The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 180: Provoking Gu Taohua

After exchanging a few words with Gu Taohua, Gu Dashi went into the kitchen and took over the vegetable cutting knife from Chen Sufen.

Gu Dahan was boiling water, and Gu Dashi was cooking.

The two brothers cooperated quite well.

This was all thanks to Tong Huaqiong’s teachings; she insisted that in this family, no one was naturally supposed to do housework, and men had to cook and wash dishes too.

Tong Zhaodi, after serving Tong Huaqiong in finishing her hair, wanted to improve her standing by helping in the kitchen.

Seeing her two cousins busy in the kitchen, with her two sister-in-laws chatting under the veranda, while Gu Taohua was all dressed up and fanning herself, Tong Zhaodi was utterly shocked.

Why weren’t the women of the Gu family doing chores?

Not only were they not doing the work, but they were also pushing the chores onto the men. It was completely unheard of!

"Cousin, let me help you chop vegetables," Tong Zhaodi wanted to demonstrate to Gu Dashi what being virtuous meant.

Gu Dashi waved his hand and said, "The kitchen is too hot, you should get out. Has your brother woken up yet? If he has, let him come in and help."

Tong Zhaodi was a bit upset.

The Gu men could work if they wanted to, but why drag her brother into it?

Tong Zhijie was a long-awaited treasure for the Tong family, destined to study and become a high official. How could he be expected to work in the kitchen like a girl?

Tong Zhaodi was filled with contempt for Gu Dashi and Gu Dahan, thinking these cousins were utterly clueless; what kind of future could men who cooked have?

"Taohua, you look so good in pink, it really suits you," Liu Yue’er praised the material of Gu Taohua’s clothes.

What Gu Taohua was wearing was fabric given by Lu Zhaozhao.

It was said to have come from the Capital.

Tong Zhaodi glanced over and saw that the material on Gu Taohua was satin, with silk threads shining under the sunlight. It was clearly not cheap.

For girls of the same age, she was considered a liability, while Gu Taohua was adored by the whole family.

Tong Zhaodi was insanely jealous.

Gu Taohua noticed Tong Zhaodi looking at her; she didn’t like Tong Zhaodi’s darting eyes.

Whenever Tong Zhaodi came over before, she would take her clothes and wear her accessories. When she tried to take them back, Tong Zhaodi would run to her mother and cry pitifully. Unable to withstand the tears of her niece, her mother would always let Tong Zhaodi take her good things away.

Gu Taohua was often driven mad with anger, and yet her uncle and aunt would accuse her of being immature.

Now that her mother stood by her, she would not let Tong Zhaodi have her way anymore.

Gu Taohua glared at her fiercely and said, "What are you looking at? Do you also want to wear it? I’m telling you, don’t even think about it.."

Tong Zhaodi said timidly, "I didn’t want to wear it, Taohua, you look beautiful in this outfit. By the way, are you wearing it to a matchmaking meeting?"

Gu Taohua rolled her eyes and said, "Do you think I’m like you? Always thinking about men and matchmaking."

She knew Tong Zhaodi too well.

This was Tong Zhaodi subtly pointing out that she was already fourteen and still no matchmaker had come by, insinuating that no one wanted her.

Tong Zhaodi was trying to provoke her on purpose.

In the past, Gu Taohua would get angry and argue with Tong Zhaodi, ending up with a reputation for having a bad temper and bullying her cousin.

The current Gu Taohua was different from before.

While she still had a fiery temper, she no longer got upset over "not being wanted by men."

Ever since she saw through Fan Tong’s true colors, her interest in men had waned significantly.

Moreover, everyone praised her skills in the town’s shop, boosting her confidence to the point where she felt no man in Yan Guan Town was worthy of her.

Even her talented twin brother Gu Jingzhe didn’t impress her.

Gu Taohua’s indifference to matchmaking was beyond Tong Zhaodi’s expectations.

In the past, Gu Taohua cared most about others calling her fat and that no matchmaker visited; whenever Tong Zhaodi successfully riled her up, their aunt would take her side.

Now, that trick didn’t work anymore.

"Zhaodi, I heard you meet a suitor every now and then, have you settled on someone yet?" Liu Yue’er asked with a slight smile.

"Not yet," Tong Zhaodi replied shyly.

