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

Chapter 94 The prescription is more important than the son

Tong Huaqiong was a little scared. Seeing the other person carrying a big knife, she was afraid that he would kill her.

But she couldn't lose face, so she immediately started cursing at Manager Feng of Su Shi Yuan, meaning, "Screw your pretense, I know where you're from."

"How are you going to deal with this spineless bastard, Manager Feng? Bury him alive or kill him?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

The leader was stunned by those words, but the widow didn't seem afraid at all.

So insulting!
However, Manager Feng did not say that he would kill her or bury her alive; he only asked her to hand over the pastry recipe and he would let her go.

This is like they're going to kill or torture you.

Gu Dashu and Gu Taohua stood on either side of Tong Huaqiong.

"If you dare touch my mother, I'll fight you to the death!" Gu Dashu said.

"Shameless Manager Feng, if you're so capable, do it yourself. What's the meaning of resorting to underhanded tactics?" Gu Taohua cursed.

Tong Huaqiong was very gratified, as these two stubborn bamboos were undoubtedly filial.

He dared to step forward and protect her amidst the throng of swords at the critical moment.

"I won't kill you, just hand over the pastry recipe," the leader said to Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong guessed correctly.

The other party came for her pastry recipe.

“I’ll hand it over to you? How am I supposed to know what you’re going to do with my prescription?” Tong Huaqiong said.

"Where is that old scoundrel Manager Feng? Let him fight me."

Tong Huaqiong always felt that the other party's gesture of wielding a large knife was more of a threat than a real attack.

Normally, robbers just come up and start hacking and slashing; why are they wasting their breath talking to her here?

Isn't Manager Feng afraid that something might go wrong and everything would fall apart, or that these江湖人 (jianghu people) would take the formula and run away?

She deduced that Manager Feng must be present.

"Manager Feng, I know you're here. Do you dare to come out?" Tong Huaqiong shouted to the surroundings.

Gu Dashu and Gu Taohua were so angry that their eyes turned red.

The shameless Su Shi Yuan (酥食园) resorted to such despicable methods to threaten them.

That dessert recipe is the foundation of Peach Blossom Desserts. They were about to open their own shop when Su Shi Yuan robbed them halfway through.

How can this shop stay open?

Anyone who sells food knows that the recipe is the foundation of a business. If this recipe falls into the hands of Su Shi Yuan, it's questionable whether Peach Blossom Desserts can continue operating.

"Hahaha, Widow Tong, you really are something else."

Manager Feng strode out of the bushes with his hands behind his back.

Tong Huaqiong looked at Manager Feng coldly. He looked respectable, but how could he act so despicably?

"If I were weak, would you let me go?" Tong Huaqiong said coldly.

"Pah! Shameless! Instead of fair competition, you resort to underhanded tactics. Is this how your Su Shi Yuan has grown?" Gu Dashu was furious. If it weren't for the bandits with big knives surrounding him, he would have torn Manager Feng to shreds.

Manager Feng laughed heartily, looking at Gu Dashu as if he were an idiot.

What is fair competition? Isn't doing business a matter of life and death? If he relied on fair competition, how could Su Shi Yuan have monopolized the pastry market in Yan Guan Town for over a decade?

If he were even slightly weaker, he could produce a peach blossom dessert today, and maybe an apricot blossom dessert tomorrow.

That's hilarious. A country bumpkin who's only been selling pastries for a few days dares to lecture him.

The victor is king, the loser is villain. As long as he can maintain his position as the top dog at Su Shi Yuan, he doesn't mind using underhanded methods.

"If you dare to set up a stall at the entrance of Su Shi Yuan, this day will come." Manager Feng smiled sinisterly.

This widow Tong, standing at the entrance of the Crispy Food Garden, has lured away so many customers. Today, she's getting her money back with interest. Isn't that great?

"What if I don't give you the prescription?" Tong Huaqiong asked. "Then don't blame me for being impolite," Manager Feng said, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.

"So what if I don't give it to you? You can kill me then." Tong Huaqiong said indifferently.

"Widow Tong, you're joking. I won't kill you. How will you get the pastry recipe if I kill you?" Manager Feng said with a roguish grin, but his smile suddenly vanished. "If you don't give it to me, I'll cripple your son."

As soon as he finished speaking, one of the robbers grabbed Gu Dashu's arm, while the other held a knife to his neck.

Gu Dashu let out a howl.

Tong Huaqiong sighed inwardly, realizing that threatening her with this method wouldn't work.

She's not Tong Dajiao.

"Mother," Gu Dashu said, his voice trembling.

He used to be a slacker, but he'd never experienced a hardcore situation where a fight would break out at the drop of a hat.

Even when neighbors in the village fight each other, it's usually just women pulling each other's hair and men piling on top of each other.

Originally, Gu Dashu did not agree with Tong Huaqiong handing over the prescription, but now, faced with his fate, he didn't think about anything else.

The cold knife pressed against his neck, letting him smell the scent of death.

Gu Dashu thought to himself, "My goodness, please hand over the prescription quickly!"

Next, his mother's reaction dealt Gu Dashu a devastating blow.

“It’s just a son, I have plenty of those,” Tong Huaqiong said.

Gu Dashu felt as if he had fallen to the bottom of a valley.

What does that mean? His mother has given up on him.

The fact that Tong Huaqiong's two sons didn't seem to care at all left Manager Feng completely bewildered.

There's no way around it; in the general public's perception, sons are the most important resource in a family, after all, they can work in the fields, pass the imperial examinations, and carry on the family line.

Manager Feng had never seen Tong Huaqiong's indifferent attitude towards her son before.

This is truly eye-opening.

Even more cruel than him!
"You really don't care about your son?" Manager Feng asked.

“Of course I care. If both a pig and my son were here, I would gladly give up the pig to save my son. But aren’t you asking me to risk my life and fortune? My son isn’t that important.”

"Besides, I have two sons at home who will take care of me in my old age. If all else fails, I can get old, remarry, and have more sons. Besides, my second son is lazy and doesn't do much. So what if he's sacrificed? He's fulfilled the Gu family's mission of continuing the family line."

Manager Feng: "."

Gu Dashu: "."

"No, Mother, are you really going to watch me die?" Gu Dashu said this without even believing it himself; he didn't think his mother was capable of such a thing.

"Then what do you suggest? I'm not going to die, am I? At home, your eldest brother farms, your third brother takes the imperial examinations, and your sister and I run a business. What can you do? If you take the knife for me, it's a blessing, and that will fulfill your filial duty," Tong Huaqiong said matter-of-factly.

Gu Dashu was on the verge of tears.

The robber holding the knife trembled; he hadn't expected that he would actually be killed!

I thought that by simply holding a knife to her, the widow would take the opportunity to pull out the prescription and be done with it, but I didn't expect her to be so forceful.

They all suspected that the widow might be a stepmother, using them to get rid of this disliked son without being gossiped about.

"Manager Feng, should we kill him or not?" the leader asked.

Manager Feng's mouth was so dry it felt like it was covered in melon seeds, and he struggled for a long time to speak.

He only wanted to threaten Tong Huaqiong; he didn't actually intend to commit murder and robbery.

Even if you're going to kill someone, you have to do it secretly; you can't just kill them right here in the woods.

If the authorities investigate, even the landlord probably won't protect him.

(End of this chapter)