Chapter 088

Chapter 88: Perfectly Capable of Peaceful Coexistence

The two of them ate heartily in the room without caring about appearances, chatting as they ate and clinking cups now and then; they could not have been more at ease. When they were almost full, Tang Mo repeated what the Grand Matron had said that day, handed her a slice of fruit, and said: “Taste this, then tell me: what do you think Grandmother meant?”

Xin An ate the fruit and pondered for a moment: “Most likely she is buying peace. You and I both covet the fine things in Grand Matron’s rooms, and your Father certainly covets them too. He is the Marquis and assumes all the good things in this residence should be his. Besides, Tang Rong is going to the Ministry of Rites and must send gifts. I remember it clearly: I went to Grandmother to ask for that famille rose vase, it was…,” she turned to look at the bottle placed on the cabinet, “that one.”

Tang Mo also remembered, and distant memories grew clear: “Father covets it, and Tang Rong surely covets it as well, but he will not say it aloud. Having Father go to Grandmother was likely meant as a hint.”

Xin An nodded, then mentioned that the Grand Matron had sent two chests to Madam Wang: “That too is buying peace, buying Father’s peace.”

“If I am not mistaken,” she added, “those two chests will be delivered to Mother under Father’s name, hoping to make Mother feel grateful to him.”

“As for the Grand Matron, she still hopes for harmony among her children and grandchildren.”

Tang Mo raised a brow and blurted out: “Did Grandmother never see my Mother swallowing her anger before?”

“You said it yourself: she swallowed her anger,” Xin An sighed, then said: “If you yourself endure in silence, how can you expect others to be considerate?”

“Now they are considerate because you are irreplaceable, and because the consequences of you no longer enduring are severe, so you must be appeased,” she said with another sigh. “I only understood this principle after living one more lifetime.”

[She too had swallowed grievances for a lifetime.]

“Mother is stronger than I am, more clear-sighted, and more resolute.”

Knowing she had remembered painful things from her previous life, Tang Mo did not press the topic. Instead he offered a sincere comfort: “Since you have been given such a great chance, do not keep dwelling on the past. Take the heavy losses as lessons and let that be the end of it; let what is past stay in the past.”

“You must remember you are only seventeen now, tender as a young scallion. At this moment you are beautiful, slender, graceful, healthy, you eat and sleep well, you have silver you can hardly spend, and you have me, such a handsome man. Is that not enough to make you happy every day?”

Xin An widened her eyes, then burst into laughter, and the little sorrow she felt vanished without a trace. She raised her cup: “You are right. I ought to enjoy my life now. There was too much I did not enjoy before, and thinking of it is a regret. I must make it up in this lifetime.”

Tang Mo touched his cup to hers, smiling broadly: “I too have many regrets. Let us live our days slowly and well, and this time strive to leave no regrets.”

Xin An smiled and nodded: “Alright.”

Seeing her brows relax and her smile brighten, Tang Mo said that he had booked a private room the following evening in the city at Yue Ke Pavilion: “The Duke En Residence’s Water Blossom Banquet is always crowded with distinguished guests every year. Anyone who receives an invitation goes. I will be on duty in the morning and can only go in the afternoon, so I cannot accompany you the whole time. Mother likely cannot keep an eye on you everywhere either. There are many in the capital who fawn on the high and trample the low. I have invited Brother Shi Mao and the others to bring their wives to dine tomorrow, so you can meet a few people in advance. That way, when the time comes you will not be ignored. It would be too pitiful.”

Xin An was a little surprised and smiled: “I knew you handle affairs thoroughly, but I did not expect you to be this thoughtful.” [She was genuinely moved.]

Tang Mo stared at her for a while. Xin An wiped the corner of her mouth and asked: “Do I have something on my face?”

Tang Mo affected regret and said: “After treating you so well, are you not moved enough to cry?”

Xin An paused: “Shall I cry for you?”

“Don’t,” Tang Mo hurriedly waved his hands, playing at being frightened, “if a fierce tigress sheds tears, I fear the aftermath will be too much for me.”

“You are calling me a fierce tigress?” Xin An cupped her face and leaned closer with a smile: “Have you ever seen a tigress this beautiful?”

Tang Mo leaned back: “Grandaunt, I will be honest; please spare me.”

Xin An laughed and sat back down, lifted the pot, and poured wine for him: “In truth I am quite moved. You know I have never been treated this way before. Perhaps it is ordinary in others’ eyes, but it touches me greatly.”

Tang Mo said with a smile: “Me as well. You plot for me and even make me clothes. I have never been treated that way before either. It makes me very happy.”

Rubbing his thumb along the rim of his cup, he said: “Come to think of it, there was never any deep enmity between us before. It was only that our stances differed. Neither of us used filthy methods against the other; most of it was arguments and small stratagems, so…,” he looked up at Xin An, “now that you and I are one, we are perfectly capable of peaceful coexistence, are we not?”

He had wanted to say this for a long time. [In his mind, the past life should be treated as a dream already gone by; one cannot live forever inside a dream, wounding others and oneself, lest one squander such a heaven-sent chance.]

Moreover, he intended to contest for the title in the future, to support a household and give his wife and children a peaceful world. Since Xin An was now his wife, he should shoulder a husband’s responsibilities and hope they would be of one heart, weather storms together, raise a daughter in time, and slowly grow old together.

Xin An smiled. Women are born easily ensnared by emotion. The wounds of her past life were not something a second chance could instantly cast off. Some things would not be easily forgotten and would take a long time to heal. Yet toward Tang Mo she truly harbored no grudge; she merely disliked the Marquis’s residence and, by extension, felt some barrier toward him.

But that was at the beginning. This one month was enough to change her view of Tang Mo: he could be petty, quick-tempered, and impulsive, but at times he was generous, of decent character, humorous, attentive, and considerate, which made him very likable.

“I have not been coexisting peacefully with you already?”

Tang Mo raised his cup: “Then let us drink to getting along even better hereafter.”

Xin An lifted her cup: “I have many faults; please be patient with me in the future.”

Having spoken openly, both felt much lighter. Their talk lost its scruples, their teasing carried no burden, and the atmosphere grew ever more harmonious. In the end…

The two chests of treasures and silver ended up in Xin An’s hands. When Tang Mo learned that Xin An had obtained three treasures that very day, including that yellow jade peony, he gave her a thumbs-up: “In the end you are the capable one. Please keep looking after us.”

“Easily said.”

They were so happy eating that both ate more than usual. Tang Mo suggested a stroll; Xin An gladly agreed. Along the way, Tang Mo kept up interesting topics that made Xin An laugh nonstop. She felt especially carefree; the moon and stars above seemed extra bright. Hearing the crickets sing in the grass, she thought of the chorus of frogs back at the country estate, and the two of them talked even more animatedly.