The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 270: Who Should Do the Work

Mrs. Cao cooked while Chun Ni tended the fire, and mother and daughter soon finished making dinner.

Tian Fugui and Granny Luo, one had played cards all afternoon, the other had nestled in a haystack at the village entrance sewing shoe soles, and as dinner time approached, the two returned home together.

Mrs. Cao and Chun Ni served the meal on the table.

Tian Fugui’s expression was very displeased, prompting Mrs. Cao and Chun Ni to make as little noise as possible, fearing to displease him.

Granny Luo stirred her bowl and said, "What kind of family are we? Why is today’s meal so thick?"

Mrs. Cao forced a smile and said, "I thought you were tired after a long day, so I used a little extra rice."

Granny Luo scolded, "Wasteful woman, how can our family’s rice last when you squander it like this? You don’t know the value of money for rice, oil, and salt when you’re not managing a household."

Mrs. Cao was used to Granny Luo’s scolding and did not reply.

Granny Luo muttered as she divided her thick porridge into two portions, giving one to her grandson and one to her son, while she herself added hot water to make it thinner.

Chun Wang and Tian Fugui sat down out of habit, eating the thick porridge with big white steamed buns.

Granny Luo, satisfied, went to the door of the stove, personally ladled out two bowls of thin porridge that could almost reflect people’s images for her daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

Chun Ni wanted to ask why but ultimately didn’t dare, sitting at the stove with a blank expression, drinking her portion.

"Mother, Chun Ni is injured, give her a bowl of the thick porridge so she can recover and work," Mrs. Cao pleaded with a smile.

Granny Luo raised her eyebrows and said, "Is she some kind of pampered princess? It’s great she has food now. Her life is more fortunate than mine was. I’ve chewed on wild vegetables and tree bark in my day, without a chance for this kind of porridge."

Chun Ni, not wanting to trouble Mrs. Cao, softly said, "Mother, this bowl is enough for me."

Fearing to incite her mother-in-law’s and husband’s anger, Mrs. Cao whispered no further pleas and, turning her back, quietly pushed some of her scarce rice into Chun Ni’s bowl.

Yet, Mrs. Cao couldn’t hide her actions from her mother-in-law.

"Indulge Chun Ni all you want," Granny Luo scoffed, "A worthless girl wants thick porridge? See if she’s got the life for it."

Mrs. Cao said nothing.

Chun Ni paused her drinking, suddenly overwhelmed by a surge of defiance. Why wasn’t she entitled to thick porridge?

Tian Fugui and Chun Wang, indifferent, continued eating steamed buns and thick porridge.

After the meal, Mrs. Cao and Chun Ni collected the dishes and tidied the kitchen.

Once they finished, Mrs. Cao prepared foot-washing water for her mother-in-law.

Granny Luo was careful with the money for oil lamps. She always retired early, avoiding lighting the lamps.

Thus, Mrs. Cao was tasked with preparing her mother-in-law’s foot-washing water early every day.

"Chun Ni, take the water to your grandma."

Having filled the basin, Mrs. Cao instructed Chun Ni to carry it to the main room.

She hoped Chun Ni would show more filial piety in front of her mother-in-law and gain some favor.

Chun Ni stood, motionless.

"Chun Ni, the worse your grandma and father treat you, the more filial you should be. Maybe they’ll be kinder if they see your filial piety," Mrs. Cao advised.

Chun Ni felt Mrs. Cao was wrong and quietly said, "I’ve always been obedient, yet grandma and father are still harsh to me."

Granny Luo’s voice called for the foot-washing water from inside, and Mrs. Cao hurriedly took the water to the main room, stopping her lecture to Chun Ni.

In the room, Granny Luo sat in a chair, with Chun Wang comfortably nestling beside her, eating snacks, while Tian Fugui leaned gloomily, smoking his pipe.

Mrs. Cao crouched to attend to Granny Luo’s feet.

"...This evening, word came from Black Dragon Pond that they want to consider more families. They’re willing to offer thirty taels of silver, and several families are eager to send their daughters to marry young. If you hadn’t stopped it, Chun Ni would’ve been sent away to Black Dragon Pond this morning and those thirty taels would be ours."

No wonder Tian Fugui had a dark face since returning home; trouble had arisen over Chun Ni’s prospective marriage.

