Chapter 21: 21. Chapter 21: Tao Yiran's Disdain

Chapter 21: Tao Yiran's Disdain

Xin An arrived early at Lady Wang's courtyard to pay her respects. Since Tang Gang had to attend the morning court session, Lady Wang had risen exceptionally early; by the time Xin An arrived, she had just woken from a nap.

"I thought today's formalities were waived. Why have you come?"

Xin An smiled and said, "I was raised quite robustly since childhood, so my constitution is a bit better than Sister-in-law's. Since I woke up early today, I thought I would come to chat with Mother."

She mentioned that Tang Mo had gone out, and added that arrangements were being made to move her dowry today.

Lady Wang's people were guarding the dowry. "A woman's dowry concerns her entire life. I have sent people to watch over it carefully, but do not be too complacent; ensure everything is inventoried clearly."

Xin An nodded. Lady Wang smiled and handed her a pair of jade bracelets. "You are my biological daughter-in-law. My belongings will naturally belong to you in the future. These bracelets were part of my own dowry, given to me by my mother. They aren't anything of immense value, but take them."

The Wang family was not a great clan. Years ago, because it was a remarriage and the Marquis's manor was in a precarious position, the Old Lady had taken charge and married a daughter of a fifth-rank official. Unfortunately, although Lady Wang had established her footing in the Marquis's manor, the Wang family declined rapidly following the death of her father. Currently, only a few nephews still studying offered any hope.

Seeing that the quality of the bracelets was not particularly exceptional, Xin An accepted them with a smile. "The value of something given by Mother cannot be measured by its material quality. Even a piece of wood would be a precious treasure if it came from you."

The comment was double-edged. Lady Wang was slightly surprised, but her expression soon softened. "I was a bit worried before giving these to you. It's not that there aren't bracelets of better quality, but these bracelets hold a different meaning for me; they represent my heart. I am glad you understand."

"Come, Mother has one more thing for you."

It was a box of everlasting flower hair ornaments, lifelike and exquisite. Lady Wang picked one up and pinned it into Xin An's hair. "This was bestowed by the Empress during last year's New Year festival. It is made of cotton-grass; the texture is light and soft with an elegant hue, comparable to real flowers. With tiny pearls embedded in the stamens, it looks even more vivid and magnificent. It is perfectly suited for someone of your age."

After pinning it, she nodded with satisfaction. "Quickly, go look in the mirror. It truly looks beautiful."

Xin An looked at the flower in the mirror, her eyes full of joy. Wearing the flower made her look even younger. She turned back with a smile. "Thank you, Mother."

In her past life, the moment she entered the Marquis's manor, she had viewed this mother-in-law as a rival, and the two had spent much time competing against each other in secret. Now that they were close mother and daughter-in-law, their interaction was entirely different from before—extremely harmonious and quite refreshing.

Lady Wang smiled happily and led her to pay respects to the Old Lady. On the way, she shared many of the Old Lady's preferences. Xin An also mentioned that Tang Mo would be visiting Tang Yong's residence later. "It is easy to add flowers to a bouquet, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. It is merely a matter of lending a hand; if necessary, he can even provide some funds. It is good to build up some goodwill."

Both women paused, speaking in low voices. After a moment's thought, Lady Wang instructed her not to let the Old Lady know. "Do not mention this to your father either. Just let the second boy handle it. He spends his time with a crowd of fair-weather friends, so he should be able to find some connections."

"Your second uncle's family is actually quite decent. They don't rely on the Marquis's influence, and the boys in the house are all studying hard to pursue the imperial examinations. As for your father..."

Considering it might be inappropriate to speak ill of Tang Gang in front of the new bride, she did not continue. "Help where you can. I see that you have your own judgment. It is the second boy's good fortune to marry you."

Xin An nodded and added, "There is nothing wrong with relatives supporting one another. No flower stays red forever; who can guarantee there won't be a day when one must ask others for help?"

