167 The Truth
In the Zhou family’s old residence, outside Old Madam Zhou’s courtyard door, Master Zhou had been pacing around for almost an hour. When he saw Old Madam Ma coming out of the house to welcome him, he gritted his teeth and entered the house.
Grandma Zhou looked at her son and said gently, “Why did you think of coming to see me today?”
Master Zhou lowered his head, not daring to look at Old Madam Zhou. He muttered, “Mother, I want to divorce that vicious woman, Huang Jiaoyu.”
“What did you say?” Old Madam Zhou did not believe what she heard and stared at her son.
Master Zhou looked at his mother and realized that since he had spoken, it didn’t seem difficult to say it again. He raised his voice and said, “I said, I want to divorce that vicious woman, Huang Jiaoyu.”
Madam Zhou shouted sternly, “Don’t you dare. Don’t even think about it unless I’m dead.”
Zhou Rongxian knelt on the ground with a bang. He looked at Madam Zhou and said, “Mother, last night, your good daughter-in-law even shouted in her sleep that she wanted to kill Xiao Xi. She even wanted to harm the Zhou family’s descendants in her dreams. Why can’t she stop? Xiao Xi is also your grandson. Why do you treat him as an enemy? Tell me! Why?”
Seeing that her son, whom she had doted on for most of his life, had also come to criticize her, Old Madam Zhou pointed at him with a trembling finger. “Don’t use that wolf cub as an excuse. Have you really cared about that mother and son? If you did, would you have only come today? Don’t think that I don’t know that you raised another family in Sophora Flower Alley. I thought that it would be alright as long as you went home and lived a peaceful life with Jiaoyu. It seems I was too magnanimous!”
Old Madam Zhou’s eyes revealed ruthlessness. “Granny Ma, get someone to set up the carriage. I’ll go and chase that bitch away now. As for you, take back your heart and stay at home.”
Zhou Rongxian took a few steps forward on his knees and grabbed Old Madam Zhou’s collar. He begged, “No, Mother, Qiao Niang is pregnant with my child. You have to help me bring her in and give her status.”
Old Madam Zhou was so angry that she slapped her son. “You’re the same as your father. You’re both lecherous. Don’t even think about bringing that bitch in.”
Zhou Rong got up from the ground first and frowned at Old Madam Zhou. He said, “Mother, don’t force me. We both know what happened to Lianxin back then. I know that I’m just a bargaining chip in your fight with Father. I don’t care about Lianxin and her son, but Qiao Niang is my beloved. It’s fine if you don’t agree to her entering the family, but I don’t allow you to let anyone harm her. From tonight onwards, I’ll move out and live with Qiao Niang. You can just stay by your precious niece’s side!” Zhou Rong leaned over and stared at Old Madam Zhou. He said with a dark expression, “Mother, sometimes I wonder if Huang Jiayu is your biological daughter. You think about her in all matters. I was probably picked up by you off the streets. Otherwise, why would you use me as a bargaining chip to fight with my father for most of your life?”
Old Madam Zhou was so angry that she pointed at Zhou Rongxian and said, “You, you unfilial son…”
Madam Zhou’s heart ached. She clutched her chest and sat on the chair.
Zhou Rongxian did not even look at her before turning around and leaving. When Granny Ma saw that Zhou Rongxian had left, she hurriedly ran into the house. When she saw Old Madam Zhou sitting on a chair, she hurriedly went over to support her and shouted, “Old Madam, what’s wrong…”
Madam Zhou came back to her senses and looked at Granny Ma. She said tiredly, “I’m fine. There’s no need to call anyone. Go and call Jiaojiao over. I have something to say to her.”
Granny Ma rubbed Old Madam Zhou’s chest and comforted her. “Old Madam, you’re not feeling well. You should rest first!”
Old Madam Zhou sat up straight and waved her hand. “Go, I know my own body.”
Old Madam Ma had no choice but to invite Huang Jiaoyu over. Madam Zhou looked at Huang Jiaoyu and said, “Jiaoyu, take someone to Sophora Flower Alley and pick up your man and the other woman he raised there. Don’t make a fuss when you get there. Just quietly pick her up and give her status.”
Huang Jiaoyu looked at Old Madam Zhou as if she had seen a ghost. “Aunt, you’re confused! When did Rongxian raise an outsider in Sophora Flower Alley? Why didn’t I know? Why do I even have to pick her up? I’m not going. I…”
Grandma Zhou shouted sternly, “Don’t call me Aunt. I’m your mother-in-law. If you don’t go and fetch them back today, go back to your mother’s house.”
Huang Jiaoyu looked at Old Madam Zhou and trembled with anger. She muttered to herself, “If you want me to bring him and that bitch back, I’ll die.” With that, she fainted on the ground.
Old Madam Zhou looked at the unconscious Huang Jiaoyu and cried, “Jiaoyu! Why are you the same as me? You don’t understand!”
Granny Ma and Qiu Xiang hurriedly went forward to help Huang Jiaoyu up. They grabbed her with one hand and kept shouting, “Madam, wake up…”
Huang Jiaoyu slowly opened her eyes and looked at Madam Zhou. “Aunt, I won’t go even if I die.”
