The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 259: Don’t Break with the Family

"Cousin, which family’s girl did you mention to Jingzhe?"

At dusk, seizing the moment when no one was around, Zhao Zhao boldly asked Mrs. Han.

Zhao Zhao’s little secret was no mystery to Mrs. Han; after the housekeeper went to the city to deliver holiday gifts to the Lu Family and mentioned Liu Yanhong was in Qinghe Bay, Zhao Zhao quietly followed the housekeeper to Pingchuan County where she was.

Yesterday, when she spoke of missing her grandson, Zhao Zhao persuaded her to come to Qinghe Bay and praised it enthusiastically.

Taking into account Zhao Zhao’s reaction when Mrs. Han mentioned Gu Jingzhe’s marriage proposal to Tong Huaqiong, she already noticed Zhao Zhao’s feelings for Gu Jingzhe.

However, Mrs. Han was not a conservative person; she didn’t think Zhao Zhao was breaking any rules. Instead, she felt she was right to play matchmaker for the two.

Most people’s marriages were blind and arranged; Mrs. Han’s was no different.

Although her husband treated her well while he was alive, she had seen too many tragedies caused by blind marriages.

She hoped her cousin could find someone she truly loved and marry them, so life would be comfortable and fulfilling.

Zhao Zhao noticed Mrs. Han wasn’t speaking and felt anxious.

Mrs. Han spoke up: "How about I mention you to Gu Jingzhe?"

Zhao Zhao blushed, not expecting her cousin to be so direct.

Stammering, Zhao Zhao said: "Th-this... this... Cousin, you should discuss it with Grandpa and Brother."

Mrs. Han looked at Zhao Zhao’s unabashed girlish thoughts, touching her hair, and sighed: "Zhao Zhao has reached the age to be spoken for."

She continued: "Why did I mention Gu Jingzhe? Naturally, he is a good young man. More importantly, the Gu family’s values are good, your Aunt Tong is upright and doesn’t treat her daughters-in-law harshly. Marrying into such a family means there won’t be any mother-in-law troubles."

"I am experienced, and I definitely have an eye for a good family."

Zhao Zhao looked at Mrs. Han with partial understanding.

She bowed her head and said: "But Aunt Tong disagrees."

She didn’t mention another concern, which was that Mr. Lu might also disagree.

Mr. Lu hoped she would become an aristocratic wife.

Mrs. Han said: "You’ve heard, your Aunt Tong disagrees because she’s worried Gu Jingzhe is still young and hasn’t settled. She’s right; I’m your cousin, so naturally, I have to consider carefully. It’s certainly early to talk about such matters."

Zhao Zhao asked: "So, did you mention which family’s girl to Aunt Tong?"

Mrs. Han replied: "No."

Zhao Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.

It was best that Aunt Tong didn’t know, otherwise, she would be embarrassed to appear at the Gu Family.

Mrs. Han saw Zhao Zhao’s expression and felt it necessary to remind her.

Even though she didn’t object to Zhao Zhao liking Gu Jingzhe, a young woman still needed to hold her composure.

Mrs. Han earnestly said to Zhao Zhao: "Your marriage is ultimately decided by your Grandpa and Brother. The reason I didn’t mention you to Aunt Tong is also because I want to first ask Grandpa and Brother what they think. If they disagree, you can’t go against them. After all, in this world, the ones who treat you the best and will not harm you are only these two."

Mrs. Han was afraid that if by chance Mr. Lu and Zhao Yang had other plans for Zhao Zhao’s marriage, Zhao Zhao would oppose the family for Gu Jingzhe.

As a young girl, you can like a young man, but you must not break with the family over him.

A break with the Lu Family would not benefit Zhao Zhao at all.

Zhao Zhao listened to Mrs. Han’s words and nodded.

"Cousin..." Zhao Zhao hesitated.

Mrs. Han understood well.

