The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!

Chapter 549: Qinghe Bay Country Love

"Your mother and I have already lost the eldest one, we can’t lose our little girl."

"Honglian won’t marry Xu Dabao."

Mr. Gu made the final decision.

Mrs. Jia’s face turned pale, and Gu Ruinian clenched his fingers tightly.

Gu Xiaoxue lowered her head, a sarcastic smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

This was her second brother’s idea, using their little aunt to replace him; eventually, someone had to be sacrificed to pay off the debt.

And him, he didn’t have to do anything.

...

The commotion at the old Gu family house naturally caught Tong Huaqiong’s attention.

First, she learned from Man Er that Gu Honglian was at the base of the wall, asking her to call for Mrs. Gu to the Clan Leader’s house.

Then the full story was revealed when Gu Honglian herself came forward with a wave of revelations.

"...Sister-in-law, you guessed it right, Ruinian and my second sister-in-law were really plotting to use me to pay off the debt. Luckily, I was cautious and thwarted their scheme. Even if they wanted to use me for debt, it wouldn’t work because Father disapproved."

Gu Honglian caught Tong Huaqiong under the shed at the edge of the cotton field, eager to speak out.

Gu Daqiao improved and assembled a cotton spinning machine, and Tong Huaqiong had selected a few deft young women from the village to test the machine, to see how skilled they were.

Of course, she hadn’t told anyone about her plan to open a Weaving Workshop, so these young women genuinely thought they were just testing the machine’s usability.

Gu Honglian sat next to Tong Huaqiong, sharing gossip about the old house while watching the young women take turns trying the loom.

"Your second brother and second sister-in-law agreed to let Xiaoxue pay off the debt?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

Gu Honglian said, "Second sister-in-law had no choice but to agree, while second brother disagreed, wanting Ruinian to marry Xu Xinghua."

Tong Huaqiong thought Gu Xiaoxue was the most pitiful.

Clearly, the matter had nothing to do with her, yet she was forced to endure it, like a commodity being discussed whether to pay off a debt.

Of course, Gu Honglian wasn’t much better off. Her only luck was that their parents were slightly more partial to her.

As she mentioned Gu Xiaoxue, Tong Huaqiong saw Gu Xiaoxue carrying a basket, walking along the field ridge towards them.

"Aunt."

Gu Xiaoxue greeted Tong Huaqiong and stopped in front of a cotton seedling.

A tender yellow cotton flower blossomed at her temple, making her appear exceptionally elegant, with a touch of indescribable sorrow.

"Xiaoxue, why are you here in the fields with laundry?" Tong Huaqiong kindly pointed at the clothes in Gu Xiaoxue’s basket and asked.

Gu Xiaoxue smiled and said, "Just came to take a look at the fields."

Tong Huaqiong glanced at Gu Xiaoxue’s rough hands, then pointed at a nearby cotton spinning machine and asked, "Do you know how to weave?"

Gu Xiaoxue looked at the loom, shook her head, and suddenly said, "Auntie, may I try?"

Tong Huaqiong nodded.

Song Qiaoniang took Gu Xiaoxue’s basket, led her to demonstrate twice, and then let her sit at the machine.

Gu Xiaoxue used her hands and feet to start weaving, following Song Qiaoniang’s instructions.

"Xiaoxue is quick-witted, picks things up instantly."

"Indeed, it’s her first time weaving."

"I had to learn several times before getting the hang of it."

The young wives and maidens smiled and praised Gu Xiaoxue.

Gu Xiaoxue shyly smiled.

"Aunt, I should go back to make dinner."

Gu Xiaoxue picked up her basket to bid farewell to Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong watched Gu Xiaoxue’s figure, pondering how to prevent Xiaoxue from being used to pay off the debt to Xu Dabao.

To rescue Xiaoxue without causing a stir; it wasn’t going to be easy.

As the sun set, Tong Huaqiong felt hungry. She gave Song Qiaoniang a few instructions and got up to go home for dinner.

Passing by the village chief’s house, Tong Huaqiong casually entered the Liu family’s gate.

Voices were coming from inside the house.

"...You’re oversimplifying it. You want to marry Gu Xiaoxue? Even if you do, would the Gu family agree? They’re still hoping to use Xiaoxue to pay off the debt. Do you have five hundred taels of silver?" It was Liu Tieshan’s voice.

