Xin An couldn't remember the last time she acted like a spoiled brat, probably before she got married.
Today, she used this girlish demeanor with ease, making the old lady laugh so hard that tears came out of her eyes. "Hurry up and tell me, can't you see that the second boy is getting impatient?"
Xin An then pointed casually, "That one."
It was the pastel-colored bottle that Tang Rong had taken a fancy to. The old lady smiled and said, "You are a good judge of things, girl. This bottle was given to me by the empress dowager last year when I went to the palace to pay my respects to her. It is a fine tribute. It was originally a pair, and one of them was given to the old lady of Zhenbei Palace."
Xin An covered his mouth in surprise, "It's so expensive, I don't want it."
The old lady asked Ganlu to find a box to put the bottle in, and patted Xin An's hand, "I told you to choose for yourself. No matter which one you choose, Grandmother will be happy. Although this treasure was given by the Queen Mother, I can do whatever I want with it now that it is in my hands."
"Take it back and put it in your room. It will make people happy just by looking at it."
Tang Mo and Xin An came forward cheerfully to express their gratitude. Tang Mo then made some jokes again, and the old lady's face became sore from laughing.
Ganlu took away the pastel bottle and turned around to pick up a topaz peony and put it on the table. It had a warm and rich color and the carving was exquisite. It attracted all the eyes in the room as soon as it was put on the table. Seeing that everyone was interested in it, the old lady was very proud.
Tang Rong stared at it intently, topaz was his favorite. This topaz was as big as a peony soup bowl, without any flaws, and extremely rare. Xin An and Tang Mo exchanged glances quickly. They had fought fiercely for this treasure in their previous life. Tang Mo wanted it because it was valuable and giving it as a gift could accomplish great things;
Xin An fought for it because Tang Rong wanted it. Topaz was Tang Rong's favorite, and he had been talking about it in Xin An's ears since he saw it. Finally, this thing fell into Xin An's hands. Tang Rong coveted it for many years, and finally gave it away for the future of his good nephew Tang Hui.
"Grandma has so many wonderful treasures. If I hadn't seen them with my own eyes, I wouldn't have known there were such exquisite things in the world."
Tang Mo agreed, "Don't say you haven't seen it, I haven't seen it either, grandma is simply amazing."
The old lady said, "This is the spoils of war that your grandfather won. He brought it back and gave it to the emperor, and the emperor gave it to him as a reward."
Everyone came forward to watch. Wang knew that Mr. Tang had made many military achievements and received many rewards, but she didn't know exactly how much or what they were. She envied the old lady for being so blessed in this life, having a man who could fight for any good thing for her.
Seeing Tang Rong couldn't take his eyes off her, Xin An joked, "Grandma, there are so many good things here. I can't take my eyes off this yellow jade peony. I have to come here every day to admire it."
"Grandma, please don't dislike me."
The old lady had never been so pleased by her grandchildren before. "Okay, okay, come and accompany grandma more often. After the peony is displayed for a few days, I will put it in your room later."
Xin An laughed heartily, "I am satisfied just to see it. I dare not bring such valuable things into my room. I don't have the generosity and steadiness of my grandmother, and I have seen few good things. If they really bring them into my room, everyone will look like a thief to me. I dare not go out anymore. I have to stay in the house all the time."
Tang Mo smiled apologetically, "Then I won't go out either. I'll hold you in my arms even when I sleep."
"Hahahaha~~~"
The old lady laughed so happily that she couldn't be more happy. Wang was also very happy and joined in the fun. The more she looked at Xin An, the more satisfied she felt. However, Tang Gang looked at Xin An several more times.
Seeing Tao Yiran standing there with an aloof look on her face and a slight frown on her brows, he thought that the second son's wife was not a good person at first glance. He coaxed the old lady with a few words and she was very happy. But who knew that the old lady was very stingy and would not give away any treasures in the house. In just two days, Xin An had gotten two of them. Now she said that she would come every day in the future. Who knows how many good things she will get.
He is the father-in-law, so it is difficult for him to say anything. Wang is the second wife, so she will definitely favor her own son. Only his wife can make plans for the eldest son, and only the eldest son's wife is qualified to compete with the second son's wife. The eldest son did not choose a treasure just now, but he chose a flower, which was a mistake. The eldest son's wife should come out to make up for it. But she just stood there and did nothing. Now she watched the second son and his wife coaxing the old lady for benefits without any reaction. What does it mean?
Then she thought about how she gave the second son the opportunity to go to the Beiya Army for training yesterday. Counting it up, the second son and his wife have gained too much in the past two days.
The old lady was in a good mood today and wanted to show off her treasures, so she asked Ganlu to take out a few for everyone to appreciate together.
Xin An and Tang Mo were very considerate. They were the only ones who kept praising the treasures the whole time. Wang followed suit, and Tang Gang would occasionally say a few words. Tang Rong smiled awkwardly but politely. Tao Yiran had a blank expression on his face, but his eyes were always on those treasures.
Soon it was time for lunch, and there was a table full of delicacies. Xin An had not eaten much since her wedding the day before, and even less yesterday. She was already starving. More importantly, she had not eaten anything good since the Marquis's Mansion was confiscated in her previous life. Now she wished she could eat a cow right there.
Originally, she was supposed to stand and serve food to the elders, but she couldn't resist the hunger and started to eat. The old lady also sympathized with the two young couples who hadn't eaten much in the past two days, so she exempted them from the rules.
Xin An was not reserved and ate a bowl of rice silently. Then she smiled and asked the servant girl to serve her another bowl. At this time, Tao Yiran had only eaten half a bowl of rice and was very reserved.
The old lady was originally the daughter of a landlord. When the old man was not yet rich, her father saw her extraordinary talent and betrothed her to him.
She had not received much education and did not have much knowledge. She just waited at home. After waiting for several years, her man became a marquis. The man also remembered their friendship and took her to Beijing in a grand manner. She suddenly became the marquis's wife. At that time, she was extremely successful.
In her life, apart from her own man, what she loved most was gold, silver and jade. It should be said that she liked everything that was expensive. She also had a good appetite when it came to eating. She didn't like eating with Wang because Wang was also a noble lady, and there were rules for eating, like eating cat food. The old lady didn't want to be looked down upon by her, so she always didn't eat enough.
Originally, I was worried that my two granddaughters-in-law would dislike me for eating too much, so I was prepared to endure it. But when I saw Xin An eating his second bowl of rice, he smiled and joked to himself, "The second granddaughter-in-law is eating so deliciously that even an old woman like me can feel her appetite whetted. Ganlu, give me another bowl too."
Tang Gang spoiled the mood, "Mother, please be careful with your stomach."
The old lady was unhappy in her heart, but she smiled and said, "It's okay. Just drink a bowl of hawthorn soup after dinner and take a walk after a nap."
Xin An understood her. He took the bowl of rice and said with a smile, "My grandmother always said that being able to eat is a blessing. People who are sick will spend a lot of money to get cured just to continue eating. My grandmother has a good appetite and looks healthy. She is a blessing to us."
The old lady was happy again. Tang Gang did not continue talking. His eyes fell on the silent Tao Yiran again. Suddenly, he understood why the old man had insisted that Tang Rong marry the girl from the Xin family. If there was nothing wrong with this marriage, would he, as a father, still need to worry about his eldest son?