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

Xu Zaohua had finally come to her parents' home, and originally wanted to show off her status as the young mistress of the Zheng family in Qinghe Bay.

The music score wasn't set up because everyone in the village was busy spraying pesticides and didn't have time to pay attention to her.

Xu Zaohua was initially very angry, but when she thought that the pesticide would allow her to gain a firm foothold in the Zheng family, her unhappiness vanished.

In order to make her plan succeed as quickly as possible, Xu Zaohua only stayed at her parents' home for two days before returning to the Zheng family in Pingchuan County.

She didn't trust others to handle the pesticide matter.

She has to keep a close eye on things herself.

On the day Xu Zaohua returned to the Zheng family, she deliberately took a detour past Tong Huaqiong's door.

This is how they encountered Gu Jingzhe.

The town's private school was closed for two days. Gu Jingzhe helped Gu Dahan with chores at home for two days and then took a donkey cart from Peach Blossom Dessert Shop back to town early in the morning.

Xu Zaohua ordered the coachman to stop the carriage and lifted the curtain.

Gu Jingzhe's face is still as outstanding as ever.

Xu Zaohua used to be obsessed with this face, but now she only wants to destroy Gu Jingzhe.

Since she can't have it, she naturally doesn't want anyone else to have it either.

Especially Lu Zhaozhao, whom he had only met once.

"Gu Jingzhe, I heard you've returned to school?" Xu Zaohua's voice was somewhat sarcastic.

Gu Jingzhe replied calmly, "I've returned to school."

Xu Zaohua was quite disappointed by Gu Jingzhe's reaction.

Now, Xu Zaohua's hair was adorned with pearls and jade, and she was dressed in silk and satin. She had expected that Gu Jingzhe's gaze towards her would be more intense.

In reality, Gu Jingzhe's gaze towards Xu Zaohua was calmer than the surface of the lake at the village entrance in the early morning.

"Third Brother, who are you talking to?"

Gu Taohua heard Gu Jingzhe talking to someone, so she came out of the courtyard and saw Xu Zaohua sitting in the carriage, holding her belly and dressed in silk. She snorted.

"Oh, who did I think it was? It's Mrs. Zheng. What brings you to my doorstep, Mrs. Zheng? Are you here to show off? You've got the wrong idea. Only you would be willing to marry Young Master Zheng." Gu Taohua's words were full of sarcasm.

"Now that you're married, stop thinking about my third brother."

She's already married into the Zheng family, yet she still hasn't given up on her third brother?

Gu Taohua had always disliked Xu Zaohua, and ever since she learned that Xu Zaohua had framed He Chao, her hatred for Xu Zaohua had only intensified.

Upon hearing this, Xu Zaohua was so angry that her stomach heaved.

The nanny beside Xu Zaohua was the one who used to serve Madam Zheng.

As soon as Gu Taohua appeared, she felt a sense of familiarity. Although Gu Taohua was much thinner than before, the nanny still remembered that Gu Taohua was the member of the Gu family who had arranged a marriage for Young Master Zheng.

She also remembered that the widowed mother of this family had brought a bunch of children to cause trouble for the Zheng family.

Wait, does this chubby girl mean that her young mistress used to have feelings for this Gu family boy?
The old woman's eyes changed.

Xu Zaohua had been with the Zheng family for several months and was very adept at reading their expressions.

She could tell at a glance that the old woman had a problem with her.

This old woman was the mother-in-law's person. Although she was supposedly accompanying her to Qinghe Bay to serve her, in a way she was Xu Zaohua's ancestor.

Xu Zaohua dared not act presumptuously in front of her.

"Gu Taohua, what nonsense are you spouting? Who's after your third brother? Your third brother should take a good look at himself in the mirror; does he even deserve it?"

Seeing the old woman's displeased look, Xu Zaohua panicked and spoke without confidence.

Gu Jingzhe's face darkened upon hearing this.

He's not the one who should be taking a piss.

However, Gu Jingzhe did not defend himself. He thought that Xu Zaohua was a widow like his mother, and if she was not careful, there would be gossip, especially in a family like the Zheng family that valued a woman's reputation.

