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

Chapter 149 Sentimental Family Drama

Chen Sufen's crying stopped abruptly, and she murmured, "It's so embarrassing."

Tong Huaqiong said, "What's so shameful about this? If anyone's shameful, it's Xu Si and Granny Yan. Even if Xu Si had succeeded, there's no need for you to act like this. What would happen to Man'er if you died?"

Man'er rushed into Chen Sufen's arms.

Gu Taohua said from the side, "Sister-in-law, you don't know yet, Mother has put Xu Si in jail. He'll probably be exiled for ten or twenty years and won't be back. Oh, and his manhood is gone too."

Liu Yue'e added, "Grandma Yan was also taken away, as were Xu Kun and Xu Yong. The Xu family is completely finished this time. I say, sister-in-law, you really didn't think straight. If a dog bites you, you don't fight it back, but instead try to kill yourself. That's really something."

Liu Yue'e thought to herself, "She really deserved to have been bullied by her mother-in-law in the past."

"Mother, are Xu Si and the others really in jail?" Chen Sufeng asked, sobbing.

Tong Huaqiong said, "How could it be fake?"

Chen Sufen took a deep breath.

A sense of guilt rose in her heart. Her mother-in-law had sent Xu Si to prison for her sake, yet she wanted to commit suicide. She felt so sorry for her mother-in-law's good intentions.

Thinking this, Chen Sufeng knelt down in front of Tong Huaqiong with a thud, crying, "Mother, I was wrong. I shouldn't have done things that pleased my enemies and hurt my own. I should have lived a good life."

"You have treated me so well today, I will take good care of you in the future. I can never repay you in this life, I will repay you by being your ox or horse in the next life."

Tong Huaqiong's lips twitched.

She dislikes these sentimental family dramas.

Tong Huaqiong gestured for Gu Dahan to help Chen Sufeng up, then swept her sharp gaze around everyone and said, "No one is allowed to talk about what happened today."

Gu Dashu assured her, "Mother, don't worry. I won't tell, I won't tell."

Everyone made their promises.

"Aunt Tong, I've been thinking about it. Today, Xu Si's target isn't your sister-in-law, but me."

The clever and quick-witted Lu Zhaozhao recounted how Xu Si had been staring at her intently the previous evening, how she had felt someone following her when she went to the Liu family's house to watch the wheat harvest the next morning, and how she had met Chen Sufeng at the threshing ground.

Tong Huaqiong broke out in a cold sweat. After a moment's thought, she realized that there was a high probability that Xu Si intended to harm Lu Zhaozhao.

Fortunately, nothing bad happened to the wealthy and beautiful woman from the Lu family.

"Sister-in-law, I have to thank you so much. You suffered for me." Lu Zhaozhao expressed her gratitude to Chen Sufeng.

Chen Sufen knew that Xu Si's target was not her when she was at the threshing ground, so when she heard Lu Zhaozhao thank her, she felt a little unworthy of the thanks.

"Alright, Xu Si can't turn things around anyway, so don't mention this matter again," Tong Huaqiong said.

Chen Su-fen gradually calmed down and stopped crying, then began to do laundry and cook.

Tong Huaqiong didn't stop her. Chen Sufeng needed to focus all her energy on work, so she didn't have time to think about the threshing floor.

"Second son's wife," Tong Huaqiong called out to Liu Yue'e.

"Mother, what can I do for you?"

Liu Yue'e immediately reverted to the service standards of Peach Blossom Dessert to treat Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong, on the contrary, felt a little uncomfortable.

"Your uncle is the village chief now, so be careful what you say in the village from now on. Don't be like Granny Yan, spouting nonsense everywhere." Tong Huaqiong knew that Liu Yue'e liked to gossip and visit neighbors, so she gave her this special advice.

"Not only should you not speak carelessly, but you should also not act recklessly."

“Mom, I’ll listen to you. I promise I’ll keep a low profile,” Liu Yue’e said. “Besides, I’m usually at my shop in town, so I don’t really have time to visit people in the village.” That’s true.

Tong Huaqiong was relieved.

"By the way, your older brother's daughter, Xiuxiu, is ten years old this year, right? I think she's quite good, a very steady and meticulous little girl. You can ask your older brother later if he wants her to come to our shop to learn how to make pastries?"

