Chapter 20: Chunlu: The Heir is a Scoundrel

Chapter 20 Chunlu: The Heir is a Scoundrel

Tang Rong accompanied Tao Yiran back to her parental home. As the new son-in-law, instead of receiving gifts from his father-in-law, he instead received a reprimand, with the man refusing to let go of yesterday's incident.

Furthermore, Madam Tao nagged incessantly about how wronged Tao Yiran was, instructing him on how he ought to behave in the future.

Already feeling uneasy, Tang Mo's radiant, glowing face appeared before him even before he entered the door, fueling his irritation. After struggling to calm himself, he forced a smile. "Uncle Xin holds my younger brother in high regard; my brother is truly blessed."

Before Tang Mo could continue gloating, he took Tao Yiran's hand and entered. The arriving Madam Wang greeted them warmly. Seeing that Tang Mo had received so many gifts from his father-in-law, she beamed with joy and raised her voice to command, "Quickly, send a few more people to bring all these things to Qiushi Courtyard."

"You two go back and rest. Dinner will be ready in about half an hour."

The two returned to Qiushi Courtyard. Auntie Wang did not rest; instead, she busied herself directing people to clear out the courtyard's storeroom. Fearing mistakes might be made amidst the chaos on the wedding day, the Marquis's manor had arranged for Xin An's dowry to be placed in a separate courtyard under guard. They were scheduled to move the dowry back tomorrow.

Tang Mo happily counted the silver his father-in-law had given him. The more he counted, the more delighted he became, eventually setting aside half for Xin An. "Here, this is yours."

Xin An reclined on a beauty chaise. "Go and buy the Vitality Pills as soon as possible. Bring a portion for me too; I need to bolster my constitution."

"You need that stuff?"

"Of course I do."

Her skin was young, but her mindset was old; didn't she need nourishment?

Tang Mo tucked the remaining banknotes into his robe. In truth, he wasn't entirely joyful; he felt a lingering sense of unease. "Once we see off your parents, shall we go stay at the suburban manor for a few days?"

"Sure."

Xin An agreed without a second thought. "I've wanted to go out for some fresh air for a long time. I'll stay for a few extra days before returning."

Tang Mo leaned closer. "Should we take Grandmother with us?"

He was still eyeing the room full of treasures belonging to the old lady.

Xin An looked up. "Of course we should."

Her current state was not good; she felt as though she was bottling things up and might snap. Being a young girl in front of the old lady was quite pleasant; perhaps the old lady could even cure her and make her heart feel young again.

Tang Mo turned to her and winked. Xin An recoiled slightly. "Is there something wrong with your eyes?"

Tang Mo spoke with a grin, "You've lived many more years than I have. Do you still remember what the imperial examination questions were?"

Xin An let out a "pfft." "Do you think I'd care about that?"

"If you want to ask about the juicy gossip regarding the various households' backyards, I could pick a few things to tell you."

Tang Mo sighed in frustration. "Look at you. Aside from that heartless person next door, what else is in your eyes? Is he really that great?"

Xin An gave him a direct kick. "Shut up. You're annoying me."

"Tsk, what did you say before?"

Tang Mo rubbed his chin. "You said I was thirty percent more handsome than the guy next door. Now you're just annoyed. You certainly change your favorites quickly."

Xin An rolled her eyes. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Chunyang bringing in a bowl. She immediately lowered her eyes and pinched her handkerchief against them. "If you hate me this much, just strangle me."

"There you go again—"

"Master, you're bullying the Young Mistress again! You just promised in front of the Master that you would treat her well today."

Chunyang glared at him fiercely and even threatened, "If you are this mean to the Young Mistress again, we will go and report you to the Marquis and the Master."

Tang Mo:...

He couldn't provoke her; he couldn't provoke her at all.

"When was I mean to her? Didn't you see she was the one plotting against me?"

"The Young Mistress is the most beautiful and kind-hearted person; how could she plot against you?"

Chunyang made it clear: Tang Mo's character was utterly rotten in her eyes.

Feeling stifled, Tang Mo stood up and glared at the two of them. "I lose. I'm leaving."

Xin An laughed happily. Chunyang sighed, "Young Mistress, how can you still laugh?"

Having had her marriage swapped, she was now stuck with the stinking Second Young Master. How was she supposed to live her life?

Xin An took the bird's nest soup she had brought. "He really would dare to strangle me. Don't worry, he's all talk."

Dinner was also eaten as a family. After the meal, Madam Wang announced that starting tomorrow, Tao Yiran and Xin An would be required to perform morning and evening salutations. Xin An accepted with a smile, but Tao Yiran's expression had been strained since her arrival, and at this moment, she acted as if she hadn't heard.

"Sister-in-law?"

Xin An, enjoying the drama, added fuel to the fire. "Why does Sister-in-law look so pale? Are you feeling unwell?"

Everyone's gaze fell upon Tao Yiran. She looked flustered, and Tang Rong took her hand. "Yi'er is feeling a bit indisposed."

Madam Wang spoke with great understanding. "In that case, she should rest well for the day. The morning salutations for tomorrow are excused."

Tao Yiran bowed in thanks and was quickly supported back by Tang Rong.

Xin An and Tang Mo exchanged glances. Neither was in a hurry to leave; they sat and chatted for a while before departing.

"Go quickly and find out what happened next door."

The moment she stepped into Qiushi Courtyard, Xin An gave the order. Chunlu's eyes were bright with excitement. "I spent a little money and found out: the Heir's concubine, that one named Xueyu, is pregnant."

"The Heir ordered everyone in Chunhua Courtyard to keep quiet and not let word leak out."

The look in Chunlu's eyes toward Tang Mo softened significantly. If the marriage hadn't been swapped, her lady would be the one facing this mess right now. The Heir was truly a scoundrel.

Xin An was somewhat surprised. This was something that hadn't happened before. Tang Rong had always cherished his reputation; he would never allow a concubine to become pregnant before the legal wife. In her past life, neither Xueyu nor Yingyue had ever conceived a child.

For a concubine to be pregnant only three days after the legal wife entered the house—where would that leave the wife's dignity?

Tang Mo frowned slightly. He realized that even the information obtained in advance could be inaccurate.

"Since the Heir won't speak, there's no need for us to be nosy for now. Chunlu, you keep an eye on the people in our courtyard as well. Don't let them blab about it."

Chunlu nodded in agreement. Once she left, Tang Mo leaned in. "What's going on? Did this happen before?"

Xin An shook her head and sighed. "It's normal for the situation to be different. We'll wait and see."

Tang Mo's expression turned heavy, fearing he might never turn his life around in this lifetime. Xin An tapped his leg. "While the person opposite you is preoccupied, your priority is to strengthen yourself. You need more support. I'll tell you about a few families later; find a way to make connections with them."

"And don't obsess over your reputation; none of that matters. Remember, in the future, be humble when you see Tang Rong. Do exactly what he does. Walk the path he walks, so that he has no path left to walk."

Tang Mo pondered these words. The more he thought about them, the more interesting they became. With his hands behind his back, he chuckled and headed into his room.

The next day, Tang Mo headed out with banknotes in his pocket. Originally, he was meant to see Tang Yong, but flattering his father-in-law was more important now. After purchasing Vitality Pills at the Imperial Medical Bureau, he also bought their most popular Beauty Pills. He then scurried over to deliver them to his mother-in-law. Needless to say, Madam Xin was beaming with joy, thinking her new son-in-law was very sensible.

Xin Huan also felt that this brother-in-law was quite good—much easier to get along with than the previous Tang Rong.

(End of Chapter)