Free Web NovelChapter 633: Chapter 633: Gu Dashu Missing at the Border
Over at the old residence, Wu Na was causing turmoil, while Tong Huaqiong’s business was reaching new heights.
The weaving workshop’s fabric had been supplied to all the major clothing stores in Ning City.
Merchants have a keen sense; when foreign traders came to Ning City to stock up, they immediately sensed a business opportunity upon seeing the Tong Family Weaving Workshop’s cotton fabric and flocked to Qinghe Bay seeking collaboration.
With people bringing silver to her door, Tong Huaqiong naturally was happy to cooperate.
Especially in winter, with cotton fabric’s positive market response and high sales, orders for the weaving workshop came flying like snowflakes.
Where there are orders, there’s money, and since Tong Huaqiong is not a stingy boss, she was willing to pay the female workers at the weaving workshop generously.
The incentive of a monthly salary set the cotton carding machines and spinning wheels at the weaving workshop sparking, as bolts of cotton cloth flowed into the market from the Tong Family Weaving Workshop.
Tong Huaqiong even had to assign some people to make cotton padded jackets for the border, overall keeping her so busy her feet didn’t touch the ground.
Apart from the weaving workshop, Jufu Supermarket had opened another branch in Ning City, and Taohua Dessert continued to develop steadily.
Tong Huaqiong thought everything was great, with the only concern being her stepson Gu Dashu.
For almost half a year, there had been no letters from Gu Dashu and He Chao.
No one knew what their situation was at the border.
The caravan sent by Mr. Lu from the border also hadn’t brought any news of Gu Dashu.
Liu Yue’er and Mrs. Hong were worried to no end, so Tong Huaqiong asked Magistrate Yao to inquire. Magistrate Yao only said he’d send someone to Qinghe Bay as soon as there was news.
The war between Dasheng and Mo Bei had been ongoing for a year without ending.
At first, Mo Bei had the upper hand, but subsequently, Dasheng gained the advantage.
News from the frontier occasionally spread to Ning City and then like the wind to every corner of the countryside.
Some said that the Mighty General was injured, some said the Twin Star General appeared on the battlefield, some mentioned Dasheng’s spies mingling with merchant groups had been discovered by Mo Bei and together with the caravan were bound under the city walls and killed by explosions...
There were all kinds of talks, but after a year of warfare, the interest wasn’t as intense as at the beginning.
People just considered it a topic for casual chat.
Tong Huaqiong hadn’t paid attention to other news, but the last piece caught her attention.
There was no help for it, Gu Dashu and He Chao were traveling with the caravan at the border. In summer, they even mentioned that their business had reached Mo Bei. If they were blown up, she could handle it, but Liu Yue’er and Mrs. Hong couldn’t.
Rumors started circulating in the village that Gu Dashu perished at the border.
Tong Huaqiong hadn’t had the chance to debunk them, but Gu Dashu’s biological mother, Mrs. Zhao, retaliated. Whenever she caught someone gossiping about her son-in-law’s demise, she fiercely lashed out.
The village gossip enthusiasts were quite subdued by Mrs. Zhao, and didn’t dare spread rumors about Gu Dashu’s death anymore.
Mrs. Jia, while washing clothes by the river, heard the discussion and felt a sense of malicious satisfaction. Upon returning home and bringing it up to Gu Ruinian, she cursed, "People can’t have smooth sailing all their lives. I’m waiting to see how long they can stay smug. It’d be best if the second son never returned from the border, not even leaving behind a body."
Mrs. Jia and Wu Na, this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo, had huge fights every three days and minor quarrels every two days, nearly driving her crazy. With nowhere to vent her frustrations against her tough daughter-in-law, she could only hope for Tong Huaqiong to encounter misfortune for some consolation.
Overjoyed at the news of Gu Dashu’s disappearance at the border, she started cursing.
"Are you cursing my grandson?"
This time, the old Mrs. Gu didn’t side with Mrs. Jia.
No matter how good the second daughter-in-law was, in her heart, she wasn’t as important as her grandson.
