Before the banquet began, Wu Xiaowen and Tian Xueqin didn't get a chance to speak with Xiao Man. After greeting the grandmothers, Gu Shaojun led her away.
The reason was that Tang Qingshan had run into a very good old classmate and friend, a diplomat with the surname Pang. He was about to go abroad with a delegation within the next two days. Upon hearing that Tang Qingshan suddenly had a daughter, Pang, who was also unmarried, grew excited and insisted on seeing "our girl." Tang Qingshan couldn't talk him out of it, so he had Gu Shaojun go and bring Xiao Man to the front hall.
Xiao Man was speechless. On the way, she asked, "Don't tell me I'll have to run all the way over to say hello every time one of Mr. Tang's old friends shows up?"
Gu Shaojun chuckled. "Of course not. Apparently, they've known each other since kindergarten and have been through thick and thin together. They're very close."
"Mr. Tang went through hardships too?"
