Chapter 8: The Children Arrived Early

Qin Xueqiong explained, “It’s a piece of mutton-fat jade. Your maternal grandparents gave it to me when I got married.”

Hearing this, Tang Xiaorou found it strange. In the original Tang Xiaorou’s memory, the Qin family were three generations of poor farmers.

Where would they get mutton-fat jade? Even if they did give something, it shouldn’t have been given to her mother but to her maternal uncle who disappeared after her mother’s marriage.

Qin Xueqiong didn’t know the reason either. She shook her head and said, “Your uncle hadn’t disappeared yet, but your maternal grandparents skipped him and gave the jade pendant to me.”

Seeing that her mother didn’t know either, Tang Xiaorou didn’t ask further. The most important thing now was to get the jade pendant back. “Mom, let’s go to the main house. We’ll get the jade pendant back today.”

“Okay, let’s go now.”

Tang Jianshe arrived at the main house first and told Grandma Tang about Qin Xueqiong wanting the jade pendant.

“Bah… that shameless woman! She didn’t have any dowry when she married in. This jade pendant is her dowry. She has the nerve to ask for it back! Tell her no, I’ve already pawned it.”

“Old hag, do you think I’m stupid?  Who would pawn anything these days? Especially now, people want real money, who would want a jade pendant? I’m telling you, you better hand it over now, or my sickle might accidentally cut someone.” Tang Xiaorou had picked up a sickle by the door when she came in. Hearing Grandma Tang’s words, she directly threatened her.

“Ah…”

Seeing the gleaming sickle, Grandma Tang was startled, and even Grandpa Tang and Tang Jianshe took a step back.

After they reacted, their faces were very ugly.

“Tang Erya, what are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing? I’m just getting back what belongs to my mother. Otherwise, no one will have an easy time today.”

Grandpa Tang had been the head of the family for his whole life and had never been defied by a younger generation like this. He was so angry his face turned green. “You crazy girl!”

“Heh… It seems you won’t believe it until you see it.”

Seeing them talking nonsense and not planning to hand over the jade pendant, Tang Xiaorou’s eyes sharpened. She aimed at Grandma Tang, who was closest and weakest, rushed forward, and swung the sickle directly at the old woman’s shoulder. She wanted to see if the old woman valued her life or the jade pendant more.

“Ah… I’ll give it to you, don’t cut me!”

Grandma Tang was completely terrified. When the sickle reached her shoulder, she immediately begged for mercy.

At that moment, Tang Xiaorou’s sickle was right at Grandma Tang’s shoulder. In a blink of an eye, her clothes were slashed open.

“Ah… I’m bleeding, I’m bleeding!”

Grandma Tang saw the wound on her shoulder and her face turned pale.

It was just a small cut, but Grandma Tang acted like she was going to die. But she didn’t think about how many wounds they had inflicted on the original Tang Xiaorou and Qin Xueqiong. Tang Xiaorou sneered, “Hurry up and get the jade pendant, or my sickle won’t just be cutting your shoulder.”

Hearing this, Grandma Tang finally came to her senses. She quickly turned and went into the house to get the jade pendant.

Grandpa Tang was about to call for help when Tang Xiaorou interrupted him.

“Grandpa, it seems you want a new wife and want me to kill this old woman, huh?”

Grandpa Tang couldn’t answer this, so he could only stare at Tang Xiaorou and Qin Xueqiong with gloomy eyes.

Tang Jianshe pointed at Qin Xueqiong, speechless. “You… look at the daughter you raised!”

Qin Xueqiong coldly glanced at Tang Jianshe and ignored him.

At this time, Grandma Tang tremblingly brought out a wooden box and placed it on the table. “The jade pendant is here.”

Tang Xiaorou quickly stepped forward, picked up the wooden box, and opened it to take a look. It was indeed a mutton-fat jade pendant. After her mother identified it, they turned and left the main house.

After the mother and daughter left, Grandma Tang started wailing.

“I’m so unlucky! I’m being bullied by my daughter-in-law in my old age! I can’t live anymore…”

“Shut up!”

Grandpa Tang coldly glanced at Grandma Tang, his expression impatient.

Seeing Grandpa Tang’s expression, Grandma Tang didn’t dare to wail anymore. She could only hold her shoulder and look at her youngest son and say, “Jianshe, quickly get some ash to stop the bleeding.”

“Okay, I’ll go right away.”

On the other side, after Tang Xiaorou and Qin Xueqiong returned to their room, they carefully examined the mutton-fat jade.

“Mom, this jade pendant is clearly priceless. Where did your parents get it?”

Qin Xueqiong shook her head. “I don’t know either.”

Although Tang Xiaorou was curious, she couldn’t find out now. She put the jade pendant in Qin Xueqiong’s hand. “Mom, the jade pendant is back. Keep it safe; don’t let anyone take it away again.”

Qin Xueqiong gave the jade pendant to her daughter.

“Your maternal grandparents gave this to me when I got married. Now that you’re married, I’m giving it to you.”

Just as Tang Xiaorou was about to say something, Qin Xueqiong continued with a smile, “Xiaorou, keep this well. This jade pendant is your dowry.”

Seeing her mother’s hopeful and blessing expression, Tang Xiaorou accepted the jade pendant. “Okay, I’ll keep it safe.”  Then she started checking Qin Xueqiong’s wounds. “Mom, let me check your injuries.”

