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

"What's so surprising about them showing their power against the Tong family?"

Tong Huaqiong tapped Gu Dashu a few times with her chopsticks.

The rest of the Gu family laughed.

This is something I wouldn't have dared to imagine in the past.

Tong Dajiao acted like a tyrant in the Gu family, but she always took whatever she wanted from the Tong family.

If anyone else complains, she glares at them and yells.

Even Gu Taohua, whom she always favored, couldn't complain about her uncle.

"To be honest, when you left my uncle's whole family in the woodshed yesterday, I thought you had softened your heart," Gu Taohua said.

Tong Dajiao once said harsh words to Tong Fusheng and Tong Zhijie in front of her children, but afterwards she still went even further, sending them money and food.

“Mother, you can’t be soft-hearted. You know, once Uncle and Zhijie sense that you’re being soft-hearted, they’ll crawl all over you like leeches and won’t come down,” Gu Dashu said.

“You don’t need to worry that I’ll be soft-hearted towards them. I’ll cut ties with them when I say I will. Your mother was confused and blinded by greed before, but now she sees the truth. Why should the money I work so hard to earn and the grain I grow be given to the Tong family?” Tong Huaqiong said.

Gu Dashu, Gu Taohua, and the others were completely relieved.

Liu Yue'e and Chen Sufen exchanged a glance and breathed a sigh of relief.

Last night, Liu Yue'e was still whispering to Gu Dashu, worried that her mother-in-law would bring Tong Zhaodi and Tong Zhijie to the shop.

They were kicked out early this morning without even being allowed to eat, which shows how determined my mother-in-law is.

The four members of Tong Fusheng's family were so hungry that they had no strength left, and they sat down heavily on the edge of the field.

Wang was too tired to continue scolding Tong Huaqiong, so she sat down on the ground, panting heavily.

Tong Zhaodi took out two large steamed buns from her bosom and handed them to Wang.

"It was Zhao Di who was thoughtful, knowing to sneak in two steamed buns amidst the chaos."

Wang broke the steamed bun in half, handing one half to Tong Fusheng and keeping the other half for herself.

The last one was handed to Tong Zhijie.

Zhao Di looked at him pitifully for a long time, but no one thought of sharing any with him.

Tong Fusheng complained while eating his steamed bun that Tong Zhaodi hadn't taken enough.

"Auntie is so heartless, she doesn't even acknowledge the oath she made to Grandpa." Tong Zhijie wolfed down the steamed bun, but his stomach was still growling with hunger.

"I thought she was just angry for a moment, but who knew she was determined to cut ties with us." Tong Fusheng was hot and tired, and he regretted coming to his sister's house. He didn't want to move anymore.

"It's all your fault. Why did you take out two taels of silver from your pocket yesterday to buy that table of food and wine? Now not only did we not get any silver or food, we even lost two taels."

Wang usually regarded Tong Fusheng as the head of the household and listened to him in everything. But now, thinking of the two taels of silver, she couldn't help but complain.

Tong Fusheng also regretted spending two taels of silver yesterday to buy food and wine.

Losing two taels of silver, failing to control his sister, and not getting the money and food back made Tong Fusheng, who always had the final say with Tong Dajiao, lose face in front of his wife and children.

He refused to admit his own fault, glancing at her and blaming everything on Tong Zhaodi, scolding, "It's all your fault, Zhaodi! Why did you have to provoke Tao Hua? Don't you know your aunt dotes on Tao Hua the most? If you and Tao Hua hadn't quarreled, would your aunt have gotten so angry?"

Tong Zhijie was spoiled since childhood and loved to smear his two older sisters in front of his parents.

He had just been scolded by Tong Dajiao and was still angry when he added fuel to the fire, saying, "It was all Second Sister's fault. Even I got blamed in front of Aunt."

Wang slapped Zhaodi and scolded, "You slut! I told you to work hard and please your aunt this morning, but instead you've caused trouble for Taohua."

Tong Zhaodi's stomach was growling with hunger, and though she had a bellyful of grievances she dared not utter, tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Are we just going back like this? Why don’t we go to town and check out the shop my sister-in-law runs?” Wang said to Tong Fusheng.

Tong Fusheng was unwilling to be kicked out like this, so he nodded and said, "Okay, let's go to town and see." Maybe we can make a scene when there are many people around.

Tong Zhaodi wiped away her tears, her eyes darting around as she tried to curry favor with Wang Shi, saying, "Mother, the reason Gu Taohua was angry this morning was because she has no one to marry her. I don't believe that Aunt and she aren't worried. How could she not be worried at her age? Mother, if we can find Taohua a marriage partner and put Aunt's mind at ease, I don't believe Aunt won't continue to treat us well."

