Chapter 597: Chapter 597 The So-Called Maternal Great-Uncle Arrives
An ox cart traveled along the official road, the cart consisting only of a few planks attached to the ox, with no other cover, and the whooshing north wind swept past, causing sheer pain on the travelersâ cheeks.
In the ox cart, aside from the driver, there was a family of four, each holding a small bundle, huddling together to shield themselves from the cold wind, murmuring quietly.
"Mother, is Wufuâs house really that big and beautiful?" asked a young girl dressed in a pink dress.
The group was none other than Zhou Xuennianâs family, except for the good-for-nothing Zhou Dajun, Zhou Xuennian and his wife, along with Zhou Xiuer and Zhou Eryong, were all there.
Madam Lu adjusted her hair and said, "Of course it is. Their house is even larger than Landlord Liâs residence in the town, and much more beautiful, too."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiuerâs face lit up with longing and envy. She had long heard from Madam Lu about how prosperous Wufuâs family had become, living in a fine mansion with a large estate, bedecked in gold and silver, surrounded by servants.
She had always wanted to see it for herself but never had the chanceâuntil now. She was determined to ingratiate herself with her aunt, hoping the latter would agree to have her stay there.
Indeed, the family was using the visit to the Lu Family as a pretext to actually mooch off Wufuâs family.
They had it all planned out, yet they didnât consider that their last successful mooching happened only because Wufu was not at home. This time, whether they would even be allowed through the door was uncertain!
Zhou Xiuer, however, had thought of this and cautiously asked, "Mother, what if Wufuâs family doesnât let us in?"
"Dare she!" exclaimed Madam Lu, her eyes widening though her voice somewhat falteredâthey were invoking that scourge...
She unconsciously looked towards Zhou Xuennian sitting stiffly in front. Swallowing hard, she reminded herself that it was he who insisted on coming, and she was simply following her husbandâa wife mustnât disregard her husbandâs words, right?
But would Wufu let them in?
Madam Lu wasnât so sure herself, and recalling her mother-in-lawâs words, she felt even more uneasy.
She embodied the typical banditâs mentalityâboth afraid of death and eager to play the bandit.
"Husband..." Madam Lu began.
Zhou Xuennian glanced at her and said, "Whatâs there to panic about? Everyone living there must already be acquainted with them. If a family shows up, would they really turn us away and tarnish their reputation? I am her elder brother, her own uncle by blood."
Everyone knew what an uncle meant in the familyâa figure of great importance. The saying went âa motherâs brother holds dear affection,â positioning him at the very top of the family hierarchy, and even at the whitest of affairs, the saying âno feast is complete without the uncleâ held true.
So, could they truly dare to deny us entry? Afraid of damaging their reputation, of being drowned in a sea of spittle, they will just have to endure.
Seeing her husbandâs serene and confident demeanor, Madam Lu also felt somewhat reassured.
Indeed, they couldnât dismiss the uncleâneither the Lord of Thunder in the heavens nor the Uncle Lord on earth could be ignored!
Zhou Xuennianâs sudden confidence also stemmed from a recent meeting with an old classmate. During the visit, he happened upon his classmate paying respectful greetings to a visiting uncle, and they discussed the significance of uncles.
With this in mind, he had the courage to exploit this fact.
For this visit, his requests werenât extravagant; he only wanted them to find him a stable job with good benefits, so then everyone could live in harmony.
If they couldnât accommodate such a small request and he suffered, then so would they all, regardless of their reputation.
Zhou Xuennian, contemplating this, his eyes flashed a determined resolve, putting aside the hardships heâd endured in prison for the moment.