The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 17: Look How Frightened the Child Is

"Mom, do you think Big Sister can lend Silver to Second Brother?" Taohua asked.

"Who knows."

Tong Huaqiong thought this matter was very difficult.

In Tong Huaqiong’s memory, after the funeral of the Gu Family’s old man, Gu Baishuang had an awakening, completely disappointed with Gu Dashi and the others, and severed ties with the Gu Family.

But it’s for the best, let Gu Dashi grind down his temper a bit at Gu Baishuang’s place.

"Mom, do you really not care if Yaozu is sent away?"

"So what do you suggest? Should you go instead?"

Taohua shrank her neck in fear.

"Grandma, Aunt."

A soft, sweet voice called out as Man Er walked in, carrying a small basket on her back full of grass.

"Man Er went to cut grass again."

Tong Huaqiong let out a barely audible sigh.

The children of the poor grow up early, especially those from a family that’s both poor and has a malicious grandmother, they carry heavy burdens from a young age.

"Cutting grass to feed the pig." Man Er ran happily to the pigpen, unstrapped her basket, and called out a few nagging sounds.

A four-month-old pig snorted and ran to the feeding trough.

Tong Huaqiong walked over with her large feet, picked up the basket, and dumped the grass into the trough.

"Man Er is really capable," Tong Huaqiong said.

This pig in the pigpen was bought by Gu Dahuan, and it’s usually Man Er who cuts grass to feed it.

At this moment, the little pig was eating happily at the trough.

Braised pork, sweet and sour ribs, stewed pig’s head... the pig in front of her transformed into plates of delicious dishes in her mind, driving Tong Huaqiong mad with cravings for meat.

But then she remembered that the pork of this era had a strong smell that couldn’t be suppressed even with spices, and she wanted to just butcher their own pig.

However, she didn’t know how to castrate a pig, and if she accidentally killed it, they’d be in huge trouble.

After all, buying a pig in these times was a costly investment.

Who knows how to castrate a pig these days? Tong Huaqiong planned to find some time to ask the knowledgeable village chief.

"Grandma, this pig can be sold for money to pay for Uncle’s education." Man Er interrupted Tong Huaqiong’s thoughts with her big, blinking eyes.

Suddenly remembering that Grandma no longer let Uncle go to school, she changed her mind and said, "Sell the pig to buy Grandma pastries and lamb legs."

Grandma loved the mung bean cakes from town, and Uncle always bought some for Grandma when he returned home; Man Er remembered this.

Tong Huaqiong patted Man Er on the head and said, "Good girl, no need, the money from selling it will be used to make Man Er a dress."

This child’s clothes were far too tattered.

Hearing that Tong Huaqiong wanted to make her a dress, Man Er smiled happily.

Just like the dress her Aunt wore, pink with butterflies, she wanted one too.

Seeing the sweat on Man Er’s forehead, Tong Huaqiong felt sorry for the hardworking child, so she wiped the sweat from Man Er’s forehead and went inside to pour her some tea.

When she came out with a bowl of tea, she saw the diligent Man Er already squatting by the washbasin, scrubbing clothes.

Her small hands scrubbed Tong Huaqiong’s clothes vigorously, her double buns bobbing with the scrubbing motion, her little face glistening with sweat. Tong Huaqiong felt heartbroken and pointed at Taohua sitting idly in the courtyard and scolded, "How can you be such an aunt, just watching your niece scrub clothes? Are you glued to your seat?"

Taohua: "..."

Why am I getting scolded again?

Mom’s been like a firecracker these days, ready to explode at her three kids anytime.

But she’s been working too! She went with Mom to the market in town to sell dry cakes for half the day, and she even carried the basket of dry cakes. From morning until late afternoon, she’s only had four bowls of porridge.

She’s been so hungry these past few days she’s noticed she’s gotten thinner just looking in the mirror!

"Mom, I’m hungry and tired now," Taohua said indignantly, lifting her butt slightly before sitting back down.

"Tired? Hungry? I’m neither tired nor hungry? I’m breaking my back earning money for this family and you expect me to serve you? Go make me some food," Tong Huaqiong said, hands on her hips, forcing Taohua into the kitchen.

Tong Huaqiong took the stool Taohua had been sitting on and moved it next to Man Er, saying, "Man Er, you can stop, I’ll wash the clothes."

Man Er shook her head and said, "Man Er will wash them."

Child, you don’t have to be so sensible!

Tong Huaqiong sighed and began scrubbing clothes with Man Er. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Life is so tough!

Even though Tong Huaqiong grew up in town, where her parents ran a factory, and they lived well, always having a washing machine and never having to hand wash clothes.

When the factory went bankrupt during her high school years, she thought they’d experience hardship, but then her family hit a windfall with compensation money from the demolition later, which unexpectedly made her family’s situation even better.