Granny Luo cursed "worthless girl" with gritted teeth, seething at the loss of thirty silver taels.

Mrs. Cao could not help but sigh in relief.

Chun Ni would get to stay at home for a few more years.

Chun Wang grumbled, "Worthless girl won’t bring silver, and I get no meat to eat."

Mrs. Cao quickly said, "There will be. Your mother and sister will earn money, and you’ll have meat to eat every day." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Granny Luo squinted at Mrs. Cao under the moonlight outside, thinking her daughter-in-law was dreaming.

How could a woman earn money?

Did she think she was Widow Tong?

Tian Fugui sat upright and asked, "How will you and Chun Ni earn money?"

Mrs. Cao replied, "I’m not lying; I asked Aunt Tong, and she agreed to let me and Chun Ni work at her place for wages."

Granny Luo’s eyes shifted.

Recently, Chun Wang suffered at the hands of Yaozu and the County Magistrate’s son, and Granny Luo inquired around the village, hearing that Tong Huaqiong’s shop was bustling, with village women like Gu Xiaocao and Liu Qiaoyun working there, earning quite a bit.

If Mrs. Cao and Chun Ni worked there, it would reduce household expenses, and they could bring money home.

Just as she intended to speak, her son said, "You and Chun Ni can’t go showing yourselves in town. Since Tong Dajiao is willing to let our family work, the job should be mine."

Tian Fugui and Granny Luo thought alike, assuming Mrs. Cao and Chun Ni would work at Tong Huaqiong’s pastry shop.

The village men, Qin Qingyou and Liu Yueer’s brother Liu Shan, both worked at the shop—one delivering pastries, the other handling purchasing, jobs that provided opportunities and perks.

Even Qin Qingyou, usually quite honest, had become more authoritative over the past half-year.

Tian Fugui was enviously longing to work at Tong Huaqiong’s shop too.

Though he repeatedly asked Qin Qingyou, who claimed the shop wasn’t hiring, and even if it was, he wasn’t in charge, advising him to ask Tong Huaqiong herself.

He didn’t wish to approach Tong Huaqiong.

Firstly, there was no relationship between the Tian Family and the Gu Family, and secondly, he couldn’t bring himself to ask a woman for a job.

Now, his wife and daughter had secured a work opportunity, which he assumed would be his instead.

He believed Tong Dajiao wouldn’t object.

Mrs. Cao said, "Husband, you’re mistaken. It’s not work at the shop; it’s feeding pigs and fieldwork."

Tian Fugui’s face fell, and he said, "You’ve petitioned for work, so why not ask for something easier, instead of in the pigpen and fields?"

Mrs. Cao explained, "I thought of not delaying our household’s work."

Then Granny Luo added, "Fieldwork and pig-feeding are still better than burning charcoal at Xu Jin’s yard. I heard Widow Tong is generous; those working for her are fed, sometimes even big white buns, and during the busy farming season, there’s meat."

Chun Wang heard about the big white buns and meat and clamored, "Afterward, the buns and meat mother and Chun Ni earn should come home for me to eat."

Upon hearing about the big white buns and meat, Tian Fugui developed an interest.

He could slaughter pigs.

With so many pigs Tong Huaqiong raised to sell meat, wouldn’t she need a pig slaughterer? He could go to the pig farm.

Slaughtering pigs was a lucrative job.

"Our family has so much work, and you doing work at Widow Tong’s would delay our own tasks. If you’ve got a job at the pig farm, I should do it since I can slaughter pigs. And as for Chun Ni, she should work in Widow Tong’s fields; if she doesn’t earn those thirty taels, don’t blame me for being harsh."

Mrs. Cao hurriedly said, "I arranged for me and Chun Ni to work for Aunt Tong. If you go, what would happen? You know Aunt Tong’s temper. If she gets upset, she might not employ even me and Chun Ni, and we’d lose a source of income."

Mrs. Cao was not foolish and realized through interacting with Tong Huaqiong that she disliked Tian Fugui.

Granny Luo said, "Fugui can work better. Anyone sensible with accounts would prefer Fugui to go to the pig farm."

"Fugui really isn’t suitable." Tong Huaqiong’s voice erupted from beneath the Tian Family’s window.