Under Granny Song’s "patient guidance," the Zhou brothers worked until dawn. Regardless of being stained by sewage or not, the entire courtyard was scrubbed with cloth by the two repeatedly. The walls were also replastered, leaving the place spotless, cleaner than the empty pockets of the brothers.
Granny Song personally checked every nook and cranny before letting them go.
The brothers were exhausted and only wanted to wash up and sleep soundly. Who would have thought that as soon as they got home, it felt like being struck by lightning—early in the morning, the village chief opened the ancestral hall, declaring that their family would be expelled from the village.
The reason was that Zhou Da and Zhou Er were accused of thievery that night, caught climbing over the Song family’s courtyard wall. The Song family had warned that if the people of Zhou Village wanted to register their fields under Song Wei’s name in the future, the matter with Zhou Da and Zhou Er could not be brushed off.
Once the village chief incited the villagers, everyone had something to say, some carrying hoes, others holding sickles. A menacing crowd gathered at Mrs. Wu’s doorstep, nearly scaring the old lady hiding behind the door into fainting.
Once she collected herself, Mrs. Wu slapped her two sons, scolding them as pig-headed, unable to even be proper thieves, falling into a manure pit and getting bullied like frightened grandsons. This was all they amounted to in life.
Zhou Er looked aggrieved, "This isn’t fair! We worked at their house the whole night. Even if there’s no credit, there’s effort. How can they just kick us out like that? Besides, we didn’t even see what treasure the Song family had. How can they call it stealing?"
Mrs. Wu gave him a sharp look, "If you’re so capable, why don’t you go talk to the Song family?"
Thinking of Granny Song’s fierce demeanor, Zhou Er felt a chill, drawing his neck back in fear—he couldn’t even win a verbal battle, let alone a physical one. That old lady from the Song family is nothing less than a witch!
Mrs. Wu, having no solutions left, secretly climbed over the wall and sneaked into Lower River Village to find Mrs. Zhou and tell her everything.
Upon hearing that her two brothers got caught stealing from the Song family because they listened to her, Mrs. Zhou’s heart thumped nervously.
By the time Mrs. Wu finished speaking, Mrs. Zhou’s face was pale, "Mother, you’re not joking, are you? The village chief wants to expel you from the community?"
"Oh my, would I joke at a time ?" Mrs. Wu was extremely anxious, "I’m out of options, so I came to you. Song Sanlang is your son-in-law, and although you’re a stepmother, you’re still sort of a mother-in-law to him.
I was thinking you could speak to him. Your brothers were just being a bit naughty, and they didn’t even manage to steal anything from the Song family’s things, right? If they didn’t steal, how can it count as stealing? We’re all family, seeing each other frequently, if the Song family acts so harshly, how can they expect to maintain good relations in the future?"
Upon hearing that her mother wanted her to plead with the Song family, Mrs. Zhou hesitated. After all, she was the one who previously leaked about Wen Wan’s dowry. If Granny Song already knew, walking into their house now would be like a sheep entering a tiger’s den, awaiting to be torn apart.
"Uh... Mother, you know I’m not good with words. Asking me to talk is like forcing a duck to fly. When it comes to family hierarchy, you do outrank that old lady from Song family. If you make a fuss, it might do some good."
Mrs. Wu jolted, "Right, I almost forgot. By seniority, I am above her. Why should I be afraid?"
Energized, Mrs. Wu rolled up her sleeves and left Wen’s house, ready to charge into the Song family to curb Granny Song’s arrogance.