A family struck by a major crisis can only rely on their own relatives and whatever connections they hold in their hands, to ask for a thorough handling of the ordeal.
The Old Zhou family had no connections of their own, so they could only depend on the two families they were related to by marriage. The younger daughter-in-law came from the Scholar family, born to a father who also had titles of his own. It wasn’t beyond possibility to seek their support.
As for the elder daughter-in-law, Madam Lu, born to a family of butchers, she didn’t have much capability. But as the saying goes, there is strength in numbers. Though being a butcher might not sound impressive, at least they had some money. So despite Old Lady Zhou’s resentment towards her, she had no choice but to remind her to ask her natal family for help in handling the matter thoroughly.
It wasn’t that Old Lady Zhou was overthinking things; she knew that those who entered the Yamen’s jail seldom came out without losing half their lives, or at least without being skinned alive. How could they not make arrangements?
After pleading meticulously for help despite her frail health, Old Lady Zhou lay down with a pale face. With the situation still unresolved, she had to hold on. Otherwise, her family, her eldest son’s family, would surely fall apart.
Zhou Xueli stood by Old Lady Zhou while the relatives of both daughters-in-law returned to their own side rooms.
"This really is an unprovoked disaster," Big Sister-in-law Liang said with a grim face, looking at her younger sister-in-law. "Your big uncle truly has the audacity of the heavens."
Lady Liang, also looking exhausted, rubbed her temples and said, "That’s why, even at the risk of my life, I must insist on splitting the family. Now you understand my situation, don’t you, big sister-in-law?"
When the issue of dividing the family first came up, the Liang Family was actually against it. Scholarship placed great emphasis on filial piety, and proposing a family division, especially when pushed by a daughter of the Liang family, could lead outsiders to criticize their upbringing. It would seem unfit for a daughter-in-law to instigate a split while the mother-in-law was still alive.
Now, having heard Lady Liang’s words, Big Sister-in-law Liang sighed and said, "Little sister, you’ve suffered. If only we had known earlier..."
Lady Liang knew what her sister-in-law meant and responded, "Big sister, hindsight is priceless but cannot be bought. This was my own choice and no one else’s to blame."
If it hadn’t been for her fancying Zhou Xueli, her family wouldn’t have pressured her into the marriage, even when her father was sick in bed.
Fortunately, the marriage did bring some luck, as her father, despite his failing health, managed to pull through.
Big Sister-in-law Liang found it difficult to criticize the past, so she said, "At least your husband truly cherishes you. And now, thankfully, the family has been divided. Once you have a child, build a wall in the house, live your peaceful little life, and you won’t have to fear whatever the main branch does. This calamity they’re facing is of their own making, hmph."
While the two sisters-in-law were still feeling fortunate, over at Madam Lu’s side, a heated argument was underway, all because of silver.
The family knew all too well how Zhou Xuennian’s title of scholar was obtained. Madam Lu had provided a substantial sum of silver for the initial investment. Now to think that, before her son-in-law could bring any benefits to the Lu Family, he was thrown into the jail.
This meant that all the silver was now as good as thrown into water, wasn’t it?
How were they going to repay such a large amount of silver?
The sisters-in-law were very disgruntled. If they had known from the start that the mother-in-law had given so much silver to the younger sister-in-law, they would have stopped it at all costs. Clearly, it was their silver being used!
"Now my husband is in jail, and you sisters-in-law pressure me so much over a few pieces of silver. Do you want to drive me to my death?" Madam Lu cried. "If so, I’ll just die!" As she spoke, she headed to crash into a column but was quickly restrained by her sisters-in-law pulling and dragging at her.
In terms of injustice and hatred, who could surpass her, Lu Zhenzhu?
After years of suppression, she finally became the wife of a scholar, a role she had held for only a few months before it all came crashing down, and she hadn’t even reaped any benefits yet!
Not to mention, with the title of Scholar’s wife gone, she feared that she might lose her husband too. Wouldn’t she then become a widow?
At this thought, Madam Lu was filled with panic and fear. The sadness welled up from her heart, and she sobbed, gasping for air.