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

Chapter 65 Perfect Cooperation

“Peach Blossom, I also want to remind you. Even if we have such a space, we can’t live a life without worries about food and clothing. We can only rely on the things in the space to support ourselves,” Tong Huaqiong said.

Gu Taohua poured a basin of cold water over her head and asked, "Why?"

Gu Taohua thought to herself, "Wouldn't it be a waste of God's gift if I didn't lie down?"
Tong Huaqiong glared at her chubby daughter and began her intimidating education.

"After the girl in our village who saved the fox spirit had her cave taken away, her people stopped farming and working. They spent their days thinking about taking things out of the cave. Eventually, they developed a grudge because one family took more than another. It escalated from arguing to fighting until they were bloodied and then they fought each other in the cave. The gods couldn't stand it and sealed the cave, and none of those people came out."

After listening to Tong Huaqiong's story, Gu Taohua nodded thoughtfully, implying that they still needed to work hard to get rich.

That's not impossible. After all, it's always easier for someone with resources to get rich through hard work than someone without resources.

“Mother, I understand what you mean,” Gu Taohua replied readily.

She said that her mother's ability to make such delicious pastries must be thanks to the space.

"Grandma, I'll take out what you need," Man'er said to Tong Huaqiong.

Man'er ignored Tong Huaqiong's instruction to Gu Taohua. She sat at the table leisurely eating snacks. After finishing her snacks, she followed the procedure for entering the cave and was about to take her things out.

As for what to take, she would listen to Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong had the same idea, so she ordered some things and asked Man'er to take them out in batches.

This time, Man'er's entry into the space led Tong Huaqiong to a new discovery: Man'er and Gu Taohua could actually enter the space even without being with her.

That makes things easier. From now on, she can focus on buying new supplies, while Gu Taohua comes in to restock, and Man'er takes out the supplies she needs.

What a perfect supply chain!

"Man'er, take this out."

Tong Huaqiong pointed to the newly purchased adhesive bandages, disinfectant, and anti-inflammatory medicine.

In this day and age, even a minor tetanus or cold can be fatal, so it's always good to have these medications on hand.

"Okay, Grandma." Man'er nodded, put the band-aids, disinfectant, and anti-inflammatory medicine into her pocket, and carried it in her hand.

Under Tong Huaqiong's direction, Man'er moved a lot of things out. Each time she finished moving, Gu Taohua would restock according to Tong Huaqiong's instructions.

The three generations of the family cooperated perfectly.

Tong Huaqiong opened her eyes as dawn broke, only to be met with a large, smiling face that startled her so much that she sat up abruptly.

"Mother, were you frightened? It's me, your daughter Taohua," Gu Taohua said, sitting down beside Tong Huaqiong's bed.

The sun rose in the west, and Gu Taohua was up so early.

"Mother, I thought I was dreaming last night, but when I woke up it was real." Gu Taohua couldn't contain her excitement.

Gu Taohua woke up when the rooster crowed three times. She didn't know if everything she had experienced in the space was a dream, so she got dressed and went to Tong Huaqiong's room.

Seeing the supplies that Man'er had brought out of Tong Huaqiong's room, he felt relieved.

It turns out everything is true!
Gu Taohua sat excitedly on Tong Huaqiong's bed, waiting for Tong Huaqiong to wake up.

Seeing that Tong Huaqiong had opened her eyes, Gu Taohua kept talking.

"Mother, everything Man'er took is in your room."

"Mother, you're finally awake."

Tong Huaqiong turned over, pushed Gu Taohua away, and said, "Let me catch my breath."

Gu Taohua removed her arms from Tong Huaqiong and then sat down on the edge of Tong Huaqiong's bed.

“Peach Blossom, remember this: you must not talk about the space to outsiders. Think of that girl who was burned to death after the fox spirit sent her a mountain full of wealth. If you talk about it, I will lock you up as if you were crazy before anyone else can even do anything about it.”

Tong Huaqiong sat up straight, her tone a mix of admonition and threat.

Gu Taohua nodded frantically.

I absolutely cannot say.

She could even keep quiet about the fact that she sold fifty-seven taels of silver worth of pastries yesterday, let alone such a treasure trove.

Given the precedent of that girl who was burned to death, she wouldn't speak unless a knife was held to her head.

“Mother, not only will I not tell anyone, I will also treat Man’er better,” Gu Taohua said.

She now understood why Man'er had replaced Yaozu as the first among the Gu family's grandchildren—it was entirely because Man'er controlled the family's resources. Tong Huaqiong was quite satisfied with Gu Taohua's change of heart.

Looking at the pile of supplies by the bedside, I felt at ease. Now I don't have to worry about the peach blossom desserts tasting different from one time to another.

As the mother and daughter were talking, Chen Sufeng knocked on the door and came in carrying a basin of water for washing their faces.

"Sister-in-law, let me do it." Gu Taohua respectfully took the water for washing her face from Chen Sufeng's hand.

