Chapter 20: Not Leaving Yet

Tang Xiaorou smiled. “Okay, let’s go now.”

The divorce took the entire morning.  It was lunchtime, so they went to the state-run restaurant to celebrate.

Tang Jianshe sneered when he heard they were going to the state-run restaurant. “Do you have the money and coupons? Don’t get kicked out.”

Tang Xiaorou didn’t even look at him.  She picked up Little Yan and left. “Mom, Little Liang, let’s go. Don’t talk to irrelevant people.”

“Okay.”

Watching them leave, Tang Jianshe’s face darkened. They acted like they didn’t know him after the divorce.  But thinking of his soon-to-be new wife, he hurried home.

Tang Xiaorou and the others arrived at the state-run restaurant, checked the menu board, and ordered eight large meat buns, a serving of sweet and sour fish, and a side of bok choy.

“These meat buns are delicious.”

After eating one, Tang Xiaorou picked up another. The chef’s skill was indeed excellent; the buns were juicy and flavorful.

Qin Xueqiong also enjoyed them but remembered that a bun cost thirty cents and required coupons.  “Next time, let’s make them at home.”

Tang Xiaorou agreed. “Okay, let’s make them together next time. Let Little Liang and Little Yan help.”

Little Yan, her mouth greasy, nodded in agreement.

After eating, Qin Xueqiong asked, “Xiaorou, what do we do next? Do we go find Xiao Shen?”

Tang Xiaorou shook her head. “We won’t go find Shen Huaixu yet. We’ll go after I’ve taken care of some things here.”

“Things? What things?”

Qin Xueqiong looked at her daughter, confused.

“Mom, let’s find a guesthouse first. I’ll tell you later.”

Qin Xueqiong didn’t ask further.  They checked into a guesthouse room. Qin Xueqiong put the children to sleep.  After they fell asleep, she continued the conversation.

“Xiaorou, weren’t we supposed to find Xiao Shen? Why not?”

Tang Xiaorou smiled. “The Tang family bullied us for years. We can’t just let them go.”

Qin Xueqiong was nervous. “Xiaorou, don’t do anything rash. The Tang family has many people. If you confront them, you’ll be at a disadvantage.”

“Don’t worry, Mom. I have a plan.”

Qin Xueqiong tried to persuade her but saw her daughter’s determination. “Xiaorou, what are you planning to do?”

“I’ll just let everyone know that Tang Jianhua isn’t Grandma Tang’s son.”

“That… it’s been so long. There’s no evidence; no one will believe you.”

Tang Xiaorou smiled. “No matter how long ago it was, what’s done is done. Besides, there is evidence. The Tang family won’t be able to hold their heads high.”

Qin Xueqiong knew her daughter had a plan.

“Okay, do whatever you want. Mom will always support you.”

Tang Xiaorou smiled. “Mom, after we handle this, we’ll go find Shen Huaixu. We’ll start a new life in a new place.”

“Okay, a fresh start.”

Qin Xueqiong also looked forward to a new life.

Meanwhile, Qingshan Village was in turmoil. Someone had unearthed a small skeleton while working in the fields.

“Goodness… how could this be here? Who did this?”

“Yes, it’s terrifying. I’m glad I wasn’t the one who found it.”

“It looks like a newborn who died. But… no one has reported a stillbirth recently. Whose child is this?”

Villagers gathered and gossiped. Grandpa Tang’s face was gloomy; he stared at the unearthed mound, a cold glint in his eyes.

Village Chief Wang Yougen arrived running.

“What’s going on? I heard a skeleton was found.”

“Village chief, you’re here just in time. It’s over there.”

Wang Yougen examined it carefully and said, “In my opinion, we should report this to the police.”

Grandpa Tang’s heart tightened. He stepped forward. “Village chief, it’s just an unidentified infant skeleton. Maybe it’s from a long time ago. We don’t need to involve the police.”

Other villagers agreed.

“Yes, village chief. Let’s just find a place to bury it. We don’t need to report it. It must be a stillborn child from some family.  Stillborn babies can’t be buried in the family graveyard.”

Others agreed. Reporting it would damage the village’s reputation.

Wang Yougen thought more deeply.

“How can you be sure it’s a stillborn child from our village? What if it’s not? What if it was buried by a criminal? We still need to report it.”

The villagers looked at each other, unsure what to do.

Auntie Zhao looked at Widow Xia at the back. “Widow Xia, your house is closest. Did you notice anything?”

Widow Xia’s face was pale. She shook her head vigorously. “No, no. I didn’t notice anything.”

The villagers looked at her. “You’re too timid. Why are you so scared?”

“I… I’m just afraid of seeing these things.”

Widow Xia quickly explained and lowered her head.

Grandpa Tang said, “Village chief, let’s not rush to report it. Let’s ask around to see if anyone had a stillborn baby and buried it here.”

Wang Yougen, having calmed down, also knew that reporting it would make things worse. “Okay. If it was buried by a family, reporting it would be inappropriate.”

After asking around, they discovered that two babies had died in the village over the years, but neither was theirs.  They had buried them near their family graves, not in the grove.

This confirmed the villagers’ belief that it was a family’s stillborn child.

Tang Xiaorou, returning to Qingshan Village secretly, learned about this.  She didn’t expect such a stroke of luck.  Within two days, rumors spread that the baby was secretly born to Widow Xia and, being illegitimate, was buried nearby after its death.

Widow Xia, unaware of the rumors, heard people whispering and quickly denied it. “It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me at all!”