The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 173: Bandits Enter the Village
"Hey, Dad, I’m going inside to see if I can find anything good."
Mrs. Wang had just entered the room and noticed that the furniture arrangement inside was much better than when old Mr. Gu had died, and she wanted to dig out something nice to take away later.
She hadn’t even had the chance to search carefully when she was interrupted by Gu Dahuan stopping Tong Zhijie from killing the chicken.
After washing the chicken droppings off her clothes and calming down Tong Zhijie, she snuck back into the main room while Gu Dahuan went out to buy groceries.
Tong Zhijie and Tong Zhaodi followed her, and the three of them began ransacking the place like bandits raiding a village.
"Auntie’s room is over here... I know where Auntie hides the silver." Tong Zhijie confidently led the way to Tong Huaqiong’s room door.
"Ah, Auntie has put a big lock on it."
Tong Zhijie frowned when he saw a big, shiny lock on Tong Huaqiong’s room door.
Mrs. Wang said, "She’s definitely earned a lot from her shop and is guarding it against Dahuan."
Mrs. Wang was certain that Tong Huaqiong’s big lock was surely to keep her stepson out.
Tong Zhijie said, "When Auntie comes back tonight, I’ll ask her to make me two sets of silk clothes and two new pairs of shoes. I also want to eat at the best restaurant in Yan Guan Town. Having been at home these days, my tongue has gone bland."
Mrs. Wang tapped Tong Zhijie’s forehead and said, "Just ask your Auntie for them, and throw a fit if she doesn’t give them."
The three of them rummaged through the main room.
"These new clothes must be Jingzhe’s. I’ll wear them first."
Tong Zhijie found a silk outfit hanging on a rack and grabbed it.
His clothes had just been soiled by chicken droppings; even though Mrs. Wang had wiped them with water, they still had a stench.
Regardless of whether they belonged to Jingzhe or Dashi, once he wanted them, Auntie couldn’t refuse him.
Tong Zhijie put on the new clothes without any psychological burden.
"Taohua’s room isn’t locked."
Tong Zhaodi’s impression of Gu Taohua was of someone who was lazy, selfish, and bad-tempered; anyone who touched her clothes or food would get yelled at.
Yet Auntie spoiled her.
Tong Zhaodi entered Gu Taohua’s room, her eyes red with jealousy.
Both were daughters, why should Gu Taohua receive all the family’s pampering?
Not only was she doted on by her Auntie, but her brothers spoiled her as well.
Whatever good food there was at home was stuffed into Gu Taohua’s mouth, and she was fed to become so plump at such a young age.
Tong Zhaodi opened the wardrobe, finding several new outfits inside. She touched them, and they were made of high-quality materials she had never worn or seen before.
If Gu Taohua weren’t so fat, she would definitely have tried them on.
What made her even more envious was that Gu Taohua had many pieces of jewelry.
She picked up the jewelry box and saw bracelets, earrings, and various hairpins inside.
Especially the pearl hairpin, which looked extremely valuable.
"Gu Taohua really has it good." Tong Zhaodi was both envious and jealous.
Mrs. Wang poked her head in for a glance and remarked dismissively, "Which family doesn’t treat a daughter like a weed, yet your Auntie treats this little wretch like a treasure. So spoiled and bad-tempered, who would want her in the future? I doubt she can find a good husband. Zhaodi, I’m telling you, don’t follow Taohua’s bad ways."
Tong Zhaodi obediently said, "Mom, I won’t follow Taohua."
She then complained angrily, "Gu Taohua can’t cook or do laundry, can only lay around and eat and drink, and she shouts at Jingzhe when she’s angry. Why should she have nice clothes to wear and jewelry to show off?"
She cursed while pinning Gu Taohua’s pearl hairpin to her hair.
If Gu Taohua were around, she wouldn’t dare touch her things, but since she wasn’t home now, she thought she’d indulge a little.
Tong Zhaodi planned to take it off after wearing it for a bit.
Besides pinning the hairpin, Tong Zhaodi also opened the makeup powder box on the table.
