The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 132: The Village Belle and the City Lady
Xu Zaohua stood under a locust tree, watching through the leaves as Jingzhe picked apricots for a beautiful girl in luxurious clothes.
Jingzhe was Qinghe Bay’s most aloof scholar, and it was her first time seeing Jingzhe climb a tree, first time seeing such a joyful smile on his face.
The girl looked wealthy at first glance, dressed in things she hadn’t seen before.
She guessed this girl might be a relative from the Nie Family, Baishuang’s in-laws.
Because the Gu Family only had the Nie Family as their wealthy relatives.
Xu Zaohua clutched her hands tightly, Jingzhe was hers, and no one could take him away.
Yan Pozi, with her four sons, was on her way home from the threshing ground, just about to pass through Tong Huaqiong’s yard.
From afar, she heard bursts of laughter.
Coming closer, she saw Jingzhe in the tree picking apricots, with Taohua and the pretty girl standing below.
At the threshing ground, Yan Pozi and her four sons had already seen Lu Zhaozhao.
Such a pretty girl, neither village flower Xiaocao nor Xu Zaohua could compare, and they wondered how Tong Dajiao had gotten such a relative.
At the threshing ground, Yan Pozi and her sons speculated behind the scenes but couldn’t figure it out.
But one thing Yan Pozi was sure of, this girl was a daughter of a wealthy family, probably brought by Huaqiong to be a future daughter-in-law for her youngest son.
The thought of Gu Family having such a beautiful and wealthy daughter-in-law filled Yan Pozi with jealousy that could consume her.
Upon seeing Lu Zhaozhao, Xu Si felt weak all over; he usually saw village girls, and even the one he most wanted to marry, Xiaocao, couldn’t compare to Lu Zhaozhao.
At the first sight of Lu Zhaozhao at the threshing ground, he thought that trying a rich family’s daughter would be worth dying for.
"Yaozu, who is that girl to your family?"
As Xu Si followed Yan Pozi past Tong Huaqiong’s house, he kept turning his head back to look at Lu Zhaozhao, unable to hold back his thoughts.
Meeting Yaozu on the road, who was returning home cutting pig feed, he inquired about Lu Zhaozhao’s background.
Yaozu proudly told Xu Si that Lu Zhaozhao was from the prefecture city, and bragged a bit, saying, "Aunt Lu came from the prefecture city, my uncle used to work in her house, and she brought us a cartload of things this time."
Upon hearing that the girl was from the prefecture city, Yan Pozi’s jealousy grew even more.
Xu Si’s eyes brightened; a girl from the prefecture city.
And she was from the family where Da Han worked.
He had heard that Da Han was favored by a very wealthy family in the prefecture city, and was hired as a driver.
So, this Miss Lu was indeed a daughter from a very wealthy family in the prefecture city.
Xu Si’s blood boiled all over.
He heard that girls from wealthy families in the prefecture city were more concerned about reputation, unlike the village girls. He even tore half of Xiaocao’s clothes once, yet Gu Guangkui still refused to marry her off to him.
For the wealthy families’ daughters in the prefecture city, even picking up the girl’s handkerchief could lead to the girl being sent to a temple or married to the handkerchief picker.
Of course, this saying was something Xu Si, without having been further than Yan Guan Town, had heard from storytellers in teahouses, and he naively believed the story from the script.
Now, seeing Lu Zhaozhao, he was genuinely tempted to snatch Lu Zhaozhao’s handkerchief.
Who knows, maybe he could get a prefecture city girl as a wife without spending a penny.
Of course, Xu Si did not yet realize the bloody price he would pay for his idea.
Tong Huaqiong had entered the house. Jingzhe, Lu Zhaozhao, and Taohua were busy picking apricots, unaware of Xu Si’s lecherous gaze.
"Fourth Brother."
Xu Zaohua emerged from behind the locust tree, stopping Xu Si lagging behind Yan Pozi.
"Zaohua, huh."
Xu Si’s eyes swept over Zaohua’s chest.
