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

Chapter 153 Love and Shop: Choosing the latter

After Tong Huaqiong left, the more Yu thought about what Tong Huaqiong said, the more reasonable it seemed.

She couldn't wait to have Xu Jin send a matchmaker to Wild Buffalo Valley to inquire about the Fan family's situation.

Unfortunately, Xu Jin went to the county government office because of Xu Kun and Xu Yong's matter.

Besides Xu Yong and Xu Kun, Xu Jin was also a de facto head of the Xu family. In order to expand the influence of the Xu family beyond Qinghe Bay, he provided financial assistance to ambitious young people in the Xu family to study.

Unfortunately, the Xu family's ancestral graves never emitted any auspicious smoke, and none of the Xu family's descendants, including Xu Jin's two sons, had any talent for studying.

Thinking of this, Xu Jin was filled with envy and jealousy towards the Gu family. How could the cowardly old man Gu and the shrewish Tong Dajiao have produced such a studious son?

Xu Yong has fallen from power in Qinghewan, and the Xu family members are all mediocre. It would be better to choose a son-in-law and train him properly.

In Manqinghe Bay, only Gu Jingzhe is worthy of Xu Zaohua.

Tong Huaqiong encouraged the Yu family to look beyond Qinghe Bay. Why should their marriage be confined to Qinghe Bay? If Fan Xiucai from Yeniu Valley was suitable, wouldn't he be better than Gu Jingzhe?

After considering it in her mind, Ms. Yu felt that the matter was more and more reliable.

At the same time, Xu Yong and Xu Kun were both taken to the county government office, and her husband was still unwilling to cut ties.

She thought that once her own family took off, she definitely couldn't bring the entire Xu family clan along with her.

A bunch of people who hold others back don't deserve to be called a team leader!
Tong Huaqiong walked out of Xu Jin's house with a beaming smile. Gu Taohua followed behind her and asked anxiously, "Mother, why did you introduce Scholar Fan to Xu Zaohua? Does Xu Zaohua even deserve him?"

Gu Taohua's dislike for Xu Zaohua reached its peak.

How could someone as insidious as Xu Zaohua be worthy of being a scholar's wife?

Tong Huaqiong said, "I think she and Fan Xiucai are a perfect match."

Gu Taohua pouted.

Tong Huaqiong understood Gu Taohua's thoughts very well.

Tong Huaqiong scolded, "Gu Taohua, your mother has eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. Fan Tong is no good person. He's only suitable for someone as cunning as Zaohua. If you want to marry Fan Tong, that's fine, but there's a condition I don't know if you can accept."

Gu Taohua asked, "What are the conditions?"

Tong Huaqiong said, "If you leave Peach Blossom Dessert Shop, you won't receive any dowry. You can choose whether you want to marry Fan Tong or run Peach Blossom Dessert Shop."

Without hesitation, Gu Taohua said, "Of course I'll choose peach blossom dessert."

Peach Blossom Desserts are her hard work, earned by her and her mother from the very beginning of her business, starting from a street stall. She can't let her brother and sister-in-law benefit from it.

Tong Huaqiong nodded, thankfully Gu Taohua's brain hadn't been burned out.

“Since you’ve chosen the peach blossom dessert, you can forget about Fan Tong,” Tong Huaqiong said.

Gu Taohua neither agreed nor disagreed.

Tong Huaqiong thought to herself that she wasn't in a hurry; the little girl needed time to process this choice.

Gu Taohua wanted to get back to town as soon as possible. She also wanted to find out what Fan Tong thought of her. Meng Yanping had said that Fan Tong had taken a liking to the daughter of the wealthy Huang family, but she didn't know if it was true or not. She wanted to find out.

If Fan Tong is thinking about her while also thinking about the Huang family's daughter, then don't blame her for dealing with him.

Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua walked home. As they passed by Granny Yan's house, Tong Huaqiong saw Xu Jin leading several members of the Xu family in an oxcart coming towards them.

Xu Yong, Xu Kun, and Granny Yan lay on the oxcart.

Xu Si's case is closed today. Xu Si was flogged eighty times and exiled to Lingnan.

After the fight, they set off with the wooden shackles on their backs.

Xu Yong and Xu Kun were beaten with forty strokes of the cane, while Granny Yan was beaten with twenty strokes.

Three people were lying on the oxcart.

Tong Huaqiong saw that Xu Yong and Xu Kun were bleeding from their thighs to their backs, clearly indicating that they had been beaten mercilessly with sticks.

Granny Yan only had blood seeping from her back.

