Chapter 624: Chapter 623 They Deserve It
Not until Purple Jade had left the house and the sound of the carriage wheels had begun, did Old Lady Zhouâs body go limp, her legs nearly buckling beneath her.
Zhou Xueli immediately supported her, calling out anxiously, "Mother."
Old Lady Zhou waved her hand weakly, "Iâm alright, help me inside."
The couple supported Old Lady Zhou, one on each side, and went inside, followed by Yongyong, who was crying and sobbing, into the main room.
When Old Lady Zhou saw her little grandson with snot and tears streaming down his face, her heart soured, and she said to Lady Liang, "Go make something to eat, and take him downstairs with you."
Lady Liang nodded obediently. She did not have much affection for the elder children from the main room, but Yongyong was still young and hadnât annoyed her much, so she coaxed him and took him downstairs.
Zhou Xueli was busy fetching hot water, and when he turned around with the hot tea, he saw Old Lady Zhou with tears streaming down her face, which pained his heart.
"Mother, Iâm still here!" Zhou Xueli offered the hot tea to her.
Old Lady Zhou waved her hand and did not take it, saying, "They brought this on themselves, theyâre hell-bent on meeting their doom!"
How many times had she warned them not to go to Wufuâs place, but they wouldnât listen, insisting on hitting the wall. Now, theyâve been taken away to jail to be dealt with, and itâs all due to their own foolishness!
"Mother, perhaps, I should go beg Wufu?" Zhou Xueli said.
Old Lady Zhou grabbed his hand at once, "Donât you dare."
"But, about my elder brother..."
"They brought it upon themselves. They must reap what they have sown. Donât bother with them," Old Lady Zhou said through gritted teeth. "How many times have I said not to get involved with them? They took my words for deaf ears. Now they must have learned their lesson, right? They know how sharp the claws of a wolf pup can be, donât they?"
"The saying goes, âHe who does not heed the old, suffers right before his eyes.â They were greedy, eyeing othersâ wealth, coveting othersâ property, not realizing that some things are not for them to fantasize about. Now? They got what they deserved! Utterly. They had to take a severe fall, break their heads and bleed, to realize what is truly precious. They deserved it!"
Zhou Xueli heard the hatred and anger in his motherâs voice, laced with deep disappointment and chilliness.
The reason Purple Jade thought the visit went so smoothly and believed Old Lady Zhou understood the larger picture was because she had lost all affection for Zhou Xuennianâs couple and was disappointed in them, so she didnât want to interfere, allowing Wufu to vent his anger.
This shows how desperate one becomes when the heart grows cold.
"Mother, are we just going to leave them in jail?" Zhou Xueli asked hesitantly.
"Why not?" Old Lady Zhou scoffed. "They need a severe lesson to be obedient. Iâve said it before; they can only afford the price of their greed."
"Itâs all because of my sister-in-lawâs greed," Zhou Xueli had a very poor opinion of Madam Lu.
Old Lady Zhou, however, said, "That woman may be greedy, but your elder brother is not without such thoughts. Havenât you seen how overambitious heâs been these past few months? He still thinks himself a learned man, full of pride... Youâre right; itâs that womanâs doing. Later on, I must divorce her, that home-wrecking wench."
Speaking of Madam Lu, Old Lady Zhou was filled with immense loathing. That greedy woman had brought disaster to the entire main family; she was the stirrer who had disturbed the peace.
Zhou Xueli bowed his head in silence, sighed in his heart, and glanced at his motherâs grey hair, feeling even sadder. He had completely lost any respect for his elder brother and his wife.
They were neither virtuous nor filial, reading sacred and wise books in vain.