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

Chapter 522 Professional Workers

Two more days passed.

When Lian Heng came to visit, Aunt Tang also came with him.

Aunt Tang bowed deeply upon seeing Tong Huaqiong.

"You flatter me, please rise quickly." Tong Huaqiong helped Aunt Tang up, offered her a seat, and served tea.

Aunt Tang said, "Thank you, Manager Tong. Ruo'er told me everything. If you hadn't found out about Gu Ruinian and Lian Cheng's scheme, my Ruo'er wouldn't have been able to escape so easily."

Aunt Tang held Gu Taohua's hand again, praising and thanking her repeatedly.

Thinking back to the perilous situation that day, with Lian Cheng, Gu Ruinian, and Madam Hua all fighting against Lian Hengruo alone, Aunt Tang felt a wave of fear.

"This box of pearls is for Tao Hua to wear and play with." Aunt Tang pushed a bushel of pearls to Gu Tao Hua. "These are pearls that Ruo'er ordered people to cultivate in Taihu Lake. They can not only be worn, but also ground into powder for face application or internal consumption. They are the best for nourishing the skin."

Each pearl is dazzling and full, clearly a fine piece.

I'm too embarrassed to accept the peach blossoms.

Tong Huaqiong said, "Since it's a gift from an elder, you should accept it."

Tong Huaqiong thought to herself, "As expected of the Lian family, ordinary people wouldn't be willing to grind such fine pearls into powder for facial application or internal consumption."

Gu Taohua only accepted it after receiving Tong Huaqiong's order.

Tong Huaqiong sipped her tea while glancing at Aunt Tang, secretly wondering what was going on.

how to say?

Aunt Tang was very different from the one I met at the Lian family's house. At that time, Aunt Tang had the air of a respectable woman.

Today, Aunt Tang dressed up, looking both charming and radiant.

She is somewhat similar to Su Daji played by Fu Yiwei in later generations.

Seeing Tong Huaqiong constantly observing her, Aunt Tang chuckled, her words no longer as gentle and tender as they were at the Lian family's house.

"Manager Tong, you see I'm dressed differently today, don't you? Let me tell you the truth. As a concubine, one must abide by the duties of a concubine. The master likes pure white jasmine flowers, so I'll dress up as a pure white jasmine flower. But who likes that mourning-like attire? I naturally love this kind of flamboyant dress. Now that I'm away from the Lian family, I want to be myself again."

Aunt Tang speaks her mind quickly and directly.

Tong Huaqiong partnered with her daughter in business and did her daughter a huge favor; what couldn't she say?

Tong Huaqiong almost spat out her water. Was Aunt Tang really that blunt?
In modern terms, Aunt Tang was a professional worker. She treated Master Lian as her boss, working according to his demands during the workday and returning to her own life after get off work without investing any emotions.

No wonder Hua couldn't beat her; she wasn't interested in the inner quarters at all, she had professional aspirations.

Tong Huaqiong couldn't help but give Aunt Tang a thumbs up.

Lian Hengruo, used to his aunt's private demeanor, smiled at Tong Huaqiong.

Aunt Tang's willingness to reveal her true nature immediately brought her closer to Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong asked, "How is Second Young Master Lian?"

After being hit by Lian Hengruo, she was far from recovered. Tong Huaqiong just wanted to find out how badly the Second Young Master Lian was hurt.

Aunt Tang said, "He'll probably be an idiot in the future. But that's alright, at least he won't cause trouble for others."

Serves her right. She schemed against her daughter time and time again, and made her suffer at her hands. Even after her roots were cut off, she still didn't learn her lesson. Now her brain is completely damaged. At least she'll finally be quiet.

"Without your and Tao Hua's help, my Ruo'er wouldn't have been able to escape so easily." Aunt Tang thanked Tong Huaqiong and Gu Tao Hua again, and then said, "Of course, my daughter and I are not to be trifled with either. Ruo'er and I have torn a big chunk of flesh from our home this time." Tong Huaqiong smiled and said, "Since we've been schemed against, we can't let it go unpunished."

Aunt Tang nodded; that was her opinion too.

That's why she and Tong Huaqiong get along so well.

