The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 308: Carriage Runs Over a Person

Tong Huaqiong got on the carriage.

Hong Xiaoxi ran over shyly, calling out to Taohua, and then discreetly handed her a set of jewelry.

After Gu Taohua got on the carriage, Tong Huaqiong asked, "Taohua, what did Hong Xiaoxi call you for?"

She saw clearly that Hong Xiaoxi had given her a delicate box.

Gu Taohua took out the box from behind her and said, "Hong Xiaoxi asked me to give it to Gu Xiaocao."

Tong Huaqiong thought Hong Xiaoxi might have feelings for Gu Taohua.

Turns out he had eyes for Gu Xiaocao.

Gu Taohua giggled and carefully placed the box back, saying, "Hong Xiaoxi is really good to Xiaocao; he spent two months of his wages to buy her jewelry."

Chen Sufen said, "Xiaocao’s parents are always worried about her marriage prospects. Now they don’t need to worry. Don’t you agree, sister-in-law?"

Chen Sufen noticed that Liu Yueer had been unhappy since morning and assumed it was because of the impending separation from Gu Dashu, so she prompted her to talk.

Liu Yueer replied indifferently, "Don’t ask me about this. I’m not the matchmaker."

Tong Huaqiong knew Liu Yueer was upset about not being able to stay in the prefecture city.

As for Hong Xiaoxi and Gu Xiaocao, Tong Huaqiong wasn’t against coworkers having relationships; in fact, she welcomed it.

Hong Xiaoxi was clever and quick-witted.

Gu Xiaocao was steady and reliable.

Tong Huaqiong then asked Gu Taohua, "Does Gu Xiaocao have any feelings for Hong Xiaoxi?"

Being with Gu Xiaocao every day, Gu Taohua naturally understood her thoughts and said, "Although she hasn’t said it outright, I can tell she does have feelings for Hong Xiaoxi."

If Gu Xiaocao and Hong Xiaoxi did end up together, it would also be a happy occasion for Taohua Dessert.

However, whether this would work out ultimately depended on fate and whether both sets of parents agreed.

Tong Huaqiong was confident that Gu Xiaocao’s parents would agree.

Gu Xiaocao’s marriage prospects had always been a big worry for them. As long as Hong Xiaoxi had no bad habits and was of good character, they had no reason to oppose.

But Tong Huaqiong wasn’t sure about Hong Xiaoxi’s parents.

After all, in these times, most people valued reputation highly, so she feared they might inquire about Qinghe Bay and then oppose.

Even though Gu Xiaocao’s ruined reputation due to Xu Si’s involvement was an undeserved disaster, others didn’t see it that way.

Tong Huaqiong only hoped Hong Xiaoxi’s parents were reasonable people.

If the time came when she needed to step in as the boss, she wouldn’t hesitate.

On the way back from the prefecture city to Qinghe Bay, as they weren’t in a rush like before, the carriage proceeded at a leisurely pace.

"The delay during the day cost us time, boss, let’s take the mountain path shortcut," Qin Qingyou suggested as dusk fell, just after they passed Pingchuan County.

In the past, Tong Huaqiong would have objected, fearing bandits on the road.

But since Magistrate Yao’s arrival, bandits had been mostly eliminated, making even night travel on the mountain roads safe.

Tong Huaqiong watched villagers heading home from the distant woods and said, "Alright, then."

Qin Qingyou was not only familiar with official roads but also knew mountain paths like the back of his hand.

As they passed through a puddle and woods, apart from the startled birds making noises, the journey was very quiet.

Soon the moon rose, bathing the mountains and forests in clear moonlight.

Initially, they still encountered a few passersby, but as night fully descended, they came across no one else in the forest.

Qin Qingyou expertly navigated the carriage through the grass and trees.

Tong Huaqiong sat in the carriage, chatting and laughing with Gu Taohua and Chen Sufen, feeling no fear at all.

Suddenly the carriage hit something, causing Tong Huaqiong and the others to lose balance, almost crashing against the carriage walls.

The Lu family’s carriage, following closely behind, bumped into the carriage Tong Huaqiong was in, startling the horse into a neigh, and the foal in the cart stood up.

