Chapter 198: Talking Sense to Him

“The annoying guy went with his dad. His dad divorced Aunt Xiujie.” Jiang Xiaochao happily took the egg from her, peeling it.

“What’s divorce?” Qiu Yarong was curious.

Divorce was not common these days. It was rare, and Jiang Xiaochao only had a vague understanding of it.

“It’s when his dad and mom aren’t together anymore. They got married but then separated. They don’t live together or sleep together anymore.” Jiang Xiaochao told her what she had heard from other gossiping women.

Qiu Yarong hummed, “So my mom and him are divorced too? But my mom never married him.”

She pointed at Tang Haofei curiously.

Tang Haofei’s heart sank. He wished he had the chance to divorce Qiu Yingwen legally! But that would require them to be married!

“Alright Sister Rong, let’s go buy a headband for your big wife!” He interrupted their conversation before they could say something hurtful.

He had been quite busy lately. He was running to the hospital to take care of Qiu Yingwen, who was reluctant to be cared for by him. He was watching the kids and taking care of them. When he went back to the Tang family, he was surrounded by questions and reprimands.

The Tang family knew about his past misdeeds and the existence of his daughter. They were shocked and overjoyed. Everyone wanted to see Qiu Yingwen and Qiu Yarong.

Tang’s grandpa and grandma were even more insistent. They would come to see their granddaughter, using their canes to support themselves. They knew Qiu Yingwen didn’t like him, and every time they came to see Qiu Yarong, it looked like they were human traffickers trying to kidnap her.

Later, they became increasingly dissatisfied with not being able to bring Qiu Yarong back to the Tang family. They repeatedly urged him to get Qiu Yingwen’s forgiveness, no matter what means he used. They said that the Tang family could lose him, but not Qiu Yingwen and her daughter.

They had always disliked him at home, and now they disliked him even more for staying there for a second longer. They wanted him to go to Qiu Yingwen and kneel before her.

He had been going to Qiu Yingwen’s place often. He didn’t know who spread the gossip, but people were saying he was starting to like the widow. When the Tang family heard this, they were furious.

Tang’s second sister-in-law, before she knew Qiu Yingwen and her daughter’s relationship with Tang Haofei, had gone to Qiu Yingwen’s pastry shop out of suspicion and curiosity. When she found out that the pastries Qiu Yingwen sold were the same ones Tang Haofei had been eating like they were his meals, she believed it.

After meeting Qiu Yingwen a few times, she felt that she was a good person. Tang Haofei had been a scoundrel for so many years, but finally, he was so devoted to a woman. It didn’t matter if she was a widow. As long as he was happy, it was fine.

The Tang family went from doubt to suspicion, and finally accepted it. Later, when they learned that Qiu Yarong was Tang Haofei’s biological daughter, they were both surprised and delighted. Tang’s grandpa beat up Tang Haofei a few times. After hearing his confession, he felt guilty towards Qiu Yingwen and her daughter. Since Tang Haofei couldn’t get her forgiveness, they didn’t have the face to approach her.

At that time, the Tang family remembered something Tang Haofei had mentioned a few years ago. Tang’s grandpa was seriously injured, and Tang Haofei returned from the countryside a few months later. He didn’t know where he was going, and he casually said that he would bring a wife back for his parents.

The Tang family just listened at that time. They really just listened. He said that the woman didn’t even have a shadow. Later, he became even more unruly.

Several times, the Tang family wanted to send him to prison for reform. They couldn’t understand how their Tang family could have produced such a bad seed.

After the incident where he harassed a woman on the street and was beaten half to death, if they hadn’t known about Qiu Yingwen and her daughter’s relationship with him, the Tang family would have considered sending him to the northwest for further reform.

——

Before going home, Tang Haofei took Qiu Yarong to buy a headband. Jiang Xiao Chao was leaning on the counter, looking at a beautiful headband. He reached into his small pocket and took out the allowance Hu Yao had given him today.

“It’s so pretty. Buy it for Mom.”

He didn’t buy a headband for himself, but he bought a headband for Hu Yao.

“I want one for my mom too!” Qiu Yarong picked one out.

“Buy it!” Tang Haofei squeezed between them and looked at the headbands seriously.

Of course, he was happy to buy something for Qiu Yingwen. If he gave it to her directly, she wouldn’t accept it. But if he gave it to her through Qiu Yarong, it would be different.

“Rongrong.”

As they were choosing headbands, another voice sounded.

It was Lu Juntao.

He had been traveling to see patients for several years. After recuperating for a long time, his health had improved significantly. So he returned to Xicheng and planned to stay there for a long time.

After he returned, he had been hanging around Qiu Yingwen all the time. He knew Tang Haofei didn’t like him, but he still deliberately approached her.

Today, Qiu Yingwen was taking a day off from her shop and wasn’t at home. He missed her, and now he met Qiu Yarong at the mall.

Tang Haofei felt he was a bad omen.

“What are you doing, Rongrong?” Lu Juntao ignored Tang Haofei and squatted down to look at Qiu Yarong kindly.

“Buying things for Mom and Xiaoya.” Qiu Yarong said.

No matter how Lu Juntao treated his wife, he was kind to Qiu Yarong. He had also helped Qiu Yingwen many times in the past two years. Qiu Yarong was still polite to him.

“What do you want to buy for your mom, Rongrong? Uncle will pay, okay?” Lu Juntao smiled and rubbed her head.

Qiu Yarong hesitated. She looked at Tang Haofei, “I… he’s paying.”

She hesitated but chose to let Tang Haofei pay. After all, she had been eating, drinking, and playing with Tang Haofei’s money lately. Tang Haofei was still her father.

Although she hadn’t called him Dad yet.

The smile in Lu Juntao’s eyes faded slightly. He glanced at Tang Haofei, whose face was clearly filled with cold mockery. He spoke frankly in front of him, “How can you let him pay? Don’t you remember? Uncle told you that he’s the person your mom hates the most. He’s the one who made your mom suffer so much and made so many people scold her. If you’re good to him, it’s like you’re hurting your mom like those people. Rongrong is a good girl, right?”

Qiu Yarong pursed her lips, her eyes flashing.

Tang Haofei’s face darkened. He raised his leg and kicked him hard on the shoulder.

He kicked with all his strength, sending Lu Juntao flying several meters away with a loud bang.

Lu Juntao groaned in pain, and then he laughed.

Qiu Yarong was startled by the sudden change, and couldn’t help but exclaim.

Realizing he had scared her, Tang Haofei retracted his leg, his face stiff, and stroked her little head, turning her in a different direction.

“Sister Rong and Xiao Chao continue to go and show Mom the hair ribbons, Dad has something to talk about with him.” His voice still had a chill in it, as he tried to soften his tone towards her.

“Are you going to fight?” Qiu Yarong frowned, asking directly, not quite understanding why Tang Haofei disliked Lu Juntao so much, and why their atmosphere was always strange every time they met.

“Of course not, it was a misunderstanding just now, Dad is going to reason with him now.” Tang Haofei rubbed her head, his voice tense: “Sister Rong, don’t listen to irrelevant people talking nonsense, okay?”