Tang Hongen made his point and didn’t push further. Once Liu Fen agreed, he changed the subject, not dwelling on making her acknowledge they were family… That would be pointless anyway – becoming family was just a matter of time, and actions spoke louder than words!
When Liu Fen hung up the phone, she was still angry. Though she rarely spoke ill of others, Ji Ya was truly too arrogant. Even if Liu Fen wasn’t with Tang Hongen, she felt Ji Ya’s bullying behavior was completely unreasonable:
“How could she do this?”
After Liu Fen explained about Ji Ya inviting Tang Hongen to the wedding, Grandmother Yu rolled her eyes: “It’s because the Ji family spoiled her too much. She wasn’t disciplined enough as a child, and now she’s not satisfied just being happy herself – she has to make others miserable. This is what happens when a family fails to raise their daughter properly – pure selfishness!”
Yu Jin couldn’t even teach his daughter well, yet he dared call himself an educator.
Grandmother Yu silently despised Ji Jin again.
But Mayor Tang was also quite something, always looking for opportunities to set traps for Ah Fen.
Liu Fen said Tang Hongen sounded dejected as if others assuming he was alone had hurt him… Grandmother Yu didn’t believe a word of it.
This was just a man’s trick to gain a woman’s sympathy.
Not only do men pity women, but women also pity men. How shameless of Tang Hongen to use such tactics on Ah Fen! Poor simple Ah Fen, how could she defend against this?
Never mind, no need to expose it. If she could be happily deceived for life, that would be Ah Fen’s blessing.
Liu Fen was too indignant to notice Grandmother Yu’s strange expression.
When Xia Xiaolan returned from school for dinner and Liu Fen explained the situation, Xiaolan shared Grandmother Yu’s thoughts – pretending to be pitiful and using psychological tactics on her mother, Mayor Tang was truly shameless!
Even if the deception wasn’t malicious, Xiaolan wanted to warn her mother about being manipulated.
But seeing her mother’s furrowed brow, she swallowed her words.
If her mother felt nothing for Mayor Tang, no matter how pitiful he made himself sound, she wouldn’t care or be moved – she might even find a man playing for sympathy ridiculous.
Xiaolan also thought about the loneliness in Tang Hongen’s home.
Hadn’t she felt a moment of sympathy for his solitude and invited him to spend New Year’s at Shangdu?
Xiaolan could understand Tang Hongen’s meaning. Ji Ya was being aggressive, deliberately holding the wedding in Peng City to show off. Tang Hongen was probably at his limit and wanted to properly make his relationship with Liu Fen public.
So let it be public then. Who knew what other opposing forces might emerge – better to see Tang Hongen’s opposition early so Xiaolan could plan for her mother’s sake.
She wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt her mother.
Not even Elder Song’s family.
Since Ji Ya wanted to cause trouble even with her wedding, Xiaolan would grant her wish and attend as Mayor Tang’s “family” – surely Ms. Ji Ya would be delighted!
Who would end up causing trouble for those who remained to be seen?
As Xiaolan’s thoughts shifted, she smiled at Liu Fen: “Uncle Tang is quite pitiful. Logically, after being divorced for over ten years, they should go their separate ways and live their own lives. But Ms. Ji won’t leave him alone, repeatedly provoking him. Her new husband is a foreigner who can ignore domestic public opinion, but Uncle Tang must continue working in Peng City. If he doesn’t attend after Ji Ya’s invitation, she’ll be smug. If he does go, some might praise his magnanimity… but more likely, they’ll laugh at him behind his back – attending his ex-wife’s wedding alone would truly seem pitiful.”
Liu Fen nodded, “Yes, he still has to work in Peng City-“
Ji Ya and George had no official positions – they could leave after the wedding.
Tang Hongen couldn’t.
His work location depended on organizational arrangements. Thinking about how people would gossip about Tang Hongen after the wedding, whether mocking or pitying him, made Liu Fen very uncomfortable.
She wasn’t sure if her decision was right.
If Tang Hongen brought her, their relationship couldn’t be hidden anymore.
But could she help Tang Hongen save face?
This was Liu Fen’s only hesitation. She needed some support and looked up at her daughter. Xiaolan lifted her chin confidently:
“Mom, Uncle Tang is so pitiful, we can’t let others have a chance to mock him. We must help! You did the right thing. On October 2nd, we’ll both accompany Uncle Tang.”
Did she do the right thing?
Liu Fen smiled unexpectedly.
“I’m just afraid of embarrassing him.”
At this thought, Liu Fen suddenly became nervous.
Setting aside Ji Ya’s neurotic obsession, she was too different from Ji Ya.
Everything Ji Ya could do, she couldn’t.
As a divorced rural woman, would standing beside Tang Hongen support him or embarrass him?
Liu Fen’s earlier burst of courage ebbed away like the tide.
She had been too impulsive in agreeing to help Tang Hongen. It was presumptuous to accompany him to such an occasion… Liu Fen’s mood sank, but Xiaolan put her hands on her shoulders:
“Mom, come with me.”
Liu Fen was pushed in front of a mirror.
“Look at yourself carefully. How long has it been since you looked in the mirror? The you now and the you from two years ago are completely different people!”
Two years ago, Liu Fen had been thin, dark, and withered, without a trace of femininity – more like an ox that only knew how to work! No, no, no – even working animals were fed well, but the Xia family would have preferred Liu Fen to work on an empty stomach. Even plow donkeys got to rest, but Liu Fen had it worse than a donkey.
Material poverty was one thing, but long-term spiritual oppression was another.
Not bearing a son was her fault.
Conflicts with her sisters-in-law were her fault.
Not raising her daughter well was her fault.
She had no status in the family – good things passed her by, but blame always fell on her.
Living in such an environment, beyond material poverty, she was completely negated and ignored. When Xia Xiaolan first “opened her eyes,” she saw a timid, submissive, weak, and numb woman.
But that was two years ago!
Now in the mirror, Liu Fen wore proper clothes. The change in her appearance was secondary – most important was her spirit.
Her back was straight.
Her eyes no longer held only sorrow.
Two years had changed not just Liu Fen’s material living standards – she had a career now, helping her stand up spiritually!
Liu Fen probably hadn’t looked at herself properly. In the mirror stood two figures, one tall and one short. Even next to her daughter Xiaolan in her prime years, Liu Fen held her own.
Not that she looked as young and beautiful as twenty-year-old Xiaolan, but her overall presence was amazing.
“Do you see? Now, standing beside anyone, you make others feel envious. No one will question your background or family situation. Seeing you so graceful and confident, people will envy Uncle Tang!”