Chapter 28: A Useless Commotion

Chapter 28: A Futile Commotion

Upon learning that Xin An had already sent someone to find Manager Wu, Lady Wang felt even more that her daughter-in-law was a woman of great discretion. After suppressing the people from Chunhua Courtyard, she hurried to Chunrong Hall. Although the Old Lady no longer managed the daily affairs, matters concerning the lineage of the Marquis's household inevitably required her involvement.

"My intention is to send Xueyu to the manor in the outskirts of the capital as soon as possible. In a few months, the rumors surrounding the Marquis's household will have died down. If the ancestors bless the Eldest Daughter-in-law with a pregnancy soon, the child in Xueyu's womb won't be so conspicuous."

"Even if a pregnancy is delayed, it won't prevent you from having a great-grandchild."

Nothing was more important than offspring. After a brief consideration, the Old Lady agreed, her only concern being that the Tao family might not let the matter rest.

Lady Wang was not worried about this in the slightest. "The ones who should be indignant about this matter are originally the Xin family."

Had Tao Yiran screamed even once on their wedding night, things would not have turned out this way. Tang Mo had no concubines; in the end, it was a choice he had made himself. Even if they were indignant, they could only endure it.

The Old Lady nodded. "True. Handle it as you see fit."

At this moment, Tang Gang and Tang Rong, the father and son, arrived, summoned back by the servants. Reeking of alcohol, Tang Rong frowned deeply upon learning what had transpired in the household. Finally, he bowed to Lady Wang. "Thank you, Mother, for your hard work in arranging this."

Lady Wang, who was usually affectionate toward him, showed a hint of dissatisfaction. "I only learned of Xueyu's pregnancy after questioning the people in Chunhua Courtyard. You knew about it in advance, yet you not only kept everyone in the dark but didn't even tell us. Although it was indeed inappropriate to make such a matter public at this time and you did nothing wrong, the people in your courtyard are far too lax, allowing Xueyu to make such a scene that the entire household knows."

"The outside world is already buzzing with the news of the marriage swap. If this is added to it, your father will undoubtedly be censured by the censors for failing to maintain strict discipline in his household."

Tang Gang also thought of this. Tang Rong was left speechless and could only admit his fault. He felt a sense of resentment toward Tao Yiran, feeling that since he was absent, he should have taken responsibility rather than allowing his mother to seize an opportunity to lecture him.

Since things had reached this point, the mess could only be handled by Lady Wang. Softening her expression, Lady Wang took the opportunity to praise Xin An. "I originally thought she would only be watching the joke unfold out of spite, but I didn't expect her to prioritize the big picture. She took the initiative to find Manager Wu to silence the household before I did, and then she didn't say a single extra word. It is truly rare."

The Old Lady was already satisfied with Xin An, and this made her even more so. "She is a sensible girl; she is the second boy's good fortune."

"Alright, you all go and rest."

As the group withdrew, Tang Gang sternly reprimanded Tang Rong once they left Chunrong Hall. In the past, he would never have spoken ill of Tang Rong in front of Lady Wang, but Tang Rong's recent performance had been quite poor. As a father, he had to provide a timely warning.

What could Tang Rong say?

He could only take a deep breath and return to Chunhua Courtyard to check on Xueyu first. Xueyu thought he had come to comfort her and approached him pitifully, but before she could get close, Tang Rong spoke coldly, "I told you that grievances are only temporary. Once the time is right, I will report this to Mother. Why did you have to make a scene in front of her?"

"Just because you didn't bring me sour apricots?"

Xueyu did not dare to step closer and could only weep, saying she feared she might not be able to protect the child, her words heavy with implication.

This action only increased Tang Rong's displeasure. "Since you feel it is dangerous to stay here, you will head to the manor tomorrow morning to stay for a while. Do not return without my permission."

Having said that, he turned to leave without staying. Xueyu called out to him, and he merely turned his head slightly. "If you cannot control your mouth, there is no need to go to the manor, and there is no need to keep the child in your womb either."

A concubine's son being born first would only be a stain on his reputation; why would he ever want such a thing?

Xueyu felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. She felt that the Tang Rong before her was a complete stranger and terrifying, and she did not dare say anything more.

Tao Yiran was still shedding tears. Seeing Tang Rong turn around, he naturally stepped forward to offer extensive comfort. Tao Yiran was easy to coax, but Auntie Liu was not. "Today, Xueyu was acting like a madwoman, shouting that the Young Mistress was trying to harm her. It was merely that the sour apricots arrived a bit late; the Young Mistress endured it solely because she considered the Heir's flesh and blood in her womb. The Heir should show more consideration to the Young Mistress."

After these words, Tang Rong's slight dissatisfaction turned into even more pity for Tao Yiran. He turned and assigned Auntie Cai to oversee the laxity in the courtyard, while simultaneously blaming Auntie Cai for her lack of diligence. Auntie Cai apologized outwardly but was deeply dissatisfied inwardly.

Tang Mo did not return until midnight. Xin An discovered that when he drank too much, he became incredibly talkative. As soon as he entered the room, he asked if she was satisfied with today's arrangements and if he had given her enough face. After he rambled on for a long time, Xin An could no longer stand this talkative drunkard and had his servant carry him to the adjacent room to finally quiet him down.

The next morning, Chunyang entered the room excitedly to say that Xueyu had already departed for the manor. "It was all a futile commotion; I thought she would actually cause some trouble."

"The Eldest Young Mistress next door is sick again."

Chunyang was busy changing Xin An's clothes and paying respects, while muttering, "With this illness, she won't be better for at least a few days. We won't have to go pay respects again."

She felt that the Eldest Young Mistress was simply being lazy and didn't want to pay respects.

Xin An was not surprised at all. In Tao Yiran's eyes, the Old Lady was a nouveau riche whose trouser legs were still covered in mud. Since her mother-in-law was a second wife and not her legitimate mother-in-law, she was naturally unwilling to serve her.

"It's better if she doesn't come."

As a girl from a merchant family, Xin An naturally had to be proactive in her social maneuvering; with Tao Yiran out of the way, she could perform even better.

"Let's go."

After getting ready, they left the house. At this time, Tang Mo was still sleeping soundly. When Lady Wang saw her, her eyes filled with a smile. "Is the second boy still sleeping?"

"He returned late last night and couldn't even speak straight. I thought it was quite difficult for him, so I didn't wake him."

Seeing that she was willing to be considerate and understanding of her son's hardships, the satisfaction in Lady Wang's eyes was almost overflowing. "Then let him sleep a bit longer. Don't blame him; if he is well, you will be well too. You can see his situation in the household—his father is biased, and he himself is unwilling to live a mediocre life forever. Therefore, he must fight for everything himself. As his mother, I cannot favor him too much. I will have to rely on you to help look after him in the future."

"I understand."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law never spoke too bluntly about certain things, but they were always able to think and act in unison. Both Lady Wang and Xin An found this quite wonderful.

The two of them chatted and laughed as they went to pay respects to the Old Lady. Upon learning that Tao Yiran was unwell and could not come, the Old Lady said nothing. In her view, if someone could not make her happy, there was no need for them to appear, lest she be secretly criticized for eating too much during breakfast.

"Send some nourishing medicinal herbs to her later. Let her recover well. There is no rush to come pay respects; her health is more important."

Lady Wang nodded in agreement. Xin An stepped forward to coax the Old Lady into a bright smile, and the morning at Chunrong Hall was filled with laughter.

(End of Chapter)