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

Chapter 42 Peach Blossom Dessert
"What would be a good name?"

Tong Huaqiong convened her entire family for a brainstorming session.

"How about calling it 'Fragrant Pastries'?" asked the genius boy Gu Jingzhe with a scholarly air.

Tong Huaqiong shook her head immediately upon hearing this: "No, that's too literary."

Moreover, the characters were too complicated, difficult to recognize and pronounce.

"How are the pastries from Lao Gu's family?"

Gu Dashu came up with a simple and straightforward name.

The stall selling sesame cakes in town is called Lao Wu Jia; everyone knows it's the Wu family when you mention sesame cakes.

“It’s too straightforward. Besides, there are quite a few people with the surname Gu in our village, so it doesn’t really stand out,” Tong Huaqiong said.

This is true.

“They call it Crispy Food Garden, so let’s just call it Wheat Fragrance Garden,” Liu Yue’e said.

Since my mother-in-law has already set up a stall at the entrance of Su Shi Yuan, let's go all the way and use the same name as Su Shi Yuan to confuse everyone.

"No, not a branch of Su Shi Yuan." Tong Huaqiong vetoed it.

Tong Huaqiong is confident that she will definitely open her own shop in the future, and she doesn't want people to think that she and Su Shi Yuan are from the same company.

No one would do this, no one would do that, and everyone fell into deep thought again, racking their brains for a name.

"What do you think of calling it 'Widow Tong's Pastries'?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

She thought the name was bright and easy to pronounce, and it also captured the characteristics of the stall owner.

More importantly, the word "widow" itself makes many people have all sorts of fantasies. If possible, Tong Huaqiong would even like to add the word "pretty" before it.

"I don't think it'll work."

Chen Su-fen, who had remained silent until now, expressed her opposition.

"Oh, tell me, what's wrong?" Tong Huaqiong asked gently.

“Then I’ll be blunt, Mother. It’s not that the name is bad, Mother, think about it. What is pastry? Pastry is different from food. It’s something people buy to eat when they have spare money. It’s something to offer as a gift to relatives and friends during festivals and family reunions. It’s something to display as a lucky charm at weddings and births. Our pastry has a widow in its name. Anyway, I don’t think it’s very good.”

Chen Su-fen couldn't articulate profound truths, but she felt that widows would affect the sales of pastries.

"Does your sister-in-law mean she thinks Mother is unlucky?" Gu Dashu asked with a displeased expression.

Gu Dashu was mostly a filial son, and he developed PTSD over the word "widow," fearing that his sister-in-law might hurt his widowed mother.

"No, no, second brother, you've misunderstood me. What I mean is that since we're doing business, we have to consider the buyers, not just ourselves," Chen Sufeng explained hastily, forcing a smile.

“Mother, I really didn’t mean to look down on you.” Chen Sufen looked at Tong Huaqiong.

“Da Shu, how can you talk to your sister-in-law like that? We’re just discussing names, why are you getting so worked up over her?” Tong Huaqiong reprimanded Gu Da Shu.

He then said to Chen Su-fen, "I think Su-fen's considerations are quite comprehensive."

I never expected that this quiet and honest daughter-in-law would have such insight.

Tong Huaqiong only remembered that the name was simple and straightforward, but forgot the purpose of everyone buying pastries.

Chen Su-fen is right. In this day and age, most people who buy pastries on a regular basis have spare money, and they also buy them to add to the festive atmosphere of New Year's celebrations, family reunions, weddings, and birthdays. If you order something like "widow's mung bean cake" or "widow's jujube cake," people will definitely feel disgusted.

Some people buy pastries for their sick mothers. Serving a plate of pastries named after a widow would surely give the patient a bad association.
It's not that she has a problem with being a widow, but naming a pastry after a widow does have a significant impact on the target audience.

"It was my fault for not thinking this through. Luckily, Su-Fen reminded me."

"Don't take your temper out on your sister-in-law so easily during the hottest days of summer. I've never thought there's anything wrong with being a widow. I'm actually happy not having to serve men."

Tong Huaqiong brushed some stray hairs from her forehead, letting everyone continue to think.

Gu Dashu: "."

Who was it that used to fight with the villagers over land and water, and would jump up and down and clap her hands in a fit of anger, saying that she was a widow and that no one looked down on her?

