The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 363: Looking Forward to Spring

New Year’s Eve arrived in the blink of an eye.

Tong Huaqiong’s family became busy amid the morning sounds of firecrackers.

Sweeping snow, clearing snow, removing ice.

Tong Huaqiong was unsure how the Gu Family used to celebrate with Tong Dajiao around, but this year with her here, it was livelier than usual.

Besides Tong Huaqiong and a group of bad bamboo, there were Su Chengmin and Xiao Long, plus Tong Pandi and her daughters, making it hard not to be lively.

Moreover, He Chao and Mrs. Hong, having no children and spending the New Year alone in Qinghe Bay, decided to join Tong Huaqiong’s family for the festivities without needing an invitation.

As for their neighbor Boss Qian, he naturally wanted to spend the New Year at the Gu Family, but after pasting all the couplets, he was insistently taken away by his son and daughter-in-law.

The He Family’s courtyard was next to Tong Huaqiong’s. Mrs. Hong brought Hua Er to Tong Huaqiong’s courtyard daily, and early on New Year’s Eve, she and He Chao started helping out.

Gu Jingzhe considered that Mr. Su might feel lonely spending the New Year alone at the private school, so he invited Mr. Su to their home.

In the past, Gu Jingzhe, upon attending Wanliu Academy, threw Mr. Su aside along with his classmates from Yan Guan Town and never mentioned them again.

Over the past six months, Gu Jingzhe changed his ways and forged a deep mentor-student bond with Mr. Su.

So when he invited him, Mr. Su came to Qinghe Bay.

Mr. Su didn’t come empty-handed; he brought various little gadgets for Xiao Long, Man Er, Yaozu, Duo Er, and the other children, with Duo Er and Man Er receiving more—a set of clay figurine dolls.

Even Hua Er, still in swaddling clothes, received a rattle-drum.

Tong Pandi was deeply moved by this.

Her daughter Duo Er had never received any gift at the Wu Family.

"Aunt, is Mr. Su all alone?"

After pouring tea for Mr. Su, Tong Pandi noticed him wearing a long gown she had sewn and quietly inquired Tong Huaqiong about Mr. Su’s situation.

Tong Huaqiong replied, "Indeed, he’s quite old already and not married."

Tong Pandi asked, "Mr. Su’s accent doesn’t seem local, where is he from?" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

That stumped Tong Huaqiong. After thinking for a moment, she said, "You should ask Jingzhe about that, I don’t know where he’s from."

Tong Pandi naturally wouldn’t go ask Gu Jingzhe.

Total it, Mr. Su had helped her twice.

The first was in her past life, after being demoted from wife to concubine by the Wu Family and trampled upon, she ventured out in the snow to pay tribute to Hua Er, the paper-burning flames nearly causing disaster.

The Wu Family members rushed out intending to hang her in the Wu Family shrine.

It was the passing Mr. Su who saved her.

Mr. Su fiercely condemned the Wu Family’s vile conduct, gave her silver, and advised her to leave with Duo Er.

Of course, she didn’t leave the Wu Family.

But if not for Mr. Su, she would have been hanged that snowy night, and might not have this chance of rebirth.

The second time was the divorce separator in this life.

"Pandi, what’s wrong?"

Tong Huaqiong saw Tong Pandi helping her with the charcoal stove, completely oblivious to her hand nearly catching fire.

Tong Pandi carefully placed the charcoal in the stove, looking up and said, "Aunt, my maternal cousin will achieve great things, tell him to treat Mr. Su well in the future."

Tong Pandi never saw Mr. Su again in her previous life.

Only knowing that Mr. Su later left Yan Guan Town.

For someone like her who remained trapped in the Wu Family her entire life, how could she possibly know Mr. Su’s whereabouts.

Tong Huaqiong asked, "How come you brought this up, how do you know your maternal cousin will achieve great things?"

Tong Pandi was startled, and covered up by saying, "My cousin is usually so diligent in reading, Mr. Su is a learned person, Mr. Su praised him, he surely will achieve great things."

