Hidden Task [The Unfulfilled Promise Between Him and Her] Task Reward [Loyalty Unwavering]

"Mom, what are you talking about? I don’t understand a word."

A huge question mark appeared over Tang Yuyao’s head.

Tang Mother shook her head. "You don’t understand? No worries, my dear girl. You’ll understand soon enough."

She pointed toward where Ye Cheng and Lin Tianxiong had left earlier, in the direction Lin Baizhi had chased after them. "See that, girl?"

"Uh... I see it? But Mom, there’s nothing there." Tang Yuyao stared blankly at the empty area outside.

Tang Mother shook her head again. "Who says there’s nothing there? Isn’t it right there? Your future."

Tang Yuyao: "..."

Alright, now she got it. Her mother was being roundabout, throwing a subtle jab at her.

"Mom, what do you mean by that?" Tang Yuyao pouted, glaring at her mother.

Tang Mother sighed. "Nothing much. I just suddenly felt a wave of clarity. Oh, dear girl, maybe we should just forget about that tutoring idea. I’ve been thinking—the age gap between you and him really is quite significant."

"Let’s not do that whole ‘old cow eating tender grass’ thing. It’s too embarrassing."

Tang Yuyao: "???"

Her face flushed red after getting roasted right in the face. "Mom, what are you implying? Who’s the old cow eating tender grass here?!"

"I’m talking about myself, of course. What, have you forgotten I’m a few years older than your father?" Tang Mother turned her head with a deliberately puzzled expression.

Tang Yuyao: "???"

Tang Yuyao was furious for exactly a second before she forced her anger back down, suppressing it with great effort.

"I was talking about myself. Why are you getting mad, girl? Could it be that I hit a nerve?" Tang Mother knew exactly what she was doing, pressing on relentlessly.

Before her daughter could respond, the old lady started reminiscing about the past, gesturing toward Tang Yuyao’s grandfather, who was standing a little ways away by the pool, posing like a statue.

"See him? Who is he?"

Tang Yuyao fell silent for a moment, then reached out and touched her mother’s forehead. "Strange. You don’t have a fever. Could it be early signs of Alzheimer’s?"

Tang Mother: "..."

Smack!

Tang Mother shot her foolish daughter a glare, bitterly disappointed. "I wouldn’t forget that old man even if I did get dementia! You’re the one with dementia! I’m in perfectly good shape!"

"What’s wrong with me being the older cow and eating tender grass?"

"Back in the day, plenty of people in the compound gossiped behind my back. But I still made it through."

Tang Yuyao’s interest was piqued. "Gossip? What kind of gossip? Was it about you being the old cow eating tender grass?"

For some reason, Tang Yuyao was holding back laughter as she said it—but she couldn’t laugh for long.

Tang Mother shot a glare. "Do you think I’m like you, constantly thinking about that whole ‘old cow eating tender grass’ nonsense all day?"

Tang Yuyao: "???"

At a visible speed, her face turned red again. Struck speechless, she went from hehe to no hehe. Just as she was about to say something, her mother continued reminiscing.

"Being called an old cow was nothing. Back then, people said your mother was nothing more than an uneducated farm woman—all brawn no brains, not a single cultured word in her mouth, couldn’t even do basic embroidery properly..."

Tang Yuyao had originally wanted to retort, but hearing this, she instantly calmed down.

These lightly spoken words were the hardships and suffering her mother had endured back in the day.

"Then why didn’t you tell my dad about it?" Tang Yuyao asked.

Even though she often butted heads with the grumpy old man in their house, she knew very well how he operated. If he’d heard anyone say such things about his wife, he would’ve gone ballistic.

Tang Mother blinked in confusion. "Why would I tell him? He’s a simple, straightforward man—not like those suave, overbearing male leads in your modern shows, always going on about protecting their wives and ‘burying them’ or whatever..."

"Besides, they weren’t wrong. I really was a simple farm girl. I only had some schooling when I was a child, and when the family fortune was divided, I got nothing. And you know perfectly well how bad my embroidery skills were—I stabbed myself full of blisters."

Tang Mother said these things so casually, as if they didn’t bother her at all. She spoke with a smile about the bitterness of her past, letting it roll easily off her tongue.

