CHAPTER 462: CHAPTER 462: BEGGING FOR A SECOND CHANCE (FIFTH UPDATE)

Wangjiang County, Qianjin Village.

Granny Tang’s new house has already been built. It was originally planned to be separate, but after Tang Zhengyuan and Wang Aihua divorced, Tang Zhengyuan decided to live together with Granny Tang, so the new house was not split up after all.

The new house is very spacious, with many rooms, a two-story building, the kind that can accommodate everyone even if all the children come back.

The beautiful and brand new house, even though only the framework has been erected, takes up a sizable area. Among a village of wooden houses, this new house particularly stands out.

This new house was built on the original foundation, while Granny Tang was living in Tang Zhengde and his wife’s house.

When Tang Mingli came back, Granny Tang was in the vegetable garden. Now that the new house is finished, it just waits for the bricklayers to tile the roof, paint the walls, do some woodworking inside, and make some new furniture, then the new house can be moved into.

The vegetable garden, which previously was open, is now enclosed by a wall and planted in the backyard. Even before moving in, it has already been the envy of the villagers.

Recently, Granny Tang has been receiving compliments from everyone in the village, praising her three sons for being successful. Granny Tang couldn’t be more delighted deep down. For a parent, there is nothing more joyful than seeing their children do well.

The new furniture in the house is made by the Tang family’s fourth daughter. They only charged half the price, and looking at how the new house will soon be livable by the end of the year, Granny Tang even hummed traditional opera tunes while working in the vegetable garden.

"Mom." Hearing Granny Tang humming the opera, Tang Mingli also felt happy and contented.

"Mingli is back?" Granny Tang said enthusiastically, "Mingli, is An’an back too?"

"They’re still in Jing City." Tang Mingli placed the stuff inside the house and asked, "How come I didn’t see Xiao Xian and his wife?"

"Isn’t Xiao Xian running a mat factory? They’re both at the factory. Guo Li is about to give birth, so she should be near the factory." Granny Tang said, and immediately went on, "Mingli, grab a chicken. I’ll stew it for you, you’ve become so thin."

"No need, Mom, this chicken..." Tang Mingli hadn’t finished refusing when Granny Tang was already chasing the chicken in the yard.

Granny Tang felt good and, with better nutrition at home, her health improved a lot too. In the yard, the chickens were flying everywhere, and Granny Tang was determined to catch one.

Tang Mingli thought about Granny Tang needing some nutrition as well, so he started to help catch the chicken. Granny Tang then boiled water to slaughter and pluck the chicken, until it was stewing in the pot. This series of actions impressed Tang Mingli, as he praised, "Mom, you’re amazing."

"That’s right," Granny Tang said happily, "Has Zheng Yuan come back? What about Zhengde?"

"They should both be coming back." Tang Mingli came back early. They said they would come back if they could make time, to gather together. He said, "By the way, Mom, I’m going to bring quite a few people to Jing City this time, do you want to go and have a look?"

"Forget it, I’d better not stress this old body of mine. Besides, you’re going to do business; it would be inconvenient to take an old lady like me along." Granny Tang said, "Mingli, it’s good to grow your business, but also pay attention to your safety outside."

Granny Tang carefully reminded him.

When lunchtime came, Tang Xian and his wife returned. Guo Li’s belly was large, making her frame look even more delicate. Granny Tang said, "Xiao Li, you’re about to give birth. Eat more, look how thin you are."

"Granny Tang has stewed chicken soup for you, Xiao Xian, you can’t just focus on the factory and neglect Xiao Li," Granny Tang holds great expectations for Guo Li’s unborn great-grandson; now that the family is well-off, she spares no efforts to provide, yet Guo Li just can’t seem to put on any weight.

"Granny, I won’t," Tang Xian, a little over twenty years old, is brimming with vigor. Having borrowed money to start his business, he has now made the mat factory quite successful, and unlike Wang Aihua, Tang Xian is not at all displeasing.

"Uncle Gen," Tang Xian greeted warmly, "Has Anan not come back?" Tang Xian looked around but didn’t see Little An’an.

Seeing Little An’an always made Tang Xian extra eager for the arrival of Guo Li’s baby.

"No," Tang Mingli responded with a smile, asking Guo Li about her due date and suggesting she should move to the county when it’s nearly time for the delivery.

"Uncle Gen, my dad has arranged everything. When the time comes, Xiao Li and I will stay at the factory. It’s close to the hospital," replied Tang Xian.

"That’s good," Tang Mingli said in agreement.

Tang Zhengde’s family and Tang Zhengyuan have returned; despite not being a true family reunion, Granny Tang was very happy.

With the help of Zhang Hualian and Tang Zhengde, the lunch was made quite sumptuous.

Yet, there are always some who are clueless.

Lunch had just been served when Wang Aihua, hearing the news, rushed over from her parental home, eyes filled with eagerness.

Ever since the divorce with Tang Zhengyuan at the beginning of the year, Wang Aihua thought that Tang Zhengyuan would surely come looking for her; at first, she wasn’t worried at all.

But seeing Tang Zhengyuan showing no signs of looking for her, Wang Aihua began to panic, especially when the Tang Family started tearing down their old house and vigorously began construction, Wang Aihua sought out Tang Zhengyuan several times but was rejected each time.

Her daughter Tang Min wasn’t close to her, and her son Tang Xian was even less willing to acknowledge her.

After being rebuffed several times, and being scorned at her parents’ house for freeloading, Wang Aihua’s life started to become increasingly difficult.

She wanted to visit the factory to find Tang Zhengyuan, but it seems that Tang Zhengyuan had warned Uncle Gen because Uncle Gen simply refused to let her in the factory; and if Wang Aihua caused a fuss, the factory wouldn’t hesitate to call the police.

Wang Aihua didn’t have the time to persist, unable to see Tang Zhengyuan, she had to help with farming at her parental home. When Wang Aihua married out, Tang Zhengyuan and Tang Zhengde had taken care of all the farming, never needing a woman’s help in the fields; Wang Aihua was now filled with regret.

Now, hearing that Tang Zhengyuan and his whole family had returned, Wang Aihua, just back from the fields and without even eating, hurried to the Tang Family home.

"Zheng Yuan," Wang Aihua looked at this place—both strange and familiar; she’d seen this big house many times, and with each visit, her heart ached, this house should have been hers, too.

She was supposed to be the one others envied: living in a big house, her husband earning good money at the factory, her son running his own mat factory, her daughter-in-law expecting a grandchild soon, her daughter attending high school—all of it should have been hers, but now, when people see her, they only say behind her back that Wang Aihua is too foolish!

"Zheng Yuan, I was wrong, I realize my mistake now," Wang Aihua, smelling the delicious food on the table and thinking of the scarcity of meat dishes at her family home, couldn’t help but swallow her saliva, the desire for Tang Zhengyuan to take her back becoming even stronger.