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

Chapter 586: Mr. Su’s Secret

As for the secret of Mr. Su.

That’s something Gu Ruinian overheard while standing outside the window of the private school, where Mr. Su solemnly told the students that this winter would bring extremely cold weather, suggesting they go home and inform their families to prepare for it.

It’s impossible for this era, or even for the technologically advanced future, to predict the weather with a hundred percent accuracy.

Unless there’s someone who can foresee the future.

Gu Ruinian doesn’t believe in such people, thinking those who supposedly can see through the secrets of the heavens and predict the future are either people like him who have traveled through time, or reincarnated individuals.

This dynasty is entirely fictional, not appearing in the history books he studied in the future, leading to the inference that Mr. Su might be a reincarnated person.

Though his visit to Mr. Su was met with a cold reception, Gu Ruinian felt it was worth it, at least he learned about the extremely cold weather.

What if he told Second Young Master Zheng about this?

Hoard charcoal, hoard cotton, and raise prices in the winter, wouldn’t that make a fortune?

Gu Ruinian couldn’t help but whistle; this news came just in time, it seemed heaven hadn’t abandoned him yet.

Of course, what Gu Ruinian didn’t know was that Mr. Su’s knowledge about the extreme cold weather had nothing to do with him being a reincarnated person.

This story begins with Tong Pandi.

As a reincarnated person, Tong Pandi knew there would be extreme cold weather this year, so she shared this information with Mr. Su.

Hoping that through Mr. Su, everyone could be warned, as in the countryside, everyone trusted Mr. Su.

Mr. Su was fond of Tong Pandi. Without questioning her, he believed her words.

He thought that in winter, every household would prepare warm clothes, burn wood, and charcoal for heat to withstand the cold, so at most, people would just store a bit more, which was beneficial with no downsides.

"You useless child, the money spent raising you could have molded a statue of silver by now, yet you’ve given nothing in return. I asked you to fetch water, but both tanks are still empty. You’ve got a limp, not a broken leg, do you think you can freeload forever?"

"My life is hard, serving a whole family day in and day out, my son won’t let me enjoy life, my grandson is a disappointment. Why do I even bother living? I’ll hang myself before my eldest son’s grave tomorrow."

Just as Gu Ruinian reached his home, he heard the old lady Gu scolding someone.

There was no need to ask whom she was scolding.

It was him!

He was in charge of the two large water tanks at home every day, but today he forgot to fetch water, and seeing the empty tanks, the old lady Gu started scolding.

Gu Ruinian had learned to keep his head low, so he picked up the two large buckets in the yard.

Seeing Gu Ruinian, the old lady Gu continued to scold even more vigorously.

Gu Ruinian was scolded harshly, and though Mrs. Jia tried to defend him from the kitchen, the old lady included her in the scolding as well.

Gu Ruinian originally intended to ask the old man Gu and the old lady for some silver to go to Pingchuan to see Second Young Master Zheng and relay the news of the extreme cold weather to him.

Second Young Master Zheng had sent people twice to deliver the materials for gunpowder, but didn’t mention when they’d come next, and he’s worried it might be winter by then, and the business opportunity would be lost.

Faced with the old lady’s scolding, he dared not open his mouth.

Gu Ruinian endured the scolding due to the implicating actions of the main branch.

The old lady Gu noticed how villagers were getting cotton and cloth from Tong Huaqiong to sew clothes, even Mrs. Wei was given some work.

She heard from Gu Honglian that it wasn’t for free, paid per piece.

The old lady Gu felt that she could do the job too.

She was skilled in embroidery; in the past, she sewed all the cotton clothes for the old man Gu and the second branch’s family, believing her skills were no less than her granddaughter-in-law Mrs. Wei.

She was unwilling to ask Tong Huaqiong directly as that would mean bowing to her daughter-in-law.

She thought of someone, her eldest grandson’s wife, Chen Sufen.

Chen Sufen was almost out of her confinement period, and the old lady Gu hadn’t seen her great-granddaughter once.

Using this as an opportunity, the old lady Gu carrying a basket of eggs went to Chen Sufen’s room.

After some idle chatter, she asked Chen Sufen to help get some work from the weaving workshop.

Chen Sufen thought her mother-in-law was nice to her now, but she wasn’t brazen enough to ask Tong Huaqiong for favors for the old home.

Otherwise, her mother-in-law would not hesitate to drive her and Gu Dahuan out.

For the sake of her two daughters, she had to cling to her mother-in-law tightly.

So Chen Sufen refused, seeing the old lady Gu displeased, Chen Sufen advised: "You don’t need to work, my mother sends over grain, oil, and food every month for you and Grandpa, and she’d pay for medical expenses, so stay content and enjoy life."

The old lady Gu was infuriated.

True, her eldest daughter-in-law provided for their sustenance, but only to keep her and the old man and the young daughter barely from starving.

Not a single penny was given.

How could she not want to save some dowry for Gu Honglian? Or earn a bit to give the youngest son some treats?

Having hit a wall with Chen Sufen, the old lady Gu threw a tantrum at home, causing chaos.

"I used to think Sufen was good, but how could she be so cunning? Now she thinks everything her mother-in-law does is right, forgets the hardship her mother-in-law put her through. No wonder she can’t have a son. Someone like her, having two daughters, only here in the Gu family she could stay, if it were in the Wu family, she’d get a divorce like Tong Pandi."

"Even Xu’s daughter-in-law got work, why can’t I? The eldest daughter-in-law is heartless, giving lucrative jobs to others but not to me. Does she think I’d hide needles or skimp on cotton in the clothes?"

The old lady Gu’s scolding eventually ran to Chen Sufen and Tong Huaqiong.

Mrs. Jia hearing her mother-in-law’s target shift couldn’t help but agree: "Eldest sister-in-law has been heartless for a while."

The old lady angrily replied: "My life is hard; both daughters-in-law are heartless."

Mrs. Jia: "..."

Why was the fire burning onto her?

Mrs. Wei sat in the room sewing cotton clothes, sneering.

She thought to herself, the eldest sister-in-law isn’t worried about you hiding needles or skimping on cotton, she’s wary of your second daughter-in-law.

That evening, Chen Sufen told Tong Huaqiong about old lady Gu asking her for work, and mentioned that she didn’t even take the eggs in firm refusal.

Tong Huaqiong said: "You did well refusing, but next time, you can accept the eggs."

The old lady Gu’s embroidery work is good, without Gu Youtian’s family, Tong Huaqiong wouldn’t mind assigning tasks to her.

She believed the old lady Gu wouldn’t make mistakes with the embroidery.

For no other reason, people like the old lady Gu take pride in their embroidery skills, she wouldn’t ruin her own renowned craft, as it’s self-defeating.

Tong Huaqiong worried about Gu Youtian and Mrs. Jia, and their favored son Gu Ruinian.

This couple has always envied Tong Huaqiong’s business, hoping for her downfall.

Once there’s a chance to sabotage, they’d surely take it.

Not to mention, secretly hiding needles in the clothes, or discreetly losing the cotton was possible.

Tong Huaqiong wouldn’t willingly let them cause trouble.