Chapter 259: Only as Strangers
Tang Yunpeng watched his father's constantly changing expression with eyes full of curiosity, whereas Tang Min and Tang Dong looked confused, as they were clueless about what kind of situation they were in.
"Why aren't you chasing him!"
Tang Guosheng came out from his daze and immediately called out as he saw that his children were still there.
Tang Yunpeng hesitated for a while. Then, he turned around and walked out of the ward. As he entered the corridor outside, he was still figuring out the whole process. He waved to a bodyguard in casual attire and asked, "The young man who just came out of the ward, where did he go?"
The guard pointed to the stairs, "There!"
Tang Yunpeng nodded and strode toward the stairs. Just as he reached there, he saw Tang Xiu leaning on the wall, looking gloomy and smoking a cigarette.
"Divine Doctor Tang, I want to know the reason you acted like that."
Tang Xiu looked at him with a cold and detached expression, "You have neither the right nor the qualification. Even your father don't have that right either. If I'm not mistaken, at that time Tang Yunde was expelled from your family and then came to Star City alone, am I right?"
Tang Yunpeng knitted his brows as he asked, "How do you know about my youngest brother's situation so much?"
Tang Xiu shook his head, "I know very little, but these are enough for my family to detest your Tang Family. So I'm telling you to not provoke me. Your Tang Family might be big and powerful, but if I want to destroy you, it's still within my capabilities."
The frown on Tang Yunpeng's face grew deeper as he continued asking, "You seem very hostile toward us. Do my Tang Family and yours have any hatred and grudges?"
Tang Xiu sneered, "A grudge? How I wish that it was only a grudge! Just forget it, I already told you that I cannot treat your father's illness. Do your best to deal with it yourself." Having said that, he walked downstairs.
"Wait!"
A loud voice reverberated. It wasn't Tang Yunpeng but Tang Guosheng who came with someone propping him up.
Tang Xiu stopped and looked at him coldly.
Tang Guosheng stopped in front of Tang Xiu. He prudently looked at Tang Xiu's features for a long while before muttering, "You look like him, at least 60 percent! Twenty years ago, I almost turned Star City inside out, but still, I failed to find my youngest daughter-in-law, a woman called Little Yun. Since Yunde suddenly got injured and turned into a vegetative state, it's already been twenty years that I've been hoping for him to wake up, so he that can tell me personally that woman's full name. At that very same time yesteryear, he told me that she was already pregnant and lived here!"
"WHAT?"
Tang Yunpeng and Tang Xiu exclaimed out in alarm without them realizing. Even Tang Dong's eyes turned wide, disbelief shooting out from his eyes.
They all knew about this matter, and it had been a long time they had been seeking for the answer!
Could it be…
The three people's eyes looked at Tang Xiu intensely.
Tang Xiu was silent. He knew nothing of the actual facts that had happened that year. If that man suddenly went missing because he was severely injured and turned into a vegetative state and then was brought back to the capital, should he hate him for this?
Finally, Tang Xiu slowly raised his head and looked at the excited Tang Guosheng, saying indifferently, "That's your family's problem, nothing of it is related to me whatsoever. I may help and treat your illness, but I want you to never again appear in Star City afterward."
Tang Guosheng walked forward a step and said with all solemnness, "If you're my…"
Tang Xiu waved his hand to interrupt him and said with a cold and detached expression, "No! The more I hear that hated name, the more extreme I'll respond to it. Furthermore, I'm already twenty-two and I shall have nothing whatsoever related to you. So, just go to the ward and I'll treat you there."
Twenty-two years old?
Tang Guosheng frowned deeply. If Tang Xiu's age became the reference, he couldn't be his own grandson, yet his response and appearance was too unusual. Even if he wasn't his grandson, perhaps there was an unseparated relationship between him and his daughter-in-law.
"Tang Xiu, you know about my youngest son's situation and your response is way too unusual. So, I'm very sure you must know something. Please tell me, my Tang Family will certainly thank you for this."
While walking toward the ward, Tang Xiu replied with a cold and detached voice, "I couldn't care less about the gratefulness of your Tang Family. You'd better not to think about this messed up shit and rather focus on your asthma. If you want me to treat you, then cut the crap. If you don't want me to treat you, then don't shit much longer here and go the hell back to Beijing."
