CHAPTER 355: CHAPTER 349: I AM THE MARQUIS MANSION DOWAGER 38

Anning, seeing Xu Wan crying in distress, couldn’t help feeling heartbroken.

"Good child, it’s not about what you should do, but what they should do. All these things, they are the ones who did wrong, they have wronged you and don’t know how to face you, not the other way around. You just follow your heart, our ancestor has your back."

With Anning’s comfort, Xu Wan felt a bit better.

She lifted her tearful eyes and looked at Anning: "Ancestor, I want to go back to the south."

Anning patted her: "That won’t work. When you were about to come to the Capital, your father had told me that you shouldn’t return to the south now. If you don’t want to stay at Duke Zhongyong’s Mansion, just wait a bit, endure for some more days. Once I enter the palace, I could bring you to live there, how about that?"

Xu Wan was momentarily unsure, after a long time, she softly said: "I’ll listen to the ancestor."

Just when Xu Wan had calmed down, Du Juan entered and said: "Ancestor, lady, Mr. Rong has come."

Xu Wan turned her face away: "I don’t want to see him."

Before Du Juan could leave, Tang Rong’s voice came in.

"Sister Wan, I’ve already known about my mother’s actions, I... owe you an apology, and have no face to meet you anymore. I won’t come in to see you but wanted to say a word to you. These things are my mother’s fault. As her son, I should bear them with her. Whatever she owes you, I will compensate in the future. If Sister Wan feels aggrieved, you can hit or scold me, I just hope you can feel a bit better."

Tang Rong said these words with true sincerity.

He wasn’t seeking Xu Wan’s forgiveness, but came to admit the wrongs, hoping to offer her some comfort.

Afterward, Anning and Xu Wan heard the sounds of kowtowing.

Then, it was peaceful outside the house.

Anning sighed deeply: "He is a good kid, but it’s a shame... Ms. Zhang has tousled everything, spoiling good children."

Xu Wan also felt some regret.

She no longer hated Tang Rong now, she could distinguish clearly, Ms. Zhang is Ms. Zhang, and Tang Rong is Tang Rong, these things have nothing to do with Tang Rong.

However, Ms. Zhang committing these bad deeds had already tarnished Tang Rong’s reputation. Just mentioning inside this mansion, once Ms. Zhang was confined, those maidens started treating Tang Rong differently.

Quite a few maidens became much colder toward Tang Rong.

And those Daya in his own residence, initially several of them wanted to become Tang Rong’s concubines, but now, no one was in the mood anymore.

After all, everyone is now awake to the fact that this Marquis Mansion belongs to the main branch, and in the future, the inheritance will go to the main branch; the second branch is bound to be partitioned off.

And Tang Rong being a legitimate son from the second branch, after the partition, won’t get much and with Ms. Zhang having done so many bad things, it’s difficult to ensure that Second Old Master won’t take it out on Tang Rong, making his future circumstances increasingly difficult. Being his concubine wouldn’t promise good days.

Thinking of Tang Rong’s situation, Xu Wan then thought about Tang Ying in the palace: "Ancestor, will elder sister in the palace be implicated?"

Anning stroked Xu Wan’s head: "Don’t worry, once I enter the palace, I’ll have your elder sister stay in my quarters for a while, then find a way to seek a good family for her to marry into peacefully and steadily."

Tang Rong stood in front of Xu Wan’s door for a while, then clenched his teeth and resolutely turned to leave.

As he was leaving, the tears just fell.

He angrily wiped away the tears, his expression gradually becoming calmer.

But his heart felt hollow, as if something had been gouged out, or as if he had lost something very important in his life.

And in the second branch, there were people who were happy and those who were worried.

Tang Rong and a few maidens serving Ms. Zhang were filled with anxiety.

Meanwhile, Tang Qin’s mother, Aunt Bai, was unable to contain her joy.

Wearing a peach-pink dress scattered with flowers, she swayed over to see Tang Qin, and upon entering the room, the smile on Aunt Bai’s face couldn’t stop.

"I always said, eventually, she would face retribution."

She sat down and took a sip of tea, her voice delicate: "After committing all those evil deeds, she really has no conscience."

Tang Qin glared at Aunt Bai irritably: "Auntie, why are you talking about such things? I am just a child, you discuss evil in front of me, aren’t you afraid of scaring me?"