“I’m fine. They’re just superficial wounds.”

Tang Xiaorou insisted, “Even if they’re superficial wounds, you need to put on medicine.”

While checking her mother’s wounds, Tang Xiaorou also took her pulse. She frowned slightly. Her body had long-term malnutrition, resulting in deficiencies. It might take several years to recover.

However, Tang Xiaorou didn’t say anything. She just smiled and said, “It’s okay, it’s really just some superficial wounds.” After taking care of Qin Xueqiong, she opened the things Shen Huaixu brought. “Mom, I’m hungry. Let’s eat something quickly.”

Qin Xueqiong saw the sponge cakes and was reluctant to eat them. “Xiaorou, you eat. Mom’s not hungry.”

Tang Xiaorou didn’t say anything and directly stuffed a sponge cake into Qin Xueqiong’s mouth. “Mom, eat quickly. We can’t let the Tang family get these. I’m afraid they’ll snatch them if we don’t finish them.”

With the sponge cake in her mouth, Qin Xueqiong didn’t say anything more and slowly ate it.

The soft texture and sweet taste made Qin Xueqiong eat faster and faster. She couldn’t remember how many years it had been since she last ate such delicious food.

“Mom, eat slowly. There’s plenty more.”

Tang Xiaorou felt a pang of heartache seeing Qin Xueqiong like this.

Qin Xueqiong felt embarrassed for her daughter. “Okay, I’ll eat slowly. I can’t embarrass you anymore. Otherwise, Xiao Shen will have thoughts.”

“Hmph… Shen Huaixu is lucky to marry me. If it weren’t for his good looks, I wouldn’t have agreed to marry him. So if he dares to have any thoughts, I’ll teach him a lesson.”

Qin Xueqiong glared at her daughter. “Don’t say that outside, or people will talk about you.”

Tang Xiaorou didn’t care.

However, to their surprise, Shen Huaixu arrived with two children that evening.

“These… are these the two children you adopted?”

Looking at the thin and small boy and girl, Tang Xiaorou was surprised. “Didn’t you say I should go to the guesthouse to find you tomorrow morning?”

Shen Huaixu said anxiously, “It’s too late. I have to leave immediately for a mission. My comrade drove the children over as soon as he received my notice.”

At this time, a tall figure emerged from behind Shen Huaixu. “Huaixu, this is your sister-in-law, right? Hello, sister-in-law.”

Getting closer, Tang Xiaorou saw the man in a neat military uniform. He must have been the one who sent the children over. “Hello, I’m Tang Xiaorou, Shen Huaixu’s wife.”

Pang Yunli was slightly surprised to see the poised Tang Xiaorou. After hearing that his friend had gotten a marriage certificate with a rural girl he’d never met, he thought his friend was crazy.

Even though Shen Huaixu had led the team on the last mission and Old Cui had unfortunately died, his two children weren’t Shen Huaixu’s responsibility.

But now, seeing Tang Xiaorou, he found that she wasn’t as bad as he imagined.

“Hello, sister-in-law. My name is Pang Yunli. I’m Huaixu’s comrade and good friend.”

“Hello, would you like to come in and sit for a while?”

Qin Xueqiong also greeted them. “Yes, come in and sit.”

Shen Huaixu shook his head. “Mom, there’s no time. We have to leave immediately.” He quickly pushed the two children towards them. “These are Cui Liang and Cui Yan.”

Pang Yunli heard Shen Huaixu call her “Mom” and looked at him in surprise. He finally realized that his friend was really married; he even called his mother-in-law “Mom.” So he quickly greeted her, “Hello, Auntie.”

“Hello.”

Qin Xueqiong responded with a smile, then greeted the two little ones. “Little Liang, Little Yan, hello.”

The two children nervously took a step back.

Shen Huaixu softly said to them, “Don’t be afraid, Grandma and Mom will take good care of you.”

Tang Xiaorou also showed a warm smile. “Little Liang, Little Yan, come to Mom.” These children looked so small, they might not even be three years old.

Little Liang and Little Yan saw Tang Xiaorou’s warm smile and relaxed slightly, slowly walking to her side.

Tang Xiaorou picked up Little Yan. “Our Little Yan is such a pretty little girl.”

Hearing this, Little Yan couldn’t help but smile.

Little Liang, seeing his sister smile, also smiled. The siblings were no longer so nervous.

Shen Huaixu saw that the two children were willing to get close to Tang Xiaorou and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to say goodbye, the other members of the Tang family came out after hearing the commotion.

Tang Jianshe saw Shen Huaixu and said fiercely, “What’s going on? You just left this afternoon, why are you here again at night?”  He also saw Pang Yunli in his military uniform and the military jeep behind him. “Who… who is this?”

Pang Yunli was about to greet them when Shen Huaixu spoke first.

“This is my comrade. He came to take me back.”

Then he turned to Tang Xiaorou and asked solemnly, “I’m leaving the two children with you. Is that okay?”

Seeing Shen Huaixu’s serious expression, Tang Xiaorou nodded seriously. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of them.”

“Good, I believe you.”

After saying this, Shen Huaixu looked at Pang Yunli and said, “Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Seeing this, Pang Yunli didn’t ask any more questions. He quickly followed Shen Huaixu, got into the jeep, and drove away.