The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 330: Mid-Autumn Festival

Man Er and Yaozu are about to start attending private school.

Just like children in the future, the two kids are both anxious and excited.

They’re anxious about the teacher being strict, but excited about going to school to learn with others in the village.

"I’ve sewn two book bags, you both try them on." Sufen handed the sewn book bags to Man Er and Yaozu.

After Sufen became pregnant, Tong Huaqiong didn’t let her work and made her rest at home.

After all, compared to the past with Tong Dajiao, Sufen’s body was still too weak; although the Gu Family’s life had improved and every meal now had meat dishes, a person’s body doesn’t recover so quickly.

Moreover, for the past six months, Sufen had been working hard managing Taohua Dessert, leaving early and returning late.

Therefore, ever since Sufen’s pregnancy was diagnosed, she became the Gu Family’s treasure.

Sufen couldn’t stay idle, so after hearing that the private school was starting, she sewed book bags for Man Er and Yaozu.

Sufen’s needlework was excellent; she embroidered a wild goose on Yaozu’s book bag, symbolizing soaring high.

And she embroidered peonies on Man Er’s book bag.

Yaozu and Man Er put them on their backs, happily spinning around.

"Mom, why isn’t there one for me?" Xiao Long asked sullenly.

Sufen hadn’t expected Xiao Long to want to study as well.

She wasn’t sure if her mother-in-law would allow Xiao Long to attend private school.

While she was hesitating, Tong Huaqiong returned, and Xiao Long ran up to Tong Huaqiong and said, "Grandma, I want to go to private school too."

Tong Huaqiong thought that someone of Xiao Long’s status should have started learning long ago, probably with some big shot like the Imperial Tutor introducing him.

If he went to private school, it would be like a dimensional reduction strike for the other village children.

However, not letting him attend school would contradict her own persona.

"Alright, you can go to private school with Man Er and Yaozu, but don’t be naughty there," Tong Huaqiong said.

It would be good for Xiao Long to attend private school.

This way, it would dispel the village’s suspicions about his identity.

Xiao Long ran happily to Sufen and said, "Grandma said I can go to private school, so Mom, can you sew a book bag for me too?"

Sufen smiled and agreed.

Tong Huaqiong noticed that Xiao Long was particularly attached to Sufen, really treating her like his mother.

The next day was the Mid-Autumn Festival. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

In this era, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a major day of the year.

The corn is harvested, the winter wheat is sown, and farmers who have worked hard for half a year can finally rest.

This year, Qinghe Bay had a bumper harvest of corn, and every household was overjoyed seeing the courtyard full of golden corn. Some families had already sold part of their corn and were happily counting their money.

With the bountiful harvest as a backdrop, the festive atmosphere was even more pronounced than usual.

The villagers were grateful to Tong Huaqiong and sent the Gu Family produce from their own homes.

You bring a basket of vegetables; I bring a chicken; he brings a fish.

So, Tong Huaqiong’s home was piled with a lot of stuff, enough for them to enjoy a bountiful festival just from the things sent by the villagers.

Taohua Dessert was on holiday, and the household workers were given a break; in addition to the holiday, Tong Huaqiong gave everyone an extra string of coins as a holiday gift, hoping everyone would have a joyful festival.

The Gu Family began preparations from the afternoon of the previous day.

They bought chicken, duck, fish, meat, and fruits, and brought mooncakes and pastries from Taohua Dessert.

Gu Dashu couldn’t return from the provincial capital, and Manager He couldn’t return due to Taohua Dessert’s development in the provincial capital. Mrs. Hong was alone in town, so Tong Huaqiong invited her to join the celebration.

Along with Xiao Long and Su Chengmin, the Gu Family was as lively as ever.

Taohua and Liu Yue’er were cooking, while Su Chengmin sat in front of the stove, tending the fire.

Due to his inexperience, the entire kitchen seemed ablaze, scaring Tong Huaqiong, who was chatting with Mrs. Zhao outside, into rushing back home to put out the fire.

Returning home, she found it was a false alarm.

Gu Jingzhe slipped into the kitchen to teach Su Chengmin how to tend the fire.

