The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 128 Her Business Abilities
Tong Huaqiong reclaimed all the land and face that Tong Dajiao had lost in the spring.

Tong Huaqiong led her men to cut the two extra feet of wheat that Granny Yan had taken. Liu Tiechui worried that once Tong Huaqiong and her men returned home, Granny Yan would bring her four sons to cut Tong Huaqiong's wheat.

So he called Liu Shan and Zhao Shi to pick up sickles and come to Tong Huaqiong's field, saying to Tong Huaqiong, "In-law, let's take advantage of this momentum and finish harvesting this acre of land."

Once this acre of land is harvested, Granny Yan won't be able to steal anymore.

Tong Huaqiong also had the same idea.

It was evening, the daytime heat had dissipated, and it wasn't hot to work, making it perfect for harvesting wheat.

"Sister Tong, you must be tired from running your business. You just had another argument with Granny Yan. Have some water and take a break," Zhao said, handing the kettle to Tong Huaqiong.

She sighed inwardly when she saw Tong Huaqiong's clumsy wheat-cutting posture.

I thought to myself, no wonder my in-laws never did farm work before, they just didn't know how. Their real talent lies in business.

Ultimately, it was Old Man Gu who kept her in check.

“Mother-in-law, I’m not tired. We’ll go work at your house after we finish this.” Tong Huaqiong said politely to Zhao.

Zhao's lips twitched. Given her mother-in-law's unfamiliar manner, it was best not to let her cause any trouble on their land.

To be honest, Tong Huaqiong really wanted to throw down the sickle and quit; her hands were sore from cutting just one basket of soil.

It's more tiring than standing behind a counter all day in business.

But she was too embarrassed to throw down the sickle, with so many people watching her.

After discussing it, Aunt Qin and Qin Qingyou also came to help, carrying sickles.

Tong Huaqiong expressed her gratitude to Aunt Qin and her son, but Aunt Qin was not as polite as Zhao Shi and directly pointed out that Tong Huaqiong was not good at work.

This time, Tong Huaqiong didn't argue with Aunt Qin. She directly admitted her shortcomings, which made Aunt Qin feel embarrassed to continue criticizing her.

Gu Guangkui heard Tong Huaqiong and Granny Yan arguing on the riverbank and rushed over to help, only to find that both sides had already stopped arguing.

Seeing Liu Tiechui, Qin Qingyou, and others helping Tong Huaqiong harvest wheat, they went home, brought sickles, and Zhang Shi came to help as well.

His daughter did a good job at Tong Huaqiong's shop. Every night when she came home, she would praise Tong Huaqiong for her kindness and become more lively. Gu Guangkui felt grateful to Tong Huaqiong.

Even if his mother was cursing him from behind, he still helped Tong Huaqiong harvest wheat.

Gu Guangkui and his wife are very capable; with their help, the wheat harvesting speed has increased significantly.

After harvesting wheat for a while, Tong Huaqiong remembered the meat and vegetables she had bought. While she was fighting with Granny Yan, the driver had left them at the edge of the field. It was hot, and they would probably spoil if she didn't take them back to prepare them.

So he asked Chen Sufen to take the things home and prepare a table full of food and drinks.

The Liu and Qin families came to support her fight with Granny Yan and even helped her harvest wheat. They should at least treat her to a meal.

Chen Sufen agreed and walked towards the edge of the field.

He also called Man'er and Yaozu home to cook.

Man'er and Yaozu, despite their young age, had to help the adults. There was no other way; children in this era had to share the burden of household chores from a young age. Normally, Tong Huaqiong wouldn't let Man'er and Yaozu do any work, at most they'd gather pig feed.

But now it's wheat harvest season, and manpower is needed everywhere, so we can't care about child labor anymore.

Anyone who is capable should be employed.

"We're eating at my house today. I bought a lot of meat and vegetables from Yanguan Town," Tong Huaqiong said with a smile. Then she said to Zhao, "I was planning to send some to your house anyway, but let's eat together now."

“Alright, I’ll try your eldest daughter-in-law’s cooking today,” Zhao said with a smile.

The others were equally unceremonious.

