Chapter 012

Chapter 12: The Ostracized Tang Mo

As soon as Tang Mo returned, Xin An assumed the airs of the household’s mistress and said: “I had the room next door cleaned for you, and your things have already been moved over. From today on, you will live there.” She drove the man who by rights could have been master of Qiu Shi Courtyard straight into the adjacent quarters.

Tang Mo snorted, looking utterly disdainful, and said: “As if I cared to share a room with you.”

Xin An did not bother to answer; after a day of confusion and commotion, she was exhausted in body and mind. Though her body was younger, her temperament was still that of an older person; she felt perpetually drained, heavy with old resentments, and knew she must rest well, regain her strength, and strive to restore youth to her soul as soon as possible.

When night fell, Tang Mo went to sleep in the side room. The moment he stepped in, a maid called Nan Feng brought in water to serve him; not long after, following a barked: “Get out,” Nan Feng stumbled out in embarrassment and then ran off crying.

Chun Yang went out to inquire, came back, spat in disgust, and said: “They say she has served Second Young Master since childhood and has been waiting to be raised as a concubine after he married. She must have thought her chance had come just now; she tried to curry favor and got thrown out instead.”

Xin An said with crisp satisfaction: “Serves her right.”

While helping Xin An remove her hairpins, the maid called Chun Lv added with a nod: “I heard Madam keeps a tight rein on Second Young Master. He has always had only Nan Feng at his side to attend to clothes and shoes. In that, he is different from the Heir Apparent; the Heir Apparent has two bedchamber maids.”

With mischief bright in her eyes, Xin An thought of the two maids in Tang Rong’s courtyard, Xue Yu and Ying Yue. Both were strikingly pretty and literate, warm-bed maids Madam Wang had gifted Tang Rong. How could a suave gentleman be without beauties at his side; Tang Rong had accepted them most contentedly.

In public, Tang Rong was always gentle, and he treated the two intimate maids with the same pleasant mildness. The two therefore regarded themselves highly. In her past life, on the second day after her wedding, they had already given Xin An a show of force. She wondered if, in this life, they would be more deferential.

Still smiling as she smoothed Xin An’s hair straight, Chun Lv said: “Second Young Master is actually not bad; compared with the Heir Apparent, he seems more genuine.”

Chun Yang, displeased, retorted without courtesy: “What do you know to be chattering like that? Second Young Master said today that he wanted to strangle our lady. From the way he gnashed his teeth, it did not look like an act. We must be extra careful in our service from now on. Do not give him an opening.”

Xin An burst into a laugh and said: “Do not worry. He only thinks it; he will not dare to act.”

Then she said to her two maids: “Keep an eye on the goings-on in the residence for me, especially in Chun Hua Courtyard across the way. Bring me news quickly, so I can cheer myself up.”

Chun Lv nodded hard and said: “Rest assured, my lady. Our Qiu Shi Courtyard and next-door Chun Hua Courtyard are already sworn enemies. We will not miss any opportunity to watch them make fools of themselves.”

After a day of chaos, Xin An slept fairly soundly that night. Tang Mo next door, however, kept his ears pricked half the night, hoping Xin An would talk in her sleep so he could sneak in and ask questions. [If she mumbles anything useful, I might pry something out.]

At first light, Xin An got up. Today she had to make up for yesterday’s missed bride’s tea and formally embark on life in the marquis’s household; it could not be delayed.

With Nan Feng no longer at his side, Tang Mo dressed himself and merely let a serving lad named Lai Lai comb his hair. Xin An sat before the mirror arranging her makeup, striving to make her gaze look clear and bright, when Tang Mo, in a singsong of mockery, spoke up again and said: “You should smile more. With your face clenched like that, you look like an old woman; it is awkward. There is none of the lively freshness of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl. You look as if you have lived long enough.”

Before Xin An could answer, her brows in the mirror drew together slightly. Chun Yang and Chun Lv both went dark with anger. Chun Yang shot back bluntly and said: “Sir, the young madam has suffered such grievance that she could not sleep last night. How is she supposed to smile?”

