The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 56: The Young Master and the Pig Share a Ride
Gu Dahuan had already been heavily manipulated by Tong Huaqiong’s PUA tactics. As soon as his stepmother criticized him, he started blaming himself for doing things wrong and causing the Lu siblings to suffer.
He really should have insisted on sending the two of them to the inn in town.
Gu Dahuan rubbed his hands and said to Tong Huaqiong, "I just didn’t think of it at the time."
Lu Zhaoyang, panting, said, "Aunt, it was I who didn’t let Dahuan go to the inn in town."
As for the reason, there was no need to mention it.
Gu Jingzhe then said to Lu Zhaoyang, "Mr. Lu, it’s a coincidence, my older brother happens to be your family’s driver. We live nearby in Qinghe Bay, and since it’s so late, why not stay over at our place for the night? In the morning, my brother can take you and Miss Lu back to the city."
It was done, Gu Jingzhe had already invited them.
Tong Huaqiong was so angry she felt like hitting someone.
"My home is simple, I’m afraid it might inconvenience Mr. Lu," Tong Huaqiong said.
Moments ago, Gu Dahuan kept calling Tong Huaqiong "mom," and Gu Jingzhe and Gu Dashi were calling Gu Dahuan "big brother," so Lu Zhaoyang already realized that this aunt and the three children were the family of their driver Gu Dahuan.
Gu Dahuan had mentioned on the way that his home was in a nearby village, and Gu Dahuan was usually loyal and not very talkative. Tong Huaqiong identified the root cause of Lu Zhaoyang’s illness, so he and Lu Zhaozhao both felt that their encounter with the Gu family was a matter of fate.
Lu Zhaoyang, in his frail state, was not fit to turn back the way he came. Misinterpreting Tong Huaqiong’s implied meaning, he accepted Gu Jingzhe’s suggestion, saying, "Aunt Gu, then we’ll trouble you."
Forget it, since fate had led to this encounter, there wasn’t much that could be done.
If the Lu siblings wanted to come to her house, so be it.
However, Tong Huaqiong was quite displeased being called Aunt Gu; she wasn’t familiar with the deceased old man of the Gu family and proudly held onto her surname Tong.
So she said, "I don’t bear the surname of that dead old fellow, I’m Tong, you should call me Aunt Tong."
Lu Zhaoyang was slightly taken aback, then smoothly said, "Aunt Tong, thank you for the trouble."
Lu Zhaozhao also obediently said from the side, "Aunt Tong, my brother will be a bother to you."
Tong Huaqiong smiled wryly, what else could she do but accept the bother since he was laid up there; it wouldn’t be right to leave him unattended.
"Mr. Lu, it’s not suitable for you to be in an enclosed space right now; the air in the palanquin isn’t good for stabilizing your condition."
Tong Huaqiong glanced at her flat cart, where the castrated piglet was lying comfortably, occasionally letting out a grunt. Tong Huaqiong sighed, letting Mr. Lu stay with a pig in the same cart was a helpless choice.
"Well, Mr. Lu, if you don’t mind, please lie flat on our cart."
"Aunt Tong, thank..."
Lu Zhaozhao swallowed the last part of her thanks; her brother with a pig?
Gu Dahuan also saw the piglet on the cart, looking embarrassed. He thought, how could someone as dignified as Mr. Lu possibly share a cart with a pig?
He didn’t dare say anything, worried that his stepmother might flare up, worsening Mr. Lu’s condition.
"Mom, there’s a pig on the cart," Gu Jingzhe awkwardly reminded.
Lu Zhaoyang, half lying in Gu Dahuan’s arms, lifted his head just as the pig suddenly grunted a few times.
"It’s okay, Aunt Tong is willing to take in my sister and me; I’m already very grateful." Lu Zhaoyang gave a weak smile.
Of course, it was impossible not to mind, but Lu Zhaoyang understood how important pigs were to farm families. Some families relied on selling a pig to meet their annual needs for oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, needles, and thread. As a farmer’s family, the Gu family was no exception. From the way the pig lay comfortably on the cart, Lu Zhaoyang could see how much Aunt Tong valued it; how could he ask her to place a precious pig above him?
Since Lu Zhaoyang said so, Tong Huaqiong found no need to be overly polite.
Besides, it was about the pig being castrated; there was no way she’d let it down to walk unless Mr. Lu was willing to put it in the carriage.
Lu Zhaozhao took the soft mat and blanket from the carriage and placed them on the cart with Gu Taohua’s help, creating a comfortable environment for Lu Zhaoyang.
