novelraw Chapter 372: Uninvited Guest
Chapter 372: Uninvited Guest
After the Tong Family received Gu Baishuang’s family, almost no other relatives came to visit.
The capable clerks like Ma Huateng and Hong Xiaoxi from the shop invited Tong Huaqiong to eat and drink, but Tong Huaqiong let He Chao and Gu Dashu handle it.
This New Year was spent pleasantly and comfortably.
Chen Sufen’s belly was visibly growing, and since there were no prenatal check-ups in those times, Tong Huaqiong invited Cai Wenpo to the house to have her get acquainted with Chen Sufen’s condition in advance.
After examining her, Cai Wenpo advised Chen Sufen to walk more in the yard and not to overeat, especially avoiding supplements, to prevent the baby from growing too large, which would make childbirth difficult.
Tong Huaqiong nodded to herself, thinking that Cai Wenpo, relying on experience, managed to summarize a set of scientific prenatal knowledge.
She planned to invite Cai Wenpo over every month to check on Chen Sufen’s pregnancy, so that during delivery, Cai Wenpo would be well-prepared and could make the process easier for Chen Sufen.
Cai Wenpo brought news about Tong Pandi’s ex-husband, the Wu Family.
Wu Musheng had started matchmaking before the year ended. A suitable family had been settled on, and they were about to finalize it, but during the New Year, Wu Musheng was caught fooling around in a brothel by the prospective bride’s family, thus ruining the marriage proposal.
Wu Musheng’s sister, Wu Na, after a failed marriage proposal with the cousin of Boss Qian’s daughter-in-law, got into a fight with the Wu Family Patriarch’s daughter in anger, getting her face scratched. Now she’s crying every day at home.
Tong Huaqiong and Tong Pandi, upon hearing this news, commented that this was just the beginning and that Wu Musheng’s "good luck" was ahead of him.
After Cai Wenpo left, they thought no one else would visit.
Tong Huaqiong miscalculated, the Tong Family came to visit on the 14th day of the New Year.
That day, Tong Huaqiong was not home. She was in Pingchuan County with Gu Taohua and Manager He to sign a new store lease.
Hua Er was watched over by Mrs. Hong as usual, while Duo Er played with Man Er, Xiao Long, and Yaozu. Tong Pandi went to the pig farm to feed the pigs.
While she was mixing pig feed, she heard someone call her. Looking up, she saw her sister Tong Zhaodi entering the pig farm.
Seeing her sister, Tong Pandi was very happy.
Even though she had broken ties with her family, she still cared deeply for this sister.
"Sister, I went to Aunt’s house to find you, they said you were here. Aunt really is something, not letting you work at Taohua Dessert where the work is easy and respectable, yet letting you feed pigs here." Tong Zhaodi started by voicing her "unfairness" on behalf of Tong Pandi.
Tong Pandi was displeased with Zhaodi’s words and reprimanded: "Don’t say that. If not for Aunt, I wouldn’t have been able to leave the Wu Family alive. Now, I am a person who separated, my family won’t accommodate me, and without Aunt, I’d have nowhere to go. Here, I feed pigs, I’m not exposed to wind and rain, I have a stipend, food, and drink every month, and no one gives me trouble. This is much more satisfying than being in the Wu Family."
Talking about separation made Tong Zhaodi angry.
She had initially been matched with a rich merchant from Pingchuan County, who owned two stores and lived comfortably.
Although she would be a second wife and stepmother to two children, the man promised to hire a maid to serve her.
Now that the merchant heard that she had a sister who separated, he grew cold towards her.
A few days ago, the matchmaker directly said that the marriage proposal was likely off.
Tong Fusheng said that if Tong Pandi was still willing to listen to Tong Zhaodi, she should persuade her to return to the Wu Family. He met the village chief, Wu Ren, during the New Year in town, and Wu Ren said that if Tong Pandi reconsidered and was willing to return to the Wu Family as a concubine, he would ensure a good marriage for Tong Zhaodi and would also support Tong Zhijie in his studies.
