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

Chapter 601: Fire on the Lantern Festival

Old Mrs. Luo was so eager to see her grandson that when Liu Yueer mentioned that Gu Dashu had news about Chun Wang, she momentarily forgot her pain and couldn’t help but ask, "What happened to my grandson?"

Liu Yueer clapped her hands and said, "Your grandson did join the army, but he committed a crime and was dealt with by military law. I’m afraid his head was already dried up before the new year."

Not only was Old Mrs. Luo shocked, but even Mrs. Zhao and others were stunned.

An older lady asked, "Dashu’s wife, is what you’re saying true?"

Liu Yueer tilted her head back and said, "Why would I lie to you? I’m not a petty person like Old Mrs. Luo who curses others for no reason. But Chun Wang brought this on himself, with his bad intentions reaching all the way to the border..."

Liu Yueer then embellished the news about Chun Wang from Gu Dashu’s letter and spread it around.

People in the village gasped.

Chun Wang was truly ruthless; to snatch military merit, he even killed his superior. If he became a Great General, wouldn’t he just invite the Mo Bei people to slaughter the city?

A person like that deserved punishment by military law.

"Old Mrs. Luo, you always say your grandson will become a Great General. Well, now he’s gone to the Underworld to be a general and behead Yama." Someone said to Old Mrs. Luo.

Old Mrs. Luo was always spreading news around the village about her grandson’s meritorious service in letters, and many in the village began to believe it.

Those who believed thought the heavens were blind.

Now that Chun Wang was dealt with by military law, it was considered a joyous occasion.

Old Mrs. Luo was so shocked she directly fainted into the snow.

Tian Fugui and Mrs. Cao hurried over upon hearing the news and grabbed Liu Yueer’s sleeve to ask if the news was true.

Liu Yueer rolled her eyes and said, "If you don’t believe me, you can go to the border to find out for yourself, or wait for Chun Wang to come back as a general."

Tian Fugui felt dizzy and in a fit of anger kicked Mrs. Cao hard, scolding, "It’s all because you went to feed the pigs and didn’t watch over our son."

Mrs. Cao was kicked to the ground and thought of her son, let out a wail, and fainted alongside her mother-in-law.

Chun Ni stood outside the crowd watching Old Mrs. Luo and her parents, a cold smile appearing at the corner of her lips.

Chun Wang’s joining the army was due to her instigation.

Chun Wang wasn’t old enough, so she suggested buying someone else’s quota with money, and it was she who helped pawn Old Mrs. Luo’s pair of bracelets.

She wasn’t heartless.

But as long as Chun Wang wasn’t dealt with, she and Mrs. Cao wouldn’t have any peace.

Chun Wang was wicked even as a child; to demand money she earned at Tong Huaqiong’s pig farm, he even tried to ruin her reputation by guiding a fool from the neighboring village to her.

Regarding the death of such a brother, Chun Ni only wanted to laugh out loud at the sky.

Chun Wang’s death sparked a discussion in Qinghe Bay, the direct consequence being that families in the village kept a close watch on their teenagers, fearing they might follow in Chun Wang’s footsteps and head to the border.

It soon became the fifteenth of the first lunar month.

On the fifteenth, it was customary to enjoy lanterns, but due to the extreme cold this year, the lantern festival in the town was canceled.

Tong Huaqiong received festival gifts sent by Lu Zhaoyang from Shengjing, which actually set out before the New Year but were delayed until the fifteenth due to the roads being blocked by snow.

Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Lu and Huang Yuanwai, they managed to suppress the coal merchants in Shengjing who, like the Zheng Family, were trying to raise coal prices, thus stabilizing Shengjing’s coal prices and helping it, like Ning City, to overcome the extreme cold.

Among the gifts sent by Lu Zhaoyang were two large boxes of lanterns, described as popular lanterns from Shengjing, for the children of the Gu Family to play with.

