Chapter 8: A Child Disdains a Mother’s Flaws
Before Tang Mu finished speaking, the room fell into a dead silence. Every adult was silently calculating what to do next.
An Chunfeng stepped forward and grabbed Tang Mu’s arm. “Mu, don’t be stubborn. You can’t stay with the Tang family. Come with me first...”
There is an old saying: a mother and son do not hold grudges overnight.
At this moment, she didn’t want to argue with a child over looks. Leaving here first to ensure safety was the priority.
“You’re not my mother. I said I won’t go with you!” Tang Mu suddenly became agitated, pushing her away with trembling hands, tears streaming down his face as he shouted hoarsely, “I have good food and clothes with grandmother. Father will have a high official position soon; I will be a son of an official and can continue studying. What can you give me? You have no money, no home, nothing. You can’t even support yourself. I don’t want to go with you to be a beggar. I refuse! I refuse!”
His voice was nearly hoarse from shouting, filled with grievance and anger.
This time, An Chunfeng was completely stunned, a painful ache spreading deep in her heart.
Everyone says they would rather follow a beggar mother than an official father.
She thought that no matter what, the child would choose to be with his biological mother without hesitation. She never expected to be rejected so decisively.
It turned out... biological parents could sell their children for money, and a weak, incapable mother with nothing could be despised by her own child just the same.
She truly was a cursed soul with few ties!
In her past life, by the age of five she was rented out by her parents as a flower-selling girl, then sold to a circus troupe and abandoned, and now even this so-called adopted son despised her.
An Chunfeng’s heart ached bitterly. Her gaze fell on the surprised Qin and Tang Yushu, then back to the tear-streaked Tang Mu. She sneered coldly: ingratitude and coldness must indeed be hereditary.
Forget it. She herself barely had enough to eat and wear, struggling to survive. The child had his wet nurse here; perhaps he was not as unfortunate as she imagined.
The original identity had intended to strangle her son. Children don’t understand the grudges between adults; harboring resentment is natural. Forcibly taking him away would only create lasting emotional wounds.
Besides, she had already changed her identity. It was inconvenient to keep a child around. Now that he refused to come with her, it was actually a blessing.
Qin could barely contain her rage toward An Chunfeng.
When Tang Mu suddenly rushed out and said he wouldn’t leave, Qin’s heart leapt with joy. She embraced her grandson and wept, “Mu is our Tang family’s true grandson. I’ve raised him day and night, changing his diapers. You, that wicked woman, never even nursed him. He only crawled out of your belly—he has nothing to do with you! If you leave, don’t come bothering our Mu anymore.”
Hearing Qin’s resolve to keep her, Tang Mu clung to her, sobbing loudly: “Grandmother, don’t send me away. I won’t go!”
Seeing her grandson suddenly so sensible, Qin became even more reluctant to part. She cried out to the scowling Tang Yushu and Liu, “If you try to separate us, I won’t live anymore!”
On one side, the grandmother and grandson wept together; on the other, the two men were left speechless, with only An Chunfeng looking sorrowful.
This unexpected turn of events clearly caught everyone off guard.
*****
Outside the Tang family courtyard, as time passed, the number of curious maids and elderly women gathering to watch the spectacle did not diminish; instead, a few more joined.
They excitedly rushed to the gate, pressing their ears against the door to eavesdrop.
The Tang family’s side gate was small and couldn’t hold the seven or eight of them. Except for the few who arrived early and stood close, the others had to stand aside.
“Madam Qi, did you hear anything?”
“Tell us quickly! My young mistress is waiting for news! If I’m late again, I’ll be punished to stand!” a young maid anxiously urged.
“That maid is surely in for a hard time. If not beaten to death, she’ll be punished or even sold to the brothel.”
“I’ve lived in West City for years. My neighbors are all high-ranking officials, and I’ve never heard of any maid so bold and unruly, daring to ruin her master’s reputation.”
An old, shriveled woman spoke with certainty.
Beijing was vast and populous, divided into four parts by residential areas: “wealthy east, noble west; poor south, lowly north.”
West City, near the palace, was home to high officials and dignitaries. Although this woman exaggerated by calling Anshun Alley a place for officials, it was indeed in West City but on the fringe, separated from the “lowly north” only by an alley. Most residents were minor officials below fifth rank.
Still, minor officials were officials, and living in an official district, their household servants often talked about “rules” and “decorum.”
The young maid, indifferent to East or West City distinctions, hopped excitedly, peeking through the crack of the gate, murmuring, “How many lashes do you think Tang family’s maid will get? And if she dies from it, what then? Will the magistrate handle the case? I’ve even bet a bowl of sour plum soup with my mistress!”
Everyone was concerned whether the woman would be beaten to death or driven to despair.
*****
Rumor had it that the maid’s master only temporarily lived at the Tang residence. Somehow, the maid had gone into the street crying, claiming her husband was marrying another and wanted to kill her.
Such a ridiculous story, told incoherently, no one believed it.
Now outside the Tang family gate, the maids and old women crowded in, waiting eagerly for news to spread the gossip back to their households and entertain their ladies.
Their wait was not in vain. An hour later, the crowd at the Tang gate suddenly stirred.
“There’s movement!”
The courtyard gate opened, and a woman was shoved out from inside. The person pushing clearly used some force, causing the woman to trip over the doorstep and tumble into the middle of the alley.
An Chunfeng sat on the ground with a dark expression, facing the towering Tang gate, surrounded by whispering voices.
Being pushed down in public, the gatekeeper finally unleashed her fury.
She threw her bundle on the ground, pointed at An Chunfeng’s nose, and shouted, “You shameless wretch! The Tang family took pity on you and gave you shelter, but you’ve become so brazen, even trying to cozy up to Third Master.
Who is Third Master? He’s a scholar official about to pass the imperial exams. Didn’t you ever consider if your lowly bones were worthy? Even as a laundry maid, they found your hands too coarse!”
She stood with hands on hips, cursing fiercely, glaring viciously at the bystanding maids and old women.
If anyone tried to speak up in defense, she’d snap at them.
An Chunfeng scrambled to her feet, ready to retort, but just then Liu came out with a solemn face.
The surrounding chatter immediately hushed.
They all recognized her as the mistress of the Tang household, Liu, wife of the Tang official.
Although Tang’s official was a minor post in the Astronomical Bureau, it was still sixth rank, and she had access to the palace, making her far more distinguished than the surrounding officials, who were mostly clerks or scribes.
Several old women stepped forward with forced smiles to greet her. Liu didn’t even bother to respond. She simply tossed two small silver coins in front of An Chunfeng and drawled, “You lowly maid, orphaned and with no one to depend on, the Second Madam took pity on you and kept you by her side all these years. Though you were a maid, you were treated like a daughter.
Now, despite your foolishness, we won’t hold it against you. Go home and find a stable family to live with.”
Hearing this, combined with the gatekeeper’s earlier scolding, the gathering maids and old women immediately understood the “truth” of the matter.
It turned out the maid had tried to seduce her master’s husband and was driven away, then went mad with delusions and nonsense.