Chapter 353

Chapter 354: I Was Nauseated

Xin An was thoroughly nauseated by Tang Rong’s words; her stomach churned so hard she could hardly breathe. She had always believed he possessed a little real ability, and that in those first months when she and Tang Mo had tiptoed around everything, they had merely been skirmishing at the edges. Today it struck her all at once: he was nothing more than that.

[She realized she had mistaken Tang Rong’s luck for his ability.]

He had been born to a Marquis father who doted on him and smoothed his way. Whatever he wanted was always the best. Outside, whenever he socialized, there were plenty who wished to curry favor with Tang Gang and would lift him high, forcibly carrying him along on a palanquin of praise until his reputation gleamed. With the inept Tang Mo as his foil, he looked even more outstanding.

Later, after he married her, she paved his road with her vast dowry so he never had to worry about money. To him, the silver in the accounts seemed inexhaustible. With the ancestors’ blessing, his father clearing the way, and money as his cushion, his official career sailed along with a favorable wind.

Now that she thought of it, even a fool would not fare too badly under such conditions. Thinking carefully, Tang Rong truly had done nothing brilliant. People said he was exceptional, but exceptional where? Aside from his polished façade, his greatest skill was using others; every dirty deed was done by someone else.

And even with exile from the capital looming, he still had to come and disgust her once more.

She asked, voice cool: “Did Big Brother’s visit today happen with Eldest Sister-in-law’s knowledge?”

She added, lips curved in a brittle smile: “Back then Big Brother defied everything for Eldest Sister-in-law just to be together; if Eldest Sister-in-law learns that Big Brother still watches his younger brother’s wife day after day, I wonder what she will think?”

Tang Rong said with heavy righteousness that he owed her: “There are some particulars from that day that are not convenient to speak of; Yiran is already my wife, and I must consider her face. After such a scandal, if I hadn’t stepped forward to shoulder everything, how could she have gone on living?”

She gagged: “Ugh.”

[So this was what he meant: that Tao Yi Ran had schemed to keep him, and he was the innocent one?]

And not only innocent, but full of gallant responsibility; she gagged again: “Ugh.”

Hearing the sounds, Chun Yang burst in from outside. The moment she learned the man inside was the Heir Apparent, she longed to rush in and carry her young mistress away at once. This dog of a Heir Apparent, did he mean to ruin her young mistress’s reputation? She drew herself up and said, firm and cold: “Heir Apparent, my young madam is unwell, so we will take our leave.”

Tang Rong’s face went iron-blue. He did not think his words had repulsed Xin An; he decided instead that Xin An was pregnant, and with Tang Mo’s child at that. Tang Mo! [Why him!]

After leaving the teahouse and climbing into the carriage, the breath of fresh air eased Xin An a little. Chun Yang fed her a sugar drop and asked with concern: “Shall we fetch Divine Physician Qin to have a look?”

Xin An shook her head and exhaled a long breath: “No need.”

She added, faintly amused by herself: “I was simply nauseated. Once we’re home and I settle, I’ll be fine.”

Back at Qiu Shi Courtyard, Xin An lay down. Auntie Cui Ping specially prepared a bowl of ginger soup and, despite Xin An’s demurral, insisted on calling the estate physician, just in case she truly was with child.

The estate physician arrived quickly. After taking her pulse, he could make nothing certain of it. He said only that her emotions were disturbed and she had been agitated, and that there was no need for medicine.

Chun Lv walked the physician out, pressed a reward into his hand, said the trip had been hard on him and that was that. The physician left thinking that Second Young Madam was indeed a woman of consideration.

When Tang Mo returned, he insisted on calling it an illness and hurried in with long strides, asking, anxious: “What is it? Did you catch a chill?”

By then Xin An had moved from the bed to the beauty couch. She waved him closer and said with a wry smile: “It’s nothing. You’re back at the perfect time; I need to tell you something. I was disgusted today, to the point of gagging.”

