The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 170: Tong Family Brothers and Sisters-in-Law
In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Tong Huaqiong instructed Gu Dashu and Hong Xiaoxi to comprehensively strengthen the security work of Taohua Dessert.
The focus is on keeping an eye on the Tong Family.
She is not afraid of Tong Dajiao’s brother and sister-in-law.
She is worried that if Tong Dajiao’s brother and sister-in-law storm into Taohua Dessert, it will affect other customers and the business of Taohua Dessert.
If Gu Dashu spots them, there’s no need to hold back; just bring them straight to the backyard.
After being on high alert for several days, Tong Dajiao’s brother and sister-in-law still haven’t shown up.
Black Dragon Village does not belong to Yan Guan Town, so the villagers rarely go to Yan Guan Town for shopping or markets. Tong Huaqiong’s brother and sister-in-law have heard about her doing business in Yan Guan Town but never had concrete proof, much less knowing she opened a shop.
Even if they knew Tong Huaqiong was doing business in town, they probably thought it was just selling some produce from the fields at a stall.
As for the shop, they thought it was purely a fabrication by others.
During the wheat harvest, they sent a message, but Tong Huaqiong didn’t go. Her brother and sister-in-law delayed going to the fields until everyone else had finished harvesting. Just as they were harvesting, it rained, and nearly two acres of wheat were ruined.
They sat by the field’s edge cursing Tong Dajiao, mentioning Gu Dashu and others by name as well.
Previously, they had entrusted Gu Guangkui with a message for Tong Huaqiong to visit her parents’ home. Gu Guangkui said the message was delivered, but as to when Tong Huaqiong would come, he had no idea. Even after he finished his carpentry work, Tong Huaqiong never showed up.
After almost a month, the brother and sister-in-law of the Tong family couldn’t hold out any longer and set off for Qinghe Bay with their two children.
The four of them, carrying dry rations, crossed two mountains and walked over a dozen miles of mountain roads, finally reaching Qinghe Bay.
Previously, it was always Tong Dajiao bringing her children and gifts to Black Dragon Village to visit them. They had only been to Qinghe Bay twice.
Once was to bring their youngest son to the Gu Family for Tong Dajiao to raise, and once was to attend Mr. Gu’s funeral.
It was Tong Dajiao who hired bearers to carry them there.
Tong Dajiao’s eldest brother, Tong Fusheng, prided himself as a scholar; he never set foot in the fields, nor did he personally trek over mountains. Walking all day under the scorching summer sun, he almost collapsed at the entrance to Qinghe Bay.
"I’m exhausted." Tong Fusheng sat down to rest under a tree at the village entrance.
Tong Dajiao’s sister-in-law, Mrs. Wang, was equally tired, her legs aching. She plopped down on a stone under the tree, cursing Tong Dajiao loudly.
"I’ve asked her to come home several times, but she ignores us. Is she out of her mind, or what does she want? If she can’t come herself, couldn’t she send Da Han or Da Shu? If it weren’t for the fear of her dying at the Gu Family, I wouldn’t even have come this time."
Tong Fusheng said, "I know my sister well. Even if you gave her a hundred guts, she wouldn’t dare go against the family. She must be tied up with something."
Though he was speaking on Tong Huaqiong’s behalf, Tong Fusheng was also angry. When he sees Tong Huaqiong, he’s definitely going to give her a good scolding, and perhaps squeeze some Silver and two cartloads of grain from her.
The yield from their land was already poor, and now two acres of wheat were ruined—this was all his sister’s fault. If she doesn’t compensate them, who will?
"Dad, Mom, remember when I told you that Aunt was doing business in town and opened a shop? You didn’t believe it. Aunt definitely made money and deliberately kept it from us. I think we shouldn’t have come to Qinghe Bay first but gone to Yan Guan Town to inquire." Tong Dajiao’s nephew, Tong Zhijie, said.
"If Aunt opened a shop and made money, she would definitely give it to our family. She wouldn’t keep quiet." Tong Dajiao’s niece, Tong Zhaodi, didn’t believe her brother.
Tong Zhaodi couldn’t believe that if Tong Dajiao opened a shop, she would disregard the family.
Tong Fusheng looked at his two children and said, "Zhaodi is right. Which Tong family girl doesn’t look out for her own family? Those rumors about opening a shop are definitely false."
Tong Zhijie sneered, "Dad, what you said isn’t true. Big Sister doesn’t care about our family."
"Don’t mention that disobedient girl."
At the mention of his eldest daughter, Tong Panmei, both Tong Fusheng and Mrs. Wang were furious.
Tong Fusheng had three children: the eldest daughter Tong Panmei, the second daughter Tong Zhaodi, and the youngest son Tong Zhijie.
The eldest daughter, Tong Panmei, was born beautiful and gentle, always compliant with Tong Fusheng and his wife’s wishes.
