Waiting until the night fell, Old Lady Zhou still didn’t see Madam Zhou appear. She asked Auntie Tan, who said her Madam had caught a cold and wasn’t convenient to meet guests.
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Zhou knew it was an excuse and felt her heart sink. She dared not barge in and restrained the restless Madam Lu.
Thus, with trepidation, they spent the night. The following day, after the rain had stopped and the sun shone bright, it was time for them to leave. But knowing that Madam Zhou was there, and more importantly that Wufu was not, how could Old Lady Zhou let slip such a rare opportunity?
She requested to see Madam Zhou again, or she wouldn’t leave.
Madam Lu also shared with Old Lady Zhou the information she and her elder brother had gathered about this estate.
"...Mother, it is said that this estate covers five hundred mu of land, including orchards and the like. Usually, Wufu and the others don’t live here; they have a big house in the county. Yingmei is here because the estate was newly acquired, and she only came to have a look and stay for a couple of days," Madam Lu said with sparkling eyes revealing her insuppressible greed and envy. "Mother, my elder brother went to see it; all of that land is planted with rice. It’s almost harvest time. I wonder how much grain they will get!"
Old Lady Zhou’s face darkened as she scolded in a low voice, "Who told you to pry into these matters?"
In a panic, Madam Lu said, "Mother, we have to figure out what Yingmei relies on. Look, such a big estate, how much silver must have been spent to acquire it? In just a short time, Wufu and the others managed to do so; they must know some noble person."
Old Lady Zhou said, "Now is not the time to talk about this. The most important thing is to get your man out. Behave yourself, or else go back to the Lu Family."
Making her feel scared with those words again, Madam Lu pursed her lips and sat aside in silence.
Old Lady Zhou looked around, hoping for Madam Zhou’s appearance.
After waiting the time it took to drink two cups of tea, she finally saw Madam Zhou, supported by the hand of a maid, as she arrived at the Floral Hall.
Having swallowed too much tea, Madam Lu was already dissatisfied. Seeing Madam Zhou dressed so splendidly, a trace of jealous envy flashed in her eyes, and she said with an acidic tone, "Auntie, you sure put on quite the air. Finally showing up, you sure made me and Mother wait."
Madam Zhou’s movement to sit paused slightly, but then she sat down as if nothing had happened, looking at them.
"Today the weather is clear, and I have already ordered someone to prepare dry food and such. You can leave in a while," said Madam Zhou indifferently.
Old Lady Zhou’s complexion changed.
Madam Lu jumped up, "What? Yingmei, you’re driving us away? Now that you’re wealthy, you don’t recognize poor relatives, or your own family anymore?"
"Shut your mouth!" Old Lady Zhou scolded her.
Really a brainless fool. At this moment, she should be humble and docile, yet she dares to shout? Does she think everyone is a Bodhisattva?
Madam Zhou put her teacup down heavily on the table, looking at Madam Lu, and said, "My family?"
She let out a scoffing laugh, "How did Dajun treat his aunt that day, do you not have any recollection? I won’t bother mentioning it; I just pretend I don’t have such a beastly nephew. You all close ranks, I understand, but you ’family members’ close ranks and then stab me in the heart, driving me and my daughter out of Wozi Village. Lu Zhenzhu, and now you tell me you are my family? Where do you get the face!"
Madam Lu was choked up, staring blankly at Madam Zhou, as if she had seen a ghost.
She, she, she—this woman before her, with a fierce look in her eyes and a stern face, was she really the ever-conceding and crying pushover, Zhou Yingmei?
Could she be possessed!