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

Chapter 555 Her life is worthwhile
After Prefect Yao left, Tong Huaqiong searched around for Gu Xiaoxue's shadow.

“Xiaoxue is in the kitchen,” Chen Sufeng said to Tong Huaqiong.

Gu Xiaoxue followed Tong Huaqiong home and went about her chores as if nothing had happened.

There's absolutely no indication that she nearly orchestrated a rural poisoning case.

Tong Huaqiong walked into the kitchen and saw Gu Xiaoxue sitting on a stool eating, with Tong Pandi sitting beside her.

"Aunt." When Tong Pandi saw Tong Huaqiong come in, he knew she had something to say to Gu Xiaoxue, so he stood up and said, "I'll go see if Hua'er has eaten properly."

Tong Huaqiong sat down next to Gu Xiaoxue.

Gu Xiaoxue stuffed rice into her mouth one bite at a time.

The food at her aunt's house was good, with plenty of oil and fat. Chen Sufeng and Tong Pandi gave her a lot of meat and vegetables, and even put two big chicken legs in her rice bowl.

She wouldn't get to eat such good food at home.

Tong Huaqiong watched Gu Xiaoxue eat.

"Auntie, do you think I should marry Liu Qingsong?" Gu Xiaoxue asked.

Tong Huaqiong then asked, "Do you like Liu Qingsong?"

Gu Xiaoxue thought for a moment and said, "Liu Qingsong is indeed a very good person. He's good to me, helping me fetch water, chop wood, and giving me rouge, face powder, and hairpins. He almost lost his life for me today. It would be a lie to say I don't like him. I should be grateful to him. I should have taken advantage of Lord Yao's promise to marry him, but I refused. Now everyone in the village is probably cursing me for being ungrateful and saying I'll never meet a man as good as Liu Qingsong again."

“But does gratitude mean I have to marry him? If I marry him just because I'm grateful, that wouldn't be fair to him. I'm refusing him not because I don't like him, but precisely because I'm grateful to him and like him, that's why I can't marry him. Even if Liu Qingsong didn't drink the poison today, his parents will definitely blame me and dislike me. Even if his parents agree to the marriage because of Prefect Yao's influence, they won't treat me well after I marry into the family. Liu Qingsong will be caught in the middle, and I don't believe he'll stand by me forever and be good to me forever. If I suffer any injustice, everyone will just bring up what happened today, saying that Liu Qingsong risked his life for me, so what's wrong with me suffering a little? But I don't want to suffer any injustice.”

"Why should I suffer? I've already suffered enough from my parents and grandparents. I don't want to suffer any more after I get married."

Tong Huaqiong looked at Gu Xiaoxue.

This girl, silent like a shadow, seemingly submissive, possesses such insight.

Tong Huaqiong felt that she had never truly understood her.

From the moment she refused the help from Tong Huaqiong and Uncle Gu, she harbored the idea of ​​dying together with Xu Dabao and Gu Ruinian.

As expected of a girl from the Gu family, she has a fiery temper, just like Gu Taohua and Gu Baishuang.

“Auntie, I don’t want to get married. My mother married my father, but she didn’t have many good years. She spent her whole life watching my grandmother’s moods and pinned all her hopes on my second brother. Now that my second brother is failing, she’s going crazy. When my sister-in-law and brother proposed, the family promised to treat her well, but my sister-in-law hasn’t had a good life at home either. Her dowry went to pay off the family’s debts. Her parents-in-law are biased, her husband doesn’t stand up for her, and my brother-in-law gives her the cold shoulder as soon as she asks to separate from the family.”

Gu Xiaoxue bit her lip and smiled.

"So what's so good about getting married?"

"They are not as good as you; being a widow is much more comfortable for them."

Tong Huaqiong did not interrupt Gu Xiaoxue.

In this era, girls who didn't get married had almost no way to survive. Even Gu Taohua wasn't prevented from marrying; instead, she hoped to keep her for a few more years or have her find a husband. Before that, she wanted to help her become independent and strong, so that even if she didn't meet a good man or eventually fell out with her husband, at least she would have money and shops to fall back on.