When she grew up, she was married off by Tong Fusheng to be a daughter-in-law of the village chief in the neighboring village.
The second daughter, Tong Zhaodi, is sixteen this year, also very beautiful and has been considering suitors since she was twelve, but none have been finalized.
The main reason is that Tong Fusheng is dissatisfied with the suitors. He believes his second daughter is even more beautiful than the eldest and wants to marry her off for a good price.
Ideally, like Gu Baishuang, she would marry a wealthy old widower.
The youngest, Tong Zhijie, is fifteen, a year older than Gu Jingzhe and Gu Taohua.
He’s the cherished son that Tong Fusheng and Mrs. Wang finally had, treasured like the apple of their eye.
After Mrs. Wang gave birth to Tong Zhijie, her health declined, so Tong Zhijie was raised under Tong Dajiao’s care for several years.
In Tong Zhijie’s mind, anything from Aunt’s place is his.
In terms of inheritance, he’s ahead of Gu Dashu and Gu Jingzhe.
Speaking of the Tong family’s eldest daughter who made Tong Fusheng and Mrs. Wang angry, Tong Panmei used to give her all for the family, just like Tong Huaqiong, carrying everything home. But starting last year, she suddenly stopped sending things back one day.
Not only did she stop, but she also wanted to split the family’s land and house, making Tong Fusheng and his wife extremely angry.
Mrs. Wang went to Tong Panmei’s house several times hoping to scavenge some things but was thrown out by Tong Panmei.
Tong Panmei also changed her attitude towards her beloved younger brother, Tong Zhijie, threatening to make him sever the Tong family line.
She not only changed her attitude towards her family but also towards her in-laws.
She used to have a meek disposition in her in-laws’ household. No matter how the in-laws treated her, she endured it to send things back home.
Additionally, since she only gave birth to a daughter, she couldn’t hold her head high in her husband’s house and was extremely filial to her in-laws and doted on her little sister-in-law.
But starting last year, she quarreled with her in-laws, slapped her sister-in-law unconscious, and recently planned to leave with her daughter.
All of her eldest daughter’s abnormal behavior made Tong Fusheng and Mrs. Wang feel ashamed, and just mentioning this daughter was deeply troubling.
"Dad, Mom, do you think Aunt would change like Big Sister did?" Tong Zhijie asked.
Tong Fusheng interrupted Tong Zhijie: "Don’t talk nonsense. If anyone looks out for our family, it’s your aunt."
Tong Zhijie fell silent.
It’s hard to say. Tong Panmei used to be just like Aunt, putting her whole heart into the Tong family, yet she changed just like that.
What Tong Zhijie said made Mrs. Wang feel uneasy.
She recalled that the change in Tong Panmei started last year when they sent a message asking her to come home to help, but she declined. They also asked her to send some Silver for Tong Zhijie’s nourishment, but she ignored it.
When Tong Panmei finally visited the Tong family, they found she was like a different person.
But whatever the reason, since they had arrived at the village where Tong Huaqiong resided, they would investigate why she was unresponsive to the messages they sent.
Since Yan Pozi’s son died because of dealing with Tong Huaqiong, she hasn’t been seen much around the village.
Today was the first time she was moving about the village.
It was too hot, so she came to cool down under the big tree at the village entrance and saw Tong Fusheng’s family resting there.
Recognizing them as Tong Dajiao’s brother and sister-in-law’s family, she approached to chat and asked, "Aren’t you Dajiao’s brother, sister-in-law, and nephew Zhijie? Did you just come from home?"
Tong Zhijie frequently came to Tong Huaqiong’s house for meals and knew that Yan Pozi and Tong Huaqiong weren’t on good terms, so he didn’t want to engage with Yan Pozi.
Then, remembering the rumors of Tong Huaqiong doing business in town, he thought of asking Yan Pozi.
So he put on a smile and asked, "Aunt Yan, let me ask you something. Have you heard about my aunt doing business in town?"
Yan Pozi thought that Tong Dajiao was hiding her business from her siblings, and now they were here to settle the score.
Such an opportunity to stir things up shouldn’t be missed.
No matter how capable Tong Dajiao was, she’d have a hard time dealing with her brother and sister-in-law.
Yan Pozi replied, "Yes, she’s selling pastries, opened a big shop in town."
Hearing this, Tong Fusheng’s family was stunned.
Tong Dajiao opening a shop was beyond their imagination.
"Sister-in-law, you must be joking. My sister could open a shop?" Mrs. Wang looked incredulous.
Yan Pozi laughed, "You didn’t know? Dajiao is really keeping it from you. She’s just afraid you’d seize her shop. Who else would she guard against if not her own brother and sister-in-law?"
These words ignited the anger of Tong Fusheng and Mrs. Wang.
