Chapter 220

Chapter 220: Tang Mo’s Good Fortune

Zhao Wen and Ma Qi were not good people, merely the sort who loved a spectacle; the moment they heard that Zhu You had crossed paths with Tang Rong, they rushed to spur their horses, afraid they might miss the show.

With supposed reinforcements arriving, Zhu You grew even more brazen; his mind could no longer think straight. Though Tao Yi Ran filled his thoughts, he never spared a moment to consider her situation, caring only to grind Tang Rong into the dirt as he shouted: “Tang Rong, say it: do you dare go inside and confront me, you conniving scoundrel?”

Tang Rong had reached the limit of his patience and replied: “Zhu You, even madness should have its bounds. You have dragged my wife into baseless slander; what exactly is your aim?”

Zhu You snorted and said: “Stop piling crimes on me. Tell me which word I said is wrong. Miss Tao clearly likes me.”

Zhao Wen and Ma Qi affected the faces of peacemakers as they urged: “Tang Rong, follow Brother Zhu’s suggestion and ask face to face for clarity; if this is a misunderstanding, Brother Zhu will apologize to you.”

They added with a nod: “Exactly. For Zhu You to dare come to the Tao Family, there must be a reason. He would not come without cause. If there is a misunderstanding, it is best to clear it up.”

How could Tang Rong agree to that? He was just about to retort when the gate of the Tao Family opened. A Tao Family servant, having seen the situation and run to report it, returned with Madam Li. Madam Li stood at the threshold, face cold as she looked toward Zhu You and said: “Third Young Master Zhu, you have come again and again to harass us. What is your purpose? I have long since stated that no young lady of the Tao Family is acquainted with you. Your one-sided visits have gravely damaged the reputation of the girls in this residence. Do you mean to force the young ladies of this household to prove their innocence by death?”

She continued crisply: “For what happened today, the Tao Family will certainly seek justice from Duke Xiang. Even the Duke’s Manor cannot casually implicate unrelated people.”

Zhu You’s whole body ached, yet he still tried to defend himself as he began: “Miss Tao and I are in love, we…”

Madam Li cut him off with a single word: “Silence.”

Her gaze was icy as she said: “If you spill filth again, I will take you straight to the magistrate. Do you take the Tao Family for easy prey? You saw one of the young ladies from this house only once at a banquet; out of courtesy she greeted you. Does a polite greeting mean she favors you?”

She pressed further, each question like a slap: “Third Young Master Zhu, you have a household of your own. Before acting, have you thought at all about your wife? Have you considered the face of your Duke’s Manor?”

Madam Li knew perfectly well that this was the peach-blossom debt stirred up by Tao Yi Ran, who flirted wherever she went; now she had flirted her way into this mess, and how was she to face others in the future? [Truly… a wretch.]

Even so, she had to defend the reputation of the Tao Family’s girls; that was her duty as the household’s manager. She turned and commanded: “Someone, help the young master-in-law inside, and send for a physician.”

Ma Qi stepped forward with a grin and called out: “Wait, wait. Sister-in-law, you must not be so heartless as to break up a pair of lovers…”

Madam Li’s reply was iron: “I advise you to say less.” She faced all three men, her tone unyielding and clear: “I will reiterate. The girls of the Tao Family are well-bred and virtuous; none of them would exchange private tokens with a man. Do not sling wild claims here.”

Zhao Wen tried to salvage the spectacle as he blurted, unwilling to let such a good show end: “Not an unmarried girl, it is a misunderstanding. It is the married young mistress of the house…”

“Impudent,” Madam Li raised her voice. “There is only one married young mistress from this residence; she is now the Heir Apparent’s wife of Marquis Wei Yuan’s household. Husband and wife are deeply affectionate. She merely returned for a few days because the Grand Matron is unwell, to tend to her illness. It was an act of filial piety, and you twist it with a few glib words into something indecent. What is your intent?”

She swept them with a stern gaze: “By the bright moon and the majesty of heaven, do you still hold any respect for the law in your eyes? Help the young master-in-law inside.”

