The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 219: The Origins of Taohua Dessert

Nanny Cai saw the little maid hesitating and impatiently asked, "Does the shopkeeper of that shop not recognize our Zheng Family?"

The little maid’s face was burning with pain from Xu Zaohua’s slap. She timidly glanced at Xu Zaohua, then at Nanny Cai, and stammered, "Yes, they do."

Nanny Cai let out a cold laugh.

If they recognize us, why haven’t they quickly sent up the hazelnut cake?

"Oh, Manager Feng."

Since they recognize the Zheng Family, it seems the shopkeeper of the Crispy Food Garden has also been taken over by Taohua Dessert.

Oh, Manager Feng. Back when you were expelled by the Meng Family and in such dire straits, if it weren’t for my master’s cousin Ma Ming giving you a way out, you would have fallen into the mire.

Thinking about this, Nanny Cai almost wanted to point her finger at Manager Feng’s nose and scold him for being ungrateful.

She didn’t think, as Ma Ming’s shopkeeper, what exactly Manager Feng owed the Zheng Family.

The little maid opened her mouth, wanting to tell Nanny Cai that the shopkeeper of Taohua Dessert was Housekeeper He, not Housekeeper Feng.

But now she was caught between the young mistress and the senior nanny’s quarrel and dared not speak rashly.

Xu Zaohua glanced at Nanny Cai.

Though she was at odds with Taohua Dessert, the little maid being snubbed by them was like a slap to Nanny Cai’s face.

She felt a wave of satisfaction.

Xu Zaohua taunted Nanny Cai, saying, "Didn’t you say there were no shops in Pingchuan County that wouldn’t give the Zheng Family face? But Taohua Dessert clearly doesn’t. As the saying goes, ’A strong dragon cannot repress a local snake’; the Zheng Family’s reputation doesn’t hold here in Yan Guan Town. Nanny, you’ve been in the back halls of the Zheng Family too long, thinking the whole world is the Zheng Family’s territory. I am young, but I advise you not to make promises lightly. Losing your face doesn’t matter, but losing the Zheng Family’s face wouldn’t be good."

Hearing these words, Nanny Cai wanted to retort but was at a loss for words.

She could only glare fiercely at the little maid.

Her resentment towards Manager Feng deepened.

Meanwhile, she wondered what kind of background Taohua Dessert had to dare not give the Zheng Family face.

Soon, she thought she must remain calm and not rush to confront the shop. She had to first find out the origins of Taohua Dessert.

The shop could even swallow up Crispy Food Garden, indicating it had a formidable background.

Recalling Xu Zaohua asking earlier if she knew who owned Taohua Dessert, Xu Zaohua must have known to ask that.

"Young mistress, nanny..."

"Young mistress, your servant asks you, what is the background of this Taohua Dessert to be so arrogant, daring not to show us Zheng Family respect?"

Nanny Cai quickly interrupted the little maid’s words. Such a lack of tact; she deserved the slap from the young mistress.

Xu Zaohua had a faint smile on her lips.

Nanny Cai was getting more arrogant, even asking her, Xu Zaohua, questions from a condescending position.

Xu Zaohua didn’t plan to worry about it.

Because she wanted to see Nanny Cai and Taohua Dessert tear each other apart.

No matter who lost, she would consider it a revenge; no matter who lost, she would be happy.

Xu Zaohua sneered, deliberately showing disdain, "You must be joking, Nanny. What background could Taohua Dessert possibly have? The shop owner comes from the same village as my natal family. In the past, they were poor in the village, but after their son passed the child student exam, they started selling pastries in town. And then, a few months ago, somehow they managed to open a shop."

This shop owner, like Xu Zaohua, came from Qinghe Bay, so they definitely didn’t have any notable background.

Country people are simply narrow-minded; having a child student in the family makes them feel prestigious.

Her master could converse with the magistrate; appealing to her master’s name could easily crush them.

Nanny Cai felt invigorated.

"I’ll go meet with Manager Feng; I want to ask him if he knows the Zheng Family. I might as well meet the owner of Taohua Dessert and see if her son still wants to take the scholar exam."

The little maid was desperately anxious, wanting to say something when Xu Zaohua glared at her.

