Chapter 34

Tang Jin rubbed her forehead. Now she understood why her friend had been sabotaged by her own brother. With a personality that blunt and unyielding, forget working at the yamen—she’d struggle anywhere.

Of course Old Madam Tang had her back, but did the old lady have no sense of pride?

Tang Jin looked at Tang Laidi and said earnestly, “Grandma’s getting on in years. From now on, we need to remind her to eat a little less. I’m entrusting you with this noble mission.”

The moment Tang Laidi heard it was a “noble mission,” she instinctively wanted to nod. But then she thought of Old Madam Tang’s temperament and hesitated.

“Me? I’m not sure I’d be any good at that.”

“You can do it, boss,” Tang Jin said with utter confidence, her tone even firmer for emphasis.

Tang Laidi: “…”

The image of Old Madam Tang snatching food off plates flashed in her mind, and she shrank back inwardly. Who would dare tell that old lady to eat less?

Yet under Tang Jin’s gaze, brimming with trust, she wavered again.

“Then… I’ll give it a try?”

Tang Jin smiled. “Excellent. Then this important duty is yours.”

She had no intention of taking it on herself. She dreaded the old lady flying into a rage and walloping her. Her friend knew a bit of rudimentary martial arts and could take a punch better than she could.

Chu Lingyue watched them quietly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She wished these peaceful, joyful days could go on forever. She loved them—and they made her feel safe.

That afternoon, Tang Jin pondered for a moment and jotted down the menu for the day.

It was the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month. The signature dish was a big pot of garlic honey glazed chicken wings, divided into three portions as usual. Accompanying it were one plate of meat sauce mashed potatoes, one plate of slippery egg beef slices, and one plate of pepper-salt shrimp.

Six dishes in total. Perfect.

They had earned fifty-two taels over the past two days. Once today’s dishes sold out, they could divvy up more silver. Things were looking up.

She had it all planned out so nicely. Unfortunately, the heavens had other ideas.

Before the restaurant even opened its doors, an uninvited guest arrived.

The moment Tang Laidi laid eyes on the visitor, she shot to her feet, excitement flickering in her eyes. “Mom! What brings you here?”

Tang Laidi’s mother hailed from Lu Family Village, next door to Tang Village. She was stout and dark-skinned, bearing little resemblance to her daughter.

Tang Laidi took after her father—fair-skinned and rather pretty.

Madam Lu shoved the door open without ceremony and plopped down in the main hall with a huff. “What brings me here? If I hadn’t come, I never would’ve learned about your little scheme—stealing the family’s silver to open a restaurant in the county seat! Pack your things and come home right now, you wretched girl. This place shuts down today.”

Her words left Tang Jin and the other two stunned.

Tang Laidi’s face drained of color, the excitement in her eyes vanishing. “Mom, I opened this restaurant with my own wages. When did I ever steal the family’s silver?”

She had assumed her mother had come out of concern, to check on her.

She never imagined it would be an inquisition, complete with false accusations.

Madam Lu slammed her fat, dark hand on the table. “Your wages are the family’s silver! Your father and I raised you all these years. Even if you didn’t send any home to honor us, I let it slide so you could save a dowry. But to think you’d spend it all in secret—and go picking fights with Tower Beyond Towers! You’ve gotten too comfortable and gone looking for trouble.”

Tang Laidi froze, suddenly recalling that Shopkeeper Lu of Tower Beyond Towers was from the same village as her maternal grandparents’. He was a smooth operator, clever and handsome to boot, so he had married into the family early on, wedding the only daughter of Tower Beyond Towers’s previous owner and eventually taking over the place from his father-in-law.

No wonder. After she’d scared him off with that stool, he’d run straight to her mother.

Had her mother come to mediate?

No—Madam Lu clearly intended to take charge.

Seeing Tang Laidi standing there dumbfounded, she turned to Tang Jin and Chu Lingyue, her tone utterly matter-of-fact. “Since Laidi opened this place, the pair of you must be her hired help. Restaurant’s closing, so go back where you came from. Out of my sight—I’ve got a daughter to set straight.”

Tang Jin ignored her and spoke directly to Tang Laidi. “Laidi, have a good talk with your mother. If anything comes up, just call us from the backyard.”

Seeing how overbearing Madam Lu was—and recalling from the original host’s memories that this hefty auntie had a fierce temper—she immediately took Chu Lingyue by the hand and headed for the backyard.

Tang Laidi watched them retreat with pleading eyes, cursing inwardly: Some friends.

Was Tang Jin really that disloyal?

Chu Lingyue wasn’t sure, so she asked, “A-Jin, are we really just going to leave her? Can Laidi handle this on her own?”

Filial piety was a crushing weight. Tang Laidi could intimidate Shopkeeper Lu with a stool, but against her own mother? Forget striking back—even talking back would be improper.

Tang Jin flashed her a smile. “Come with me.”

With that, she let go of Chu Lingyue’s hand and dashed into the bedroom, shouting at the top of her lungs, “Grandma’s in trouble! Oh no, Grandma!”

Old Madam Tang, who had been dozing, jolted awake with a start.

“What’s all this trouble? Quit your yowling—this old lady’s just fine!”

Tang Jin sniffled dramatically, her expression one of pure aggrievement. “It’s really bad. Laidi’s mom showed up to smash the place and chase us out. You have to come see!”

Chu Lingyue trailed behind Tang Jin. When Old Madam Tang glanced her way with a questioning look, she bit her lip and murmured softly, “Grandma, Laidi’s mom told us to get lost.”

“What did you say? She dares tell you to scram? This old lady will beat her senseless with my cane!” Heartbroken at the pitiful sight of her precious darling, Old Madam Tang was seized by fury. She flipped herself upright, snatched up her cane, and stormed out.