Madam Li’s firm stance and orderly words minimized the harm this scene might have caused.

The servants stepped forward to support Tang Rong into the house, paying no heed to the swaying, about-to-topple Zhu You. Zhao Wen and Ma Qi had not expected Madam Li to be such a hard case; they could only fan the flames by whispering provocations into Zhu You’s ear. In the end, men from Duke Xiang’s manor arrived and took Zhu You away. Whether from fury or agitated emotions, he rolled his eyes halfway back and fainted on the road.

“It was just like that. There were crowds watching,” the servant who had witnessed it all recounted with vivid relish. Those who heard wore different expressions, yet all turned in unison to look at Tang Mo. Liao Zhi remarked, “It is also a piece of good fortune.”

Yan Shi Mao was the first to catch his meaning and nodded: “Indeed, good fortune.”

If Tao Yi Ran had ultimately married Second Younger Brother Tang, they could hardly imagine what days he would have lived. A schemer like Tang Rong had already been driven to this point; how could Second Younger Brother Tang have fared any better?

Tang Mo wore a wry smile, though his heart felt a pang of regret. [Zhu You is no good; he landed only one punch. If only he had given one to each eye. How could he favor one side over the other?]

Xin An, who had not yet heard the news, returned at that time with the ladies. Seeing unfamiliar faces among the diners, she smiled and asked Fang Da: “Do we already have patrons?”

Fang Da grinned so broadly his eyes nearly vanished as he answered: “All the private rooms this evening already have diners.”

Xin An was a little surprised and asked: “So fast? Who booked them?”

Fang Da explained that some were merchants who had visited earlier, some were people who had heard the news outside and wanted to join the fun, and some were simply out for novelty. He added cheerfully: “Fortunately, Divine Physician Qin anticipated this. In the morning he had people soak additional medicinal ingredients, so tonight’s soups will not be delayed.”

“By the way,” Fang Da added, “five private rooms are already booked for tomorrow as well.”

At first, Fang Da had worried they would not recoup their costs for a long time; after seeing today’s diners, recuperating the investment was only a matter of time.

Xin An’s lips curved with a contented smile as she said: “Tell everyone below that the first few days after opening will be hard work. Have them keep their spirits up. After this busy spell, they will receive reward money.”

The arrival of patrons naturally lifted everyone’s mood. Smiling, Fang Da told people to prepare small baskets. Today, any patron who came would receive a complimentary portion of soup ingredients and a gift of autumn pears and pomegranates for good fortune.

That evening, everyone took their seats in the largest private room, where two tables had been set. The men were still whispering, but fell silent the moment Xin An and the other ladies entered, wearing a conspiratorial air. Lin Yao, curious, asked: “What were you talking about?”

One of the women teased with a laugh: “You stopped speaking the moment we came in, were you gossiping about us?”

Yan Shi Mao, helpless before Lin Yao’s persistence—no matter what, she would not rest until she knew—summed it up in a few sentences. The women shook their heads; to them, it was hardly surprising.

“Zhu You has a notorious reputation in the capital for recklessness; he always does as he pleases,” someone said.

Another added thoughtfully: “Though he is unreliable, he is not completely foolish. If he had not received some hint or some ambiguous words, he would not have rushed over to the door.”

“Who can say? Let’s not talk about it. My stomach was filled with broth and wine at noon; now I am famished,” someone else said with a grin.

They changed the subject quickly to spare Tang Mo and Xin An any awkwardness.

Just then, Yan Wen Hui and the others who had gone to see a play returned. After a few exchanged jokes, everyone sat. Servers filed in bearing dishes. The ladies were composed, while the men ladled soup for themselves, drinking with faces of deep satisfaction and exclaiming that the broth loosened every bone and sinew, warmed the stomach, and felt wonderfully soothing.

“This soup is excellent. It seems I will become a regular here,” one of them declared.

Another laughed and called to Tang Mo: “Second Younger Brother Tang, this place is obviously pricey. Next time you come, call me along. I will not eat much; two bowls of soup will do.”

“Hahaha, you pretending to be poor…” came the roaring reply.