She was a concubine, and her daughter was born out of wedlock. From birth, she was targeted by Madam Hua and her three legitimate sons, and she was unwilling to accept this.

Is it because of her humble origins that she can only be a concubine? Is it because her daughter is an illegitimate child that she can only be cannon fodder for the legitimate son?

Why?

The mother and daughter meticulously planned and executed their plan, gradually taking control of the Lian family's pearl farm.

That wasn't enough; they still hadn't secured the pearl market. So, Lian Hengruo took a different approach and partnered with Tong Huaqiong to open a pearl stall at Jufulai.

The Lian family's pearl business has always been controlled by the eldest son of the Lian family. He is making a fortune off the pearls cultivated by Lian Hengruo and even wants to take away Lian Hengruo's pearl farm.

Even though it was the second young master who plotted against Lian Hengruo this time, the eldest son of the Lian family might not be unaware of it. Regardless of whether he was behind it or not, Aunt Tang believed that he was an accomplice.

Otherwise, his wife, Madam Tang, wouldn't have led such a large group of people to Madam Hua's courtyard.

However, they made a mistake. Lian Heng not only withdrew unscathed, but was also the biggest beneficiary of this incident.

Tong Huaqiong asked, "Hengruo has suffered such a great injustice this time, I'm sure Master Lian will compensate her."

Aunt Tang's eyebrows danced with excitement as she said, "Of course. I'm not afraid to tell you, Ruo'er has secured half of the Lian family's pearl market this time, and I've been given the right to manage the Lian family's inner quarters. To be honest, I don't want the management right at all; managing that little corner of the land is really boring."

Moreover, even though Master Lian had high hopes for his eldest daughter-in-law, Tang, and planned to hand over the management of the inner quarters to her next year, Tang's performance in this "catching adulterers" incident was not much better than Hua's.

However, Aunt Tang and Lian Hengruo performed exceptionally well, not only extricating themselves from the situation and preserving the Lian family's reputation, but also making the Zheng family deeply grateful to the Lian family.

Lian Heng got the pearl business he wanted and also abruptly ended the marriage negotiations with the Zheng family without bloodshed.

More importantly, Master Lian believed that the internal strife was caused by his own efforts to arrange a marriage for Lian Hengruo. In order to prevent trouble in the family, he suspended the marriage proposal for Lian Hengruo and decided to discuss it again in a few years.

Even Master Lian's move was driven by self-interest.

On the one hand, by keeping Lian Hengruo around for a few more years, she can stabilize the family business and wait until the eldest son is truly established before letting Lian Hengruo hand over the pearl business to him. On the other hand, by temporarily putting aside Lian Hengruo's marriage, the eldest son will think that the family is going to find a son-in-law for Lian Hengruo, which will make him feel insecure and force him to establish himself as an adult as soon as possible.

Even though the old man loved his daughter, he loved his son even more, despite his sons being good-for-nothings.

Tang Yiniang and Lian Hengruo, mother and daughter, knew exactly what he was thinking.

Aunt Tang subtly sowed discord between Lian Hengruo and Master Lian, saying that Lian Hengruo's marriage prospects were bleak and that people were gossiping that she would never marry and would become an old maid. She added that even if she stayed at home, her nephews would be filial, but she was still a woman. Master Lian, swayed by her words, had a change of heart and gave Lian Hengruo several more shops.

"You want my daughter to pave the way for her son? No way," Aunt Tang said with a sneer.

Aunt Tang and Tong Huaqiong hit it off immediately, and Aunt Tang took Tong Huaqiong's hand and confided in her.

"Has Peach Blossom been engaged yet?" Aunt Tang asked.

Tong Huaqiong was afraid that Aunt Tang, who had nothing to do in the inner quarters, would like to urge Gu Taohua to get married and have children, so she quickly refused: "No, I want to keep her for a few more years. Even if she doesn't get married in the future, it doesn't matter. As long as she has money and shops, I'm not afraid."

Aunt Tang said, "I also hope that my Ruo'er will be like that, but her marriage is not up to me to decide."

That's why the mother and daughter were so calculating and scheming.

Otherwise, they'll be paving the way for the men of the Lian family.