Seeing Huang Jiaoyu’s stubbornness, Old Madam Zhou staggered back to her chair and sighed. “That’s it! Go back and rest!”
Ruyi brought Granny Yun back to the Zhou family in the Ten Families Alley to meet Li Yu and Zhou Jia. When Granny Yun saw Zhou Jia sitting on the chair, she knelt down and kowtowed to beg for mercy. “Young Master, it’s not my Ah Gui’s fault. Please spare him!”
Zhou Jia looked coldly at Granny Yun, who was kneeling on the ground. “If it’s not his fault, who does it have to do with? Tell me.”
Granny Yun looked up at Zhou Jia and threatened, “Let Ah Gui go first. I’ll tell you everything.”
“Hmph!” Zhou Jia snorted and instructed indifferently, “Ruyi, chop off one of Chang Gui’s fingers.”
“Yes, Young Master.” After Ruyi agreed, she turned around and left. Granny Yun hurriedly pounced on Ruyi’s leg and begged, “Don’t, I’ll talk, I’ll talk.”
Zhou Jia nodded in agreement and stopped in his tracks. Granny Yun pulled Ruyi’s trouser leg and turned to kneel to Zhou Jia. She said, “The day before you came back, Madam Huang called me over and asked me to deliver food to Madam Yang. At that time, I even asked Madam Huang why I was the one delivering food. Usually, it was sent by the kitchen staff. Madam Huang said that since Eldest Young Master was coming back today, you should go and pick up Madam Yang from the small ancestral hall and deliver some good food. I felt that it was strange and rejected saying Master had a task for me. I had something to do. Madam Yang asked Chunyue to stop me. She said that if I didn’t deliver food to Madam Yang, she would sell Ah Gui to the mine and Qiu Xiang would be sold to the brothel. As long as I delivered the food, she would release me and Ah Gui. Qiu Xiang would still stay on to work.”
Granny Yun kowtowed and said, “Eldest Young Master, children are a mother’s flesh and blood! I couldn’t bear for Ah Gui and Qiu Xiang to suffer, so I went against my conscience and agreed to Madam Huang’s request. I sent the food to Madam Yang. After Madam Yang ate it, she felt that something was wrong. Seeing that someone had entered the house and the door was locked from outside, she knocked her head on the corner of the table and died on the spot. The rest was arranged by the old lady. Eldest Young Master, it was I who let Madam and you down, but I…”
167 The Truth
In the Zhou family’s old residence, outside Old Madam Zhou’s courtyard door, Master Zhou had been pacing around for almost an hour. When he saw Old Madam Ma coming out of the house to welcome him, he gritted his teeth and entered the house.
Grandma Zhou looked at her son and said gently, “Why did you think of coming to see me today?”
Master Zhou lowered his head, not daring to look at Old Madam Zhou. He muttered, “Mother, I want to divorce that vicious woman, Huang Jiaoyu.”
“What did you say?” Old Madam Zhou did not believe what she heard and stared at her son.
Master Zhou looked at his mother and realized that since he had spoken, it didn’t seem difficult to say it again. He raised his voice and said, “I said, I want to divorce that vicious woman, Huang Jiaoyu.”
Madam Zhou shouted sternly, “Don’t you dare. Don’t even think about it unless I’m dead.”
Zhou Rongxian knelt on the ground with a bang. He looked at Madam Zhou and said, “Mother, last night, your good daughter-in-law even shouted in her sleep that she wanted to kill Xiao Xi. She even wanted to harm the Zhou family’s descendants in her dreams. Why can’t she stop? Xiao Xi is also your grandson. Why do you treat him as an enemy? Tell me! Why?”
Seeing that her son, whom she had doted on for most of his life, had also come to criticize her, Old Madam Zhou pointed at him with a trembling finger. “Don’t use that wolf cub as an excuse. Have you really cared about that mother and son? If you did, would you have only come today? Don’t think that I don’t know that you raised another family in Sophora Flower Alley. I thought that it would be alright as long as you went home and lived a peaceful life with Jiaoyu. It seems I was too magnanimous!”
Old Madam Zhou’s eyes revealed ruthlessness. “Granny Ma, get someone to set up the carriage. I’ll go and chase that bitch away now. As for you, take back your heart and stay at home.”
Zhou Rongxian took a few steps forward on his knees and grabbed Old Madam Zhou’s collar. He begged, “No, Mother, Qiao Niang is pregnant with my child. You have to help me bring her in and give her status.”
Old Madam Zhou was so angry that she slapped her son. “You’re the same as your father. You’re both lecherous. Don’t even think about bringing that bitch in.”
