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

Chapter 95 The Filial Son's Self-Strategy

Manager Feng's eyes were unfathomable.

The robber who was holding a knife to Gu Dashu received a signal from Manager Feng, and with a slight increase in force, the knife pulled Gu Dashu's neck.

"Mother, I'm going to die."

Warm blood dripped onto Gu Dashu's hand. Gu Dashu thought his throat had been slit and screamed in fright.

Gu Taohua was trembling with fear, but what frightened her was Tong Huaqiong.

My mother is tougher than I imagined!
Even though my second brother was cut with a knife, my mother still didn't seem to care.

"Hmph." Tong Huaqiong sneered.

Tong Huaqiong wasn't actually trying to play mind games with Manager Feng.

If she had to sacrifice someone, she would rather sacrifice Gu Dashu.

Anyway, she's not like Tong Dajiao, so she doesn't feel any pressure.

Tong Huaqiong turned to leave.

This ruthlessness took Manager Feng by surprise.

We can't let her leave; his real intention was to get the pastry recipe.

Instead of killing.

However, if this widow Tong doesn't cherish her son's life, shouldn't she at least cherish her own?

He raised his hand, and the leader used a knife to block Tong Huaqiong's path.

"What, you want to kill me?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

"I won't kill you, but I can cut off your hand and slash your face." Manager Feng personally took a knife and brandished it at Tong Huaqiong's face a few times.

"Kill me, but let my mother go!" Gu Dashu howled.

To be honest, Gu Dashu's shout touched Tong Huaqiong a little. This son's filial piety was genuine. She had clearly given up on him just now, but Gu Dashu still fulfilled his duties as a son to her.

However, what ultimately made Tong Huaqiong give up resistance was not Gu Dashu's howling, but the ruthlessness she saw in Manager Feng's eyes.

Manager Feng won't kill her, but he'll ruin her.

For a moment, Manager Feng really wanted to slash her face.

Although she was a widow who had become a grandmother and no longer had the chance to rely on her looks to get married, she didn't want to be disfigured.

A person's face is just as important in business settings; having a disfigured face can negatively impact a customer's mood.

"You just want the pastry recipe, right? Why are you making such a fuss?" Tong Huaqiong said.

Hearing the softening in Tong Huaqiong's words, Manager Feng clicked his tongue and sighed. This widow didn't even care about her son's life, but she cared a lot about her reputation.

“I’ll give it to you,” Tong Huaqiong said.

Seeing that Tong Huaqiong had given in, Manager Feng put on a smiling face and said, "If you had done this earlier, none of this would have happened."

"I don't want to kill them all."

As Manager Feng said this, his hand holding the knife remained steadfast.

"I don't want your other pastry recipes. I want taro paste pastries, chestnut pastries, cookies, and pork floss cakes," said Manager Feng.

These four items are the signature products of Peach Blossom Desserts, and it was with them that Tong Huaqiong stole business from Su Shi Yuan.

He didn't believe that once he got the recipe, a roadside stall could compete with a pastry shop that had stood in Yanguan Town for over a decade.

Moreover, Su Shi Yuan has now started retail sales.

"Put your knife down and I'll give it to you," Tong Huaqiong said.

Manager Feng hesitated.

"With your group of men wielding broadswords, where do you think I can run to?" Tong Huaqiong retorted with a mocking smile.

Shopkeeper Feng smiled and put away his knife. He then took out paper and pen from his pocket and handed them to Gu Taohua, saying, "Widow Tong, you read this, and your daughter writes it down."

He had already inquired and found out that Gu Taohua was literate; the words on the peach blossom dessert packaging were all written by this girl.

Tong Huaqiong grabbed the paper and pen and said, "Who do you think you are? My daughter doesn't need to write it, I will."

After explaining, he wrote down the recipes for his four flagship products.

Manager Feng received the prescription, narrowed his eyes slightly, and asked, "You really didn't hold anything back with this prescription?"

Tong Huaqiong nodded and said, "You can only trust me now. I wouldn't dare to lie to you. My life is in your hands." Manager Feng smiled; he naturally believed in the prescription.

He didn't want Tong Huaqiong dead; he wanted her to leave the pastry industry in Yanguan Town.

