Chapter 193 - 181: Investigation
Chapter 193: Chapter 181: Investigation
Attempted robbery and assault on a minor in broad daylight—these circumstances were utterly vile. When the officers from the local station arrived, they immediately slapped handcuffs on all of them. Regardless of their injuries, they were hauled back to the station for questioning first.
As it happened, Tang Qingyun had seen the note his son left and immediately rushed to Gongdao Village with Xiao Feng. Upon learning of the incident, he had Xiao Feng go to the village brigade headquarters and make several calls directly to the Public Security Bureau. This ensured the matter would not be settled quietly. Those scoundrels were in for a world of pain.
Only then did Tang Qingyun finally understand. Mo Dan Ni was actually Mo Xiaoman. Father and daughter had met several times, but he’d never known her true identity. Her claims of being from Fengling County were all just a lie she had fabricated!
Tang Qingyun had been busy for days on end without a single good night’s sleep. His son was running all over the place, and while he was happy to have finally found his biological daughter, the circumstances were infuriating. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of frustration, and he chided her:
"Xiao Man, how could you do this? Did you know all along that I was your father? Why didn’t you just tell me? Did you enjoy this little game of hide-and-seek?"
Xiao Man had no desire to acknowledge Tang Qingyun, but his words still provoked her. She couldn’t stop herself from retorting, "Who wants to play hide-and-seek with you? I’m not in a cheerful mood like Tang Yaxuan! She’s had a much better life than me. Her parents over there dote on and adore her, while my own biological parents over here help her crush me underfoot. Trying to ruin me, trying to kill me—and for what? All to preserve your precious father-daughter bond with Tang Yaxuan!"
The suffering of her past life and the frustrations of this one—all of it swelled in her chest. Suddenly, Xiao Man was overcome with grief and indignation, and tears streamed down her face:
"I wish I’d never been born to you! Why was I hiding? Did I *want* to hide? Answer me honestly: the moment you found out the children were swapped, that Tang Yaxuan wasn’t your biological daughter, did you even *think* about coming to find me? To even take a single look? A five-yuan bus ride decided the fate of my entire life! They beat me with red-hot iron wires, poured scalding oil over my head, and tried to blow up my room with dynamite! If I hadn’t hidden, or if I’d been unable to hide, what do you think would have happened to me? Just today, I was almost dragged off by a gang of thugs. What happens when a teenage girl falls into the hands of a pack of brutes? That’s the treatment I got from the family of Mo Guoqiang and Liu Fengying! Do you have any idea? Why do you think you got such an ’ugly’ Mo Xiaoman? It’s because that’s exactly what they tried to turn me into... All my misery, all my suffering, it’s all thanks to you! I hate you!"
Grandma walked over, tears streaming down her face. Xiao Man threw her arms around her and sobbed uncontrollably.
Tang Haocheng watched Xiao Man, his own face streaked with tears.
Tang Qingyun stood frozen in place, taking a long moment to process Xiao Man’s words. Anger and anguish warred on his face. He strode up behind her, wanting to pull her into a hug, but she shoved him away so hard he nearly fell. Grandpa quickly caught him.
Xiao Man pointed to the door. "Get out! I don’t want to see you!"
Tang Qingyun’s eyes were bloodshot. "My child, your father was wrong... Your mother and I have wronged you. We were so, so wrong!"
"Don’t apologize to me. I don’t need it, and it’s useless! My name is Mo Xiaoman, and I am Grandpa and Grandma’s child. You are Tang Yaxuan’s parents. You have nothing to do with me! It’s getting dark, so please leave. Our home is small and we don’t have much food. We don’t have room for guests!"
With that, Xiao Man went inside and shut the door.
Grandpa and Grandma had heard Xiao Man mention her biological parents a few days prior, but they never imagined they would be high-ranking regional officials. Grandpa, especially, felt a bit guilty for having lied to Secretary Tang before. The elderly couple had wanted to cook a nice meal for the important leader, but then they remembered Xiao Man’s warning: ’Don’t give my "biological parents" any special treatment!’ They were completely on Xiao Man’s side, so naturally, they had to support her. Thus, they said no more to Tang Qingyun, and each went about their chores, leaving him to stand alone in the courtyard.
