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

Chapter 323 The scapegoat

Xiao Long officially became the son of the eldest branch of the Gu family.

Three days later, the soldiers guarding the entrance to Qinghewan Village withdrew.

According to the village chief, all the soldiers and officers in Yanguan Town have withdrawn.

At the same time, Boss Qian brought mysterious inside information, saying that the remnants of the traitors had been found in the mountains of Heilongtan, Tong Dajiao's maternal home, and that the remnants were hacked to pieces by government soldiers when they tried to break through the encirclement.

"Manager Tong, now your family has finally been cleared of suspicion," Boss Qian said mysteriously.

"They really found the person?"

Tong Huaqiong was terrified; who had become the scapegoat?

She increasingly felt the cruelty of the power struggles within the imperial court in this era.

You can easily become a scapegoat.

"Who knows? They say they were all chopped into mincemeat. I heard from the officials who got drunk at my restaurant that they captured a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy and a little boy, and they were shot dead on the spot by the soldiers. No wonder they say you shouldn't be born into an imperial family. You see wealth and glory, but once you get involved in a power struggle, you can't even save your life. Take that child, for example. He grew up in the Eastern Palace, and he was still killed without a second thought. There wasn't even a complete skeleton left."

Boss Qian lowered his voice and told Tong Huaqiong the information he had gathered.

Tong Huaqiong patted her chest.

If the news brought by Boss Qian is true, then she has finally gotten through this ordeal.

Although she passed the test, Tong Huaqiong still felt a tightness in her chest.

We don't know whose children the sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy and the little boy who died unjustly are.
The struggle for imperial power is indeed this cruel.

Tong Huaqiong had read about related history in her later years. In order to protect the true royal bloodline, those loyal to the royal family would sacrifice their own blood and bones to die in place of the royal bloodline.

Tong Huaqiong disagreed with this kind of sense of righteousness.

Why should the royal bloodline be protected, and why should the children of servants or slaves be the scapegoats?

Tong Huaqiong couldn't make such a sacrifice either.

Although Tong Huaqiong took in Xiaolong, if things really came to that, she would definitely have to consider the safety of herself and the Gu family.

Su Chengmin is a man of this era, and he is definitely completely loyal to the Crown Prince and Xiaolong. If he were to hold back and cause Tong Huaqiong and others to sacrifice themselves, Tong Huaqiong would be the first to kill him.

"Manager Tong." Boss Qian called out several times, it seemed that the news he brought had frightened Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong came to her senses and said, "That child is very pitiful."

Mr. Qian said, "The He family's sister-in-law is soft-hearted. She discussed it with me, and we contributed some money to hold a memorial service for the boy and child in the Black Dragon Pool Mountains. This will fulfill our duty of loyalty and righteousness."

Tong Huaqiong said, "Boss Qian and Sister Hong are so righteous, so count me in too."

"Is Da Han's illegitimate child that child?" Boss Qian gestured with his chin toward the courtyard.

Tong Huaqiong turned around and saw Man'er sitting with Xiaolong and Yaozu in the corn pile in the yard, peeling corn.

Xiaolong didn't know how to peel corn, so he sat to the side tearing at the husks of the corn cobs.

He had changed out of his skirt and was now wearing Yaozu's clothes. His red lips and white teeth made him look as handsome as ever, and to outsiders, it was impossible to tell whether he was male or female.

Tong Huaqiong nodded and said, "It's that child."

Mr. Qian sighed, "Da Han is so honest, how come he has a child outside?"

Tong Huaqiong stared at Boss Qian with a half-smile.

Mr. Qian immediately replied, "I didn't mean to doubt you. It's good that your family has another grandson."

He really didn't mean to pry.

Chen Su-fen hasn't been to Peach Blossom Dessert Shop these past few days.

The rumors are going around like crazy. They're saying that Peach Blossom Dessert's eldest son looks so honest, but he had a son outside the marriage, and the son brought home made Chen Su-fen so angry that she went on strike.

The whole town knew about this news.

"Mr. Qian, please go and check if those flowering trees are planted in the correct locations."

The contractor, Liu Tong, sent a laborer to invite Boss Qian over.

Mr. Qian's courtyard is almost finished; all that's left is to arrange the landscaping.

