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

Chapter 521 He's the real ant

Gu Ruinian was in great pain.

How could he possibly know who had become emperor? But he had to give an answer that seemed impossible to others in order to have a chance of survival.

Never mind, just stay alive first.

"Second Young Master, if I were lying to you, may I be struck by lightning," Gu Ruinian said.

The second son of Zheng ordered his men to stop the water torture.

Gu Ruinian took a breath, his mind gradually returning to normal. He knew that the Second Young Master Zheng was not asking him this question to test him, since even the Second Young Master Zheng did not know the correct answer.

There's only one answer: the second young master Zheng or the Zheng family has some connection with Shengjing, and he wants to take advantage of the situation to make venture capital investments.

In feudal times, there was collusion between officials and merchants. Which big merchant in any region didn't have a powerful backer in the imperial court?
Young Master Zheng has quite an appetite.

Gu Ruinian nodded without hesitation and said, "The next emperor is indeed the fifth prince."

"Second Young Master, I truly didn't lie to you. It really was the Fifth Prince who ascended the throne. With the Crown Prince gone, many people favored Prince Ning to succeed him. However, my textbooks from later generations say that Prince Ning was embroiled in a succession crisis. At that time, all the ministers sided with the Crown Prince, which incurred the resentment of the Imperial Concubine. Moreover, Prince Ning was spoiled by the Emperor and became lawless, possessing a vengeful nature and the potential to become a tyrant. The ministers feared that if Prince Ning succeeded to the throne, he would unleash a reign of terror. After much maneuvering, the Fifth Prince ultimately ascended the throne. You studied at Wanliu Academy and have a higher level of knowledge than I do. Do you think I'm lying to you?"

In order to survive, Gu Ruinian had no choice but to fabricate stories.

Young Master Zheng's eyes darted around, and after a long, long time, he said, "I believe you."

Gu Ruinian breathed a sigh of relief; he could live.

The second young master Zheng picked up the drawing of the future and asked him, "Can you build those things from your future? Like the missiles that can launch artillery fire, the airplanes that can fly in the sky, and the high-speed trains that can travel three or four hundred kilometers per hour?"

Gu Ruinian felt a chill run down his spine; he was a finance major, how could he possibly know the answer?

Young Master Zheng is really daring; even if Edison were alive, he wouldn't have thought of that.

Gu Ruinian said, "It's not that I don't know how, but this kind of thing requires a complete industrial system. Even in later generations, not all countries can manufacture these."

Young Master Zheng's eyes darkened, and Gu Ruinian shuddered, saying, "I... I can make gunpowder. As long as you give me the materials, I can make it."

He remembered the chemistry formula he learned in junior high school very clearly: one part saltpeter, two parts sulfur, three parts charcoal.

As expected, the second young master of Zheng sent someone to bring him the materials for making gunpowder, threatening that if he couldn't make it, he wouldn't be able to leave the Zheng family alive.

Four days later, gunpowder exploded in the Zheng family's backyard.

Although the effect wasn't as explosive as Gu Ruinian had hoped, it was enough to bring a smile to Zheng Er Gongzi's face.

He made the right bet!

He told the Second Young Master Lian that if he had more time, he could create gunpowder to blow up the city walls.

Young Master Zheng released him.

However, instead of letting him leave the Zheng family unscathed, they severed his right hamstring, crippling his leg. They also told him that he might visit Gu Ruinian from time to time in the future, assuring Gu Ruinian that he could focus on his gunpowder research and that they would provide all the necessary materials.

Although Gu Ruinian escaped death, everything that happened to the Zheng family sent chills down his spine.

He deeply understood the meaning of the feudal society's disregard for human life.

For a moment, I realized that he was the one who was insignificant.

Fortunately, he made it out, relying on some skills from later generations.

He hated the Second Young Master Lian, hated Xu Zaohua, hated the Second Miss Lian who ruined his plans, and hated Tong Huaqiong and her daughter Tao Hua. These people ruined him.

Now that he's been allowed to leave the Zheng family, he won't be content to be a mere ant to be crushed by others.

Gu Ruinian clenched his fists. "Sister-in-law is back?"