Tang Guosheng wore a complicated expression on his face. The more unusual Tang Xiu acted, the more he was certain about his suspicion. Tang Xiu must know a lot about his youngest son and his wife. Yet, with the apparent hostile attitude Tang Xiu had toward him, he felt that he must not act with undue haste.
A strange light glinted from Tang Dong and Tang Min's eyes even though they kept silent. Tang Yunpeng, however, frowned and said with a sinking tone, "Tang Xiu, you'd better pay attention to your attitude."
"Hmph," Tang Xiu snorted coldly, "You think that my attitude isn't good enough? If you feel so, then get the hell out."
Tang Yunpeng was incensed. He was a man with a prominent position and also a high-ranking official of the region. No one dared to speak to him with such attitude for many years. Furthermore, his father had a more distinguished status and was someone with equal status with the few senior statesmen of the country. Now, however, a 20-year-old young man humiliated him, causing him to want to act against Tang Xiu at once.
Tang Guosheng raised his hand to stop Tang Yunpeng as he glared at him. Only then did he look at Tang Xiu and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you for this, Divine Doctor Tang."
After returning to the ward.
Su Jiande saw Tang Xiu returning and quickly asked, "Tang Xiu, are you alright?"
Tang Xiu squeezed out a smile as he shook his head, "Uncle Jiande, I'm fine."
Su Jiande calmed down from his tensed up state.
He was a typical countryside layman. All of his relatives were also local farmers there. They also thought that Tang Guosheng looked somewhat familiar before, and at present, they suddenly realized they had seen him on TV. He was one of the bigshot leaders of the country.
As good-hearted as he was, he wished to urge Tang Xiu to not offend this kind of bigshot. But then, he swallowed the line that was already on the tip of his tongue.
Tang Xiu pointed the to the sickbed and spoke with a sinking tone, "Take off your coat and get down with your face to the floor."
Tang Guosheng did as he was told and lied on the end of the sickbed. Although he didn't know how Tang Xiu would treat him, but with the title of Divine Doctor, then it surely wouldn't be a prank.
Tang Xiu's fingers pressed Tang Guosheng's and rubbed it for half a minute. Then, he took the alcohol and alcohol cotton handed over by Li Hongji and rubbed the said acupoints over and over again, while his fingers pressed all the acupoints on Tang Guosheng's lungs.
Asthma was also known as bronchial asthma. It was a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs, which involved a variety of cells and respiratory parts. If the conditions become more serious, it could lead to pneumonia.
The chronic airways inflammation oftentimes was accompanied by the increasing of hyper-responsive respiratory tracts, leading to repeated wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. If one wanted to cure it, besides treating the bronchial obstruction, on the other hand, one would have to ease the inflammation of the lungs.
Tang Xiu actually had a more effective treatment method. However, Tang Guosheng's age was, after all, already advanced and not suitable for quite radical treatments, even though the effect of such treatment method was extremely excellent. Therefore, Tang Xiu could only choose the gentle method with a slightly worse effect than the first method. Yet, despite the method being gentle, it still frightened the people around.
As one of Tang Xiu's hands took the alcohol and alcohol cotton from Li Hongji, he also took back his other hand from Tang Guosheng's lungs' acupoints. Along with the flow of his star force into the palm of his hand, Tang Xiu began to hit Tang Guosheng's back repeatedly.
Each and every hit he did it, it caused his star force to enter Tang Guosheng's body, as he controlled the surging force toward the internal organs, lungs and trachea, until his star force gradually seeped into them.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
A severe cough made Tang Guosheng's body tremble. His eyes turned bloated and his face turned red. Even the green veins on his forehead protruded.
The crowd around were trembling as they watched the scene scared shitless. The Tang Family in particular had a thought sprout in their hearts: Tang Xiu had said that he wouldn't treat this old man, yet, might he take the chance to retaliate at this time, and then cause the old man to suffer?
About ten minutes later, Tang Guosheng was no longer coughing. Tang Xiu slowly retracted his hands. He then washed his hands with the warm water and said indifferently, "Let the senior Chinese medical doctor from the hospital make a Chinese herbal medicine prescription to raise the qi and moisten the lungs. Drink the medicine for three to five days. Anyways, President Li, he's fine now, he can already be discharged! The hospital has insufficient wards, so we might as well have it unoccupied and not delay the other patients."
