The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!

Chapter 694: Chapter 694: I Don’t Need You to Back Me Up

Gu Xiaoxue looked speechless.

Lu Zhaozhao had just given her a set of jewelry, and now Mrs. Gu had set her mind on it.

Luckily, she had insisted on living independently with her elder brother; otherwise, they might have taken even more from her.

Gu Xiaoxue said, "No way, this was given to me by my cousin; giving it to someone else would betray my cousin’s intention."

Mrs. Gu glanced at Gu Xiaoxue, very discontented.

Mrs. Wei lifted her eyelids, also feeling that Mrs. Gu’s request was outrageous.

"Your aunt marrying well is also beneficial for you. You’ll eventually get married, and if you’re bullied by your in-laws, your aunt, as a scholar’s wife, can support you. Besides, giving the jewelry to your aunt is not for nothing; there are scholars among Fan Xiucai’s classmates. When your aunt marries into the Fan Family, she can help find you a scholar husband."

Gu Xiaoxue laughed angrily.

Did Mrs. Gu even believe this herself?

Gu Xiaoxue said, "If I want to marry a scholar, do I need to rely on Fan Tong’s connection? Brother Jingzhe is a scholar; all his classmates at Wanliu Academy are scholars. If I really wanted to marry, wouldn’t relying on Brother Jingzhe’s connections be more reliable than Fan Tong’s?"

"Even without asking Brother Jingzhe, I could ask Sister Pan Di and Mr. Su."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Gu got so furious that her temples throbbed.

Gu Xiaoxue’s tongue had become increasingly sharp.

"Xiaoxue, why don’t you just lend me the jewelry? I’m not saying I won’t return it; Fan Xiucai receives silver and grain every month now. When I marry into the Fan Family, I’ll surely have the means to repay you."

Gu Honglian looked pleadingly at Gu Xiaoxue.

She was two years older than Gu Xiaoxue and had grown up together with her.

In the past, the best food, drink, and clothes were always saved for her; Gu Xiaoxue never competed and even offered voluntarily.

She felt that Gu Xiaoxue would do the same this time.

Gu Xiaoxue coldly looked at Gu Honglian and said, "Aunt, you need to bring a large dowry to marry Fan Tong. Do you think you can control his silver once you’re married? If he had silver, would he rely on your dowry?"

"In short, don’t even think about my things."

Gu Honglian looked aggrieved, her eyes reddening.

"You work at the weaving workshop, where the sister-in-law favors you and lets you earn so much silver every month. Taohua treats you well and has given you plenty of nice things in private; what’s wrong with giving me this jewelry?"

With this set of jewelry, she could smoothly marry Fan Tong.

As Gu Honglian spoke, tears started flowing like a broken string of pearls.

Lately, she had been doing her utmost to win over the sister-in-law, mentioning the dowry several times, yet the sister-in-law didn’t take the bait.

She tried to please Gu Taohua, but Gu Taohua ignored her.

Even though she looked down on Chen Sufen, she went to please her several times, complaining tearfully to Chen Sufen about the difficulties without a dowry. Honest Chen Sufen actually said a man who needs a dowry is not a good match, leaving her speechless.

Gu Xiaoxue remained unmoved.

The girl’s tears felt like daggers stabbing into Mrs. Gu’s heart, making her lash out at Gu Xiaoxue: "Since you’ve been earning a lot of silver at the weaving workshop, no matter how hard and difficult it’s been for the family, we’ve never thought of taking from you. Go out and ask, which family doesn’t have their daughters hand over what they earn? Isn’t it all handed to the family? If the family had a way, we wouldn’t ask you for anything. Can’t you consider the difficulties of the family? You’ll eventually marry; don’t forget Gu Family is your maternal family. You’ll need your family to support you; a girl without family support will be bullied by the in-laws, with no place to argue even if she dies."

Gu Xiaoxue remained indifferent.

In short, she would never take her belongings out to support anyone from the Gu Family.

