Chapter 55: Not a Single Copper Coin Left
“Miss?”
The clerk’s prompt made Zhao Mengyue even more embarrassed.
Tang Chaochao curved her lips.
“Looks like Cousin still wants to look at other jewelry. Mother and I will go to the fabric shop ahead first. If Cousin finishes choosing, come find us.”
Zhao Mengyue tried to stop her, but Tang Chaochao had already climbed into the carriage without hesitation, leaving her both ashamed and angry.
Song Rongzhi watched his daughter settle down and smiled helplessly.
“You brat, although the Zhao family is a minor official family in Lucheng, they are not wealthy. Your grandmother does care for Zhao Mengyue, but she wouldn’t just hand over a thousand taels of silver for her expenses all at once. Moreover, that money has to come from her private funds.”
Tang Chaochao grinned.
“A small punishment to teach a big lesson.”
She snatched things from her mother with such confidence—it was a wonder she hadn’t left Zhao Mengyue to be ridiculed. That was mercy on Tang Chaochao’s part.
After accompanying her mother to pick out several bolts of cloth and browsing a few shops, the mother and daughter were finally satisfied and returned to the mansion.
As the carriage arrived at the General’s residence gate, Tang Chaochao immediately saw Madam Qin standing guard.
Song Rongzhi’s good mood vanished instantly.
Tang Chaochao gently patted her mother’s hand in reassurance and got down from the carriage first.
Madam Qin approached as soon as she saw them.
“Madam, Second Miss, the matriarch requests your presence.”
Tang Chaochao naturally understood the reason and, supporting Song Rongzhi, followed Madam Qin directly to the Shou’an Courtyard.
Crossing the courtyard gate and entering the room, they heard muffled sobbing inside.
The matriarch at the head of the room didn’t even glance at them.
Song Rongzhi still followed protocol and bowed.
“Mother.”
But after a long wait, the matriarch showed no sign of letting her rise, only comforting Zhao Mengyue who had eyes swollen like a rabbit’s.
Seeing this, Tang Chaochao straightened Song Rongzhi up.
“If Grandmother has nothing to say, Mother and I will take our leave first.”
At these words, the matriarch slammed her palm on the table.
“You insolent child! The elder hasn’t spoken yet, how dare a junior be so presumptuous!”
Tang Chaochao caught the gleam of triumph in Zhao Mengyue’s eyes.
She smiled faintly.
“If Grandmother summoned Mother and me to be punished, there should be a reason. May I ask what displeased Grandmother about us?”
The matriarch scolded angrily.
“How dare you ask? Today, you were supposed to bring Mengyue out with you. Why did you leave her alone in that shop to suffer humiliation?”
Tang Chaochao was puzzled.
“What does Grandmother mean? Before Mother and I left, we called for Cousin, but she refused to leave. We thought she had more to buy, so we left first after informing her.”
Zhao Mengyue knew Tang Chaochao was trying to confuse the matter. Her eyes welled with tears again, and she reached out to grasp the matriarch’s arm.
“Aunt Matriarch, it was all my fault. Cousin surely didn’t mean to embarrass me.”
The matriarch already disliked Tang Chaochao’s arrogant and overbearing nature.
She reprimanded,
“Your cousin just arrived in the capital and didn’t bring much money on her first outing, which is understandable. But you, as her younger cousin, actually left her alone to face such humiliation. What were your intentions?”
Tang Chaochao exclaimed,
“Cousin had no silver? If she didn’t bring money, why was she so bold as to snatch the jewelry I picked out for Mother?”
Zhao Mengyue’s face instantly flushed red. She had no idea the set she chose was so costly. Besides, it wasn’t that she had no money, just not enough.
The matriarch felt Tang Chaochao was deliberately humiliating Zhao Mengyue, which was true.
“You shameless child! One day, you’ll ruin the Tang family’s reputation!”
Tang Chaochao was used to the matriarch’s harsh words by now.
But since she was an elder, she dared not strike her. A little lesson was acceptable.
The matriarch’s face turned dark.
“The jewelry set has already been sent to the mansion. The money will come from the main household.”
Zhao Mengyue had agonized over the jewelry for a long time and finally, mustering courage, had the shopkeeper send it to the General’s mansion. She truly needed a decent set to attend the palace banquet.
Tang Chaochao quickly responded,
“In that case, Grandmother, please give the jewelry to Mother. Not a single tael of silver will be missing.”
The matriarch had no intention of handing over the jewelry.
Meeting Zhao Mengyue’s pleading gaze, she said,
“Consider this set as your apology to your cousin.”
Tang Chaochao was baffled.
“Grandmother, why should I apologize to my cousin?”
Seeing her stubbornness, the matriarch grew angry again.
“You left your cousin alone, yet you say you did nothing wrong?”
“Grandmother, I already explained—I didn’t know Cousin had no silver. And since she liked the jewelry I picked for Mother, I gave it to her directly. Now you want me to pay for it? Impossible!
Don’t even mention silver! Not a single copper coin.”
Tang Chaochao’s firm refusal made the matriarch lose face.
She pointed at Song Rongzhi and scolded,
“Song! Is this the daughter you raised?”
Song Rongzhi replied softly,
“Mother, Chaochao is right. The main household will not pay. If you insist on buying this jewelry for your granddaughter, please use the mansion’s funds.”
The matriarch trembled with anger.
Zhao Mengyue never expected Song and her daughter to show no respect to the matriarch at all.
Wasn’t it said that in prominent families, filial piety was paramount? Especially in an official’s household.
Yet Tang Chaochao and Song Rongzhi so decisively refused the matriarch.
She was too furious to speak.
Seeing this, Song Rongzhi bowed slightly.
“Since Mother has nothing more to say, I will take Chaochao back first.”
Without waiting for the matriarch’s response, Song Rongzhi led Tang Chaochao out of the Shou’an Courtyard.
The sound of a tea cup falling reached them from behind—clearly, the matriarch was furious.
Shortly after the mother and daughter left, Madam Qin went to summon Madam Zhou.
Madam Zhou emerged from the Shou’an Courtyard with a dark expression.
Tang Chaochao raised her eyebrows upon hearing the news from Jianxue.
Although the General’s residence belonged to their family, they were rarely in the capital. The household affairs were managed by Tang Wen’s wife, Madam Zhou.
If Madam Zhou had to give away 3,500 taels of silver without a fight, it would be a miracle if she were happy.
Tang Yuntao, upon hearing that Grandmother used mansion funds to buy Zhao Mengyue a 3,500-tael jewelry set, was nearly driven mad with jealousy.
Thinking of the upcoming palace banquet, Tang Yuntao insisted on getting a similarly grand set.
The matriarch refused outright.
Tang Yuntao threw a tantrum, but Madam Zhou reasoned that if an outsider could have such finery, why couldn’t her daughter?
So, without informing the matriarch in advance, she spent the remaining 4,000 taels of silver on dressing Tang Yuntao in an extravagantly luxurious outfit.
Tang Yuntao was naturally overjoyed.
But once the matriarch learned of this, she exploded immediately.