Gu Taohua and Liu Yue’er prepared a lavish meal, while Gu Dahuan brought two jugs of wine.

At night, a bright moon rose, and everyone sat around the table eating, drinking, and moon gazing.

The moonlight sprinkled down like salt.

Tong Huaqiong looked up at the moon, thinking of her parents from later times, not knowing what they were doing now.

She wondered if she was just a shell in the future, or if she was dreaming.

She didn’t know if her current life was a dream or truly happening.

Tong Huaqiong raised her wine cup, toasting to her other self in another world.

The present does not see the ancient moon, yet the moon of today once shone on people of old.

She believed the moon she was facing now would surely shine on her other self in another space and time.

Sitting across from Tong Huaqiong, Su Chengmin also looked up at the moon.

He had celebrated Mid-Autumn in the courtyards of Shengjing’s families, attended Mid-Autumn banquets in the Imperial Palace, and spent Mid-Autumn on the frontier battlefield, but he had never truly appreciated the moon.

At seventeen, he was young and promising, one of the brightest youths in Shengjing. He never imagined he would one day be hunted down, forced to hide in this rural courtyard, living as Lai Fu for Mid-Autumn.

He looked at Xiao Long.

Xiao Long was sharing a piece of mooncake with Man Er, smiling, seemingly oblivious to the escape, the loss of parents, the pursuit.....

Su Chengmin couldn’t be sure if Xiao Long had completely integrated into the Gu Family.

Su Chengmin wiped his eyes, sniffed, and raised his glass.

To the past self, and to those who have departed.

"Lai Fu, have a taste of this mooncake."

Gu Taohua handed a piece of mooncake to Su Chengmin.

Despite a look of disdain, she handed him his favorite red bean paste filling.

Su Chengmin was flattered as he took it.

When he was tending the fire in the kitchen, Liu Yue’er asked what filling he liked, and when he casually mentioned red bean paste, Taohua remembered.

"Mom, tomorrow you should give Lai Fu more work. Although his leg is inconvenient, his hands are fine, right? Let him shell all the corn in this courtyard, and he wouldn’t have time to overthink," Gu Taohua said.

Tong Huaqiong glanced over the corn in the courtyard, her plump daughter seemed bent on exhausting Su Chengmin.

Su Chengmin took a bite of mooncake, glanced at Taohua’s bright eyes, and said, "Alright. The corn in this courtyard is my responsibility."

Gu Taohua snorted and said, "Can your small frame handle it? Don’t recklessly boast."

Su Chengmin’s nose tingled.

Taohua had noticed his melancholy earlier; she deliberately gave him mooncake and spoke to him to give him work.

The autumn night in the countryside was deep and heavy with dew.

After eating the mooncakes, everyone returned to their rooms.

Slept soundly through the night.

The next day was the sixteenth of the first month, and Gu Jingzhe set out early to invite Mr. Li, the teacher, from the county seat.

To show respect for the teacher, Boss Qian once again graciously loaned his carriage.

Qin Qingyou drove the carriage, taking Gu Jingzhe to Pingchuan County.

The people of Qinghe Bay all knew that Gu Jingzhe went to invite the teacher, and they frequently gathered under the Big Locust Tree at the entrance to look out of the village.

"Here they come, here they come."

With a shout, Tong Huaqiong, along with everyone else, saw the road leading to the village entrance with a carriage approaching.

Qin Qingyou was sitting in the front of the carriage, waving the whip.

"Everyone, mind your words in a moment, don’t scare the teacher."

Village chief Liu Tieshan reminded everyone.

The teacher was a learned person, while they were all country folk with loud voices, so they shouldn’t scare the teacher.

However, from the village chief’s tone, it was evident he was jubilant.

He had already discussed with Tong Huaqiong to organize the welcoming feast for the teacher.

As the village chief, he should contribute to inviting the teacher, right?

The carriage reached the village entrance, and everyone gathered around.

Gu Jingzhe lifted the curtain of the carriage, and people peeked inside, stunned.

Aside from Gu Jingzhe and Qin Qingyou, there was no third person in the carriage.