The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 301: How to Break a Scandal

Liu Yueer was full of grievances.

She knew she had offended her mother-in-law again.

Tong Huaqiong didn’t care about Liu Yueer’s feelings; she directed the carriage towards the Tianxiang Building.

The Tianxiang Building was brightly lit, apparently unaffected by the incident with Xian Xian and Mr. Chen, and had already resumed business.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of Tianxiang Building.

"Mother, what are you doing?"

Gu Dashu shivered in fright, having been terrified by Tianxiang Building, he couldn’t even make eye contact with the two stone lions at the entrance.

"You wait here, I have some business with Madam Mo."

Tong Huaqiong entered the Tianxiang Building and came out quickly.

Madam Mo’s anger, stirred by Mr. Chen and Xian Xian after Tong Huaqiong left, instantly disappeared.

She was thrilled that she hadn’t offended Tong Huaqiong, otherwise how could she have connected with Mr. Lu?

She had long wanted to explore the Lu Mansion.

As for what Mr. Lu wanted from her, she had already guessed.

It wasn’t anything but his grandson Lu Zhaoyang’s affairs.

As someone running a business catering to the elite sons of rich families, Madam Mo was well-acquainted with the likes and gossip of any young master in the city.

Among these young masters, Lu Zhaoyang was unusually clean.

He had neither a concubine nor did he linger at the Tianxiang Building, instead mingling with Lord Yao.

If Lu Zhaoyang could be straightened out and brought into Mr. Lu’s core business circle, she would no longer have to cater to the whims of various young masters in Pearl Alley.

Early the next morning, Madam Mo went to the Lu Mansion, correctly guessing why Mr. Lu was looking for her, but she guessed wrong about rectifying who.

Tong Huaqiong was doing the accounts on the second floor of Taohua Dessert when she saw Madam Mo’s carriage passing by through the window; she knew Madam Mo was returning from the Lu Family.

Unable to resist her gossipy nature, Tong Huaqiong went downstairs and intercepted Madam Mo on the road.

"What did Mr. Lu want from you?" Tong Huaqiong asked directly.

Madam Mo looked troubled and a little angry.

Tong Huaqiong thought that Mr. Lu must have had some ulterior motives.

Standing in a secluded spot, Madam Mo asked Tong Huaqiong, "When you were a guest at the Lu Family yesterday, did you hear any rumors about Lu Zhaoyang?"

Tong Huaqiong said, "What rumors?"

Madam Mo hesitated to speak.

Tong Huaqiong said, "You’re leaving me hanging. Just tell me already."

Madam Mo said, "Mr. Tong, you’re from the countryside and might not understand the lives of the wealthy young masters in this city. I don’t mean to belittle you. These young masters have been served by maids since childhood. These maids not only attend to them personally but also warm their beds as they grow up. Do you know why Mr. Lu has no concubine to this day?"

Tong Huaqiong’s gossip instincts were instantly ignited.

Could it be that Gu Taohua was right, and Lu Zhaoyang had a hidden ailment that prevented him from having children?

It had to be.

Tong Huaqiong’s imagination ran wild, concluding that this must be the reason Mr. Lu sought out Madam Mo.

To cure Lu Zhaoyang’s ailment, he must be looking for remedies from the pleasure quarters.

Tong Huaqiong wanted to say to Madam Mo, "Could it be that Lu Zhaoyang’s body isn’t up to it," but decided against it, thinking it too harsh, especially since Lu Zhaoyang had no grudges with her and had even gifted her twenty pigs. It wasn’t polite to talk behind his back.

But the thought of Mr. Lu knowingly getting Gu Taohua engaged to Lu Zhaoyang, knowing his grandson had a hidden ailment, made her furious.

Did they not consider her daughter precious?

"How would I know? I haven’t been sleeping under Lu Zhaoyang’s bed," Tong Huaqiong said. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Madam Mo asked, "You have a good relationship with the Lu Family and know Magistrate Yao. Haven’t you heard any rumors about Mr. Lu and Lord Yao?"

