The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 33: Frustrated in Borrowing Money at the Academy
After dinner, Tong Huaqiong rolled up her sleeves, determined to get to work.
She carried her basin and jars into her room, opened the outer packaging of butter, milk powder, sugar, and condensed milk that Man Er had brought from her space, and sorted them into the basin and jars.
For things like butter that need to be refrigerated, just melt it directly in the basin since it will be used soon.
Sugar, milk powder, and nuts were stored in jars for slow use.
Condensed milk can be stored for a long time if the packaging isn’t opened.
Tong Huaqiong stuffed the torn packaging bags under the bed, planning to destroy the evidence on a dark and windy night.
After completing all this, Tong Huaqiong cleaned her hands, took the basin, and returned to the kitchen.
Liu Yueer went to the Liu Family to return the silver, Gu Dashu went to Gu Baishuang’s place, and Tong Huaqiong didn’t have the time to worry about where Gu Jingzhe went. Gu Taohua hadn’t gotten up yet, so only Chen Sufen was helping in the kitchen.
"Mother, I want to go to town," Gu Taohua said to Tong Huaqiong as she stood at the kitchen door after getting out of bed.
Tong Huaqiong gave Gu Taohua a once-over.
Today, Gu Taohua was wearing a new dress, with hairpins and flowers in her hair and blush on her cheeks. Having had a good night’s sleep, she was full of energy.
Tong Huaqiong guessed something.
"Why are you going to town? We don’t have a stall today," Tong Huaqiong questioned.
Feeling uneasy under Tong Huaqiong’s scrutiny, Gu Taohua twisted her dress and said, "Third Brother went to the town private school to borrow money and hasn’t returned for three or four days. I want to go to the private school to see if something has delayed him."
Tong Huaqiong fixed her sharp gaze on Gu Taohua.
What a story!
Since when did Gu Taohua and Gu Jingzhe become so brotherly and sisterly? There was no need for such dressing up even to seek Gu Jingzhe at the private school.
This clearly was just an excuse to see Fan Tong, the scholar.
"Your Third Brother is an adult; he doesn’t need your concern. There are so many things to do at home, and we’re short-handed; we need you to help with the pastries."
"You’re staying home today; you can’t go anywhere," Tong Huaqiong said.
Gu Taohua looked disappointed.
She had a lot to say to Fan Tong when she saw him yesterday, but because Tong Huaqiong was there, she hadn’t had the chance.
She thought she could go to town today under the guise of finding her Third Brother to meet Fan Tong, but Tong Huaqiong forbade her from leaving home.
On her first trip to the private school to find her Third Brother, she had already found out about Fan Tong.
Fan Tong lived in Moon Bay, the neighboring village, and like her, he didn’t have a father and lived with a widowed mother and a sister, relying on the clan to support his studies.
After seeing Fan Tong once, Gu Taohua had lost interest in other young lads in the village.
The village lads were coarse and knew only farming; none were as knowledgeable and decent as Fan Tong, the scholar.
Her Second Brother always mocked her for being fourteen without any suitors, but she wasn’t willing to back down and had set her sights on Fan Tong.
She was determined to find a scholar to show her worth.
"Come over and peel the walnuts."
Tong Huaqiong, ignoring Gu Taohua’s disappointment, assigned her work.
Gu Taohua pouted and, with a wronged expression, dragged over a stool and began to crack walnuts.
Tong Huaqiong had decided to make jujube cake, chestnut cake, jujube paste pastry, butter cookies, mung bean cakes, as well as Mi Sanda, Sachima, Yangjiao honey, which combined modern and traditional, was easy to handle.
...
"Madam, how come your wicked stepmother changed her attitude? There must be some trickery," Fei Pozi couldn’t help but say after sending Gu Dashu out the door and seeing fifty taels of silver on the table in front of Gu Baishuang.
The sun must be rising from the west. Widow Tong actually refused to take the silver from the Nie Family and even had Gu Dashu deliver such explosive news. The shock left Madam unable to recover.
