The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 71: The Wealthy Scholar

Arriving at the town quickly.

Tong Huaqiong directed her two sons skillfully as they pulled her opposite the Crispy Food Garden. Once the cart stopped, Gu Dashu and Gu Jingzhe unloaded the pastries, and Gu Taohua unfolded the "Taohua Dessert" sign.

The first batch of pastries from the Crispy Food Garden was freshly out of the oven, filling the market with a mouth-watering aroma.

"Mom, will you and Taohua be fine here?" Gu Dashu unloaded the last basket of pastries, wiped his sweat, and asked.

He worried about his mother and sister competing for business right in front of Crispy Food Garden’s entrance. What if the Crispy Food Garden people plotted against them? If conflict arose, without a man around, how would they handle being bullied? He wanted to stay and support Taohua Dessert.

Tong Huaqiong shooed Gu Dashu back home, saying, "You and the youngest should go back, water the wheat in the other field at the foot of the mountain, tidy up the edges of our land and plant some vegetables. Also, the manure from the pig and chicken pens needs to be taken to the fields. There’s too much work to do at home, what are you doing stubbornly staying in town?"

Gu Dashu pointed to Crispy Food Garden and said, "Mom, look at the clerk at Crispy Food Garden. Their gaze could poke a couple of holes in our stall. Let me stay, just in case they drive you away, I can help you and my sister."

Tong Huaqiong had naturally noticed the clerk at Crispy Food Garden; it’s not just today, he was looking like this yesterday too.

He even deliberately spat near her stall yesterday while passing by.

In business, competition and small tactics are normal. She wasn’t frightened, at worst, she’d deal with it - the problems that might arise. They wouldn’t kill her!

If she couldn’t handle Crispy Food Garden, how could she manage to set up a shop in the county town relying on the Lu Family?

"You don’t need to stay. When did your old mom ever suffer losses? I’ve fought for land and water in our village, when have I ever lost? I’ve not lost in Qinghe Bay, not even when representing the village to compete for water with Moon Bay," Tong Huaqiong said.

Gu Dashu said, "It’s different, that’s in the village where your methods of crying, fussing, and threatening worked. Here in town, you’re doing business, how can those methods work in business?"

Tong Huaqiong nonchalantly replied, "What’s the difference? Is the clerk from Crispy Food Garden not a person? If they provoke me, I will cry, fuss, and threaten right at their door. If someone blocks my business, I’ll make them shut down."

"I have nothing to lose!"

Gu Dashu: "..."

"Second brother, let’s go back," Gu Jingzhe, with bumps on his head, urged, "I trust mom and sister."

Gu Jingzhe recently worked in the fields and found farming quite knowledgeable. He embraced a scholarly attitude, discovering satisfaction in agrarian pursuit.

Now, he wished to return and study why the village’s wheat growth varied.

"Let’s go, second brother," Gu Jingzhe tugged Gu Dashu and turned to leave.

Tong Huaqiong wondered why Gu Jingzhe was so eager, spotting students from the private school heading towards Taohua Dessert from afar, understanding he wanted to avoid a confrontation with his peers.

Gu Jingzhe ran faster than a rabbit; one of them was the school’s sole scholar, Fan Tong, with whom he never got along. He didn’t want Fan Tong and others to see the bumps on his head and the bruise on his mouth.

Too embarrassing!

"Start the business!" Tong Huaqiong told Gu Taohua.

"Come and take a look; Taohua Dessert is the best. Taohua Dessert has various delicious pastries like mung bean cake, mung bean cookies, chestnut crisps, honey knives, cookies, coconut crisps..."

"Whatever you want to eat, Taohua Dessert can satisfy; whatever you want to try that you’ve never eaten, Taohua Dessert has it."

"Taohua Dessert offers free tastings; if it’s not tasty, you don’t pay."

"Taohua Dessert, even Huang Yuanwai praises its delicious pastries. Come, take a look."

...

Gu Taohua began shouting.

