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

Chapter 103 White Wolf with Empty Gloves

In the end, Tong Huaqiong bought Ma Huateng's shop for 180 taels of silver.

We brought the horse-drawn contract, paper, brush, and ink. We spread them out and started writing. After we finished, both parties had to go to the government office to sign and complete a series of formalities.

After Ma Huateng finished writing the contract, Tong Huaqiong signed it and said, "Hey Ma, Aunt Tong doesn't have that much silver. I can only come up with one hundred taels right now."

Ma Huateng: "."

So you're trying to get something for nothing when you don't have any money?

How could he have fallen for it?

Tong Huaqiong said without changing her expression, "Little Ma, do you think the reason I hired you to be the accountant in the shop is because I don't have enough money?"

Ma Huateng couldn't understand why Aunt Tong, who owed him money, still wanted him to work.
So he not only had to give her the shop on credit, but also had to be grateful to her for providing him with a job.

Tong Huaqiong didn't want to push too hard. Ma Huateng was a promising young man, and he might even make a name for himself through the imperial examinations.

Just as the Lu family wanted to make an angel investment in Gu Jingzhe, she also wanted to make an angel investment in Ma Huateng.

So he said, "I'll give you one hundred taels first, and I'll owe you the other eighty taels. I promise to pay you back within six months after the shop opens. In addition, you'll work as an accountant in my shop for one tael of silver a month."

One tael of silver is already quite good; this is only because Tong Huaqiong is considering him as a cultured person.

One or two taels of silver is not enough to buy writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and books, but it is enough for him and his mother to live in town instead of having to go back to the countryside to farm.

With 180 taels of silver in hand as a safety net, and the possibility of bonuses at the end of the year from profits at Peach Blossom Desserts, his life might not be so bad.

Besides, if he shows potential in his studies, Tong Huaqiong wouldn't mind sponsoring his education and helping him take the imperial examinations in the capital.

Ma Huateng was tempted when he heard about the one or two taels of silver.

Tong Huaqiong added, "You don't need to keep a close eye on the accounts like a waiter. You only need to do it once a day, once every seven days, once a month, and once at the end of the year. I won't interfere with what you do or read during the rest of the time, as long as you don't do anything to ruin Peach Blossom Desserts."

“My son is also an educated man, and I can completely entrust this accounting work to him. The reason I am willing to give it to you is because I understand the difficulties you and your mother face as orphans and widows. Who knows the hardships of orphans and widows better than me?”

Ma Huateng, being relatively inexperienced, was moved by Tong Huaqiong's heartfelt confession as an orphan and widow.

Since his father died, he and his mother have had a really tough time living together.

Aunt Tong is probably about the same, otherwise why would she have three grown sons and still have to show her face in public to do business?

Thinking about what his mother had told him before, that if they couldn't make ends meet, she would go and do laundry for others, Ma Huateng felt sad. In order to prevent his mother from doing manual labor, he also needed to find a job.

Thinking this, Ma Huateng said to Tong Huaqiong, "Okay, I agree to all of Aunt Tong's conditions."

Tong Huaqiong smiled kindly, looking at Ma Huateng as if he were her own nephew or younger relative, and told Liu Yue'e to bring her hot tea again.

After finishing his tea, Ma Huateng left, making an appointment with Tong Huaqiong to go to the government office the next day to complete the property transfer procedures.

However, Tong Huaqiong had to write him an IOU for eighty taels of silver, and agree to repay it within six months, with interest charged daily if he couldn't.

Tong Huaqiong thought to herself that Ma Huateng wasn't really stupid, but that didn't affect her feeling of great satisfaction. She had finally come into this world with her own business.

It feels so good to have an industry!

At this moment, the other three women at home who had learned that the shop had been finalized—Gu Taohua, Chen Sufeng, and Liu Yue'e—were also extremely excited.

"Mother, I was so nervous when you were negotiating the price with Ma Huateng, I was afraid he would change his mind. Luckily, Ma Huateng agreed to transfer the shop to us," Liu Yue'e said, patting her chest.

My mother-in-law is really good at getting something for nothing; she took over someone else's shop with an outstanding debt of eighty taels of silver.

