The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 40: Direct Confrontation with Housekeeper He
Tong Huaqiong came into the courtyard and extended her hand to stop Housekeeper He, who was trying to barge into the house.
"Widow Tong, how impolite you are. I’m here to collect a debt, and you won’t let me into the house?" Housekeeper He said with a cold laugh.
Tong Huaqiong smiled and said, "Collecting a debt can be done in the courtyard. Why bother coming inside? Housekeeper He, don’t you know that a widow’s door is prone to trouble? What if some unpleasant rumors about us spread, ruining my reputation?"
"What are your intentions towards me? Just say it directly."
Early in the morning, she wasn’t in the mood to invite people in for tea.
Why can’t this matter be settled in the courtyard? Why make a big deal about sitting down inside?
"You..."
This left Housekeeper He speechless for quite some time.
Widow Tong was truly hard to deal with.
Not even considering herself, playing hard to get like an eighteen-year-old maiden, and still worried about rumors, who would gossip about her? Isn’t this humiliating?
Chen Sufen saw that Housekeeper He had brought four or five armed servants, feeling extremely nervous, she quietly picked up a stick and stood by her mother-in-law.
If Housekeeper He or the servants dared to be rough with her mother-in-law, she was prepared to fight.
Tong Huaqiong patted Chen Sufen’s shoulder to indicate she could handle it.
"Housekeeper He comes to collect a debt with so many servants, those who don’t know might think he’s here to claim lives instead." Tong Huaqiong sneered.
"Who can say whether it’s to collect a debt or to claim a life? If the debt isn’t repaid, won’t your grandson’s life be given as compensation? I wonder if Widow Tong still remembers our agreement?" Housekeeper He said aggressively.
Gu Dashi and Gu Jingzhe, hearing the commotion, got up from bed and came to the courtyard, gathering around Tong Huaqiong to support their mother.
Housekeeper He’s repeated shouts of "widow" made Gu Dashi and Gu Jingzhe’s faces look very unpleasant.
Especially Gu Jingzhe, who couldn’t stand anyone calling his mother a widow to her face, always feeling that those who did intended to stab his mother in the heart.
"Housekeeper He, I advise you to watch your mouth. Have you been a lackey for so long that you don’t recognize your own weight and look down on others?" Gu Jingzhe cursed.
Hearing Gu Jingzhe call him a dog, Housekeeper He’s expression changed, and he retorted sarcastically, "I thought Gu, the great talent, was cultured. Turns out when you curse, you’re quite down-to-earth. It’s true I’m a dog of the Zheng Family, but a dog knows to protect its master and family. Yet you, a person, push your family into the fire pit. Tsk tsk tsk!"
Gu Jingzhe was prompted by this, his face reddened, and he opened his mouth but didn’t know how to retort.
At this moment, he truly regretted his connection with the Zheng Family for marriage, knowing this would be a stain on his life.
He didn’t know what method to use to clear his name.
"Widow Tong, why don’t I see your precious grandson?"
Housekeeper He was pleased with his win, and began looking for Gu Yaozu.
"If you think you can harm my son, let’s see if you have the ability to do so."
Gu Dashi casually picked up the hoe used yesterday for weeding the wheat field, holding it steadily in his hand.
He carefully assessed the opponent’s fighting power, thinking that with him and Gu Jingzhe, plus the robust sister Gu Taohua and his mother’s strength, they might not lose.
But Gu Dashi felt his confidence lay not in the Gu family’s bad bamboo-like fighting power but fundamentally in the fifty taels of silver his mother had entrusted to him.
At this moment, he wanted to throw the silver into Housekeeper He’s face. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
Shouting "widow" at his mother like that, was he thinking of becoming their stepfather, and did he even deserve it?
"Alright, less nonsense. Housekeeper He is here to collect a debt, so why all the verbal sparring?"
Tong Huaqiong heard Housekeeper He’s jab at Gu Jingzhe and deliberately didn’t respond; in her view, Gu Jingzhe should be provoked by outsiders.
Look at this, Housekeeper He, while working for the Zheng Family, colluded with him to have Man Er marry the Eldest Young Master Zheng, even then, Housekeeper He despised Gu Jingzhe’s actions.
Even a dog wouldn’t care for things obtained through underhanded means.
Gu Jingzhe ought to wake up completely.
"I won’t waste words with you. How’s the silver preparation going?"
Housekeeper He, after some verbal sparring, saw Gu Dashi with Gu Jingzhe and Gu Taohua ready and knew that dealing with this bunch of bad bamboo wouldn’t be easy.
He was here to collect silver, not to lose his life.