The old Mrs. Gu, though indifferent towards Gu Dashu, couldn’t bear the idea of another black hair sending off a white hair, nor did she wish her grandson dead.
"Spiteful, black-hearted seed, you wished evil, even if you died, my grandson wouldn’t die."
The old Mrs. Gu lambasted Mrs. Jia thoroughly.
Mrs. Jia: "..."
How come the mother-in-law, who often joined her in berating the unfilial, heartless first house, was now on the opposing side?
"How am I the one cursing? Don’t you know, people have been saying that your Gu Dashu went missing at the border, and some say he died," Mrs. Jia said, holding back her frustration, recounting the outside rumors to the old Mrs. Gu and Mr. Gu.
The old Mrs. Gu and Mr. Gu were shocked by the news of Gu Dashu’s disappearance at the border, and the two elders decided to go to Tong Huaqiong for answers.
Since the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, merchants close with Tong Huaqiong in Ning City started exchanging New Year gifts. Aside from tending to her business, Tong Huaqiong directed her maids and wives to prepare return gifts.
Just after arranging for someone to deliver a festive gift to the mother of County Magistrate Liu and sitting down for tea, Mr. Gu and the old Mrs. Gu stepped into the courtyard.
Chen Sufen invited the two into the main room.
The fireplace in the room was burning warmly.
The inviting warmth mingled with incense made the two elders feel inexplicably comfortable, yet, in their hearts, there was discomfort. Why should the first daughter-in-law enjoy these comforts when they couldn’t?
Tong Huaqiong did provide them with coal, cotton clothing, and grains as per the clan’s retirement standards, but these only ensured they wouldn’t starve or freeze to death. Enjoying a good life was out of the question.
Since Wu Na seized the coal, the main room at the old residence was cold like an ice cave.
Seeing Tong Huaqiong dressed up and seated on the chaise longue without standing to greet them, they felt somewhat aggrieved.
The two sat opposite Tong Huaqiong, and Mr. Gu gave the old Mrs. Gu a nudge, fearing she might lose her composure again, offending the eldest daughter-in-law. He hoped to use the pretext of checking on Gu Dashu to mend relations with the first house.
"I heard from outside that Dashu went missing at the border, so I hurried over to inquire," Mr. Gu said.
The old Mrs. Gu began to wipe away tears.
To anyone looking on, it seemed she was truly worried about Gu Dashu.
Truth be told, it was impossible not to worry, but more of her tears were from grievance, feeling aggrieved over how Tong Huaqiong shamelessly let them endure in the old residence.
"Do you even believe the nonsense outside?" Tong Huaqiong said bluntly, "Dashu doing business at the border for over a year and not returning is not normal? Didn’t the second brother also stay in the south for many years without returning? Instead of slapping those who spread such rumors, you joined in cursing."
Tong Huaqiong was speechless towards her in-laws.
With no news from the border caravan, she was already anxious, and yet here were the old Mrs. Gu and Mr. Gu stirring trouble.
Besides, did the old Mrs. Gu and Mr. Gu actually care about their grandson?
Or merely seeking attention?
Sure enough, the old Mrs. Gu spoke with resentment.
"How can you be so heartless as a mother? Knowing there’s war at the border, you still let him go there. I think you’re deliberately sending him to his death," the old Mrs. Gu spouted nothing but harsh words.
Tong Huaqiong was both amused and angered by these words, saying, "Aside from Dashu being perfectly fine, your constant talk of death—do you live to an old age by cursing your descendants? It’s laughably ironic to speak of good intentions; clearly, you’ve got a guilty conscience, expecting others to reflect your own vile nature. How did your eldest son die? Perhaps due to your blatant favoritism towards the second son, forcing the first son to toil and support the whole family, working to exhaustion until death. If anyone’s intentions are suspect, you’re at the top of the list."
Isn’t this just moral coercion?
Anyone can do it, right?
Her son wasn’t dead yet, but the grass on the eldest Gu’s grave had grown very tall.
"You..."
The old Mrs. Gu was profoundly aggravated.
