The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 371: I Want to Make You Anxious

"Mother, what should I do?"

Tong Huaqiong nodded.

Good, Gu Baishuang has already jumped into discussing strategies to take over the Nie Family business.

Tong Huaqiong said, "You go back and tell Nie Mingyuan that the reason I refused to connect with the Lu Family is because I still hold resentment about him never visiting the Gu Family in the past, and now seeking my help the moment he sets foot in the door. You must assure him that you can persuade me to let go of my anger and convince me to connect you with the Lu Family. How you negotiate terms with Nie Mingyuan is up to you, after all, you’ve known him for a long time, and you understand him better than I do."

There’s no need for Tong Huaqiong to teach how to persuade Nie Mingyuan to let Gu Baishuang participate in the business.

If Gu Baishuang can’t even manage that, she should not dream about gripping the Nie Family business in this lifetime; she deserves her downfall.

As Gu Baishuang’s nominal maternal family, even if she can’t hold on to the Nie Family’s business, Tong Huaqiong won’t just stand by and watch her be driven out by her two stepsons.

But if that happens, Gu Baishuang and Nie Xiaofeng would end up depending on the Gu Family again; would Gu Baishuang and Nie Xiaofeng be content with that?

The best way is for Gu Baishuang to stand up and grip the Nie Family business herself.

Tong Huaqiong believed Gu Baishuang had the ability to do so.

Gu Baishuang had been married into the Nie Family for so many years and could manage the back house obediently, not just with sheer enthusiasm.

The reason she was schemed by Nie Mingyuan and her stepsons in her previous life was that she had set boundaries for herself, always fearing the public opinions about a stepmother.

After listening to Tong Huaqiong’s suggestion, Gu Baishuang said, "If you are willing to connect with the Lu Family, I have confidence that I can persuade Nie Mingyuan."

At this point, Gu Baishuang felt deep gratitude towards Tong Huaqiong.

If she had any past resentment towards her stepmother, it was gone now because she couldn’t see any benefit for Tong Huaqiong in helping her this way.

If this matter succeeds, she would benefit the most.

"Of course, now you feel everything I’ve said makes sense. Perhaps after you leave, you’ll feel like the wind has blown and think what I’m saying is harming you, and that only Nie Mingyuan is truly good to you. Then you’ll resent and hate me, never mentioning taking control of the Nie Family business again. In any case, it’s you who has to make the decision and accept the consequences. I’ve said all I have to say, you go back and think it over."

With these words, Tong Huaqiong asked Chen Sufen to see Gu Baishuang out.

Tong Huaqiong had no clue about how ambitious Gu Baishuang was to grasp the Nie Family business.

People who are stirred up by a few words and regret after being provoked during the process are what she’d seen plenty of in her past life; she’s unwilling for Gu Baishuang to rush forward without thinking only to turn back at Nie Mingyuan’s persuasion.

Gu Baishuang didn’t respond to those words and left the Gu Family gate with Chen Sufen.

"What did Da Han’s wife look for you for?" as the carriage left Qinghe Bay, Nie Mingyuan asked impatiently.

Gu Baishuang suppressed the turmoil in her heart and said, "It’s still about Xiaolong. She’s pregnant now and overthinks things. She has lots to say that she can’t share with Da Han or her mother-in-law, so she came to me."

Nie Mingyuan sneered, complaining, "Didn’t you say your stepmother became more understanding? I see no change, else why would she bring in Da Han’s illegitimate child to upset your younger brother and sister-in-law?"

"You used to send many things to the Gu Family, now asking your stepmother to help connect with the Lu Family is a simple matter she won’t even help with; I really don’t understand what she’s thinking."

The younger daughter-in-law, Sun, rocked the baby in her arms and said, "A stepmother is not the real mother. How can you expect the stepmother to be willing to help? She’s keeping the connections for her children."

The older daughter-in-law, Mrs. Zhang, agreed, "It’s true if you say it. All stepmothers are the same."

Usually, these two daughters-in-law wouldn’t get along; the only time they’d stick together was when dealing with Gu Baishuang.

The two stepsons as well.

Nie Mingyuan listened to his daughters-in-law’s veiled criticisms but didn’t stop them. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Before, it saddened her, but she understood. Today, she felt utterly heartbroken.

Sun and Zhang kept talking about the stepmother theory until Nie Xiaofeng snapped, "Shut up your foul mouths."

Sun and Zhang exchanged looks and fell silent.

Gu Baishuang sneered, "All this talk of stepmothers, who are you referring to? Usually, I’m too lenient with you, which is why you dare mention stepmothers in front of me. If it were a formidable figure like my stepmother, you wouldn’t dare utter half a word, or your mouths would be ripped apart."

Tong Huaqiong was right. They disrespected her because she had no cards in her hand.

If she were truly like Tong Huaqiong, holding the business and money, who would dare disrespect her?

Gu Baishuang changed her tone and said to Nie Mingyuan, "Do you know why my stepmother refuses to help connect us with the Lu Family? Just now, Sufen told me a secret, we’ve touched on her sore spot."

Nie Mingyuan became interested and asked, "What do you mean?"

Gu Baishuang sighed, "The Lu Family’s ship to the South Seas, you want to invest and sell goods, she wants to as well. She heard that porcelain was popular in the South Seas and acquired a batch, only to be deceived because she had no knowledge in this field. My stepmother is a person who would never admit her mistake; she shifts the blame onto you, saying if you had visited more often and talked about the porcelain market, she wouldn’t have been duped."

Nie Mingyuan was dumbfounded.

This opportunist mother-in-law indeed was unreasonable, blaming everything on him.

"So we shouldn’t mention the porcelain business before her."

Gu Baishuang continued, "If you want to persuade my stepmother to agree to connect us to the Lu Family, it must be Sufen and Da Han. Do you know why? Someone once read her fortune, saying that Man Er is the lucky star in her life; only by favoring Man Er, the entire Gu Family would prosper. Since she treated Man Er and the main house differently, her life turned better and better day by day. You haven’t noticed how she treats Da Han’s family better than the second house yet. As a member of the Nie family, I certainly don’t want you to miss the opportunity of connecting with the Lu Family, so I’ve asked Sufen to speak on our behalf in front of my stepmother."

Nie Mingyuan was thrilled to hear what Gu Baishuang said.

If Tong Huaqiong agreed to connect them to the Lu Family, he and his two sons wouldn’t have to toil hard. They would no longer worry about being cheated; instead, they would just invest money, buy goods, and follow Lu’s merchant ship to the South Seas.

Who knows, they might even become imperial merchants.

The more Nie Mingyuan thought about it, the happier he became.

Gu Baishuang watched her husband’s unabashed ambition, sneering internally.

How could she not have realized Nie Mingyuan’s greed before, greedy enough to be easily tricked?

"Husband, it’s better not to be happy too early. My stepmother is unpredictable, agreeing today but could change her mind tomorrow. We have to offer her enough benefits for her to be willing to exert effort." Gu Baishuang said to Nie Mingyuan with concern.

Nie Mingyuan nodded and said, "You’re right, so what do you think your stepmother wants as a benefit?"

Gu Baishuang remained silent.

Nie Mingyuan became urgently distressed.

Gu Baishuang thought, let him be anxious, the more anxious he becomes, the more she can pry open and grasp the Nie Family business.