"What do you mean, madam? I don't understand. You can ask anyone in town; I've lived here for over thirty years, working diligently and being a good neighbor," the shopkeeper said, looking at her with puzzled eyes. Honestly, if she hadn't noticed something amiss, Wu Caiwei would have been fooled by him.
"Ordinary doctors wouldn't know what was added, but we can see that Shuimu Cao was added. This substance is colorless and odorless, with only one weakness: it bleaches fabric when it sticks to it. Shopkeeper, do you dare to lift your sleeve and let us take a look?" Wu Caiwei said with a smile that was not a smile.
"Men and women should not touch. Madam, aren't you afraid of damaging your reputation? Besides, I've lived for over fifty years and it's the first time I've heard of such a ridiculous thing..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wu Caiwei moved in front of him instantly. Soon, the two were entangled. The shopkeeper lay on the ground, clutching his chest, and after spitting out a few mouthfuls of blood, he looked at her with disbelief, admiringly saying, "I didn't expect Madam to have such high martial arts skills at such a young age. Li is impressed. I presume it was you who broke my formation in such a short time."
"Indeed. We are here for the money today, and we did not intend to take your life." Whether it was the formation just now or the medicine in the water, the other party had no intention of killing them. It was rare to encounter such a master, and they did not want to kill him.
The shopkeeper quickly cupped his fists and bowed to them, saying sincerely, "When I was young, I was arrogant and ignorant of the immensity of the heavens and earth. I always thought I was the best in martial arts, medicine, and formations, offending many people and suffering their underhanded attacks. Old Master Zhou unintentionally saved my life. Although I have not harmed anyone all these years, I have provided him with many harmful things. Knowing my grave sins, you have spared my life today, and we are quits with the Zhou family and will have no further dealings."
After speaking, he clapped his hands three times, and immediately someone brought in the items.
Wu Caiwei packed the items and left with satisfaction. As soon as they entered the capital, someone reported to Old Master Zhou, startling him into standing up.
Originally, he thought this time was foolproof. The shopkeeper had said that to repay his life-saving kindness, he would only help him harm someone once and would have no further dealings with him.
Over the years, the shopkeeper was the most capable person he had ever met. He wanted to use his skills for the best purpose and had never asked for this favor. This time, he had no choice but to ask him to come out of retirement. He never expected that even he would be defeated by Wu Caiwei. For the first time, he realized how terrifying this granddaughter was.
In the afternoon, the Ouyang family received an unexpected guest. Seeing Old Master Zhou, who was appearing in their courtyard for the first time, Wu Caiwei raised an eyebrow, wondering what new trouble he was causing this time.
"Uncle has brought you a few things today. I found them when I was tidying up the storeroom," he said, carefully opening the silk-wrapped items. Inside were several hairpins, which were very old and looked like they had been around for some time.
Seeing his indifference, Old Master Zhou quickly explained, "These were worn by your mother before she was married. When your mother got married, your maternal grandmother cried so hard that she couldn't stand. She insisted on keeping a few of your mother's belongings as mementos."
After a moment's thought, he continued, "Your mother had a difficult fate. In her childhood, our eldest branch was suppressed by the second branch and often ostracized in the manor. She finally got married, and your father treated her a little better. Because she had no son, she endured countless criticisms. Later, the couple died together, leaving you, their only child."
Wu Caiwei watched his tearful performance and thought he would be wasted if he didn't become an actor. Did he think she had forgotten how the Zhou family treated her? She certainly hadn't forgotten how the original owner had died.
Even for the benefit of the Zhou family, they could have adopted the method used in this lifetime. Zhou Jia Yang's hands were crippled, the original owner was released, her identity changed, and she was married off. But they didn't do that. For their own benefit, they had imprisoned the original owner in a dark and secret room for more than ten years. If the Grand Princess hadn't accidentally discovered her, she would have died there of old age.
Old Master Zhou accidentally looked up at Wu Caiwei. Seeing her indifference, he felt a pang of regret. He then recalled, "My sister and I had a good relationship since childhood. If your mother were alive, she would surely not bear to see her only brother in trouble, would she?"
Wu Caiwei scoffed, "If my mother were alive and saw her relatives treating her daughter like this, she would have fought with you. Furthermore, I am not making things difficult for you. I just want back the items belonging to the Liu family. If Uncle feels wronged, we can go to the Emperor and clarify the matter." Su Dan Novel Network
Old Master Zhou's smile almost faltered. He hadn't expected to encounter such an unyielding person and regretted offending her too deeply in the past. Forcing a smile, he said, "You have misunderstood Uncle's meaning. I don't feel wronged. I was just reminiscing about the childhood days with your mother. I brought your mother's belongings today for fear of being saddened by reminders of the past. It's best to give them to you as mementos."
As he walked out of the Ouyang family's gate, Old Master Zhou couldn't help but look at the Ouyang family's plaque with a sinister gaze. He remembered how Wu Caiwei had unceremoniously asked him to leave and felt utterly humiliated, as if everyone were mocking him.
The next morning, Old Madam Zhou came to visit. Wu Caiwei was not surprised at all. If the original owner's experiences in the Zhou family were unknown to Old Madam Zhou, it was impossible. In both lifetimes, she had never seen her protect her, yet the concern in her eyes didn't seem fake. Wu Caiwei sighed inwardly, having fully understood Old Madam Zhou's character.
Before she could even speak, Old Madam Zhou hurried forward, took her hand, and examined her from head to toe. Seeing that she hadn't lost weight, she showed a relieved smile and then began to inquire about her well-being.
One asked, and the other answered cooperatively, punctuated by bursts of laughter. Anyone who didn't know would have thought they had a very close relationship.
Before long, Old Madam Zhou held her hand and pleaded, "Your uncle has been sighing a lot lately. I asked him the reason, but he wouldn't tell me. It was his servant who told me that you demand he return twenty thousand taels of silver every day. He has already returned tens of thousands, and he simply cannot come up with the rest. I only gave birth to your mother and your uncle in my life. Your mother is gone, and it's heartbreaking for an elder to mourn the loss of a younger generation. Can you, for your grandmother's sake, let this matter slide?"
Wu Caiwei smiled and said, "I am very grateful that Uncle brought our Liu family's assets into the Zhou family. After all, only the Zhou family can protect these assets. However, when he brought them in, they were worth about two million taels. I am only asking him to return one million taels. No one can say I am ungrateful."
"You don't understand the current situation of the Zhou family. Even if they sell everything, they can't come up with this much money. Are you willing to see your grandmother, an old woman, forced to sleep on the streets?" Old Madam Zhou was somewhat annoyed, feeling that she was not considering the bigger picture.