The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 10 Widow Tong Wants to Marry into the Zheng Family for Good Luck

"Mother, you're not going to send me to the Zheng family, are you?"

While Wang the matchmaker got off the carriage to buy plum juice to quench her thirst, Gu Taohua nervously asked Tong Huaqiong for a definite answer.

She was completely bewildered by Tong Huaqiong's grand display.

"No. Stop talking nonsense. Just follow my lead when you get to the Zheng family." Tong Huaqiong answered decisively.

Terrified, Gu Taohua patted her chest and pressed herself close to Tong Huaqiong.

"Mother, you won't do this to yourself..."

Gu Dashu was about to say, "You wouldn't offer yourself up to Young Master Zheng for a marriage of convenience, would you?" Before he could finish speaking, Matchmaker Wang got into the carriage and very attentively distributed plum juice to everyone.

Gu Dashu took the plum juice and stopped talking, feeling uneasy and wondering what Tong Huaqiong was up to.

The carriage sped along, and before Tong Huaqiong could even properly admire the street scene outside, it stopped in front of a large mansion.

"Butler He, I've brought the person."

Matchmaker Wang was the first to jump off the carriage and boast to Steward He, who was waiting at the door.

The Gu family was no stranger to Steward He; he was the one who went to the Gu family with Matchmaker Wang to take Man'er last time.

The steward He was also the one who promised to treat Gu Dashu to a meal at a restaurant in the county. He was the manager of Zheng's shop.

"Get out of the carriage." Matchmaker Wang lifted the carriage curtain.

Gu Dashu jumped down first, and Tong Huaqiong followed closely behind, supporting Gu Dashu as he got off the carriage.

Gu Taohua was too fat and moved too slowly, so she was the last one to come down.

Butler He glanced at the Gu family members and saw a charming and beautiful widow in front of him, which made his heart flutter.

To be honest, Widow Tong looked completely different in this outfit compared to when I last saw her at Qinghe Bay.

The waist beneath that little pink dress had an indescribable charm.

Once the eldest son's matter is settled, Steward He plans to frequently visit Widow Tong's house in Qinghe Bay.

"Butler He..."

When Steward He heard Matchmaker Wang call him, he steadied himself, and when he realized that Man'er was not there, he ignored the pretty widow and raised his chin at Matchmaker Wang.

"Steward He, the Gu family has changed to a slightly older girl. As we agreed beforehand, you didn't tell the master which girl it is, did you?" Matchmaker Wang asked quietly.

Butler He turned his head and glanced at the peach blossoms in the valley.

He had taken a liking to this girl when he visited the Gu family before. She was plump and had a face that was considered auspicious for marriage, which was perfect for the sickly eldest son.

But Widow Tong couldn't bear to part with her chubby daughter, so she pushed her granddaughter forward instead.

The pale-faced, blond-haired girl was completely beneath Steward He's notice, and he doubted the master would like her either. Matchmaker Wang, unwilling to part with the money she had, used her persuasive skills to convince Steward He to agree on Man'er, and even tricked him into not revealing which girl it was in front of the master.

Therefore, the Zheng couple only knew that she was a daughter of the Gu family, but they didn't know which girl specifically.

At this point, it's good enough if someone is willing to marry into the eldest son to bring him good luck; who has the time to be picky!

"Did Widow Tong agree?" Butler He asked in a low voice.

Matchmaker Wang beamed with delight: "We've brought the person here, how could we not agree?"

It is true.

Butler He nodded, grinning obsequiously at Gu Taohua.

This chubby girl will be the young mistress from now on, so he has to make a good impression on her.

"Come in with me."

Butler He gestured for Gu Taohua to enter, and Gu Taohua, holding Tong Huaqiong's hand, stepped through the door.

Butler He stared at Gu Taohua's plump buttocks with a look of satisfaction. The young master didn't have many days left to live, and this girl seemed to be fertile. Who knew she might be able to leave a seed for the young master?

In that case, Steward He would also be a great contributor to the Zheng family, since he was the one who chose him.

Tong Huaqiong followed Steward He across the courtyard with a fierce and imposing air, heading towards the main house.

Gu Taohua, standing to the side, seemed a little nervous, while Gu Dashu and his family of three followed closely behind, their eyes constantly darting around.

"Master, Madam, the person has arrived."

As soon as Steward He raised his voice, two pretty maids pulled back the curtain of the main room.

Tong Huaqiong, carrying a few bamboo poles, barged into the village like a bandit.

Wow, this is truly a wealthy feudal family; the decorations are even more lavish and impressive than those in period dramas. Seated at the head of the table is Scholar Zheng, and beside him sits a middle-aged woman with red eyes, presumably Madam Zheng.

Sitting below the Zheng couple was a sickly young man, surrounded by a group of maids serving him. Tong Huaqiong glanced at the young man's pale face and immediately guessed that he had tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis is not considered a serious illness in modern times; a few IV drips can cure it. But in ancient times, it could be fatal!
No wonder Matchmaker Wang said that Young Master Zheng didn't have many days left to live.

