Chapter 478: Chapter 478: Proposing to the Qiao Family

Zhu Hongyun rolled over irritably again, grabbing the pillow harshly and wrestling with it. Just because someone was good with their hands, could they wield so much power? Why couldn’t she, Hongyun, cook?

Tong Erlang was sitting at her bedside, using a large palm fan to create breezes for both of them. Seeing Zhu Hongyun in this state, he asked in a soft voice, “Xiaoyun, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Zhu Hongyun replied sullenly.

“Don’t lie face down, you will hurt your face.” Tong Erlang said consolingly.

The other day, Tong Xingda had slapped her face until it swelled, and the swelling had not yet completely subsided.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Hongyun sat up angrily and pinched Tong Erlang fiercely several times.

How despicable, a father-in-law actually hitting his own daughter-in-law.

Who else could do such a thing?

With elders like Tong Tiehu and Tong Xingda, she was really unlucky!

Tong Erlang gasped as he was pinched, but he still comforted Zhu Hongyun with his good temperament, “Don’t be angry. I’ll help you do more work tomorrow.”

Although he was tired as a dog, he felt sorry when he saw Zhu Hongyun tired.

Zhu Hongyun hummed and went back to bed, her mind once again returning to the matters of Qiao Xiaomai.

What Zhu Cuiying said was not unreasonable. Their days of dominating Anping Village were over. Now there was a new top figure in Anping Village: Qiao Xiaomai.

With five hundred acres of land, people came to work at her place every day, and she even had good relations with the gentry in town.

Purchasing a courtyard in town was as simple as lifting a finger for her.

And now she even had two maids.

Damn it, using her cousin as a maid and still getting praised by others, life is so unfair!

Zhu Hongyun fumed silently, but had no real solution.

Under these circumstances, what should she do?

Under these circumstances, she could only resign herself to fate.

Another day went by, and the next was another toiling day planting sweet potatoes.

They had already planted twice before, so these people were getting some experience.

However, having experience and being willing to work were two different things.

Having become accustomed to an easy life, they had yet to adjust to toiling in the fields.

At noon, it was Zhang Family’s turn to cook. When they were bringing lunch to the field, they bumped into a team transporting building materials.

The team was going the same way as they were, which raised their suspicions. Why would anyone be bringing so much stuff to the wilderness?

This doubt was casually mentioned during mealtime, and then they got the answer from Tong Tiehu: Qiao Xiaomai was building a manor.

A manor.

To the farmers, this was no common term.

Tong Tiehu casually said as he had his noodles, “Don’t be jealous. It’s not your fault you lack ambition.”

“Rather than missing the good old days, it’s better to put more effort into the present. If you want to live comfortably, you need to earn it yourself. There’s no other way.”

Everyone who heard this felt a pang in their heart.

Who among the common people had Qiao Xiaomai’s skills?

It was not their fault that they were useless.

After being chastised, everyone felt even more disheartened to work.

The Tong Family was going downhill while the poorest family in the village was now flourishing.

The contrast was too stark.

After a day of hard work, it was a day of rest again. Tong Sanlang went hunting while everyone else stayed at home doing nothing.

Vinegar couldn’t be made in a day, so during this time, everyone just idled around.

Zhu Hongyun sneaked into Zhang Family’s room and started to whisper.

“Mom, perhaps…we should propose a marriage with the Qiao Family?”

Reclining listlessly on her bed, Zhang Family glanced at her, “You want me to bring the apple of your grandfather’s eye home so she can cause my downfall?”

That day, when she had gone to Qiao Xiaomai’s house for food, she banked on the fact that Qiao Xiaomai wanted to marry Tong Sanlang.

But what happened afterward?

Although she managed to get the meal, the swelling on her face hadn’t fully subsided yet.

She tried to assert her authority in front of Qiao Xiaomai only to be shot down by Tong Tiehu. She was not a masochist; she didn’t need a daughter-in-law like that.