Tong Huaqiong realized that Chen Sufeng was able to escape from Xu Si's clutches today thanks to Liu Yue'e's niece, Liu Xiuxiu.

Moreover, the child was very tight-lipped and didn't reveal anything about Chen Sufeng.

Girls from the countryside had limited options; in this era, girls couldn't take the imperial examinations or become officials.

They usually start looking for a husband's family around twelve or thirteen years old, and get married around fourteen or fifteen.

Once a woman marries into her husband's family and has children, even the greatest talents will be buried in the inner courtyard.

Even if the Liu family dotes on their daughter, Liu Xiuxiu's future is likely limited to this. At most, she might end up like Liu Yue'e's eldest sister, with her family arranging a well-off marriage and providing a larger dowry.

Liu Yue'e didn't know when her niece had caught her mother-in-law's eye. It was a good thing that her mother-in-law was willing to help Xiuxiu. Thinking of this, Liu Yue'e couldn't hide her smile.

“My brother and sister-in-law will definitely agree.” Liu Yue’e said, and was about to go to the Liu family to discuss it with her brother Liu Shan.

My niece is smart and capable; at such a young age, she manages the household impeccably. Everyone treats her with great respect, addressing her as "Auntie" this and "Auntie" that. Liu Yue'e likes this niece very much and is willing to help her. In the future, my niece will have a skill to rely on at Peach Blossom Dessert Shop, which will give her confidence after she gets married.

Liu Yue'e then ran off to her parents' home in a flash.

My parents' home is serving lunch.

Because the wheat harvest requires a lot of physical labor, poor food would make it difficult to work, so the Liu family upgraded their meals, killing a chicken and stewing it.

Liu Yue'e sat at the table, tore off a chicken leg and stuffed it into her mouth, saying, "My sister-in-law isn't home, so this meal must have been made by Mother and Xiuxiu, right?"

Zhao said, "This whole table of food was prepared by Xiuxiu."

Although Liu Xiu was only ten years old, he was already a capable worker both at home and in the countryside during that era.

“I came to your house to talk about Xiuxiu,” Liu Yue’e said. “Xiuxiu’s cooking skills are not bad. This chicken stew is even better than my sister-in-law’s. My mother-in-law said she values ​​Xiuxiu’s ability and asked if Xiuxiu would like to go to the shop in town to learn how to make pastries.”

Upon hearing this news, Liu Tiechui, Zhao Shi, and Liu Shan were so excited that they could barely hold their chopsticks.

“Well, your brother and sister-in-law are already working at the shop and receiving their monthly wages. Isn’t it inappropriate for Xiuxiu to go there too?” Liu Tiechui was a little worried.

He suspected that Tong Huaqiong suggested that Xiuxiu go to the shop to learn how to make pastries because she was grateful to him for his help in tripping up the Xu family today.

“It’s appropriate, what’s inappropriate about it?” Liu Yue’e said. “If Gu Xiaocao can go, why can’t Xiuxiu go? Besides, my brother and sister-in-law are going to work at Peach Blossom Dessert Shop, not to be in charge there. My mother-in-law naturally knows that our family is very sensible.”

“Old man, since our mother-in-law has said so, she must value Xiuxiu's character. Let’s not be ungrateful and refuse,” Zhao said, then turned to Liu Xiuxiu and asked, “Xiuxiu, do you want to go?”

Liu Xiuxiu was overjoyed. She had always dreamed of going to a shop in town to learn a trade.

Unfortunately, she was a young woman, and apart from Peach Blossom Dessert Shop, no other shop in town was willing to hire a girl.

“Yes, I want to go,” Liu Xiuxiu said with a strong sense of purpose.

Liu Tiechui didn't know what to say, but instructed his granddaughter, "You must do a good job then, don't bring shame to the Liu family, be sensible, and listen to your Grandma Tong and Peach Blossom."

Liu Tiechui knew that the shop was supported by Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua, and emphasized that Liu Xiuxiu should listen to Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua.

He can't listen to his aunt in everything. Doesn't he know what kind of person Liu Yue'e is? She's easily swayed and prone to throwing tantrums, lest she drag Liu Xiuxiu down with her.

He was equally pleased that Tong Huaqiong valued his daughter Liu Shan, and chuckled as he quietly tore off another chicken leg for his sister.

(End of this chapter)