RMBLCUCS – Chapter 32: Beating Up Tang Rong to Vent Some Anger
After several days of drinking and feasting outside, Tang Mo was feeling rather unwell. He slouched on Xin An’s beauty couch1, eyes closed, trying to recover his energy. Chunyang arrived with a bowl of hangover soup and a dish of plain vegetable porridge. Tang Mo cracked one eye open and glanced at her.
“So considerate today?”
“What, afraid you’ll drink yourself to death and have no one to serve you?”
Chunyang was ready to fire back, but Xin An raised her hand, dismissing her to rest. The maid still threw Tang Mo a sharp glare before leaving, finding him utterly heartless.
“Why do all your maids have such fiery tempers?”
Tang Mo sighed in relief as the warm broth settled in his stomach. The soothing porridge followed, spreading warmth to his limbs. Completely at ease, he lounged even more shamelessly on the couch. Xin An merely chuckled and didn’t answer his question. Instead, she asked, “How did things go today?”
“Not bad. Now we wait for the results.”
Tang Mo propped his head up with one hand. “I never had much contact with Second Uncle before, nor did I interact much with my cousins. Today, I spent half a day at his place and shared a meal. He seems like a straightforward man—no pretense.”
Xin An sat beside him. “I never knew him well either. It wasn’t until the Marquisate fell into trouble that I truly saw his character. Back then, when everyone kept their distance, he—who had been separated from the family early on and had never benefited from the Marquisate—had every reason to watch from the sidelines. Yet, he was the one who worked the hardest to help.”
“At the time, I regretted it deeply. If only we had supported him a little more before, offered him a bit more kindness. Not only would it have eased our own conscience, but he might have had more power to help us when disaster struck.”
Tang Mo studied her intently. “Can you tell me now what exactly happened to the Marquisate? If we knew, we could prepare and avoid it, right?”
Xin An’s gaze turned sharp. “That kind of thing will never happen in this lifetime.”
Seeing her reluctance, Tang Mo scratched his head in frustration. “Come on, my dear lady, just tell me! How am I supposed to sleep at night if you leave me hanging like this?”
Xin An’s expression darkened. With a cold snort, she was about to rise when Tang Mo caught her wrist.
“Please, tell me. This is the first time in two lifetimes that I’m begging you.”
Xin An sat back down. Her voice was calm but piercing.
“Your son was guilty of massive corruption and entangled in political faction struggles. When the matter was exposed, he framed my son to take the fall. My son died in prison because of it. Second Uncle was the one who collected his body.”
Tang Mo’s breath hitched.
He had wanted to ask about his son, Tang Hui, for a long time but had never found the right words.
He was never favored by his father, and naturally, his son was also overlooked. After his death, how did his son manage to frame Tang Xuan for his own crimes?
Only one possibility came to mind. His brows furrowed deeply. When he looked at Xin An again, a flicker of guilt and rage flashed in his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he cursed,
“Tang Rong, that beast—how could he do such a thing?”
Xin An wiped the corners of her eyes. “I thought you’d be happy.”
“Happy?”
Tang Mo let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “Tao Yiran looked down on me. Tang Hui, influenced by her, had only his eldest uncle in his heart. He thought I, his own father, was an embarrassment. And at that time… how old was he?”
“Four.”
Tang Mo closed his eyes, recalling the past. “He disrespected me once, so I scolded him. And he shouted that he didn’t want me as his father. He said if only his eldest uncle were his father instead.”
The words of a small child could pierce deeper than a blade. Even now, remembering it made his heart ache.
Both of them were in foul moods. The more Xin An thought about it, the angrier she became. She suddenly punched Tang Mo. “This is your fault! Why did you have to ask?”
“I don’t care. Tomorrow, go find a way to make Tang Rong suffer. Make me feel better.”
Tang Mo rubbed his forehead. “How about I have my men kidnap him, lock him in a secret room, and let you whip him whenever you’re upset?”
Xin An raised an eyebrow. “Just have your men sack him in a burlap bag and give him a good beating.”
Tang Mo’s eyes gleamed with mischief. He hadn’t planned on using underhanded tricks, but now, he was simply tooangry.
“Consider it done. Just wait for the news.”
Xin An nodded, already feeling a little better before even laying a hand on Tang Rong.
Tang Mo switched topics. “I asked Yan Shimao to help smooth things over. It cost me a thousand taels.”
Xin An spoke her mind. “The future is uncertain. We may not succeed in the end, so we must leave ourselves a way out.”
“No matter the backup plan, money is indispensable.”
Tang Mo fully agreed. “I actually own two shops, and I co-own a teahouse with Yan Shimao and a few others. I make a few dozen taels a month.”
Xin An nodded. “I want to start a business too, but I can’t let anyone know it’s connected to the Marquisate. To put it bluntly, even if the Marquisate is ever raided, my business must remain untouchable.”
Tang Mo sat up. He, too, believed in preparing for the worst. “Do you have a trustworthy candidate?”
Xin An nodded. The Xin family were salt merchants, and they had no shortage of reliable stewards. Transferring one over wouldn’t be difficult.
“But I need to borrow your name. Or rather, I need to borrow the Marquisate’s name. Do you understand?”
Tang Mo understood immediately.
“You want the Marquisate’s name to shield your business, but you don’t want anyone to realize the business is actually yours.”
“Exactly. The old man won’t interfere in these matters. At most, he’ll scold me a couple of times.” He then grinned. “But I’m taking half of the profits.”
“Why should I agree to that?”
Xin An’s reaction was strong, but Tang Mo responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Because you need me. And I’m not just offering protection, alright? Think about it—I’m at your beck and call whenever you need, I’m about to beat up Tang Rong just to cheer you up, and I even have to curry favor with your parents on your behalf. As their son-in-law, I’ve won them over completely! Shouldn’t you reward me for that?”
Xin An chuckled. “And have I not been filial to your mother?”
Tang Mo scoffed. “Oh, come on. Think about all the benefits you’ve been getting from my grandmother and mother these past few days. Don’t be stingy. You’ll have plenty more occasions to use me in the future. And trust me, I’m the most thick-skinned person there is. Mark my words—within six months, my mother will start pressing you about having children. When that time comes, I’ll claim I have a hidden ailment so you won’t have to be put on the spot. Just for that alone, don’t you think I deserve half?”
Xin An’s expression turned complicated. Compared to Tang Rong’s brand of shamelessness, Tang Mo’s was an entirely different flavor—so brazen that she couldn’t even refute it.
“Fine. Deal.”
Tang Mo grinned triumphantly, hopping off the beauty couch and giving Xin An a formal bow, his tone full of mock solemnity.
“From now on, I must rely on Boss Xin to take care of me. I shall follow you to wealth and glory. Should you ever require anything, this humble servant will lay down his life without hesitation!”
Xin An burst into laughter. “Oh, no need to be so dramatic. I’ll be counting on Second Young Master to take care of me as well.”
Just moments ago, both of them had been brooding in anger, but now, their spirits had lifted, and their bond had grown even closer.
It was late into the night by the time Tang Mo finally returned to his own quarters.
Lailai, who had been waiting outside, hurried forward to attend to him. “I thought you’d be staying over tonight, Young Master. What made you come back?”
He hadn’t heard much of their conversation, but the laughter from inside had been clear enough.
Tang Mo flicked his forehead with a playful knock. “Your master is a gentleman. Stop letting your imagination run wild.”
Lailai pouted in protest, muttering, “You’re already properly married. What does being a gentleman have to do with anything?”
