RMBLCUCS – Chapter 51: Tang Mo’s Thoughtfulness

Tang Mo was indeed tempted by Xin An’s suggestion—he had long been short of a clever errand boy. “I’ll ask him later,” he said.

Not far off, Old Madame Tang and Wang Shi were watching. Seeing how well Tang Mo and Xin An got along, both were visibly pleased. The old matriarch even remarked proudly, “Didn’t I say they made a good match? They not only talk easily with each other but also enjoy the same things. That’s what we call fate.”

Wang Shi nodded with a smile. These past few days, she hadn’t had to concern herself with household affairs and had no vexing matters on her mind, so her mood had been much lighter. Seeing her son and daughter-in-law getting along so well made her even more content. Still, she commented with some exasperation, “The two of them are far too fond of play. Yesterday they hunted a few wild animals in the hills and said they’d roast them this afternoon. I doubt they even want to go back home anymore.”

“They also picked a heap of colorful mushrooms—I’ve no idea if they’re even edible.”

Old Madame Tang herself had no intention of returning. She rather enjoyed staying at the estate: the sky vast, the land open, the air fresh—it was far more pleasant than being cooped up in Spring Glory Hall. “You’ll return in a few days. The household still needs someone to manage it. I’ll stay a little longer.”

Wang Shi pressed a hand to her forehead—so they had come here only to find they didn’t want to leave. “This place is lovely, but it can’t compare to the convenience of the main estate. I wouldn’t feel at ease with you staying here alone. Why don’t I stay with you a while longer? Let Second Daughter-in-law handle the house for now—she seems rather capable when it comes to management.”

But the old matriarch did not agree. This visit was meant to help her unwind and, more importantly, to give the young couple a chance to grow closer. If they both stayed away and didn’t return, what would that look like?

“You’ll return as well. Your Second Daughter-in-law is still young and unfamiliar with many things in the household. You, as the matriarch, can’t expect to rest just yet.”

“It’s settled. I’ll stay for another half a month before going back.”

Wang Shi still felt uneasy, so she instructed someone to return to the estate and bring some daily essentials for the old matriarch, as well as summon the family physician. She also arranged for a few guards to be sent—everything had to be in order.

The ones returning were Nanny Wang’s husband and son. They had originally come to inspect the estate’s farmland. After several days of close observation, they found no issues: the soil was fertile, the crops were growing well, and everything was neatly maintained. There were no signs of laziness or deceit among the workers. With nothing left for them to supervise, they figured they might as well return early and begin overseeing the renovations of the Tang residence.

“Good! Hurry! Ershan, chase him down—faster!”

The boys’ game of cuju had reached a fever pitch. Tang Mo stood excitedly at the sidelines, one hand on his waist, shouting enthusiastically. Xin An was equally animated—though thankfully she didn’t jump up and wave her arms about. Wang Shi, on the other hand, could only shake her head helplessly and say to the old matriarch, “With things like this, I really don’t expect him to achieve greatness. As long as the two of them live in peace, stay out of trouble, and are a bit filial—that’s enough.”

The old matriarch laughed. “How many people are truly ‘great’? To pass one’s days smoothly and steadily—that in itself is a gift.”

“Come, let’s go fish by the lotus pond.”

Old Madame Tang had become enamored with fishing. Whenever a fish bit, she’d grow as giddy as a child, capable of sitting there the whole afternoon.

That evening, wild game was roasted over open flames. Ershan had assigned a group of boys to help with the work, and they performed their tasks with a surprising degree of order. While they waited for the meat to cook, Tang Mo asked Ershan if he’d be willing to follow him in the future. Without hesitation, Ershan nodded. “I’d be honored. May I bring someone along?”

Tang Mo had assumed he meant a playmate—but it turned out to be a girl.

“To be honest, Young Master,” Ershan began, “I’m the second son in my family. My father favors my older brother, and my grandfather dotes on my younger one. I’m stuck in the middle, and no one cares for me. They say I’m wild. Out of the three brothers, I do the most work, eat the least, and wear the worst clothes.”

