The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 67: Gu Jingzhe Gets Beaten Up

After being advised by Tong Huaqiong, Chen Sufen felt full of remorse.

She had underestimated her mother-in-law.

She wanted Gu Dahuan to stay at home, fearing that her mother-in-law would be reluctant if she knew about Gu Dahuan’s three taels of silver. I learned last night that Gu Dahuan gets a monthly allowance of three taels of silver and became worried since the other day mother-in-law eagerly mentioned letting Gu Dahuan stay home, unaware of the good position he held with the Lu Family.

Afraid that her mother-in-law would be unwilling if she found out about the monthly salary of three taels of silver, Chen Sufen, being straightforward, thought to probe her mother-in-law’s reaction.

Now her mother-in-law’s attitude was very clear, which was to have Gu Dahuan resign from the Lu Family. Chen Sufen felt both delighted and self-reproachful.

"Mother, I’ve remembered everything you taught me today. From now on, I’ll speak my mind and won’t hold back." Chen Sufen plucked up her courage and caught up with Tong Huaqiong to say.

Tong Huaqiong snorted through her nose.

Chen Sufen chuckled and said that breakfast was ready and offered to serve Tong Huaqiong.

"Set it up in the courtyard." Feeling the pleasant morning breeze in the courtyard, Tong Huaqiong instructed Chen Sufen.

Chen Sufen agreed and went to the kitchen.

Having already fed and watered the pigs, Liu Yueer rushed to the kitchen, wagging like a lackey, and started moving tables, chairs, and serving bowls of rice with Gu Yaozu.

"Oh dear, Third Brother, what’s wrong? Did you hit yourself while watering the field?"

Tong Huaqiong heard Liu Yueer’s continuous exclamations and looked up to see Gu Jingzhe with two purple lumps on his forehead, carrying a hoe and walking through the door.

Gu Jingzhe’s face was dark, without acknowledging Liu Yueer, he placed the hoe by the wall and began washing without a word.

"Oh dear, Third Brother, what’s wrong with you?" Chen Sufen almost lost her grip on the bowl she was holding, hurriedly set it down, and handed a face towel to Gu Jingzhe.

"Thank you, Sister-in-law." Gu Jingzhe’s voice was a bit muffled, seemingly unwilling to meet Chen Sufen’s eyes.

"I’m fine." Gu Jingzhe didn’t seem willing to talk about his injuries.

Tong Huaqiong discreetly observed a moment, sensing that Gu Jingzhe definitely hadn’t slipped while watering the field.

Because he wasn’t wet.

Gu Jingzhe had two big lumps on each side of his forehead, with bruises at the corner of his eyes and mouth.

Clearly, he had been beaten.

Tong Huaqiong’s expression darkened; she first thought it might have been done by Xu Si’s brothers.

Yesterday, she and Gu Taohua had deeply offended Yan Pozi and Xu Si, and Gu Jingzhe even threatened Xu Si.

The Xu Family in Qinghe Bay had always bullied others, relying on their many sons, so if Xu Si’s brothers took advantage of Gu Jingzhe watering the field and beat him, it wouldn’t be surprising.

Especially since Gu Jingzhe was once a scholar, the Xu Family had concerns about him, but now as a commoner, they had no need to worry.

Tong Huaqiong thought if it was truly the Xu Family’s doing, she wouldn’t bother setting up her stall today; she would certainly lead a group of bad bamboo to fight against the Xu Family.

Only she had the right to hit Gu Jingzhe; if outsiders hit him and she didn’t defend him, the next to be hit would be Taohua and herself.

"Third Son, who hit you?"

"Was it the Xu Family?"

"Where are your elder and second brothers?"

Tong Huaqiong fired a series of questions.

"What, Third Brother was hit by the Xu Family people? Why wait, let’s go hit them back!"

Gu Taohua emerged from the house, triggered by the mention of the Xu Family, rolled up her sleeves, grabbed a stick, and was about to rush out.

"Taohua." Tong Huaqiong stopped Taohua.

Tong Huaqiong thought over it; the cunning Gu Jingzhe wasn’t someone who would endure being bullied, whoever hit him, he’d surely retaliate, so it was unlikely he’d be sitting by the pool washing his face right now.

There must be more to the story.

"Third Son, speak up, who hit you?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

Gu Jingzhe said quietly, "It’s nothing."

After saying that, he returned to the house, leaving Tong Huaqiong bewildered.

Even the sly Gu Jingzhe has moments when he’s willing to suffer losses?

"Mother, the bumps on Third Brother’s head were caused by Elder Brother." Gu Dashi came in, carrying a bucket, and said.

"What? Dahan hit Third Brother?" Chen Sufen was so frightened her hands trembled.

Gu Dahuan usually tolerates everything, but the idea of Jingzhe wanting Man Er to marry the Eldest Young Master Zheng crossed his line. Last night, Gu Dahuan wanted to confront Gu Jingzhe, but was stopped by Chen Sufen.