Lady Wang felt very gratified. Thinking of how her own maiden family had gradually declined over the years, she felt that if the Marquis's manor could lend a hand, they wouldn't be in such hardship. She held some resentment toward Tang Gang, but hearing Xin An say this, hope rose in her heart again. "The second boy acts somewhat erratically and lacks steadiness. You must advise him more. Say what needs to be said. Rest assured, I am not the type of person who blindly favors my own son. As long as it is for his own good, there is no harm in him enduring some hardship."

The mother and daughter-in-law shared a smile. Xin An leaned closer and lowered her voice to inform Lady Wang that Xue Yu of Chunhua Courtyard was pregnant. Lady Wang looked up, then smiled and patted the back of Xin An's hand, indicating she understood.

Seeing Xin An arrive, the Old Lady was very happy. She did not make her serve the meal but instead invited her to sit and eat together. The Old Lady's breakfast was the finest in the manor; the crystal dumplings, thumb-sized buns, and peach blossom pastries were all exquisitely made and pleasing to the eye. Xin An did not stand on ceremony; she tasted every pastry, praising them all, and earnestly invited the Old Lady to try them as well. The Old Lady ate more as a result, feeling quite satisfied.

Upon learning that the dowry was being moved today, the Old Lady did not detain her. By the time she returned to Qiushi Courtyard, the first batch of the dowry had arrived.

Including the original servants of Qiushi Courtyard and Xin An's own dowry servants, there were nine people in total. Manager Wu of the Marquis's manor had also dispatched twelve young servants to help. The dowry chests entered in a continuous line, making Qiushi Courtyard suddenly very lively. Auntie Wang was so busy she could barely catch her breath, while Xin An stood under the eaves watching. She had to decide which items were to be displayed and which were to be put into storage.

"These two chests of fabric do not need to go into storage. Pick out some beautiful pieces later to make a few outfits. Also, set aside those few bolts with slightly darker colors; I will give that rich purple fabric to Grandmother later."

"Place all the jewelry on the dressing table. The rest of the large ornaments should go to the warehouse."

Looking at the dowry piled up in the courtyard, Xin An felt extremely secure. Seeing how efficient and meticulous these people were, and how carefully they handled the dowry, she was very satisfied. "Everyone has done a fine job. I will reward each of you with one tael of silver later. Go to Auntie Wang to collect it."

Whether it was the courtyard staff or the servants from the front courtyard, everyone hurried to thank her. Especially the servants from the outer courtyard—they had heard that the people in Qiushi Courtyard received twelve months' worth of wages as a reward. Their eyes were red with envy. They hadn't expected that simply helping out would earn them one tael of silver; that was a significant sum. Looking up again, they felt as though the Second Young Mistress was radiating golden light.

News traveled just as quickly to the neighboring courtyard. Upon hearing the news, Tao Yiran did not take it to heart. "Those who sell themselves into service must know their place. Once this precedent is set, will they expect payment for every command in the future?"

"Merchant behavior. Unseemly."

Auntie Cai strongly agreed with this. She said to Auntie Liu, "Having the opportunity to serve the Heir is something they should be deeply grateful for."

"The Heir's wife is a noble lady from a prestigious family; she will naturally have people attending to her. How can that merchant-class woman next door compare?"

Auntie Liu was clever. Seeing that Tang Rong was in high spirits regarding Tao Yiran, she chose to avoid her sharp edges and even acted in a flattering manner. To that end, she had even helped Tao Yiran suppress the two maids, Xue Yu and Ying Yue, earning Tao Yiran's favor. Auntie Cai loathed her for it.

Tao Yiran felt that Auntie Cai's words were pleasant to hear, but she offered a verbal warning: "Regardless of my sister-in-law's background, she is now married into the Marquis's manor and is my sister-in-law. Auntie Cai, do not say such things in the future, lest it upsets her."

Auntie Cai smiled and said, "The Young Mistress is kind-hearted; no one else can compare to her."