The Zhou mother, who had been watching them closely, glared back without politeness. Seeing his action, she knew he was going back to get the silver and secretly rejoiced, thinking how easy the money was to come by. It was solely because the couple valued their reputation too much to cause trouble. However, if they were truly shrewd, what business would they have with the Zhou family? The thought of taking the lion's share of tens of thousands of taels of silver filled her with wild joy.
The onlookers also craned their necks, eager to see if the old Madam Hu would indeed give them silver, and how much.
Soon, the butler returned. Old Madam Hu clutched the silver, her heart bleeding. She looked at them calmly and said, "Although our Hu family is wealthy, we have many masters, and not much is left for each. This is twenty thousand taels in bank notes. Consider it my compensation for that child. I give it to you in front of everyone, so you can no longer say we mistreated him."
As soon as her words fell, the crowd erupted. Although some among them were wealthy, for most, twenty thousand taels was an astronomical sum. They stared at her with shocked expressions.
"Did I hear correctly? Twenty thousand taels? I've never seen so much silver in my life. Young Master Hu may have lived a poor life before, but from now on, he's a rich man."
"I truly regret not marrying my daughter to him back then. If I had come to make a scene like the Zhou family, perhaps some of this silver would have found its way into my pockets. It pains me to think of it."
"You only see their elation at getting the silver, but do you think the Hu family is easy to offend? Today, they have publicly embarrassed the Hu family. Just you wait, the Hu family will absolutely not let the Zhou family off."
"You don't mean it. No matter what, they are in-laws. Even though Hu Lianyu has severed ties with them, he is still a grandson of the Hu family." Su Dan Novels.
…
The crowd discussed various matters, but only a few were clear-headed. Most people's eyes were fixated on the silver, and some were even hatching nefarious plans in their hearts, contemplating how to steal the money from the Zhou family.
They wouldn't dare touch the silver if it were in the Hu family's hands, but the Zhou family was an outsider. They heard they were from farming stock, and if they took the money and fled, even reporting it to the authorities wouldn't catch them.
Everyone present had their own hidden thoughts and objectives. However, at this moment, the Zhou family was first shocked by the sum of twenty thousand taels, and then ecstatic. They hadn't expected their wish to come true. But then, the Zhou mother recalled Hu Lianyu once telling her that the Hu family had hundreds of thousands of taels, and there were only seven direct descendants. She felt that twenty thousand taels was too little.
"Everyone is shocked by this sum because they are not wealthy. Don't forget that the Hu family is a centuries-old noble family, with many officials in the capital. In your branch alone, there are dozens of shops in the city, and only seven direct masters. Not to mention those shops are priceless. Twenty thousand taels may seem like a lot, but is it not a bit too paltry to dismiss our son-in-law?"
Although the Zhou mother was also shocked by the amount, she wanted to bargain further, as no one would complain about having too much money.
This time, the crowd's gaze shifted from the bank notes to the Zhou mother. They wondered if the Zhou family's madam was fearless in the face of power, or if she simply didn't understand the gravity of the situation. The Hu family had already made a concession by offering twenty thousand taels, and she was still not satisfied.
Old Madam Hu's eyes narrowed involuntarily. She slowly walked up to the Zhou mother. The Zhou mother felt the powerful aura and ill intent in her gaze, and instinctively took a few steps back. However, remembering that she was in the right, she straightened her back.
Although the Zhou family members felt a pang of fear when meeting Old Madam Hu's gaze, the thought of tens of thousands of taels spurred them on. The immense temptation of profit meant they could only advance, not retreat. They immediately surrounded the Zhou mother, their protective stance very evident. The Zhou mother was deeply moved.
"You have quite a lot of nerve. If you want to take silver from the Hu family, you must be prepared to face the Hu family's wrath. You'd best hold onto your silver tightly. Do you believe someone in this crowd is already eyeing you? We'll see if you have the ability to protect it." The old madam spoke as she glanced around.
The Zhou mother also looked around. Some people, when their eyes met hers, seemed guilty. This immediately made the Zhou mother realize Old Madam Hu was right. However, thinking from another perspective, it was perfectly normal. If someone were to present tens of thousands of taels in front of her, she too would be tempted.
"Don't trouble yourself with these matters, Old Madam Hu. Your primary task now is to give us the silver. From then on, we'll be even," the Zhou mother said. Although she felt a little flustered, she couldn't lose face. Regardless, Zhou Xue'e had maids and servants, so they should go there first.
"Butler, give them another ten thousand taels." Old Madam Hu's face broke into a brilliant smile. Having dealt with her for many years, the butler knew that the deeper her smile, the fiercer her anger. Those who crossed her never had a good ending. He cast a sympathetic glance at them and, without a word, returned to find the accountant to withdraw another ten thousand taels.
The Zhou family felt an uncomfortable glance from the butler as he left, but they had no time to ponder. Facing Old Madam Hu's grim expression, they wondered if their actions today were right or wrong. However, the thought of so much silver in front of them made them believe that coming to Yuzheng City was the right decision.
Upon receiving the silver, they stuffed it into their pockets without a word and quickly departed.
As they walked ahead, people immediately followed behind. The Zhou family subconsciously quickened their pace, walking faster and faster, doing their best to protect the Zhou mother through the bustling streets. The followers, mindful of the crowd, dared not act, and could only watch as they entered Hu Lianyu's small courtyard.
After entering the courtyard and closing the door, the Zhou mother patted her chest and quietly left a gap in the door. Seeing many people walking back and forth outside, casting covetous glances at the courtyard, she felt a lingering fear.
Hu Lianyu and Wu Caiwei had just returned. As soon as they saw them, Hu Lianyu extended his hand. The Zhou mother was stunned for a moment before realizing, and hugged the silver in her embrace even tighter.
"Mother-in-law, you're not keeping your word. I'm sure people outside are already eyeing you, aren't they? Believe it or not, I'll kick you out immediately." Hu Lianyu looked at her with a half-smile. He had long known they were particularly greedy and had devised a plan to deal with them, not taking her refusal seriously.
"I am your mother-in-law, how can you treat me like this?" the Zhou mother asked with a look of shock. In her eyes, Hu Lianyu and Wu Caiwei were easy to bully, and she hadn't expected them to dare resist.