The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 11: Enter the Drama Queen

If the Zheng Family were to truly acknowledge her, Tong Huaqiong would swiftly leave the Gu Family.

But everything exists in imagination.

Zheng Junren snapped out of his daze, pointing at Matchmaker Wang with a gloomy expression, and asked, "What exactly is going on here?"

No wonder they didn’t clarify which young lady before, turns out they’ve set a trap here waiting.

Zheng Junren felt that Matchmaker Wang and the Gu Family were conspirators, sending an old widow as a grandmother to fool him.

Mrs. Zheng was so angry her chest was heaving.

What does this old widow in the countryside think? She has grandchildren already, and their son can’t be made a grandfather.

Even if their son only has a tablet at the wedding ceremony, he must marry a young virgin.

"Mr. Zheng, you ask me... but the agreement with Widow Tong was for her daughter." Matchmaker Wang pointed at the plump Taohua in defense.

"Nonsense, that’s not how you said it at my house, you were clearly talking about a match for me. No wonder when I said I was bringing Taohua over, you readily agreed; turns out the trap was here. Just waiting to trap my mother and me as fat sheep to slaughter, isn’t it?"

"Mr. Zheng, you can see my daughter’s figure and appearance; everywhere she’s said to be blessed. People come daily proposing marriage, even offering five hundred taels of silver upfront for her, the wealthy families from the city want her as she has the face of one who can bring wealth to her husband, yet I’m not agreeing, and you only offered two hundred taels? How could it be Taohua?"

"Sister-in-law Wang, you don’t swindle people like this. I burned the severance paper for my late husband yesterday, and today you’re telling me we chose the wrong person. Do you think Gu Family members are cabbages for you to pick at will? Do you think I am easy to bully just because I am a widow?"

"Oh, Dashu’s father, if not for your early death, would I be bullied like this?"

Tong Huaqiong started clapping her hands in a theatrical manner.

In any case, the actions of the original owner were etched into muscle memory, easily accessible.

"Aunt Wang, you dare tell lies with an open mouth. You clearly said it was for my mother, how come at the Zheng Family it changed to me? Two hundred taels of silver for me to bring good fortune to a living dead? Bah! Because my mother is a widow, you think I am willing to be a widow too? A widow is not land that can be inherited by descendants."

"I am an innocent young lady who knew nothing, and you engaged me to someone, could I continue living when this is spread? You’re severing my good marriage prospects. I won’t live anymore, might as well hit my head on the pillar and die here."

Gu Taohua often cooperated with Tong Huaqiong’s antics, reaping benefits from their theatrics; seeing Tong Huaqiong act out, her blood boiled, immediately diving into the act with familiarity.

Also familiar with the drama were Gu Dashu and Liu Yueer.

Liu Yueer went to grab Gu Taohua’s arm, intending to block her waist but her sister-in-law was too fat to embrace.

"My poor sister-in-law, you mustn’t act rashly."

"Aunt Wang, look at what you’ve done, first you swindled my mother-in-law, now you’re forcing my sister-in-law to die. Usually, you play the matchmaker to make joyous unions, not to connect people for funerals."

"At home, I said this would be a trap, even if Eldest Young Master Zheng’s health is poor, he wouldn’t marry a widow with grandchildren. Mother didn’t believe it, said Aunt Wang was honest and wouldn’t deceive, has this collision with reality convinced her?"

Gu Dashu’s eyes widened, clenching his fists, and said, "Although I don’t want a stepfather, I can’t let you bully my mother. I originally came to send my mother to remarry, now you’re saying you fancy my sister. Isn’t your Zheng Family supposedly of scholars? How have morals deteriorated so?"

"If you think my family is poor, thinking of fooling us into selling my sister to you for good fortune, you’re mistaken."

Matchmaker Wang was infuriated, feeling a heart attack.

What good kids Widow Tong raised; it wasn’t like this at home!

Especially that rascal called Gu Dashu, was he not the most eager to wed his niece?

How come at the Zheng Family, he flipped the narrative?

"I won’t live anymore, everyone in Qinghe Bay knows I was to remarry into the Zheng Family, now I’m humiliated, how can I face others?" Tong Huaqiong continued clapping theatrically.

"You’re just a widow, how dare you!" Mrs. Zheng snapped back, pointing at Tong Huaqiong with trembling voice.