Aunt Bai smiled: "I’m just happy today, Ms. Zhang has been oppressing me all my life and now she has finally fallen. In the future, I can live a joyful life."

Tang Qin was even more displeased: "Even if you are happy, you should not be like this. Even if we can’t help her in her time of need, we shouldn’t kick her while she’s down. No matter how bad she is, she is still the biological mother of elder sister and second brother. For nothing else, at least for elder sister and second brother’s sake, we shouldn’t speak of her this way. Moreover, there are so many eyes in the mansion; if people hear you, they might say we mother and daughter are too frivolous. I have just received some teachings from our ancestors, and she has shown some compassion towards me; if it continues this way, I am afraid she might despise us and grow to detest us."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Bai immediately hid her smile: "Is it that serious? I have been laughing all this way and nothing happened."

She was genuinely scared.

Although Aunt Bai was usually frivolous, she truly planned for the well-being of her children. For them, she could endure any humiliation.

"Just argue with me for a bit when Auntie goes out later."

Tang Qin, who was always scheming, quickly came up with this idea: "After all, our mother and daughter always end up in a quarrel every few days. For my sake, Aunt Bai has already tainted her reputation, and now she isn’t afraid of anything else."

Aunt Bai laughed: "What am I afraid of? For your sake, there’s nothing I’m afraid of. Now that Ms. Zhang has fallen, I am even less afraid."

Tang Qin, fearing Aunt Bai might mess things up, reminded her again: "Even when you see father, do not mention the matter about Second Mrs.; just act as if you know nothing to avoid upsetting father. Also, now that Second Mrs. has been confined, you should take the opportunity to suggest to father about letting Man’er study."

Only then did Aunt Bai remember; previously Ms. Zhang had been suppressing them, and she and her daughter did not dare to educate Tang Man properly. Now that Ms. Zhang had been detained and could no longer manage them, the most important thing was not to gloat but to take the time to educate Tang Man.

Fortunately, Tang Man was still young and his temperament had not yet set; there was hope to correct him.

Thinking this, Aunt Bai exchanged a few words with Tang Qin and hurriedly left.

As soon as Aunt Bai left, Tang Qin sighed.

Then, she packed some things and went to look for Xu Wan.

Anning left Xu Wan’s place and halfway, she encountered Tang Rong, who was sitting on a rock by the path and spacing out.

"Rong?"

Anning called out.

Tang Rong was distracted, his eyes blank.

Anning pushed him a few times, but he didn’t snap out of it.

Anning didn’t dare to call him again, afraid of startling him, so she just sat beside him to keep him company.

After a long time, Tang Rong finally came to.

Seeing Anning sitting beside him, treating him gently as usual, he pitifully called out: "Old Ancestor."

Anning smiled at Tang Rong: "The Old Ancestor is here, our Rong need not be afraid."

That sentence made Tang Rong’s eyes tear up.

Since Ms. Zhang’s incident, Mrs. Song must have been furious and has been bedridden, not having time to manage Tang Rong.

The maids in Tang Rong’s room were also indifferent, paying him little attention.

He felt extremely uncomfortable inside and didn’t know who to talk to. Sitting by the roadside, he felt so alienated from the world, he rather wished he could just disappear.

Now waking up to see the gentle, familiar Anning, he felt somewhat comforted.

"Old Ancestor, why did my mother do that?"

Tang Rong couldn’t understand why; Ms. Zhang was not short of money, yet she frenziedly accumulated wealth to the extent of harming others.

Anning held Tang Rong’s hand and whispered to him, "For personal gain, people are greedy, what they covet differs, greed is like a devil, one must never indulge it, nor let it out, because once released, it cannot be controlled, it could ruin you forever."

Tang Rong was somewhat confused.

Anning explained carefully to him, "Perhaps when your mother was waiting to be married, she was a good girl, but after marrying your father, she lost her emotional support; your father wasn’t very fond of her, treated her indifferently. She didn’t receive the conjugal love she hoped for and wanted some authority. However, your father wasn’t very competent in his official duties; he couldn’t provide her with glory, and your elder brother died young. She couldn’t get the accomplished son she wanted, so she could only focus on money..."