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

Prefect Yao did not ask any further questions.

Tong Huaqiong invited Prefect Yao to have tea, but Prefect Yao politely declined. Lian Hengruo then presented Prefect Yao with the black pearl that he had just touched.

Lian Heng had heard that Prefect Yao cared about the people's livelihood and often went deep into the fields, and once thought that this was a persona that Prefect Yao had created.

Having witnessed it firsthand, I saw that Prefect Yao was dressed in coarse cloth clothes and heard him inspect the cornfields and cotton fields in Qinghe Bay. As a result, my impression of him changed.

"You just told me a lot about black pearls, which broadened my horizons. I can't accept your pearl for nothing. My grandmother loves pearls, and she's never seen a black pearl before. I'll buy this pearl as a gift for her. How much?" Prefect Yao asked.

Lian Hengruo insisted on giving it away, but Tong Huaqiong said to him, "If you don't accept Lord Yao's money, he won't want the pearls either. Wouldn't that dampen his intention to show filial piety to his grandmother?"

Lian Heng had no choice but to set a price.

Prefect Yao reached into his pocket and was embarrassed; he had no money with him.

His attendants were not by his side either.

Tong Huaqiong wanted to lend him the money, but she didn't have any money with her.

Lian Hengruo said magnanimously, "Prefect Yao, please take the pearls. You can pay me back next time we meet."

After saying that, he pushed the pearl box into the hands of Prefect Yao.

Since she was going to the prefectural city anyway, getting in touch with Prefect Yao would only bring benefits and no harm.

It would be impolite to refuse now that it's in his hands, so Prefect Yao had no choice but to accept it. He figured that Aunt Tong had a shop in the prefectural city anyway, so he would have her shop assistant bring it over later.

"Aunt Tong, you were looking for me?" Lian Heng asked Tong Huaqiong after Prefect Yao took his leave.

Her pearl stall quickly gained fame thanks to the foot traffic at Jufulai, and business has been booming these past two days.

She didn't feel bad about giving Tong Huaqiong 40% of the profits.

Opening a shop outside requires rent, and the customer traffic is nowhere near that of Jufulai. It would also attract the attention of the boss.

She plans to launch the blind box event that Tong Huaqiong mentioned in a few days.

Tong Huaqiong could tell that Lian Hengruo was in a good mood, and in her heart she cursed the second young master of the Lian family, Gu Ruinian and Xu Zaohua, to death.

"I have something to tell you."

Seeing that Tong Huaqiong looked serious, Lian Heng invited her to a private room in the shop.

"Are you discussing marriage with Young Master Zheng?" Tong Huaqiong asked abruptly.

Lian Heng's heart skipped a beat.

Could it be that Tong Huaqiong has a grudge against the Zheng family?
That's right, the widow of the eldest son of the Zheng family is from Qinghewan. Could it be that she has a grudge against Xu Zaohua's family?

It's perfectly normal for people in the countryside to fight and make enemies over water and land.

Lian Hengruo said, "Yes, but I declined."

She certainly didn't want Tong Huaqiong to misunderstand that she had any connection with the Zheng family.

She disliked the second young master of the Zheng family and had no desire to marry into it.

Lian Hengruo's eyes dimmed. She was right to refuse, but her father and stepmother still hoped that she would marry him.

These days she's been trying to find a way to make them give up on that idea.

Tong Huaqiong knew from Lian Hengruo's eyes that what Lian Hengruo said was true.

So he revealed that Gu Ruinian, Xu Zaohua, and the Second Young Master Lian had met.

“I suspect they’re after you,” Tong Huaqiong said.

Lian Hengruo's eyes suddenly turned fierce.

The quick-witted Miss Lian immediately understood what they were up to.

It was one thing for her second brother to scheme against her; after all, the siblings schemed against each other, each harboring a grudge and wanting to make sure the other couldn't turn the tables once they got the chance. But who were Gu Ruinian and Xu Zaohua? One hadn't even exchanged two words with her before dreaming of becoming her husband; the other, whose marriage to the Zheng family wasn't even on the horizon, wanted to kill her.

