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

Chapter 330 Mid-Autumn Festival
Man'er and Yaozu are about to start their studies at a private school.

Like children in later generations, the two children were both nervous and excited.

They were apprehensive because they worried about the teacher's strictness, but excited because they could go to school and learn from other people in the village.

"I sewed two schoolbags, you two try them on." Chen Sufeng handed the sewn schoolbags to Man'er and Yaozu.

After Chen Sufen became pregnant, Tong Huaqiong told her not to work and to stay home to rest.

After all, Chen Sufeng's body was still too weak compared to the old Tong Dajiao. Although the Gu family's life had improved in the past six months and they had meat and vegetables at every meal, it's not easy for a person's body to recover so quickly.

Moreover, Chen Su-fen has been working very hard for the past six months, leaving early and returning late to manage Peach Blossom Desserts.

Therefore, ever since Chen Su-fen was diagnosed with pregnancy, she has become a treasure of the Gu family.

Chen Sufen, who couldn't stay idle, sewed schoolbags for Man'er and Yaozu when she heard that the private school was about to start.

Chen Su-fen was very good at needlework. She embroidered wild geese on Yao-zu's schoolbag, symbolizing soaring high.

Peonies were embroidered on Man'er's schoolbag.

Yaozu and Man'er carried them on his back and happily spun around.

"Mom, why isn't mine?" Xiao Long asked, looking sullen.

Chen Su-fen hadn't expected that Xiao-long would also be going to school.

She wasn't sure if her mother-in-law would let Xiaolong go to a private school.

Just as he was hesitating, Tong Huaqiong returned, and Xiaolong ran up to her and said, "Grandma, I want to go to the private school too."

Tong Huaqiong thought to herself that someone of Xiaolong's status would have already received enlightenment, probably from a powerful figure like an imperial tutor.

His going to the private school was like a game-changer for the other children in the village.

However, not letting him go to school would go against his own public image.

“Alright, you can go to the private school with Man’er and Yaozu, but you’re not allowed to be naughty there,” Tong Huaqiong said.

It's good that Xiaolong goes to a private school.

This will dispel the villagers' suspicions about his identity.

Xiao Long ran up to Chen Su Fen with a smile and said, "Grandma said she would let me go to a private school, so Mom, please sew me a schoolbag too."

Chen Sufen smiled and agreed.

Tong Huaqiong discovered that Xiaolong was particularly attached to Chen Sufen, and actually treated Chen Sufen like his mother.

The next day was the Mid-Autumn Festival.

In this era, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a major event of the year.

After the corn harvest, winter wheat was sown, and the farmers, who had been working hard for more than half a year, could finally rest.

This year's corn harvest in Qinghewan is bountiful, and every household is overjoyed to see their yards full of golden corn. Some families have already sold some of their corn and are beaming with happiness as they pocket the money.

With the bountiful harvest, the festive atmosphere is even stronger than usual.

The villagers were grateful for Tong Huaqiong's kindness and sent their own produce to the Gu family.

Your family has a basket of vegetables, my family has a chicken, and his family has a fish.

Therefore, Tong Huaqiong's house was piled with things, and she could get through the festival just by the things that the villagers gave her.

Peach Blossom Dessert Shop was closed for the holiday, as were the hired workers at the house. In addition to the holiday, Tong Huaqiong gave each of them an extra string of cash as a holiday gift, hoping that everyone could have a joyful holiday.

The Gu family started preparing the day before yesterday afternoon.

I bought chicken, duck, fish, meat, melons and fruits, and got mooncakes and pastries from Peach Blossom Dessert Shop.

Gu Dashu couldn't return from the prefectural city, and Manager He also didn't come back because of the development of Peach Blossom Desserts in the prefectural city. Hong was alone in the town, so Tong Huaqiong invited her to celebrate the festival together.

With Xiaolong and Su Chengmin joining in, the Gu family was as lively as ever.

Gu Taohua and Liu Yue'e were in charge of cooking, while Su Chengmin sat in front of the pot and tended the fire.

Because it was her first time starting a fire, she had no experience and the entire kitchen was on fire. This frightened Tong Huaqiong, who was chatting with Zhao Shi outside, and she rushed home to put out the fire.

When I got home, I found it was a false alarm.