"Peach Blossom, do you have any ideas?" Everyone else had spoken, but Gu Taohua remained silent, so Tong Huaqiong asked her chubby daughter.

These past two days, Gu Taohua has been running around town with Tong Huaqiong. Even when she gets home, Tong Huaqiong keeps her busy with chores, and she's so tired that her face has become noticeably thinner.

To be honest, Gu Taohua is a bit chubby, but she's quite pretty. She has fair and delicate skin, big eyes, long and black eyelashes, and a high and straight nose. She has a dignified and elegant appearance.

If she loses weight, she'll be a stunning beauty.

Gu Taohua said, "I do have an idea, but I'm afraid my mother won't agree with the name I've chosen."

Tong Huaqiong said, "You haven't even said anything yet, how do you know I disagree? Just spit it out, don't hold it in."

Gu Taohua's lips twitched, and she tilted her head back and said, "How about naming it after me? Peach Blossom Pastry."

Gu Jingzhe: "That's right, the name 'Peach Blossom Cake' is catchy and easy to remember."

Gu Dashu: "If even the most cultured third brother says so, then it must be a good idea."

Liu Yue'e: "Anyway, I sound better than a widow."

Chen Su-fen: "Peach Blossom Cake, what a festive name."

Before Tong Huaqiong could express her opinion, Gu Dashu and others strongly supported Gu Taohua.

"What do you think of the name, Mother?" Gu Taohua asked.

Tong Huaqiong's eyes lit up. The name was indeed nice. Peach Blossom's pastries sounded fragrant.

If someone asks where you bought the pastries, tell them to go to Peach Blossom Girl's Pastry Shop in Qinghewan.

It inexplicably conjures up an image of a beautiful girl by a stream where peach blossoms bloom, and the pastries she makes are fragrant and sweet.

It's so poetic, so vivid.

"Peach Blossom is such a good name!" Tong Huaqiong exclaimed, slapping her thigh. Why hadn't she thought of that at the beginning?

Gu Taohua smiled.

"However, I think we can make a slight change. Everyone names their desserts this or that, so why don't we call it Peach Blossom Dessert?"

"Think about it, pastries are sweet, so calling them desserts is perfectly fine. Plus, we're generous with the sugar in our pastries, making them sweeter than those from Su Shi Yuan, so let's just call them desserts to highlight our unique features."

Tong Huaqiong felt that calling it "Peach Blossom Cake" wasn't distinctive enough, so she suggested calling it "Peach Blossom Dessert."

Since there's no concept of desserts in this world anyway, she was the first to order, giving her a first-mover advantage.

“I agree with Mother’s idea. Peach blossom desserts sound more refined than peach blossom cakes.” Gu Jingzhe was the first to agree.

"Okay, let's call it Peach Blossom Dessert."

Gu Taohua smiled so broadly that her eyes disappeared. Whether it was called a pastry or a dessert, wasn't it all named after her peach blossom?

From now on, when people mention Gu Taohua in Qinghewan, they will no longer think of the plump Gu family girl, but rather of delicious pastries and sweet desserts.

My image has been completely reversed.

Wouldn't Scholar Fan also look at him with new respect?
“Since Mother and Third Brother have both agreed, it must be good,” Gu Dashu said.

Chen Su-fen nodded in agreement.

Liu Yue'e didn't quite feel comfortable with it, not because she objected to the name "Peach Blossom Dessert" itself. Rather, she was thinking further ahead. If the Gu family's pastries were named after Peach Blossom, who would own the shop if it actually opened in the future? Would it belong to Peach Blossom?
It doesn't make sense that Peach Blossom, who is destined to be someone else's wife, is monopolizing her family's pastry shop.

"Yue'e, do you agree?" Tong Huaqiong looked at Liu Yue'e with a half-smile.

"I agree, I definitely agree. Peach Blossom Dessert is delicious, and my aunt's name is lovely too," Liu Yue'e said, though her words didn't reflect her true feelings.

“Don’t say I’m biased. Think long-term. In the future, our family will definitely have more than just one pastry stall. We’ll have many more shops. If the pastry stall can be called Peach Blossom Desserts, then the pig farm can be called Great Heat Pig Farm,” Tong Huaqiong said.

Gu Dashu: "."

Bonus chapter

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(End of this chapter)