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

Chapter 14 The Twist of Facts

“Mother, this work is inhuman. How can you bear to let your own son suffer here? I don’t want to. From now on, I will stay home and farm properly.”

Gu Dashu rejected Tong Huaqiong's suggestion without hesitation.

"You know this job is inhuman, so how can you sit here and watch your older brother carry sandbags for years without feeling guilty?" Tong Huaqiong sneered.

Gu Dashu pursed his lips and remained silent.

Liu Yue'e pursed her lips, feeling indignant on behalf of her husband.

A stepson and a biological son, how can they be the same?

My mother-in-law has been acting like she's possessed by the Holy Mother these past few days, treating my eldest son's family exceptionally well.

Even if the Bodhisattva appeared in her dream to atone for her sins against the eldest son's family, she couldn't just throw good things at the eldest son's family. According to her, being able to get by with the eldest son's family on the surface was already a sign of a good stepmother.

Anyway, they're not my biological children.

Regardless of what Liu Yue'e thought, Tong Huaqiong used the remaining copper coins from selling steamed buns, along with her own saved silver, to buy a roast chicken and two catties of pastries. She tucked them into her bosom amidst the envious gazes of her chubby daughter and grandson, saying it was to nourish Man'er's body so that no one could even think about taking them.

The Gu family's home, Qinghewan, is about 20 li (about 10 kilometers) from Pingchuan County, which is not far for the Gu family, who are used to traveling.

Hiring a carriage to Qinghe Bay would cost about five hundred coins, but Tong Huaqiong was reluctant to spend the money. Not only was her family poor, but they also owed the Zheng family fifty taels of silver.

Thinking of the fifty taels of silver, Tong Huaqiong felt a little worried.

She said she'd pay back in a month, but that was just a delaying tactic.

Where will she get the money in a month?

Tong Huaqiong led Gu Dashu towards Qinghewan. She remarked that it was fortunate that Tong Dajiao hadn't bound her feet, otherwise, given the dirt roads of that era, it would have taken them half a day to get home.

They were overtaken by a horse-drawn carriage halfway there.

Steward He from the Zheng family jumped off the carriage and blocked the way for Tong Huaqiong and her entourage.

He had been scolded and humiliated by his master's family, and he was determined to get his revenge on the Gu family.

He originally planned to go to Qinghe Bay to collect the remaining fifty taels of silver, but unexpectedly ran into them on the road.

Perfect, saves him from making an extra trip.

"Give me the remaining fifty taels of silver." Steward He's first words were to ask for silver.

"Didn't we agree that it would be delivered a month later?" Tong Huaqiong said calmly and confidently.

Butler He wanted to ambush them as it got dark, and she and the three thugs behind her were not to be trifled with.

Sure enough, Gu Dashu blocked Tong Huaqiong's way and said in a deep voice, "It hasn't even been a month yet. Is Steward He afraid we won't make it? He's blocking us on the main road in broad daylight."

To be honest, Gu Dashu wasn't sure either; it was fifty taels of silver, but he had to maintain his composure and support his mother.

"That's right, it hasn't even been a month yet, what's the rush, Steward He?" Gu Taohua stamped her foot, standing like a small mountain in front of Steward He.

Butler He was alarmed as he watched the sky grow darker and darker.

He had witnessed firsthand Widow Tong's tantrums that day, along with her son's eyes that could pierce blood, and her chubby, bear-like girl who could send someone flying with a single slap. Steward He secretly groaned; he'd been so focused on collecting debts that he'd forgotten to bring his servants.

He was afraid that Widow Tong would get angry and have the two thugs dig a hole on the spot and bury him.

He's unlucky to be facing this family all by himself!

“Our master said a month is too long, return it in five days,” said Butler He.

Gu Dashu was furious when he heard this. Five days? How could the Gu family possibly come up with fifty taels of silver in five days?

Tong Huaqiong was silent for a while, then gritted her teeth and nodded: "Five days it is."

"What if they can't pay back in five days?" Butler He asked ominously.

"At worst, I'll just have to make do and marry your young master to bring him good luck," Tong Huaqiong said.

Butler He was choked half to death.

"If you can't pay it back, your big, fat daughter will have to come and be a maid in the Zheng family." Butler He pointed at Gu Taohua.

Someone like that doesn't deserve to be the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zheng family; she should just be a maid.

"Who are you referring to? Even if you carried me in a sedan chair, I wouldn't go to the Zheng family." Gu Taohua brushed away Steward He's hand, but it was only a light flick; the force was so great that it almost broke Steward He's fingers.

“My daughter is no good, she’s lazy and greedy.” Tong Huaqiong pointed to Yaozu on Liu Yue’e’s back and said, “If she can’t pay back the money, I’ll send my eldest grandson to the Zheng family to be a servant.”

"mother!"

The turn of events was unexpected.

Gu Dashu and Liu Yue'e were shocked.

How can this work!
This is the only remaining lineage among the grandchildren of the Gu family.

"That's fine."

Butler He readily agreed.

Compared to his chubby daughter who could crush a person, his eldest grandson pleased him more.

