The funeral rites for Madam Zhou lasted seven days, and then the coffin was temporarily placed in a temple while it was being decided where she should be buried.
After seven days of mourning, Wufu looked even thinner, her face sharper, making her eyes appear larger, yet those eyes also grew brighter, with a gaze more commanding and dignified.
After visiting her younger brother, Wufu, Ah Jiu, and Hua Wushuang sat in the room drinking tea and talking.
"...Purple Jade ntioned you sent soone to the Zhou family, and your people are on their way with Zhou Xueli?" Wufu held her tea, looking at Hua Wushuang, and asked, "Is my mother really not part of the Zhou family?"
"She is, but not born to Old Madam Zhou," Hua Wushuang responded. "My mother, nad i Qing, was the only legitimate daughter of the Main branch of the i Family in Quanzhou. My father, Jiang Chengrong, was a live-in son-in-law of the i family."
"i and Jiang, you..."
Hua Wushuang’s eyes flickered, saying, "My original na was i Peng."
Wufu narrowed her eyes.
"Mother was raised as an heir, so instead of marrying out, her marriage had a live-in arrangent. Jiang Chengrong, the youngest son from the Jiang family, known for his literary talent and quite famous, married my mother, and they lived harmoniously for a while. But when my grandfather fell seriously ill, my mother spent her days managing household affairs and family matters. How could she have the ti to play music and serve tea with him?"
"After giving birth to , my mother beca even busier. When I was two, my grandfather, who had been bedridden for years, passed away, and my mother beca the head of the i family..."
Wufu rubbed her brows, saying, "No need to delve into the i family’s struggles. Just tell how she gave birth to my mother!"
There was too much going on, she didn’t want to know all the ins and outs of the i family’s affairs.
Hua Wushuang choked montarily, then said, "The i family was vast, with not just the Main branch but also the second and third branches, and not everyone was willing to accept a woman as the head, even if she was extrely capable. Jiang Chengrong conspired with the second branch, committing vile acts while my mother was inspecting the estate, just to legitimize the child he had with his concubine, while the second branch harbored ambitions for the head position."
"So, Old Lady i was hard and then t Old Scholar Zhou?"
Hua Wushuang nodded, "Old Scholar Zhou was an external accountant for one of the i family’s shops at the ti."
"Are you saying they had a, uh, one-night stand?"
Hua Wushuang gave a bitter smile, "It was a move of desperation for my mother."
Wufu touched her nose, saying, "Even if it was a one-night encounter, accidentally getting pregnant could have been resolved by an abortion."
"If it were that simple, it would have been resolved, but those people wouldn’t give up and intended to kill her." Hua Wushuang sneered, "Mother was severely injured, and simply stayed in the small town to give birth; with her severe injuries, an abortion would have been fatal."
Wufu remained silent.
"After your mother was full-term in September, she was induced to give birth, and then left her in the care of Old Scholar Zhou, returning to the i family."
"You claim your mother was the head of the i family; it seems true. Without a hardened heart, how could she have held that position steadily? To leave her daughter behind for decades, acting as if she didn’t exist, why seek her out again? Just to ease a guilty conscience?"
If she truly felt guilty, how could she have ignored her for so many years? Even if not visiting, she could have sent so money, but Madam Zhou lived without wealth.
Hua Wushuang opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but in the end said nothing, only remarking, "Everyone has their own struggles. If they could, what mother would willingly abandon their flesh and blood?"
"Now you’ve found her, but she’s gone, so just imagine you never found her, as if she died years ago!" Wufu decided, "I am now Ah Jiu’s wife. I will go to Beiyan in the future. Mother’s remains will be cremated after forty-nine days and taken to Beiyan for burial."
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