RMBLCUCS – Chapter 37: Gaining the Old Madam’s Favor Again

As the moon hung over the willow branches, the night market gradually quieted down. After spending an entire day wandering the city, Xin An was completely satisfied. The moment she got into the carriage, she began yawning.

“I’m exhausted.”

“I thought your legs were made of iron.”

Tang Mo massaged his sore legs. “Next time I take you out, I need to set some limits. Seriously, how can you walk so much?”

Not only could she walk, but she could gamble too. She had placed consecutive bets at the Cuju match earlier and somehow managed to win two taels of silver. Her luck was unbelievable.

Xin An, still teary-eyed from her yawn, replied, “How should I know? I didn’t feel tired at all while walking, but now that I’m sitting down, my legs are aching.”

“But today was great. From now on, whenever you go out to have fun, make sure to bring me along. Otherwise, don’t blame me if I tattle on you.”

“You’re so unreasonable.”

Tang Mo decided he wouldn’t step foot outside for the next two days. He needed time to recover. Suddenly, even the idea of going to the estate for a short retreat lost its appeal—he was afraid that once they got there, she wouldn’t be able to sit still.

As they arrived at the Marquisate’s gates, the moment they stepped down from the carriage, they ran into Tang Gang returning home.

Tang Mo inwardly sighed at his bad luck, but still bowed respectfully.

“Father, you’re back.”

Tang Gang eyed him up and down.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been out since morning and are just now returning?”

Tang Mo remained polite and composed.

“Xin An is curious about the city, so I figured she would need to familiarize herself with various places sooner or later. I decided to take her out for the day.”

Tang Gang didn’t say anything more and simply walked inside.

“Rest early,” he said before disappearing through the doors.

Tang Mo smirked at Xin An. “See? Not bad, right?”

“Not bad,” Xin An agreed.

She hurried inside, already thinking about soaking her feet—her legs were aching. Tang Mo, watching her sudden burst of energy, was baffled.

“Didn’t you just say you were sore? How are you walking so fast again?”

The moment they entered Qiushi Courtyard, he immediately gave orders.

“Prepare two basins of hot water for soaking.”

The warm water worked wonders. As Xin An relaxed, Chunlü, who had stayed home all day, came over to massage her calves while reporting on the household matters—especially what had happened at Spring Blossom Courtyard.

“Young Madam, the eldest young madam gave her famille rose vase to the heir. In return, he handed over the storeroom keys to her.”

Tang Mo let out a sigh of comfort, stretching his legs.

“Smart move.”

Chunlü didn’t quite understand, but Xin An did.

How much could Tang Rong possibly have? By letting Tao Yiran manage his personal finances, he could openly access the money and resources from her dowry. If she refused, he could guilt-trip her into providing funds.

But things weren’t so simple—Tao Yiran wasn’t the same woman as in the past. She might not be so easy to manipulate.

After soaking her feet, Tang Mo handed a small lacquered box to Xin An.

Inside was his personal stash of savings from over the years, along with two keys—the keys to his storeroom.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” he explained, “but I figure you’ll have expenses in the courtyard. It wouldn’t be fair for you to cover everything alone. I’ve got a few valuable items in my storeroom—if you ever need them, you can use them at your discretion.”

Xin An accepted it without hesitation.

“Even if you didn’t offer it, I would’ve asked for it anyway. If you want to live comfortably in this household, you need money to smooth things over—there’s no getting around it.”

She then brought up another matter.

“The Xin family’s residence in the capital is only used when my parents visit. Most of the time, it’s empty.”

“If no one lives there for too long, it’ll fall into disrepair. I was thinking of spending some silver to renovate and redecorate it, but I haven’t decided what to do with it yet.”

Tang Mo rubbed his hands together, his face full of anticipation.

“If Father-in-law and Mother-in-law aren’t using it, why not turn it into our private retreat?”

“In the future, we’ll need a proper place to host gatherings. The Marquisate isn’t the best location for that—it’s too easy for people to snoop around.”

Xin An agreed. It was true. Any minor disturbance in the Marquisate was quickly known by everyone.

Tang Mo was already planning the renovations.

