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

Chapter 673 Simple Tricks
If I were to become an embroiderer in Widow Tong's weaving workshop, my son would have no trouble finding a wife.

Not only will her son's marriage be secured, but with her silver tongue, she might even win the favor of Su Qing or Widow Tong, and then she could even get her own daughter a job at the weaving workshop to earn money.

My daughter is neither good at weaving nor embroidery, but she is eloquent and persuasive. Perhaps she can become a manager in front of Peach Blossom.

He'll end up like Su Qing, using his power to squeeze every last drop of profit.

The more Aunt Li thought about it, the more she felt an urge to spend fifty taels of silver to buy a job as an embroiderer.

All things considered, it's still more cost-effective than marrying a woman from Pingyang County.

Li Mingxiu carefully observed her second aunt's expression and knew that her second aunt had been persuaded.

She chatted with her second aunt for a while and added some fuel to the fire. When she heard her aunt and Su Qing talking in the yard, she was about to come out of the kitchen.

Second Aunt was about to say something when Li Mingxiu interrupted her.

"Second Aunt, I'm leaving now, so Su Qing won't catch me accusing her of embezzling money." Li Mingxiu gestured towards the outside.

"Mingxiu, fifty taels of silver to buy an embroiderer, let your aunt think about it carefully." Seeing that her sister-in-law was pestering Su Qing, Li's second aunt grabbed Li Mingxiu.

Li Mingxiu glanced outside and said softly, "Second Aunt, you should discuss this matter with Second Uncle. Fifty taels of silver for a seamstress's job is indeed not expensive, but it is expensive for you and Second Uncle. After all, how much can you earn in a year working in the fields? My silver is all being used to lend interest to Taohua and Su Qing. If I had any on hand, I would lend it to you."

This sentence dashed Aunt Li's hopes of borrowing money.

Aunt Li's eyes lit up. Could the money earned in the weaving workshop be used to lend money at interest? That would be another considerable income.

That brat earns so much money but doesn't even take any home.

“I will discuss this with your second uncle. Tell Su Qing to wait for me for seven days,” said Li’s second aunt.

Seven days is the deadline for the matchmaker from Pingyang County to deliver the message. If the woman from Pingyang County hesitates about the marriage or wants to raise the price after seven days, she will use the fifty taels of silver to bribe Su Qing to work as an embroiderer in the embroidery workshop.

Li Mingxiu refused, saying, "Seven days? Second Aunt, are you kidding me? Don't you know how sought-after the weaving workshop is? I can only ask Su Qing for two more days at most. Second Aunt, if you really can't raise the money, then don't even think about it. After all, fifty taels of silver is no small matter; it's enough for Second Brother to get married twice."

Aunt Li was even angrier. Why should her son have to pay two or three times the price of others to get married?

She had already agreed to a dowry of fifty taels of silver from the matchmaker, but the woman was still being difficult!

"Okay, two days it is. I'll come to Qinghe Bay to find you in two days."

Just as Li Mingxiu's right leg stepped out of the kitchen, Li's second aunt grabbed her and made a decision after gritting her teeth.

Li Mingxiu came into the courtyard and secretly winked at Su Qing, who knew that Li's second aunt had been tricked.

To make a good impression on Su Qing, Li's second aunt gave her a box of pastries that her son had bought in town during his blind date.

Su Qing's lips twitched. Wasn't this a pastry from Peach Blossom Desserts?

"Grandma, please take good care of yourself at home. I'm going back to Qinghewan."

Li Mingxiu greeted her grandmother.

Grandmother, with her bound feet, and her two daughters-in-law saw Li Mingxiu and Su Qing off at the door.

Li's eldest aunt and second aunt watched Li Mingxiu's retreating figure, each with their own thoughts.

When the second wife approached her to discuss marrying Li Mingxiu to Manager He as a concubine, the eldest aunt objected. She wanted Li Mingxiu to stay at home and never marry, since all the money Li Mingxiu earned belonged to her grandson.

Anyway, she's the eldest grandson of the eldest son's family, so even if the second son's family tries to compete, they can't win.

The second aunt saw through the eldest son's intentions and felt that her family was being taken advantage of, so she wanted to marry Li Mingxiu off so that the second son's family could make some money from the dowry.

