Zhou Xuennian was sprayed with a torrent of harsh rebukes, feeling even angrier in his heart, but he dared not howl at his mother, after all, she was his birth mother, and the duty of filial piety weighed heavily on him.
Madam Lu dared not wail either, merely sniffing and sobbing with her head down.
"Where is Dajun now?" Old Lady Zhou again turned to her eldest daughter-in-law, saying don’t even start with not knowing—as if she would believe that.
Madam Lu lifted her head, weakly saying, "I asked him to stay at my mother’s house for a few days." Fearing that her mother-in-law would demand his return, she hastily added, "Mother, you mustn’t let Dajun come back. Wufu, that damned creature, he’s capable of cruel deeds."
While speaking, she touched her own chin as if checking to see whether it was still there.
Old Lady Zhou scoffed coldly, "Now you realize that girl is not to be trifled with!"
Madam Lu pursed her thick lips and, without a word, stealthily glanced at her husband.
"Mother, for what Dajun has done, he’s worse than a pig or dog, an affront to natural justice," Zhou Xueli stated angrily. "If we don’t bring him back to kowtow to Wufu and her family, to apologize and make amends, I doubt Wufu will be willing to let it go."
Old Lady Zhou’s anger flared up again, and through gritted teeth, she said, "You didn’t see how vicious that girl is. If we really make Dajun go and apologize, would he even have his life afterward?"
Zhou Xueli was about to speak again when Lady Liang gently tugged at the sleeve of his robe and shook her head.
Seeing this, Zhou Xueli’s face filled with disappointment, and he said no more.
He didn’t care anymore; it wasn’t his son. Whether he lived or died had nothing to do with him. Such a beast didn’t deserve consideration.
Old Lady Zhou had no immediate solution in mind, so she looked at Zhou Xuennian, "Eldest, you are the head of the family and Dajun’s father. What do you think we should do?"
This problem was a massive dilemma; if not solved soon, it would fester like an abscess.
Zhou Xuennian said, "What else can be done? Didn’t they say that beast was drunk? Just a moment of confusion, could she seriously dare to kill somebody?"
"Exactly. Mother, Wufu has already smashed up our house, that should have vented her anger, right?" Madam Lu also chimed in. "After some time passes, people will forget about it."
Old Lady Zhou felt a chill in her heart and looked at the couple with utter disappointment.
"It’s all just a misunderstanding. Ying Mei, as their aunt by marriage, would she really hold a grudge against the younger generation?" Zhou Xuennian said again. "Over the years, our Old Zhou family hasn’t treated her and her daughter unjustly; this favor should now be repaid."
Lady Liang’s head snapped up, looking at Zhou Xuennian’s cold and heartless face, feeling a shiver of chill within.
How could a man be so selfish and shameless, expecting Wufu and her to swallow this injustice?
How naive, forgetting whether Zhou Yingmei would agree or not. With Wufu’s vengeful nature, how could she just let it go?
He truly didn’t know where this uncle got his confidence that they would be forgiven—no, this wasn’t confidence, it was damnable foolishness.
"Let them move out," Madam Lu said. "Mother, that house up on the mountain belongs to our family, let them move out. Being far away, there won’t be any problems, and outsiders won’t even know what happened."
By moving out, Dajun could return home, not needing to hide anymore, or be seduced by Zhou Yingmei, or be pointed at by others. People outside wouldn’t have a clue about what had happened. With their departure, it was like hoodwinking heaven themselves.
Zhou Xuennian was struck by a thought, that’s right, just have the mother and daughter move out—the old house belongs to the Old Zhou family, and he had the right to take it back.
"Mother, I think what Dajun’s mother says is right. Let them go. There won’t be any more disputes in the future, and this matter will slowly fade away," Zhou Xuennian said with a disgusted expression. "The most important thing right now is the reputation of our Old Zhou family; we absolutely cannot let word of this get out. Otherwise, the whole family will be disgraced!"
If a person stooped low enough, they could be invincible. At this moment, Zhou Xuennian and Madam Lu were no different from the lowest of the low.