The next day, in the old house of Zhou Family Village, Aunt Zhou was keeping vigil, when a woman walked up to her and made a aningful glance.
The two of them went to the backyard one after the other.
Aunt Zhou frowned at her in-law in front of her. At such an age, and still being so sneaky. If it weren’t for the sake of her grandson, she really wouldn’t bother to interact.
"In-law, didn’t you say the old man was just waiting for the elder son’s family to co back before the funeral? Listen to , don’t wait anymore; they’re not coming ho."
Seeing the schadenfreude in the other’s eyes, Aunt Zhou suppressed the anger in her heart and silently watched her.
"Really. I heard from my sister-in-law’s cousin’s eldest aunt’s niece’s husband that Village Chief Zhang and Secretary Li’s son, along with the county’s Minister Zhao’s daughter, have just returned from Beijing. It’s said that these three have a good relationship with the golden baby’s couple, and this ti they’re going to that unclosely related brother’s house of yours.
Goodness, they brought back a lot of stuff for Zhang the Second’s old couple, and I heard they’re not coming back this year; they’ve invited Zhang the Second’s old couple to spend New Year’s in Beijing.
Scorn... In-law, how did Zhang the Second’s couple get so lucky? My sister-in-law said Zhang the Second’s couple raised five children, each promising and filial. Many people envy them. How did they teach their kids?"
Aunt Zhou’s face turned ashen. Although she told her elder brother that they wouldn’t co back, she still hoped they would. She didn’t expect they really wouldn’t co, and the only chance was gone. This is a complete break.
Internally, the woman laughed, feeling relieved! Let you call my daughter short-sighted. Who do you think you are? Didn’t despise you as a mother-in-law, but instead put on airs.
"In-law, it’s not that I’m shallow, that estranged brother of yours isn’t just any official. I’ve heard that each ti he goes out, many people follow to protect him. Oh, right, his son-in-law is Zhang the Second’s eldest son, who’s said to be so chairman at Beijing University. Scorn..."
"I’m very busy and won’t keep you." Aunt Zhou finished talking and walked out swiftly, wishing she could slap that old face. What is this, talking so weirdly.
"Hey, in-law, don’t rush away. Do you want to help you inquire again next?"
Aunt Zhou quickened her pace, pretending not to hear. She secretly decided to show the second family’s in-laws so color when she got back, thinking that everyone can laugh at her.
Entering the master bedroom, she glanced at Old Sir Zhou and said in a low voice, "Just got the news, that bastard’s family isn’t coming back. So of that dead girl’s classmates just returned, bringing gifts for Old Zhang’s family."
Old Sir Zhou nodded unsurprisingly. He had long known they wouldn’t co; he just didn’t know if Gu Ruyi, upon hearing that his wife had passed, would rember those dicinal herbs.
Aunt Zhou hesitated for a while and stamringly asked, "Dad, is that bastard really in high office? Bigger than the county secretary?"
Old Sir Zhou glanced at her and laughed sarcastically, "What’s a county secretary? He’s more prestigious than the governor. What, you want to suck up? Don’t embarrass yourself. Not to ntion that bastard, you can’t even handle that wretched girl. Do you believe that the mont you think about approaching, that wretched girl could easily crush you like an ant? Did you forget how Snow offended her?"
Aunt Zhou shivered.
"You’re your mother’s daughter, she intervened back then. Otherwise, what did you think, she’d let you off?"
Aunt Zhou, shocked, widened her eyes, "Now that mom’s gone, will she take action against ? I just hit her a few tis along with my sister-in-law, didn’t really offend her."
"A few tis? Every ti your sons and daughters ca over, wasn’t it to bully her? Who broke her head when she was small? Who dislocated her elbow? Who snatched every cornbread your mother gave her? Who pushed her into the ditch? And your youngest daughter...
Forget it, let’s not talk about it. Just, best not to lean in. If that dead girl tells that bastard, that beast could ruin you and your family in no ti. Rember, don’t think about things you shouldn’t."
After the warning, Old Sir Zhou was willing to say no more. A married daughter is like water splashed out; if troubles arise, it’s the Li Family’s business, and he can’t interfere.
"Dad, did you know all along?"
Old Sir Zhou ignored his foolish daughter.
He had seen many things, and so his wife secretly told him. How else could his wife have protected that dead girl all those years, fearing she wouldn’t survive. People naturally feel sympathy; even he had felt it for a while, but then he rembered that she was Zhou Jinyu’s bloodline, and only hatred remained!
His parents and brothers were dead like that, and he, a once nobleman, was beaten and driven to a point of selling his life for just a mouthful of pig food.
And the result?
Zhou Jinyu lived well, with a beloved wife and endless wealth. Luckily, heaven was just, taking his life, leaving his descendants in his hands.
The bastard was quite impressive, even hard for him to suppress, but heaven was just again, taking him soon as well.
Seeing a girl just like Gu Mingzhu being bullied by his sons and grandsons, bent low like a little servant, he felt joyous. He never imagined it would co to this day. He would love Zhou Jinyu to see his own granddaughter underground — the very face he held dearly, identical to that girl’s.
Unfortunately, a wolf cub is still a wolf cub, no matter how it pretends to be a lamb, it still bit him fiercely. He never dreamt his wife raised a tiger behind his back.
Thinking of this, Old Sir Zhou’s face turned sullen, and he said through gritted teeth, "Tell your elder brother to pick a good ti tomorrow to send your mother up the mountain."
Aunt Zhou had been afraid of her father since childhood. She knew too well her father’s temperant; she herself was always despised by him. Seeing his face change color, she dared not speak. Hearing this, she imdiately turned and ran.
Once far from the bedroom, Aunt Zhou slowly let out a breath. Angry at her foolishness, why hadn’t she valued that dead girl before? Otherwise, great wealth would be within reach. Also, she shouldn’t have put on airs last ti, waiting for the bastard to co.
Now it’s great, the chicken flies away, and the egg breaks — both lost.
She slowly went to the mourning hall, found Zhou Xiaocun, nudged his arm, and whispered, "Dad wants you to pick a good ti tomorrow to send mom up the mountain."
Zhou Xiaocun glanced at her, nodded, and silently looked at Mrs. Zhou’s body.
Aunt Zhou followed his gaze, tears flowing sadly, crying out, mother, mother... But no one knew, she truly mourned why it was the mother who died, not the father.
With a mother but no father, she still has a family; with a father but no mother, her natal ho is already nominally gone. What saddens her the most is that if the father were dead, she could take the mother to Beijing to find her brother. But now it’s all over...
Grief spread... The sons and grandsons of Old Zhou family, including the daughters-in-law, truly had a fondness for the weak and gentle Mrs. Zhou, even if usually they didn’t pay her much attention, now they all recalled her goodness.
For a ti, whether genuinely or falsely, everyone in the mourning hall cried loudly, even the young children fearfully bawled, their cries resounding.
The clansn who ca to help at the door finally breathed a sigh of relief. They said that now that the old lady was gone, Old Zhou family’s descendants should have expressed their emotions long ago.
Now it’s good, finally there are cries, finally a commotion.
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