The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 157: Let Gu Jingzhe Return to the Private School
Tong Huaqiong finished teaching Gu Taohua how to read the account book and saw Gu Jingzhe lying on the counter drawing something.
"Jingzhe, what are you doing?" Tong Huaqiong asked.
"I’m drawing cakes," Gu Jingzhe said while unfolding the cake drawings for Tong Huaqiong to see.
Tong Huaqiong leaned over to take a look. Goodness, Gu Jingzhe’s artwork was indeed something everyone in the Capital admired in a past life.
In this era, there were no cake models, so Tong Huaqiong came up with the idea of using picture books to showcase cakes to customers.
This task naturally fell to Gu Jingzhe.
Each time Tong Huaqiong made a new-style cake, Gu Jingzhe would draw it.
Not only did he draw them, but he also categorized them.
For example, birthday cakes were one category, infant full-month cakes another, coming-of-age cakes another, and wedding cakes yet another...
The cake drawings were very lifelike. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
Tong Huaqiong felt it was a waste for Gu Jingzhe to stay in the shop drawing cakes all the time.
It’s time for Gu Jingzhe to return to his studies.
She decided to talk to Gu Jingzhe about it once she was done with shop matters.
After the dessert shop closed, Tong Huaqiong still needed to return to Qinghe Bay.
Now that Tong Huaqiong could afford a carriage, she was unwilling to endure the discomfort of a bumpy open cart.
Tong Huaqiong rented a carriage to shuttle herself along with Gu Taohua, Liu Yueer, and Chen Sufen between Qinghe Bay and Yan Guan Town daily.
Gu Dashi and Gu Jingzhe took turns staying at the shop to guard the door, with the one not on duty riding a donkey cart home with Qin Qingyou and the others.
The coachman was already waiting outside Taohua Dessert, and Tong Huaqiong led Gu Taohua and the other women towards the carriage.
"Manager Tong."
Tong Huaqiong frowned at the familiar voice.
It was none other than Boss Qian from Fengle Building.
Last time, when she went home to harvest wheat, Boss Qian sent her off with expensive gifts like bird’s nest. She threw them out, fearing he was after Taohua.
She thought this offensive action would cause Fengle Building to stop ordering desserts from Taohua Dessert.
Unexpectedly, Fengle Building continued to place daily orders with Taohua Dessert.
Once the wheat was harvested and Tong Huaqiong returned to the shop, Boss Qian had followed closely behind, exchanging a few words with Gu Taohua and Ma Huateng, then retreating under Tong Huaqiong’s piercing gaze.
Tong Huaqiong spent the entire day in the baking room making pastries. She delicately inquired with Liu Qiaoyun, who indicated that Boss Qian had come to the shop several times a day; seeing she wasn’t there, he said a few words and returned to Fengle Building.
Tong Huaqiong asked Liu Qiaoyun how often Boss Qian frequented the shop when Gu Taohua was there in the past few days.
Liu Qiaoyun’s expression was intriguing, with a hint of holding back, ultimately implying that when Gu Taohua was in the store, Boss Qian did chat with her, but the topics revolved around Tong Huaqiong.
Tong Huaqiong silently cursed the old pervert under the guise of saving the nation by indirect means, pursuing Gu Taohua.
As Gu Taohua’s mother, she absolutely would not allow Boss Qian to have designs on Gu Taohua.
Thinking this, Tong Huaqiong coldly asked, "What do you want? Boss Qian, I reckon Fengle Building isn’t idle enough for you to hang around my shop every day. We don’t lack clerks here."
Boss Qian seemingly ignored Tong Huaqiong’s sarcasm and cheerfully asked, "Long time no see, Manager Tong. How’s the wheat harvest at your home?"
Tong Huaqiong thought to herself, you old pervert, what’s it to you if my harvest was good or not.
Tong Huaqiong snorted coldly, unable to help but retort, "Boss Qian, don’t bother worrying unnecessarily about my wheat harvest. It has nothing to do with you."
