"We wrote a letter of severance, I even registered it with the authorities. What, are you regretting it now?" Wu Caiwei asked disdainfully.
"How can you speak like that, child? Regardless, I gave birth to you, I am your mother. It's true I placed you in the nunnery for so many years, but the household did pay for your upkeep. Otherwise, do you think you could have lived such a carefree life? So many in the countryside can't make ends meet and sell their children. You've had it much better than them," Madam Zhu said placatingly, though her heart was in a frenzy.
"Speak. What is your purpose?" Wu Caiwei knew Madam Zhu too well. If she were to mock her, she would find it normal. But now that she was speaking so harshly, and Madam Zhu tolerated it, it meant she had a much larger agenda. Wu Caiwei became wary.
"You wound me so deeply. Can't I just see you? After all, you are a piece of flesh that fell from me. After so long apart, I wanted to see how you were doing," Madam Zhu said with feigned sadness.
"Your demeanor gives me goosebumps. I've thought about it, and the only thing about me that can attract you is money. As for anything else, if you want money, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong person. I won't spend a single copper on you," Wu Caiwei, no longer a three-year-old child, was not fooled by her act.
"No matter what, I am your mother. You've earned so much money, and eventually, you'll take it to your husband's family. Will others treat you as well? Pengcheng is your own brother. Take better care of him. In the future, if anything happens, he can back you up and won't let you suffer losses," Madam Zhu pleaded earnestly. To get money, she was truly giving it her all.
"I do not have a mother like you, nor a brother like him. Rest assured, if anything truly happens, I will never seek help from the Zhou family," Wu Caiwei, with the original host's memories, knew this brother was unreliable.
The original host had been abused to death by the Lin family. The Zhou family, fully aware of the suspicious circumstances, had been promised a great many benefits by the Prime Minister's mansion. Zhou Pengcheng, the original host's brother, had seen the body covered in injuries but acted as if he saw nothing, living comfortably off the high office and emoluments gained from her sacrifice.
"You were born to be my bane, weren't you? If I had known you would be such a disobedient daughter, I should have strangled you at birth," Madam Zhu, seeing her words had no effect, dropped the pretense and said angrily.
Wu Caiwei clapped her hands and laughed heartily. "This is your true face. We parted ways long ago. Do not let me see you again."
"We'll see about that. Your troubles are yet to come," Madam Zhu said, leaving in a huff, her sleeves flying.
Zhou Hanxiao had been waiting for her mother in the main courtyard. Seeing her return with a glum expression, she knew the matter had not been successful.
She quickly ran forward, supported her mother, and asked impatiently, "How was it? Did she give brother money?"
"Don't even mention it. That wretched girl turned on me, didn't even give her own mother face. She's both unfilial and stingy." Mentioning her made Madam Zhu's heart ache.
"Are we just going to let it go? Although our household isn't poor, Father clearly favors the two younger brothers born to concubine Xia. If we divide the property, the lion's share will go to them. What little is left for brother will likely be meager. Then brother will have a hard life, and wouldn't that mean a hard life for you, Mother?" Zhou Hanxiao looked at her mother with worry and heartfelt concern.
Although she prioritized her sons, her daughter's filial piety made her feel delighted.
After sending her daughter away, Madam Zhu sat alone at the table, sipping tea and contemplating, with her own calculations in mind.
Having achieved her goal, Zhou Hanxiao was in exceptionally good spirits. Humming a tune, she kicked stones by the roadside, skipping all the way back to her courtyard, looking like a perfectly innocent young girl.
Wu Caiwei had been pondering how to deal with the Prime Minister when she unknowingly walked into a small alley. Seeing it was a dead end, she prepared to turn back. Just then, a large net descended from the sky. With practiced coordination, four people ensnared her firmly. She quickly drew her soft sword from her waist, intending to cut the ropes. To her surprise, it wouldn't cut.
Before she could ponder further, the captors swiftly dragged her into a nearby house and locked her in a cellar.
To be honest, this was the first time Wu Caiwei had suffered such a major setback. She constantly reminded herself that there was always someone better, and she must be more cautious in everything she did from now on.
She didn't know if her captors were from the Lin or Zhou household. If it was the Lin household, they most likely intended to kill her. If it was the Zhou household, that was hard to say.
A moment later, the cellar door opened again, and light pierced through, causing Wu Caiwei to squint involuntarily.
Two shifty-eyed men, holding torches, scrutinized her with malicious intent.
Wu Caiwei inwardly seethed with anger.
"Big brother is really something. This wench is about to be sold off to that place, and he won't even let us brothers have our fun first. It's infuriating!" one of the men said resentfully, leering at her.
"Big brother has his reasons. We just follow orders. In all these years, when has he ever been wrong? Be patient a little longer. Once this job is done, go to a pleasure house. You can have any kind of girl you want," the other man said. Though also tempted, his reason told him this woman was not to be trifled with.
"That's the only way. I wonder what Big Brother is delaying. Why isn't he sending her out yet? We've been guarding her all this time, seeing but not touching. It's truly unbearable," the first man lamented, turning back and forth restlessly.
Wu Caiwei hadn't expected them to be so ruthless as to sell her to a pleasure house. This was clearly the Lin household's style. Regardless, in the eyes of others, she was from the Zhou family. Even if they killed her, they wouldn't let her end up in such a place, tarnishing the Zhou family's reputation.
A moment later, another man descended. The two men quickly stood up and respectfully called him "Boss."
The man nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Wu Caiwei. He smiled lecherously and ordered the two men to tie her up, preparing to leave.
The two men quickly stepped forward. Just as they were about to reach Wu Caiwei, and to their so-called boss's astonishment, they both collapsed to the ground.
Wang Dali, having traveled extensively, knew he had fallen into a trap. He tried to retaliate but found himself completely without strength. He immediately felt the woman before him was incredibly formidable. Su Dan Novel Network.
It turned out that at some point, Wu Caiwei had drawn the dagger strapped to her calf and was slowly sawing through the ropes. Though strong, the ropes couldn't be cut at once, but they couldn't withstand slow abrasion.
She stood up, shook off the ropes, and began to toy with the dagger, slowly approaching the boss.