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

Chapter 669 The Turmoil Caused by a Bowl of Mutton
Although Tong Huaqiong also complained that Aunt Qin had overstepped her bounds and interfered in the affairs of the Hong couple, she was also glad that Aunt Qin had taken the initiative to inform her.

I wonder if Li Mingxiu knows that her uncles are plotting against her.

She wanted to have a serious talk with Li Mingxiu.

"Sister-in-law."

When Tong Huaqiong returned home, Gu Honglian rushed over like a gust of wind.

"What's the matter?" Tong Huaqiong asked irritably.

Gu Honglian said, "You made a great contribution during the Great Heat. Father said it's a huge good thing for our Gu family. Father and the clan chief discussed recording this in the family genealogy, just like the top scholar in the imperial examination during the Awakening of Insects. We're also going to hold a big celebration. Father invited you over to discuss it."

Tong Huaqiong said decisively, "No need to discuss it. Tell your father that if he wants to include Dashu's deeds in the family genealogy, he can. There's no need to hold a banquet."

She might even have to pay for it herself; she's not going to gild the Gu family's old house.

The inclusion of Gu Jingzhe's achievement of becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination in the family genealogy was arranged by Old Master Gu and the clan head. She couldn't stop people from insisting that Gu Jingzhe have a separate page in the genealogy.

As for Gu Dashu, it's none of her business if Grandpa Gu wants to include it in the family genealogy, as long as he doesn't try to get her to spend money.

Gu Honglian pouted and left.

Looking at Gu Honglian in her bright red dress, Tong Huaqiong couldn't help but ask, "Honglian, are you and Fan Tong getting married soon?"

Gu Honglian blushed and said, "What are you saying, sister-in-law?"

Tong Huaqiong gossiped, "Didn't they say Fan Tong would come to propose before the New Year? Why hasn't anything happened for so long?"

Gu Honglian said, "Fan Tong is a scholar after all. Many wealthy families in our town want to marry him, but he hasn't agreed to any of them. He did want to come to our house to propose marriage to me, but our family has emptied their savings to pay for Ruinian's wedding, and we don't have any dowry to give me. So Fan Tong's mother doesn't want him to propose marriage."

Thinking about this made Gu Honglian feel upset.

Gu Honglian wondered if her sister-in-law was so concerned about her marriage to Fan Tong because she wanted to provide her with a dowry.

Having said all that, she looked at Tong Huaqiong with anticipation.

Tong Huaqiong pretended not to understand and said, "Then this Fan Tong doesn't seem very sincere. He's just a scholar. Do you really think the wealthy families in town are interested in him? You believe that? If that were true, his mother would have forced him to marry her."

"It's just an excuse to exploit you."

Tong Huaqiong didn't mind revealing Fan Tong's thoughts.

Tong Huaqiong had no objection to Gu Honglian and Fan Tong being locked together.

When Gu Honglian saw that Tong Huaqiong had no intention of giving her a dowry, the expectation in her eyes gradually turned into disappointment.

Tong Huaqiong didn't invite her to stay for dinner, and Gu Honglian inhaled the aroma of the food.

“It just so happens that Auntie is here. Why don’t you take the bowl of braised mutton for Grandpa and Grandma over?” Chen Sufeng said to Gu Honglian.

Upon hearing that there was braised mutton to eat, Gu Honglian readily agreed.

"Dad, my sister-in-law gave me braised mutton."

Gu Honglian arrived at the old house, which had just reopened, and placed the braised mutton on the table.

Wu Na's eyes lit up instantly. The table was filled with either pickled vegetables or cabbage. Even before the end of the first month of the lunar calendar, there was no meat on the Gu family's table.

"Auntie is really something, how come she only gave us half a bowl of braised mutton?" Wu Na reached for the braised mutton with her chopsticks.

"It's not for you to eat."

Gu Honglian protected the bowl.

Chen Sufeng was a very honest person. She never skimped on the food for the Gu family's old house. She served a large bowl of braised mutton, but Gu Honglian ate it all on the way, leaving only a small portion.

"The descendants of the Gu family in my belly want to eat, not I want to eat."

Despite her pregnant belly, Wu Na forced herself to eat two pieces, much to Gu Honglian's frustration. She regretted not finishing them on the way; it would have been better than them ending up in Wu Na's stomach. Old Master Gu, already used to the squabbles at the dinner table, asked, "What did your sister-in-law say?"