Instead of getting angry at being scolded, Manager Qian smiled.
He wanted to say that he wished it did have something to do with him.
Manager Qian blushed a little at the thought, surveyed Tong Huaqiong’s rented carriage, and said, "Isn’t your carriage too cramped to fit so many people comfortably? My shop’s carriage is roomier, and you’re welcome to use it anytime."
With a swoosh, Tong Huaqiong lowered the carriage curtain, saying, "No need to trouble yourself."
She then instructed the driver to quickly leave Rouge Alley.
Boss Qian felt a bit disappointed.
He thought that although he had a fondness for Tong Huaqiong, he had hidden it well without any offensive words. So why had Manager Tong’s attitude towards him changed so drastically?
Everything was fine before the wheat harvest, after all.
Could he unknowingly have acted too boldly at times?
Boss Qian sank into deep suspicion.
"Mother, I think Boss Qian is a pretty good person. Why are you so harsh with him?" Gu Taohua said.
Tong Huaqiong replied, "You’re too young to see through people; you don’t understand, he’s not a good person."
Gu Taohua retorted, "Why is he not a good person? On our shop’s opening day, he ordered Fengle Building’s daily use of desserts from us. He even promoted us in Fengle Building, and several birthday party orders came through his introduction."
Tong Huaqiong sneered. Gu Taohua was still too naive, unable to see through the fog to the truth.
Boss Qian had intentions.
And that intention was pointed at herself.
She was naively counting money for others.
But Tong Huaqiong couldn’t directly tell Gu Taohua that Boss Qian was interested in her.
"Mother, I agree with Taohua. There’s no need to embarrass Boss Qian," Liu Yueer interjected. "After all, we’re neighbors, and besides, provoking Boss Qian isn’t wise given Fengle Building’s deep roots."
Liu Yueer was also clueless.
She couldn’t see Boss Qian’s intentions.
Tong Huaqiong told Liu Yueer and Gu Taohua that their understanding was too shallow to see Boss Qian’s true nature.
"Taohua, if Boss Qian tries to chat with you in the shop again, don’t interact with him. When necessary, show him a stern face," Tong Huaqiong instructed Gu Taohua.
"Mother, I’ll listen to you," Gu Taohua promptly agreed.
Though Gu Taohua didn’t understand the reasoning, she decided to listen to Tong Huaqiong. After all, her mother would not lead her astray.
Upon reaching home and finishing dinner, Tong Huaqiong went to Gu Jingzhe’s room.
Gu Jingzhe had spent the day smiling at customers, then drawing cake album pages, and after finishing at the shop, he had to help Gu Dashi organize the pig farm.
It was truly exhausting.
Despite this, he still found time to study.
"Mother," Gu Jingzhe put down the book and called out.
These books were brought to him by Lu Zhaozhao, all personally selected by Lu Zhaoyang, and Gu Jingzhe cherished them, reading ravenously.
"Do you really enjoy studying that much?" Tong Huaqiong asked directly.
Gu Jingzhe nodded.
Tong Huaqiong asked, "Why do you study?"
Gu Jingzhe thought for a moment and said, "Initially, I studied to rise into prominence and to do you proud. Now, I still want to stand out, seek success in the imperial exams, follow an official career path, and earn titles. But it seems there’s more to it, though I can’t quite articulate it."
"In the past few days at home, farming with big brother and running the shop with you, I found that the knowledge I learned from books was quite shallow. Take farming, for instance—the timing of watering, sowing, and harvesting can’t be improvised. I’ve learned how much grain yields per acre and the different reactions villagers have towards rain and sunny days."
"Working in the shop with you, I understand how hard making a living is, especially how opening a shop means dealing with the government and handling various officials. I see your hardships."
From this little son’s face, Tong Huaqiong saw the complex emotions of confusion, empathy, and remorse interwoven.
It seems this gifted young man had been reflecting deeply during this period.