She added briskly for Chun Yang: “Stand guard at the door.”

When only the two of them remained inside, Xin An recounted the day’s events in full and then vented for a good while besides. Tang Mo’s face went green; he ground his teeth and spat, low and furious: “Wretched bastard, what filth. I didn’t go looking for trouble with him, and he had the nerve to deliver himself to my door.”

He concluded, eyes cold: “This debt must be repaid.”

Xin An lifted her arms toward him like a child and said, soft and honest: “Hold me.”

Then, muffled against his chest, she added: “He made me truly sick.”

Tang Mo gathered her into a full embrace and murmured into her hair: “You too. Once you knew it was him, why go at all? What good thing could that creature possibly say?”

She huffed a breath and answered, resigned: “He claimed he wanted to return the jade pendant.”

She had planned to smash the pendant on the spot, but after a moment’s thought she had kept it. Tang Rong was hateful, yes, but the pendant was valuable. Besides, it had originally belonged to the Xin Family.

Tang Mo said, practical as ever: “Then sell it later, turn it into silver, and use it to reward the men under you. Isn’t that better than leaving it in his hands?”

Xin An nodded, and Tang Mo found he had nothing to refute. He muttered, still simmering: “Fortunately that scoundrel is leaving at once. Otherwise, today would not end here.” [Let the old man shield him tightly for now; when he’s on the road to take up his post, I’ll be sure his path is anything but smooth.]

Leaving that foul topic behind, Xin An mentioned the invitation from Prince Jin Manor. She smiled: “At least the groundwork we laid earlier wasn’t in vain. If you can attract Prince Jin’s eye, the future will worry us less.”

Tang Mo told her he had been actively socializing with the sons of various houses recently and was on good terms with them: “As for forging truly deep ties, that’s hard; most of these men act with their families’ interests foremost. As of now I can barely count as someone of note, and you too have a bit of face to call upon.” He added, steady: “But these things can’t be rushed. We’ll proceed carefully.”

[With that dog next door gone, it’s our turn as husband and wife to make our move.]

After dinner, Xin An casually brought up opening a flower-and-plants shop. Tang Mo’s envy was impossible to hide as he blurted: “Opening another shop?”

He leaned closer, half-pleading: “Can’t you take me along?”

Since joining the Northern Garrison Army he had had no spare time to make money, and even if he had, his wife would have called it ill-gotten and insisted he give it away generously. They were not short of silver now, but watching his wife make money made him itch with longing.

She tapped the seat beside her for him to sit and said, amused: “Your proper duty is your post; that’s the real business. Do you look like you’re short of spending money?”

She told him the shop would open in his jurisdiction and she would still need him to look after it: “There’s half a street of flower sellers there, if I remember right. Keep an eye out for a storefront for me.” She winked at him and teased: “Once it’s done, I’ll pay you a protection fee.”

“That’ll count as you making money.”

Tang Mo could only laugh, half crying, half smiling. Left hand to right hand and she had even given it a different name. Worst of all was the wording. Collect a protection fee from his own wife’s shop—what was that supposed to be? [Not letting the fat water flow into outsiders’ fields?]

He rose and made a mock bow with cupped hands: “Great Beauty Xin, do command me as you please. Your humble servant would die a thousand deaths without complaint. Only, those three words protection fee, pray do not say them again—they shame me to the core.”

Xin An burst out laughing: “I’m teasing you. Even if you tried to collect, I wouldn’t pay. Dare to take my money and see how I deal with you.”

Tang Mo let out a long sigh of relief, then launched into the day’s amusing incidents for her. Before long, laughter from their room drifted into the courtyard. Meatball, the dog, tried to dash inside but was scooped up by Chun Lv, who tapped his head and scolded: “You have the worst timing. No meat for you tonight.”

Meatball howled and wriggled to be put down, but there was no chance of that; he was quickly tethered.