Free Web NovelChapter 645: Chapter 645: Got Dad Into Trouble
Wu Na incurred the wrath of many in front of the theater stage, fearing that Liu Yanhong might really file a complaint with County Magistrate Liu about her father.
Upon returning home, she insisted that Gu Ruinian borrow a donkey cart to deliver a message to Black Dragon Pond overnight.
Gu Ruinian thought she was making a fuss over nothing. Plus, Wu Ren never acknowledged him as his son-in-law anyway, so he had no intention of caring about Wu Ren’s fate, regardless of how much Wu Na cried and made a scene.
On the night of New Year’s Day, Wu Na caused chaos at home, making the Gu family matriarch and others furious.
Starting the year off like this, how could they possibly have a good year to come?
Even the usually non-involved Mr. Gu couldn’t help but start scolding.
He questioned whether she wants to live a good life or not, saying that if she doesn’t, the Gu family can give her a divorce letter.
If she wanted to stay, she should stop causing trouble, and Gu Ruinian would accompany her back to her parents’ home the next day.
Wu Na didn’t want to be divorced, much less separated, so she tearfully compromised and went to Black Dragon Pond with Gu Ruinian early the next morning.
Wu Na told her parents what had happened on New Year’s night, but Wu Ren didn’t think it was a big deal.
Instead, he thought his own daughter just couldn’t keep calm.
Seeing that Wu Ren wasn’t concerned, Wu Na sighed in relief.
She feared Wu Ren getting involved, losing her support, and there would be no hope for a dowry.
Wu Ren now felt a headache every time he saw Wu Na and turned away to the outer courtyard.
Out of sight, out of mind.
"Dad, Mom, my belly’s getting big, and the Gu family’s old woman and mother-in-law treat me harshly. You haven’t seen the Gu family’s dining table; meat is rare, and on New Year’s Eve, plain pork and cabbage dumplings counted as a meat dish, the rest were just pickled vegetables. The fish and meat offered by the main room to the old couple were saved by the old woman for Gu Honglian, not even put on the table," Wu Na began to lament about the food at the Gu family.
Gu Ruinian sat silently beside her with a blank expression, also feeling that the Gu family’s matriarch was being too harsh.
Which family doesn’t prepare a feast for the New Year, even borrowing money if necessary to celebrate a prosperous year, but the Gu family matriarch refused to cook the chicken, fish, and meat Tong Huaqiong sent over.
Mrs. Qiao looked at Wu Na’s protruding belly with pity, recalling Wu Ren’s advice to let Wu Na suffer a bit, she hardened her heart and said, "I told you not to marry, not to marry, but you thought your parents wanted to harm you. Now you know the bitterness? This is what you deserve."
Despite her words, she asked the new daughter-in-law, Tong Zhaodi, to cook some meat and stew some fish.
Though the dowry couldn’t be given to her daughter now, at least she could have a decent meal.
Tong Zhaodi, feeling her own belly, didn’t move, as she was pregnant, so she loudly called for the servant Nanny Zhang to handle it.
Mrs. Qiao, sharp-eyed, noticed Wu Na’s face was a bit swollen, assuming it was beaten by Gu Ruinian, and looked at Gu Ruinian with a bit of coldness.
Wu Na explained it was slapped by Tong Pandi.
Mrs. Qiao was so angry she nearly collapsed, unable to scold Tong Pandi, she yelled at Tong Zhaodi instead.
"Brother, I’ve got some news for you." Wu Na turned to Wu Musheng mysteriously and said, "That vile woman Tong Pandi is unchaste, and not even three years after your divorce, she betrayed you. I heard from the people in the village this morning that she’s remarrying Mr. Su."
Wu Na had a wicked smile.
The Wu family withheld her dowry, and Wu Musheng did not persuade their parents, so she was mad at him too.
Since she knew Wu Musheng couldn’t let go of Tong Pandi, she intentionally stabbed him in the back.
Indeed, Wu Musheng’s face turned red with anger, and he cursed, "Vile woman! Tomorrow I’ll go to Qinghe Bay and demand an explanation from her."
Tong Zhaodi was displeased, glaring at Wu Na.
"You’re going to Qinghe Bay for an explanation? On what grounds? You divorced Tong Pandi, and after divorce, each is free to remarry, don’t you understand? If you’re not afraid of Auntie chopping you, then go."
