The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 136: Not a Honey Trap

Tong Huaqiong’s mouth twitched.

Gu Taohua scolded without restraint.

Everyone looked at Yan Pozi and then at Xu Si, their eyes full of contempt.

By rights, Tong Dajiao could be Xu Si’s mother, and being a widow, no matter how attractive she still was, Xu Si wouldn’t make a move on her, would he?

Besides, Tong Dajiao isn’t easy to mess with, and she even has a stepson and two biological sons, making a total of three sons.

Xu Si, neither black nor white, just had to provoke Tong Dajiao.

Many villagers believed this was a setup orchestrated by Tong Dajiao over a land dispute with Yan Pozi, rendering Yan Pozi’s beloved Xu Si useless.

Even though everyone thought this way, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

They felt that Tong Dajiao was eliminating harm for the people.

With Xu Si around, no maidens or young wives in Qinghe Bay could have peace.

But now, hearing what Tong Huaqiong said and Gu Taohua’s scolding, everyone began to suspect that today’s incident wasn’t Tong Dajiao’s deliberate plot against Xu Si.

It was Yan Pozi and Xu Si working together to tarnish Tong Dajiao’s reputation after seeing her successful business in town, trying to force her to marry Xu Si and take over her shop.

"Xu Si is still young, after all. Tong Dajiao could be his mother, she even has grandchildren. Would Xu Si really do this for a shop?" A young man muttered softly.

Anyway, if it were him, he wouldn’t do it.

"I say you’re young; why not? Xu Si is young, can youth be spent like Silver? Tong Dajiao’s shop brings in a lot of Silver every day, and Yan Pozi always talks bad about Tong Dajiao, isn’t it jealousy? Don’t underestimate the allure of Silver, some have even married off their daughters in their teens as concubines to men in their eighties. Why wouldn’t Xu Si covet Tong Dajiao? What’s wrong with becoming the stepfather to someone older than you? What’s wrong with becoming a grandfather once you step in? Compared to Silver, what do these count as?" An elder woman gave the young man a sidelong glance, smirked coldly, and said, "Besides, given Yan Pozi’s despicable character, what wouldn’t she do? She might have planned it out, letting Tong Dajiao marry Xu Si, and if worse comes to worst, treat Tong Dajiao like a mother-in-law from hell, until she drives her to death, then the shop would be hers."

Just as the elderly lady finished speaking, an old man next to her shook his head and said, "They say wealth moves the heart."

So, joining together, fueled by rumors, it was concluded that Yan Pozi and Xu Si staged the whole stack of straw just to take Tong Huaqiong’s cake shop.

Gu Dahuan, Gu Dashi, and Gu Jingzhe, the three brothers, listened to everyone’s discussion, their faces turning livid.

Oh, Xu Si, wanting to become our stepfather, can this be tolerated?

The three brothers exchanged glances, ready to go beat Xu Si again, but were held back by someone pulling them apart.

"I might as well be dead!" Tong Huaqiong cried, wiping tears.

"Mother, you mustn’t think that way. Father is already gone, and if you can’t hold on, what will happen to the family, young and old?"

Liu Yueer held a handkerchief, talking to Tong Huaqiong while wiping her tears toward her own father and uncle.

The meaning was clear: the Gu Family is outnumbered, we Liu family members must seek justice for my mother-in-law.

If her mother-in-law lost her reputation and justice in the village, she wouldn’t be able to face anyone in the village in the future.

"Mother-in-law, don’t worry; with me, Liu Tiechui, here, I will definitely get you justice." Liu Yueer’s father comforted Tong Huaqiong, his face grim with determination, "Why have the Xu Family Patriarch and the village chief not arrived yet? Do we have to send a big palanquin to invite them?"

"Will the Xu Family Patriarch and the village chief intervene or not? If they don’t, we’ll take Xu Si to see the officials." Liu Yueer’s uncle, Liu Tieshan, added.

Gu Jingzhe, with a grim face, thought rapidly, watching Liu Tieshan’s son, Liu Tong, stand behind Liu Tieshan. Gu Jingzhe quietly walked over to Liu Tong and whispered a few words. Liu Tong left the crowd, hitched up the donkey cart at home, and drove towards the neighboring village.