“The garden needs to be expanded so it’s better suited for entertaining. Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, and Huan can keep their quarters as they are, but no one else should live there permanently. Just have the place cleaned daily so it’s ready whenever they visit.”

“Also, we should assign a few trusted people to handle the upkeep.”

Xin An nodded. “I’ll have Uncle Wang come talk to you later. He’ll take care of the renovations.”

Tang Mo got up, stretching. “I’m going to bed.”

Before leaving, he asked, “Do you want me to tell Grandmother tomorrow that you’re too tired and need to rest? That way, you can sleep in a little longer.”

“No need.”

Xin An still wanted to win favor with the Old Madam. Gaining her support was crucial. Besides—

“Breakfast at Grandmother’s place is delicious.”

“True,” Tang Mo chuckled. “And there’s more variety. I’ll go with you tomorrow.”

The household breakfasts were always set meals, but if you wanted more variety, you had to pay out of pocket. Going to the Old Madam’s courtyard meant they could enjoy extra dishes without spending a coin—a win-win situation.

Xin An yawned, then climbed into bed.

Outside, Nanny Wang hesitated, wanting to speak but ultimately holding back.

She couldn’t understand the relationship between the two.

They seemed harmonious—they discussed everything, stood side by side, and even had no reservations about things like soaking their feet together. They had literally seen each other’s feet, yet they still weren’t sharing a room?

Their dynamic was truly a mystery.

Perhaps it was exhaustion, or maybe she was simply in a great mood, but Xin An fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

When she woke up, she felt completely refreshed.

By the time she and Tang Mo arrived at Spring Glory Courtyard, they discovered that Tang Rong and Tao Yiran were already there, waiting outside.

“Big Brother and Sister-in-law are here so early? How unusual.”

Tang Mo couldn’t resist a jab.

Tang Rong responded with his signature polite smile.

“Second Brother and Sister-in-law aren’t exactly late either.” Tang Rong smiled faintly. “I heard you both spent the entire day out yesterday?”

Tang Mo replied with a leisurely grin.

“Unlike Big Brother and Sister-in-law, who have promising futures and heavy responsibilities on their shoulders, we are free to enjoy ourselves however we like.”

“Oh, by the way, I’ve been meaning to find a high-quality Tianhuang stone¹ to carve a seal. I heard Big Brother recently acquired a matching pair—would you be willing to part with one?”

Since everyone loved to say he had a habit of snatching things, he figured he might as well play along and make the reputation stick.

Tang Rong’s polite facade faltered for a moment.

“That set of stones was meant to be carved into seals for me and your sister-in-law. But if Second Brother wants one, I can always find another piece for you—something even better.”

“Then I must thank you in advance, Big Brother.”

At that moment, Ganlu, the Old Madam’s maid, opened the door and invited them inside for their morning greetings.

Old Madam Tang was sipping tea. Seeing them, she smiled warmly.

After they all greeted her, she glanced at Tang Mo.

“I heard you talking outside just now. What was that about?”

Tang Mo stepped forward with a grin.

“Big Brother said he recently found a pair of Tianhuang stones to be carved into matching seals for himself and Sister-in-law. When he learned that I also have an appreciation for Tianhuang, he kindly offered to help me find one as well. I was just thanking him.”

Old Madam Tang chuckled.

“Your Big Brother is about to begin his post at the Ministry of Rites. He won’t have the time to search for stones for you.”

“As it happens, I have a pair of Tianhuang stones myself. They’ve been sitting unused for years—why don’t I give them to you? You and your wife can each have one, as a symbol of harmony and unity.”

Tang Mo hadn’t expected such a stroke of luck.

He immediately knelt down and bowed deeply.

“Thank you, Grandmother! I always knew you were the kindest and most loving!”

1. Tianhuang is an exceptionally rare and highly prized variety of Shoushan stone, often referred to as the “Emperor of Stones.” Found exclusively in Shoushan, Fujian Province, Tianhuang is known for its warm golden hue, fine texture, and translucency. Historically, it was considered more valuable than gold, often used for imperial seals and treasured by scholars and nobility. Top-grade Tianhuang, known as Tianhuang Dong, is even rarer, possessing a smooth, jelly-like quality and streaks of red or white veins. It was traditionally reserved as a tribute item for the imperial court. ↩︎