Fei Pozi switched Gu Baishuang’s cold tea with hot, and only after holding the warm cup did Gu Baishuang regain her senses.
The wicked stepmother’s change was drastic, and Gu Baishuang didn’t know how to respond.
Early that morning, Gu Dashu came to the Nie Family, and though she hadn’t wanted to see him, because Gu Dashu claimed to be returning the silver at the door, Gu Baishuang had no choice but to let him in.
Gu Dashu returned the fifty taels of silver right away, and she originally thought her demand for her mother’s and father’s memorial tablets to be placed together had discouraged Tong Huaqiong. In her heart, she cursed Tong Huaqiong for being heartless to the point of disregarding her grandson’s life just to compete with her deceased mother.
But the situation turned out to be completely different from her assumptions.
The wicked stepmother not only agreed to place her mother’s and father’s tablets together but also planned to have them reburied together, even promising not to be buried with the Gu Family after her own passing.
This move left Gu Baishuang utterly baffled.
She couldn’t comprehend the cards her stepmother was playing!
After years of battling with her stepmother and suffering under her, Gu Baishuang felt a bit lost with her stepmother suddenly calling a truce.
"I don’t care how she changes, as long as my mother and father can be buried together."
With that thought, Gu Baishuang felt slightly relieved.
Finally, she had fulfilled her wish; hopefully, the wicked stepmother wouldn’t change her mind and cause more trouble then.
After leaving the Nie Family, Gu Dashu was in high spirits.
Eldest Sister had let him in, he accomplished what his mother asked, and his son wouldn’t be sent away — it all brought him peace of mind.
He took out the copper coins he had saved from skimming on groceries for the family and bought two large meat buns, eating as he walked.
Seeing a scholar-like person hastily heading towards the town private school, he suddenly thought of his Third Brother, Gu Jingzhe, who hadn’t returned for days since going to borrow silver from the private school. With his son’s issue resolved, Gu Dashu considered bringing Gu Jingzhe back home from the private school.
The wheat at home had begun to joint; whether it was weeding, watering, or harvesting, they all required manpower.
If Gu Jingzhe didn’t return home soon, the work would fall entirely on his shoulders.
Now that Mother didn’t allow Gu Jingzhe to study, his Third Brother couldn’t expect him to carry the farm work alone.
Thinking this, Gu Dashu walked to the private school, eating his meat bun.
The genius young Gu Jingzhe was at the private school tentatively asking his classmates for money.
At the town’s private school, aside from the scholar Fan Tong, Gu Jingzhe was the most impressive and favored student by the teacher.
After all, Gu Jingzhe had earned the child student title at a younger age than Fan Tong and had his test paper personally reviewed and praised by the scholarly administrator from the provincial city.
It was only a matter of time before he became a Scholar in the imperial examination.
Such was Gu Jingzhe’s arrogance at the private school.
A few days ago, being driven out to get silver by Tong Huaqiong, he went to Wanliu Academy in the provincial city hoping they would refund the 50 taels of silver considering his family’s poverty, but the academy adhered to principles and wouldn’t refund.
Left with no choice, he returned to the town’s private school to borrow money.
Gu Jingzhe’s popularity at the private school was inversely proportional to his academic performance; the better his grades, the worse his popularity.
Not only did he not borrow any silver, but he was also met with a barrage of ridicule.
Even those classmates he looked down upon usually mocked him, saying they’d lend him money if he crawled between their legs like Han Xin.
Gu Jingzhe couldn’t bear such humiliation.
Normally proud, having to bow his head to his classmates was already a challenge. Their jeers and difficult demands nearly shattered his spirit.
But if he couldn’t borrow the silver, his Second Brother Gu Dashu certainly wouldn’t forgive him.
The genius young man felt cornered, like a rat in a trap, facing pressure from both sides.
Out of desperation, he turned to his nephew, Nie Xiaofeng, who also studied at the private school, for money.
"Uncle, have you had too much to drink? How come you’re noticing me today?"
Nie Xiaofeng’s words dripped with pointed sarcasm.
