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

Chapter 34 The status of an elder is not a brick
"Xiaofeng, I was wrong in the past."

The genius boy Gu Jingzhe clenched his fists. It was too embarrassing. Apologizing to his nephew, who always ranked at the bottom of his class, was more embarrassing than running naked in the sun.

Nie Xiaofeng had always looked down on his uncle, and his disdain only intensified after learning that he intended to trade his cousin Man'er for his future.

He and his mother are both from the coal industry; they're ruthless.

"What is it, Uncle?" Nie Xiaofeng exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.

Normally, Gu Jingzhe and Nie Xiaofeng had little interaction at the private school and would not greet each other when they met.

Nie Xiaofeng was tall and imposing, while Gu Jingzhe was a frail and scholarly figure. At this moment, Gu Jingzhe stood in front of Nie Xiaofeng and felt quite overwhelmed.

"I would like to borrow fifty taels of silver from you."

Gu Jingzhe lowered his head and spoke with difficulty.

"I can pay you interest!"

"I promise to pay it all back within a year!"

"What will you use to repay me?" Nie Xiaofeng interrupted Gu Jingzhe.

“Oh, I know how Uncle will pay it back,” Nie Xiaofeng drawled. “By selling Man’er. If the Zheng family isn’t enough, with Uncle’s abilities, he might be able to climb up to the Li, Wang, or Zhang families. There’s always a family that wants to buy a wife. Then you can sell Man’er for two hundred taels, and the money will come in.”

“Speaking of which, Uncle, you’re really good at making money. You’re making a fortune with a small investment. It’s more profitable than my family’s porcelain shop. My shop has to cover costs, but your business of selling people doesn’t even have to cover costs.”

"You don't even need to have your own daughter; you can just sell someone else's daughter. Tsk tsk tsk, Uncle's plan is truly ingenious!"

"I wonder if the teachers at Wanliu Academy, knowing about my uncle's actions, will still praise him for his extraordinary talent."

Nie Xiaofeng seized the opportunity to launch a tirade against Gu Jingzhe.

On one hand, it was to vent the anger of Gu Baishuang and Man'er, and on the other hand, it was for his own pleasure.

He had long wanted to find an opportunity to criticize Gu Jingzhe. If it weren't for Gu Jingzhe being his uncle, and if he were to harm Gu Jingzhe, it would put his mother in a vortex of reputation. He really wanted to punch this cheap uncle in the head.

Gu Jingzhe's face turned red from Nie Xiaofeng's barrage of words.

"Oh my, the sun has risen in the west! Uncle, you blush too? That's rare, really rare, tsk tsk tsk!"

Nie Xiaofeng continued to utilize his Yin-Yang skills.

Gu Jingzhe usually acts arrogantly, and he had long wanted to confront Gu Jingzhe head-on. Now that he had the chance, how could he let it go?

Yesterday, he went to the Gu family in Qinghewan with his mother and learned why Gu Jingzhe wanted to borrow fifty taels of silver.

Only an old widow like Tong Dajiao could create such a terrible and destructive thing.

Auntie Tong also said that Widow Tong had changed for the better. In her opinion, someone who could raise someone like Gu Jingzhe, who sold her niece for her future, could not possibly be exonerated.

I wonder what wicked scheme they're plotting; only a kind-hearted person like my aunt could be fooled.

What annoyed him even more was that, despite his objections, his mother still gave the second branch of the Gu family fifty taels of silver.

According to him, Gu Yaozu should not be saved, and all of Widow Tong's wicked gang should be wiped out.

“Uncle, you’re so capable, why are you asking me for money? Don’t forget that the Nie and Gu families have severed ties, right up until Grandpa’s funeral. You’ve recited the saying, ‘It’s not food given with contempt.’ I’m afraid that if I lend you money, it will tarnish your noble character,” Nie Xiaofeng said.

Gu Jingzhe raised his head, his eyes red, and said to Nie Xiaofeng, "Why do you have to ridicule me? I am still your uncle."

Gu Jingzhe thought to himself that for a nephew like Nie Xiaofeng, who only grew tall but not smart, it was already an honor for Gu Jingzhe to speak to him.

Who would willingly endure such humiliation unless they were desperate?

He was still a teenager and lacked self-control. He couldn't handle a few sarcastic remarks from Nie Xiaofeng.

"Oh, now you know you're an elder. Why didn't you think of yourself as an elder when you sold Man'er? Why didn't you think of yourself as an elder when you always looked down on me? Being an elder isn't a brick you can move around however you want."

