Another annual Christmas, the day of the Tang family’s Christmas party, remained the same – a social event that the social circle considered a must-attend, and being invited was the highest honor.
The usually low-key Tang family was especially careful this year, sending out exquisitely designed invitations, more eye-catching than previous years’ phone invitations. Everyone anticipated that perhaps something special might happen.
As guests arrived, they gathered in groups, discussing animatedly.
“I heard Tang Hua divorced earlier this year. Could he be announcing an engagement with the Zhou family’s daughter today? Maybe even merging their business empires?” Aunt Three whispered.
Aunt Six waved her fat fingers, displaying five rings on her hand: “No way! Miss Zhou got married to someone in America last September. You immigrants aren’t well-informed. I bet he’s going to publicly seek a bride. My daughters Mei and Li are here. I specially ordered a dress from France!”
“Yes, yes! That’s what I think too!” The radio broadcaster chimed in: “I’ve long heard that Tang Hua’s wife is in poor health, introverted, and can’t handle big occasions. I attended their wedding eight years ago and saw that bride couldn’t handle being the Tang family’s daughter-in-law! Our daughters are much more impressive!
Tang’s wife’s absence every year had long become a stale topic. Some even speculated that Tang Hua had already divorced his wife, just not publicly announced. After all, Tang Hua was a person who valued privacy, and outsiders couldn’t dig up any deeper insider information, so they could only gossip and speculate, embellishing rumors to ensure they were juicy and sensational.
Every year at this time, Tang Hua would only make a polite appearance, taking the opportunity to discuss business with clients. If there was nothing else, he would request a room at the hotel to rest, with Tang’s mother naturally taking care of other trivial matters, and this year was no exception.
After the family banquet became a public gathering, Tang Hua no longer treated Christmas as a family reunion day, but merely as an ordinary and boring business dinner to perfunctorily attend. The true family reunion day was set for New Year’s, with no outsiders to disturb. His married life with Su Su could be said to have gradually entered a harmonious phase.
