Chapter 1659: Chapter 1597: Secrets Laid Bare
Ultimately, Old Lady Zhou resents Old Scholar Zhou and also resents Zhou Meiniang. Although she wouldnât mistreat her, she also wouldnât truly treat her as her own daughter, especially seeing how much Old Scholar Zhou dotes on her, which only intensifies her pain and jealousy.
Every time she saw that close father-daughter pair, she would think, if her own daughter were alive, she would be cherished in the same way. Because of this, she increasingly demanded Madam Zhou to understand the propriety between men and women, even between father and daughter, which came from her bitterness.
Old Lady Zhouâs disregard caused Zhou Meiniang to develop a weak nature. Fortunately, Old Scholar Zhouâs genuine affection prevented her from being completely spoiled, leaving her only soft-hearted and prone to crying when faced with problems.
The shameful incident that Madam Zhou committed after meeting Wu Lihong left Old Lady Zhou feeling both contempt and a hint of satisfaction. In her view, an illegitimate child is just a worthless person; her mother wasnât a good person, someone who lured other peopleâs men, and the daughter was the same, resulting in a premarital pregnancy and later giving birth to an illegitimate child.
What infuriated Old Lady Zhou the most was that after Zhou Meiniang did all these things, Old Scholar Zhou still protected her, protected the illegitimate child she bore, even at the cost of making the Old Zhou family a laughingstock in Wozi Village.
This has been the reason why Old Lady Zhou disfavored Madam Zhou and her daughter for so many years, simply because she wasnât her own biological daughter. She took the place meant for her daughter to live well, while her own daughter was buried in a pit on the mountain, becoming nothing but bones before even opening her eyes.
Zhou Xueli looked bewildered and murmured, "So thatâs why Mother was so unkind to Sister, no matter what she did to please you."
"Yes, because sheâs unworthy!" Old Lady Zhou said viciously, "Why should she be able to take my daughterâs place? Sheâs the product of your fatherâs betrayal!"
"But Mother, do you remember when I almost fell into the well as a child, if Sister hadnât saved me, I wouldnât be alive now," Zhou Xueli said.
Old Lady Zhouâs body trembled, pursing her lips.
"Mother, Sister was brought home by Father. Whether sheâs born of Father and someone else is hard to say, but you shouldnât take it out on her. She knows nothing," Zhou Xueli said. "You were indifferent to her, yet she treated you as her own mother. When you were ill, Father had to teach and work in the fields, Elder Brother only knew how to study, and I was still young. Didnât she handle everything at home?"
"Thatâs what sheâs supposed to do, should the Old Zhou family raise her for free?" Old Lady Zhou said through gritted teeth.
"I donât know what should and shouldnât be, but Sister indeed treated you as her own mother. We are also siblings. If it werenât for our actions being so cold, Sister wouldnât be disappointed. Perhaps Elder Brother wouldnât have..." Zhou Xueli sighed and said, "Forget it, who can say whoâs right or wrong in this account? Father is gone, even Sisterâs mother is gone, as well as Elder Brother is... Sister has already left. The grudges of the past, Mother, you should let go!"
Old Lady Zhou wiped the corner of her eyes: "Theyâve all gone, leaving only my old bones." After revealing the secret, she felt a lot of her inner resentment and hatred dissipate.
The dead are like extinguished lamps, whom else can she blame and resent?
Itâs been more than thirty years. She had originally planned to take this secret to the grave, yet she didnât expect it to be exposed. So be it, everything is heavenâs arrangement; perhaps itâs also a reminder for her to let go of these old grudges and not trouble herself and the younger generation.