The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 179: Aunt and Niece

Tong Zhaodi busied herself attending to Tong Huaqiong.

She fetched the wash water and handed over a towel.

Tong Huaqiong held complex feelings towards her niece, Tong Dajiao.

The very name Tong Zhaodi was a product of the preference for boys over girls, destined to sacrifice for her father and brothers all her life.

In Tong Dajiao’s previous life, she got along well with this niece.

The prerequisite for getting along was that both of them devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the Tong Family, competing to be the sacrificial lambs.

While sacrificing for the Tong Family, Tong Dajiao, at least, treated her own few bad bamboos well.

Tong Zhaodi’s support for her brothers was nothing short of earth-shattering; she was beautiful and was married off to a wealthy family in the city at eighteen as a concubine by Tong Fusheng.

Upon entering the family, she gave birth to a set of twins, overshadowing the first wife who had only one daughter.

With a son, she wielded power in the inner quarters, and after the first wife died of depression, she was promoted to the position of the main wife because of her contribution in bearing a son.

As the main wife, she began to torment the daughter born to the first wife by all means.

Her malicious methods in the house fights were even beyond what Tong Dajiao could do.

She even planned to marry off this daughter to a sixty-something teacher from Wanliu Academy, just to pave the way for Tong Fusheng, who had studied his whole life but remained a child student to enter Wanliu Academy.

Fortunately, this daughter knew Lu Zhaozhao and sought her help. Lu Zhaozhao asked Jingzhe to teach Tong Zhaodi a lesson and also informed the girl’s maternal grandfather to take her away.

This was one of the few good deeds performed by Jingzhe in his previous life.

Because of this matter, Tong Zhaodi and Tong Fusheng bore a grudge against Lu Zhaozhao.

After Lu Zhaozhao was abandoned by Jingzhe, the two of them did not miss the chance to kick her when she was down.

Apart from tormenting the daughter of the first wife, she betrothed her own daughter to Tong Zhijie’s son, and after the wealthy husband died, she handed over the entire vast estate to Tong Zhijie.

The entire Tong Family began enjoying the good life of living off a widow’s assets.

Even Jingzhe, who had become a big official and was extremely cunning, disdained the actions of this family, urging Tong Dajiao to cut ties with the Tong Family.

But Tong Dajiao naturally disagreed; severing ties with the Tong Family was equivalent to severing her own hand.

Not only did she refuse to cut ties, but she also insisted on having her son buy an official position for Tong Fusheng. After Jingzhe refused, Tong Dajiao believed it was all the influence of Lu Zhaozhao’s pillow talk. She began feigning headaches and dizziness, forcing Lu Zhaozhao to attend to her bedside in the dead of winter.

"Aunt, what’s wrong?"

Tong Zhaodi handed Tong Huaqiong a towel, but Tong Huaqiong, lost in thought, did not take it for a while, prompting Tong Zhaodi to call out.

"Nothing’s wrong." Tong Huaqiong casually took the towel.

Tong Zhaodi, as a girl, was originally a victim of gender bias, yet she turned around and severely oppressed other girls.

Tong Huaqiong wasn’t sure whether she should feel sympathy or hatred towards her?

Sympathy was there, but there was no lack of hatred either.

She watched coldly, knowing that a girl like Tong Zhaodi was unlikely to awaken.

Just like some women around her in her previous life who grew up in gender-biased families, suppressed by their parents and family, yet wholeheartedly supported their maternal brothers. Even though there were numerous opportunities and civilized ideas in that era, they couldn’t wash away the self-deprecation in their minds and the willingness to be the blood bag for their brothers.

They even forced their daughters to repeat their old paths.

"Zhaodi, I don’t need you to attend to me." When Tong Huaqiong saw Tong Zhaodi picking up the comb, knowing she intended to comb her hair for her, she felt a resistance.

"Isn’t it right for me to serve my aunt?" Tong Zhaodi persisted in styling Tong Huaqiong’s hair, ignoring any hesitation.

At that moment, Gu Taohua got up and entered Tong Huaqiong’s room, complaining, "Mom, I was so hot last night, why is this dreadful weather so hot?"