The matter is only half completed; the other half remains to be investigated.

Li Mingxiu and Su Qing avoided their family members and took a walk around the village.

"Da Ya, I have something to ask you."

Li Mingxiu stopped her aunt's granddaughter.

Daya, holding one younger brother's hand and carrying another on her back, looked timidly at Li Mingxiu and Su Qing. "Daya, have any people come to our house these past few days? Like people from Pingyang County?" Li Mingxiu asked.

Da Ya kept her lips tightly closed.

Su Qing opened the pastries sent by Aunt Li and took out a piece of hibiscus cake, handing it to Daya.

Daya's eyes lit up, but were instantly snatched away by her younger brother.

Su Qing took out two more pieces from the box, one for Daya and one for her younger brother on her back.

Daya put her younger brother down from her back, wolfed down the pastries, and then reached out to Su Qing.

Su Qing shook her head and said, "I'll give it to you after I tell you."

Da Ya looked at Li Mingxiu expectantly and said, "Besides Matchmaker Wang, no one else came."

Li Mingxiu frowned and stared at Daya. Daya was clearly not lying.

Li Mingxiu trusted Daya quite a bit. She would occasionally buy Daya a velvet flower or a hair tie, asking Daya to keep an eye on whether the first and second wives were saying anything about her or trying to take advantage of her.

Daya always does a great job.

Su Qing changed her question and asked, "Has your second grandmother gone out recently?"

Daya's eyes lit up and she said, "Yes, I heard my grandma say that Second Grandma went to visit relatives in Pingyang County a few days ago, and after she came back, she wanted to give Aunt Mingxiu away as a concubine. My grandma scolded Second Grandma, saying that Second Grandma had ill intentions."

苏晴
The Li family really doesn't keep their mouths shut about the children.

In Pingyang County, the second grandmother's sister's family arranged for Li Mingxiu to become a concubine, which put them at odds with Manager He.

"Aunt Mingxiu, you mustn't become someone's concubine. My grandma said that all of Aunt Mingxiu's money will be mine in the future, and it can't be given to outsiders." The slightly older boy next to Daya said, staring at the pastries in Su Qing's hand.

Li Mingxiu wanted to slap this cheap nephew.

She's so shameless. Why should they give her her money?

Su Qing frowned. After hearing Da Ya's words, she thought that Li Mingxiu's aunt still had some conscience. But it seems that she is a heartless person who will eat people alive.

Her so-called ill intentions turned out to be that she wouldn't benefit from Li Mingxiu becoming a concubine.

No wonder Li Mingxiu had no good feelings towards the Li family.

“Mingxiugu, all your money is mine.”

The nephew reached out to snatch the bracelet from Li Mingxiu's wrist. After all, his grandparents and parents had said that everything Aunt Mingxiu owned belonged to him, so the bracelet on Aunt Mingxiu's wrist was also his.

There's nothing wrong with him taking his bracelet to town to exchange for candy.

Li Mingxiu shoved her adopted nephew hard, causing him to lose his balance and fall on his bottom, bursting into tears.

"Don't even think about taking anything that's mine."

Li Mingxiu pulled the hairpin out of her hair and made a killing gesture at her adopted nephew, which frightened him so much that he held back his tears.

“Da Ya, what you said is very good. In the future, if there’s anything at home, I’ll ask you. Just tell me and I’ll buy you cakes.” Li Mingxiu took two pieces of cake from Su Qing and handed them to Da Ya, saying, “Don’t give them to anyone else. Also, don’t tell anyone in the family what you told me. Keep your brother’s mouth shut.”

Daya took the cake, nodded vigorously, and said very sensibly, "I won't tell my family."

Li Mingxiu and Su Qing left the village satisfied with the information they wanted.

Back at the Tong family's weaving workshop in Qinghe Bay, Tong Huaqiong and Madam Hong were waiting for them.

The two told Tong Huaqiong and Madam Hong what had happened at the Li family's house.

Hong was so happy he couldn't stop smiling.
Tong Huaqiong thought to herself that this was just a low-budget version of telecom fraud from her time. You might think it's a simple trick, but there are always fools who fall for it.

It's nothing more than greed at work.