Seeing Wufu leave, Old Lady Zhou grew anxious, for once she left just , she feared there might not be another chance to enter this household again.
Wufu was not like Madam Zhou, resolute and unwavering. Her presence now was solely out of respect for her mother, a fact Old Lady Zhou was well aware of.
"Miss Wu," Old Lady Zhou moved quickly, stepping forward to stop Wufu. "It was my daughter-in-law who misspoke; I’m here to offer you an apology on her behalf."
Ever since Wufu’s birth, Madam Zhou had insisted on using the surname of her father to name her, and at this juncture, Old Lady Zhou didn’t dare to claim kinship, addressing her directly as Miss instead.
Wufu paused, looking at Old Lady Zhou who was trembling all over, and seeing the pleading look in her eyes, sat down again.
Madam Lu was incredibly shocked.
"Miss Wu, please, for the sake of your mother, extend your helping hand," Old Lady Zhou implored.
Madam Lu really wanted to say something, but she didn’t dare, because Wufu’s aloofness left her afraid to say more.
"If it weren’t for having a good daughter, did you think you would be sitting here?" Wufu snorted coldly.
Old Lady Zhou clenched her teeth, feeling a mixture of salty and sweet in her mouth, yet she had to swallow this humiliation.
"Although the Zhou family hasn’t supported you and your daughter much, they also haven’t harbored any ill will towards you over the years, and you have grown up safely," Old Lady Zhou said, her voice quivering.
But Wufu just smiled. Grown up safely? No, her former mistress had gone to meet the Tathagata Buddha before growing up, all because of a push from Zhou Xiuer. The person she was now wasn’t the same.
However, Wufu couldn’t possibly reveal that she was not the original person, and said, "Indeed, you didn’t resort to murder, nor did you dare. But all these years, you turned a blind eye to your daughter-in-law and granddaughter’s oppression of us, letting it happen without intervention."
Old Lady Zhou’s indifference was tantamount to cold apathy, stabbing people with a cold knife; how chilling was that?
"You didn’t treat your daughter like a daughter either; otherwise, how could you ignore her ?" Wufu jabbed again.
Old Lady Zhou’s eyes narrowed, and she pursed her lips.
"But your maternal grandfather always cherished you, and he secretly provided for you a great deal; you can’t deny that," Madam Lu said indignantly.
"Acknowledge? How could I not? In the Old Zhou family, it was only Old Scholar Zhou who treated my mother as a person, as a daughter," Wufu scoffed with a sneer. "So, for his sake, Zhou Xuennian, I can pull you out of this."
Joy shone in Madam Lu’s and Old Lady Zhou’s eyes.
"And you must preserve his scholarly honors," Madam Lu couldn’t help but add.
Wufu mocked, "It’s precisely because of daughters-in-law like you, who take inch after inch, that the Old Zhou family faces such calamity today. Old Madam Zhou, is this also what you think?"
Old Lady Zhou glared fiercely at Madam Lu and said, "Just bring him out safely; I dare not ask for anything else."
"Good, Old Madam Zhou is indeed a sensible person. In that case, I have another condition for you to agree to," Wufu continued. "I can pull out Zhou Xuennian, but from now on, please have no one from the Old Zhou family come knocking, to disturb mine and my mother’s lives."
Madam Lu stood up abruptly.
Wufu looked at Old Lady Zhou and said, "The sins committed by Zhou Dajun are not erased by merely glossing over them. Better not to meet and have grudges; let’s all live in peace without seeing each other."
"Your mother is the auntie of the Zhou family; by what right do you bar us from visiting her?" Madam Lu protested.
Wufu laughed out loud, "If it weren’t for seeing the life my mother and I have now, would you acknowledge her as your auntie?"
That remark was akin to a heavy slap squarely on the face of both women, leaving them with burning red cheeks, seething with shame.
"Fine! I agree!" Old Lady Zhou couldn’t bear the humiliation any longer and stood up.
Only then did Wufu, satisfied, pick up her tea.