She sniffed it; it smelled fragrant.
These makeup powders were gifts from Huang Jingshan, the daughter of Huang Yuanwai.
Gu Taohua had casually left them on the table.
"With this makeup on, I look better than Taohua."
Tong Zhaodi applied the powder and rouge.
Upon leaving Gu Taohua’s room, she saw a bar of soap on the washstand.
Tong Zhaodi felt even more unbalanced.
She had seen this kind of soap at her older sister Pandie’s sister-in-law’s, who said it was an expensive item only used by the young ladies of Pingchuan County’s wealthy families.
Pandie’s sister-in-law got the soap from attending a banquet in Pingchuan County, gifted by some rich family’s young lady, and she treasured it so much she wouldn’t use it, keeping it on the table like a prized possession.
But Gu Taohua had so casually placed such an expensive soap on the washstand.
Why should she live more indulgently than young ladies from rich families?
Tong Zhaodi picked up the soap, wetted it, and used it to wash her hands vigorously.
"Oh, there’s a plate of cookies here."
Mrs. Wang discovered a plate of butter cookies, ate one herself, and then handed one to Tong Zhijie.
Tong Zhijie took the cookie and gobbled it up.
"Zhijie, give me one."
If it were at any other time, Tong Zhaodi wouldn’t dare ask Tong Zhijie for one.
But the aroma of these cookies was too tempting, and after a day of hunger, she had only eaten a leftover bun in the kitchen. She couldn’t resist any longer.
"I don’t even have enough for myself." Tong Zhijie refused directly without a second thought.
Mrs. Wang scolded from the side, "You’re just a girl, how dare you snatch your brother’s cookies to eat? How dare you? The more you eat, the less your brother has. Don’t you know your brother hardly ate all day? Instead of feeling sorry for your brother, you’re trying to take his cookies."
Tong Zhaodi, scolded by Mrs. Wang, left the main room, suppressing her saliva.
Tong Zhijie was used to Mrs. Wang scolding Tong Zhaodi, and shrugged at her scolding voice.
"Eat slowly, don’t choke." Mrs. Wang patted Tong Zhijie’s back, heartaching as she watched her son eating hungrily.
Then she yelled outside, "Zhaodi, are you just going to watch your brother eat cookies? Go fetch him a bowl of water to wash it down."
Tong Zhaodi swallowed her saliva and went to the kitchen to pour a bowl of water for Tong Zhijie.
The three of them had rummaged through the main room without finding any silver or other valuables, and they finally left.
At that moment, Gu Dahuan came in carrying meat and vegetables.
Gu Dahuan didn’t understand why his cheap uncle Tong Fusheng gave him two taels of silver to buy meat and vegetables, but since he got it, he spent it all.
He bought chickens, ducks, and geese from other families in the village, and the big carp that the village chief’s son, Liu Tong, caught was also bought by Gu Dahuan.
Along with two jars of wine and a block of tofu.
As they’d run out of oil at lunch and he hadn’t gotten the chance to buy it, he bought a big bucket of canola oil with the silver Tong Fusheng gave him.
"Hurry up and cook, I’m starving." Tong Fusheng ordered like a lord as Gu Dahuan came in with the meat and vegetables. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
"Dahuan, you handle the chickens, ducks, and geese. Zhaodi and I will cook. You don’t need to go into the kitchen." Mrs. Wang said.
Mrs. Wang didn’t want Gu Dahuan involved mainly because she didn’t want him eating any of the meat and vegetables.
Gu Dahuan nodded honestly and said, "Alright."
Mrs. Wang deftly started the fire, first taking out the eggs and flour, planning to make egg pancakes.
After all, it was oil from her sister-in-law’s house, so she might as well use it; Mrs. Wang poured oil liberally into the pan.
When Gu Dahuan had finished processing the chickens, ducks, and fish and brought them to the kitchen, he twitched his mouth at seeing the pancakes sizzling in oil.
Ordinarily, he would feel the heartache, but now he didn’t care; after all, the money for the oil came from Tong Fusheng.
