Chapter 674: Chapter 674: Glad I Came at the Right Time
"That’s right, boss, Aunt Hong, we’ve heard that these days Mingxiu’s second aunt went to her aunt’s house in Pingyang County, and when she came back, she wanted to make Mingxiu a concubine for Manager He."
Su Qing brought up the second matter.
Tong Huaqiong and Mrs. Hong exchanged glances.
Pingyang County, He Chao’s hometown.
Tong Huaqiong asked Li Mingxiu, "What’s your second aunt’s uncle’s family name?"
Li Mingxiu shook her head, she really didn’t know.
Tong Huaqiong said to Su Qing, "Go and get Aunt Qin, tell her I have something to ask her."
Aunt Qin was standing at Liu Yueer’s maternal home talking to Mrs. Zhao, and when she heard Su Qing say that Tong Huaqiong was calling for her at the weaving workshop, she hurriedly followed.
"Oh my, Mrs. Dashi has finally spoken to me."
"Sister Qin, Sister Hong and I want to ask you something. Do you know the family name of your cousin’s aunt in Pingyang County?"
Aunt Qin saw Mrs. Hong was there and felt a bit uneasy, but she swallowed her discomfort and said, "The family name is Zhang."
Tong Huaqiong frowned, "Not He?"
Mrs. Hong asked, "Is your cousin’s aunt in the He family estate in Pingyang County?"
Mentioning the He family estate, Aunt Qin recalled, clapping her hands, "I remember, my cousin’s aunt’s daughter married a man with the surname He. How do I know? Because that cousin from the Zhang family came to my uncle’s house before she got married. At the time, the girls were joking about marriage and said she was engaged to someone from the He family estate. A few years ago, my Qingyou went to Pingyang County to deliver birthday cakes and stayed late, so he slept in the haystack of the He family estate, and was nearly caught as a thief by the Zhang family cousin and her whole family."
"Later, when they traced the relation, they found out it was a distant relative connection, so they let my Qingyou go."
Speaking of this matter, Aunt Qin was still angry. After all, they were relatives, and before the Zhang family cousin got married, her mother even sent a set of quilt covers. After clarifying that her son was not a thief, they did not apologize or even offer a bowl of water. Instead, they asked Qingyou to help their son-in-law find a job in the cake shop."
"So this is exactly what happened," Tong Huaqiong said.
Aunt Qin now also realized why her cousin was trying to make Li Mingxiu a concubine to Manager He, probably because that Zhang family cousin’s husband is part of Manager He’s family.
It seems that upon hearing that Manager He has become successful, they’re collaborating to bully Mrs. Hong.
Thinking she nearly became an accomplice made Aunt Qin shudder.
Mrs. Hong said, "I don’t understand one thing. If the He family wants my and my husband’s property, wouldn’t it be better to adopt a son in the family estate than have my husband take a concubine?"
Aunt Qin said, "Adopt a son? That would only work if they could have a son. I heard from Qingyou that the Zhang family cousin had two daughters in the He family, but no sons. The eldest daughter married and had a son and a daughter, but it’s not easy to give away a hard-earned son."
"That Zhang family cousin was good at being jealous in her girlhood, and to put it bluntly, now there’s talk that your husband is about to become successful. The He family is certainly envious, and those with many sons want to adopt a son to your family. The Zhang family cousin doesn’t have a son and doesn’t want others in the family to benefit, so she came up with the sinister idea of sending a concubine to Manager He."
"My cousin and cousin-in-law indeed take after the same grandfather, selfish and intolerant of others’ prosperity, hitting it off so well, they set someone up first when the He family sought them out."
Tong Huaqiong found this very reasonable.
Some people are indeed that malicious, harming others without benefit to themselves; as long as they don’t get the benefit, they don’t care whether they gain or not.
Aunt Qin looked at Mrs. Hong apologetically, "Sister Hong, I was blinded by foolishness that day, I shouldn’t have said such things to you."
Mrs. Hong waved her hand, "Once it’s laid out, it’s fine."
Tong Huaqiong said, "I’m afraid other members of the He family are fighting over which child to adopt as your heir. Just wait, He family members will come around someday."