Gu Jingzhe went into the kitchen to teach Su Chengmin how to start a fire.

Gu Taohua and Liu Yue'e prepared a sumptuous meal, and Gu Dahan brought out two jugs of wine.

As the bright moon rose in the evening, everyone sat around the table to eat, drink, and admire the moon.

The moonlight shone down like salt. Tong Huaqiong looked up at the moon and thought of her parents in the future, wondering what they were doing now.

I don't know if I'm just an empty shell in the future or if I'm dreaming.

I don't know if my current life is a dream or reality.

Tong Huaqiong raised her glass, offering a toast to her other self in another world to the bright moon.

People today do not see the moon of old, yet the moon of today once shone on people of old.

She believed that the bright moon she was facing at that moment would surely shine on her in another time and space.

Sitting opposite Tong Huaqiong, Su Chengmin also looked up at the moon.

He had spent Mid-Autumn Festival in the grand courtyards of a prominent family in Shengjing, attended Mid-Autumn Festival banquets in the imperial palace, and even spent Mid-Autumn Festival on the frontier battlefield, but he had never seriously appreciated the moon.

At seventeen, he was a promising young man, one of the brightest young men in Shengjing. He never imagined that one day he would be hunted down and spend the Mid-Autumn Festival in this courtyard in the countryside under the identity of Laifu.

He looked at Xiaolong.

Xiao Long was sharing a mooncake with Man'er, a smile on his face, seemingly oblivious to his escape, the death of his parents, and being hunted.
Su Chengmin wasn't even sure if Xiaolong had fully integrated into the Gu family.

Su Chengmin wiped his eyes, sniffed, and raised his wine glass.

Respect to my past self, and respect to those who have passed away.

"Laifu, have a taste of this mooncake."

Gu Taohua took a mooncake and handed it to Su Chengmin.

Although she looked disgusted, she took a piece of red bean paste, Su Chengmin's favorite filling.

Su Chengmin accepted it, flattered and surprised.

While he was tending the fire in the kitchen, Liu Yue'e asked him what kind of mooncake filling he liked. He casually said red bean paste and peach blossom, and she remembered it.

“Mother, we should give Laifu more work tomorrow. His legs are not very convenient now, but his hands are still fine, right? Let him thresh all the corn in this yard, and he won’t be thinking about these things,” Gu Taohua said.

Tong Huaqiong swept up the corn in the yard. Her chubby daughter was trying to exhaust Su Chengmin.

Su Chengmin took a bite of the mooncake, glanced at Gu Taohua's bright eyes, and said, "Okay. I'll take care of the corn in this yard."

Gu Taohua snorted: "Can your little body handle it? Don't make empty promises."

Su Chengmin felt a lump in his throat.

Gu Taohua noticed his disappointment and deliberately gave him mooncakes, talked to him, and got him to work.

In the countryside, autumn nights are deep and the dew is heavy.

After everyone finished eating the mooncakes, they all went back to their rooms.

A sound sleep all night.

The next day, the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, Gu Jingzhe set off early in the morning to visit Mr. Li, who was teaching in the county town.

To show his respect for the schoolteacher, Mr. Qian once again kindly lent him his carriage.

Qin Qingyou harnessed a horse-drawn carriage and took Gu Jingzhe to Pingchuan County.

Everyone in Qinghewan knew that Gu Jingzhe had gone to consult a tutor, and they would often come to the big locust tree at the entrance of the village to look out.

"I'm coming."

With a shout, Tong Huaqiong, like everyone else, saw a horse-drawn carriage appear on the road leading to the village entrance.

Qin Qingyou sat in front of the car, cracking the whip.

"Everyone, be careful what you say later, so as not to frighten the teacher."

Village chief Liu Tielian gave everyone some instructions.

The teacher is a learned and civilized man, while you country bumpkins have such loud voices, don't scare him.

However, you could tell from the village chief's tone that he was also extremely happy.

He had already discussed it with Tong Huaqiong, and he would arrange the welcoming banquet for the schoolteacher.

As the village chief, shouldn't I also do my part to help the gentleman?

When the carriage arrived at the village entrance, everyone gathered around it.

Gu Jingzhe lifted the carriage curtain, and everyone who looked inside was stunned.

There was no one else in the carriage besides Gu Jingzhe and Qin Qingyou.