The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 176: Tong Family Members Not Welcome
Tong Huaqiong finished speaking and ignored Tong Zhijie.
She’s not like Tong Dajiao, she has absolutely no warmth for this nephew of hers.
Tong Fusheng and Mrs. Wang were secretly alarmed; even his favorite Tong Zhijie was being criticized by the sister.
"Zhijie, if you’re not going to eat, then clear the dishes," Tong Huaqiong directly ordered Tong Zhijie.
Tong Zhijie looked up, incredulous, at Tong Huaqiong.
He’s never washed so much as a pair of chopsticks in his life, and now he’s being asked to work?
He wouldn’t do it.
Gu Dashu said from the side, "Zhijie, it’s not that I’m blaming you, but this table full of dishes was prepared by your mother and sister, and you’re just going to eat without doing anything. Shouldn’t you be cleaning up after the meal?"
Liu Yueer chimed in, "Uncle, Auntie, if I may say, you’re spoiling Zhijie too much."
Mrs. Wang said, "What kind of man goes into the kitchen? My Zhijie is at least a scholar, destined for big things."
Tong Zhijie started learning at the same time as Gu Jingzhe, and while Gu Jingzhe has become a child student, Tong Zhijie has barely learned to read, aimlessly hanging around the private school in Black Dragon Village every day. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
Gu Dashu sneered; what big things could he accomplish if he can’t even wash a pair of chopsticks?
Gu Dashu sarcastically asked, "Like Uncle?"
Tong Fusheng was so angry at this that he almost spat blood.
Was this a jab at him for having spent a lifetime taking exams and still not becoming a Scholar?
"Dashu, what are you saying? I didn’t succeed partly because the family was poor and couldn’t afford good teachers, and partly because the examiners were blind. You know, my child student essays back then were praised all around, with people saying I had the aura of a Champion Scholar."
Tong Fusheng was lost in past glories.
Tong Huaqiong sneered coldly; just drop it, he managed to pass as a child student only after turning twenty.
Tong Huaqiong’s enigmatic smile made Tong Fusheng feel a foot shorter.
Gu Dashu may not know his background, but how could his own sister not be aware?
His sister used to be very proud of this child student brother of hers, hoping he would earn fame and fortune and elevate the family, hence she never refused his requests.
Could it be that her change of heart now is because her son passed the child student exam last year, and she’s found a new hope and wants to cast him aside?
Thinking of this, Tong Fusheng was a bit flustered but forcibly suppressed his dissatisfaction; he still needed his sister’s silver to study in the Capital.
At that time, he planned to take Tong Zhijie to the Capital to seek renowned teachers; he refused to believe that he and his son were inferior to Gu Jingzhe.
Tong Huaqiong said to Tong Fusheng, "Brother, let’s leave the matter of studying for tomorrow. I’ve had a long day; you take Zhijie and clear the table first."
Tong Fusheng glanced at Mrs. Wang and Zhao Di.
Mrs. Wang said calmly, "How could your brother work? Your nephew doesn’t know how either, let Zhao Di help Sufen with it."
Tong Huaqiong’s face darkened.
Mrs. Wang was ordering Chen Sufen around.
Chen Sufen wanted to tidy up, but she dared not without Tong Huaqiong’s command.
Tong Huaqiong told Mrs. Wang, "Sister-in-law, you and Zhao Di clean up. Sufen has had a long day and needs to rest."
Mrs. Wang was taken aback.
In the past, at the Gu Family, it was always Chen Sufen who did the chores.
The sister-in-law would toss about the easy stepdaughter-in-law Chen Sufen as she pleased.
In the past, even when she went to Black Dragon Village to help them work, she would bring along Chen Sufen.
After finishing work in the fields for the Tong Family, Chen Sufen would still help cook and sweep the courtyard for them.
The atmosphere grew awkward.
Tong Fusheng spoke, saying, "Why make the niece-in-law work; you and Zhao Di clear the table."
Mrs. Wang stood up, and together with Tong Zhao Di, they took the dishes to the kitchen for washing.
Tong Huaqiong had no intention from start to finish for her family to assist.