She wanted to learn that skill too. "Mother will definitely be able to handle it," Chen Sufeng said cheerfully.

Heaven has opened its eyes; I never imagined that one day the Gu family could open a shop and do business in town.

Chen Su-fen was happy for her mother-in-law.

"This shop needs to be transferred to the government office. Who will handle it then?" Liu Yue'e asked casually.

Her ulterior motives were obvious; she just wanted to know whose name the shop would be registered under.
In this era, families typically pass their assets to their sons, especially the eldest son.

The Gu family is rather special. Gu Dahan is not Tong Huaqiong's biological son, while Gu Dashu is Tong Huaqiong's eldest son by blood. In most people's minds, the shop would definitely belong to Gu Dashu.

Liu Yue'e would naturally think the same way.

“Who else could it be but Mother or my sister? This shop was earned by Mother and my sister,” Chen Sufeng said.

The honest Chen Sufeng felt that since the peach blossom dessert was named after Gu Taohua, and the business was set up by her mother-in-law, the shop should rightfully belong to Tong Huaqiong or her sister-in-law.

Tong Huaqiong glanced at Liu Yue'e indifferently and said, "This shop naturally belongs to my name? Who do you think it belongs to?"

Liu Yue'e had a bad feeling when she saw Tong Huaqiong's calm expression. Ever since her mother-in-law woke up after hitting her head, she had this expression before she started scolding or getting angry.

Startled, she immediately said, "I also think it should go back to the mother."

Tong Huaqiong chuckled twice and reprimanded Liu Yue'e, saying, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You just want the shop to be under Dashu's name, right? Let me tell you, don't even dream about it. Blood ties and sons mean nothing to me."

“Peach Blossom and Su Fen have put in a lot of effort during this time. When we have money to buy a shop in the future, Peach Blossom and Man’er will be included. If your second branch of the family also wants one, then you’ll have to show your true abilities. It’s already good enough that I let you work as a shop assistant at Peach Blossom Dessert Shop. If you want a shop, ask your parents.”

Gu Taohua had already been promised a shop in town, and when she heard Tong Huaqiong's guarantee again, she felt calm.

Chen Sufeng, on the other hand, felt that Man'er had struck it lucky and was so excited that she wanted to kowtow to her mother-in-law.

It's very important for a woman to own shops and land; even after marriage, she won't be mistreated by her husband's family.

Liu Yue'e dared not show her dissatisfaction on her face. What if her mother-in-law even dismissed the staff at Peach Blossom Dessert Shop? Wouldn't that be even more of a loss?

“Second son’s wife, keep your little schemes to yourself in front of me. If you do a good job, you’ll get shares in the family business. If you don’t do well, I’ll divide the family property among you and Dashu so you can do whatever you want,” Tong Huaqiong said. “Anyway, weren’t you always encouraging Dashu to divide the family property?”

Liu Yue'e was so frightened that she begged for mercy, saying, "Mother, that's not what I meant. I'm already satisfied with being able to work as a waitress at Peach Blossom Dessert Shop. I don't want to separate from the family; I want to take good care of you, Mother."

She used to say she wanted to separate the family, wasn't that because Gu Jingzhe's education cost too much money?

Now that her mother-in-law has such excellent pastry skills, the first shop will open soon. At this point, she would rather give half of the Gu family's property to the second branch of the family than divide the family property.

My mother-in-law has only been in business for a few days, but she already has a hundred taels of silver to buy a shop.

There's plenty of time ahead, and the second wife will have many more opportunities to benefit in the future. If they separate now, Peach Blossom Dessert will have nothing to do with the second wife anymore.

"Don't just talk the talk, go practice your toothy smile first. Don't embarrass me when the shop opens."

Tong Huaqiong tossed a pair of chopsticks to Liu Yue'e, who took the chopsticks and obediently went to practice her smiling service.

For someone as quick-witted as Liu Yue'e, she'd be climbing on the roof and tearing off tiles if she wasn't disciplined for three days.

Tong Huaqiong must constantly keep her in check.

We can't just beat them; we have to give them some incentives too.

Commonly known as "a big stick and dates".

(End of this chapter)