There was no need for it; everyone from the Liu and Qin families came to help Tong Huaqiong harvest wheat. No one at home could cook, and if they didn't eat at the Gu family's house and went home to cook, they wouldn't be able to eat until the middle of the night. After harvesting the wheat for Tong Huaqiong's plot and eating, they still had to take advantage of the cool evening weather to harvest their own crops.

With many hands make light work, the wheat in one acre of land was harvested by nightfall.

Tong Huaqiong led the women towards the house to help Chen Sufen set out the meal.

Gu Dahan and Liu Tiechui led the men to bundle up the wheat and spread it out on the threshing floor.

Fortunately, Gu Baishuang lent Gu Dahan a donkey cart, and together with the Liu family's donkey cart, they quickly transported all the wheat to the threshing ground.

The watermelon was soaking in the cool well water, and the peaches were washed. Chen Sufeng cut the watermelon and served the peaches to Zhao Shi, Aunt Qin, and the others.

Chen Sufeng was very quick and efficient at cooking. When Tong Huaqiong went to the kitchen, she saw that both stoves were open and she had already cooked several dishes. There were also sesame seed cakes baking in the oven.

There are clear stewed mutton, braised chicken pieces, sweet and sour carp, stir-fried green peppers and eggs, and stewed pork ribs.

Tong Huaqiong disliked the smell of pork from this era and didn't usually eat pork, but that didn't mean others wouldn't. So she bought a rack of spare ribs, which Chen Sufeng stewed entirely.

It was the first time that Liu Yue'e's parents and brothers had eaten at the Gu family's house. She was so excited that she didn't care about being tired from harvesting wheat. She excitedly followed Chen Sufeng around, busy helping out.

With Liu Yue'e's help, Chen Sufeng was even faster. The two sisters-in-law worked together to stir-fry a few more vegetarian dishes, make a soup, and simmer a pot of steamed buns.

Tong Huaqiong went inside and brought out a jar of wine, while Gu Taohua packed several plates of pastries.

Zhao and Aunt Qin helped carry the table out. Since there were many people, two tables were put together to make one large table, and two oil lamps were lit on the table for illumination. Because there weren't enough stools, Zhao asked her grandson to fetch a few from her own home.

The food, wine, and snacks were laid out on the table, a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, making one's mouth water.

The men returned from the threshing floor just as the flatbreads were coming out of the oven.

After washing her hands, Tong Huaqiong invited everyone to sit down.

"Don't be shy. Come on, have some food."

"Drink, drink."

This was the first time since she came into this world that Tong Huaqiong had truly invited people she was close to in the village to have a meal at her own home.

Indeed, people in any era need spiritual comfort, which comes from the recognition and friendship of others.

No one expected the Gu family's meal to be so lavish.

The feast was piled high with meat, large bowls of wine, plates full of snacks, and snow-white steamed buns without a single grain of wheat. Even weddings and full-month celebrations in the village weren't this lavish.

I was exhausted and really hungry after a long day.

No one stood on ceremony and started picking up their chopsticks to eat meat and snacks.

Everyone ate until they were burping.

After the meal, Zhao's wife, Aunt Qin, and Gu Guangkui's wife, Zhang, busied themselves clearing the table, washing the dishes, and cleaning the kitchen.

After finishing the watermelon, everyone said their goodbyes, as they still had to harvest wheat under the moonlight.

Since the Liu family had a lot of land, Tong Huaqiong asked her three sons to help the Liu family harvest wheat. Liu Tiechui said that only Gu Dashu and Liu Yue'e needed to go, and the Gu family needed to keep someone to sort the wheat in the threshing ground. Gu Dahan and Gu Jingzhe just needed to take care of their own work.

Tong Huaqiong knew Liu Tiechui's temper and didn't give in much.

Gu Dashu and Liu Yue'e left with Liu Tiechui. Gu Dashu was slightly excited, feeling that he was being valued in the Liu family.

His son with Liu Yue'e is already so grown up, and his father-in-law is finally looking at him properly.

This is all thanks to my mother. If my mother hadn't led me down the right path, I'm afraid Liu Tiechui wouldn't even bother to give him a disdainful look.

(End of this chapter)