From the next room came laughter.

Tong Huaqiong and Tong Pandi, through the decorative window, saw Mr. Su holding a rattle-drum teasing Hua Er, who was in Mrs. Hong’s arms, eyes fixated on the drum’s tassels, gleaming with continual, crisp laughter.

Quickly, watching this, Tong Pandi’s eyes welled up.

Tong Pandi said to Tong Huaqiong, "Aunt, do you believe I once had a dream? In that dream, I lived my life in the Wu Family, it was very tragic. Hua Er was drowned just after birth, I didn’t bear a son, Wu Musheng demoted me to concubine and remarried, the new wife didn’t bear a son either, the Wu Family believed I cursed them with no sons, and joined forces with the new wife to bully me. I went to my maiden family for help, but they ignored me, my parents took Tong Zhijie and left Black Dragon Pond. Later, Wu Musheng adopted a heir, when the heir grew up, Wu Musheng and the heir wanted to send Duo Er to a big household in the provincial city as a concubine. I stopped them from sending Duo Er..."

This was the part of Tong Dajiao’s past life concerning Tong Pandi that was missing from memory after going to Shengjing.

Tong Huaqiong asked, "What happened then?"

Tong Pandi said, "I was pushed down by Wu Musheng and nearly died, then I woke up. That dream was too realistic, it was terrifying."

Tong Huaqiong said, "When you woke up, you were scared into becoming bold and daring for yourself and your two daughters?"

Tong Pandi felt relieved.

It seemed Aunt hadn’t suspected she was a reborn.

Well, such strange events were really hard to imagine, even clever Aunt wouldn’t think it possible.

She mentioned it because the past suffering weighed heavily and needed to be confided to feel better.

Tong Pandi said, "Right, the dream reminded me that if I continued to be timid, always obeying parents and the Wu Family, Duo Er and Hua Er would indeed end up like in the dream. As their mother, I should protect them."

"The first time I defied my parents-in-law was the day after I awoke from the dream. They wanted me to sleep on the ground beside their bed each night, and empty their chamber pots. In a fit of anger, I poured urine onto their bed. They beat me, so I smashed all their valuable belongings. Wu Musheng scolded me, and I took advantage when he slept to tie him up and hang a knife before his eyes. The Wu Family wanted me to cook, so I threatened to poison the entire family. Previously, I complied with everything, allowing them to beat and scold me, later by not complying and acting like Aunt with tantrums and shouting, they feared me."

Listening to the laughter from the next room, Tong Pandi wondered why she hadn’t thought of rebelling or escaping before.

"The Wu Family assumed I was possessed by something and called a witch to perform rituals, I set fire to the ritual tools, anyway I had already died once in the dream, who would I fear? Since then, at the Wu Family I ate well, dressed well, often quarrelled with Wu Ren’s couple, fought with Wu Musheng, they feared me and avoided me. It wasn’t just the Wu Family, I was even more ruthless to the Tong Family."

"From a young age, parents taught me, I was a girl—a losing bargain, Zhijie was the Tong Family’s precious treasure. When at the Tong Family, Zhijie was raised by me, yet he never sympathised with me as his sister. Parents claimed to love me all the time, yet sold me to the Wu Family for fifty silver taels. Discovering my actions at the Wu Family, they came to berate me, only for me to drive them out with a cane. Aunt, why was I previously so cowardly, listening to parents at home, conforming to parents-in-law and husband after marriage, why didn’t I ever think to live for myself?"

Tong Huaqiong said, "Your nightmare has ended, you won’t have that kind of nightmare anymore."

In the next room, the sound of the rattle-drum and Hua Er’s laughter continued.

Tong Pandi couldn’t help but smile.

Aunt was right, she wouldn’t have those nightmares again.

This winter will soon pass, welcoming the spring of blossoming flowers, she eagerly anticipated the flourishing spring of blossoms.