She wore a large pink outfit, though plump, her skin was rosy; her round face exuded joyfulness. The whole of her radiated like a large blooming pink peach blossom, attracting people. Wearing the pearl hairpin Lu Zhaozhao gifted, which swayed with her calls, she appeared even more lively.

With Gu Taohua’s cries, customers gradually surrounded Taohua Dessert, even those queuing at Crispy Food Garden couldn’t help but turn back towards Taohua Dessert’s stall.

Anyway, sampling was free; if it didn’t taste good, they could always go back to queue at Crispy Food Garden.

"I heard Taohua Dessert’s jujube cake is delicious, let’s try it."

"Yesterday, Mr. Su tried it and said it was tasty."

The students were enthralled by Gu Taohua’s voice, several being eager to buy some pastries to try.

Fan Tong wasn’t too keen; he noticed Gu Taohua was interested in him, but her widowed mother was too troublesome.

Even if he didn’t go, he wanted Taohua to notice him; he intended to tease Gu Taohua!

Yesterday, he watched from afar observing the sales of Taohua Dessert, estimating it brought at least tens of liang in silver per day. If Gu Taohua took Taohua Dessert as dowry to marry him, he might be willing to accept her stone-like physique.

"Aunt, give me eight pieces of jujube cake." A student tasted the sample from Tong Huaqiong’s hand and pointed to the jujube cake directly requesting eight pieces.

"Alright." Tong Huaqiong was beaming.

The student seemed affluent, buying eight pieces at once. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Whatever you want to eat, take it; my treat," the wealthy student said to the others.

"Oh, Meng Yanping always treats us, it’s kind of embarrassing," one of the students said with a laugh.

"Enough, stop dawdling," Meng Yanping began undoing his wallet.

The other students laughed, playfully some wanting walnut crisps, some chestnut crisps, others honey knives, Gu Taohua wrapped the pastries handing them to each student, while Tong Huaqiong collected the money.

In just the opening, they sold a whole liang of silver.

"Hey, where did Brother Fan go?" a younger student asked.

Upon hearing "Brother Fan," Gu Taohua’s head reacted instinctively, she had noticed Fan Tong earlier, but as this group of students crowded over, he turned to the stationary store nearby.

Gu Taohua looked disappointed.

"Don’t bother with him," Meng Yanping said.

"Since your brother isn’t here, and you all bought so much today, I’ll throw in four extra cookies for you to give to your brother."

Gu Taohua, seeing Tong Huaqiong was engrossed in enticing other customers and not paying attention to her, wrapped the cookies and handed them to the young student who had called "Brother Fan," instructing him to give them to Fan Tong.

The students took the cookies and scattered, Gu Taohua saw Fan Tong coming out from the stationary store, smiling at her from afar.

Gu Taohua felt as if she drank a refreshing bowl of iced mung bean soup during June; her heart was bubbling with joy.

After Fan Tong left, Gu Taohua glanced at her mother, noticing Tong Huaqiong hadn’t paid any attention to her, she felt slightly reassured and began raising her voice to shout again.

"Taohua Dessert."

"Taohua Dessert offers free samples, if not tasty, you don’t pay."

A crowd gathered, growing larger.

The whole town knew Taohua Dessert offered samples, everyone scrambled to taste bites of the chopped pastries in the plate.

Tong Huaqiong kept a close eye on the sampling plate, fearing some bargain-hunting aunt might take it away.

Taohua Dessert became an instant hit in Yan Guan Town, boosted by the free samples, keeping Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua busy all morning.

Mother and daughter ate homemade buns and eggs for lunch before continuing their business.

Tong Huaqiong expressed satisfaction, with such a response, she hadn’t even employed decoys to queue, and the reputation spread.

"Shopkeeper, see those queuing behind are turning to Taohua Dessert. Could you think of a way?"

The young clerk at Crispy Food Garden watched Taohua Dessert’s bustling scene worriedly seeking Manager Feng.

Manager Feng wasn’t pleased either, muttering unhappily about that widow and her daughter. Over the past two days, they had significantly cut into Crispy Food Garden’s business.

"Go, buy some pastries from them," Manager Feng pondered and instructed the clerk.