Chapter 47: A Great Opportunity at the Manor

Chapter 47: A Great Opportunity at the Manor

Since it involved a Prince who had been demoted—and was the Emperor's own brother—the Old Lady stopped speaking. Xin An tossed aside the flowers in her hand and helped her into the manor. Hot water and meals had already been prepared within the manor, and the attendants were busy arranging for their service. By the time the group had settled down, the last wisp of sunset had vanished behind the clouds, leaving them no choice but to retire for the night.

Lady Wang was not in high spirits and felt quite drained, so she retired to her room early.

The people at the manor only knew that Tang Mo was newlywed; they did not know the couple slept in separate beds. Consequently, only one room had been prepared, and with no extra rooms available for accommodation, the two did not bother to avoid suspicion and simply stayed together by default.

Once they were in bed, Xin An spoke up, "Tomorrow, ask if there are still gardeners at the manor. Keep them here to continue cultivating the jasmine."

Tang Mo thought she simply liked them. "Should we dig some up to plant in our courtyard before we leave?"

Xin An shook her head. "Compared to flowers, I prefer raising fish. Later, find some beautiful ones to raise in that large vat in our courtyard."

Tang Mo grew curious. If she didn't like them, why go through the trouble of having a gardener plant them? He began making frantic facial expressions at Xin An. At the flick of her finger, he quickly leaned in. Xin An lowered her voice, "If my memory serves me right, Prince Jin will return in at most six months, and his favor will be even greater than before."

"Prince Jin respects his Princess very much. When the time comes, we can use the flowers grown here to curry favor with them. I guarantee it will work."

Tang Mo slapped his thigh, his eyes gleaming brightly. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Back then, he hadn't been so fragile that he'd drop dead from sudden excitement—*pfft!* "Pah!"

"Are you sick?!"

The spit from his "pah" splashed onto Xin An's face. Without hesitation, she gave him a kick. "Go get a damp cloth to wipe my face."

Tang Mo scurried off and returned with a fawning smile. "I just got excited. I was thinking that I would have been around back then, so why didn't I think of it? But how is it that you remember?"

"This is a massive opportunity for us."

He looked enlightened. "I get it. They say the older people get, the better they remember distant things. You—"

"Ouch! What are you doing?"

Tang Mo had been struck. Xin An, having landed the blow, glared at him fiercely. "Say one more word about me being old, and see how I deal with you."

"Grandmother, could you please give me a warning before you strike next time?"

With a stinging pain on his neck, Tang Mo felt he wouldn't be able to show his face tomorrow. After wiping his face and tossing the cloth onto her, he lay down and huffed, "If I tell you in advance, you'll just strike first to gain the advantage?"

Grimacing, Tang Mo flung the cloth far away. He lay down as close to the edge of the bed as possible; there was enough space between them to fit another person. There was no helping it—this shrew might be captivatingly beautiful, but she was far too ferocious. He couldn't dare harbor any improper thoughts for fear of being beaten to death by her.

After lying there for a while, he cheekily nudged closer. "You have a good memory. Quickly, think if there's anything else we've overlooked or forgotten."

"For example, does this manor have mines or treasures? Can we make a killing?"

Xin An turned to face him. "Have you gone mad for money? This is an Imperial manor; if there were treasures, would they fall to you? Getting a few pots of flowers is already a huge windfall."

Tang Mo sighed heavily. "There are so many people who want something for nothing; why can't I be one of them?"

In both of his lives, he had been so destitute, having to fight for everything he wanted. Why couldn't someone just hand things to him?

Xin An sneered. "If you want something for nothing, it's simple. You have a handsome face, and the wealthy ladies of the capital are as numerous as ox hairs. As long as you're willing, they'd cover you in banknotes."

Tang Mo rolled his eyes at her. "This gentleman is quite precious. Do you think just anyone can win my favor? Would I give them such an opportunity?"

"Forget it. Better to rely on ourselves. This life is better than the last, especially since I have you."

It was much better than being a lone fighter with someone dragging him down.

"Go to sleep."

Xin An smiled, turned around, hugged her quilt, and closed her eyes.

The manor was different from the Marquis's estate; the moon was bright, the stars were sparse, and the constant croaking of frogs and the occasional chirping of crickets made one even sleepier. Before long, both had drifted into dreamland.

It wasn't until the morning sunlight filtered through the window that they slowly woke up. This was the most comfortable sleep Xin An had experienced since her rebirth. Upon waking, they felt too lazy to get up. Seeing that they had already missed the hour for morning greetings, they simply gave up and shifted into more comfortable positions to continue sleeping.

In the courtyard outside, the Old Lady and Lady Wang were already breathing in the fresh morning air. The Old Lady smiled and said, "Those dishes last night were truly excellent; they were very fresh and suited my palate perfectly. What did you think?"

Lady Wang nodded with a smile. "They were indeed good."

The Old Lady glanced at her sideways. "Since we are out here, do not dwell on troubling matters. You haven't truly relaxed in all these years. It is rare that the second son has shown such filial piety by bringing us out to clear our minds; we must not disappoint his good intentions. You should take this time to relax properly as well."

The corners of Lady Wang's mouth lifted slightly. "Your daughter-in-law is naturally happy. I was only just thinking about how the relationship between the young couple is progressing."

As she spoke, she glanced toward their bedroom door. The Old Lady chuckled and told her not to worry. "The second son is handsome and has a likable personality, and that girl Xin An is both beautiful and intelligent. Spending so much time together day and night, feelings will naturally develop. It will be a matter of course. As elders, we shouldn't rush them or ask questions; we should just watch."

Lady Wang supported her arm. "How about I accompany Mother for a stroll outside? We can let those two youngsters wander around alone later."

The Old Lady laughed. "Then let's go. We'll come back for breakfast in a while."

The manor possessed a unique beauty in the early morning; the roadside flora was exceptionally vibrant. When the young maid, Gan Lu, tried to pick some flowers to bring back for vases, the Old Lady stopped her. "Now that we are at the manor, there is no reason to stay cooped up in rooms all day. Flowers in a vase are nowhere near as interesting as seeing them like this."

Manager Yang approached from a distance, mentioning that there was a lotus pond in the manor that was currently at its most beautiful. "A patch of land by the lotus pond has been fenced off to raise many chickens and ducks. I don't know what happened last night, but they laid quite a lot of eggs. Perhaps they've been blessed by the Old Madam's presence."

Everyone loves to hear good news. The Old Lady was delighted and, caught up in the excitement, wanted to go collect the eggs. Lady Wang had never seen it and wanted to go as well. Consequently, by the time Tang Mo and Xin An had finished getting ready and stepped out, the two women were nowhere to be seen.

A woman came out smiling to say breakfast was ready, asking if they wanted to eat now. Tang Mo nodded. "Let's eat. After we eat, we'll go for a stroll. We also need to meet the people at the manor later."

With vegetable porridge, scallion pancakes, and golden fried eggs, both had excellent appetites. After eating their fill, they left the house with smiles. However, they didn't head to the lotus pond; instead, they wandered aimlessly along the field ridges, feeling exceptionally refreshed. Tang Mo chewed on a piece of foxtail grass, thinking about what kind of garden he should set up at the manor so that in the future, he could invite friends to stay for a few days to strengthen their bonds.

(End of Chapter)