Gu Taohua mercilessly exposed Tong Fusheng’s plans for Tong Zhaodi’s marriage, saying, "How could uncle decide so quickly? In uncle’s mind, a daughter needs to be betrothed at a good price. Surely he needs to carefully choose the buyer."

Tong Zhaodi laughed awkwardly and weakly retorted, "Dad cares for me and wants to keep me for a few more years."

Gu Taohua said, "Come on, your current situation at home is no different from the pigs in our pigsty; just waiting to be fattened up for sale. You’re worse off than our pigs; at least our pigs get to eat their fill every day. And yet, you still speak up for your parents."

"Is that really a matchmaking process for you? That’s just waiting for a buyer to choose you. Cousin, I’ve never seen anyone as foolish as you, being sold off by uncle and still gleefully helping to count the money, yet having the audacity to mock me for not being visited by matchmakers because my mom isn’t selling me?"

Tong Zhaodi was left speechless by Gu Taohua’s words.

For her, such words were utterly outrageous.

She couldn’t understand why Taohua would call it being sold when her father wanted her to marry into a good family for the sake of Tong Zhijie.

Wouldn’t she benefit from marrying into a good family too?

Tong Huaqiong naturally heard Gu Taohua sarcastically mocking Tong Zhaodi.

No wonder there was a chasm between Tong Zhaodi and Gu Taohua’s mindset.

In her past life, although Gu Taohua’s marriage was unhappy, it was due to her foolish romantic pursuits, not because Tong Dajiao would use her to pave the way for Gu Jingzhe and others. After she married, not only did she not provide for her natal family, but the family even supported her instead.

Letting her be like Tong Dajiao and Tong Zhaodi, working as a blood sacrifice for her natal family, was something that could never happen.

In this lifetime, Tong Huaqiong certainly wouldn’t let her marry early like most girls of this era do, to bear children right away.

So, in both past and present lives, Gu Taohua had firm confidence in being herself.

"Zhaodi, Taohua’s words, though harsh, have their truth. You’re already sixteen, and you should start thinking for yourself; don’t always focus on Zhijie, he’s not your son," Liu Yue’er said.

In their own home, Liu Yue’er was treated much like how Gu Taohua was treated in the Gu family. The two sisters-in-law belonged to the lucky girls of this era.

Though Liu Yue’er’s words were unpleasant, she did intend them to serve as a wake-up call for Tong Zhaodi.

Tong Huaqiong shook her head from the veranda; Tong Zhaodi wouldn’t come to her senses.

Tong Fusheng and Mrs. Wang, along with Tong Zhijie, were awakened by the voices outside.

Through the crack in the door, Mrs. Wang looked outside and indeed found Gu Dahan and Gu Dashi busy in the kitchen, while the women of the Gu family were just waiting under the veranda for breakfast.

Mrs. Wang clicked her tongue; her sister-in-law’s family values were becoming more and more outlandish.

How could men work in the kitchen?

Tong Fusheng and Mrs. Wang were both infuriated to hear Gu Taohua’s harsh words towards their daughter, as the way Taohua spoke was too unpleasant.

"Listen to your niece, she’s leading Zhaodi astray," Mrs. Wang said through gritted teeth, "Only Gu Taohua and Dashi’s wife are foolish enough. Who isn’t raising daughters for their brothers’ sake, just those two being careless with their natal families."

Mrs. Wang was really afraid that Tong Zhaodi would become like Pandie, making the Tong family raise two daughters for nothing.

Tong Fusheng’s face was equally grim; the words Gu Taohua said to Tong Zhaodi about being "sold by her uncle" hit too close to his hidden intentions.

He did indeed plan to sell his daughter to a wealthy family as a concubine, believing that with her looks, fetching a good price wasn’t an issue.

Tong Fusheng didn’t feel ashamed, but being pointed out by Gu Taohua in public struck at his pride.

Tong Zhijie turned over and said, "Dad, Mom, Gu Taohua is just jealous of my second sister. She’s so fat and ugly with a bad temper and no man wants her, she’s just jealous of my sister’s beauty and saying those things."

Tong Fusheng said, "That girl Taohua really needs to be properly taught."

Zhijie was right; if this continued, she might not ever get married.

A girl who couldn’t get married would bring so much trouble to her brothers.

As her uncle, he had the responsibility to straighten her out.

Tong Fusheng got up, straightened his clothes, and walked into the courtyard intending to give Gu Taohua a good talking to.