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

Chapter 505 Medicinal Wine
"Zaohua, you're so young and so rich, haven't you thought about finding someone else?" Xu Zaohua continued pouring wine and asked.

Xu Zaohua was furious.

She wanted to look for him, but how dare she?

Listen to this! Is this the kind of thing an unmarried girl should say? In her opinion, Xu Zaohua is desperate for a man because no one is proposing to her.

Gu Taohua did it on purpose.

Sure enough, as soon as Gu Taohua finished speaking, all the young ladies and wives in the room looked at Xu Zaohua.

"Zaohua, what nonsense are you talking about? Your mother makes so much money in business, why doesn't she find someone?" Xu Zaohua passed the buck to Tong Huaqiong, who was also a widow.

Gu Taohua sighed, "My mother is different from you. We have a bunch of grown-up children. What young master would be willing to be the father of us siblings?"

Gu Taohua's blunt words made the ladies at the table twitch at the corners of their mouths.

But it's understandable. People in the countryside aren't as bound by rules as city dwellers, so remarriage and second marriages are normal.

Gu Taohua glanced at Xu Zaohua and continued, "But you're different. You're only eighteen, the prime of your life. Your mother said that if you were in Qinghewan, matchmakers would be lining up at your doorstep. Plus, you can give birth to a son, so even if you remarry, the dowry will be the same as for a first marriage. Are you willing to be a widow for Young Master Zheng and have your life delayed?"

The gazes of the crowd falling on Xu Zaohua varied.

Goodness gracious, what kind of mother arranges things for her daughter like this?

Everyone knows that Xu Zaohua's marriage into the Zheng family was a step up for her, and even the death of the eldest son of the Zheng family wouldn't diminish her status as the eldest young mistress.

Who would recognize her after she left the Zheng family?

Xu Zaohua hated Gu Taohua to death and said, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth apart."

Gu Taohua said, "I was just saying something casually, why are you angry? You're the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zheng family now, how come you're still as ignorant as Qinghewan? Come, come, let me toast you, consider it my apology."

Xu Zaohua hated it most when people said she was a country girl from Qinghewan who was ignorant, and Gu Taohua really hit her where it hurt.

"Young Madam Zheng, Peach Blossom was being unreasonable. She's already apologized to you. Please forgive her this time for my sake," Lian Hengruo said, turning his head as he toasted the ladies at the next table.

Xu Zaohua had no choice but to drink Gu Taohua's wine with resentment.

At this moment, someone's wife, trying to ease the tension, joked with Xu Zaohua, "You and Hengruo might become sisters-in-law in the future."

Everyone smiled, knowing that they were referring to the marriage proposal between Miss Lian and the second young master of the Zheng family.

While watching the opera, Madam Hua implied that the marriage between Zheng and Lian's families was already a done deal, otherwise that lady wouldn't have dared to say it.

Lian Hengruo and Xu Zaohua were both unhappy to hear this.

If Lian Hengruo doesn't want to marry the second son of the Zheng family, then Xu Zaohua doesn't want Lian Hengruo to enter the family.

Lian Heng had considered that she and Xu Zaohua originally shared a common goal. If Xu Zaohua had come to her to discuss the matter, she would naturally have tried to sabotage the marriage. However, Xu Zaohua wanted to use the marriage to scheme against her.

Then don't blame her for being impolite.

Her people told her that Gu Ruinian was being taken by his second brother and was hiding in his stepmother's room.

Excellent, we've caught them all.

Gu Taohua continued to act like an immature country girl, sitting in front of Xu Zaohua and chattering away, talking about everything from their childhood fights to their adult comparisons of who was more handsome. Xu Zaohua tried to send Gu Taohua away several times, but Gu Taohua clung to Xu Zaohua like a stubborn plaster.

Xu Zaohua was furious. Did Gu Taohua not understand human language?

She wasn't like this before!
In her opinion, Gu Taohua was deliberately trying to embarrass her.

Xu Zaohua was furious, but she couldn't retaliate in front of the lady and young lady. Moreover, the magistrate's mother was sitting at the next table, and she was a big shot in the Gu family. She was afraid that if she confronted Gu Taohua, she would offend the magistrate's mother.

