Chapter 522: Chapter 522: Professional Worker

Two more days passed.

Lian Hengruo came to visit, and with him was Aunt Tang.

As soon as Aunt Tang saw Tong Huaqiong, she bowed down to pay her respects.

"You’re overwhelming me, please, get up quickly." Tong Huaqiong helped Aunt Tang up, offered her a seat, and served her tea.

Aunt Tang said, "Thank you, Manager Tong. Ruo Er has already told me everything. If it weren’t for you investigating and discovering the schemes of Gu Ruinian and Lian Cheng, my Ruo Er wouldn’t have been able to extricate herself so easily."

Aunt Tang held Gu Taohua’s hand, praising and thanking her repeatedly.

Recalling the perilous situation that day, when Lian Cheng, Gu Ruinian, and Mrs. Hua conspired against Lian Hengruo alone, Aunt Tang felt waves of fear.

"This box of pearls is for Taohua to play with." Aunt Tang pushed a box of pearls toward Gu Taohua. "These are pearls cultivated by Ruo Er’s people in Lake Tai. They can be worn, ground into powder for a facial, or even taken internally, making them excellent for beauty."

Each pearl was lustrous and plump, clearly of the finest quality.

Gu Taohua hesitated to accept them.

Tong Huaqiong said, "Since it’s a gift from an elder, you should accept it."

Tong Huaqiong thought, as expected of the Lian Family, such exquisite pearls most people would not be willing to grind into powder for a facial or internal use.

Only after receiving Tong Huaqiong’s directive did Gu Taohua accept it.

Tong Huaqiong sipped tea and glanced at Aunt Tang, secretly puzzled.

How should this be put?

Aunt Tang was very different from when she was seen at the Lian Family; back then, she carried the demeanor of a virtuous lady.

Today’s Aunt Tang was dressed up, looking both enchanting and radiant.

She had a bit of the allure of Su Daji played by Fu Yiyi in later generations.

Seeing Tong Huaqiong observing her, Aunt Tang couldn’t help but laugh, speaking in a way unlike the gentle tone she used at the Lian Family.

"Manager Tong, you noticed my different attire today, right? Let me tell you the truth, being a concubine means you have to follow the rules of a concubine. The master likes the pure white jasmine, so I dressed as a pure white jasmine. But who likes such mourning-like attire? I naturally prefer this bright look, and now that I’m away from the Lian Family, I want to be myself again."

Aunt Tang spoke straightforwardly.

Tong Huaqiong and her daughter were partners in business, and she had done her daughter a huge favor, so she had nothing to hide.

Tong Huaqiong almost spat out her tea; was Aunt Tang really that candid?

In modern terms, Aunt Tang was like a professional worker, treating Mr. Lian as her boss, working according to the boss’s requirements during office hours, and returning to her own life after hours without getting emotionally involved.

No wonder Mrs. Hua couldn’t compete with her; she wasn’t interested in the inner household, but rather had career ambitions.

Tong Huaqiong couldn’t help but give Aunt Tang a thumbs-up in admiration.

Lian Hengruo, used to seeing his aunt’s private persona, gave Tong Huaqiong a smile.

Aunt Tang’s candid disclosure drew her closer to Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong asked, "How is Lian Second Young Master doing?"

After being struck by Lian Hengruo, recovering was out of the question. Tong Huaqiong merely wanted to find out how badly off the second young master was.

Aunt Tang replied, "He’ll most likely be a fool from now on. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing; at least he won’t cause trouble for others anymore."

He deserved it, scheming against her daughter time and again, suffering defeat after defeat. Despite failing repeatedly, he never learned and now even lost his mind—this time, he truly calmed down.

"Without the help from you and Taohua, Ruo Er wouldn’t have been able to get out so smoothly." Aunt Tang once again thanked Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua, then added, "Of course, my daughter and I are not to be trifled with either. We ripped a sizable chunk from the family this time."

Tong Huaqiong chuckled, "Since you endured scheming, it shouldn’t have been in vain."

Aunt Tang nodded in agreement.

No wonder she and Tong Huaqiong got along so well.