Even though he disliked Xu Zaohua, he didn't want to ruin her reputation. Gu Taohua, however, was not to be outdone and said to Xu Zaohua, "You don't care, but you cornered my third brother in the alley before you even got married?"

Xu Zaohua couldn't help but regret passing by the Gu family's house.

Instead of showing off, he got himself into trouble.

In his panic, he didn't even have time to argue with Gu Taohua, and ordered the carriage to head towards the village road.

Seeing Cai Mama's long face, Xu Zaohua couldn't help but explain.

“Granny Cai, that fat girl was talking nonsense. My uncle used to be the village chief. The Gu family wanted to marry my youngest son in order to curry favor with him, but my parents and I disagreed.”

"That fat girl is good at twisting the truth."

Granny Cai gave Xu Zaohua a meaningful look and said disdainfully, "That's right, girls from the countryside really don't know how to behave properly."

Xu Zaohua's heart sank.

Was Granny Cai referring to herself or Gu Taohua when she said that?

She didn't dare ask.

She knew that no one in the Zheng family looked down on her. If it weren't for the child in her belly, she would have long ago entered the Zheng family's ancestral temple to spend the rest of her life in the company of the ancient Buddha and the dim lamp.

Granny Cai looked down on her, and she would get back at Granny Cai sooner or later.

She could expel Steward He, let alone Granny Cai.

Xu Zaohua stroked her belly and thought, "Just being pregnant isn't enough; I need to take control of the Zheng family's business."

Therefore, the most important thing is to quickly figure out the formula for a corn fungicide and insecticide.

The carriage traveled along the mountain road, the cornfields rustling in the wind.

Xu Zaohua observed the corn along the way. The corn in Qinghewan, which had been sprayed with pesticides, had already regained its original green color. The corn silks were sticking out at the top of the ears, and in the morning light, it looked like it was about to be harvested.

But once you cross Qinghe Bay, the cornfields in other villages look quite different.

The corn ears had powdery gray mold spots, and there were many cotton aphids on the leaves.

Just like the cornfields Xu Zaohua had seen in the past.

If she could concoct the antibacterial and insecticidal medicine that Tong Dajiao possessed, she would not only secure her position as the young mistress of the Zheng family, but would also become a sensation throughout Ningcheng.

She had heard her father-in-law mention that the prefect was an official from the capital who was sent to Ningcheng, and that even the emperor valued him.

If she assists the prefect in ensuring a bumper corn harvest in Ningcheng this autumn, and the prefect mentions her when he goes to the capital to report on his duties, the emperor might grant her the title of Lady of the Township.

At that time, even her in-laws will probably have to bow to her.

Gu Jingzhe and Tong Dajiao will regret it later.

Xu Zaohua became happier the more she thought about it.

You must pass through Yanguan Town to get to Pingchuan County.

“Isn’t that Su Shi Yuan, the shop of our master’s distant cousin? Madam especially loves Su Shi Yuan’s hazelnut pastries,” said Granny Cai.

The former Su Shi Yuan (酥食园) was located on the main street at the crossroads of Yan Guan Town. As soon as the Zheng family's carriage entered Yan Guan Town, they could smell the aroma of freshly baked pastries.

Granny Cai sniffed and remembered that Ma Ming's pastry shop was right where the aroma was coming from.

Since the death of the eldest son of the Zheng family, Mrs. Zheng has stayed at home, neither receiving guests nor going out. She is unaware of or pays attention to anything that happens among relatives outside.

Madam Zheng was unaware of outside affairs, and naturally, neither was Cai, the nanny beside her.

What's more, Ma Ming felt deeply ashamed that his ten-year-old Su Shi Yuan couldn't beat the newly popular Tao Hua Desserts. He was too embarrassed to tell his relatives and friends that he had lost out in Yan Guan Town and that even Su Shi Yuan had been acquired by Tao Hua Desserts.

Xu Zaohua's position in the Zheng family was still unstable, and she was constantly trying to curry favor with her mother-in-law.

Now that he had caught his mother-in-law's love for hazelnut pastries from Su Shi Yuan, how could he not rush to curry favor with her?

"Since Grandma likes it, let's go buy it." (End of Chapter)