Chapter 677: Chapter 676: The Two-Faced Black and White
Watching Old Lady Zhou cough as if she were about to expel her lungs, the people from the Lu Family didnât need Zhou Xueli to berate them any further; they retreated on their own, fearing they might catch some dreadful tuberculosis.
"When a family brings its children and grandchildren to seek justice, do they think thereâs no longer any need for our two families to be related?" Old Lady Zhou caught her breath and looked expressionlessly at Old Lady Lu, "Since that is the case, I will now decide to write a divorce letter on behalf of my eldest son. With the Lu Family behaving this way, the Old Zhou family surely cannot aspire to such heights."
At the mention of "divorce letter," a vein on Old Lady Luâs forehead twitched, "You! You old thing, how dare your family even think of writing a divorce letter? What of the seven grounds for divorce has my Zhen Zhu committed? She has even borne you Zhou family two boys!"
"Arenât theft and bringing disgrace upon the family reputation enough?" Old Lady Zhou scoffed coldly.
Old Lady Luâs expression changed subtly.
Well, then, the rotten cask gives rise to foul weeds; that Zhou Yingmei with her sharp teeth and clever tongue, it turns out sheâs just like this old hag! Theyâre cut from the same cloth!
A divorce letter?
She thinks beautifully, doesnât she? To write a divorce letter, not care about Zhen Zhuâs life or death in the jail, and then get Zhou Xuennian, that useless creature, out?
"You dare!"
Old Lady Zhou harboured not the slightest fear of Old Lady Luâs insolence and sneered in reply, "Just watch if I dare! With you here now, pressuring me to death, the Lu Family has no face to remain tied to the Old Zhou family, and you will bear the guilt as well."
In matters of reasoning, how could Old Lady Lu, a butcherâs mother, ever outmatch the Scholarâs Mother, who had stood beside a learned man for decades?
If it came to a fight, Old Lady Zhou might not overcome Old Lady Lu, but in a battle of words, Old Lady Zhou was not necessarily outmatched. Moreover, by holding onto the other partyâs weaknesses, she naturally held the upper hand.
As for Old Lady Lu, her biggest weakness was her daughter; if Madam Lu was truly divorced and sent back home, it would echo poorly on her reputation. She could not stay indefinitely at her parentsâ house. It might be tolerable for her, but what would happen when she passed away? Her brothers might care less for her over time, especially under the influence of their wivesâ whispered words. What then?
Furthermore, if a woman was divorced, what kind of reputable family would she remarry into?
Old Lady Lu wasnât foolish; understanding this very point was why her gaze at Old Lady Zhou seemed almost venomous.
Old Lady Zhou coughed a few times, took a sip of water handed to her by Zhou Xueli, and looked condescendingly at Old Lady Lu, who was choking back her words, thinking to herself that Madam Lu was indeed like this insufferable old crone, detestable in the same manner.
"Mother-in-law, my mother is simply frantic with worry. She doesnât truly mean to oppose you. Isnât it just that she saw the tragic state of Zhen Zhu and her husband, and couldnât help speaking out of distress?" Lu Da spoke up.
Old Lady Lu immediately became melodramatic upon hearing this, wailing, "Exactly, my poor daughter and son-in-law have been confined in that godforsaken place for so many days, looking a mere shadow of themselves, not far from death. Thereâs no need for a divorce letter. In a couple of days, just take a worn-out mat to claim their bodies and roll them up to bring back. Oh, my poor child, your life is so hard."
Old Lady Zhou simply watched her perform like an actress, the mother and son playing a farce, utterly unmoved and silent.
Seeing this, Lu Da frowned. No matter how angry he was, after ten days in lockup, the anger should have subsided, and it should have been enough. Yet, this old woman didnât seem to show the slightest bit of sympathy; what was she planning to do?
"Mother-in-law, what exactly should we do about these two? We ought to negotiate a solution. If not for anything else, we must consider the children; we canât just leave them be, can we?" Lu Da asked, "What are your thoughts?"