The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 106: Timely Help in the Snow
Certainly, here’s the translated text:
```html
Tong Huaqiong and her two sons had a bowl of noodles for lunch and then urged the boys to go build connections with Feng Chuan.
She herself continued to take a tour of the shop, and after having some ideas about the renovation, she returned to Qinghe Bay.
At the entrance of the village, she ran into Gu Taohua.
Gu Taohua was with Man Er and Yaozu having sweet melons.
When Man Er and Yaozu saw Tong Huaqiong coming over, they loudly shouted "Grandma" and offered her some sweet melon to eat. Gu Taohua, on hearing that the shop’s paperwork was done, was smiling ear to ear.
"Where did you get the sweet melon?" Tong Huaqiong asked directly.
It was a bit hot, and from walking from the town to Qinghe Bay, Tong Huaqiong had sweated a lot. The crisp sweet melon made her feel revitalized.
The Gu Family didn’t grow sweet melons, and seeing no one in the fields at the village entrance, Tong Huaqiong suspected that Gu Taohua, along with Man Er and Yaozu, might have stolen them from someone else’s field.
"Gu Xiaocao gave them," Gu Taohua said.
"Originally, she didn’t give them, but Aunt forced the grass basket from Sister Xiaocao and insisted on taking the sweet melons she saw inside," Gu Yaozu opened his mouth and revealed Gu Taohua’s secret.
Gu Taohua’s face was covered in black lines and said, "What nonsense are you babbling about? I asked her when I saw her melons if she could give me one, and she gave it to me. I didn’t snatch it."
Clearly, it was Gu Xiaocao who gave them, right?
Gu Taohua said with conviction.
Tong Huaqiong’s mouth twitched a bit; she knew Gu Taohua very well. With Gu Taohua’s previous reputation and her physique, if she asked Gu Xiaocao for a melon, could honest Gu Xiaocao dare refuse?
"Alright, it’s just a melon, eat it if you did, but in the future, don’t bully Xiaocao." Tong Huaqiong warned Gu Taohua.
Speaking of Gu Xiaocao, Tong Huaqiong happened to think of needing Gu Xiaocao’s father, Gu Guangkui, for the shop’s counter, so she conveniently went to Gu Guangkui’s house.
Gu Taohua took Man Er and Yaozu and followed behind.
Gu Xiaocao was chopping grass to feed the chickens at her house door. When she saw Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua, among others, heading towards her house, she became anxious.
She didn’t want to give Gu Taohua the sweet melon at all, but she was scared because of Gu Taohua’s intimidating look. She had no choice but to give it.
Seeing Tong Huaqiong and the others, she began to worry if there was any problem with the melons she gave.
Widow Tong was not someone easy to provoke in the village, offending her might lead to trouble, and Gu Taohua was equally daunting, even capable of dismantling her house beam.
If this mother and daughter teamed up, her house would face destruction.
"Aunt Tong..." Gu Xiaocao threw the chopping knife aside, stood up frightened.
Tong Huaqiong, hearing the fear in Gu Xiaocao’s voice, showed a gentle smile.
Gu Xiaocao felt even more fearful.
Gu Taohua then pulled out the stool from under Gu Xiaocao, where she was chopping grass, handing it to Tong Huaqiong to sit.
"Where’s your dad?" Tong Huaqiong asked.
"Aunt Tong, what... what’s the matter you need my dad for..." Gu Xiaocao asked.
"Xiaocao, don’t be afraid. I’m looking for your dad to make cabinets for my house," Tong Huaqiong said.
Look how scared the girl is.
"Oh, I see." Gu Xiaocao sighed in relief but also seemed a bit untrusting, pointing afar, "My dad is in the field, I’ll go call him for you."
"Alright, I’ll wait at your place," Tong Huaqiong said.
Gu Xiaocao saw Tong Huaqiong had sweat on her face and went inside to get her a bowl of tea and a basin of water.
Tong Huaqiong felt touched; Gu Xiaocao was truly a good girl.
No wonder Gu Guangkui would rather live at the village entrance than reconcile with the Yellow Pozi.
Through Tong Dajiao’s memories, Tong Huaqiong had a very positive impression of Gu Guangkui.
Gu Guangkui was driven out by his own mother, Yellow Pozi.
Gu Guangkui and Gu Dahuan were of the same type, honest and straightforward. He had only one daughter, Gu Xiaocao, who was two years older than Gu Taohua. Two years ago, she was harassed by Xu Si in the bush, and Gu Guangkui went to address Xu Si, but Yellow Pozi prevented him.
Yellow Pozi was already displeased that Gu Guangkui only had a daughter, and when Gu Xiaocao was harassed, she added fuel to the fire, blaming it on Xiaocao for seducing Xu Si, saying Xiaocao disgraced their ancestors, and wanted Xiaocao to marry Xu Si.
It spiraled to the point that Xiaocao threatened to hang herself before the matter subsided.
Yellow Pozi felt the harassment incident was shameful, so she kicked Gu Guangkui’s family out.
The honest Gu Guangkui then took his wife and daughter and settled in two thatched cottages at the village entrance.