Even without the magistrate's mother, there was still Widow Tong sitting there. Widow Tong was indiscriminate in her tastes, and if it were revealed that she liked Gu Jingzhe, she would be even more ashamed.

Gu Taohua used her "dog-skin plaster" skills, not only talking about the trivial matters of Qinghe Bay, but also constantly toasting Xu Zaohua.

Xu Zaohua drank several cups in a row.

"Zaohua, think about it, we grew up together, there's no need to be enemies. Why don't we make peace this time?" Gu Taohua said, gnawing on a chicken leg.

Xu Zaohua thought disdainfully, "Who's going to turn hostility into friendship? We'll be enemies until death." However...
Xu Zaohua's eyes darted around, secretly pleased; an opportunity had presented itself.

Gu Taohua, this isn't my fault; you came to me on your own initiative.

Xu Zaohua poured a full glass of wine, then quickly dipped her fingernails in it with her sleeve and took them out. She smiled and said to Gu Taohua, "Taohua, what are you saying? We have no grudges against each other. Those disagreements were just misunderstandings. I always thought of you as my little sister."

Gu Taohua spat inwardly, "Damn it, who's your sister?"

But she readily changed her tune, saying, "Sister Zaohua, then let's call it a day."

Who can't act?

Xu Zaohua handed Gu Taohua a cup of wine and said, "I have also done wrong things in the past. Consider this cup of wine my apology to my younger sister."

Gu Taohua accepted the wine.

Tong Huaqiong had told her not to eat or drink anything that Xu Zaohua gave her to put in her mouth.

How can we proceed to the next step if we don't eat or drink?
Just as Gu Taohua was placing the wine into the glass, Madam Han suddenly exclaimed, "Isn't that the eldest young mistress of the Zheng family?"

Xu Zaohua turned around, and Gu Taohua quickly poured the wine into her sleeve.

Just in case, Tong Huaqiong put a whole sponge in her sleeve.

Then he quickly poured half a glass of wine into the glass.

Upon being greeted by Madam Han, Xu Zaohua gracefully stood up and came to Madam Han's side.

Madam Han held Xu Zaohua's hand and said, "The eldest young mistress of the Zheng family is a good person. She is so young and she can keep her integrity. I told my son that I would ask him to build a memorial arch for you."

Because she herself was widowed young, Han felt sympathy for other young widows.

Xu Zaohua was pleased to hear Han say that.

If she had a memorial archway issued by the imperial court, her position in the Zheng family would be even more secure.

Since she can't remarry in this lifetime anyway, she might as well use the imperial court's reputation to crush the entire Zheng family.

Xu Zaohua was so happy that she didn't even notice Tong Huaqiong sitting next to Han Shi. Instead, she called out "Auntie" and offered a toast.

Tong Huaqiong drank the wine offered by Xu Zaohua, thinking that this superficial friendship was only worth a cup of wine.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Madam Han, Xu Zaohua returned to her seat. Seeing that Gu Taohua had drunk more than half of the wine in her cup, she felt as refreshed as if she had drunk iced mung bean soup on a hot summer day.

Gu Taohua has fair skin and is the type of person whose face flushes easily after drinking alcohol. Xu Zaohua was even happier when she saw Gu Taohua's face, which looked like it was dyed with the morning glow.

It seems her medicinal wine is working.

Gu Taohua was completely unaware, and kept chattering away with Xu Zaohua.

Xu Zaohua, no longer impatient, listened with a smile and thoughtfully served Gu Taohua some food.

They've put aside their differences, so she has to be a good friend, even if it's just a superficial one.

Xu Zaohua then glanced at Lian Hengruo, who was making amusements next to Hua Shi.

Lian Heng is so petite that any man could easily pin her down; there's no need to drug her beforehand.

This was also the result of Xu Zaohua's discussion with Second Young Master Lian and Gu Ruinian today.

If Lian Heng is a concubine's son, the mother and daughter are used to using tricks in the inner quarters. They might even be more skilled at using medicated wine than she is. It would be bad if she found out.

I originally thought her medicinal wine wouldn't be of any use, but she used it on Gu Taohua without wasting a single drop.

Gu Taohua is strong and can beat an old sow to death; most adult men can't get close to her.

She felt weak all over after drinking the medicinal wine; let's see how she tries to exert herself.

Xu Zaohua was extremely grateful that she had brought the medicine along just in case.