The parents have always indulged her, never letting her lack for money.

So the words "hard times" were never in her life dictionary.

Unexpectedly, having come to this place, now with children and grandchildren all around, she’s the one who has to endure hardships.

Tong Huaqiong knitted her brows tightly, which in Man Er’s eyes meant Grandmother was angry again. How frightening!

"Grandma, will you always be this good to Man Er?" Man Er lifted her eyes, big as black grapes, and timidly asked.

Look at how scared the child is.

The old actions of Tong Dajiao cast a great shadow over the child, and even though she had become kinder, she still scared the child now and then.

Tong Huaqiong smoothed out her brows and said kindly, "Of course I will always be good to Man Er. Not only good but better."

"I’ll also make sure Man Er has a good life, eating meat at every meal and wearing new clothes every day," Tong Huaqiong said.

Man Er smiled happily.

Since Grandmother said so, she believed it. A few days ago, Grandmother returned from the county and brought her buns and pastries which she loved.

"Grandma, I like the current Grandmother." Man Er said with a face full of innocent joy.

Tong Huaqiong wanted to hold her head in her hands. Who would have liked the old Tong Dajiao?

"Grandma likes Man Er too." Tong Huaqiong vigorously scrubbed the clothes.

When Chen Sufen came home after getting the sieve from Aunt Qin, she saw her mother-in-law and her daughter sitting together scrubbing clothes.

The two were chatting and laughing.

It was quite heartwarming.

The sight of the grandmother and granddaughter under the sunset made Chen Sufen feel tears welling up. She never thought that one day she and her daughter would also see the clouds part to reveal the moon, earning her mother-in-law’s favor.

She heard the conversation between the grandmother and granddaughter.

At night, her daughter would ask if Grandma would change back.

She reassured her daughter that Grandma would always remain good, but she still felt unsure, always fearing that her mother-in-law would revert to being domineering and brutally harsh once more.

But now she has decided to stop thinking about it since each extra day her mother-in-law stays kind is a gain.

"Mom, here’s an egg cake from Aunt Qin. Please have a piece to fill your stomach."

Chen Sufen, being skillful, often helped Aunt Qin with making shoe soles. Aunt Qin, feeling sorry for her always being tormented by her mother-in-law, stuffed food into her hands whenever she saw her.

This time was no exception.

Tong Huaqiong, smelling the egg cake’s fragrance, had restrained herself hard from thinking about the tempting smell of dry cake while in town, but now she was having a hard time resisting the assault of the egg cake’s aroma.

As the pinnacle of the Gu Family, for Tong Dajiao to eat the egg cake Aunt Qin gave to her daughter-in-law would mean giving face to her daughter-in-law.

But now she couldn’t bear to eat alone, especially since Man Er hadn’t had any.

"Taohua is cooking, I’m not hungry. You and Man Er eat the egg cakes," said Tong Huaqiong.

"Mom, take a rest. I’ll handle the rest after a while," Chen Sufen thought, her mother-in-law had been selling dry cakes in the town for half the day, she couldn’t let her wash clothes.

"There’s just this last piece; once I’m done, you can join me to make mung bean cakes," said Tong Huaqiong.

Chen Sufen nodded, then handed the egg cake to Man Er with a smile, "Man Er, you and Grandma have the egg cake together."

This was insistent filial piety.

As Man Er received the egg cake, its nearby fragrance caused Tong Huaqiong’s resolve to collapse entirely.

So when Man Er brought a piece of egg cake to her mouth, she unhesitatingly took a bite.

It was truly delicious!

"Mom, about Yaozu’s matter..."

"Don’t concern yourself with Yaozu’s matter," Tong Huaqiong interrupted Chen Sufen.

Chen Sufen didn’t dare bring it up again.

"Oh, Mom, I just heard at the village head that Matchmaker Wang came to discuss a marriage proposal for Chen Family’s Xiao Yan. Isn’t she going to talk nonsense about our family affair?"

Matchmaker Wang was not an easy person to deal with, and Chen Sufen worried she would spread rumors about her mother-in-law outside.

After all, her mother-in-law’s act of canceling the engagement at the Zheng Family was too explosive!

If Matchmaker Wang started talking nonsense, it might affect her mother-in-law’s reputation.

"What’s she going to say? That I’m an old cow who desires a young grass, coveting Zheng Junren’s eldest son? She can say whatever she wants, I’m not afraid. After all, my reputation has never been good," Tong Huaqiong expressed indifference.

Since her mother-in-law didn’t care, neither did Chen Sufen.

So she turned to gather the soaked mung beans.

What Tong Huaqiong and Chen Sufen didn’t expect was that the news brought by Matchmaker Wang almost scared their second daughter-in-law Liu Yueer into fainting!