The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 190: Seeking a New Shopkeeper
Tong Huaqiong felt a stir in her heart.
Isn’t the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zheng scholar family Xu Zaohua?
Tong Huaqiong asked, "What a coincidence, the eldest daughter-in-law of Zheng scholar is from our village, a girl from the Xu family. She usually seems quite nice. How did Housekeeper He offend her?"
Ma Ming hesitated, then finally spread his hands to indicate he didn’t know.
Tong Huaqiong didn’t press further.
For a prominent family like the Zheng scholar family, outsiders might not really know their household matters clearly.
But if Tong Huaqiong indeed planned to hire Housekeeper He, she would need to understand Housekeeper He’s background clearly.
She thought it would be best to go to Pingchuan County to inquire.
After Ma Ming left, Tong Huaqiong, along with the accountant Ma Huateng and the clerk Hong Xiaoxi, went to Crispy Food Garden.
The clerks at Crispy Food Garden were still there, some had packed their bags, thinking they would leave after the change in ownership.
After all, they were the sworn enemies of Taohua Dessert.
But Tong Huaqiong didn’t think so. Since she had "acquired" Crispy Food Garden, as long as the clerks were willing to stay, she was willing to employ them.
Of course, the prerequisite was that they must be loyal to Taohua Dessert and be steady and reliable.
Tong Huaqiong asked Hong Xiaoxi to gather everyone for a meeting.
"Those willing to stay can stay. Taohua Dessert will employ you all the same. If you don’t wish to stay, you can go to Ma Huateng and take two taels of silver and leave," Tong Huaqiong said.
The clerks and bakers of Taohua Dessert initially thought they would have to leave today, but unexpectedly, the situation took a turn, and they could stay.
Feeling relieved, they felt grateful to Tong Huaqiong.
No wonder Widow Tong could bring down Crispy Food Garden so quickly, her decisiveness in employing people was quite extraordinary.
If they left Crispy Food Garden and went to other stores, they might not be able to stand firm. They might as well work with Taohua Dessert.
After all, it’s all about making and selling pastries.
After exchanging glances, most of them decided to stay.
Of course, some people didn’t want to stay and took the silver before leaving.
After arranging the personnel, Tong Huaqiong personally watched as the signboard of Crispy Food Garden was taken down, replaced with the signboard of Taohua Dessert.
She didn’t plan to run this shop like Crispy Food Garden. She wanted to turn it into a high-end pastry customization shop.
With the new shop in hand, she began to renovate, removing traces of Crispy Food Garden and adding the style of Taohua Dessert.
The renovation was entrusted to Gu Xiaocao’s father, Gu Guangkui. Having collaborated once before, he knew Tong Huaqiong’s needs and could ensure the result.
Additionally, she needed to find a new shopkeeper for the new store.
Housekeeper He Chao, recommended by Ma Ming, entered Tong Huaqiong’s consideration again.
Though Tong Huaqiong had several unpleasant dealings with He Chao, upon reflection, she realized there was no major enmity between them.
When he came to the Gu Family for people and silver, he was just working for his employer, the Zheng scholar.
The Gu Family was willing to sell Man Er to the Zheng Family, how could a housekeeper interfere?
She still remembered when He Chao hinted that if the Gu Family couldn’t pay back the silver, it was Mr. Zheng’s idea to castrate Gu Yaozu. Instead, he did his best to cover it up, giving Tong Huaqiong time.
Besides, without He Chao, how would Tong Huaqiong have found Master Tan, who could castrate pigs?
Thinking of this, Tong Huaqiong searched her memory of He Chao from Tong Dajiao’s previous life.
In Tong Dajiao’s world, He Chao was an insignificant person, yet Tong Huaqiong still managed to retrieve a snippet.
This snippet was enough for Tong Huaqiong to decide to hire him as the manager and even consider giving him the status of a partner.
He was indeed a talent.
When Man Er was mistreated in the Zheng Family, He Chao felt compassion and often advised Young Master Zheng, secretly protecting Man Er.
When the young master of the Zheng Family framed Man Er, He Chao stood up for her, resulting in him being sent to the estate by the Zheng scholar. Unwilling to be humiliated, He Chao left the Zheng Family.
Later, he ended up in Shengjing, becoming the manager of a silk shop owned by an Imperial Merchant.
When Man Er arrived in Shengjing, they reunited, and he helped her.
Later, when Man Er became an Imperial Concubine, He Chao became her main financial support outside the palace, utterly loyal to her.
The downfall of Tong Dajiao and others was partly due to his influence outside the palace.
When Gu Jingzhe became a court official, Gu Dashu, leveraging Gu Jingzhe’s influence, went into business. Those businesses were all calculated by He Chao.
Just like in the previous life, He Chao left the Zheng scholar family.
Tong Huaqiong planned to first find out why He Chao left before personally inviting him to join her "pirate ship."
She was afraid if she delayed, someone else might recruit him first.
No time to lose, Tong Huaqiong made up her mind to go to Pingchuan County early the next morning to invite him.
As for where to inquire about He Chao’s residence, Tong Huaqiong thought of Master Tan, the pig castrator. He surely knew.
In the evening, Tong Huaqiong returned to Qinghe Bay and checked her cornfields.
In the morning, Gu Dahuan mentioned that corn ears would turn black and wormy just before ripening every year, reducing the village’s yield due to this.
Now, the whole village was in the fields catching corn borer worms, trying to reduce disease and increase corn production.
But it didn’t seem very effective.
Tong Huaqiong wondered what exactly was going on and whether modern techniques from her space could save the situation.
While observing in the cornfield, she overheard some gossip about Xu Zaohua, who was widowed at the Zheng Family.
Xu Zaohua was diagnosed as three months pregnant, and calculating the dates, it seemed she conceived just after getting married.
Originally, whether Xu Zaohua was pregnant or not had nothing to do with Tong Huaqiong, but He Chao was expelled from the Zheng Family because of Xu Zaohua.
So, Tong Huaqiong couldn’t help but listen intently to the gossip and deeply engaged in the discussion.
Tong Huaqiong clicked her tongue and sighed, "Zaohua is quite lucky. Now she’s secured her position as the Eldest Young Madam Zheng. If she gives birth to a boy, it would be even more remarkable."
Being a widow in a prominent family is surely better than being a widow in a village.
Liu Yueer’s mother, Mrs. Zhao, said, "Early this morning, the Xu family sent someone to fetch Zaohua’s mother. What the Zheng family did was unfair. Before Zaohua was pregnant, they never sent anyone to Xu Jin’s family. Once they found out she’s pregnant, they hurriedly brought her mother over. If it’s a girl, I wonder what kind of face the Zheng family will show."
Mrs. Zhao felt that the village girls should not aim too high.
Aunt Qin, with a mysterious expression, whispered, "No matter what, now Zaohua has the airs of Young Madam Zheng household. My Qingyou went to Pingchuan County to deliver some pastries, and a family in association with the Zheng family brought up Xu Zaohua. Since they are from the same village, Qingyou listened in. They said the Zheng family’s housekeeper was caught peeping at Zaohua bathing and was expelled. He was the most valued housekeeper by the Zheng scholar."
Qin Qingyou was in charge of Taohua Dessert’s Taohua "takeout" business. The news he brought back from Pingchuan County wasn’t told to Tong Huaqiong, but after returning home, the entire village was gossiping about Xu Zaohua, so he shared a few words with his mother.
Tong Huaqiong planned to find Qin Qingyou to ask about the specifics.
After work, Qin Qingyou was busy on the other end of the cornfield.
When Aunt Qin called out loudly, Qin Qingyou came over.