This year, since they couldn’t go to town to enjoy the lanterns, Tong Huaqiong had a few maids hang lanterns from Jufu Supermarket around the yard, and the lanterns sent by Lu Zhaoyang also came in handy.

So, lanterns were hung all over the fences, eaves, and trees of the Gu Family’s compound.

Man Er, Yaozu, and several other children clapped excitedly, while many children in the village came to enjoy the lanterns, blowing on their cold hands as they watched.

The Shengjing lanterns sent by Lu Zhaoyang were indeed beautiful, each one vividly lifelike.

Tong Huaqiong stood under the corridor looking up, suddenly hearing a loud noise erupt from the village.

It sounded like an explosion, and Tong Huaqiong felt the ground shake, even the windows rattled with sound.

Gu Taohua and others were startled and ran from the house into the yard.

"What’s going on?"

Frightened, Tong Huaqiong thought an earthquake had occurred.

Tong Huaqiong was just about to run outside when she heard someone shouting loudly.

"Something’s wrong, there’s a fire."

"A fire’s broken out."

"Come quick to put out the fire."

A fire in the countryside is a serious matter.

In this era, most people’s roofs were made of thatch, and once a fire started, it could easily spread and burn down the entire village.

Tong Huaqiong quickly lifted her feet.

Her weaving workshop contained a lot of cotton, and if the fire spread and burned it, the loss would be significant.

Seeing Tong Huaqiong raise her foot, Gu Dahuan and Gu Jingzhe grabbed buckets of water and rushed out the door.

Gu Taohua, Tong Pandie, and Chen Sufen followed behind and ran out.

"Whose house is on fire?"

Reaching outside, Tong Huaqiong saw Liu Yueer running around frantically in the night and grabbed her to ask.

Liu Yueer clutched melon seeds to her chest and said, "Looks like it’s in the direction of the old house."

Tong Huaqiong looked toward the old house’s direction.

She saw firelight and thick smoke appear mid-air above the old house.

Many people were already running in the direction of the fire.

Tong Huaqiong and others also ran to the old house.

At the old house entrance, there was a yard filled with smoke and fire, accompanied by bursts of crying.

Gu Jingzhe and Gu Dahuan were directing everyone to put out the fire together.

Soon, Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu were pulled out from inside the house.

Gu Youtian and Mrs. Jia were each dragged out by Gu Fengnian.

Gu Xiaoxue and Mrs. Wei supported Yao Family as they rushed out.

Seeing everyone come out, people sighed in relief.

"Big Sister-in-law."

Gu Honglian was trembling with fear, running to Tong Huaqiong’s side, crying out.

Tong Huaqiong asked, "What on earth happened?"

Gu Honglian, her face blackened with soot, said, "We were inside, and suddenly there was an explosion outside, and then it caught fire..."

Gu Honglian didn’t know what happened, and neither did Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu.

The people from the old house were all terrified.

"On such a cold day, with the house burned down, we’ll just freeze to death."

Mrs. Gu had already started crying.

"Boohoo... just let me burn to death, might as well go below and keep my eldest company."

Mrs. Gu cried desolately.

Ever since they arrived in Qinghe Bay, not a single thing had gone smoothly.

The whole village pitched in and finally put out the fire.

Half the old house and a stack of firewood were burned.

Fortunately, it was extinguished in time and didn’t spread to the neighbors.

"What on earth happened? Did some kid throw a firecracker into the firewood stack?" The village chief, his face dark, asked after the fire was put out.

When everyone heard the village chief say this, their eyes fell on Yao Family being held by Mrs. Wei.

In the middle of the first lunar month, which family’s child doesn’t like to set off firecrackers?

Children, not knowing the seriousness, often throw firecrackers into manure piles or firewood stacks.

Especially on the fifteenth, with no chance to go out for lanterns, kids set off firecrackers at home.

Yao Family, seeing everyone staring at him, said with a tearful voice, "It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me."