"This recipe is one thing, but you also need to ensure that peach blossom desserts never appear in Yanguan Town again," Manager Feng said.

"What if I don't make that guarantee?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

Manager Feng made a killing motion.

“I understand,” Tong Huaqiong said.

"Then I'll take that as a guarantee," Manager Feng said.

In reality, he didn't care whether Tong Huaqiong made a guarantee or not. He had the ability to get the recipe and drive Peach Blossom Desserts out of the market.

I heard that Peach Blossom Dessert is opening a shop. I'll dream about it.

As darkness gradually enveloped the sky, Manager Feng, having obtained the prescription, left with his men.

Tong Huaqiong's legs felt a little weak.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't afraid; the feeling of having a knife to my throat is definitely not pleasant.

The reason she wasn't intimidated by Manager Feng was entirely due to her tough stance; it was all an act for Manager Feng's benefit, as threatening her with her family wouldn't work.

In the future, she will not only open a shop in Yanguan Town, but also go to Pingchuan County, the prefectural city, and even Shengjing. Today's situation is just a rehearsal. She doesn't want the whole Gu family to be wiped out by competitors one day.

"Mother." Gu Taohua helped Tong Huaqiong up.

Her legs were also a little weak.

Gu Dashu slumped to the ground, blood seeping from the wound on his neck, but fortunately the wound was not deep.

Gu Dashu couldn't see the condition of his neck wound; he could only feel drops of blood dripping down. He wiped his hand, his face turning pale with fright, truly believing he was going to die.

"Mother, am I going to die?!" Gu Dashu said as he lay down on the ground.

“Mother, you’ve been saying I’m lazy and good-for-nothing these past few days, and you’re always finding fault with me. I don’t blame you at all for wanting to kill me just now. If I die, please let Yue’e remarry and take good care of Yaozu for me.”

As Gu Dashu spoke, tears streamed down his face.

He was still very saddened that his mother hadn't reacted when someone pressed her hand against his neck.

But he really didn't blame his mother, not at all.

He felt that he had been a terrible person in the past. If he had stood up for himself, his mother wouldn't have had to go to town to sell pastries, and she wouldn't have gotten into trouble with the pastry shop, thus avoiding the disaster of being threatened with a knife today.

To put it bluntly, it was all his own doing.

Gu Dashu, a filial son in ancient times, began to devise a plan to improve himself.

The thought of not being able to take care of her mother in the future brought a pang of sorrow to her heart, and she burst into tears.

"It's the Great Heat, what are you howling about? You're not going to die. The wound on your neck isn't even as deep as rainwater hitting a hole in the mud," Tong Huaqiong said.

Seeing that there was no resentment in Gu Dashu's eyes, Tong Huaqiong felt a little heartened.

She did develop a bit of maternal affection for this son.

"Second Brother, it's just a small wound on your neck. You won't die." Gu Taohua took out a handkerchief and pressed it against the wound.

“Dashu, don’t think your mother doesn’t care about you. The reason I acted that way just now was because I was betting with Manager Feng. If Manager Feng really tries to harm you, I will definitely hand over the prescription,” Tong Huaqiong said to Gu Dashu.

Although it has some elements of PUA (Pick-Up Artist) tactics, there's nothing we can do about it.

Tong Huaqiong couldn't break ties with Gu Dashu, so she could only try her best to play the role of a loving mother with no other choice.

"Mom, I know."

Whether Tong Huaqiong herself believed it or not, Gu Dashu did.

“Your wound is fine. I’ll apply some medicine when we get home and I guarantee it will scab over overnight,” Tong Huaqiong said.

Fortunately, Tong Huaqiong had Man'er take out some anti-inflammatory medicine from her spatial storage.

She was genuinely worried that in this era of limited medical care, Gu Dashu might die from tetanus from a small wound.

Who knows what that knife was used to cut? It could have been used to kill both humans and animals.

She certainly didn't want Gu Dashu to die; this son still had a great role to play.

Upon hearing that he wouldn't die, Gu Dashu jumped up from the ground and asked Tong Huaqiong with a worried expression, "Mother, did you just give the prescription to Manager Feng like that?"

(End of this chapter)