The villagers, seeing this scene, all felt deep sympathy for the widow and her children.
“That Zhou woman really has a heart of stone.”
“Exactly, she’s despicable.”
“Everyone always says stepmothers are cruel, but now I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
…
Hearing the villagers’ comments, Zhou Zhangshi glared hatefully and shouted, “What business of yours is my family’s? Idle fools looking for trouble! Tian Qingshuang, you old witch, meddling in other people’s affairs, you widowed woman—serves you right to stay a widow for life!”
Tian Qingshuang had always disliked Zhou Zhangshi. Seeing Dashan’s wife and her children in such a pitiful state, she had complained out of sympathy for the widow and her orphans. She didn’t expect Zhou Zhangshi to start cursing her.
Tian Qingshuang had also lost her husband early in life. She had struggled to raise her two sons and successfully married them off; her sons and daughters-in-law were dutiful, and her grandchildren were well-behaved. She had a happy old age. She could not stand anyone belittling widows. Zhou Zhangshi, deliberately striking at others’ soft spots, was cruel and malicious.
“Bah! You old hag! You’re like a dog—see someone, bite someone! What you did is nothing short of robbery,” Tian Qingshuang shouted back, undaunted.
“I’m a robber, am I? Did I steal from your house? If I wanted to, I wouldn’t hesitate—I’d empty your house myself,” Zhou Zhangshi snorted.
“You dare! Just wait till I tear your mouth to pieces, you dog’s spawn. Dogs can’t spit out ivory, and all you do is babble nonsense!” Tian Qingshuang, furious, raised her sleeve to hit Zhou Zhangshi.
“Bah! As if I’m afraid of you,” Zhou Zhangshi retorted, also raising her sleeve, and the two old women began wrestling each other—pulling hair, kicking, scratching with hands and feet.
Zhou Yunda had been trying to figure out a solution, but the two women immediately started fighting. He quickly shouted to the crowd, “Someone, separate them! Dahe, you and your wife are pigs! Hurry and pull your mother away!”
Zhou Dahe’s family watched from their doorway, enjoying the spectacle. Normally, the house was ruled by the women, and since the money was in their mother’s hands, they were happy to benefit. Only fools would try to intervene. When the elder shouted, they quickly helped restrain their mother.
The scene was chaotic. Zhou Yunda finally had several villagers escort Tian Qingshuang home, which calmed the situation.
“Wah… Great-uncle, I don’t want a grandmother like that! She isn’t even my real grandmother! I want to sever ties with her… wah… or Mom won’t survive…” Zhou Zimo cried, seeing the right moment, turning to the village chief while holding tightly onto his mother’s leg.
“This…?” Zhou Yunda was considering how to get his sister-in-law to give more money, and hearing Zimo’s words, he was momentarily speechless.
“I think that’s the right idea. Old man, severing ties is good. That way, the two families are no longer one, and if your sister-in-law bullies the widow and children again, we can report her to the authorities. The officials will punish her, maybe even imprison her,” Wang said quickly to Zhou Yunda.
Zhou Yunda agreed; this widow, weak and with small children, was being bullied by an unreasonable sister-in-law. To prevent future trouble, severing the family ties was the best option. He then asked his brother, “Old Hao, what do you think?”
Old Zhou didn’t want to sever ties—after all, these were his grandchildren—but he dared not answer, looking at his wife instead.
Zhou Zhangshi randomly smoothed her hair and said, “Severing ties is fine. The ten taels of silver will count as a gift to his grandfather. From now on, the bridge is the bridge, the road is the road.”
“Sister-in-law, can you really do this?” Zhou Yunda asked angrily, hearing she wouldn’t even give ten taels.
“Take it or leave it,” Zhou Zhangshi said indifferently, thinking: Dashan is dead, and there’s nothing more to extract from these three ungrateful people. Whether the ties are severed or not, it doesn’t matter.
“I’ll sever them, even without the silver,” Zhou Zimo said firmly.
“Zimo, my good boy…” Li Wanting struggled free from Wang and the daughter-in-law’s grasp, crouching down to hug both children, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Zimo, don’t act rashly. Without silver, how will your mother and sister survive?” Zhou Yunda asked worriedly.
“I have to keep Mom alive. Later, when I go up the mountain to dig wild vegetables, I can feed Mom and my sister. As long as grandma doesn’t bully us anymore, we can survive. Even in the past three years without Dad’s compensation, we were hungry but we survived, didn’t we?” Zhou Zimo said grimly.
Zhou Yunda was moved. If it weren’t for the children being pushed to this point, who at such a young age would shoulder the family’s burden? What a good boy.
“Uncle, just listen to Zimo. I won’t end my life; I can’t bear to leave them. Stop crying, children,” Li Wanting said, carefully wiping her children’s tears while choking back her own.
“Ah, you… what can I say to you…” Zhou Yunda sighed, pointing at Zhou Zhangshi with displeasure.
“Hmph,” Zhou Zhangshi snorted and turned her head, doing as she pleased.
“Fine, then. Since everyone agrees, Shuanzai, go fetch the scholar and help draft the severing-of-ties document,” Zhou Yunda said, spotting Shuanzai in the crowd.
“Yes, Uncle Chief,” Shuanzai replied and ran off.
“Dashan’s wife, see how obedient and filial your children are? Don’t do anything rash again,” Wang and the daughter-in-law advised.
“Exactly, Dashan’s wife. Tough it out for a few years—the kids will grow up. Look at Tian Lao Po, she got through it, didn’t she? And she’s fine now.”
“True, Dashan’s wife. Dashan is gone. You have to stay strong. Zimo is Dashan’s only son. You have to see him get married someday; you can’t let Dashan’s line die out.”
…
The women and villagers continued to comfort Li Wanting. On the surface, she appeared mournful but nodded slowly, feeling warm inside. There are still good people; most villagers are honest and kind. She would help those who had stood up for her when the opportunity arose.
Soon, Shuanzai returned with the scholar Zhou Guangyao. Zhou Yunda explained the situation, and Zhou Guangyao took his paper and pen, drafting three copies of the severing-of-ties document.
“All done. These three documents: one for Old Hao, one for Dashan’s wife, and one I’ll file at the government office tomorrow. From now on, you live separately. No more trouble, and if anyone causes trouble again, I won’t go easy,” Zhou Yunda said sternly, handing the documents to his brother and Li Wanting.
“All right, everyone, disperse,” Zhou Yunda ordered, dismissing the crowd and arranging for Wang and the daughter-in-law to escort Dashan’s widow and her children home.
Wang and the daughter-in-law accompanied the family home, comforting Li Wanting. As evening approached, the two women finally returned home.