"The village chief is here."

"The Xu Family Patriarch is here."

Someone shouted, and everyone automatically made way.

Yan Pozi sat up straight, her back straightened.

The patriarch and village chief came to back her up.

As the largest family surname in the village, the Xu Family practically held sway over all matters in Qinghe Bay; even members of the second-largest surname, the Liu Family, had to give way to the Xu Family members.

As someone from the Xu Family, Village Chief Xu Yong naturally sided with the Xu Family.

Xu Si’s rampant behavior in the village, Yan Pozi’s domineering ways, all couldn’t be separated from the village chief’s usual indulgence and lenient handling.

"Uncle Kun, Uncle Yong, look at Si’er, he’s crippled; Widow Tong wants to end the Xu family’s line!" Yan Pozi held the pants of Clan Leader Xu Kun and Village Chief Xu Yong, one in each hand, crying.

Xu Family Patriarch Xu Kun crossed his arms, his face hard.

"What’s going on?" Village Chief Xu Yong glanced at Xu Si, whose face was swollen like a pig’s head, and gave Tong Huaqiong a faint smile.

Tong Huaqiong thought, oh please, just put on airs here.

The Liu family members went to invite them and they came so late.

It was nothing more than thinking that Xu Si wouldn’t suffer a loss anyway, so they’d stall for as long as they could.

Now at the scene, realizing that it was their Xu Family suffering, they started putting on airs and acting concerned.

Xu Yong’s tone seemed indifferent but it carried a condescending interrogative attitude.

Tong Huaqiong was extremely displeased, and immediately summoned Tong Dajiao’s spirit, pouncing on Xu Yong with a wail, bumping Yan Pozi out of the way before grabbing Xu Yong’s clothes, smearing her tears and snot all over them.

"Village Chief, you’re finally here. If you hadn’t come, I would have hanged myself at your door. Look at what Xu Si did, as early as this morning at the grain field. Xu Si, that degenerate, tried to molest me."

"Everyone saw it. Since Old Gu passed away, I’ve kept Gu Family’s doors tightly shut, fearing people would say a widow’s door invites trouble. I’ve guarded against many things, but not against Xu Si at the grain field. Though Xu Si didn’t succeed in molesting me, there’s no stopping the rumors behind my back. What will happen to my reputation, my son’s life in the village, my daughter’s shop in town, or my grandson’s marriage? Village Chief, you must give me an explanation today, should I hang myself at your door or drown in Yan Pozi’s well?"

"Oh dear, who knows how they’ll slander me behind my back, turning baseless rumors into facts. Besides, everyone knows Xu Si tried to molest me. Oh, Old Gu, why did you die so early, leaving us orphans and widows to be bullied?"

Tong Huaqiong wailed while wiping her snot on the village chief.

She was almost all over the village chief.

The village chief knew Tong Dajiao was not easy to handle, but he didn’t expect her to be such a tough nut; he couldn’t even pry her hands off.

"Oh dear, Yan Pozi and her son intentionally want to ruin my reputation just to take my land and shop. What good is it living like this? I might as well be dead." Tong Huaqiong wailed even louder.

Tong Huaqiong glanced sideways to see Yan Pozi, whom she had shoved aside, sitting at the village chief’s feet, clawing at the village chief’s trouser legs. Tong Huaqiong stomped on Yan Pozi’s hands with both feet, cursing and jumping.

Each foot stomped hard on Yan Pozi’s hands.

"Oh, I’m dying, my hands." Yan Pozi let out a pig-slaughtering cry.

Tong Huaqiong, however, pressed down hard on her foot, not moving.

The village chief, harassed by both Tong Huaqiong and Yan Pozi, could hardly catch his breath, feeling a constant buzzing in his ears.

"Everyone shut up." The village chief couldn’t pry off Tong Huaqiong and shouted loudly.

Then he signaled for the Xu family women who came along to pull Tong Huaqiong aside.

"Who dares touch my mother?" Gu Taohua shouted, making the Xu family women flinch.

"Widow Tong... No, Dashi’s mother, stop crying for now."

"Sister-in-law, you stop wailing too."

The village chief put on a stern face and spoke to Tong Huaqiong and Yan Pozi.