Ever since Gu Jingzhe passed the imperial examination with top honors, and Gu Dashu and Nie Xiaofeng both made outstanding contributions, Old Master Gu has been walking with a swagger in the village.

Gu Honglian protected the mutton and said, "My sister-in-law said you can write the genealogy if you want, but she won't be hosting the banquet with us."

Grandpa Gu looked dejected.

Grandma Gu immediately cursed, "Her heart is blacker than coal dust, she doesn't give us any face at all. She also has grandchildren, I'll just wait and see how she'll be hated by cats and dogs in the future."

Grandpa Gu was disheartened. The old family had tried to give his eldest daughter-in-law face several times, but she wouldn't listen.

He really didn't know how to repair his relationship with the first wife's family.

If he had known that his eldest grandson would be so successful, he shouldn't have given all his assets to Gu Youtian, and he shouldn't have praised Gu Ruinian while stepping on Gu Jingzhe.

"Knowing full well that the eldest son's family doesn't like you, you still go and lick their boots. I think you're just shameless." Taking advantage of Grandma Gu's inattention, Wu Na took the mutton from Grandma Gu's bowl.

Old Mrs. Gu was touched by something and angrily scolded, "Who are we doing this for? Isn't it all so that you second branch can benefit from the first branch's influence? You want to lick my boots? Do you think you can? A few days ago, didn't you shamelessly beg Tao Hua to give Ruinian a job? Who do you think you are? Because of your buck teeth, your dark face, or because you're the daughter of a disgraced village head, do you think Tao Hua would even give you a second thought? You really think you're something special just because you didn't get rejected by the first branch."

Wu Na wouldn't let Old Madam Gu scold her, and retorted, "Whether I'm a dish or not is none of your business, but I know that in the eyes of the eldest son's family, you're not even worth a blade of grass. Why should the eldest son's family give you any benefit? They don't need your help to scheme against their future daughter-in-law until she gets pregnant."

Grandma Gu was so angry that she trembled all over. She handed a bowl of mutton to Gu Honglian and said, "This mutton can't go into a dog's stomach. You should eat it right away."

Wu Na stood up and reached out to snatch it.

She needed oil and food while pregnant, so she didn't care about saving face.

Gu Honglian jumped onto the stool with the mutton in her hand.

The room erupted in chaos, with chickens and dogs running amok as Gu Ruinian coldly observed everything before him.

A fight broke out over a bowl of mutton.

He groaned inwardly; this was not the life he had envisioned.

The thought that even a purely ancient person like Gu Dashu could achieve meritorious service was like a knife to his heart.

Wu Na stood on tiptoe to reach the mutton, but couldn't. Jia Shi unexpectedly appeared behind Gu Honglian and snatched the mutton away, quickly giving Gu Ruinian a small half bowl and the rest to Wu Na.

Since getting married, Ruinian has become increasingly thin, which makes Jia feel sorry for him.

As for Wu Na, she was only doing it for her grandson's sake.

Since the sister-in-law is an outsider, the mutton can only be given to her son and grandson.

Gu Honglian was so angry that the mutton in her hand was taken away that she lay on the table and cried loudly.

Grandma Gu was so angry she wanted to hit someone, and she pointed at Jia and started cursing.

"I'm not dead yet, and you're already bullying Honglian. Look at your good daughter-in-law and good son, they're ganging up on Honglian."

Madam Jia retorted: "The eldest son of the main branch is indeed a top scholar and a hero; people acknowledge you."

Grandma Gu slammed down her chopsticks and jumped onto Jia Shi.

Such noisy scenes occur frequently at the Gu family's old house, and Old Master Gu is already numb to it.

No one is worried.

"Alright, stop arguing." Old Master Gu slammed his hand on the table.

When Grandpa Gu got angry, all that could be heard in the room was Gu Honglian's sobbing.

Gu Honglian thought to herself that she would go to Wild Buffalo Valley to find Fan Tong as soon as possible, and she would marry him no matter what. No matter how hard life was for Fan Tong's family, it was not as hard as life for the Gu family.

After all, Fan Tong was a scholar who received rice every month, so he could surely afford to eat mutton once a month.