Li Mingxiu’s second aunt and cousin probably took advantage of the He family’s gap in choosing heirs to seize the opportunity and use Li Mingxiu as bait to cut off the He family’s idea of adopting a child.
However, Aunt Qin’s route didn’t work, Li Mingxiu wouldn’t cooperate, and her sisters-in-law were dragging their feet.
Who knows what other scheme Li Mingxiu’s second aunt will come up with?
...
Li Mingxiu’s second aunt pondered overnight, discussed it with her husband, and decided to use the money to bribe Su Qing and buy a lucrative position for an embroidery worker at the weaving workshop.
"...once you’re in the workshop, not only will you earn wages every month, but you can also cozy up to Manager He’s wife. By then, you’ll have a better chance to secretly slip Mingxiu to Manager He. Isn’t it easier to do so when you’re close?" Li family’s second uncle said excitedly.
Li Mingxiu’s second aunt and husband were on the same page.
No reason to wait, the next morning, they went to the embroidery workshop to find Su Qing.
Early the next morning, feeling slightly guilty, she told her son about it.
Her son was even more enthusiastic than her husband, saying that’s exactly what his mother should do.
He really didn’t want to accept the matchmaking from Pingyang County’s cousin’s aunt for a He family girl; he liked girls as beautiful as fairies.
That girl with all that countryside aura and a request for fifty taels of silver as dowry.
Who does she think she is?
Just the right chance to refuse this marriage.
Li Mingxiu’s second cousin thought joyfully, he had heard that Gu Taohua in the Tong Family Weaving Workshop had a bad temper and had no man to want her, and still hadn’t gotten engaged. Once his mother was in the Tong Family Weaving Workshop, there’d surely be times when he’d be able to find his way in, he’d keep parading in front of Gu Taohua, and maybe he could be Widow Tong’s son-in-law.
He had once seen Gu Taohua at Taohua Dessert, fair-skinned, tall, with crescent eyes when she smiled, full like a juicy peach, just his type.
You have to have dreams like a toad aiming for a swan, it might come true.
His son’s support made Li Mingxiu’s second aunt even more determined.
That girl Mingxiu was right; the reason her son couldn’t find a wife was because of their poverty.
As long as the family has money, a man even at an advanced age can find a young lady.
After quickly finishing breakfast, Li Mingxiu’s second aunt, accompanied by her son and carrying silver, went to Qinghe Bay.
They snuck into the Tong Family Weaving Workshop as if they were thieves.
As luck would have it, today was the day the weaving workshop handed out wages.
The weaving workshop’s main gate was wide open, and Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua sat together supervising the payroll distribution. Su Qing held a ledger, calling out names, and for each name called, the corresponding person would come forward, while Mrs. Hong handed over the silver coins with both hands.
"...Song Qiaoniang, monthly salary ten taels."
Li Mingxiu’s second aunt’s eyes went wide at the sight of all that shiny silver on the table.
"Gu Xiaoxue, monthly salary eight taels."
Seeing such a young girl like Gu Xiaoxue earning eight taels of silver a month made Li Mingxiu’s second aunt feel extremely envious.
Song Qiaoniang and Gu Xiaoxue were the two highest earners in the weaving workshop.
Li Mingxiu’s second aunt calculated inwardly, after a year, they could earn back the initial fifty taels.
Meanwhile, Li Mingxiu’s second cousin’s gaze landed on Gu Taohua, as beautiful as a fairy.
Tong Huaqiong’s glance swept over the two figures outside, her expression remained unchanged.
She guessed internally that Li Mingxiu’s second aunt had come to bribe Su Qing, and she didn’t mind letting Li Mingxiu’s second aunt hurriedly reveal her silver and adding fuel to the fire.
After the salary was distributed and the weavers dispersed, Tong Huaqiong said to Su Qing, "Su Qing, how is the recruitment of embroiderers going, when can they start work?"
Su Qing replied, "Boss, two people are still being assessed, the list will be confirmed in the coming days."
Li Mingxiu’s second aunt heard this and was pleased that she came at the right time.
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