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

“Sister-in-law, don’t be sad. Although Dashu’s mother has a bad temper, she is extremely filial. She always brings you the best food and clothes when she has them. We are old and we can live for a few more years. Our children have provided us with enough to eat and drink.”

“If we’re talking about who’s truly blessed in our clan, it’s you. When your eldest son was alive, he never hesitated to treat you well. Your second son took you to the south to enjoy your life. Now you have a whole bunch of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and I think they’re all doing very well. Plus, you have two grandsons who are so good at studying; they’ll earn you an official title sooner or later.”

Grandma Gu's sister-in-law comforted her.

Grandma Gu stopped crying; she knew there was no point in continuing.

Then, this sister-in-law changed the subject and said to Jia, "You Tian's wife, logically speaking, I, as her aunt, shouldn't be criticizing you. Your Ruinian is a promising young man in the whole clan, but I see that he sometimes only cares about himself. For example, last time I gave you a basket of eggs, and he cooked and ate them all by himself, while his nephew Yaojia watched him longingly but wouldn't give him a single bite. They say you can tell a lot about a person's future from a young age. If you don't correct him now, what will happen when he becomes an official? Will he take credit for his achievements while his followers just watch? Who will follow him then?"

Tong Huaqiong couldn't help but glance at this second aunt.

She maintained a distant relationship with the clan, only knowing that her second aunt was stern and cold towards her. Apart from sending Gu Jingzhe to deliver gifts to her second uncle and aunt's family during festivals, she rarely interacted with them.

It's astonishing that a rural woman could utter such words.

This second aunt is no ordinary person.

Tong Huaqiong couldn't find any memories of this second aunt in Tong Dajiao's memories. It's estimated that in her previous life, the second aunt didn't think much of Tong Dajiao and didn't associate with her, which is why she had no memories of her.

This second aunt was quite prestigious in the clan, and Jia, who had been in a fighting stance, immediately backed down.

Soon, the dishes were served.

Fortunately, according to the customs of Yanguan Town, one does not need to eat vegetarian food on the anniversary of the death, but only abstaining from alcohol is required.

Tong Huaqiong picked up a piece of braised pork rib and placed it on the plate in front of her second aunt, saying, "Second aunt, please try my family's way of cooking pork ribs."

My second aunt took a bite of the rib and praised it highly.

"Grandma, please have a piece too." Tong Huaqiong picked up a piece of pork rib and handed it to Grandma Gu's bowl.

Grandma Gu snorted, but didn't stop herself from taking a bite.

Tong Huaqiong wouldn't let anyone suffer; today's meal was very lavish.

Besides, they are all relatives and friends, and there are only three tables in total. Even if it's all big fish and meat dishes, it won't cost much.

We hired a chef from Fenglelou Restaurant. The fresh, pollution-free meat and vegetables, combined with the chef's skill, made every dish incredibly tempting.

Gu Honglian sat next to Grandma Gu, rummaging through the dishes with her chopsticks without a care in the world. First, she flipped through the chicken and picked out the tenderest chicken leg meat, placing it on the plate in front of her. Then she flipped through the ribs and picked out the meatiest pieces, placing them in front of her. Finally, she flipped through the mutton and picked out a few of the fattest and most tender pieces, causing everyone at the table to shake their heads in disapproval.

"Honglian, how are the other people supposed to eat if you keep picking at the food like that?"

Just as Gu Honglian was about to aim her chopsticks at the braised fish, her second aunt started speaking without Tong Huaqiong even having to say a word.

With her mouth full of meat, Gu Honglian mumbled, "I didn't stop you from eating."

Second Aunt put down her chopsticks and said to Old Madam Gu with a stern face, "Sister-in-law, Honglian is fifteen this year, isn't she? Look at her eating, she doesn't even eat as well as Man'er, Xiaolong, and Yaozu. She just shovels the best and tender food into her own bowl. I can't control how you spoil her at home, but I have to say something when she does this under my nose."

"You said that Pan Di's divorce affected the Gu family girls' marriage prospects, but I think Honglian's behavior is what really lowers the reputation of the Gu family girls. Luckily, this is at her sister-in-law's house. If they were eating at a banquet outside, people would see Honglian's shallow-mindedness and wouldn't say anything about her, but they would only talk about the Gu family girls."

Gu Honglian was quite afraid of her second aunt and lowered her head, not daring to talk back. Old Mrs. Gu defended Gu Honglian, saying, "Why is my Honglian like this? It's because she hasn't been eating well since she returned to Qinghewan. She used to have meat every meal in the south, so she wasn't like this."

This is another attempt to accuse Tong Huaqiong of being unfilial.

Second Aunt sneered, "Which family in our village eats meat every day? I've never seen any girl eat like this when she's out eating. Take Xiaoxue for example, she eats meat every meal in the south, and she doesn't eat like this in Qinghewan. Don't try to make excuses for her, it's just that you spoil her."

Grandma Gu and her second aunt, who had always been at odds, said angrily, "My Honglian's affairs are none of your business. All this meat can't shut you up."

Second Aunt said, "Do you think I want to interfere?"

Then she said to Gu Honglian, "Honglian, you can't eat like this, whether at home or outside. It's not nice for your second aunt to say this, but it's for your own good. If you think what your second aunt said is wrong, just ignore it. But you can't pick at the food in front of me today. None of us at this table want to eat your saliva. When you go home, you can pick at the food however you want, and I won't care."

Gu Honglian was so annoyed by her second aunt's words that she dared not continue picking at the vegetables.

The women in the room felt relieved by what their second aunt had said.

What a wonderful feast it was! We can't let Gu Honglian's saliva ruin it.

She thoroughly enjoyed her meal, but how could anyone else possibly eat?

"Second Aunt, please try this fish. I bought it from the reservoir early this morning on the coldest day of winter. It's very fresh."

If we keep arguing like this, I won't be able to eat.

Tong Huaqiong picked up the tenderest piece of meat from the fish's belly and handed it to her second aunt, not forgetting to use a clean pair of chopsticks to pick it up again.

Second Aunt's expression softened slightly.

Soon everyone finished eating and cleared away the leftovers.

Tong Huaqiong noticed the regretful look on the faces of her sisters-in-law and aunts in the clan, and couldn't help but smile.

In an era of relatively scarce material resources, villagers were accustomed to collecting the leftovers from banquets into several large buckets after the feast, then taking them home with pots and pans, reheating them with vegetables from the fields, and eating them for two more meals.

After all, people are thinking about the profits, not hygiene.

Tong Huaqiong had already thought of this, and she certainly wouldn't let everyone go back empty-handed.

So Gu Taohua, Liu Yue'e, and Tong Pandi had already prepared steamed buns and a large pot of stew made with rendered pork fat, since it wouldn't cost much anyway.

These are the essential meals for the hired workers at the pig farm and in the fields.

Everyone was overjoyed to see that Tong Huaqiong had prepared steamed buns and vegetables for them to take back with them.

Apart from Old Madam Gu, her second aunt Gu Honglian, Madam Jia, Madam Wei, and several older aunts and grandmothers from the clan, the other women of the same generation and younger relatives all went home after finishing their meal and saying goodbye to Tong Huaqiong.

Many of the men in the tribe stayed behind.

Tong Huaqiong raised her eyelids; Old Master Gu and the clan chief were using this opportunity to make things difficult for her, along with the other clan members. (End of Chapter)