Gu Dahuan and Gu Dashi lifted Lu Zhaoyang onto the cart, and Gu Jingzhe separated the pig and Lu Zhaoyang with some straw.
The pig nudged towards Lu Zhaoyang through the straw.
Tong Huaqiong: "..."
A distinguished gentleman sharing a cart with a pig was truly outrageous!
"Aunt Tong, why don’t you come on the carriage with this young lady?" After settling Lu Zhaoyang, Lu Zhaozhao invited Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua onto the carriage.
"My name is Gu Taohua, you can just call me Taohua," Gu Taohua said.
Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua got on the carriage one after the other. It must be said that this carriage was far more comfortable than Mr. Xu’s ox cart or her own flat cart.
No wind could reach them, nor rain.
The high horse pulling the carriage was much more majestic and handsome than Mr. Xu’s ox.
If Mr. Xu’s ox cart was a Wuling Hongguang, then the Lu family’s carriage was a BMW.
Gu Dashi and Gu Jingzhe continued to push and pull the flat cart, Gu Dahuan drove the carriage, and they all headed through the dense forest towards Qinghe Bay.
"Hey, I’m Taohua, what’s your name?" Gu Taohua asked Lu Zhaozhao.
"My name is Lu Zhaozhao, and you can call me Zhao Zhao," Lu Zhaozhao said.
"Your family is so wealthy, why are you so thin?"
Gu Taohua observed Lu Zhaozhao’s slender arms, pointed chin, and large, watery eyes, feeling a tinge of envy.
It was understandable why girls in the village were skin and bones; after all, they were considered worthless by their families and worked all day but didn’t get enough to eat.
But Lu Zhaozhao’s attire indicated wealth, with a carriage for travel and surely plenty to eat. Yet, living in such comfort, how was she still so thin?
It seemed unfair!
Lu Zhaozhao looked innocently with her big eyes, "I’ve been like this since I was young."
Gu Taohua snorted, even more upset.
Not knowing why, Lu Zhaozhao removed the pearl hairpin from her head and placed it on Gu Taohua’s, saying, "Miss Taohua, I think this hairpin looks good on you, it’s yours now."
Gu Taohua went from surprised to delighted, couldn’t help but feel the hairpin, touching each smooth pearl, and she was reluctant to take it off.
Such a fine thing, even the eldest sister didn’t have one!
Tong Huaqiong could hardly bear to see Gu Taohua’s tendency to take advantage.
It was such an eyesore!
"Taohua, how can you take something from Zhao Zhao? Hurry up and give it back," Tong Huaqiong scolded with a stern face.
Although Gu Taohua was reluctant, she couldn’t resist Tong Huaqiong’s sharp gaze, so she handed it back to Lu Zhaozhao.
Lu Zhaozhao waved her hand, saying, "What I give to you is yours; I won’t take it back."
She said to Tong Huaqiong, "Aunt Tong, it’s just a hairpin; you don’t need to mind it. How about this, I think the velvet flower in Taohua’s hair is pretty; why don’t I exchange my pearl hairpin for it?"
Without waiting for Taohua to finish, she took the pink velvet flower from Gu Taohua’s hair and placed it in her own.
Lu Zhaozhao had already said so much; what more could Tong Huaqiong say?
Gu Taohua brightened up and began chatting with Lu Zhaozhao.
Halfway through their journey, the two girls were already on their way to becoming close friends and confidantes.
In the fragmented memories of Tong Dajiao’s past life, Tong Huaqiong saw the former Lu Zhaozhao treating Gu Taohua like a sister, showering her with food, toys, and necessities.
Gu Taohua eloped with Fan Tong without a matchmaker, marrying with a pregnancy. To support Gu Taohua, Lu Zhaozhao provided a wedding dowry of twenty-eight lavish items.
The dowry filled cart after cart, with everything from gold and silver to silks, from shops and land to cultivated fields and forests.
However, Gu Taohua, lacking sense, poured everything into the bottomless pit of the Fan Family.
The only redeeming quality of Gu Taohua in her past life that Tong Huaqiong could recall was her gratitude, as she stood by Lu Zhaozhao’s side unwaveringly. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
After Gu Jingzhe secretly married the Commandery Princess while hiding his wife at home, Gu Taohua stormed into the Commandery Princess’s residence to demand justice for Lu Zhaozhao, scolding Gu Jingzhe flamboyantly.
In this life, as if fated, the Gu family encountered the Lu siblings once again.
Tong Huaqiong wanted to change the course of events. Lu Zhaozhao could be friends and confidantes with Gu Taohua, just not sister-in-law.
