The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 258: Refusing the Marriage Proposal

Lu Zhaozhao got up and left.

Her heart felt empty.

She had long guessed that the person Aunt Tong proposed to Gu Jingzhe was her.

Now Aunt Tong had refused.

Was it because she wasn’t good enough?

Lu Zhaozhao was not reconciled. She didn’t go to find Liu Yanhong, but sneaked to the corner to eavesdrop.

Mrs. Han was quite surprised by Tong Huaqiong’s straightforward refusal.

"Isn’t it, you didn’t even hear whom I proposed and you refused!"

"The County Magistrate’s wife is matchmaking your son; surely that girl cannot be bad."

Mrs. Han muttered inwardly for a while, then turned to find excuses for Tong Huaqiong.

"What does this mean? It means Tong Huaqiong is not someone who clings to power."

"Most women probably would have agreed quickly, just hearing that the official’s wife was matchmaking for their son, regardless of the girl’s situation."

Mrs. Han wouldn’t give up and said, "I heard your son has a talent for studying, it’s only a matter of time before he earns a title. As the saying goes, first establish a family then a career. If he has a family and someone to support him emotionally, he’ll be more motivated to succeed."

Tong Huaqiong laughed and said, "While that sounds reasonable, we must also consider if the girl is willing. Why should she expect to support him emotionally while he earns his title? If he succeeds, that’s fine, but what if he doesn’t and ends up wasting the girl’s time? If he changes his heart and becomes like Xue Pinggui, then the girl’s fate as Wang Baochuan would be too unfair."

Mrs. Han: "..."

"Come on, if you want to refuse, just say it. Why denigrate your son like this?"

Tong Huaqiong sighed and began to speak earnestly with Mrs. Han, "It’s really not an excuse. I have a daughter; if now someone told me to marry Taohua to a scholar without a title, and she had to bear all the responsibilities to support him pursuing a title, would I agree? I definitely would refuse. Even if that person eventually becomes a Champion Scholar, would my daughter’s suffering come to an end? Not necessarily, it all depends on the scholar’s conscience. What if he gets tired of her or is favored by a more powerful family and wants a divorce? How would my daughter cope if she invested everything and ended up in such a situation? Everything relies on the man’s conscience, and I am unwilling to entrust my daughter’s happiness to the fleeting conscience of a man."

This was Lu Zhaozhao’s past situation.

Lu Zhaozhao hid by the wall, listening to Tong Huaqiong’s reasons for refusal, not quite understanding.

She felt Tong Huaqiong was imposing a fictional scenario onto reality.

Tong Huaqiong continued, "I wouldn’t want my daughter to gamble on a scholar’s future, so how could I let someone else’s daughter marry Jingzhe, who hasn’t earned a title yet? Since you brought it up, you must have a suitable girl in mind for my Jingzhe. With your judgment, that girl must be beautiful and virtuous, definitely more than a match for my Jingzhe. That’s why I can’t agree rashly."

Mrs. Han didn’t have a daughter, but she understood Tong Huaqiong’s thoughts.

Back when her son passed the scholar exams, people proposed matches, but she feared he’d be distracted by romance and refused several proposals, also considering the girl’s prospects.

It wasn’t until County Magistrate Liu passed his exams that they confirmed a match.

Tong Huaqiong’s concerns were very valid.

Gu Jingzhe was just a child student, and arranging a marriage so early wasn’t very appropriate.

But Mrs. Han really didn’t want to give up; she felt Gu Jingzhe was a fine young man, and Tong Huaqiong was a great mother-in-law.

For a girl marrying, not only should the man’s conscience be considered, but she would spend more time with her mother-in-law; often the mother-in-law is the key to household harmony.

If Lu Zhaozhao married into the Gu family, with a mother-in-law like Tong Huaqiong, her days would definitely be more comfortable than in other prominent families.

Mrs. Han then said, "When I saw Jingzhe, I thought of a girl from my relatives; they are close in age and similar in temperament, surely a good match. I did think of setting them up. If you don’t plan to arrange a match for Jingzhe now, I’ll just leave this here. But when you do intend to find a match for your Jingzhe, consult me before considering other girls."

"Although you considered the girl’s position, saying Jingzhe hasn’t earned a title and may be a burden, what if they’re meant to be? What a loss it would be to miss out."

Tong Huaqiong shared similar thoughts and said, "Alright, when Jingzhe is ready for a match, I’ll definitely trouble you to help."

Tong Huaqiong didn’t completely shut down the idea.

There was still a chance, and Mrs. Han felt a bit relieved.

Girls as old as Lu Zhaozhao often had matches arranged. The reason Lu Zhaozhao hadn’t had one was because Mr. Lu wanted to keep her a few more years, preparing her to be a wife of a high-status family, hoping she’d marry in the Capital. Her marriage also required Zhao Yang’s input, and Zhao Yang didn’t want her to marry too young.

Mrs. Han didn’t think Mr. Lu’s idea was great. How easy was it to marry into a noble family?

Later, if Lu Zhaozhao married into the Capital with no roots or connections, it wouldn’t be like marrying a capable son like Gu Jingzhe from a humble background.

However, Mr. Lu hadn’t insisted that Lu Zhaozhao must marry into a noble family. It was just a plan. Sometimes hopes are one thing, and reality is another. As long as Tong Huaqiong was interested, Mrs. Han was willing to persuade Mr. Lu.

"Oh, Sister Han, I have another thing to say: if the girl finds a better match, let’s not bring this up again in the future," Tong Huaqiong added.

She feared that if Lu Zhaozhao found a more suitable marriage, waiting for Gu Jingzhe would be a waste.

"Of course," Mrs. Han nodded. Naturally, she understood this logic.

Mrs. Han and Tong Huaqiong reached an understanding and changed the subject to talk about other things.

Tong Huaqiong brought out mooncakes she baked herself as "afternoon tea" for Mrs. Han.

"You really are skilled, even making fancy mooncakes."

Out of curiosity, Mrs. Han tried the ham and yolk filling mooncakes.

They were indeed unique and delicious.

However, Mrs. Han still preferred five-nuts filling.

In her mind, only five-nuts mooncakes were real mooncakes.

Seeing Mrs. Han praise the ham and yolk mooncakes, but after taking a bite, put them down and pick up the five-nuts one with a smile, Tong Huaqiong knew that Mrs. Han still preferred traditional mooncakes.

Many people in this era were like Mrs. Han, especially with holiday foods, they upheld tradition.

Take Ma Huateng for instance, for him, dumplings must be sweet, and mooncakes must be five-nuts and red bean.

Therefore, while innovating new pastries, Tong Huaqiong wouldn’t abandon traditional ones.

As the sun began to set in the west, Mrs. Han got up to say goodbye.

Out of courtesy, Tong Huaqiong urged her to stay a bit longer.

With this invitation, Liu Yanhong took it seriously and refused to leave.

"Grandma, let’s stay one more night and leave tomorrow," Liu Yanhong clung to Mrs. Han and acted cutesy.

He really didn’t want to go back.

Whenever he thought of returning to rise early for studies, he wanted to stay permanently at Qinghe Bay.

Mrs. Han doted on her only grandson greatly; seeing his pitiful request, how could she refuse?

Moreover, Mrs. Han already regarded Tong Huaqiong as a dear friend, and she loved the countryside’s climate and scenery, so she agreed to stay another night at Tong’s house before leaving. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Staying another night at Tong’s house made not only Liu Yanhong happy but Lu Zhaozhao too.