If Widow Tong couldn’t repay fifty taels of silver, he would have to take Gu Yaozu away and geld him to send to Shengjing.
This wasn’t his idea, but the Eldest Young Master’s.
"Already prepared."
Tong Huaqiong turned around and entered the room, opened a cabinet, took out a box, and retrieved fifty taels of silver, packing it in a bundle and bringing it out.
Housekeeper He caught a flash of surprise in his eyes upon seeing the silver.
Just afraid the Eldest Young Master will be disappointed.
"Housekeeper He, what’s with that expression? Don’t you believe my family can come up with fifty taels of silver?" Gu Dashu said.
It must be said that silver can give people confidence; Gu Dashu’s voice was a bit louder than before.
"Housekeeper He, take a good look, is it fifty taels?"
Tong Huaqiong counted the silver in front of Housekeeper He.
Not too much, not too little, it was indeed fifty taels.
Housekeeper He’s eyes flickered; he had underestimated this Widow Tong, managing to raise the silver in five days.
Tong Huaqiong handed the bundle to Housekeeper He, who was just about to take it when Tong Huaqiong pulled it back.
Housekeeper He’s eyes narrowed.
Tong Huaqiong smiled and said, "Where’s the contract? One hand for the contract, one hand for the silver."
Did Housekeeper He really think she was just a rural widow who knew how to throw a fit and be unreasonable? Without handing over such an important contract, could she give the silver?
Housekeeper He pulled out the contract from his bosom and unfolded it.
Tong Huaqiong glanced at it, confirmed there were no issues, and handed the silver to Housekeeper He. Under the watchful eyes of Gu Dashu and others, Housekeeper He gave the contract to Tong Huaqiong; Liu Yueer came from the kitchen holding a burning fire stick, and burned the contract in the yard.
In Liu Yueer’s mind, without evidence, her Yaozu would be completely safe.
"Done, I’ve got the silver." Housekeeper He took the silver and had no desire to trouble the Gu Family any further; besides, he couldn’t afford to, so he turned to leave.
"Housekeeper He, please wait," Tong Huaqiong suddenly said.
Housekeeper He turned back annoyed, "I’ve given you the contract, what more do you want?"
Tong Huaqiong asked with a smile, "I heard from Matchmaker Wang that Housekeeper He wants to send my boy for castration..."
"That’s my Young Master’s idea. Don’t worry, since your family has repaid the silver, your grandson’s roots are saved. Widow Tong, to be honest, even if you hadn’t repaid the silver, I couldn’t possibly do something to cut off your family’s descendants—I’d be struck by lightning for such an act," Housekeeper He said.
The Young Master, close to dying, feared no lightning strikes, but Housekeeper He did!
Tong Huaqiong heard this and ended up holding Housekeeper He in higher regard; it seemed this old fellow still had some principles.
"I’m not talking about that; I want to ask if you know where the castration master lives?" Tong Huaqiong asked.
"Why do you want to know?" Housekeeper He couldn’t help scrutinizing Tong Huaqiong from head to toe; could this widow be vicious enough to want her own grandson castrated?
The rest of the Gu Family thought similarly; even Liu Yueer was planning to take Yaozu and run away.
"My pig." Tong Huaqiong pointed at the pigpen and said, "This boar eats a lot but never seems to fatten. People say that old sows grow fast, so I want the castration master to castrate the pig; maybe it’ll fatten up quicker."
Housekeeper He’s expression was as if he’d been struck by lightning.
He’d heard of castrating people but never about anyone castrating a boar.
This Widow Tong really played with new ideas; without a man of her own, she was twisted enough not to spare even the boar.
The boar ate a lot and didn’t put on weight; be patient and wait, but she insisted on castrating it.
Not only was Housekeeper He astonished, but the rest of the Gu Family was too; Gu Dashu even faintly felt a pain in his own lower region.
"Just tell me, where does the castration master live?" Tong Huaqiong wouldn’t concern herself with what Housekeeper He thought; she had to find out the castration master’s address.
"The castration master’s surname is Tan, on Quan Shui Street, with a big elm tree in front—that’s his house," Housekeeper He said.
"Thank you, when my pig is castrated, and upon slaughter, I’ll make sure Housekeeper He tastes this castrated pork."
Obtaining the castration master’s address, Tong Huaqiong expressed her thanks to Housekeeper He with a radiant smile.
This Widow Tong was too abnormal, castrating even a boar, and he didn’t want to eat rootless meat.
"I’m off."
Housekeeper He clutched the silver tightly and dashed away faster than a rabbit.
As if, if he didn’t go now, Widow Tong might tie him up to send him along with the boar to Master Tan.