Chun Lv nodded and said: “If she were all smiles at a time like this, those who do not know the truth would think my lady is thrilled to have changed husbands.”

Ever since she learned he had wanted to strangle their lady, Chun Lv had not had the slightest good impression of him.

Tang Mo sneered and said: “Your two maids have quite the tempers.”

Xin An carefully hooked on her newly acquired ruby earrings, then turned her head and said: “Your maid is gentle and considerate, and even she was driven out by you. My two girls have just arrived and do not yet understand your preferences. They thought you liked the ferocious sort.”

The two maids lifted their chins in smug unison, then hurried to help Xin An into her outer robe. Once all was in order, they brought sweet soup and peach-blossom pastries for her to line her stomach. Left cooling his heels, Tang Mo suddenly felt that the days ahead might be difficult indeed; he was being isolated. [No one notices I have not eaten either. Do I not rate even a mouthful?] [How long has it been, and I am already being crowded out by this mistress and her two maids?]

As the two stepped out of the courtyard, they looked up to see Tang Rong leading Tao Yi Ran waiting at the gate, both with properly pleasant smiles. Tang Rong cupped his hands and said: “Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, let us go together.”

Tang Mo’s eyes almost rolled to the heavens as he thought: [Here he goes again, putting on a show to prove how dearly he loves his brother and how united the family is.] Yesterday he had kneeled in the Ancestral Hall for only an hour and then been released; [truly, favoritism. If it were me, would I not have to kneel to death?]

Xin An gave the pair a curious once-over and again marveled at the thickness of Tang Rong’s skin. After the clash on both sides yesterday, he could smile today as though nothing had happened; it was truly infuriating.

Tao Yi Ran was, of course, beautiful, and dressed festively. Her apricot eyes shimmered with spring; her neck bloomed with faint red marks that even powder could not fully hide. On close look, it was clear the two had spent another night in rolling waves of passion. They were clearly deep in love, so much so that Xin An felt she had been the villain separating lovers in her past life. [Was I really the heartless one, breaking up true love?]

Meeting Xin An’s gaze, Tao Yi Ran’s eyes flickered away. She was, after all, a new bride, and had not yet cultivated the skills of her previous life. Under Xin An’s look, she grew guilty and lowered her eyes, lashes fluttering, which made Tang Rong ache with tenderness. Ignoring the fact that Tang Mo had not answered him, he took Tao Yi Ran’s hand and walked on ahead.

Walking behind them, Tang Mo and Xin An exchanged a glance and saw unalloyed mockery in each other’s eyes, both silently saying: [See? The person you treated with true devotion in your past life never cared about you at all.]

Xin An’s love for Tang Rong had long since been ground away in the years after marriage until only hatred remained; this scene struck her chiefly as ironic. Tang Mo, however, had died early; at that time, toward Tao Yi Ran he had felt at most disappointment. She was, after all, the wife he had once cherished. Now his feelings were a tangle, half telling himself the matters of a former life were finished, half raging that his wholehearted sincerity had been fed to dogs, half wishing he could go back and slap himself awake. [Fool. Wake up.]

They crossed the garden, passed over a covered bridge, and reached Grand Matron’s residence, Chun Rong Hall. Tang Gang and his wife were already waiting there. Also present was Tang Gang’s concubine-born younger brother Tang Yong, who had long since established his own household, seated with his family. A gate matron who had been waiting since early morning beamed and announced: “The Heir Apparent and the Heir Apparent’s wife, and Second Young Master and Second Young Madam have arrived.”

Tang Rong led Tao Yi Ran through the gate of Chun Rong Hall first. After them came Tang Mo, who attentively steadied Xin An as she crossed the threshold; he remembered Xin An had said his father favored a son who brought him face before others, and he wanted to try, beginning with becoming steady after marriage. Besides, he had been assigned an official post now, though he had not yet reported for duty.