Then, she coldly pointed at Wu Na and said, "A married daughter is like spilled water; don’t come running back to your parents’ house to stir up trouble. What does Tong Pandi remarrying have to do with Musheng? You just want to show me that Musheng holds Tong Pandi in his heart to drive a wedge between us? You troublemaker, stirring up the Gu family isn’t enough; you come to stir up trouble between my brother and I. Didn’t you self-pityingly marry into the Gu family, wanting your parents’ family to suffer with you?"
Mrs. Qiao felt uncomfortable hearing her daughter-in-law rebuke Wu Na.
"A married daughter is like spilled water," she dared to say.
Mrs. Qiao regretted marrying Tong Zhaodi to Wu Musheng; Tong Zhaodi isn’t as good as Tong Pandi. In just a few months of marriage, she had moved all of the valuable things back to the Tong family, and Tong Zhijie repeatedly came to the house to borrow money.
Mrs. Qiao wanted to teach her a lesson and give her a taste of hardship, but Tong Zhaodi was even more troublesome when she played up, worse than Tong Pandi.
She was like a piece of tough meat, yet it only made Mrs. Qiao ill from anger.
"You’re a daughter married out of the Tong family too. Why don’t you act like you’re spilled water－with your father and brother sucking blood from us, our whole Wu family might as well be surnamed Tong," Mrs. Qiao sarcastically remarked to Tong Zhaodi.
She was enduring Tong Zhaodi for now.
Tong Zhaodi was pregnant, and they said the child was a grandson. Once she had a son, Mrs. Qiao would deal with her.
Then she’d account for Tong Pandi’s grudge with Tong Zhaodi as well.
Tong Zhaodi’s words had already ignited Wu Na’s anger.
She had always felt somewhat downtrodden due to her self-pitying marriage to Gu Ruinian, but hearing Mrs. Qiao backing her, she regains her former feeling of being a spoiled young lady of the Wu family.
Wu Na stood up, intending to hit Tong Zhaodi.
What kind of person was Tong Zhaodi, other than a poor village girl who used to ingratiate herself in front of her, and now, marrying her brother, dared to strut in front of her?
Without her help, how could Tong Zhaodi have become the village chief’s daughter-in-law?
"You say I married willingly, but what are you? A shameful creature, as easy to undo as untying noodles, sneaking into your brother-in-law’s bed while acting like some chaste martyr giving me lectures."
Just as Wu Na’s hand was about to land on Tong Zhaodi’s face, Tong Zhaodi caught it with a single maneuver.
Tong Zhaodi, accustomed to farm work, had strong physicality, and Wu Na was no match for her.
Left and right, she slapped Wu Na twice across the face.
Wu Na was seeing stars and screamed, ready to pounce back.
After slapping her, Tong Zhaodi held Wu Na’s hand, pressing her barely noticeable belly against Wu Na, saying, "Hit me, go ahead, hit, and knock your nephew out."
Wu Na wasn’t aware Tong Zhaodi was pregnant and lifted her foot to kick.
Mrs. Qiao shrieked from the side, grabbing her daughter-in-law, and pulling back her own daughter, her mind buzzing with anger.
Tong Zhaodi demanded, "The child in my belly is your grandson; the child in her belly is the Gu family’s. Do you want your own grandson, or the Gu family’s grandchild from afar?"
This statement hit Mrs. Qiao right at her weak spot.
Of course, her own grandson was more important, she had been waiting for this for so many years.
Mrs. Qiao pulled Wu Na away, saying, "Your sister-in-law is pregnant, stop causing trouble."
Wu Na cried in anger, flailing her legs, shouting, "Mom, who is really your daughter? Who is really your daughter?"
As Wu Na was crying and making a scene, the government official sent by County Magistrate Liu entered.
Wu Ren greeted them with a smile, inviting them in for tea, but the official coldly refused, issued County Magistrate Liu’s order, and prepared to take someone away.
Only then did Wu Ren realize that Wu Na had gotten him into trouble on New Year’s Day.
His own affairs were already shady, having extorted more grain taxes and oppressed the people, this bringing up the past nearly made him faint.
Wu Ren was taken away that very day.
Wu Na was stunned.
Didn’t her father say it was no big deal? How did he end up being taken away so quickly?
Wu Musheng slapped Wu Na hard, scolding her for causing trouble for their father, while Tong Zhaodi pulled Wu Na’s hair, cursing her for being a jinx, about to cause their father-in-law to lose his village chief position.
Wu Na was indignant and jumped up to curse back at her brother and sister-in-law, but both Wu Musheng and Tong Zhaodi jointly put her in her place, and even Mrs. Qiao did not intervene this time.
If it weren’t for the child Wu Na carried, her brother and sister-in-law might have beaten her more severely.
