Chapter 271

Chapter 271: A Scene of Utter Collapse

Madam Wang spoke steadily to the three pregnant women: “The year’s end is near, and there are many matters in and out of the residence. When I get busy I may not look after you. If you are uncomfortable or need anything, speak up. Do not concern yourselves with other affairs. The most important thing is to bring the children in your bellies safely into the world.”

Her gaze swept over the three expectant mothers. She could not allow Tao Yi Ran to handle household affairs, but appearances still mattered.

She continued, including the two concubines by default: “Your husbands are bedridden with injuries. You must attend to them carefully. Such an accident leaves a man depressed. Go keep them company and talk with them so they do not brood.”

She concluded briskly: “Once the injuries are healed, the residence will still have many matters needing their management.”

Tao Yi Ran was docile to the extreme. Whatever Madam Wang said was what it was. In her heart, whether it was Madam Wang or Xin An, both were laboring for her sake. She was the true future mistress of the marquisate.

As for the two concubines, they had no place to speak and replied with lowered eyes.

Xin An also kept silent, her mind circling around the commotion Tang Mo had mentioned. Very soon she heard hurried footsteps. Looking up toward the door, she saw a maid rushing in: “Madam, Eldest Young Madam, the Heir Apparent… the Heir Apparent, he…”

“He is not being a person anymore…” The maid’s sudden cry drew everyone’s attention.

Madam Wang knit her brows lightly: “Flustered and without decorum. What is it?”

The maid was on the verge of tears: “The Heir Apparent is not well. Please, Madam, come take a look.”

“If he is unwell, summon the house physician. What exactly has happened?”

Madam Wang did not immediately rise to go to Chun Hua Courtyard. Tao Yi Ran and the two concubines, who had been ready to stand, had to press themselves back to their seats. Seeing the maid stammer without saying it, Tao Yi Ran urged: “What, exactly, is wrong with the Heir Apparent?”

With a thud, the maid dropped to her knees: “Eldest Young Madam, you should return at once. The Heir Apparent, he…” She could not finish. The scene was too terrible to describe.

Displeasure showed on Madam Wang’s face, but she still stood: “Let’s go see.”

Xin An’s eyes shone wickedly bright. [So the commotion Tang Mo mentioned is here.] She followed at once toward Chun Hua Courtyard, her steps light.

By then, Chun Hua Courtyard was already in chaos. Scolding and dry heaving rose and fell. Pushed to the brink, Auntie Cai raved like a madwoman, roaring to ask why the physician had not arrived.

The maids did not dare approach and called back from a distance: “Aunt, the house physician said the residence is short on medicinal herbs. He went out early to purchase them and said he would return before noon. We don’t know where he went to buy them.”

Auntie Cai snapped, flinging an arm: “Then go find him. Hurry.”

A maid who had ventured too near gagged violently on the spot: “Urgh.”

The entire courtyard descended into uproar. Having gone to gather news, Nan Feng hurried back to Qiu Shi Courtyard. The courtyard’s dog, Meatball, barked nonstop, circling back and forth in agitation. Nan Feng called out at once: “Shut the gate. Quickly, shut the gate. Aunt, I remember we have mugwort, yes? Find it and burn it to fumigate the air.”

Auntie Wang stepped out at the commotion. “What’s happened that we need to burn mugwort?” asked Auntie Cui Ping as both women came out together.

Nan Feng blurted with urgency: “Aunt, the people next door have stopped being human. They’re going to stink us to death…”

“How can you say such a thing?” gasped Auntie Wang, while the entire courtyard pricked up its ears. They had heard the racket next door and did not know what had happened.

Nan Feng drew a deep breath, then spoke quickly:

Tang Gang had guarded against it in every conceivable way and still failed to guard against Tang Mo’s retaliation toward Tang Rong. Tang Mo did not do as Tang Gang expected by going to beat up Tang Rong, nor did he demand compensation, nor move to empty Tang Rong’s collection of curios, nor smear his reputation. He chose the simplest and most brutal method.

He did nothing that would endanger Tang Rong’s life, and he did not take his money. He merely made that self-styled gentleman, that bright-as-the-moon handsome scholar Tang Rong, soil an entire bed.

A bowl of decoction laced with a generous dose of laxative was sent into Chun Hua Courtyard and fed to Tang Rong by Qing Mo himself. In only half a stick of incense, Tang Rong felt his belly twist as if wrung. The urge to empty himself surged overwhelmingly. Unfortunately, any movement tugged at the wound in his abdomen. The pain left him no time to prepare. He spectacularly filled his trousers.

Qing Mo was quick-witted then. While soothing Tang Rong, he pulled the quilt up to cover him so the stench would not spread, then went out to order water boiled and summon the physician. Running too fast, he caught his foot on the threshold, planted his face on the ground, burst his nose, and twisted his ankle. He had no choice but to call for Auntie Cai.

Auntie Cai did not grasp the severity of the situation. She entered and, not catching any smell at first, assumed it was nothing serious, something that could be handled by wiping him clean and changing his trousers. To show her diligence before handing the rest to the lower servants, she lifted the quilt to take off Tang Rong’s trousers, thinking she would do a quick tidy. At worst she would be stunk up a little.

Who knew that when the trousers were halfway down, a fresh, irresistible wave surged through Tang Rong. He had no time to speak before he let loose in utter relief.

This time it did not stream “a thousand li” away. It streamed all over Auntie Cai’s hands. In that instant, he screwed his eyes shut, unwilling to face the collapsing scene before him.

Auntie Cai was struck dumb on the spot. Before she could collect herself, another torrent of golden broth, brimming with primordial force, sprayed across her hands and splashed onto her face.

She shrieked helplessly: “Ah… ah…”

The maid at the door retched in chorus: “Urgh.”

In the end, Auntie Cai could not hold it in. She vomited all over Tang Rong. The mingled stench of the two filths made Tang Rong brace himself to roll over and retch as well. With the force he exerted, it was an explosion both upward and downward.

Tears streamed from Auntie Cai’s eyes as she retched. She raised a hand to wipe her mouth by reflex, only to see what coated her fingers. She immediately vomited as if the sky and earth were spinning, as though she would heave up her intestines.

Outside, Qing Mo, who was tending to his bleeding nose, smelled the reek wafting from the room and heard the commotion. He judged the entire courtyard might not be salvageable. It stank too much. While the others were still dazed, he had a friendly servant help him hobble off to find a physician.

Very soon the stink spilled from the room, and everyone in the courtyard smelled it. Someone went in to check, then staggered out clutching the doorframe to vomit violently. The heady sour reek spread through the courtyard. Retching and dry heaving overlapped. Auntie Cai, spattered with filth from head to toe, stood at the door cursing in collapse.

Auntie Wang, hearing Nan Feng’s account, exclaimed: “Heavens. Burn the mugwort, now.”

She hated her own slowness, terrified the stench next door would drift over. If she could, she would have liked to place a cover over Qiu Shi Courtyard.

At that moment, Madam Wang and the others still did not know what had happened. They hurried toward Chun Hua Courtyard. As soon as they reached the gate, a rank smell hit them. The servants had tied handkerchiefs across their nose bridges, leaving only their eyes visible. Madam Wang demanded: “What is the meaning of this?”

Nan Feng ran to Xin An and stuffed two nose plugs into her hand. Before Xin An could even ask, a flood of stench swept over them all.