While Tong Huaqiong was sizing up the Zheng family, the Zheng scholar and his wife were also sizing up Tong Huaqiong and her group.

The focus is on the young Gu Taohua.

Zheng, the scholar, wondered why Matchmaker Wang and Steward He spoke so vaguely about the girl. She was too fat; half of her body made the whole room feel cramped.

If the eldest son were perfectly healthy, he wouldn't even be eligible to become a maid in the Zheng family.

But so what if he's fat? My son is on the verge of death, so there's no point in being picky.

Zheng, the scholar, mentally prepared himself, thinking that the plump girl had a rather pleasing face and looked like she was destined to bring prosperity to the family.

"Greetings, sir and madam," Tong Huaqiong said first.

This old widow from the farm is quite pretty. Madam Zheng finds her clothes jarring. If the mother is so flirtatious, her daughter will probably follow suit.

A sense of displeasure rose in my heart.

After they get married, she'll set some rules for this chubby country girl.

Zheng, the scholar, paid no attention to any of this. He nodded to Tong Huaqiong, offered her a seat, and served her tea.

Good tea.

As expected of the aristocratic class.

Tong Huaqiong took a sip of fragrant tea and smacked her lips.

"...Now that the people have arrived, the two families have come together to form one family, making up the character '好' (good/good)."

"Sister Tong, you can rest assured now that you've seen the Zheng family for yourself. It's said that when a woman marries, she'll have enough to eat and wear. The most important thing is whether her husband's family can provide enough food. The Zheng family not only provides enough food, but they also have plenty of fish and meat at every meal. From now on, Sister Tong, you've fallen into a paradise. You'll never have to live a life of tightening your belt and not being able to afford meat again."

Matchmaker Wang grinned from ear to ear, showering the Zheng couple with compliments.

The person was safely brought in without any mishaps, and the matchmaker's gift was quickly received.

"It's really nice. I felt it was nice the moment I entered the courtyard. Sister-in-law Wang, you really didn't lie to me. I've always dreamed of living like the Zheng family." Tong Huaqiong said happily, taking a sip of tea.

Madam Zheng couldn't hide her disdain.

Dream on! You think you can just come in and enjoy the good life with your daughter after she marries into the family?

Does a rural widow even deserve to be called one?
You didn't know your daughter was sold to the Zheng family? You really think you're related to the Zheng family by marriage.

I don't know what that chubby girl ate to get so fat. Today she can eat whatever she wants since she came in, but not tomorrow. The Zheng family's food isn't something you can just eat easily.

"So, this is my husband?"

Tong Huaqiong turned to look at Young Master Zheng; the pretty boy was really good-looking!

Tong Huaqiong's shout of "Husband!" shocked everyone.

Even Zheng, a seasoned scholar who had seen his share of storms, was completely taken aback.

Gu Dashu thought to himself, "Mom, are you really going to remarry?" Even though he always complained in his heart that his father was incompetent and poor when he was alive, he didn't want to recognize a pretty boy as his stepfather. Even if he was given meat to eat every day, he couldn't bring himself to call him stepfather, even though he was younger than him.

“My husband looks terrible. But I don’t mind. Sister-in-law Wang explained it to me clearly: given my husband’s appearance and the Zheng family’s wealth, if he were in good health, it wouldn’t be my turn,” Tong Huaqiong said.

"What? Sister Tong, don't talk nonsense. This is your son-in-law, not your husband."

Matchmaker Wang raised her voice as Zheng, the scholar, stared in disbelief.

Widow Tong shouldn't joke like that.

"Son-in-law? Sister-in-law Wang, what do you mean by that? You came to my house to propose marriage, weren't you arranging a marriage for me? I was thinking that I'm an old widow with a house full of children and grandchildren, but no one wants me. You said that Young Master Zheng needs a woman to bring him good luck and can't find a suitable girl. He doesn't care about the Gu family as long as she's a woman who can bring him good luck, so I came with you. How come my husband has become my son-in-law after coming to the Zheng family?"

Matchmaker Wang was stunned by Tong Huaqiong's logic!
When she went to Qinghewan, the villagers warned her, both openly and subtly, that Widow Tong was not someone to be trifled with and would cause trouble no matter what. She learned her lesson and was filled with regret.

But she didn't expect that Widow Tong was not only unreasonable, but also mentally unstable!
"No, Sister Tong, didn't we agree on this..."

“That’s right, it was indeed agreed that I would come to bring good luck. Father-in-law, mother-in-law, what’s going on? I’ve already brought my daughter, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson to meet you, and I was even thinking of changing their surnames as soon as they entered the family so they could carry on the eldest son’s family line. How could this change so suddenly?”

Tong Huaqiong kept calling them "father" and "mother," but in her heart she was telling herself that this was what the old widow Tong Dajiao called them, and that it had nothing to do with her.

The Zheng couple were rendered speechless by Tong Huaqiong's smooth way of calling them "father" and "mother".

(End of this chapter)