait for me for two days. As soon as I get the data and finish up this research project, I’ll skip the rest and go back to G Province with you!"

Tang Qingyun had gone with his professor and classmates to H Province for social research. He was originally supposed to stay there for over two months, but he was already trying to run back after just half a month. Of course, Grandpa Tang wouldn’t allow it. He took the phone and scolded him for a bit, telling him to follow the school’s arrangements and do what he was supposed to do. He didn’t need to worry about things at home.

Xiao Man breathed a secret sigh of relief. ’Thank goodness Grandpa laid down the law. I really don’t want to travel with Tang Qingyun. For one, we’d have nothing to say to each other, which would be awkward. And for two... Hehe! That’s my little secret!’

Upon arriving at the Gu Mansion, Gu Shaoying spotted Xiao Man and immediately abandoned her brother, Gu Shaoqin, and her cousin, Gu Shaoling. She ran toward Xiao Man, her two chubby, fair arms outstretched like lotus roots, and hugged her legs. Looking up with a bright giggle, she exclaimed, "Sister Xiao Man, you’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for ages and ages!"

Xiao Man smiled and took a bundle wrapped in a handkerchief from her bag. Inside were small, blackish-purple berries, each only about the size of a fingertip. They were fragrant, tender, and refreshingly sweet, melting the moment they entered one’s mouth—a favorite among children. A few of them grew in the woods inside her Treasure Pearl Space.

"Thanks for waiting for me," she said. "I picked these on a mountain trail yesterday. Try one and see if you like it."

Gu Shaoying quickly picked one up and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes instantly crinkled with a smile. "So sweet! And yummy! Sister, do you have any more?"

Xiao Man was long accustomed to this little foodie’s unique logic. The berry in her mouth wasn’t even swallowed yet, but she was already planning for the future, wondering when she could get her hands on these delicacies again.

Because of this, Xiao Man always had to choose her words carefully. Since she’d given her wild berries, her reply had to be something like, "Not right now. But if I go out hiking again in the future, and it happens to be the right season, maybe I’ll come across them again."

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