In the kitchen, Mrs. Wang bit her lip; she wanted to snap at her sister-in-law.
But earlier, Tong Fusheng had secretly signaled her to be patient; they still didn’t understand why the sister-in-law was so cold to them. No matter the reason, as the sister-in-law had opened a shop and had money now, money was their goal.
Mrs. Wang kept mentally preparing herself despite her troubled mood.
In the past, it was the sister-in-law who would fawn over her as the sister-in-law, but now it had completely turned around.
While Mrs. Wang and Tong Zhao Di were washing up in the kitchen, Tong Fusheng and Tong Zhijie sat in the main room chatting with Tong Huaqiong’s family.
Though it was called chatting, it was mainly Tong Fusheng doing the talking.
The conversation drifted from crops in the field to chickens, ducks, and geese.
Finally, Tong Fusheng couldn’t contain himself. He questioned Tong Huaqiong, "A couple of days back, I sent a message twice to you, and you didn’t come back. I thought something was holding you up. So I figured I’d come to Qinghe Bay to have a look. They say you’ve opened a store; I couldn’t believe it when that lady from your village... what’s her name..."
Tong Zhijie interrupted, "Yan Pozi said Aunt has opened a grand pastry shop in town."
Tong Fusheng nodded, "Right, that old lady said it. She lives in the same village as you, so she certainly wouldn’t lie to me."
Tong Huaqiong had no intention to hide it and said, "That’s right, I’ve opened a pastry shop."
Tong Fusheng scrutinized Tong Huaqiong up and down, totally surprised that this sister of his had the ability to open a shop. He never noticed before.
"You should have sent someone to inform us at home. I was waiting at home for you to bring Dashu to cut the wheat, but you didn’t send anyone or say a thing. We didn’t have enough people at home to harvest the wheat, and after a rain, two acres of it rotted in the field," spoke Tong Fusheng.
"Your family has a total of five acres, with you, sister-in-law, Zhijie, and Zhao Di; the four of you couldn’t harvest five acres?" asked Tong Huaqiong, "Or did you and Zhijie not get into the field at all? You can’t blame that on me."
Tong Fusheng said, "I’m a scholar; how could I labor in the fields? That would be losing face."
Sure enough, Tong Huaqiong predicted it correctly; Tong Fusheng and Tong Zhijie did not enter the fields.
The two were plump and ruddy, clearly unsuited for farm work.
The five acres were reliant entirely on Mrs. Wang and Tong Zhao Di, and their hopes rested on the belief the sister-in-law would bring people to help, so they were lackadaisical in rushing the harvest.
The wheat was fated to rot on the ground.
From the side, Gu Taohua muttered, "Spent a lifetime as a child student, and still calls himself a scholar; it’s laughable."
Tong Fusheng retorted, "What nonsense are you spouting, little girl? Don’t underestimate being a child student; I am the only one in the whole of Black Dragon Village."
Gu Taohua shrugged disdainfully.
Keeping his temper in check, Tong Fusheng shifted the topic to the shop, asking, "As a woman doing business out in the open, aren’t you disgracing the Gu Family’s name? You should know there are many disputes at a widow’s door. Your job is to avoid trouble, not embrace it. Smiling at customers in public just invites gossip."
Tong Huaqiong said, "What status is there for a widow to maintain? Brother, there’s no need to worry; even if I got into trouble, Old Gu wouldn’t rise from the dead."
Tong Huaqiong thought that Tong Fusheng wasn’t showing concern, but was trying to manipulate her into not being a ’career woman.’ If she followed his lead, his next step would surely be to take over the shop as the elder brother, while she would return home to enjoy a life of ease.
She’s not like Tong Dajiao; why should she listen to Tong Fusheng?
"How much silver does your shop make in a day?" Tong Fusheng asked.
There it was.
Tong Huaqiong smiled; they finally came to the point.
"Brother and sister-in-law, it’s late now; are you going back, or staying over?"
Ignoring Tong Fusheng’s question, seeing Mrs. Wang come out of the kitchen, Tong Huaqiong asked them if they had plans to leave or stay, knowing full well that her brother’s family would take it as a sign they weren’t welcome.
