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

After dinner, Tong Huaqiong, along with Gu Taohua, barged into the Tian family's house.

She was afraid that Granny Luo and Tian Fugui would make things difficult for Cao and her daughter.

As expected.
On the way, Tong Huaqiong met Zhao Shi and learned from her that Chunni could not go to Black Dragon Pool for the time being. The family in Black Dragon Pool was willing to pay thirty taels of silver, and many families were fighting tooth and nail to get the spot of the child bride.

They're choosing someone; they think Chunni is a bit too old and they're worried they won't be able to tame her.

Tong Huaqiong breathed a sigh of relief for Chunni upon hearing the news.

When Tong Huaqiong arrived at the Tian family's house, the gate was not closed. She listened through the window and let out a cold laugh. "Tian Fugui is dreaming."

She must have been incredibly foolish to hire a domestic abuser to do chores in her home.

"Fugui, you're not suitable to work at my house."

As Tong Huaqiong spoke, she entered the main room of the Tian family's house, followed by Gu Taohua. The mother and daughter looked like they were not to be trifled with.

"Madam Dashu, please sit down." Granny Luo wiped her feet, stood up and invited Tong Huaqiong to sit down, then luxuriously lit an oil lamp.

“My Fugui knows how to slaughter pigs. Doesn’t your pig farm need people? My Fugui does it better than his wife,” Granny Luo said.

Even if her son isn't good enough, he's still better than a woman.

Tong Huaqiong said, "In my family now, only the women do the housework."

There is also this saying.

Granny Luo didn't understand. Men are stronger than women, so why did Widow Tong only want women and not men?

Could it be that she's grown to dislike men after being widowed for so long?

Grandma Luo tried her best to advocate for her son, saying, "It's almost time to harvest corn. My family has five acres of land, and my wife and Chunni need to do the housework."

Tong Huaqiong said, "It's alright, your wife can take care of your chores, I'll hire another wife. There are plenty of capable wives in the village anyway."

Granny Luo: "."

Tian Fugui: "."

Tong Huaqiong didn't care what Granny Luo and Tian Fugui thought. She was the one who paid the wages, hired the people, and decided whether they were men or women, old or young.

Granny Luo dared not argue any further.

She feared that if the argument continued, Tong Huaqiong would lose her temper and abandon even Cao Shi and Chunni.

Now, people are begging to live, not the other way around.

If this job falls through, then the family will lose an income, and how will their grandson be able to eat meat every day?

but
Grandma Luo said with a forced smile, "Auntie Big Foot, my daughter-in-law and granddaughter went to work at your house, what's the pay?"

Tong Huaqiong readily agreed, saying, "The wages are the same as those for hiring workers now."

Granny Luo smiled and said, "Not bad, not low."

"Just hand over the money to me when the time comes; those two women can't handle money properly," Granny Luo said.

Cao's face turned pale.

Why didn't she think of this?

Tong Huaqiong said, "I can't give it to you. I came here today to discuss this matter. The other day you hit the magistrate's son on the back, and I spent ten taels of silver to treat his back. Magistrate Liu found out about this, but I stopped him from settling accounts with you. I helped you suppress the magistrate's anger. I originally wanted you to return my ten taels of silver so that we could settle this matter, but I reckon you can't come up with ten taels of silver."

Granny Luo gasped.

She knew Tong Dajiao was not someone to be trifled with; this was her way of settling scores.

Her family had a total of twenty taels of silver, but they couldn't bear to part with ten taels, so they said, "What should we do if my family doesn't have ten taels of silver?"

Tong Huaqiong said, "It's easy. Let your daughter-in-law work at my house to pay off the debt with these ten taels of silver."

Widow Tong is ruthless; she can make ten taels of silver with just a few words.

That wasn't all. Tong Huaqiong smiled and said to Chunwang, "Chunwang, you took the jade pendant from Young Master Liu's waist. You have to compensate him."