Is it because she's been acting too weak lately that strangers want to take a bite out of her?

Then they made a mistake.

Lian Hengruo said to Tong Huaqiong, "Aunt Tong, thank you for telling me this. Now that I know, they will not be able to succeed."

The birthday of the stepmother is in two days, and the banquet invitations have been sent out, so the Zheng family naturally received them as well.

Lian Heng suspected that they would take advantage of her birthday banquet to harm her.

In that case, she wouldn't mind sending a bomb to her stepmother's birthday banquet.

“Aunt Tong, my stepmother’s birthday is in a couple of days. I would like to invite you and Peach Blossom to the mansion to watch a play,” Lian Hengruo said with a smile.

Who wouldn't want to join in the fun?

Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua, this mother and daughter, are the kind of people who can't resist a good show, especially since it's the birthday banquet of the Lian family's stepmother, and the food there can't be bad.

I must go.

Tong Huaqiong smiled and agreed.

Two days later, the birthday banquet of the matriarch of the Lian family was held as scheduled.

The ladies and young women of prominent families in Pingchuan County all received invitations. Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua were invited by Lian Hengruo.

The matriarch of the Lian family, Madam Hua, was surprised to see two unfamiliar faces.

Before Madam Hua could even ask Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua which family's lady or young lady they belonged to, Madam Han, the mother of Magistrate Liu, appeared and warmly took Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua's arms.

Jufulai is now so famous in Pingchuan that everyone knows it. Han thought that Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua were invited by Hua, while Hua thought that the two were relatives of Han who came with Han.

Since she was already a guest, she couldn't refuse to give Magistrate Liu face.

Birthday banquets in wealthy families are always lively. Tong Huaqiong and the others were first invited to the pavilion in the garden to enjoy the flowers and watch the play. After the play, they had a few words before the banquet was set up for dinner.

Such banquets are boring to those who are used to attending them, but Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua find them very novel and are enthusiastic about both the opera and the feast.

Tong Huaqiong and Xu Zaohua met at the banquet.

In such a situation, enemies are bound to be furious with each other. Xu Zaohua wanted to say something sarcastic to Tong Huaqiong, but when she saw Han Shi, she didn't dare to speak.

She comforted herself, telling herself that she wasn't there to argue with Tong Dajiao at the banquet, but to create a memorable scene of catching her husband cheating.

Xu Zaohua looked at Lian Hengruo, who was chatting and laughing with Gu Taohua, and a cold smile appeared on her lips. "Let you be smug for now, but you'll soon be in big trouble."

Xu Zaohua's expression did not escape Tong Huaqiong's notice.

Suddenly, Gu Taohua plopped down in front of Xu Zaohua with her wine glass in hand and said, "Zaohua, you're here. Tsk tsk tsk, look at what you're wearing and what you're wearing. No wonder everyone in our village envies you. Your family always says you're lucky to have a son and not have to serve men. You can do whatever you want. And today I see it's true."

"Come, let me toast you. We've grown up together in Qinghe Bay, after all. You can't look down on me just because you're the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zheng family now."

Xu Zaohua was furious.

Her family did say that she would have a better life without a man but with a son, but could they say that openly?
If this gets back to her in-laws, they won't let her off the hook.

However, she dared not get angry at Gu Taohua in front of so many ladies, so she had no choice but to drink the wine that Gu Taohua handed her.

If you don't drink it, tomorrow word will spread that she has forgotten her roots.

Although she wished everyone in Pingchuan would forget that she came from Qinghe Bay.

Xu Zaohua's eyes darted around. If she knew Gu Taohua was coming, she would plot against Gu Taohua as well, and then plot against the Second Young Master Lian.

Didn't Gu Taohua say that she was happy living as a widow without a man?
Then let Gu Taohua taste what it's like to have a man but live like a widow. (End of Chapter)