"Don’t worry, your Aunt Tong hasn’t rejected it outright. Next year when Gu Jingzhe passes the scholar’s exam, I will bring it up to both families again," Mrs. Han said. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Zhao Zhao felt reassured.

With Mrs. Han’s support, and if she could persuade her brother, perhaps Grandpa would agree too.

...

"You all say my pork is delicious, let me tell you, besides feeding them corn and grass, the key reason is my pigs were castrated."

When Mrs. Zhao and Aunt Qin tidied up at Tong Huaqiong’s house before leaving, Tong Huaqiong handed each of them a large piece of pork.

As the two women once again marveled at how tasty Tong Huaqiong’s pork was, Tong Huaqiong revealed the secret to its deliciousness.

"The key to the tasty pork isn’t the corn feed but the fact that the pigs were castrated. Haven’t you noticed that previous pork had a strong pig smell, but my pork doesn’t have that odor, just the aroma? That smell comes from not being castrated."

Tong Huaqiong felt there was no need to hide the pig castration matter from Mrs. Zhao and Aunt Qin.

Even if she kept it secret now, it wouldn’t last long; eventually, people would know castrated pigs taste better.

Mrs. Zhao and Aunt Qin were a bit skeptical upon hearing this.

Today, the pig slaughtered at Tong Huaqiong’s house was a boar, meaning the boar was a eunuch?

Tong Huaqiong saw the two women didn’t believe her and said: "When have I ever lied to you?"

Mrs. Zhao knew this well, having experienced Tong Huaqiong’s straightforwardness when Gu Dashu and Liu Yueer privately decided on marriage, and the Liu Family wished the other in-law would propose marriage as a gesture, but the other in-law refused outright.

That was no exaggeration.

Nowadays, having softened up, she’s even more sincere with the Liu Family.

It’s all thanks to the other in-law’s honesty that their wheat and corn grew so well.

Mrs. Zhao curiously asked: "Can pigs be castrated?"

Tong Huaqiong replied: "Yes. My pigs are all castrated regardless of gender."

Aunt Qin asked: "How did you come up with this idea?"

This idea seemed quite radical; who would think of it?

Tong Huaqiong revealed: "I heard it from a wandering Taoist in the past and noted it down, but didn’t take it seriously. In my maiden family, I was just a girl, not daring to mention pig castration lest I became a laughingstock. Upon arriving in Qinghe Bay, I did suggest to Old Gu to castrate the pigs. You know how stingy Old Gu is; fearing he might kill the pigs, he never agreed, so I just let it be."

Mrs. Zhao and Aunt Qin could certainly understand Old Gu’s hesitation. A pig was valuable, and those who hadn’t seen such a practice wouldn’t dare try it.

Not to mention Old Gu, even having tasted Tong Huaqiong’s pork, which was indeed more aromatic than uncastrated pork, the two women didn’t dare risk castrating their own pigs.

The smell is unavoidable; just cover it with spices.

They ate it before, and they’d eat it again.

Mrs. Zhao said: "Mother-in-law, even though you’ve shared the method with us, I still wouldn’t dare to castrate our pigs."

Aunt Qin echoed Mrs. Zhao’s sentiment.

Tong Huaqiong was quite surprised, having thought she’d done them a favor.

Unexpectedly, the pair didn’t take it seriously, not planning to castrate their pigs at all.

"You’ve got the talent, daring to think and act, having invested so much into castrating your pigs. Since the pork is selling, the better taste will boost sales. We’re different, our family raises a pig just to exchange for some cooking oil and sauces, without big aspirations, so castrated or not, it doesn’t make a difference," Aunt Qin explained.

Even though Mrs. Zhao and Aunt Qin did not intend to castrate their pigs, they were grateful that Tong Huaqiong shared the secret to tasty pork.

In Qinghe Bay, everyone knew she reared over twenty pigs for business.

She wasn’t afraid they’d learn the truth and poach her business?