After Tong Huaqiong finished her meal, she took a group of bad bamboo shoots and went to the old house at the west end of the village.

She went there just to keep up appearances.

What’s more, she wanted to see what trouble the second family and the two elders might stir up.

She also had a question: why did they suddenly return when everything was going well outside?

In order to silence others, Tong Huaqiong didn’t go empty-handed.

She ordered Jingzhe to carry some window paper, Taohua carried two boxes of pastries, Dahuan carried a bucket of flour, Liu Yueer carried a quilt, while Man Er, Yaozu, and Xiao Long followed behind. A group of people swarmed into the old house.

Honglian cried to Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu behind her sister-in-law, Mrs. Jia.

She cried about how good the fabric her elder sister-in-law wore was, and how shiny the bracelet on her hand was. Now times were better, she was thriving, yet she didn’t leave them even a meal.

She mentioned she wanted to move into her elder sister-in-law’s new house to live, but her elder sister-in-law didn’t agree, and the tears of grievance flowed endlessly.

Mrs. Gu was deeply distressed.

Her daughter, whom she loved and pampered since she was in the cradle. Back then, to ensure she and Jingzhe and Taohua were raised by her eldest daughter-in-law, she willingly humbled herself and smiled.

"My child, they say the oldest sister-in-law is like a mother. You were raised by her, how could she treat you like this? Her heart is really cold and hard, she resents you for siding with your second brother when the land was divided. In hindsight, when your second brother’s business was flourishing, and the eldest family was so poor, you should have sided with your second brother."

Mrs. Gu complained haphazardly.

Honglian said unhappily, "But mother, now second brother’s business has failed, and Rui Nian’s education costs money. I haven’t had new clothes for a long time. I want to live with my elder sister-in-law. Haven’t you seen Taohua dressed like a lady of wealth, even Da Han and Man Er’s mother wear clothes better than mine."

Mr. Gu thought for a moment and said, "If you want to go, you can go. I’ll let you live there, who dares oppose it?"

Honglian smiled.

"Ah, is this the eldest sister-in-law?"

To save lamp oil, the old house usually goes to bed after dinner; today, to wait for Tong Huaqiong and others to visit the two elders, everyone gathered in the room after dinner to chat.

Mrs. Jia rushed out to open the door upon hearing the knock.

With a creak, Mrs. Jia’s loud voice exploded.

She’s here, the eldest daughter-in-law is here!

Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu steadily sat upright, with stern faces, waiting for Tong Huaqiong and the group of kids to enter.

"Is this the younger sister-in-law? I almost didn’t recognize you." Tong Huaqiong enthusiastically took hold of Mrs. Jia’s hand, not seeing her face clearly in the dim courtyard.

As she spoke, she pulled Mrs. Jia into the main room.

Mrs. Jia, dazed, followed Tong Huaqiong into the room.

Mrs. Gu turned up the wick, and as soon as Tong Huaqiong entered, the room instantly brightened.

Mrs. Jia stared blankly at Tong Huaqiong, momentarily losing herself.

Is this the sister-in-law?

The widowed sister-in-law?

Wearing a crimson dress, adorned with accessories on her head and wrists, so dazzling it could blind one’s eyes.

If it weren’t for Tong Huaqiong warmly calling her younger sister-in-law, she would have thought she was some charming daughter-in-law from another family.

She finally understood what the villagers meant when they said the widow Tong had transformed.

"What’s wrong, younger sister-in-law, don’t recognize me?" Tong Huaqiong asked Mrs. Jia with a smile.

When Tong Dajiao was around, the Gu family’s two sisters-in-law always clashed.

Tong Dajiao had a straightforward nature, she would vent her anger and show her temper. Mrs. Jia was different, skilled in subtle grievances, adept at complaining.

Because of this, Tong Dajiao suffered many losses secretly, endured much resentment, whether in the eyes of the in-laws or in the clan and village. They all said Tong Dajiao was not as good as Mrs. Jia, spreading that Tong Dajiao bullied Mrs. Jia relying on her status as the eldest sister-in-law.