They were already thankful that Xu Jin managed to get them back; let's see how they dare to bully others in the village now.

"The executioners were really skilled; they beat them so badly that the men were still breathing." Gu Taohua excitedly went over to examine the three men's wounds, then covered her mouth and chuckled.

"That's quite a fighting skill; even Gu Taohua wants to learn it." Xu Yong and Xu Kun's eyes flashed with resentment when they saw Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua, but they dared not utter any harsh words.

Granny Yan burst into tears, crying and cursing, "Widow Tong, how dare you come to my doorstep! If it weren't for you, my son wouldn't have ended up like this!"

"Waaaaah, my poor Fourth Son, waaaaah!"

Granny Yan cried her heart out.

Her fourth son was crippled and was beaten eighty times. After a quick application of medicine, he was immediately taken to Lingnan.

In this sweltering heat, I fear my son's wounds will fester and become infested with maggots.

There probably isn't any medicine available along the way.

Si'er has been pampered since childhood; I wonder if he can make it to Lingnan.

Even if they manage to reach Lingnan, the odds are probably against them.

“Your son brought this on himself.” Tong Huaqiong showed no sympathy for Granny Yan. “It’s all your fault for not raising him properly. Blame yourself if you want. Even if your son dies, it’s your fault.”

This old woman still doesn't think her son did anything wrong. If she could have restrained him, would he have ended up like this?

After hearing Tong Huaqiong's words, Granny Yan cried even more bitterly.

However, he still showed no remorse whatsoever.

"Why am I at your doorstep? You still owe me three hundred and fifty taels of silver," Tong Huaqiong said, pulling out an IOU from her bosom.

Granny Yan was stunned when she heard this. How could this widow Tong be so vicious?

Her son had been exiled, and she had already been executed after going through the county government office, yet Widow Tong still wouldn't let her go.

"Your money was paid out of court because we agreed to not report it to the authorities. Now my son has been taken away. I'll pay you back my ass!" Granny Yan spat.

Tong Huaqiong held up the IOU in front of Xu Kun and Xu Yong and said, "This IOU is written in black and white, and you two signed it as witnesses. If Granny Yan doesn't pay, you have to pay me."

Xu Kun and Xu Yong were in a real bind. Their wounds were burning, and all they wanted to do was go home and lie down. But then Widow Tong started causing trouble.

It's just terrible.

“I didn’t report it to the authorities. Now the whole town knows I was bullied by Xu Si, and my reputation is damaged. You should compensate me. Magistrate Liu didn’t say our previous agreement was null and void when he adjudicated the case, so don’t even think about shirking my money,” Tong Huaqiong said, jumping up and down.

"Sister-in-law Tong, let's discuss this later. Look at them, they're all like this, let them go home and apply medicine first," Xu Jin said to Tong Huaqiong as he came out.

Xu Jin usually doesn't respect Tong Huaqiong, and even when he wants to arrange a marriage between the Gu family, he's actually plotting to abduct Gu Jingzhe.

They're being very polite to Tong Huaqiong now, all because they know she's the godmother of the county magistrate's son.

"So, are you going to compensate me for this money, Xu Jin? If you're not going to, then don't try to smooth things over here," Tong Huaqiong said matter-of-factly.

Xu Jin naturally wouldn't pay compensation.

Because of this, Zaohua from his family had already stolen one hundred taels of silver from the house as compensation.

Tong Huaqiong waved her hand and said, "Since I can't afford to pay, I'll offer something as compensation."

As she spoke, Tong Huaqiong turned into Granny Yan's house and took out a bowl of eggs from Granny Yan's kitchen.

Gu Taohua followed Tong Huaqiong and took out two steamed buns.

The three Xu brothers were furious, but there was nothing they could do.

Man'er and Yaozu, who were running around in the village, heard the news and rushed over, excitedly following Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua into Xu Yong and Xu Kun's house.

The former village chief and the former clan head of the Xu family are living well.

Tong Huaqiong caught two chickens from Xu Kun's house, Gu Taohua carried a bag of flour from Xu Yong's house, and Man'er and Gu Yaozu carried two watermelons and a basket of vegetables.

"These are worth five taels of silver."

Tong Huaqiong showed the Xu family the spoils of war.

"Since you can't pay back, we'll settle it with goods. You don't need to lift a finger; I'll come and collect them whenever I have time, until the money you owe me is paid off."

Granny Yan and Xu Kun and Xu Yong almost fainted as soon as their eyelids rolled back.

Widow Tong's intention was that she would come and sweep through the area every time.
(End of this chapter)