Her husband ultimately couldn’t hold back, and this morning, he took the chance to hit his younger brother while watering the fields.

Her first reaction was that he hit him well, but the next moment she was worried about the situation her husband would face.

Even if the mother-in-law had become increasingly kinder to their family lately, Jingzhe was still her own son, and Chen Sufen worried the mother-in-law might get angry.

If the mother-in-law got mad, their family would be caught in a storm.

"Second brother, why didn’t you stop him?" Chen Sufen asked Gu Dashi.

"He hit him well!"

Gu Dashi was about to say he wanted to, but his usually meek older brother went mad, and he couldn’t stop him, fearing he would also get hit, so he didn’t dare to try again.

Before he could speak, he heard his mother make the final judgment.

Jingzhe only reads and doesn’t do any real work; Gu Dahuan had to let out his anger.

In her memories of Tong Dajiao, Gu Dahuan was always a person who couldn’t even let out half a fart.

On the other hand, he endlessly subjected his wife and daughter to grievances to please his father and stepmother; Tong Huaqiong looked down on this stepson.

By hitting Gu Jingzhe today, it showed he had a trace of courage and was redeemable, so Tong Huaqiong looked at him with more respect.

"Mother... I... apologize to you."

Gu Dahuan couldn’t hold back from hitting Jingzhe, but he didn’t regret it. However, after doing it, he felt a bit panicked and didn’t know how to face his stepmother.

He had thought it through, wanting to kneel before his stepmother at home and accept her scolding and beating.

The stepmother’s attitude surprised him.

He had hit her favorite son, but she actually said it was well done.

This shocked him more than if his father came back from the dead.

"Mother, your son is unfilial."

Gu Dahuan thudded and knelt before Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong was startled; she didn’t see where Gu Dahuan was being unfilial. If hitting Gu Jingzhe was unfilial, that set the bar too low.

Soon she understood, Gu Dahuan had been brainwashed, and Tong Huaqiong’s bit of kindness made him start to self-blame for hitting Gu Jingzhe and making his stepmother sad.

"You are not unfilial. Your third brother did wrong. As the eldest brother, it’s right to teach him a lesson." Tong Huaqiong said.

Gu Dahuan was moved by Tong Huaqiong’s sense of reason.

"It’s said that the eldest brother is like a father. You are half a father to them. Not only your third brother, but if your second brother does wrong, as the eldest brother, you can also hit him." Tong Huaqiong said.

Gu Dashi: "..."

"Mother..." Gu Dahuan was choked with emotion.

"In the past, the second and the third disrespected you, which was partly because they were unreasonable, but you, as the eldest brother, also had a responsibility. In everything, you spoiled them, knowing they were wrong, yet you kept tolerating, willing to let your wife and daughter suffer grievances. So who else would they bully but you?"

"I am especially happy that you taught your third brother a lesson today. What am I happy about? I’m happy that you finally have the appearance of an elder brother, that you finally stood up, which is a sign of prosperity for the Gu family. So you have nothing to be unfilial about, and nothing to apologize for." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Tong Huaqiong’s words warmed the heart Gu Dahuan had long closed off.

He finally understood Chen Sufen’s feelings; his stepmother was truly different from before.

"Mother, I am incapable and can’t earn much money, which gave my third brother the thought of marrying into the Zheng family." Gu Dahuan, moved, began taking responsibility for why Gu Jingzhe couldn’t continue his studies.

"It’s not related to you; as the eldest, you’ve done enough. I just happened to want to discuss something with you; after taking the Lu family siblings to Government City today, quit your job and stay at home to tend the land." Tong Huaqiong put forward her request to Gu Dahuan.

Chen Sufen’s eyes welled up upon hearing her mother-in-law say this.

Gu Dahuan was stunned, as Chen Sufen had told him the stepmother wished for him to live at home later, something he hadn’t believed.

Unexpectedly, the stepmother really wanted him to quit his job, but did she know he could earn three taels of silver a month?

"Mother, I still won’t quit my job; I can at least earn three taels of silver a month." Gu Dahuan said.

Hearing this, Tong Huaqiong pretended to be angry again: "I think you just want to enjoy life at the Lu Family in the city, leaving your wife and children at home to do the work. You’ve been in the city for so long, yet in the entire village, it’s our wheat that grows the poorest. I think you just don’t want to farm at home. If you’re not tending the crops, should I be the one tending them for you?"

Tong Huaqiong, once again being firm.

Gu Dahuan and Chen Sufen, both completely dutiful old-fashioned folks, couldn’t withstand it when Tong Huaqiong put labels on them.

Sure enough, hearing Tong Huaqiong accuse him of avoiding farming and wanting to shift the farm work to her, Gu Dahuan was immediately frightened and didn’t dare to suggest continuing his employment with the Lu family.