Mr. Qian has already started planning to move to Qinghewan this morning. Tong Huaqiong thought to herself, "Is he not afraid of formaldehyde?"

However, considering that houses in this era are built using natural stones, wood, and thatch from the mountains, and are located in open and well-ventilated areas, formaldehyde is basically non-existent.

After Boss Qian left, Tong Huaqiong returned to the courtyard. All the corn in the field had been harvested; some was taken to the threshing ground, and some was taken home.

Tong Huaqiong's yard was piled high with corn, leaving only a narrow path for people to pass through.

Golden corn brings the joy of a bountiful harvest.

However, Tong Huaqiong felt heavy-hearted, and much of the joy of the harvest had faded.

These past few days, the villagers have been gossiping about Tong Huaqiong's family, criticizing Gu Dahan for being hypocritical, and secretly cursing Tong Huaqiong for mistreating Chen Sufeng in the past.

The gossip about the Gu family spread from Qinghe Bay to the entire Yanguan Town.

However, with the bumper corn harvest, the villagers, grateful for Tong Huaqiong's act of donating medicine, felt embarrassed to continue dwelling on the matter.

Even when others complain, some people will reply, "Chen Su-fen has already accepted it, so why do you care so much?"

Tong Huaqiong's reputation has rebounded once again.

"Laifu, what are you doing sitting there? You've been eating and drinking for free at my house for days without doing anything. You just want to keep eating and drinking for free? You can't cook, you can't even light a stove. But you can at least sweep the yard, right?"

Gu Taohua stood with her hands on her hips, pointing at Su Chengmin and scolding him angrily.

The current Su Chengmin is known as Laifu by the Gu family.

It means to bring good fortune to the Gu family.

Su Chengmin endured two days and two nights of fever and finally woke up yesterday.

Gu Jingzhe was worried that the lack of sunlight indoors would be bad for his wound, so she helped him sit in the yard to bask in the sun.

Su Chengmin no longer reacted as strongly to Lai Fu's address.

Anyway, Tong Huaqiong said that no matter how much he objected, Laifu was his name.

Now the whole village knows his name is Laifu.

It has to be said that even Tong Huaqiong was amazed by Su Chengmin's physical condition; he had just opened his eyes yesterday and was able to get out of bed today.

Su Chengmin frowned amidst Gu Taohua's cursing.

Sweep the yard?
Gu Taohua is really joking. His leg injury hasn't healed yet, and he's limping even with Gu Jingzhe supporting him. How can he sweep the floor?

Su Chengmin pointed to his leg without saying a word.

Gu Taohua rolled her eyes and said, "You cheated me out of my money. From now on, you're an employee of my family. Don't even think about living a life of luxury here. Your leg is injured, but what about your hands? They're not broken, are they? If they're not broken, then go peel corn."

"You're not even as good as Xiaolong. Xiaolong knows how to peel corn."

Tong Huaqiong took a corn husk from the corn pile and placed it in front of Su Chengmin, pointing to the corn in front of him and saying, "This is all your work."

Su Chengmin gritted his teeth.

This mother and daughter are really something else.

He was made to work before his injury had even healed.

“Don’t think we’re mistreating you. You wouldn’t be alive without us,” Gu Taohua said emphatically.

"Dig out all these corns and I'll check them when I get back."

After saying that, Gu Taohua turned around and went out to visit other people's homes.

Su Chengmin sighed. Unlike girls from Shengjing who were strict about staying at home, rural girls didn't blush when talking to men.

After Gu Taohua walked away, Su Chengmin picked up a corncob and began to thresh the kernels.

"Aunt Tong".

Su Chengmin looked up and saw Tong Huaqiong picking at the corn. He had a lot to say.

"What's up? Let me tell you, don't even think about slacking off."

Tong Huaqiong put on a stern face.

A man like Su Chengmin, to whom the Crown Prince could entrust his son, must be a young prodigy.

Now that he's fallen into poverty and become a fugitive in the village, it's uncertain whether he can overcome this psychological hurdle.

That's why Tong Huaqiong forced him to work.

When you're working, you don't think about anything else.

Su Chengmin looked at Tong Huaqiong and said softly, "One of the dead men was a bodyguard disguised as me, and the other was the grandson of the Grand Tutor's steward."