To prevent Tong Huaqiong from defaulting on the debt, Butler He was prepared. He took out a pen and ink from his pocket and quickly wrote out a contract. Tong Huaqiong signed it without changing her expression.

Liu Yue'e was on the verge of tears. Her mother-in-law was truly heartless!

She treated her son like a cabbage, abandoning him without a second thought.

"You don't need to deliver it in person. I'll go to Qinghe Bay to collect the silver in five days. If I can't gather fifty taels, then you're mine."

Butler He squeezed Gu Yaozu's firm arm. "Not bad, he's a good hand at work."

Butler He wasn't worried about Tong Huaqiong going back on her word. With the contract in hand, he knew exactly which way the Gu family's gate faced, so she couldn't escape.

If this widow continues to act shamelessly in front of the master and mistress like she did today, he dares to cut off the youngest son of the Gu family from his studies.

Gu Yaozu was so frightened that he clung to Liu Yue'e's back, trembling. His mind was filled with the thought that his grandmother wanted to sell him, just like she had sold his sister Man'er before.

After Steward He's carriage left, Gu Yaozu burst into tears.

"Mother, are you really going to send Yaozu to the Zheng family to be a servant?" Gu Dashu asked in surprise and doubt.

"Didn't Second Brother always say that you and Second Sister-in-law will have plenty of sons in the future? Why are you still reluctant to give up Yaozu?" Gu Taohua rolled her eyes.

Gu Taohua, she's a little tyrant at home, bullying everyone she sees, even her own brother.

Gu Dashu was speechless for a moment.

That's true, he believed he and Liu Yue'e could have many sons, but Yaozu was going to be a servant, not a master of the Zheng family like Man'er had been.
What future can a lowly servant or slave have?

"Mother, this is your eldest grandson. How can you be so heartless?" Liu Yue'e shed tears.

"Why would I hesitate? I'll have plenty of grandchildren in the future."

Tong Huaqiong coldly looked at Gu Dashu and his wife. Now it's her son's turn to feel sorry for her, isn't it? Back then, these two didn't care about Man'er's life or death, and Liu Yue'e never understood Chen Sufeng's feelings as a mother.

Now they should feel the pain and experience what Chen Su-fen and her daughter went through back then.

Liu Yue'e hugged Yaozu and cried incessantly.

He began to resent Gu Jingzhe in his heart. If Gu Jingzhe hadn't gotten involved with the Zheng family for his studies, he wouldn't have caused so much trouble.

If Wanliu Academy were willing to return the fifty taels of silver, that would be fine, but judging from Gu Jingzhe's words that day, it would be very difficult to get Wanliu Academy to return the silver.

In her opinion, Gu Jingzhe should be used to offset the fifty taels of silver.

"What are you wailing about? We still have five days to raise the money," Tong Huaqiong said.

"Can you scrape together the silver in five days? That's fifty taels!" Gu Dashu had no confidence at all.

Even if you sold the entire Gu family property, people and land, you probably still wouldn't have enough money.

"If you don't have one, then think of something for me."

"If you want Yaozu to stay at home."

……

Tong Huaqiong led Gu Dashu and the others home after walking until dark. Her good mood, which had been good because of successfully breaking off the engagement and selling steamed buns, was ruined by the fifty taels of silver.

"Mother, you're back."

Chen Sufen came out to greet her.

"I'm back. I brought you and Man'er some steamed buns and pastries."

Tong Huaqiong saw Man'er behind Chen Sufen and handed her the steamed buns and pastries.

Chen Sufen and Man'er were flattered.

"Thank you, Grandma." Man'er thanked her politely and offered Tong Huaqiong a handkerchief and tea.

"The Zheng family...didn't make things difficult for Mother, did they?" Seeing Gu Dashu's pale face and Liu Yue'e's tear-stained eyes, Chen Sufeng asked anxiously, not knowing what had happened.

"No, sister-in-law, let me tell you, Mom was really fierce today..."

Gu Taohua vividly recounted Tong Huaqiong's remarkable deeds at the Zheng family.

Chen Sufen's eyes reddened after hearing this. Her mother-in-law had really changed a lot, even going so far as to use her own reputation to force the Zheng family to break off the engagement.

No matter how harsh her mother-in-law had been to her in the past, she had to forgive her mother-in-law for the bad things she had done to her in the past, just because her mother-in-law had protected Man'er these past few days.

"Mom, you've had a long day, come and eat."

Chen Sufen then arranged for rice to be served to Tong Huaqiong.

These past few days she noticed that her mother-in-law's personality and tastes had changed. She no longer liked millet and sorghum, but preferred noodles. So she made white noodles for her mother-in-law and also cracked two eggs on them.

"I'm exhausted from pulling weeds all day, sister-in-law, hurry up and serve me some rice."

"Sister-in-law, please wash these clothes for me tonight, I need to wear them tomorrow."

Tong Huaqiong's eyes turned cold. The way he spoke to his sister-in-law like a servant to an old man was definitely the genius boy Gu Jingzhe.

(End of this chapter)