“You’re already borrowing money like a grandson, so don’t try to act all high and mighty like an elder.”

The news of Gu Jingzhe borrowing money from the private school had spread far and wide, and Nie Xiaofeng had naturally heard about it as well.

It's better that we can't borrow it. Gu Jingzhe now knows how bad his reputation is.

But it doesn't matter anyway, since my aunt said the heartless widow has already stopped letting Gu Jingzhe go to school.

"Xiaofeng, you, you've gone too far."

"If you don't want to lend it, then don't. Why say such nasty things?" Gu Jingzhe was furious after being ridiculed by Nie Xiaofeng for so long.

"So what if I'm bullying you? Does the person who borrowed the money think they can act like a king? Even if you're my uncle, it doesn't apply to me."

Seeing that he had delivered enough sarcasm, Nie Xiaofeng lifted his foot and walked away with a satisfied expression.

Anyway, he wouldn't see this uncle at the private school anymore, so Nie Xiaofeng wasn't afraid of offending him.

Watching Nie Xiaofeng's departing figure, Gu Jingzhe fell backward in anger, her eyes red.

At this point, he wanted to pass the county-level imperial examination, become a scholar, and go to the capital to take the imperial examination to gain official rank, so that no one would dare to look down on him.

Thinking of this, a sense of dejection washed over him, because Tong Huaqiong had already stopped him from studying. Today, besides borrowing money at the private school, he also had to say goodbye to the teacher.

The thought of leaving the private school and spending his life working in the fields made the ambitious and talented young man, Gu Jingzhe, burst into tears.

"Third brother, why are you crying?"

Gu Dashu arrived at the private school and walked around several times before finally finding Gu Jingzhe under a crooked locust tree in the backyard.

Gu Jingzhe leaned against the locust tree and cried her heart out.

Gu Dashu thought he was going to hang himself.

"Third brother, don't be so pessimistic. If you want to go back to farming, then go back to farming."

Gu Dashu stepped forward and helped Gu Jingzhe up.

After all, they were siblings from the same mother, and he didn't want anything to happen to Gu Jingzhe.

It would have been better if Gu Dashu hadn't tried to persuade her; the more she tried, the harder Gu Jingzhe cried.

"Don't make it sound like you're going through fire and water. Your mother and Peach Blossom have both gone to town to set up a pastry stall. Is it really so unfair for you to farm?"

Gu Dashu was a little irritable and punched Gu Jingzhe twice on the back.

He didn't go to school, but he's still doing just fine.

"Mother, I'm so sorry."

When Gu Jingzhe heard Gu Dashu mention that Tong Huaqiong was selling pastries in town, he couldn't help but feel sad.

It wasn't easy for my mother, a widow, to raise her and her siblings alone.

Yesterday, he saw his mother enthusiastically hawking her cakes across from the pastry shop, holding a plate and pulling passersby to sample them in order to sell them.

My mother had never even left the village before, but she started earning money to make a living.

He used to think that he was the hope of the whole family, and that only he could give his mother a good life.

Now, because of his own greed, he owes the Zheng family money, forcing his mother, a widow, to show her face in public and sell cakes.

The more I think about him, the more upset I get!
"Second brother, do you think everything I did for the sake of studying was wrong?" The genius boy finally felt confused.

Gu Dashu thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "I don't understand big principles, and I don't know if what you did was right or wrong. I only know that if Yaozu is sent away, we can stop being brothers. These past few days, I have finally understood the feelings and situation of my sister-in-law when she had to send Man'er away. I feel that I was a terrible person before, actually encouraging you to marry into the Zheng family."

Gu Jingzhe looked up at Gu Dashu.

This was his second brother, whom he had always looked down upon—a lazy and good-for-nothing brother—who could actually utter such profound insights.

Could it be that Gu Jingzhe really did something wrong?

"I haven't managed to raise the money. I wonder how much Second Brother has managed to raise?" Gu Jingzhe didn't dare to look Gu Dashu in the eye. If Yaozu had really been sent away, he would probably have killed him with his own hands.

"I came to you to talk about this."

“Mother has already earned fifty taels of silver, and Mother is willing to return it to the Zheng family.”

Gu Dashu patted Gu Jingzhe on the shoulder.

"What? Mother can earn fifty taels of silver?"

Gu Jingzhe's expression was as if he had been struck by lightning.

(End of this chapter)