Due to Xiaocao’s tarnished reputation, villagers would avoid Gu Guangkui’s family, especially with Yellow Pozi’s harsh treatment.
Not only did she slander Xiaocao as a seductress, but she also teamed up with the malicious Yan Pozi to bully his entire family.
```
Yan Pozi often gossiped in the village, saying Gu Xiaocao was Xu Si’s whore. Who would dare to marry her? Just wait and see, in the end, she could only be given to Xu Si.
Others avoided unnecessary trouble by steering clear of the Gu Family, but Tong Huaqiong wasn’t afraid.
She not only wasn’t afraid but took the initiative to visit and offer work.
Gu Guangkui and his wife, Mrs. Zhang, heard from the fields that Gu Xiaocao said Tong Huaqiong came to ask Gu Guangkui to make furniture; the couple didn’t believe it.
Standing up from the field, they finally believed when they saw the blurry silhouette of Gu Taohua.
The couple hurried back home and saw Tong Huaqiong, so nervous she didn’t know where to put her hands.
This was the first time a villager came to visit since the Gu Family moved to the village entrance.
"Sister-in-law Tong, did Xiaocao say your family wants a cabinet made?" Mrs. Zhang asked.
Tong Huaqiong nodded and smiled, saying, "That’s right."
Gu Guangkui and Mrs. Zhang looked excited. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
Gu Guangkui had excellent craftsmanship, but since Gu Xiaocao’s reputation was ruined by her own mother and the Xu family, no one in the village dared to ask him to make furniture.
He didn’t dare take jobs from outside the village either, fearing Xu Si would retaliate against Xiaocao while he was away.
"So, Sister Tong, what kind of style do you want?" Gu Guangkui asked.
"It’s not for my family; it’s for my pastry shop in town that’s opening soon and needs counters and such," Tong Huaqiong said.
"Sister Tong, you are really capable, opening a shop and all."
Mrs. Zhang felt happy for Tong Huaqiong.
Everyone in the village knew Tong Huaqiong sold pastries in town; they didn’t expect she would open a shop so soon.
In the past, Tong Huaqiong didn’t have a good reputation in the village, and Mrs. Zhang didn’t dare to speak to her.
Since she heard from Liu Qiaoyun that Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua dealt with Xu Si, only then did Mrs. Zhang dare to greet her when she met Tong Huaqiong at the village entrance.
From then on, Mrs. Zhang felt Tong Huaqiong wasn’t bad at all. Their family had suffered from a bad reputation, and Mrs. Zhang thought Tong Huaqiong’s past reputation was ruined by her mother-in-law and Yan Pozi.
"You’re going to town...?" Gu Guangkui hesitated a bit.
If he went to town, what would happen to his wife and daughter at home?
If Xu Si seized the opportunity to retaliate, his daughter would have no choice but to face a dead end.
Mrs. Zhang actually wanted Gu Guangkui to take Tong Huaqiong’s job because Tong Huaqiong opening a shop and thinking of having Gu Guangkui make counters was a recognition of their family. This kind of help in distress should be appreciated.
At worst, she and Xiaocao could carry knives for protection.
"I know what you’re worried about; you’re just afraid that when you’re not home, that bastard Xu Si will find trouble with Xiaocao. You don’t have to worry; my shop still needs someone to cook for the clerks. Can Xiaocao handle that? If she can, she can follow you there," Tong Huaqiong said.
Gu Xiaocao looked up in surprise; she didn’t expect she could go to town as well.
"Xiaocao can certainly do the work, but will Xiaocao affect the shop’s business?" Mrs. Zhang was so emotional she was almost in tears.
Tong Huaqiong understood what Mrs. Zhang meant. Gu Xiaocao’s reputation had been ruined by Xu Si, and she was afraid this reputation would affect the pastry shop’s business.
"Anyone buying pastries comes for the taste," Tong Huaqiong said indifferently.
"Can Xiaocao really work at the shop?" Gu Guangkui was too excited to believe it was true.
"Uncle Guangkui, what are you talking about? I can follow my mom to do business; what can’t Sister Xiaocao do?" Gu Taohua said.
Gu Guangkui and Mrs. Zhang, eyes red, thanked her repeatedly.
"How about I calculate the wages at five hundred wen a month?" Tong Huaqiong asked.
"What, wages too?"
The Gu Family was even more excited.
Tong Huaqiong wasn’t being a Holy Mother by bringing the Gu Family together; she had her own motives.
She would need workers and clerks when opening a shop, and hiring from outside meant dealing with strangers.
Starting with people she knew, Gu Guangkui had good skills, and Gu Xiaocao was pretty, honest, and meticulous. These two would significantly contribute to the shop’s early development.
What’s more, with this act of help during times of need, the Gu Family would surely be loyal to her.
In her past life, Gu Xiaocao eventually couldn’t escape Yan Pozi’s schemes and was forced to marry Xu Si. Her circumstances were pitiful, yet she could sneak a few hundred coins and some food to Man Er when she returned to the village to find her parents, only to have her efforts end in vain.
She considered this a repayment of the kindness from her past life to Man Er.
Let Gu Xiaocao start by doing cooking and miscellaneous tasks, and when the shop opens, train her as a clerk and continue developing her into a key figure in the shop.