He dared to take liberties with any village girl except Taohua and Xu Zaohua. Taohua’s sheer weight could crush him, and Xu Zaohua, being a family child with a village chief uncle, risked him being banished.
In the village, Xu Zaohua was considered one of the prettier ones, but compared to Lu Zhaozhao, Xu Si felt she looked rustic from head to toe.
"Fourth Brother, did you fancy that prefecture city girl from Tong Dajiao’s family?" Xu Zaohua asked with a cheerful smile.
Xu Si wickedly smiled and said, "We can’t fancy a prefecture city girl, but we can look, right? You have to admit a prefecture city girl is different, fair, beautiful, none of our village girls can compare."
These words made Xu Zaohua discontent.
What’s so good about that prefecture city girl? So thin, she doesn’t look like someone who can bear children.
Only scholar types like Jingzhe would be mesmerized!
"A prefecture city girl is still a girl, who says you can’t fancy them? Haven’t you heard the opera story where a princess throws an embroidery ball to choose a beggar as her prince? What’s a prefecture city girl then? Besides, Fourth Brother, you’re tall and strong, it’s easiest for you to attract those weakling-like prefecture city girls," Xu Zaohua said, picking her nails.
"How do I attract them?" Xu Si’s eyes lit up.
"Isn’t it done by turning raw rice into cooked rice?" Xu Zaohua said, leaving with a smile at the corner of her mouth.
Xu Zaohua thought Xu Si would understand her hint.
Xu Si looked distantly towards Lu Zhaozhao, who was smiling brightly.
Zaohua was right, just turn raw rice into cooked rice.
As long as the prefecture city girl was in the village these days, he would have a chance.
Xu Si decided, after dinner, to start lurking near the Gu Family, and the next day, got up as early as the cock crow to observe the Gu Family’s movements from the bushes near Tong Huaqiong’s house.
He waited for a moment when Lu Zhaozhao would be alone, to drag her into the bushes.
This frail prefecture city girl, surely could be overpowered in just a few moves.
Tong Huaqiong’s wheat was nearly threshed, so at the crack of dawn, the Gu Family, as planned the previous day, went to help Liu Tiechui, Gu Dashi’s father-in-law, with harvesting.
Tong Huaqiong stayed home, looking after the pigs with Yaozu and Man Er.
Twenty-odd pigs were getting big; the pigsty needed expanding, and Tong Huaqiong planned to have Da Han lead a team to expand it after the harvest was completed.
After Lu Zhaozhao got up and found Taohua, Jingzhe, and the others were not home, she asked Tong Huaqiong where they had gone.
Finding out Taohua was helping the Liu Family with harvesting, she had Man Er and Yaozu take her to the Liu Family’s wheat field for some fun. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
The Liu Family’s field was a bit farther than the Gu Family’s, requiring them to pass through the threshing ground and over the riverbank.
But Tong Huaqiong didn’t mind.
After all, it was wheat harvesting time, and the village was bustling with people.
Seeing Lu Zhaozhao leave the Gu Family courtyard, Xu Si emerged from the bushes, invigorated.
He heard Widow Tong’s voice from the bushes, knowing he couldn’t act at the entrance.
He had to go a bit farther.
He was thrilled to see that Man Er and Yaozu were taking Lu Zhaozhao towards the Liu family fields, and even more thrilled that the threshing ground and riverbank, usually bustling with people, were empty today.
It seemed Heaven itself didn’t want him to remain a bachelor.
He silently followed the trio of Yaozu, Man Er, and Lu Zhaozhao, having decided to act at the threshing ground.
The threshing ground was filled with haystacks, perfect for hiding.
Even if someone came by, as long as they made no noise, they wouldn’t be discovered easily.
First, knock out the two little brats, Man Er and Yaozu, then cover Lu Zhaozhao’s mouth and drag her into the haystacks.
Lu Zhaozhao wouldn’t even have a chance to call for help.
That prefecture city girl, ready to be Xu Si’s wife.