During the days that Tong Huaqiong was away, Gu Honglian went to Tong Huaqiong's house every day to eat breakfast, enduring Liu Yue'e's disapproving looks.

Anyway, Gu Baishuang was too embarrassed to kick her out as her aunt, and Gu Dashu didn't care at all about adding another pair of chopsticks for her.

Gu Honglian, with her greasy meat buns, fluffy and crispy fried dough sticks, and chicken soup from which she could scoop out chicken meat, wanted to expel herself from the old house's household registration.

The day after Gu Ruinian returned, the whole family gathered around him to look at his legs, and Gu Honglian secretly went to Tong Huaqiong's house again.

Upon seeing Tong Huaqiong return, he greeted her awkwardly but warmly.

"What brings you to my house?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

Gu Honglian didn't dare admit she was there to freeload, fearing her sister-in-law would kick her out.

"Sister-in-law, I heard you were back, so I specifically told you that Ruinian has returned from the Zheng family," Gu Honglian said after thinking for a moment.

Last time in Qinghewan, she went to her sister-in-law's house to talk badly about Gu Ruinian and her second sister-in-law, so her sister-in-law invited her to stay for a meal.

She realized that only by severing ties with her second brother's family could she win back her sister-in-law's favor.

Since she already considered her second sister-in-law and Ruinian as enemies, cutting ties with them was effortless for her.

Tong Huaqiong asked, "Oh, how's Ruinian doing?"

She saw Gu Ruinian being thrown at the entrance of Wu Ji yesterday, but she didn't get a clear look at how badly Ruinian was injured.

When her sister-in-law started talking to her, Gu Honglian was thrilled and enthusiastically told Gu Ruinian all about his situation.

Now, everyone in Tong Huaqiong Valley, Peach Blossom Valley, and Da Shu knew that Gu Ruinian's tendons had been severed and one of his legs was crippled, and that he would probably never recover.

Tong Huaqiong felt he deserved it.

In truth, she and Gu Taohua also played a part in his ending.

But Tong Huaqiong felt no guilt at all.

"It's already a miracle that the Zheng family didn't take his life," Gu Dashu said.

“Ruinian said that Second Young Master Zheng needed his help to release him, but I think that’s complete nonsense. What use could he be?” Gu Honglian said, grabbing a meat bun from Gu Dashu’s bowl. Seeing Tong Huaqiong’s indifferent expression, she continued, “Ruinian might have sold Xu Zaohua to survive. Ruinian has been incredibly selfish and cowardly since he was a child. At home, he always lets Second Aunt do all the work while he gets the benefits. This time, he’ll probably do the same as at home, letting Xu Zaohua do all the work.”

Tong Huaqiong glanced at Gu Honglian and tsk tsk tsk, this sister-in-law has finally stopped blindly siding with Gu Ruinian.

"Ruinian is capable of doing something like this. I heard Xu Zaohua had her head shaved and was sent to the family temple." Liu Yue'e joined the gossip discussion group.

Tong Huaqiong didn't tell Liu Yue'e the truth, fearing that Liu Yue'e would gossip and cause trouble for Lian Hengruo and Gu Taohua.

Therefore, Liu Yue'e always believed that Gu Ruinian and Xu Zaohua were as rumored.

"Alright, this has nothing to do with our family. Let's just focus on doing business and not worry about these things," Tong Huaqiong said. "Let's finish eating quickly and get to the supermarket to get busy."

However, Gu Honglian said that the second young master of Zheng released Gu Ruinian because Gu Ruinian was helpful to the Zheng family. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of help he could be to the Zheng family.
From her perspective, Gu Ruinian was a transmigrator whose fate was higher than the sky. Even if he could fool the Zheng family with his knowledge of the future for a while, he would eventually be exposed.

She couldn't care what he and the Second Young Master Zheng did together, but one thing was certain: if they bullied Tong Huaqiong and her gang of scoundrels, she would not let them off easily.

After Gu Honglian finished eating a steamed bun, she reached for a fried dough stick, but Tong Huaqiong couldn't help but say, "Honglian, did you come to talk about Ruinian or to freeload breakfast?"

Gu Honglian said awkwardly, "Yes, we have both."

Tong Huaqiong gave a cold laugh but did not chase them away.