Chapter 493: Chapter 493: Plotting to Become a Live-in Son-in-law

"Mother, since you’ve already decided to open the stall to the Second Miss Lian, why do you keep testing her?"

After Second Miss Lian got up and left, Taohua couldn’t help but ask Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong said, "You can see a person’s character best through small talk."

Taohua asked, "So what do you think of Second Miss Lian’s character now?"

Tong Huaqiong said, "She’s ruthless but has a bottom line."

To be honest, she partially believed and partially doubted the Second Miss Lian’s words, but so what? She was merely a business partner with Second Miss Lian.

Second Miss Lian’s words indicated her ability to deal with her half-brother’s schemes and her determination.

Tong Huaqiong witnessed this, which allowed her to confidently open the stall to her.

That’s exactly why Second Miss Lian candidly revealed how she plans to manipulate her half-brother to Tong Huaqiong.

As for whether she worried Tong Huaqiong might use this to control her.

She trusts her judgment in believing it won’t happen.

If Tong Huaqiong wants to collaborate with the Lian Family, she is the best partner.

Her three brothers, two are useless, and the only capable eldest brother is amiable on the surface, but dark and crawling beneath, looking down on women. He would never collaborate with Jufu Supermarket while he’s alive.

...

It had just rained yesterday, and there was water accumulated on the road.

As Second Miss Lian’s carriage left Jufu Supermarket, it passed by a puddle, splashing dirty water onto a young man.

The young man cried out.

Second Miss Lian lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw that the snow-white clothes of the young man had been splattered with mud by her carriage.

"Sorry, I dirtied your clothes."

Through the carriage window, Second Miss Lian faced Gu Ruinian with a face full of apology.

After apologizing, she sent a maid off the carriage to help Gu Ruinian wipe the mud with a handkerchief.

"Should I compensate you with a new one or silver?" the maid asked.

Gu Ruinian took the handkerchief from the maid’s hands, wiped himself briefly, and looked up at Second Miss Lian in the carriage, smiling faintly, "There’s no need for either."

Second Miss Lian smiled and said, "It’s a pity about this white garment, but since you’re so lenient, I still shall compensate."

Having said that, she let the maid take out one tael of silver to compensate Gu Ruinian.

"Miss, this handkerchief is dirty, how should I return it after I wash it?" Gu Ruinian shouted towards the carriage.

Second Miss Lian smiled at Gu Ruinian, "It’s just a handkerchief, toss it when it’s dirty."

She had plenty of such handkerchiefs at home.

They were all embroidered by the seamstresses at home, and she’d dispose of them when soiled.

Holding the handkerchief and the one tael silver, Gu Ruinian stood there for a long time, unable to come to his senses. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Second Miss Lian truly was beautiful, unlike Lu Zhaozhao’s radiant beauty, her beauty carried a heroic spirit, and her smile exuded a certain charm.

He finally met Second Miss Lian, it wasn’t in vain for him to wait so many days.

He saw Second Miss Lian’s carriage going to Jufu Supermarket and had been waiting at the corner.

He found the puddle at the corner inadequate, and secretly poured two huge basins of dirty water into the puddle.

Sure enough, Second Miss Lian’s carriage splashed him with mud, and he successfully met and struck up a conversation with her.

Gu Ruinian felt that his calm behavior just now was impeccable.

He wasn’t sure of Second Miss Lian’s attitude towards him, but for her to have her maid wipe him down and compensate him with silver, it meant he had successfully caught her attention.

Otherwise, which lady would give her handkerchief to a stranger?

And Second Miss Lian actively smiled at him, a very sweet smile.

Especially when he offered to return the handkerchief, the smile she gave him was intimate, making his heart itch with desire.

Gu Ruinian felt today was his happiest day since failing to pass the scholar examination.

"Brother Ruinian."

Recently, Wu Na was overly enthusiastic towards Gu Ruinian, watching his every move.

She thought Gu Ruinian had been feeling down lately because he heard Wu Ren was going to marry her off to another county.

In front of Gu Ruinian, she had clearly refused Wu Ren.

But Gu Ruinian’s mood was still low, and he was inattentive when talking to her.