"This…"
Li Hongji hesitated.
Tang Guosheng slowly got up from the sickbed at this time as he sat there, stroking his chest. A faint excited expression was revealed on his old face. He could clearly feel that his breathing was particularly smooth, very different from his usual struggle to breath. Even his brain was much more sober and clearer than before.
The effect that satisfied him the most was that he could feel that his body was very comfortable, as though he got a few decades younger. His body now felt a lot more relaxed.
"Leave the hospital and take care of the administration formalities immediately!"
At the moment, Tang Guosheng's voice brought with it a lot more strength than before.
Li Hongji dared not to offend Tang Xiu or Tang Guosheng. And now, he immediately felt relieved inwardly upon seeing Tang Guosheng compromising. However, his eyes had a lot more admiration when he looked at Tang Xiu now.
Who was Tang Guosheng?
He was one of the senior statesmen of the country! Someone with an honorable status and above hundreds of millions of people.
Yet, Tang Xiu dared to have such attitude toward him, even Li Hongji couldn't help but slightly worship him!
After Tang Xiu had treated Tang Guosheng, he no longer stayed inside the Chinese Medical Hospital. By now, he only had one thought: to immediately rush to his hometown in Qinghe County to see his mother. Prior to this, his mother had never wanted to tell him anything about this and he also didn't want to disturb and make her awkward about the matter. Yet, now was different. Since that man was still alive and also in a vegetative state, for whatever it could be, he must tell this issue to his mother.
As for what his mother would do, he could only respect her decision.
On the way back, he called Su Ben and Su Quan, telling them to not leave for Star City as he wanted the both of them to wait for him in the Su Village.
Two hours later, Tang Xiu had driven back to the Su Village. When he had just parked his car outside his grandmother's courtyard, Su Ben and Su Qian came out from the house.
"Tang Xiu!"
Su Quan called him out.
Tang Xiu waved at him and said, "You two wait for me outside. I have something important to discuss with my mother. After we talk, I'll chat with the both of you."
"Alright!"
Su Ben and Su Quan nodded at the same time.
Chapter 260: The Not Unexpected Decision
Star City, at Long's Dining Hall.
Inside the luxurious presidential suite, Tang Guosheng sat uprightly on the living room's couch. He had stopped smoking for decades, yet he was smoking right now. Even though his children had tried to stop him, they were unable to do so. At this time, the eyebrows on his old face were deeply wrinkled as he looked at his mobile on the coffee table in front of him from time to time.
He was waiting, waiting for the investigation result which he had ordered to be carried out after he left Star City Chinese Medical Hospital!
"Ring, ring, ring…"
His mobile's ringtone finally sounded. The call Tang Guosheng was anxiously waiting.
"Report."
Tang Guosheng extinguished his cigarette with quite an effort as he grabbed the mobile and answered the call. His expression and voice were extremely serious.
A voice then transmitted through his phone, "Senior Chief, we've investigated Tang Xiu's information clearly. He's 20-years-old this year, with excellent academic performance and the top scorer of science subjects for Shuangqing Province this year. Hometown is the Su Village in Qinghe County, no father, was brought up by his mother—Su Lingyun. He also still has a grandmother in his hometown…"
When Tang Guosheng heard that Tang Xiu was really 20-years-old, he suddenly stood up. His old body couldn't help but tremble upon hearing the name "Su Lingyun".
He was now completely sure that Tang Xiu was his grandson!
His age fit. Single parent. Everything fit!
Su Lingyun, with the last character of Little Yun, also coincided with the name said by his youngest son.
Tang Guosheng didn't believe that existed so much coincidence.
After listening to the report.
A long period of time passed before he slowly sat back on the sofa. His eyes were somewhat wet, a complex expression within. He was perfectly aware of Tang Xiu's hatred and anger, as well as understood why he was like that. The incident that happened to his youngest son was too sudden, so sudden that he hadn't been able to confess to Su Lingyun.
However, he neither had a clue nor understand why Su Lingyun didn't go to Beijing to find the Tang Family after so many years. Could it be that she wasn't sure she had borne the descendant of the Tang Family, meaning she already became the daughter-in-law of the Tangs?