Tang Jin silently gave Chu Lingyue a thumbs-up. “Wifey, you’re incredible.”

This woman really knew how to act. That little expression, that tone—it reminded her of those bizarre character descriptions in certain modern novels. Three parts grievance, three parts helplessness, three parts desperation, and a dash of forbearance.

Perfection!

Chu Lingyue was now Old Madam Tang’s favorite. Anyone who crossed her was in for it.

Chu Lingyue’s expression had returned to its usual calm. “A-Jin wasn’t bad herself.”

By now, she understood. Tang Jin wasn’t shirking responsibility—she was summoning the big gun.

Tang Jin explained, “No matter how outrageous Madam Lu gets, she’s still Laidi’s mother. It’s a family matter between mother and daughter. We’re outsiders, and she’s an elder besides. It wouldn’t do for us to argue with her. Grandma’s the perfect one to step in.”

Old Madam Tang was Tang Village’s most formidable woman—and one of its most senior elders to boot. No one in the village dared cross her. She was fair-minded, protective of her own but always reasonable, and she commanded real respect.

In front of her, Madam Lu was no match.

The two women exchanged smiles and made their way silently to the edge of the main hall. There they spotted Old Madam Tang standing by the window, ear pressed to the wall, eavesdropping.

Tang Jin couldn’t help glancing at Chu Lingyue.

Chu Lingyue’s lips curved upward. She stepped obediently to Old Madam Tang’s side and looped her arm through the old lady’s.

The eavesdropping party had gained a second member.

Tang Jin stifled a chuckle and quietly took up position on Old Madam Tang’s other side.

Now the team numbered three.

Back in the main hall, Madam Lu saw that Tang Jin and Chu Lingyue had the good sense to leave. Once they were out of sight, she turned to Tang Laidi and jabbed a finger at a stool. “Sit down. Let’s talk.”

But Tang Laidi remained standing, her face expressionless. “Mom, I know Shopkeeper Lu put you up to this. It won’t work. This restaurant isn’t closing.”

Madam Lu flew into a rage. “You’ve really grown a pair of wings, haven’t you? Do you have any idea what kind of backing Tower Beyond Towers has? Shopkeeper Lu’s doing you a favor as a fellow villager by coming to talk sense into you—giving you a way out. Otherwise, the grass on your grave would be three feet tall by now.”

Tang Laidi tensed all over, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Ping’an County isn’t some lawless wilderness. No matter how rich or powerful Tower Beyond Towers is, they wouldn’t dare act recklessly. If they try, I’ll fight them to the bitter end.”

She had once been a constable at the yamen and knew County Magistrate Gu. He might be a bit lax on administrative matters, but he was an upright man who wouldn’t tolerate injustice.

That was why she wasn’t afraid.

“What if they do dare? They’ve got money and influence—what do you have? Oh, right, your life.” Madam Lu sneered. Then she snapped angrily, “But I gave you that life, and I won’t let you throw it away. Enough talk—shut this place down now.”

Tang Laidi’s face was set in stubborn resolve. “I’ll die before I close it.”

“Tang Laidi!” Madam Lu slammed the table.

Tang Laidi lifted her chin, tears brimming in her eyes, her gaze filled with unyielding determination.

As a righteous female constable, she would never bow to evil forces in this lifetime.

Well, her mother wasn’t exactly evil—but right now, she was aiding and abetting Shopkeeper Lu, which made her an accomplice. No matter who it was, she wouldn’t yield.

Seeing her daughter utterly unmoved, Madam Lu took a deep breath. Like mother, like daughter: the girl was stubborn as a mule. Once she dug in her heels, eight horses couldn’t drag her back.

Madam Lu softened her expression, dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, and spoke in a plaintive tone. “Laidi, even if you won’t think of yourself, you should consider your brother. Yaozu just got promoted to head constable—his future’s so bright. What if offending Shopkeeper Lu drags him down? Listen to your mother for once. Close the restaurant, hand over those recipes, and we’ll all live comfortably. You could even make a good match.”

Anything but bringing up her brother Tang Yaozu. The moment she did, Tang Laidi’s heart turned to stone.

“You only ever think of him—of Yaozu. That case was mine—I solved it. But to protect him, you smeared my name everywhere, threw me out of the house, and even got the yamen to fire me. And now, for his sake, you want me to break my word and act like a spineless coward worse than a dog or pig. Do I even have a place in your hearts as your daughter?”

Madam Lu’s face twitched uncomfortably for a moment. Then she straightened up, righteous once more. “What’s wrong with thinking of your brother? You always yielded to him as a child—why can’t you now? Yaozu’s the pillar of this family. If he thrives, you thrive too. How did you turn out so twisted? Can’t you just let him have his way?”

“I’ve let him have his way my whole life—that’s how he stole my credit and left me homeless! Just because I’m his sister, am I doomed to yield forever? I’ve had enough. Why should I? Why?!”

Tang Laidi burst into angry tears, all her pent-up grievances pouring out. Her whole body shook as she roared like a woman possessed.

“What are you howling about? I’m your mother! Look at you—no shame, no propriety like a proper young lady should have!” It was the first time her daughter had ever yelled at her. Furious, Madam Lu shot to her feet and raised her hand to strike.

At that exact moment, a date-wood cane came flying out of nowhere, smacking her arm with pinpoint accuracy.

“Ow! Which dog bastard hit me?” Madam Lu cried out in pain. She looked up to see Old Madam Tang, face black as thunder. Panic flickered in her eyes, but she forced a smile. “Old Madam! What brings you here? Please, have a seat.”