Gu Xiaoxue was unwilling to get married, and Tong Huaqiong supported her, but also knew that this was a difficult path.

Tong Huaqiong asked, "What are your plans next? I'm afraid your family will try to arrange another marriage for you."

With the poisoning incident today, it's estimated that the Gu family's old house and the second branch of the family will no longer tolerate Gu Xiaoxue.

After all, she wanted to poison not only Xu Dabao, but also Gu Ruinian.

No matter how despicable Gu Ruinian is, he is still his son, and Gu Xiaoxue's crime of poisoning her brother is undeniable. Now, it's likely that even if Old Master Gu and others don't punish Gu Xiaoxue, they will marry her off to another place.

The marriage was arranged by the parents and the matchmaker, and Gu Xiaoxue's consent was not required at all.

Gu Xiaoxue's face was resolute, as if she were facing death.

"At worst, I'll just die again," Gu Xiaoxue said.

Tong Huaqiong interrupted her, saying, "You wouldn't poison yourself and then kill yourself, would you? Xiaoxue, let me tell you, no matter what, you can't think about self-destruction. Xu Dabao doesn't deserve to lose his life with you, Gu Ruinian doesn't deserve to die with you, they don't deserve it. Your family doesn't cherish this life, you have to cherish it yourself. Even if your family pushes you off a cliff, leaving you unable to live or die, you have to save yourself a thousand times over."

Gu Xiaoxue looked at Tong Huaqiong.

Save yourself—this was the first time she had ever heard anyone tell her that.

Her sister-in-law, who sympathized with her, told her to be patient; Gu Honglian, who also sympathized with her, told her it was all fate; Liu Qingsong, who pitied her, told her that she should just marry him; only her aunt told her that she had to save herself and that her life was worthwhile.

Gu Xiaoxue's eyes reddened.

She didn't want to die; she wanted to live.

“Auntie, I know how to farm, weave, and embroider. Can I work with you?” Gu Xiaoxue said.

Tong Huaqiong said, "Okay, I want to open a weaving workshop. You're skillful, so you can come with me to weave cloth in the workshop from now on."

"it is good."

Gu Xiaoxue's dazed eyes began to brighten.

Gu Xiaoxue stayed at Tong Huaqiong's place for two days.

No one from the old house showed up during this period.

On the third day, Gu Honglian came to Tong Huaqiong's house, looked Gu Xiaoxue over, and acted as if she didn't recognize her niece.

"Xiaoxue, you've got guts. It's a pity you didn't poison Gu Ruinian to death," Gu Honglian said.

Because she hated Gu Ruinian, Gu Honglian sided with Gu Xiaoxue in this matter.

The poisoning incident didn't cause much of a stir at the old house.

Perhaps Grandpa Gu also felt sorry for Gu Xiaoxue.

Anyway, under the intervention of Prefect Yao, the Gu family was forced to write off the five hundred taels of silver they owed the Xu family, and Gu Xiaoxue was able to earn a dowry by hiring someone else. In any case, the Gu family made a profit. Therefore, Gu Youtian and Jia Shi not only did not blame Gu Xiaoxue for embarrassing them at home, but were also glad that Gu Xiaoxue had done this.

However, what displeased Grandpa Gu and the others was that Gu Xiaoxue poisoned Xu Dabao, but her attempt to poison Gu Ruinian had touched a nerve with Grandpa Gu.

He's quick to poison his own siblings; if he ever has any complaints about his family, he might just poison someone else.

Gu Xiaoxue stayed at Tong Huaqiong's house for two days without returning home. Old Master Gu couldn't stand it anymore and sent Gu Honglian to call her back.

"Xiaoxue, my father wants you to go back." Gu Honglian rambled on about the purpose of her visit to her sister-in-law's house.

Gu Xiaoxue looked at Tong Huaqiong and said, "Auntie, I'll go back first."

She will eventually have to face her grandparents and parents.

Gu Honglian said, "Sister-in-law, the clan chief and second uncle are both here. Father invites you to come as well."

Gu Jingzhe happened to be at home and hadn't returned to the prefectural city yet. When he heard that Tong Huaqiong had been invited to the old house, he stood up and asked to go with her.