Xu Zaohua added more fuel to the fire and said, "Oh, by the way, Nanny Cai, I suddenly thought of something. It might be that the shop owner is an old acquaintance of our Zheng Family. You might have even met her."

Nanny Cai looked at Xu Zaohua.

If she is an old acquaintance, then tell me, who is she?

Nanny Cai couldn’t think of anyone from Qinghe Bay, aside from the Xu Family, who was familiar with the Zheng Family.

Only the Xu Family’s daughter had married into the Zheng Family. If it weren’t for Xu Zaohua being pregnant, even the Xu Family might still be strangers.

Seeing Nanny Cai couldn’t recall Tong Huaqiong, Xu Zaohua smiled and reminded her, "Nanny Cai, do you remember Widow Tong from Qinghe Bay?"

Nanny Cai thought for a while, furrowed her brows, and her face was overtaken by an expression of surprise.

This Taohua Dessert was run by that unreasonable Widow Tong?

How was that possible.

"Nanny, don’t be skeptical. You can ask around. I passed by Widow Tong’s gate just this morning, and when Nanny didn’t seem pleased, I purposely engaged with Gu Jingzhe to assess Widow Tong’s shop. Since I have married into the Zheng Family, that makes Widow Tong my enemy."

Xu Zaohua took the chance to dispel the suspicions in Nanny Cai’s heart about her and Gu Jingzhe.

"So, when Xiao Que said Taohua Dessert doesn’t recognize the Zheng Family, it wasn’t because our name isn’t grand enough; it’s because Taohua Dessert simply doesn’t consider us at all. I heard from my husband that when Widow Tong withdrew from their engagement with our family, it caused quite the scandal at the Zheng’s, and my husband was deeply humiliated. If it weren’t for her, he might have recovered by now."

Xu Zaohua seized the moment to remind Nanny Cai of the disgrace Tong Huaqiong brought upon the Zheng Family with the withdrawal of her engagement.

Nanny Cai was provoked by Gu Taohua, and she got off the carriage without thinking.

Last time at the Zheng Family, nobody was prepared for Widow Tong’s unreasonable nature, leading to a disadvantage.

This time, she certainly wouldn’t let Widow Tong have the upper hand.

The shop? It would be smashed.

"Nanny, the shopkeeper of Taohua Dessert is Housekeeper He."

The little maid couldn’t hold it in anymore and blurted out, fearing that if she didn’t speak up about Housekeeper He, the young mistress would become embarrassed, and she would be the first to suffer.

Her face couldn’t bear another slap.

Not to mention that the young mistress was pregnant; if she was agitated by Housekeeper He, the master and mistress would surely punish her severely.

Nanny Cai halted, confusedly asking, "What do you mean the shopkeeper is Housekeeper He?"

Xu Zaohua’s eyes widened; upon hearing Housekeeper He’s name, she felt uneasy and involuntarily raised her voice, "What do you mean, Housekeeper He, say it?"

The little maid bit her lip and said, "Nanny, young mistress, Housekeeper He is this shop’s manager."

Nanny Cai blurted out, "Did you see that wrong?"

The little maid felt extremely wronged; which servant of the Zheng Family didn’t know Housekeeper He?

How could she mistake him?

Housekeeper He even spoke to her and called her by name, telling her that even if Mrs. Zheng wanted hazelnut cake, she would have to pay. He was now the shopkeeper of Taohua Dessert, not the owner. If he were the owner, he would have given it for free.

Housekeeper He had actually fallen to being the shopkeeper of a dessert shop in Yan Guan Town.

Nanny Cai let out a sneer from her nose.

She and Housekeeper He were both esteemed in their respective inner circles, one being the lady’s senior personal maid and the other being the major steward of the Zheng Family. Usually, there were some frictions between them.

Hearing that Housekeeper He was the shopkeeper of Taohua Dessert made Nanny Cai even angrier.

How could He Chao not know Xiao Que was a maid from the Zheng Family, and yet treat the old master’s house like this?

Kicking one when they’re down was Nanny Cai’s motto against rivals.

Nanny Cai felt invigorated; she was going to humiliate He Chao in person.