"Qingyou, what happened?" Tong Huaqiong rubbed her forehead.

Tong Huaqiong wondered if they had encountered a robbery.

Chen Sufen and Liu Yueer, with faces full of tension, hugged Man Er and Yaozu tightly.

"Boss, the carriage hit something. I’ll go down to check." Qin Qingyou was a bit scared now; the mountain bandits were gone, but there could still be wild beasts.

Qin Qingyou braced himself and got off the carriage.

Soon, Tong Huaqiong heard Qin Qingyou’s startled shout.

"What’s wrong?" Tong Huaqiong lifted the curtain of the carriage.

"Boss, our carriage ran over a person." Qin Qingyou sat overwhelmed on the ground, trembling as he spoke.

What?

The carriage ran over a person?

Tong Huaqiong’s heart beat rapidly in fear.

Chen Sufen and Liu Yueer’s faces turned pale with fright.

"I’ll go check." Gu Taohua said as she jumped off the carriage.

Tong Huaqiong followed her down, and the chilly mountain breeze steadied her previously chaotic thoughts.

The carriage wasn’t moving fast in the mountains, so how could it have possibly run someone over so easily?

Moreover, she hadn’t heard any cries of pain.

Gu Taohua saw a person lying in front of the carriage and, gathering her courage, took a closer look. A bloodied head entered her view.

"Mother, the carriage really did run over a person," Gu Taohua exclaimed in fear.

Qin Qingyou was utterly paralyzed with fear on the ground.

It’s over, he thought, I’ll end up in jail.

Tong Huaqiong didn’t believe it and walked over to see a young man lying on the ground, with blood on his head and leg. She squatted down, examined him, and said, "The head wound doesn’t look like it’s from the carriage. I didn’t hear him shout just now." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The Lu family’s experienced driver, who had kept the startled horse under control, also came to the man on the ground and said, "Mr. Tong makes sense. This man wasn’t hit by Brother Xiao Qin. See how far the bleeding leg is from the carriage."

Tong Huaqiong looked closely at the man on the ground, seeing that his head was positioned towards the carriage and his legs couldn’t reach it.

At this point, the person’s head was bleeding, and his leg was also injured.

Tong Huaqiong let out a sigh of relief. This person had evidently been injured and lying on the ground before Qin Qingyou hit him.

"Even if he was injured beforehand, I can’t say if I hit his head and caused his death," Qin Qingyou said with a tremble in his voice.

If the man died, there would be no escape for him.

Tong Huaqiong crouched down and checked the man’s breathing, saying, "He’s not dead; there’s still breath."

Upon hearing that the person was still breathing, Qin Qingyou crawled over to the "victim" and tested for breath beside the nose. Feeling the warm airflow against his palm, Qin Qingyou began laughing and crying in relief.

"He’s not dead!"

"He’s really not dead!"

"Oh, you scared me!"

Gu Taohua asked, "Mother, what should we do with this person? Just leave him in the woods?"

After all, they hadn’t really hit him; it was none of their business.

In truth, Tong Huaqiong had thought the same.

This person had been injured in the forest, likely pursued by a killer, and who knows if his enemies were nearby.

Tong Huaqiong wanted no part in any trouble.

Yet, with her conscience shaped by modern civilization, Tong Huaqiong couldn’t leave a person still breathing behind.

Having encountered this, she felt compelled to take responsibility.

Tong Huaqiong said, "No, we can’t. The person is not dead yet. If we leave him in the woods and he dies, the government will hold us accountable."

The person was unconscious; if abandoned here, his blood might attract predators like tigers and wolves. He could either die from his injuries or be dragged away by a wild beast.

If he died and wasn’t taken by beasts, and someone discovered him and reported to the authorities, Tong Huaqiong and the others wouldn’t be able to avoid trouble.

After all, their carriage really had grazed his head.

If you claim you didn’t cause his death, how can you prove it?

"Let’s load him onto the carriage."

Tong Huaqiong directed Qin Qingyou and the Lu family’s driver to lift the man onto the carriage.