The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 209: The Real Heroine Is Someone Else
"Back then, you and Brother Han Niu were chopping wood in the mountains when you saw me running, covered in blood. You thought I was injured."
Mrs. Hong was lost in her memories.
At that time, her mother had hidden her under a corpse, and she was drenched in blood from the body that had been hacked with wild knives.
Recalling it now, the fear still spread through her entire being.
She didn’t even know where she had found the courage to run out.
"When you realized I wasn’t injured, you and Brother Han Niu gave me steamed buns to eat and water to drink," Mrs. Hong said with tears in her eyes. "You two took me back to Black Dragon Village and hid me in Brother Han Niu’s woodshed."
Tong Huaqiong shivered at the mention of Han Niu, who was Tong Dajiao’s childhood friend.
On the day Tong Dajiao got married, he disappeared.
Later, his mother and sister left Black Dragon Village with him.
Some said Min Han Niu joined the army, others said he died on the battlefield; regardless, there had been no news for years.
In Tong Dajiao’s memory, Min Han Niu was always frozen at the moment before she got married, when he tried to take her away but was discovered and locked up by Tong Fusheng and other Tong Family members.
Since then, Min Han Niu had faded from Tong Dajiao’s memories.
So now, whether Min Han Niu was still in this world, Tong Huaqiong had no idea.
Back to more than twenty years ago with Mrs. Hong.
Mrs. Hong lived in Min Han Niu’s woodshed for two days.
Tong Dajiao and Min Han Niu took turns bringing her food and drink, and Tong Dajiao even gave Mrs. Hong her clean clothes.
Two days later, Mrs. Hong left without a word, leaving a jade pendant in Min Han Niu’s woodshed as a token of gratitude.
Tong Huaqiong felt a mix of emotions upon hearing this.
She had always thought Tong Dajiao was inherently sharp and indifferent to people and things.
She didn’t expect that Tong Dajiao had such a kind side in her youth, treating a stranger with such righteousness.
Tong Huaqiong said nothing, stood up, retrieved a green jade pendant from a box in the room, and handed it to Mrs. Hong, asking, "Sister Hong, is this the jade pendant?"
Tong Huaqiong had found this jade pendant while rummaging through boxes on the day she arrived, thinking it might signify Tong Dajiao as a lost royal descendant.
She had even fantasized about finding her relatives one day and accidentally becoming a princess, achieving a class leap.
It was no wonder she thought this way; she had read many time-travel novels in her past life, and the settings for jade pendants were always like this.
Now, the whole setup for the jade pendant shattered her fantasy.
It turned out the heroine was someone else.
Mrs. Hong, taking the jade pendant, excitedly said, "This is it, Sister Tong, I remember everything."
He Chao was equally excited.
He didn’t expect such a deep connection with the boss.
Thanks to the boss, his wife had escaped with her life back then.
Tong Huaqiong was their mutual benefactor.
Mrs. Hong held Tong Huaqiong’s hand while crying and laughing.
When her emotions stabilized, she asked, "Sister Tong, how is Brother Han Niu now?"
Tong Huaqiong didn’t know any news about Min Han Niu, so she shook her head and said to Mrs. Hong, "He joined the army later, and there’s been no news since he left."
Mrs. Hong’s face showed a dejected look.
Of her two lifesavers, she had only met Tong Dajiao.
However, being able to reunite with Tong Dajiao was already beyond her expectations.
With immense gratitude, Mrs. Hong stood up and gave Tong Huaqiong a deep bow, saying, "Sister Tong, I don’t know how to thank you."
Tong Huaqiong saved her life twice: once as a child, and once with her current illness.
Tong Huaqiong helped Mrs. Hong up, saying, "Sister Hong, no need to thank me."
Tong Huaqiong thought to herself, perhaps it was Tong Dajiao’s seeds of compassion for Mrs. Hong that had allowed her to live another life.
Mrs. Hong’s tears flowed again and again, her heart filled with remorse for leaving without a word back then.
But there was nothing she could do under those circumstances at the time.
She didn’t even know whether the ones who harmed the Hong family were rebels or enemies of the Hong family taking revenge during chaos. She was afraid, in case it was the latter, that it might implicate Tong Dajiao and Min Han Niu, so she ran away in panic.
Mrs. Hong explained to Tong Huaqiong why she left without saying goodbye.
"... At the time, I was afraid that enemies might implicate Sister Tong and Brother Han Niu, so I left without saying goodbye. I hope Sister Tong can forgive me."
Tong Huaqiong waved her hand, saying, "Well, it hasn’t implicated us, has it?"
Mrs. Hong passed the jade pendant back to Tong Huaqiong.
Tong Huaqiong refused, pushing it back to Mrs. Hong, saying, "Sister Hong, now that you’re here, this jade pendant should return to its original owner."
Returning the jade pendant wasn’t an act of generosity by Tong Huaqiong.
The jade pendant was pure and green, obviously valuable, so giving it away was like cutting off a piece of flesh for Tong Huaqiong.
But she had to give it.
Because, according to the patterns of time-travel novels she’d read in her previous life, those holding jade pendants and possessing mysterious backgrounds were protagonists. She was afraid that if she didn’t give the jade pendant away, she would become a disposable character in Mrs. Hong’s story.
Her shop was booming, her group of bad bamboo was moving towards the right path, and her days were increasingly prosperous. She did not want to become the heroine’s stepping stone.
Seeing Tong Huaqiong insist on returning the jade pendant, Mrs. Hong didn’t decline further and accepted it.
"This is the only token left by my parents," Mrs. Hong said emotionally.
Tong Huaqiong seized the opportunity and said, "That’s why you should keep it as a memento."
He Chao stood up at this moment, bowing deeply to Tong Huaqiong, saying, "Boss, I can’t thank you enough."
From He Chao’s implicit meaning, he was wholeheartedly dedicated to Tong Huaqiong.
Tong Huaqiong smiled, knowing she had completely won over He Chao.
If Mrs. Hong and He Chao were the protagonists of their story, saving Mrs. Hong might earn her some benefits from between Mrs. Hong and He Chao, no?
"I really didn’t expect there to be such a connection between Old He, his wife, and Manager Tong. It deserves a toast."
Boss Qian, who had been overlooked, spoke up to assert his presence.
Tong Huaqiong noticed Boss Qian’s red eyes, showing he was also a person of emotions.
Tong Huaqiong said, "Didn’t we order food and drinks for tonight? Let’s have a drink together."
After a moment’s thought, she said to Mrs. Hong and He Chao, "The fact that you two settled in Qinghe Bay is more than just a coincidence. I believe it’s Sister Hong’s parents guiding you here. Now, it’s most urgent to properly inter Mrs. Hong’s parents and brother."
Mrs. Hong nodded, tears flowing once more.
She and He Chao were so caught up in their emotions that they forgot this most important matter.
However, her parents and brother had lain under that crooked-neck tree for over twenty years; she wondered if their bones still remained.
Tong Huaqiong, as if seeing through Mrs. Hong’s mind, said, "No one has ever disturbed this piece of wasteland."
Mrs. Hong was eager to grab a hoe to dig, but He Chao stopped her.
Tong Huaqiong understood Mrs. Hong’s desire for her parents to be laid to rest and to receive worship, so she gently told Mrs. Hong to wait until Gu Dahuan returned. Then Gu Dahuan would lead the newly hired workers from the village to dig.
Whether they would agree or not.
Spending a bit more silver would surely persuade them.
Mrs. Hong thanked her once more, tearfully.
