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

"Back then, you and Brother Han Niu were chopping wood in the mountains. When you saw me running into the mountains covered in blood, you thought I was injured."

Hong was lost in memories.

At that time, her mother stuffed her under the corpse, and the blood from the stabbed body covered her in blood.

Even now, recalling it, the fear still lingers throughout my mind and body.

She herself didn't know how she had the courage to run away.

"After you found out I wasn't hurt, you and Brother Han Niu gave me steamed buns to eat and water to drink," Hong said with tears in her eyes. "You two took me back to Heilong Village and hid me in Brother Han Niu's woodshed."

Tong Huaqiong couldn't help but shudder when she heard the name Han Niu; he was Tong Dajiao's childhood sweetheart.

He disappeared on the day Tong Dajiao got married.

Later, he left Heilong Village along with his mother and sister.

Some say Min Han Niu joined the army, others say he died on the battlefield; in any case, there has been no news of him for many years.

In Tong Dajiao's memory, Min Han Niu was still stuck before she got married, when Min Han Niu wanted to take Tong Dajiao away but was discovered by Tong Fusheng and other members of the Tong family and locked up.

From then on, Tong Dajiao had no further memory of Min Hanniu.

So Tong Huaqiong has no idea whether Min Han Niu is still alive.

Let's go back to the Hong family more than 20 years ago.

Hong stayed in Min Han Niu's woodshed for two days.

Tong Dajiao and Min Hanniu took turns bringing her food and drinks, and Tong Dajiao even gave her clean clothes to Hong Shi.

Two days later, Hong left without saying goodbye, leaving a jade pendant in Min Han Niu's woodshed as a thank-you gift.

Upon hearing this, Tong Huaqiong felt a mix of emotions.

She had always thought that Tong Daben was inherently sharp-tongued and had no empathy for people or things.

It's surprising that Tong Dajiao had such a kind side in her childhood, showing such loyalty to a stranger.

Tong Huaqiong said nothing, got up and went into the room, took out a piece of green jade pendant from the box, went to Hong Shi's side, handed the jade pendant to Hong Shi, and said, "Sister Hong, is this the jade pendant?"

Tong Huaqiong discovered this jade pendant while rummaging through her trunks the day she arrived in the world. She thought the jade pendant indicated that Tong Dajiao was a royal treasure lost to the common people.

She even fantasized that one day she would find a relative and accidentally become a princess or noblewoman, thus achieving a leap in social class.

It's no wonder she thought that way; she had read many time-travel novels in her previous life, and the function of jade pendants was always set up this way.

The design of this jade pendant has completely shattered her illusions.

So, the female lead was someone else entirely.

Hong took the jade pendant and said excitedly, "This is it, Sister Tong, I remember everything."

He Chao was equally excited.

He never imagined that his connection with his employer would be so deep.

Thanks to the employer, his wife was able to escape that year.

Tong Huaqiong is the benefactor of both husband and wife.

Hong held Tong Huaqiong's hand, laughing and crying at the same time.

After calming down, she asked, "Sister Tong, how is Brother Han Niu doing now?"

Tong Huaqiong knew nothing about Min Hanniu, so she shook her head at Hong and said, "He later joined the army, and we haven't heard from him since."

A somber look appeared on Hong's face.

Of her two saviors, she only encountered Tong Dajiao.

However, meeting Tong Dajiao again was beyond her expectations.

With immense gratitude, Madam Hong stood up and bowed deeply to Tong Huaqiong, saying, "Sister Tong, I don't know how to thank you enough."

Tong Huaqiong saved her life twice, once when she was a child and once now with her illness. Tong Huaqiong helped Hong up and said, "Sister Hong, there's no need to thank me."

Tong Huaqiong thought to herself that perhaps it was the seeds of compassion that Tong Dajiao had sown for Hong that allowed her to be reborn.

Hong's tears rolled down her cheeks; she felt guilty for leaving without saying goodbye.

However, she had no choice under those circumstances back then.

She didn't know whether it was the mutinous army or the Hong family's enemies taking revenge in the chaos that had harmed the Hong family. Fearing that it might be the latter and that it would implicate Tong Dajiao and Min Hanniu, she ran away in a panic.

Hong explained to Tong Huaqiong why she had left without saying goodbye.

"I was afraid that I might have enemies who would implicate Sister Tong and Brother Han Niu, so I left without saying goodbye. Please forgive me, Sister Tong."

Tong Huaqiong waved her hand and said, "Well, at least we weren't implicated."

Hong then handed the jade pendant back to Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong refused and pushed the jade pendant to Madam Hong, saying, "Sister Hong, now that you've appeared, this jade pendant can be considered returned to its rightful owner."

Returning the jade pendant to its rightful owner was not a sign of Tong Huaqiong's magnanimity.

The jade pendant was translucent and emerald green, clearly very valuable. For Tong Huaqiong to give it away was like cutting off a piece of her own flesh.

But she couldn't refuse.

In the transmigration novels she had read in her previous life, the protagonists were always the male and female leads who possessed jade pendants as tokens and had mysterious backgrounds. She was afraid that if she didn't give away her jade pendant, she would become cannon fodder for the Hong family.

Her shop was thriving, and her entire group of scoundrels were heading in the right direction, making their lives increasingly prosperous. She certainly didn't want to become cannon fodder for the female lead.

Seeing that Tong Huaqiong insisted on giving her the jade pendant, Madam Hong did not continue to refuse and accepted it.

“This is the only keepsake left by my parents,” Mrs. Hong said with emotion.

Tong Huaqiong seized the opportunity and said, "So keep it as a souvenir."

He Chao stood up at this moment, bowed deeply to Tong Huaqiong, and said, "Boss, I am deeply grateful."

He Chao's underlying message is that he will wholeheartedly follow Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong smiled, knowing that she had completely won over He Chao.

If Mrs. Hong is the male and female protagonist in her and He Chao's story, then wouldn't she, the supporting character who saved Mrs. Hong, be able to get some benefits from the relationship between Mrs. Hong and He Chao?

"I really didn't expect that Lao He, his sister-in-law, and Manager Tong would have such a connection. It's worth having a drink with."

The boss, who had been ignored, spoke up to seek attention.

Tong Huaqiong noticed that Boss Qian's eyes were red, which showed that he was also a sentimental person.

Tong Huaqiong said, "Didn't we order food and drinks for dinner? Let's have a drink together."

After thinking for a moment, he said to Hong and He Chao, "Your decision to settle in Qinghewan is not only due to fate, but I also believe that it was Hong's parents who guided you here. The most important thing now is to properly bury Hong's parents and brother."

Mrs. Hong nodded, and tears streamed down her face again.

She and He Chao were so excited that they forgot about the most important thing.

However, her parents and younger brother lived under that crooked tree for more than 20 years, and it is unknown whether their remains still exist at this time.

As if she could read Hong's mind, Tong Huaqiong said, "No one has ever disturbed this wasteland."

Hong wanted to grab a hoe and dig at the ground right away, but He Chao stopped her.

Tong Huaqiong knew what Hong was thinking. At this moment, Hong desperately wanted her parents to be laid to rest and enjoy the offerings of incense. So she gently told Hong that when Gu Dahan returned later, she should have Gu Dahan take the hired workers she had just hired from the village to dig.

As for whether they are willing or not.

I'd definitely be willing to spend a little more money.

With tears in her eyes, Mrs. Hong thanked her again. (End of Chapter)