Tang Yunpeng, who stood at the side, could see the complex expression on his father's face. After hesitating for a long period of time, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Father, what's the result?"
Tang Guosheng slowly raised his head as he looked at his children and nephew in front of him. He then nodded and said, "I wasn't wrong. Tang Xiu is really the son of your youngest brother, my grandson."
Tang Yunpeng quickly replied, "But his age…"
Tang Guosheng said, "He didn't want to recognize us and used it as an excuse. His real age is 20-years old and he lives with his mother and has no father. He grew up in the Su Village from childhood with the family from his maternal line."
At this moment, Tang Yunpeng, Tang Min, and Tang Dong understood.
Tang Yunpeng said in a heavy tone, "Father, since he's the descendant of our Tang Family, we can't ignore him. No matter what he wants, we must take him back to Beijing with us to kowtow before our ancestral shrine and recognize his ancestors and family line. Besides, he also has superb medical expertise; he could even cure your chronic asthma you had endured for so many years. Perhaps, he really has the confidence to save Yunde from his coma."
Tang Guosheng shook his head with a pained expression, "Sigh, for him to recognize his ancestors and family line is necessary, that I know. Yet, I'm afraid that it could be a very difficult process. You also saw how deep the resentment he showed when he identified our identities. The accumulation of resentfulness for 20 years, is not something that could fade away within a short while. Furthermore, let alone the fact that he has cured my asthma, just solely the lonely and forsaken life those mother and son had gone through, which I believe it's our sin, for they have suffered so many hardships and sufferings for so many years; our Tang Family indeed have no qualifications and right to ask him anything."
"Then, how should we proceed with this, father?" After pondering for a moment, Tang Min asked.
Tang Guosheng replied with a heavy tone, "I'll go to Qinghe County personally. Go and prepare the car for me."
"I am coming too!"
"I am coming too!"
Tang Yunpeng and Tang Min shouted in unison.
Tang Dong also opened his mouth, yet, for fear that his uncle—Tang Guosheng would reprimand him, he strongly held back the urge.
Tang Guosheng shook his head, "Little Min, you'll go with me. As for you, Yunpeng, since our Tang Family has been in a very unstable situation due to my sickness, you must go back to the capital and help your Third Uncle stabilize the situation there. Furthermore, the matter with Little Tong must be carried out as fast as possible. Even if we must trade it with some of the interest the opposite party wants, she has to take that position. This retreat, all in all, would be very helpful for our Tang Family's layout plan in advance."
"This… Understood!"
Tang Yunpeng hesitated for a moment before reluctantly agreeing.
At the Su Village, Qinghe County.
Tang Xiu entered his grandmother's house courtyard and he saw his mother washing his grandmother's clothes while Su Xiangfei helped her with the laundry.
"Hmm? Xiu'er, didn't you tell me that you wouldn't come back for the time being? How come…" A surprised expression was suddenly revealed on Su Lingyun's face as she saw Tang Xiu.
Looking at Su Xiangfei with the back of his eyes, Tang Xiu then replied to her, "Mom, I have something important to talk to you. Let's find a quiet place."
"What important thing?" asked Su Lingyun with a puzzled expression.
Tang Xiu walked to the side room where he stayed and said, "Mom, please follow me and you'll know it. But you have to be mentally prepared. And please don't be agitated regardless of anything you hear from me."
Su Lingyun laughed involuntarily, "You, sonny, how come you're acting so mysterious? Alright, I promise you that I won't get agitated."
Inside the side room.
Tang Xiu closed the door from the inside as he released his perception and found that Su Xiangfei didn't come over to secretly eavesdrop, but sat on the spot where his mother just left and continued to dry the washed clothes. He then nodded his head as he turned around to look at Su Lingyun, saying, "Mom, I just met some people today."
Su Lingyun was as at a loss whether to cry or laugh, "Uh, you just met some people, why would you even need to report to me? Right, were those people from the top universities in China wanting to throw you an olive branch because you're the top scorer for the science subjects in Shuangqing Province this year? I too have heard that numerous universities would rush and struggle to receive the CET's top scorer from each province every year!"
