The next morning, as Madam Hu was having breakfast, the housekeeper hurried to her and said cautiously, "Reporting to the old madam, a family has arrived outside the main gate, claiming to be Zhou Xue'e's family, wanting to seek justice for their son-in-law and daughter."
Madam Hu was startled and put down her bowls and chopsticks. She had heard from Hui Xia yesterday that they had already entered the city. She hadn't expected them to be so quick. She had thought they would go to Zhou Xue'e, but instead, they had come to the Hu family, demanding justice for their daughter and son-in-law. It was too ridiculous.
"Don't they know we've already severed ties with Hu Lianyu?" Madam Hu snorted coldly.
"I told them, sir, but they said that when they drove their son-in-law out of the Hu family, it was equivalent to a separation of the family, and that our Hu family is ungrateful. Moreover, I saw quite a few onlookers, and I'm afraid this matter will tarnish our Hu family's reputation." The housekeeper didn't say that recently everyone in the city had been making a joke of the Hu family. In their eyes, a person from an outside family replacing Hu Lianyu's position was a fantasy. They all said that Madam Hu, for the sake of her niece, didn't even care about the Hu family's bloodline.
It was one thing if no one had caused trouble before, but now that Hu Lianyu's in-laws had come forward, no matter what, it would ultimately harm him. On the contrary, he was the victim. Exposing his mistreated side to the public would be detrimental to the Hu family, which had many daughters to be married off and many young men waiting to be married. Others would think that the Hu family had poor family ethics, and when considering marriage alliances with the Hu family, they would definitely think twice. Even good families would be less likely to consider the Hu family.
What he could think of, Madam Hu, as the matriarch, couldn't she also foresee this? She couldn't help but feel angry.
"Bring them into the mansion first. It's too unsightly to be arguing on the street," the old madam immediately understood. Bringing these people into the Hu family would mean she had the final say. With so many people watching at the gate, every move was under scrutiny. Once they were inside the courtyard, things would be different.
"Actually, the first moment the incident happened, I thought the same as the old madam, to bring them in first. But the other party refused, saying we wanted to persecute them." The housekeeper looked at the old madam with a troubled expression. He didn't know why these people from the countryside were so cunning, always guarding against the Hu family. He estimated that they had already received guidance from the couple. He remembered that Madam Zhou was not an easy person to deal with.
Hearing this only made Madam Hu's head ache. There had been so many problems lately, with endless matters to deal with within the mansion and gossip outside. The Zhou family was even more direct, coming to her doorstep. She felt like she had kicked a stone and hurt her own foot. If she had known they were coming to confront her, she would never have gone to such lengths to bring them here.
Just as she was about to tell her foolish niece to handle it, she worried that if her niece mishandled the situation, it would only make things worse, and she would end up cleaning up the mess again. Her chest started to ache.
After hesitating for a moment, she decided to handle it herself. Before she even reached the main gate, she heard a woman's shrill and unreasonable voice, "My poor son-in-law, although he is a concubine's son in the mansion, he is still a blood descendant of the Hu family. He cannot be driven out penniless. Everyone, please judge! Is this fair?
The Hu family told me that the Hu family had separated, but a separation cannot mean just driving him out.
Moreover, people surnamed Li are receiving monthly silver from the Hu family, engaging in debauchery, while my son-in-law... comparing them is heartbreaking. No wonder my son-in-law severed ties with the Hu family on the street. As a man and a junior, it's not easy for him to speak up, but as a mother-in-law, I cannot let him be wronged. I must seek justice for them."
"Madam Zhou is doing the right thing. The Hu family is too bullying." Someone in the crowd shouted in response. Madam Zhou's heart leaped with joy, and she immediately straightened her chest, feeling that she was doing the right thing. Didn't the people in the city agree with her?
"More than just bullying, these Hu family members have no upbringing and don't value blood ties. Everyone should stay away from such a family. I heard they have many businesses in the city. Given their shamelessness, would you dare to buy anything they sell?" The Zhou couple had never thought of so many things. It was the male servant who had taken them to the inn yesterday who had angrily expressed his opinions along the way. Madam Zhou remembered them and used them today.
"I wouldn't dare to buy. A family like the Hu family is bound to decline sooner or later." A woman's voice came from another part of the crowd. When everyone turned their heads, they found no one there.
Wu Caiwei stood in a nearby alley, eating melon seeds and watching the show. She had arranged for people in the crowd to steer the situation in the direction she wanted. She ate her melon with peace of mind. Hu Lianyu, standing beside her, shook his head dotingly at her leisurely demeanor.
As Madam Hu walked out, she happened to hear this remark and felt a pang of discomfort. The older she got, the more she liked to hear auspicious words. Her tone became grim, "Please, Madam Zhou, speak with caution. I admit that I did mistreat Lianyu, but it was all his mother's doing. By the time I found out, it was too late. I will compensate him later. Our Hu family has stood in this city for a hundred years and has never made a mistake. Everyone knows this. You cannot question the other members of our Hu family because of this small matter."
"Tch, speaking so beautifully, who would believe it? My son-in-law was driven out of the Hu family for several years, and you never visited." At first, she was somewhat fearful of confronting Madam Hu, but seeing the large crowd of onlookers and the curious expressions on everyone's faces, and noticing that Madam Hu hadn't dared to say anything too harsh, she felt more confident. Sudannovel.com
"Your Hu family is so wealthy, you wouldn't care about this little bit. Since you say you will compensate my son-in-law, show some sincerity now. Give me the silver in front of everyone, and I guarantee that once he receives what he deserves, I will never speak ill of your Hu family again."
He hadn't forgotten that the male servant had instructed him earlier, no matter what, he must not follow them inside. Once inside, he would be at the mercy of the Hu family. With so many eyes watching from outside, they wouldn't dare do anything to him. It seemed the servant was right.
Madam Hu looked at her smug expression and felt a bit conflicted. If she told her that the Hu family couldn't produce so much silver right now, she would probably think the Hu family had declined. If she did produce it, she didn't want to give it away. She knew that the Zhou family was like a dog that bit a meat bun, never to be recovered.
After thinking for a moment, she ordered the housekeeper to withdraw twenty thousand taels of silver from the accounting department. The housekeeper looked at the old madam in surprise. Seeing her nod, he turned around, glared at Madam Zhou, and then entered the mansion.