After thinking for a moment, Wang said, "That makes sense."

Tong Zhijie sneered, "Gu Taohua has a bad temper and eats a lot; who would want to marry her?"

Suddenly inspired, Tong Fusheng looked at his son and had an idea. He asked, "Zhijie, do you want to go to your aunt's shop?"

Tong Zhijie said, "Of course I want to, how could I not?"

Tong Fusheng clapped his hands with a smile and said, "That's easy, just marry Taohua."

Tong Zhijie jumped up and said, "Dad, what are you joking about? I wouldn't even take her if she offered herself to me."

Wang originally wanted to scold Tong Fusheng for being out of his mind to marry Gu Taohua to her son, since her son should be matched with a beautiful and gentle girl from a good family.

How could Gu Taohua be a suitable match for her?
“Zhijie, do you know that I heard this morning that Aunt’s shop is called Peach Blossom Dessert Shop, named after peach blossoms? Sister Yue’e said that Aunt is probably planning to leave the shop to Peach Blossom. Peach Blossom is now the second-in-command in the shop. The accountant has to report the accounts to her every day, and even my second cousin has to listen to her.”

Tong Zhaodi, feeling both jealous and envious, told Tong Zhijie the news she had learned from Liu Yue'e.

Gu Taohua is so lucky; her aunt spoils her rotten.

Tong Fusheng shouted, "This is too much! A young lady is occupying the shop! Your aunt is getting more and more confused."

Wang's eyes lit up, and she asked Tong Zhaodi, "Zhaodi, is what you're saying true?"

Tong Zhaodi said, "How could it be fake? I heard it from Sister Yue'e myself."

Wang said to Tong Fusheng, "Your idea isn't bad, Father. Your sister-in-law values ​​Taohua so much, but Taohua has such a bad temper; if she were taken to the shop, she'd probably be ripped off. Rather than letting outsiders take advantage of her, why not let Zhijie marry her? Zhijie is her cousin, after all. If they get together, it'll be a double blessing. Once she's with us, all she has to do is give birth to a son. I'll help manage the shop, and the money earned will support Zhijie and you in your studies. When Zhijie finishes his studies, she'll be the wife of an official. I'm sure your sister-in-law, unless she's stupid, will agree."

The more Wang talked about it, the more she felt that this marriage was very suitable.

Tong Fusheng's thoughts coincided with Wang's: could Taohua marry into any family better than the Tong family?

Besides, Tong Dajiao had wanted to arrange a marriage between the Tong family and the Gu family before, and almost married Tong Pandi to Gu Dashu. However, Tong Fusheng refused because he thought the Gu family was poor. In addition, Gu Dashu disliked Pandi's personality and got involved with Liu Yue'e from the village.

Tong Dajiao never mentioned the marriage again.

Since Tong Dajiao had previously expressed interest in marriage, she might still be interested now.

Seeing that both Tong Fusheng and Wang Shi wanted him to marry Gu Taohua, Tong Zhijie said, "Taohua has such a bad temper, even if she has a shop, I wouldn't like her."

Madam Wang said, "The shop will all be yours then. Once you have the money from the shop or finish your studies, you can take as many beautiful concubines as you want. Besides, a wife is like a lump of dough; you have to knead and shape her to get the shape you want. Peach Blossom's bad temper is because your aunt spoils her. Once she's married, you can beat her a few times and she'll behave."

Tong Zhaodi added fuel to the fire, saying, "Didn't you say you'd make your aunt regret it after Gu Dashu kicked you out? What could make your aunt regret it more than you tormenting Gu Taohua after you married her?"

Tong Zhaodi spoke through gritted teeth, unaware of how much she hated Gu Taohua.

They're the same kind of girl, so why does Gu Taohua live such a carefree and flamboyant life?

She couldn't even get half a steamed bun.

Tong Zhijie's eyes darted around, as if he could already see the money from the shop beckoning to him.

That's right, Mother is right. Once we get the shop and have the money, we can take as many beautiful concubines as we want.

Thinking of this, Tong Zhijie smiled and said, "I am willing to marry Gu Taohua."

Tong Fusheng nodded and said, "I'll swallow my pride and go talk to your aunt."

Tong Zhijie asked worriedly, "But what if Auntie objects?"

Madam Wang slapped her thigh and said, "What's so difficult about that? Why don't you learn from Gu Dashu? How did Gu Dashu get a wife? He first seduced your second cousin's wife, and her family agreed. You should learn from your second cousin and get Tao Hua interested in you first. I bet that girl is so fat that no man would fawn over her. Girls like that are easier to seduce." (End of Chapter)