Tang Xiu replied with all solemnness, "Mom, the people I met were not those from the top universities. They… they were all surnamed Tang!"
Su Lingyun stared blankly for a moment as her complexion changed greatly and turned pale.
Tang Xiu continued with a heavy tone, "There was also an old man. He's called Tang Guosheng, as well as his eldest son, Tang Yunpeng, his daughter, Tang Min, and his nephew, Tang Dong, who came from the capital. They are the Tang Family of Beijing."
Su Lingyun's body trembled. If not for her quickly supporting herself on the wall, she would've fallen to the floor. Her face turned extremely desolate, with fear glittering inside her eyes.
Tang Xiu held her arms, taking her to sit on the edge of the bed. Only after that did he continue, "Mom, I think you need to tell me something about this. Certainly, I still have many things that I have yet to tell you, such as… the news about… him!"
His… the news about him?
Su Lingyun's eyes contracted violently, with an inconceivable expression bursting from her eyes.
He… was still alive?
Tang Xiu no longer spoke. He knew that his mother would need some time to digest the news.
After a long period of time, an agitated and disturbed expression covered Su Lingyun's face, along with some expectations within it as she whispered, "He… where's he?"
"Beijing," answered Tang Xiu faintly.
A thick sense of loss was revealed on her face while translucent crystal tears spun inside her eyes. She bit her lower lips as she murmured, "H-he didn't… die… w-why didn't he come find us? H-he obviously knew that I was pregnant that time…"
Tang Xiu interrupted her, "He has been in a coma for twenty years, in a vegetative state."
"What?"
Su Lingyun was shaken and shocked by Tang Xiu's news. Looking at him in a daze, she looked as though she couldn't believe what she heard.
In a vegetative state?
For twenty years?
He…
In an instant, Su Lingyun broke into tears. A thick remorse rose inside her, regretting not going to the capital. She clearly knew that his family was there, but why didn't she go there to look for him?
Tang Xiu held her gently as he patted her back and said, "Mom, I always knew that you're a strong woman ever since I was small. You might look soft on the outside, but you have a tenacious and strong heart. Please don't cry, and tell me everything about that year…"
Su Lingyun wept bitterly for a while. After that, only then did she raise her hazy and tearful face, speaking in a bitter and painful tone, "In the past, he got a call from his comrades to go out. So he said that he would go out drinking. At that time, I didn't take him seriously but waited for him. I then waited for a day, two days, three days…"
"He was then missing, without even any news. I reported to the police, yet there were no results whatsoever. I always believed he wouldn't abandon us, so I thought that he had died in some dark alley. Afterward, Su Shangwen took me back home and I lived there until you were born. After giving birth to you, I didn't give up hope and wanted to go to the Capital to find him and his Tang Family. But, I didn't dare. I was afraid…"
Tang Xiu sighed secretly, "You were afraid that I would be taken away by the Tangs, weren't you?"
Su Lingyun nodded silently and replied amidst her crying, "The Tang Family of Beijing is a wealthy family and has fearsome power and influence. If they knew that I had Tang Yunde's son, I was afraid they'd snatch you away from me. I've already lost a husband, I can never bear to lose my own son!"
"So all these years, you never thought of going to Beijing?" asked Tang Xiu.
"Xiu'er, do you remember before you entered Junior High School? Every year I said I had to go to the neighboring city to see our relatives. In fact, where would I have any relatives in the neighboring cities! I basically spent all the little bit of money I saved to find news about your Dad. For more than a decade I went there every year, I even went to the old residence of the Tangs hundreds of times, yet I only dared to secretly observe the place from far away. However, I've never heard anyone mention about your Dad and never once have I ever seen him," said Su Lingyun with a bitter and agonized expression.
Tang Xiu suddenly realized and said earnestly, "Mom, I think you've done the right thing. I felt happy being raised up by you, receiving and feeling motherly love. But…"
"But what?" Su Lingyun finally stopped crying and asked.
Tang Xiu replied, "But, what do you intend to do now?"
Su Lingyun answered without thinking, "I'll go see your father! I believe him. As long as he doesn't die, there will be no difficulties. He has been in a coma, lying on the cold bed for twenty years, without me staying at his side to take care of him. Therefore, as long as he's still alive, I'll stay with him for the rest of my life and look after him."