These words stunned not only Granny Luo and Tian Fugui, but also Madam Cao. Chunwang had actually taken the magistrate's young master's jade pendant.

Granny Luo retorted, "My Chunwang has never taken a single needle from anyone. Don't make baseless accusations, Tong Dajiao."

Cao also chimed in, "Aunt Tong, you can't just say things like that."

Tong Huaqiong only smiled at Chunwang and said, "Whether it's slander or not, whether it's nonsense or not, it's not up to me to decide. You have to ask Chunwang about this. Where is Chunwang's jade pendant?"

Chunwang's eyes darted around, and his whole body twisted and turned.

When Granny Luo and Tian Fugui saw Chunwang's appearance, their legs went weak with fright.

This is now considered irrefutable.

How dare Chunwang steal the magistrate's son's jade pendant!
"What about the jade pendant?"

Gu Taohua asked impatiently, she hated Chunwang's shameless attitude.

"I didn't steal it," Chunwang said softly.

Last time, he was beaten up by Liu Yanhong for stealing Chunni's corn, and in his anger, he touched the jade pendant on Liu Yanhong's waist.

He was anxious for several days, and only breathed a sigh of relief when Liu Yanhong returned to Pingchuan County early this morning.

The widow Tong somehow found out, and Chunwang tried to deny it.

Tong Huaqiong smiled even more kindly and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't admit it. Tomorrow, we'll have the constables tie you up and take you to court, just like Xu Si did. By the way, that jade pendant is really expensive. I wonder if you'll have to go to jail for stealing something so valuable."

Gu Taohua added, "Torture will be used during the trial. Chunwang is young, so he probably won't be subjected to large instruments of torture. However, it's unavoidable that his fingers will be pinched and needles will be inserted into his fingernails. I estimate that his fingers will be ruined after just one trial."

Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua didn't mind launching a psychological attack on Chunwang, nor were they afraid of leaving him with psychological trauma.

Upon hearing this, Cao clasped her hands together and uttered a Buddhist prayer. She then hurriedly said to Chunwang, "Where is that jade pendant? Quickly take it out and return it to the owner."

Chunwang was so frightened he almost cried, and said in a trembling voice, "Inside the house."

Granny Luo and Tian Fugui breathed a sigh of relief. The jade pendant was in the house; they could simply take it out and return it to the magistrate's son.

"Chunwang, go and get it for your Grandma Tong." Tian Fugui took off his shoes and pretended to hit her, but it was just for show.

Chunwang went to the inner room.

“Grandma Dashu, my Chunwang didn’t steal it. It must have been something the kids were playing around with and somehow managed to pull off, or maybe it was something Young Master Liu didn’t want and Chunwang picked up.” Granny Luo tried to make amends for Chunwang.

Even if Chunwang stole the jade pendant, he cannot admit it.

Her grandson is still young; he must have been instigated by someone.

“Aunt Tong, look at the mess this has made. Chunwang is ignorant, please forgive him this time.”

Tian Fugui apologized on behalf of his son.

However, he couldn't bear to scold his son. Like Granny Luo, he believed that his son was being unreasonable and that he didn't mean it.

Chunwang quickly came out of the house and shakily approached Granny Luo.

"The jade pendant is here. Quickly return it to Grandma Tong." Granny Luo hugged Chunwang, feeling annoyed that Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua had frightened her eldest grandson earlier.

Chunwang clenched his fists, his face deathly pale under the lamplight.

Tong Huaqiong said, "Chunwang, you didn't sell the jade pendant or lose it, did you?"

"Chunwang, hurry up and take it out!" Cao Shi said, her breathing quickening.

Chunwang stretched out his hand and burst into tears.

When Granny Luo looked into Chunwang's hand, she almost fainted; the jade pendant was broken into two pieces.

"What's going on?" Tian Fugui asked anxiously.

Chunwang cried, "I hid the jade pendant under my pillow. It was fine during the day, but I don't know why it broke into two pieces last night." (End of Chapter)