“My cousin, Xiar, has it even worse. When they saw that the Prince was no longer in the capital and no one was watching the estate, my family tried to sell her off in secret. If Steward Yang hadn’t discovered it and brought her back, she’d probably be dead by now.”

“These days, she lives no better than a beast. They’ve thrown her into the woodshed, feed her the worst scraps, and work her the hardest. She gets beaten every day. If you could take my cousin along with me, then from this day forward, we siblings will recognize only you, Second Young Master, and Second Young Madam, as our true masters—for life.”

Ever since hearing Tang Mo was coming, Ershan had done everything in his power to prove himself. These past few days, he had thrown himself into his tasks with all his might. His family was biased—he could never finish all the work, and there was never enough food. The injustice of it all stifled him.

Tang Mo didn’t give an immediate answer. He merely said he’d consider it. Ershan looked disappointed, but quickly tried to redeem himself with even more eagerness.

Xin An didn’t much care for the wild game—most of it blackened and tough to chew—but she loved the atmosphere. The sky was streaked with evening clouds, birds returning to their nests. Everyone was laughing. Even the dogs wagged their tails in joy. She found herself smiling along with them.

Tang Mo handed her a roasted rabbit leg, glistening with oil. “Here. I had them marinate it and fry it first before roasting. Crispy outside, tender inside—full of flavor.”

He knew she hadn’t grown up in a prestigious family, but she had still been raised in wealth and comfort, and had likely never tasted such coarse fare. Of course, he would never admit he’d done it for her. He only told himself it was to thank her—for bringing up Prince Jin and lighting a new path for him to pursue.

Xin An didn’t refuse. She accepted the meat and took a small bite, using her handkerchief to cover her mouth. It was indeed crispy on the outside and tender within—quite flavorful.

But seeing how hard she was working to eat it, Tang Mo grabbed the leg from her hand and placed it back on the plate. With a few swift slices of his knife, he carved the meat into small, bite-sized pieces and pushed the plate toward her. “Eat.”

“I’m telling you, the only way to eat a leg is to hold it in your hand and gnaw on it directly—that’s where the real flavor is. Try it again and see—tastes completely different.”

Xin An was skeptical. It was the same rabbit leg—how could eating it off the bone be any different from eating it sliced?

Still, she picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and slowly chewed it, her expression doubtful. But sure enough, the taste wasn’t quite as fragrant as before. Tang Mo grinned in triumph. “See? When it comes to eating, you’re no match for me. One of these days, I’ll bring a crispy roasted chicken back to the room and tear into the leg with my teeth—that’s the way it should be eaten.”

Xin An set her chopsticks down, not particularly invested in the culinary arts. “Well then, if you ever come across anything delicious, don’t forget to include me.”

Just thinking about her previous life—how she’d barely ever stepped beyond the gates of the Marquis’s residence, endlessly occupied with duties and formalities—there had been no time, let alone freedom, to care about something like food. It felt like such a waste.

Tang Mo kept talking animatedly, though he didn’t actually eat much of the roasted game in front of him. He probably found the taste lacking too. Still, he did polish off the rest of Xin An’s rabbit leg. Later that night, lying in bed, he brought up their return.

They had only meant to stay briefly, and Prince Jin’s situation had already been an unexpected windfall. “I need to report early to the Northern Garrison, and also keep things moving for Second Uncle—his son’s appointment still needs handling.”

“If we’re not around, won’t those two next door turn the place upside down?”

Xin An wasn’t keen to return either, but she knew that if they slacked off today, there’d only be more to catch up on tomorrow. “Let’s go back. I had Uncle Wang inspect the estate carefully—he said everything’s well-managed. You saw the account books too. The people Prince Jin selected are all competent; there’s no need to replace them. In the future, we just need to check in with Steward Yang when he comes to the city to collect monthly wages.”

Tang Mo gave a noncommittal hum in reply. Suddenly, a discomfort twisted in his gut—after gorging on all sorts of random food, his stomach had finally had enough.

“Ow, no, I can’t—my stomach hurts.”