"No... it’s just that the change in the eldest sister-in-law is so great." Mrs. Jia said after collecting her thoughts.

Feeling a bit sour inside.

Now the eldest sister-in-law looks young and successful, while her own business suffered losses, she hasn’t had new clothes for a year, the servant girls were dismissed, and she and her daughter-in-law and daughter have to do the rough work themselves.

This year, she noticeably aged.

Tong Huaqiong sighed, clicked her tongue, then complained to You Tian sitting beside Mr. Gu: "Second brother, honestly, you should’ve notified me in advance when you returned. Anyone who didn’t know might think you made it big and secretly ditched the two elders back home."

What Tong Huaqiong said wasn’t unwarranted about You Tian.

Mr. Gu handed the Silver and land to the second family, and back then they promised to take the Gu seniors to live in the south, and all their elderly care responsibilities would fall to them. This matter was witnessed by the Clan Leader and the clan elders.

Now, without a word, You Tian brought the two elders back to Qinghe Bay, inevitably making people think he wanted to dump the Gu family’s elderly care back on the eldest family.

You Tian sat to the side with a half-smile.

He initially thought he would humble the eldest sister-in-law when she visited, but her formidable aura upon entering the room stifled him.

The words meant to blame rotted inside him.

Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu were sitting upright, but upon seeing Tong Huaqiong, they nearly fell from shock and took a long time to recover.

This was not the widow of their son, but like a wealthy lady coming to help the poor.

Mrs. Gu stared at Tong Huaqiong’s crimson dress, feeling a blockage in her heart.

Her son had only passed for how long, and her daughter-in-law started wearing red.

Dressing up so attractively as a widow, for whom?

Could she be planning to find another man?

Mr. Gu was even more displeased; the eldest daughter-in-law just came in and hasn’t even greeted them yet but started criticizing the younger son.

Simply outrageous.

Mr. Gu coughed twice to show his presence.

Tong Huaqiong glanced at Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu, then instructed Dahuan and others to step forward and greet them.

"Grandpa."

"Grandma."

Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu acknowledged coldly with a hum in their noses.

Then pulled Man Er, Xiao Long, and Yaozu from behind to the front to call great-grandpa and great-grandma.

Xiao Long stiffened his neck and didn’t speak.

Man Er and Yaozu called out, waiting for great-grandpa and great-grandma to give gifts, but seeing the two elders sitting upright without any indication, they scampered back to their mothers’ sides.

Tong Huaqiong surveyed the room’s people.

Her younger brother-in-law, You Tian, sat beside Mr. Gu. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Next to him leaned the grandson.

On the chair sat the eldest family’s eldest son, Feng Nian, while his wife, Mrs. Wei, was embroidering something with needle and thread. Seeing Tong Huaqiong enter, she stood up and then sat back down.

Under the lamplight was the younger daughter Xiaoxue, younger than Taohua by a year, with a skinny body and big eyes. She stood up and called out, "Aunt."

"Dahuan, Jingzhe, Taohua, bring the gifts we brought for grandpa and grandma," ordered Tong Huaqiong.

Mr. Gu’s expression slightly softened.

He knew well that although the eldest daughter-in-law had a bad temper, she was still filial as she should be.

"Grandpa, Aunt said last night the wind blew the window paper away. I specially brought some of my writing paper for you to patch the windows," Jingzhe stepped forward and placed several bundles of paper on the table.

"Grandma, these are pastries from my family’s shop. Knowing you and Grandpa are getting older and prefer soft ones, I specially packed some easy-to-digest pastries for you to taste," Taohua placed the two boxes in front of Mrs. Gu.

"Grandpa, here are twenty pounds of white flour." Dahuan carried the wooden bucket to the bedside and asked You Tian, "Second uncle, where should I pour this flour? This bucket is still useful."

Liu Yueer, meanwhile, placed a quilt on the bed and said, "These days the spring chill is strong, worried about Aunt being cold, I specially brought a thick quilt for her to cover."

Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu’s faces grew increasingly grim.

They thought it would be some valuable gift.

Just this, to fob off a beggar.