"I think I quite dare! After all, I’ve grown accustomed to widowhood, and with you, I could continue the same." Tong Huaqiong replied.

Mrs. Zheng was so enraged she almost suffocated.

Her son wasn’t dead yet.

This was truly cursing.

"I stopped my mother from remarrying at the time, and Housekeeper He promised me the shopkeeper position, and said my son could study by Young Master Zheng’s side. I thought for my son’s future let’s do this, besides I couldn’t stop my mother during a rainy day remarrying. Now you say you chose the wrong person, are you thinking there’s no one in Gu Family? My mother and sister at your disposal?"

"Today we need an explanation for our Gu Family!"

Gu Dashu was quick-witted, sensing Tong Huaqiong’s intention to make the Zheng Family decide against marriage with the Gu Family.

He must cooperate!

Though the two hundred taels were tempting, his widowed mother was sacrificing her pride acting, and he felt obligated to follow suit for his deceased father.

"Indeed, we need an explanation. Don’t think since I’m a widow you can bully me. Otherwise, let’s report to the authorities and let Lord County Magistrate decide." Tong Huaqiong stated, "You’ve dismissed me with mere words, affecting my daughter Taohua’s marriage prospects; how is that fair?"

"Report to the authorities! Lord County Magistrate wouldn’t bully orphans and widows." Gu Dashu said.

The term "orphans and widows" was aptly used, Tong Huaqiong cooperated by reddening her eyes. She insisted on seeing the authorities as her memory revealed Lord County Magistrate was raised by a widowed mother, harboring natural sympathy towards widows.

Should Zheng Junren truly agree to go to the authorities, she might not lose.

Zheng Junren was outright furious dealing with a group of fraudsters from Gu Family.

Reporting to authorities was a definite no.

In Pingchuan County, he was known for his image as a compassionate benefactor to the poor and weak.

Being a philanthropist, he couldn’t be involved in marrying his son for good fortune.

Everyone knows his son doesn’t have much time left; letting a fine young woman enter and remain widowed would greatly affect the Zheng Family’s reputation.

The Zheng Family’s business needed to continue, their younger son had to study and become an official too.

At this moment, he regretted having Matchmaker Wang select such a family.

Originally thinking country folks, widowed mother, poor family, easy to manipulate, he didn’t even inquire before agreeing to the entry, not realizing he picked the wrong people, and this family was exceedingly combative.

What was the widow thinking, how could she have the idea of marrying his son?

He wasn’t sure if it was Matchmaker Wang not clarifying causing Widow Tong’s misunderstanding, or if Widow Tong intentionally caused a ruckus.

Anyway, he no longer cared about finding the truth, he just wanted to send away this nuisance.

The account with Matchmaker Wang and Housekeeper He would be settled later!

"Mr. Zheng, give our orphan and widow an explanation."

"Should we see the authorities?"

"My family Taohua, don’t even think about it."

Tong Huaqiong continued with Tong Dajiao’s theatrical behavior, while Taohua cooperated by crying and threatening to hit the wall, Liu Yueer and Gu Dashu flanked her to stop her from running into the wall, and Gu Yaozu opened his mouth to wail at the right moment...

The entire Zheng Family was in chaos.

Matchmaker Wang, usually eloquent, wanted to sneak away.

"Oh no, Eldest Young Master Zheng is coughing blood."

While everyone’s attention was focused on Tong Huaqiong’s entourage, no one noticed Eldest Young Master Zheng was provoked to cough up blood.

Eldest Young Master Zheng’s maid let out a shout drawing everyone’s attention to him.

"My son."

"Quick, call the doctor."

Mrs. Zheng hurriedly rushed over to hold her eldest son.

"Throw them out, throw these greedy pests out!" Zheng Junren shouted angrily at Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong swiftly fell silent, untied her bag, and tossed it to Zheng Junren, saying, "This is your engagement gift, four ingots of gold, two hundred taels of silver—return one hundred fifty taels now, and deliver the remaining fifty taels a month later. As for five rolls of cloth, only three remain; consider two rolls as compensation for my reputation."

Zheng Junren wished Tong Huaqiong would disappear immediately and wielded a gold ingot to throw at her.

"Get out!"

Then, the second gold piece was thrown at Matchmaker Wang.

"You get out too!"