The moment Xiao Man went inside and shut the door, Tang Haocheng had dashed into the kitchen, where he huddled by the fire pit, refusing to come out.
Xiao Feng sat in the car outside. ’So, Mo Dan Ni isn’t from Fengling County, but from Gongdao Village in Ping County... and she’s Secretary Tang’s biological daughter!’ he thought. ’It seems like they’re having a terrible reunion before they’ve even properly acknowledged each other.’ He couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation and decided it was best to keep his distance.
But Tang Qingyun did not leave. As dusk fell, he resolved to stay the night.
He got some money, along with grain and meat coupons, from Xiao Feng and offered them to Grandma, asking if she would let them stay for one night. He also spoke with Grandpa about borrowing their house to brew a pot of tea and invite the village party secretary and a few other village cadres over for a chat that evening.
Grandpa was about to refuse, but just then, Secretary Mo arrived. He was carrying a large bamboo basket filled with cooked chicken, duck, and other meats, as well as two bottles of bamboo leaf liquor. He chuckled and said, "The village brigade headquarters is too crude, and not nearly as clean and pleasant as Xiao Man’s home. We’ll just host Secretary Tang right here."
Leaving aside what Secretary Tang learned from the cadres and villagers in Gongdao Village, at that same moment, in a room at the Ping County Committee Guesthouse, Wu Xiaowen was holding a listless, tear-streaked Tang Yaxuan, patting her gently. A female doctor and nurse stood beside them, speaking in low voices. In an adjacent room were two men from Beijing.
The men from Beijing were surnamed Wang and Ye. Both appeared to be in their thirties, with stern, unsmiling faces. When they interviewed Wu Xiaowen and her daughter, it didn’t matter how the pair wept with grief or even fainted. Even when an enraged Wu Xiaowen pointed and cursed at them, the men remained expressionless, calm, and composed. They handled each situation as it came, and then the questioning would resume.
After a preliminary round of questioning to get a basic understanding of the situation, Wang and Ye announced they were heading to Wancheng and required Wu Xiaowen and her daughter to accompany them. Wu Xiaowen protested that she had work and her daughter’s school year was about to begin. The reply was firm: "This concerns the lost child of the Tang family. You must take an extended leave of absence. As for Xuanxuan, she will suspend her studies for one semester!"
The two men had been sent by Grandpa Tang, and all their actions were under direct orders from Beijing. They had no need to consider Tang Qingyun’s thoughts on the matter and simply brought the mother and daughter south with them. Wu Xiaowen had demanded to speak with Mr. Tang on the phone, but after picking up the receiver and managing to cry out a single "Dad," whatever he said on the other end left her unable to continue. She hung up, covered her face, and broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
They spent the better part of a day in Wancheng investigating the hospital where the switch had occurred. The doctor who delivered the babies was still there, and they had him speak with Wu Xiaowen for an identification... After gathering some evidence, the convoy of cars made a detour to Ping County. There, they met with relevant personnel, stayed the night, and headed for Gongdao Village the next morning.
And so, when Tang Qingyun woke up early the next morning in the guest room of Xiao Man’s house, he found Secretary Mo already waiting for him in the courtyard. "I just got a call at the brigade headquarters," Secretary Mo told him. "It was from the county. They said some officials will be arriving in our village in about three hours to investigate the switched-babies case. I asked if it was about the Mo and Tang families, and they said yes! So, I told them you were here, Secretary Tang. They said that was perfect and that you should please wait, as they’ll be arriving shortly! Also, your family... and the other girl... they’re coming too!"
Tang Qingyun froze. "Xiaowen and Xuanxuan? But I was told Xuanxuan was in the hospital."
"Heh, I wouldn’t know about that. All I know is, they’re coming!"