Chapter 52: The First Time in Two Lifetimes Receiving Such Treatment

Chapter 52: A Treatment Unprecedented in Two Lifetimes

Tang Mo's stomach pain struck in the middle of the night, and he nearly died right there on the commode. There were no doctors on the manor, and the nearest barefoot healer was ten miles away. Xin An spent the night wiping his sweat, feeding him sugar water, and pressing his acupoints; finally, after midnight, the pain subsided.

"I didn't even eat that much, how did I end up with diarrhea like this?"

Xin An released his hand. "Don't you dare think about what you usually eat. You'd roast wild game until it was charred black, then eat a piece of meat followed by a bite of melon. I told you that your body is too weak to handle sudden supplements, yet you still claim to be as strong as a tiger."

Tang Mo opened his eyes weakly. "My dear lady, can you please stop saying I'm 'too weak to handle supplements'? It's the middle of the night, show some respect for the taboo. If the Black and White Impermanence come to fetch me, won't you be left a widow?"

"You'd be so pitiful then."

Xin An stood up to pour some water, then climbed into bed. "Remember not to put just anything in your mouth from now on. It's a good thing you didn't eat those colorful mushrooms. Thank me—I just saved your life."

She let out a yawn. "I'm sleeping."

Exhausted from the midnight ordeal, the weakened Tang Mo couldn't hold out much longer, and the two fell asleep shortly after. When dawn broke, the Old Lady and Lady Wang only realized that Tang Mo had been suffering through the night, which left them breaking into a cold sweat. Chun Yang reported, "The son-in-law is fine now. The Young Mistress knew several acupoints to stop the diarrhea, and they worked quite well. It's just that they slept very late last night, so they haven't gotten up yet."

Lady Wang pressed her hands together in prayer, chanting "Amitabha," and ordered the kitchen to prepare a light breakfast. She was even more uneasy about leaving the Old Lady there.

The Old Lady said, "I didn't eat anything strange."

"Besides, didn't you arrange for a doctor to come? What are you afraid of?"

Having only been at the manor for a few days, the Old Lady's tone and attitude had changed; she was becoming increasingly casual, doing as she pleased, though she did seem much more energetic.

What could Lady Wang do?

She couldn't afford to offend this ancestor.

The two in the room slept until the sun was high in the sky. Tang Mo woke first. Opening his eyes, he saw the person still sleeping soundly. He intended to get up for some warm water, but he found himself staring at Xin An's face. After admiring her for a good while, he muttered, "When you aren't nagging me, you're actually quite lovely."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he hurriedly covered them. Why had he let his inner thoughts slip out?

He scrambled out of bed in a rush. He didn't even put his shoes on properly, and with his legs feeling weak, he tumbled forward. He managed to keep from making a sound, but the thud of his landing startled Xin An. Seeing his disheveled state as he tried to crawl up, she rushed to support him. "What happened?"

She reached out to feel his forehead. "You're fine."

Tang Mo feigned composure. "My legs gave out and I fell. It's nothing."

Xin An breathed a sigh of relief. The fright had chased away all her sleepiness. Tang Mo looked down to straighten his clothes and noticed she wasn't even wearing shoes; her fair feet against the bluestone floor were strikingly visible. He pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed, grabbed a handkerchief, knelt down, took her ankle, and wiped the dust from her soles.

He might have said something, but he remained silent throughout the entire process. Xin An wanted to speak but didn't know what to say. Looking down slightly, she could clearly see Tang Mo's face. Seeing a handsome young man so devotedly wiping her feet—in this setting—made her mind wander a little.

This kind of treatment was unprecedented in two lifetimes. *“I must be getting old; I'm starting to like young men more and more.”*

Tang Mo slowly raised his head. Xin An looked both embarrassed and bewildered. "Did I just say something?"

"You did."

Tang Mo was still holding her other foot. For some reason, a scene flashed through his mind of him being so destitute that he had to serve an old rich woman—and the old woman being very satisfied with his service.

Xin An slowly covered her face. "I didn't say anything."

Tang Mo's gaze slowly settled on her feet. Chun Yang, who had just pushed the door open, looked up and saw this bizarre scene: one foot was inside the room, while the other was still outside. She didn't know whether to enter or retreat.

Afterward, both acted very polite. As they finished tidying up and headed for the door, they reached the threshold at the same time. Tang Mo stopped. "You first."

"You first."

"You go out first."

"No, you go out first."

Chun Yang watched with intense curiosity, dying to know what had happened. Seeing them defer to each other for a long time, she stepped forward and opened the other half of the door. "The Second Young Master and the Young Mistress can go out together."

The two exchanged awkward smiles. Even at the dining table, they were distracted, merely eating their porridge in silence. Had Lady Wang not earnestly served them food, they wouldn't have even touched their chopsticks.

"What's going on?" Lady Wang asked curiously. Something was definitely off with them.

"Nothing," they said in unison. They met each other's eyes for a split second before quickly looking away.

Xin An: *A handsome young man wiping my feet is truly seductive. I even fantasized about him massaging my shoulders and legs. My thoughts are too terrifying; I can't look at Tang Mo directly.*

Tang Mo: *The scene of serving an old rich woman was indeed terrifying, but the scene of serving a beauty is truly enchanting. The more I look at Xin An, the more beautiful she becomes. If it were... well, I wouldn't mind.*

Lady Wang's gaze drifted between the two. "Did you have a fight?"

"No."

Tang Mo stood up. "I have things to do. I'm going for a walk."

He walked to the door, then turned back to look at Xin An. "Want to come along?"

"Huh? Oh, yes."

Xin An stood up, grateful to Tang Mo for saving her from her mother-in-law's interrogation. She hurried to follow him. Once outside, after taking three deep breaths, her mind gradually cleared. She suddenly felt that the embarrassment was unnecessary and cursed herself for being so weak—at her age, she had almost been swayed by a young man. "What are we doing today?"

Tang Mo also gradually regained his composure. His legs had regained strength after the meal, and he also felt the previous awkwardness was unnecessary. This was his wife, after all. Although they hadn't had a formal wedding ceremony, she had entered his bridal chamber; she was his wife in the eyes of the world.

To be nearly swayed by a young woman was truly unbecoming.

"I'm going to find Manager Yang to ask a few questions."

He had many things to do next and would inevitably need a clever errand boy. He was also still thinking about Er Shan.

Manager Yang arrived quickly. After offering a few words of concern to Tang Mo, he brought up the situation regarding Er Shan's family. "The family has many children, so it's inevitable that some are overlooked. That boy is stubborn; he's always resentful of the family's favoritism and constantly goes against them. But what use is one child's defiance? In the end, he just gets a beating for being a headache."

"As for his cousin, Xia'er, she is truly a pitiful girl. She isn't particularly striking in looks, but she is hardworking and never lazy. Unfortunately, her parents had three daughters before finally having a son, so they treasure him like a pearl. The two older daughters have already been married, and they originally intended to sell Xia'er secretly. But that boy Er Shan reported it to me. Everyone on the manor has signed indentures, and since Prince Jin is merciful, he allows people to marry of their own accord but forbids human trafficking. So, she was brought back to the manor."

"Since coming here, her life has only gotten harder. A thirteen-year-old girl, skin and bones, covered in old and new bruises. I've spoken to them, but her parents promise to change right to their faces, only to beat her again later."