Compared to family support, her silver was much more appealing.

Mrs. Wei saw Mrs. Gu getting angry and said, "Grandma, that weaving workshop work isn’t easy. Xiaoxue’s eyes are red from the long hours for silver. The little bit she’s earned, don’t think about it. You’ve mentioned the family’s difficulties, unable to give aunt a dowry, and isn’t it the same for Xiaoxue? Xiaoxue will also marry someday; what she’s earned, given by Jingzhe’s wife, is considered her own dowry."

Mrs. Wei’s persuasion only fueled Mrs. Gu’s anger more.

She believed that if Mrs. Wei hadn’t pushed for the family division, Xiaoxue wouldn’t have left to live with her brother and sister-in-law. Then the silver Gu Fengnian, Mrs. Wei, and Gu Xiaoxue earned would have been enough for the family, sparing her from worrying about Gu Honglian’s dowry.

"You naturally find it easy to talk when you don’t have to endure the hardships. Xiaoxue living with you means her silver will eventually go to your house, it’s the Yao Family’s money. You’ve taken advantage while acting innocent, encouraging Xiaoxue away from her family."

Mrs. Wei was so angry she nearly burst into tears.

Such words were deeply hurtful.

Not only Mrs. Gu thought so, but even Mrs. Jia and Wu Na felt that most of Gu Xiaoxue’s earnings would be shared with Gu Fengnian’s family, meaning all her future money would belong to the Yao Family.

If not for this, who could tolerate a girl living with her brother and sister-in-law while her parents are still around?

Mrs. Wei said, "Xiaoxue’s silver is Xiaoxue’s; does my Yao Family lack a father or mother? Do we need to covet the aunt’s money?"

Gu Xiaoxue clenched her fists in anger, saying to Mrs. Gu and Mrs. Jia, "You only resent me for not giving money to the family, trying to sow discord between me and my sister-in-law. Let alone that my brother and sister-in-law never covet my money, I’ll spend my money how I please and definitely not on you; don’t even think about it."

Wu Na, holding her belly, said, "Xiaoxue, you can live with your brother and sister-in-law, and you can live with me and your second brother. Once I give birth, we’ll separate the family, then you can live with us, so everyone won’t suspect your brother and sister-in-law of coveting your money."

Wu Na didn’t believe that Gu Xiaoxue’s money wouldn’t go to the Yao Family.

The child in her belly was also Xiaoxue’s nephew; Xiaoxue’s money should be for more than just one nephew.

Gu Xiaoxue retorted to Wu Na, "Second sister-in-law, do you see me as a fool? It’s true that the elder brother and sister-in-law don’t covet my money, and it’s equally true that you and the second brother do. Living with you and the second brother, he’d probably want to squeeze every bit of value out of me."

Her words left Wu Na speechless.

Mrs. Jia couldn’t help defending Gu Ruinian, saying, "Xiaoxue, Ruinian is your second brother; when you marry, he’ll naturally support you."

Gu Xiaoxue waved the jewelry in her hand at Mrs. Jia, saying, "Mom, threatening me with not having family support won’t work. If I really want backing, my brother and sister-in-law won’t stand by idly; neither will my aunt, or any of the cousins like Da Han or Dashi. They are far more reliable than you, so I don’t need your support."

Seeing the topic stray away from her dowry, Gu Honglian sobbed as she pulled it back, saying, "Second sister-in-law, you’re to blame for always doting on Ruinian, focusing solely on his studies. If not for Ruinian using up the family’s money, I wouldn’t be worried about my dowry."

Now that Xiaoxue didn’t want to give her the jewelry, making her marriage to Fan Tong indefinite, Gu Honglian had added resentment towards Mrs. Jia.

Mentioning Gu Ruinian’s spending felt like a slap to Mrs. Jia’s face.

Incited, Mrs. Jia sarcastically retorted, "You’re only tough at home; why don’t you dare question your sister-in-law for not offering your dowry, given how well the elder brother’s family is doing?"