Previously, Gu Taohua had been bossing Chen Sufeng around, but these days, under Tong Huaqiong's reprimands, she had stopped ordering Chen Sufeng around, though she still didn't show much respect. Since witnessing Man'er's power, she had begun to genuinely respect Chen Sufeng.

"The peach blossoms are up so early."

Chen Sufen was quite flattered by Gu Taohua's respect.

Everyone says that the younger sister-in-law is the darling of the family. Whether in the past or now, Chen Sufeng has always treated Gu Taohua with great deference.

After being helped by Chen Sufeng and Gu Taohua to get dressed and wash her face, Tong Huaqiong couldn't help but ask, "Where is Yue'e?"

Usually, Liu Yue'e would be the first to bring her water to wash her face when she got up in the morning, so she felt a little uneasy today because Liu Yue'e wasn't there to flatter her.

“My second sister-in-law is taking care of Miss Lu,” Chen Sufeng said.

Tong Huaqiong sneered inwardly. She knew it! She thought Liu Yue'e had gotten up early to cook for herself, but it turned out she was just trying to curry favor with the Lu family.

After dressing neatly, Tong Huaqiong walked out of the main room and saw Liu Yue'e smiling obsequiously at Lu Zhaozhao.

"Mother, you're up? I thought you were sleeping in a little longer." Liu Yue'e quickly surrounded Tong Huaqiong when she saw her.

Tong Huaqiong looked Liu Yue'e up and down and found that her clothes were delicate and luxurious, made of a material that the Gu family could not afford.

It must have been obtained by currying favor with Lu Zhaozhao.

“Mother, look at the clothes I’m wearing. They were a gift from Miss Lu. I said I didn’t want them, but she insisted on giving them to me.”

Liu Yue'e touched the fabric she was wearing and smiled happily.

If her mother-in-law had come out a little later, perhaps Lu Zhaozhao would have taken the hairpin off her head and given it to her.

"Do you think I don't know you? Even if Miss Lu gave you clothes, you would accept them without a second thought?" Tong Huaqiong sneered.

Liu Yue'e chuckled awkwardly.

“Aunt Tong, I gave it to Sister Yue’e on my own initiative,” Lu Zhaozhao said.

Tong Huaqiong glared at Liu Yue'e and warned, "This time it'll be over, but don't let it happen again."

For Lu Zhaozhao, giving away a piece of clothing was nothing, but for Liu Yue'e, a piece of clothing was enough for her to curry favor with her.

"I still have a few clothes here. If Sister Yue'e doesn't mind, I'll give them to you." Lu Zhaozhao, this pure white jasmine flower, completely failed to understand Tong Huaqiong's intentions and still wanted to give Liu Yue'e more clothes.

Liu Yue'e, however, understood her mother-in-law very well. When she saw Tong Huaqiong's murderous gaze, she waved her hand regretfully at Lu Zhaozhao and said, "This one is enough."

"Zhaozhao, go check on your brother." Tong Huaqiong sent Lu Zhaozhao away.

After Lu Zhaozhao entered the room, Tong Huaqiong began to lash out at Liu Yue'e.

"Those who are easily swayed, they've already started to fawn over them."

"Are you made of iron or bronze? How can you be so shameless? If I hadn't come out, would you have wanted even more from me? You'd better stop trying to take advantage of me; it's embarrassing enough."

Liu Yue'e shook her head repeatedly in fright, not daring to think about the hairpin in Lu Zhaozhao's hair.

Tong Huaqiong's scolding of Liu Yue'e was not just because of her sycophantic behavior this morning, but also because she wanted to vent her anger for Lu Zhaozhao in her previous life.

Thinking back to her previous life, Lu Zhaozhao was so devoted to Liu Yue'e, treating her with the respect due to an elder sister-in-law, showering her with jewelry and clothes, which only fueled Liu Yue'e's already somewhat greedy appetite.

Lu Zhaozhao and Gu Jingzhe had been married for many years without having children. Liu Yue'e even considered having Yaozu adopted by Gu Jingzhe as Lu Zhaozhao's son so that he could inherit the Lu family's property.

Lu Zhaozhao offended Liu Yue'e by refusing.

Later, after Gu Jingzhe married the princess, Liu Yue'e turned to curry favor with the princess and joined her in relentlessly attacking Lu Zhaozhao, calling her a hen that couldn't lay eggs.

Of course, Liu Yue'e didn't get any good treatment following the princess around either.

The princess arranged for Gu Dashu to divorce Liu Yue'e and marry a concubine's daughter from a wealthy family. After being divorced, Liu Yue'e's life was worse than Lu Zhaozhao's. At least Lu Zhaozhao had money, but Liu Yue'e had no money and no background, so she could only become a nun in a temple and wait to die.

Liu Yue'e seems clever, but she's actually a fool who's easily fooled by small favors. She needs to be constantly reminded, or she'll easily go astray.

(End of this chapter)