Zhou Rong got up from the ground first and frowned at Old Madam Zhou. He said, “Mother, don’t force me. We both know what happened to Lianxin back then. I know that I’m just a bargaining chip in your fight with Father. I don’t care about Lianxin and her son, but Qiao Niang is my beloved. It’s fine if you don’t agree to her entering the family, but I don’t allow you to let anyone harm her. From tonight onwards, I’ll move out and live with Qiao Niang. You can just stay by your precious niece’s side!” Zhou Rong leaned over and stared at Old Madam Zhou. He said with a dark expression, “Mother, sometimes I wonder if Huang Jiayu is your biological daughter. You think about her in all matters. I was probably picked up by you off the streets. Otherwise, why would you use me as a bargaining chip to fight with my father for most of your life?”
Old Madam Zhou was so angry that she pointed at Zhou Rongxian and said, “You, you unfilial son…”
Madam Zhou’s heart ached. She clutched her chest and sat on the chair.
Zhou Rongxian did not even look at her before turning around and leaving. When Granny Ma saw that Zhou Rongxian had left, she hurriedly ran into the house. When she saw Old Madam Zhou sitting on a chair, she hurriedly went over to support her and shouted, “Old Madam, what’s wrong…”
Madam Zhou came back to her senses and looked at Granny Ma. She said tiredly, “I’m fine. There’s no need to call anyone. Go and call Jiaojiao over. I have something to say to her.”
Granny Ma rubbed Old Madam Zhou’s chest and comforted her. “Old Madam, you’re not feeling well. You should rest first!”
Old Madam Zhou sat up straight and waved her hand. “Go, I know my own body.”
Old Madam Ma had no choice but to invite Huang Jiaoyu over. Madam Zhou looked at Huang Jiaoyu and said, “Jiaoyu, take someone to Sophora Flower Alley and pick up your man and the other woman he raised there. Don’t make a fuss when you get there. Just quietly pick her up and give her status.”
Huang Jiaoyu looked at Old Madam Zhou as if she had seen a ghost. “Aunt, you’re confused! When did Rongxian raise an outsider in Sophora Flower Alley? Why didn’t I know? Why do I even have to pick her up? I’m not going. I…”
Grandma Zhou shouted sternly, “Don’t call me Aunt. I’m your mother-in-law. If you don’t go and fetch them back today, go back to your mother’s house.”
Huang Jiaoyu looked at Old Madam Zhou and trembled with anger. She muttered to herself, “If you want me to bring him and that bitch back, I’ll die.” With that, she fainted on the ground.
Old Madam Zhou looked at the unconscious Huang Jiaoyu and cried, “Jiaoyu! Why are you the same as me? You don’t understand!”
Granny Ma and Qiu Xiang hurriedly went forward to help Huang Jiaoyu up. They grabbed her with one hand and kept shouting, “Madam, wake up…”
Huang Jiaoyu slowly opened her eyes and looked at Madam Zhou. “Aunt, I won’t go even if I die.”
Seeing Huang Jiaoyu’s stubbornness, Old Madam Zhou staggered back to her chair and sighed. “That’s it! Go back and rest!”
Ruyi brought Granny Yun back to the Zhou family in the Ten Families Alley to meet Li Yu and Zhou Jia. When Granny Yun saw Zhou Jia sitting on the chair, she knelt down and kowtowed to beg for mercy. “Young Master, it’s not my Ah Gui’s fault. Please spare him!”
Zhou Jia looked coldly at Granny Yun, who was kneeling on the ground. “If it’s not his fault, who does it have to do with? Tell me.”
Granny Yun looked up at Zhou Jia and threatened, “Let Ah Gui go first. I’ll tell you everything.”
“Hmph!” Zhou Jia snorted and instructed indifferently, “Ruyi, chop off one of Chang Gui’s fingers.”
“Yes, Young Master.” After Ruyi agreed, she turned around and left. Granny Yun hurriedly pounced on Ruyi’s leg and begged, “Don’t, I’ll talk, I’ll talk.”
Zhou Jia nodded in agreement and stopped in his tracks. Granny Yun pulled Ruyi’s trouser leg and turned to kneel to Zhou Jia. She said, “The day before you came back, Madam Huang called me over and asked me to deliver food to Madam Yang. At that time, I even asked Madam Huang why I was the one delivering food. Usually, it was sent by the kitchen staff. Madam Huang said that since Eldest Young Master was coming back today, you should go and pick up Madam Yang from the small ancestral hall and deliver some good food. I felt that it was strange and rejected saying Master had a task for me. I had something to do. Madam Yang asked Chunyue to stop me. She said that if I didn’t deliver food to Madam Yang, she would sell Ah Gui to the mine and Qiu Xiang would be sold to the brothel. As long as I delivered the food, she would release me and Ah Gui. Qiu Xiang would still stay on to work.”
Granny Yun kowtowed and said, “Eldest Young Master, children are a mother’s flesh and blood! I couldn’t bear for Ah Gui and Qiu Xiang to suffer, so I went against my conscience and agreed to Madam Huang’s request. I sent the food to Madam Yang. After Madam Yang ate it, she felt that something was wrong. Seeing that someone had entered the house and the door was locked from outside, she knocked her head on the corner of the table and died on the spot. The rest was arranged by the old lady. Eldest Young Master, it was I who let Madam and you down, but I…”