Tong Fusheng did not dare to approach Tong Pandi, fearing Tong Huaqiong, so he sent Tong Zhaodi.
Tong Pandi asked Tong Zhaodi, "Did you come to Aunt’s house to see me? Did you come on your own accord or did Mom and Dad send you?"
Tong Zhaodi knew her sister did not like their parents and said, "Of course, I came by myself, I came to see how you’re doing."
Truth be told, upon first seeing Tong Pandi, Tong Zhaodi knew her sister was living well under Aunt’s care.
She wore a hairpin with pearls. Because she was feeding pigs, she wore old clothes, but even those old clothes seemed to be made of good material. Beneath the old clothes peeked a red jacket, a style Tong Zhaodi had seen on the rich young ladies of Pingchuan County.
Most importantly, Tong Pandi’s face appeared more radiant than when she was a maiden.
Satisfied that Zhaodi said she came of her own volition and not sent by their parents, Tong Pandi replied with a smile, "I am living well, better than I ever did with the Tong or Wu family."
Seeing Tong Zhaodi eye her jacket, she added, "This new jacket was a gift from Taohua."
Tong Zhaodi was nonchalant, saying, "You’re only looking at now, but you’re someone who separated with two children. You’ll see how difficult life will become in the future."
Tong Pandi didn’t stop mixing the feed, replying, "No matter how difficult, it’s better than being in the Wu Family."
Tong Zhaodi said, "Sister, won’t you think about Hua Er and Duo Er? Without the Wu Family’s protection, with a mother who separated, who will arrange marriages for them?"
Tong Pandi said, "Those who truly care for them won’t mind having a mother who separated."
These were insights Aunt had shared with her.
Understandably, Tong Zhaodi didn’t grasp this, as no one had explained such reasoning to her in the Tong Family.
Seeing Tong Pandi’s indifferent attitude, Tong Zhaodi became angry.
Angrily, she said, "Sister, it’s easy for you to say. Most men in the world do care. You know I could have married into a good family in Pingchuan County. But they won’t agree to the marriage because they heard I have a sister who separated."
Surprised, Tong Pandi glanced at Tong Zhaodi, also feeling a bit angry, but she calmly continued reasoning.
"What does my separation have to do with you? Anyone who minds that you have a sister who separated is not a good match. If he minds now, he’ll mind something else in the future, like not having a son."
Tong Zhaodi dismissed this view.
There’s no way she wouldn’t have a son; everyone said her physique was perfect for bearing sons.
It seemed like Tong Pandi was cursing her because she couldn’t have a son herself.
Tong Zhaodi was very upset.
When angry, her words became harsher.
"Just because you couldn’t have a son, don’t assume I can’t either. It’s no wonder you separated, it turns out you couldn’t have a son. The Wu Family is a reputable family in Black Dragon Pond. Marrying into such a family was your fortune, and you failed to cherish it. Since you couldn’t have a son, you should have been compliant and submissive to your in-laws and husband, but you defied them. Now, separated, you’re happy, but you don’t know the huge impact it has on our family. Now, the whole Black Dragon Pond is laughing at our family."
The thought of not being able to marry into Pingchuan County made Tong Zhaodi even more resentful.
Enraged by her words, Tong Pandi threw down the wooden stick for stirring pig feed, saying, "Tong Zhaodi, do you think just having a son in the Wu Family makes everything okay? The people in Black Dragon Pond aren’t laughing at us because I separated, but because of Father and Zhijie’s incompetence. Father acts scholarly, doesn’t know the first thing about practical life, and at over forty, he’s still only a child student. Zhijie, at a young age, can already enjoy himself in brothels. If Father and Zhijie lived more grounded lives, who would laugh at us?"
"You now blame me for ruining your marriage. Zhaodi, let me tell you, the marriage in Pingchuan County was not a good match at all. Don’t be misled by what Father and Mother say. Father sold Aunt and me, and he’s selling you now too, you fool, thinking being a stepmother is good."