She was a concubine, her daughter illegitimate, born only to be targeted by Mrs. Hua and those three legitimate sons, but she wasn’t resigned to that fate.

Just because she had a lowly birth did she have to remain a concubine? Just because her daughter was illegitimate, was she destined to be cannon fodder for the legitimate sons?

Why should it be so?

The mother and daughter strategized carefully, step by step, gaining control of the Lian Family’s pearl farm.

This wasn’t enough; they still hadn’t taken the pearl market. Therefore, Lian Hengruo sought a new road by cooperating with Tong Huaqiong to open a pearl stall in Jufu Supermarket.

The Lian Family’s pearl business had always been held tightly by the eldest son, who profited immensely from the pearls cultivated by Lian Hengruo and now wanted to take Lian Hengruo’s pearl farm as well.

Even though it was Lian Second Young Master scheming against Lian Hengruo, the eldest son may not have been unaware. Whether he fanned the flames behind the scenes, Aunt Tang assumed him to be an accomplice.

Otherwise, his wife, Mrs. Tang, wouldn’t have led a crowd to Mrs. Hua’s yard.

However, their plan backfired. Not only did Lian Hengruo exit unscathed, but he also emerged as the biggest beneficiary of the event.

Tong Huaqiong asked, "Since Hengruo suffered such grievance this time, Mr. Lian must compensate him significantly."

Aunt Tang beamed with excitement, "Indeed. I’m not afraid to tell you, Ruo Er also secured half of the Lian Family’s pearl market and was given internal household management by Mr. Lian. To be honest, the management role sounds boring to me."

Moreover, Mr. Lian originally had high hopes for his eldest son’s wife, Mrs. Tang, who he intended to hand over the internal household management next year. Yet, in this ’adultery-catching’ incident, Mrs. Tang’s performance wasn’t much better than Mrs. Hua’s.

In contrast, Aunt Tang and Lian Hengruo shone brilliantly, not only extricating themselves while preserving the Lian Family’s reputation but also earning the Zheng Family’s gratitude.

Lian Hengruo obtained his desired pearl business and bloodlessly interrupted the marriage discussion with the Zheng Family.

More importantly, Mr. Lian realized it was his own matchmaking plans for Lian Hengruo that caused the internal storm; to prevent family disruption, he suspended the matchmaking efforts, planning to resume in a few years.

Mr. Lian’s move had ulterior motives.

On one hand, by keeping Lian Hengruo around for a few more years, he could stabilize the family’s business, and once the eldest son truly established himself, Lian Hengruo would be compelled to hand over the pearl business; on the other hand, suspending Lian Hengruo’s marriage would make the eldest son believe the family was planning to marry Lian Hengruo off, thus creating a sense of crisis to push him into maturing sooner.

Mr. Lian cherished his daughter, but he cherished his sons even more, even though they were incompetent.

Aunt Tang and Lian Hengruo understood his intentions perfectly.

Aunt Tang deliberately played innocent before Mr. Lian, saying Lian Hengruo’s matchmaking always faced obstacles and how everyone was gossiping about her not getting married, creating worries about her future; staying at home even with nephew’s filial care, in the end, she would always be a woman. The talk finally struck Mr. Lian, who then allocated a few more shops to Lian Hengruo.

"Thinking of using my daughter to pave the way for his sons, not a chance." Aunt Tang sneered.

Aunt Tang and Tong Huaqiong got along remarkably well, sharing confidences as she held Tong Huaqiong’s hand.

"Has Taohua been discussed for marriage?" Aunt Tang asked.

Tong Huaqiong, afraid that someone like Aunt Tang, now idle from household matters, would urge for marriage talks for Gu Taohua, quickly preempted, "Not yet. I want to keep her for a few more years, even if she doesn’t marry in the future. As long as she has silver and her own shops, there’s nothing to fear."

Aunt Tang said, "I hope the same for my Ruo Er, but her marriage isn’t for me to decide."

That’s why they had to strategize and plot.

Otherwise, they would be left paving the way for the Lian Family’s gentlemen.