"Dad, I truly like Xiaoxue. If I don’t save her, she won’t have a way out. Our family has two hundred taels, consider it a loan to me. I’ll find a way to come up with the remaining three hundred taels. I... I can endure hardships. I work at Aunt Tong’s pig farm during the day and make charcoal on the mountains at night."

This voice was unmistakably Liu Tieshan’s youngest son, Liu Qingsong.

Tong Huaqiong was just passing by the village chief’s house and didn’t expect to overhear this discussion.

Liu Qingsong liked Gu Xiaoxue.

Qinghe Bay’s rural love story!

Liu Qingsong, at seventeen, was handsome, sweet-talking, lively, and hardworking, now working at Tong Huaqiong’s pig farm.

He handled contact with the city butcher and collected piglets and feed from various villages without any issues, making him a valuable assistant to Tong Pandi.

Tong Huaqiong quite liked this handsome young villager.

She didn’t expect him to be so love-struck, willing to help Gu Ruinian repay the five hundred taels for Gu Xiaoxue.

Liu Qingsong was working at the pig farm, where Tong Huaqiong was now paying him two taels a month.

How long would it take him to earn five hundred taels!

"How capable you are. What does Xiaoxue going to the Xu family have to do with you? Her brothers and parents don’t care, but you do. Qingsong, let me tell you, don’t get involved with the second house of the Gu family. Even if Xiaoxue is a good girl, even if the Gu family didn’t owe the Xu family five hundred taels, with a trouble-making second brother and parents who only care about appearances, I wouldn’t agree to this marriage." Liu Tieshan’s wife, Mrs. Yi, was outraged to the point of chest pain upon hearing this.

"I just like Xiaoxue, and I won’t marry anyone but her." Liu Qingsong jumped in protest.

"I’ll beat you! You think you can marry her just by saying so? Have you mistaken earning a bit of money with Aunt Tong for the capability of determining everything? Do you even understand ’the command of parents and the words of a matchmaker’? Do you even see me as your mother?"

Mrs. Yi picked up a broom and chased after Liu Qingsong.

Liu Qingsong ran into the courtyard and stopped abruptly when he saw Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong felt a bit awkward.

She hadn’t meant to stumble upon the Liu family’s domestic dispute.

Liu Qingsong, however, felt he had found an ally. Tong Huaqiong was his employer, and his parents would have to give him some face in front of Aunt Tong, right?

Mrs. Yi saw Tong Huaqiong in the courtyard and, without any embarrassment, raised her voice for her judgment.

"Mrs. Dashu, you heard it just now. This unfilial son has taken a fancy to Xiaoxue. He hasn’t even become the second honorary son-in-law of the Gu family yet but already wants to help that incompetent Gu Ruinian repay five hundred taels. This will be my and his father’s end. Tell me, isn’t what I’m saying right? This marriage can’t happen. Our Liu family can’t afford it."

Tong Huaqiong awkwardly smiled; this was a matter she couldn’t reason about.

Liu Qingsong, with a face full of grievance, said, "It’s not necessarily cashing out five hundred taels. If we go propose and finalize the engagement with Xiaoxue first, the Xu family wouldn’t just come snatching people away, right?"

Mrs. Yi said, "You plan to finalize the engagement? Even if I agreed, Xiaoxue’s parents would not. Haven’t you heard her mother? Xiaoxue’s suitors in the south are either official sons or scholars, and even those she looks down upon. You think she’d look up to a common country bumpkin as her son-in-law? I suggest you give up."

Liu Qingsong’s eyes turned red.

The thought of Xiaoxue being sent to the Xu family to pay off the debt made his heart feel like it was being ripped out.

Liu Tieshan coughed twice, then slowly asked, "Qingsong, whether you like Xiaoxue is aside, let me ask you, does Xiaoxue like you? You can’t have a one-sided affection, can you?"

Liu Qingsong scratched his head.

He hadn’t asked this question before.

But Xiaoxue didn’t seem to dislike him.

Whenever in the village, he helped Xiaoxue carry water, chop wood for her; when she washed clothes, he sat beside talking to her.

Xiaoxue always softly said thank you, smiling with her eyes. Once, she even gave him two eggs when she saw he hadn’t eaten breakfast.

This must be love, right?