Upon seeing Gu Ruinian chatting with the beautiful Second Miss Lian and his enamored expression after she left, Wu Na felt a surge of jealousy.

"Why are you always following me?"

Gu Ruinian resented Wu Na for interrupting his reminiscence of his encounter with Second Miss Lian, and his tone was impatient.

Wu Na sneered, "Just because Second Miss Lian talked to you, don’t get any ideas you shouldn’t. Do you even think you qualify?"

Wu Na’s words deeply wounded Gu Ruinian.

Gu Ruinian said coldly, "And how do you know I don’t?"

Gu Ruinian was spurred to competitiveness.

Even Wu Na dared to look down on him. Does she even deserve?

Just wait, he was determined to win Second Miss Lian’s favor.

At that time, he wouldn’t treat Wu Na kindly, he would unleash all the humiliation the Wu Family had given him on her face, how dare the daughter of a mere village chief insult him.

Without even a glance at Wu Na, Gu Ruinian clutched the handkerchief and left.

...

Jufu Supermarket.

"Grandma, you asked me to watch over Wu Ji. There’s no trouble with Wu Ji, but I’ve noticed something off with Uncle Rui... Gu Ruinian."

Nie Xiaofeng was tasked with constantly watching Wu Ji, and he reported his findings to Tong Huaqiong.

When it came to Gu Ruinian, Tong Huaqiong was intrigued, and asked, "What’s odd about him?"

Could this transmigrated fellow countryman be planning to use future knowledge to boost Wu Ji?

Nie Xiaofeng said, "For the past few days, he’s been wandering around and ends up near the Lian Family. At first, I thought he’s admiring the scenery there, but today I realized his intentions aren’t so simple. At the crossroads of our supermarket, there’s a puddle. In the evening, he wore white clothes and poured two buckets of dirty water into the puddle. I thought he planned on sabotaging Jufu Supermarket, then I saw Second Miss Lian’s carriage splash mud on him."

"He cried out, and Second Miss Lian stopped the carriage. Seeing him splattered with mud, she had her maid clean him with a handkerchief and even compensated him with a tael of silver for his clothes."

If Gu Ruinian had run into any other lady on the street, Nie Xiaofeng might have overlooked it, but since Second Miss Lian was about to collaborate with Jufu Supermarket, he worried Gu Ruinian might cause trouble, and quickly reported to Tong Huaqiong.

After Nie Xiaofeng’s description, Tong Huaqiong pieced together Gu Ruinian’s intentions in her mind.

Alright, so Gu Ruinian wanted to score a freeloading husband position, deliberately setting up an encounter with Second Miss Lian.

Isn’t this naive young man another victim of the ancient romance myths spun by the elderly, believing that ancient maidens would fall for any man they casually saw, that any handkerchief can be a token of love?

Gu Ruinian, at this moment, must be eagerly waiting to tie the knot with Second Miss Lian.

Realizing that Gu Ruinian orchestrated an encounter through such underhanded means made Tong Huaqiong sick.

Tong Huaqiong remembered that Second Miss Lian seemed to have discussed marriage with Gu Ruinian but it went nowhere.

She suspected Second Miss Lian didn’t care at all, like modern-day youths reluctantly meeting someone just to appease parents.

Otherwise, Second Miss Lian had even disclosed sabotaging the Lian and Huang Families’ marriage alliance to her, it would make no sense not to mention her engagement with Gu Ruinian.

If she inquired, Second Miss Lian would easily learn about Gu Ruinian’s connection with Tong Huaqiong.

Her silence implied she didn’t care about Gu Ruinian at all.

However, this would greatly offend Gu Ruinian, to him, it smacks of condescension from Second Miss Lian, a nature that carries an insult, something Gu Ruinian absolutely cannot tolerate.

It’s hard to tell if he set up the encounter out of vengeance towards Second Miss Lian, or he just wanted to take a shortcut and become the Lian Family’s son-in-law.

Either way, it’s not good for Second Miss Lian.

As Tong Huaqiong’s newly established business partner, Tong Huaqiong felt obliged to warn Second Miss Lian about Gu Ruinian.