"So what?" she continued. "Our dear Tie Shan still fell for me. He likes me exactly the way I am—uneducated as I may be. Those cultured women full of themselves, high-ranking officials' daughters and rich misses, practically threw themselves at him, begging to be taken in."

"And why were they all annoyed with me? Because they were green with envy, hahaha!"

By this point, Tang Mother was practically gloating. She wasn’t upset in the slightest. In fact, she was reveling in the memory, and Tang Yuyao could vividly picture her mother wearing that smug yet infuriatingly lovable expression.

Tang Yuyao: "..."

So... Mom, you were trying to show off this whole time?

Tang Yuyao clenched her teeth and balled her fists, feeling a little hurt.

Still, given the situation in their family, she’d heard plenty of versions of their story. But this was the first time she was hearing it straight from the source.

"Hey, Mom, what exactly are you trying to say? If it’s just a flex, you can stop any time. Otherwise, I’m going to hang myself in the corner like a sad little doll. I was already upset, and now you’re reminding me..."

Tang Yuyao pouted dramatically, as if the rope and the beam were a pair of perfect, tragic lovers inviting her toward disaster.

Urgh! So annoying!

Tang Mother swatted her foolish daughter. "Maybe you really should just go herd cattle, girl. I just said all that, and still you haven’t figured any of it out?"

Tang Yuyao furrowed her brows, thinking hard... until she came to a startling conclusion.

"Mom, you really do lack talent for embroidery!"

Tang Mother: "..."

Slap! Slap! Slap!

She quickly delivered three sharp slaps, so irritated that her teeth ground together. Lies didn’t hurt—but the truth was a knife.

When facing harsh remarks, Tang Mother usually brushed them off with a smile. But when the topic of embroidery came up, she immediately steamed red. Funny how that worked.

Could it be that she was actually just sensitive about being right?

"Your mother is trying to tell you that age doesn’t matter," she said, giving in and finally telling her big, silly daughter the answer directly. "Family background, talent—none of that matters that much."

"Then what does matter?" Tang Yuyao asked in confusion.

"Timing matters the most."

Tang Mother glanced over at Shen Qinghan, who stood not too far away, and said calmly:

"Girl, if I’m not mistaken, this child was the one who got to know Yun first, am I right?"

Tang Yuyao: "???"

Is Mom cheating? Did she have some invisible plug-in turned on?

The intuition of the older generation was truly terrifying. Something so small and seemingly insignificant—something that happened only among the kids at school, known only to those directly involved—had been seen through by her mother in a single breath.

The wisdom of the elders!

"Looks like I guessed correctly." Seeing her daughter’s look of stunned disbelief, Tang mother nodded triumphantly and continued speaking.

"That's the importance of timing. In your young people's terms, it's like the 'first love.' Your father and I knew each other since childhood. Back then, what was your dad doing?"

Back then, Grandpa Tang was still herding cattle, loafing around the village like a street kid. He'd occasionally crouch by the schoolhouse window, watching the lessons with longing in his eyes, barely having enough to eat—his parents had passed away early...

"So, those commanding officers' daughters who had their eyes on your dad never got anywhere. Back then, your father was a hot commodity, much hotter than that Xiao Cheng you girls are into now."

In those days, Grandpa Tang was young, capable, and worldly. Most importantly... he was a prime investment!

Wasn't he a golden catch? Any fool could see what heights he'd reach. Jumping on that opportunity was the smartest move. Too bad... the door had already been locked by your mother.

Classic move from the older generation—true wisdom and finesse!

Unlocking hidden achievement quest: [His and Her Unfulfilled Promise], quest reward: [Unwavering Loyalty]...

"Big girl, when did you first meet Xiao Cheng?" Tang's mother suddenly asked.

Tang Yuyao was completely stunned. She never expected her mom to be this bold, and quickly replied, "It should... should be the same day. At the time, Shen Qinghan had twisted her ankle, and then she was..."

Tang's mother listened, suddenly energized.

No way!

It sounded... very promising!

After hearing the full story, Tang's mother went smack smack smack with a few more rapid slaps!

Tang Yuyao: "..."

Mom, if you keep this up, I'm going to get mad...

"Clueless, girl. You both met him on the same day. If she can make a move, why can't you?" Tang's mother's eyes gleamed with sharp determination!

In plain words... I have weapons honed too!

To be even more direct... Win him over!