During the height of summer, it hadn’t rained for many days, intensifying the heat in the air.

Gu Taohua was already overweight, making her more sensitive to the heat while sleeping compared to ordinary people.

Hearing Gu Taohua’s complaint, Gu Dashi said, "I’ll bring a basin of ice back from the shop for you tonight. If you place the ice in your room with the window open, the breeze will cool you off quickly."

Gu Taohua replied, "It’s going to be hot for a long time, using ice every day would cost a lot of money, wouldn’t it?"

Gu Dashi said, "The money earned from our shop is meant to be spent on you. At the very most, I’ll save the money I planned for new clothes and wine this year to buy you ice."

Gu Taohua, without hesitation, said, "Alright then, it’s settled."

Gu Taohua was the cherished guest of the family. Back when Tong Dajiao was in charge, the family pampered her.

Now with Tong Huaqiong favoring Gu Taohua, Gu Dashi and others spoiled their only sister even more.

Hearing the conversation between the brother and sister, Tong Zhaodi concealed the envy and disdain in her eyes.

Gu Taohua’s life was truly blessed, even having a brother willing to indulge her.

Unlike her, who had to prioritize using good things for her brothers at home.

What kind of family uses ice in the summer?

Even the family her elder sister married into, the village chief’s family, couldn’t access ice.

The Gu Family pampered Gu Taohua like this wholeheartedly, just because she felt hot, they arranged for ice.

Though she was jealous, she equally looked down on Gu Taohua.

In Tong Zhaodi’s mind, Gu Taohua wasn’t a proper girl. She didn’t know how to get up early to cook and clean the yard, and lived being so pampered, spending her brother’s money on ice without any scruples.

Such a girl, who would want her in the future?

But Tong Zhaodi was different, she excelled at cooking and farming, never fussed over her appearance, always ensured that the good things were given to her brother, and the tasty food was offered to her father.

A girl like her was the ideal one, worthy of matchmakers breaking their feet at her door.

Gu Taohua was fourteen years old, and it was heard that no one had come to propose a marriage for her yet. However, for her, she had started being evaluated since the age of twelve.

Tong Zhaodi thought, Gu Taohua may be pampered by her family now, but let’s see how she would stand her ground in her husband’s family in the future.

The thoughts and expressions of Tong Zhaodi were all mirrored in her eyes and face, forgetting that there was a mirror right in front of her.

All her expressions naturally fell into Tong Huaqiong’s eyes.

Tong Huaqiong sneered, knowing exactly what Tong Zhaodi was thinking.

She believed Gu Taohua didn’t deserve the family’s devoted attention.

Without feeling deserving, she denigrates all the girls who seem deserving.

In Tong Dajiao’s previous life, Tong Zhaodi spat venomously at Lu Zhaozhao, didn’t she? All because Lu Zhaozhao inherited the Lu family’s property, and jealousy twisted her.

"Zhaodi, do you envy Taohua’s life?" Tong Huaqiong suddenly asked unexpectedly.

Tong Zhaodi hurriedly withdrew the jealousy from her eyes, demurely replying, "Taohua is lucky."

Tong Huaqiong shook her head, saying, "It’s not that she’s lucky, it’s because that’s how it should be. She’s not living any better than Zhijie; at least I haven’t let Gu Dashi and Jingzhe save everything for Taohua. Why don’t you say Zhijie is lucky?"

Tong Zhaodi confusedly said, "That’s different, Zhijie is a son, the heir of the family."

Tong Huaqiong patiently said, "I used to believe daughters were not as good as sons, which is why I put in so much effort for your father. Your father was supported by the whole family but never learned anything, not to mention he relied on his sister, wife, and daughter to live, a useless person."

"Now I see clearly, daughters are no worse than sons. Zhaodi, I am telling you this to stop you from treading down my old path."

Of course, whether she listens is up to Tong Zhaodi.

Tong Huaqiong didn’t have the deep Holy Mother heart to forcibly bring Tong Zhaodi back.

This matter could only awaken in herself.

Tong Zhaodi looked utterly incredulous.

The words from her aunt sounded so rebellious.

How could a daughter compare to a son, a daughter can’t perpetuate the family line.