"Bitch, who are you accusing of farting recklessly? You treat your brother-in-law like a man; if you’re going to recognize random men, you can’t blame others for talking."
Gu Honglian charged out from the house into the courtyard, swinging left and right, causing Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law to stagger.
These days, just thinking about the grievances she suffered at Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law made her so uncomfortable that she couldn’t sleep all night, longing for revenge.
This was her turf. She’d hit Fan Tong; hitting her sister-in-law was nothing.
There was no psychological pressure at all.
Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law was hit, screamed twice, and raised her hand to slap Gu Honglian, but was blocked by Grandma Gu.
Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law pushed Grandma Gu away.
Grandma Gu immediately sat down on the ground, howling like a pig being slaughtered.
"You see, it’s like this in my home, let alone at Fan’s. Who knows how they’re tormenting my daughter? Bitch, you had inappropriate thoughts about your brother-in-law, and upon failing to express it, you took it out on my daughter," Grandma Gu cried and scolded.
Two strong daughters-in-law from the Gu Family saw Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law push Grandma Gu and, under Gu Baishuang’s hint, went up to seize her arm.
Even if Grandma Gu was not liked, she represented the face of the Gu Family.
Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law was grabbed and couldn’t move.
Gu Honglian continued to slap, still not satisfied, and scratched Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law’s neck, leaving it scarred.
Fan Tong stood aside, not daring to speak.
Gu Honglian, tired from beating, stopped and glanced at the mother-in-law behind Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law. Grandma Fan shivered, fearing Gu Honglian would go crazy and hit her too.
Because she listened in on her son and daughter-in-law’s corner conversations, her clan members looked at her like an enemy.
These people wouldn’t support her.
Grandma Fan felt bitter; she eavesdropped genuinely to help her son, afraid he would get lost in newlywed bliss and neglect his studies.
She thought Gu Honglian wouldn’t leak it out, but Gu Honglian told the Gu Family.
And the Gu Family didn’t care for their reputation, broadcasting it to everyone.
Gu Honglian really wanted to hit her mother-in-law as well.
She wasn’t that dumb; hitting her in public would make her lose justification.
These days, following Wu Na, she’d learned to scheme secretly, like sprinkling laxatives in food for her mother-in-law, to harm her when nobody’s around before pretending to nurse her.
Gu Honglian stared at Grandma Fan, plotting ways to deal with her.
Grandma Fan almost peed her pants in fear.
She finally realized Gu Honglian’s viciousness.
From now on, she’d avoid provoking this troublesome daughter-in-law at all costs.
"Daughter-in-law, you’ve beaten and cursed, now let’s go home," Grandma Fan said with a trembling voice.
Gu Honglian snorted coldly turned and walked off.
Fan Tong, cowering in a corner, turned pale, knowing Gu Honglian was upset again.
The eldest sister-in-law and his mother hadn’t apologized yet, she wouldn’t easily head back.
"Mom, sister-in-law, apologize to Honglian," Fan Tong, lying on a cart, said.
He couldn’t stand it any longer, his butt hurt and itched. Apologize quickly, and let this end with them heading back to Fan Family.
Grandma Fan almost couldn’t catch her breath.
Making her publicly apologize to her daughter-in-law would only confirm the foolish remarks made by her in-laws. How could she face others after this?
Eventually, under Fan Tong’s pleas, Grandma Fan and Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law had no choice but to apologize to Gu Honglian.
Grandma Fan repeatedly assured Mr. Gu she’d treat Gu Honglian like her biological daughter from then on.
Gu Honglian reluctantly accepted their apology but did not return that day.
During the wheat harvest, she wouldn’t go back to work, instead enjoying her time at her parents’ home.
Gu Honglian decided to only return after harvesting corn, when there was minimal work in the fields and would teach Fan Family a lesson by making them anxious.
Indeed, during the wheat harvest, Fan Tong, yet to heal, frequently rushed to Qinghe Bay, apprehensive Gu Honglian would divorce him.
Through this ordeal, Gu Honglian increasingly appreciated Tong Huaqiong.
If it weren’t for her eldest sister-in-law encouraging her to make a fuss, her status in Fan Family would not have reversed.
With the wheat harvested and corn planted, the young corn shoots soon turned the bare field green.
Only after Fan Family’s incessant pleadings did Gu Honglian return to her in-laws.
Rumor had it that upon Gu Honglian’s return, her mother-in-law and eldest sister-in-law tried to control her. Without a word, Gu Honglian grabbed a knife intending to hack them, scaring her mother-in-law and sister-in-law into locking themselves in the room.
Even her elder brother-in-law came to persuade, but Gu Honglian swung her knife indiscriminately, forcing her elder brother-in-law to demand a split.
Gu Honglian found laxatives from somewhere, mixed them in food presented to her mother-in-law, who ran to the toilet eighteen times overnight after eating, Gu Honglian voluntarily looked after her.
First giving scalding hot water, then concocting remedies of Guan Yin soil to stop diarrhea, her mother-in-law was tormented for three days and nights without sleep, ultimately begging Gu Honglian to leave her be.
From then on, Gu Honglian stood at the top of Fan Family’s food chain.
Whenever displeased, she’d scold and make a fuss, wielding her knife intimidatingly, systematically slaughtering and devouring the chickens, ducks, and geese in the coop.
Forcing her elder brother-in-law and sister-in-law to consider splitting the household, Gu Honglian adamantly refused.
If they split, who’d work the fields, who’d do laundry and cook? Gu Honglian wouldn’t willingly lose this pair of free labor.
Fan Tong was utterly obedient to Gu Honglian, handing over all government-issued grain and silver, not daring to keep any.
Other than costs for writing supplies, Gu Honglian cut off Fan Tong’s expenses for treats, drinks, and socializing.
Even so, Gu Honglian was often dissatisfied and occasionally stirred up trouble.
Gu Honglian had become the very Wu Na she once despised, albeit an upgraded plus version.
Gu Honglian learned not to care about her shrewish image. Ever since letting go of moral concerns, she felt utterly liberated.
Wild Bull Valley was just seven or eight miles from Qinghe Bay; with close-knit countryside communities intertwined through ties of kinship, secrets were impossible to keep. Fresh news spread like wildfire from home to home.
Before long, Tong Huaqiong heard of Gu Honglian’s fierce exploits at Fan Family.
Mr. and Mrs. Gu naturally heard too. Though their daughter’s reputation did not sound good, bullying others seemed better than being bullied.
The clan initially worried Gu Honglian’s reputation at her in-laws might affect the marriage prospects of other clan girls.
Unexpectedly, not only was it unaffected, but now neighboring areas also scrambled to marry into the Gu Family daughters.
Even those already engaged or married from other families came to assure the Gu Family they’d treat their daughters well.
Leaving the Gu Family members rather puzzled.
Upon inquiry, they learned Gu Family daughters were sought after for two reasons.
First, most Gu Family girls leveraged employment at Tong Huaqiong’s Weaving Workshop, earning more than a strong young male laborer; secondly, Tong Huaqiong helped Lu Zhaozhao set up sacrificial land and a private school, bolstering interest for clan boys to study for free, making prospective brothers-in-law more attractive.
Thus, the Gu Family began to comprehend a truth; the biggest factor influencing marriage prospects for Gu Family girls was Tong Huaqiong.
As long as Tong Huaqiong continued her Weaving Workshop, as long as her private school stayed open, even if a Gu Family daughter was a tiger mom, marriage was unobstructed.
The Gu Family girls also understood this principle, with everyone no longer shrinking passively but striving to hold power at their in-laws.