Lu Zhaoyang and Magistrate Yao.

A heavy blow hit Tong Huaqiong’s heart.

"What rumors?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

"That they’re... close friends," Madam Mo said.

A huge piece of gossip was shoved into Tong Huaqiong’s mouth.

No wonder that at the Lu Family yesterday, when Magistrate Yao’s butler brought ginseng to Lu Zhaoyang, Mr. Lu reacted so intensely, saying a lot of cryptic and sarcastic things.

Tong Huaqiong thought Mr. Lu, as an Imperial Merchant, might have had some disputes with Magistrate Yao’s family in Shengjing.

It turned out to be due to the close relationship between Lu Zhaoyang and Lord Yao.

However, Tong Huaqiong believed the rumors about Lu Zhaoyang and Magistrate Yao were complete nonsense.

She didn’t believe there was any relationship between Lu Zhaoyang and Mr. Yao beyond that of senior and junior brothers.

Tong Huaqiong said to Madam Mo, "Madam Mo, I don’t believe the rumors about Mr. Lu and Magistrate Yao. As the saying goes, ’a spoken word is like a broken egg,’ and ’a multitude of tongues can add fire to bone and gold.’ It’s surely fabricated by people. Think about it, Mr. Lu is the most promising student at Wanliu Academy, and with a wealthy family like his, it’s easy to attract jealousy. Magistrate Yao, with his clean governance and spotless family background, must have stirred many people’s interests when he became Magistrate of the city. Who knows how many hate him secretly? Those small-minded people, unable to find a real handle on Magistrate Yao, resort to rumors and slander.

"Isn’t it normal for Mr. Lu and Magistrate Yao to have a close relationship, given they’re senior and junior brothers?"

"Mr. Yao and Mr. Lu might be aware of the rumors outside, but they surely can’t step out to explain, right? No, the more you try to explain, the worse it gets. Those gossipy people know they can’t explain it well, so they keep fabricating rumors. Surely, Madam Mo, you think what I’m saying makes sense?"

After Tong Huaqiong’s explanation, Madam Mo felt Tong Huaqiong made a lot of sense.

So she said, "Magistrate Yao is indeed a good official. If it weren’t for his fair handling of the Xian Xian and Mr. Chen incident, my Tianxiang Building probably wouldn’t have extricated itself."

Then she cursed, "Those who spread rumors deserve to die."

Tong Huaqiong asked, "Was Mr. Lu looking for you because of these rumors?"

The best way to break a scandal between A and B is to create a new scandal between A and C.

Just like the way a pair of rumored singers and a pianist from Tong Huaqiong’s past life in the entertainment industry used official girlfriend announcements and engagement announcements to dispel rumors.

Could Mr. Lu, to dispel the rumors between his grandson and Magistrate Yao, think of this trick to let his grandson "venture into the sea" at the Tianxiang Building, using a scandal with a girl from Tianxiang Building to break the rumors with Magistrate Yao?

One must admit, Mr. Lu’s thinking is correct.

However, this would cause a thousand enemies and eight hundred self-damage.

If Lu Zhaoyang really gets into a scandal with a girl from Tianxiang Building, no decent family would want to connect with him in marriage in the future.

Moreover, if he pursues an official career, it would become a target for others to attack.

"Mr. Lu was indeed looking for me for this reason." At this point, Madam Mo looked speechless.

She initially thought like Tong Huaqiong, that Mr. Lu wanted Lu Zhaoyang to get into a scandal with a girl from Tianxiang Building.

Isn’t this easy?

She excelled at this.

Under her manipulation, from tomorrow, every street and alley of the city would be filled with rumors of Mr. Lu and a particular girl from Tianxiang Building.

But Mr. Lu had a rather unconventional thought process; instead of having his grandson "venture into the sea," he wanted Magistrate Yao...