Chapter 2059: Chapter 41: As Fate Would Have It

After talking with Wufu, Ah Jiu finally went over to pay his respects to Zhou Xueli. The whole family was gathered in the same room, and outside, guards were keeping watch.

The imposing display he brought with him made everyone in the room unspeakably terrified; seeing him come in, they were all at a loss, their faces full of bewilderment.

Ah Jiu first cupped his hands to Old Lady Zhou, then made a deep formal bow to Zhou Xueli. "Uncle, it’s a blessing to have you. I will remember in my heart this kindness of shelter you’ve given me."

Zhou Xueli was extremely ill at ease, moved slightly aside from him, and kept saying that it was not proper, that he was not worthy of such courtesy.

The man before him was the Regent King of a nation; the Emperor of Beiyan was still young and not yet in power, and it was Ah Jiu who held the reins and made the decisions!

Even if he were not the exalted Regent King, he was still an Imperial Son, his status noble and lofty—how could he be someone that common folk like them could even hope to look up to?

"You are worthy of it. No matter what, you are the uncle acknowledged by Wufu, and now, after all that has happened, this bow you fully deserve." Ah Jiu bowed again.

This time Zhou Xueli could no longer worry about overstepping his station; he reached out to help Ah Jiu up and said, "You yourself said I am her uncle, so don’t be so formal. Besides, I haven’t really done anything."

"You’ve given me hope." Ah Jiu shook his head.

Zhou Xueli gave a simple, honest smile. Seeing his face weather-beaten and haggard, he said, "You’ve come all this way from afar—you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Madam Lu, quickly take Sister Gui to boil some hot water so His Highness can wash up, and then make something to eat."

Madam Lu answered at once, set the child into her mother-in-law’s arms, and led Sister Gui and her daughter briskly out of the room toward the kitchen.

Seeing the people outside, Sister Gui grew a little flustered. She glanced at her Madam and whispered, "Madam, this..."

"Talk less, do more. They’re all Wufu’s people." Madam Lu’s voice was very low.

Sister Gui shrank her neck in haste and said no more, deftly stuffing firewood into the stove, then told Tantan to go to the well to fetch water.

Madam Lu, on the other hand, took one look outside, pressed a hand over her chest, let out a breath, and slightly rolled up a section of her sleeve to rinse the rice and put it into the pot.

But the one who entered the kitchen was not Tantan; it was a guard, carrying two buckets of water, with an anxious Tantan following behind him.

Madam Lu was taken aback. When the guard asked where to put the water, she quickly pointed to the pot used specially for boiling water. He poured all the water into it, and seeing it was still not enough, went out to fetch two more buckets and brought them in.

After Ah Jiu and Zhou Xueli finished the formalities, Ah Jiu went back to Wufu’s side—he begrudged every moment that he couldn’t be with her.

Zhou Xueli wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Old Lady Zhou. "Mother, what do you think?"

"With such a big display, whether we want to leave or not, we can’t stay. Later, you and your wife should pack up—no need to take much, just bring the land deed and the Silver and that will be enough." Old Lady Zhou spoke while pressing down on her wildly pounding heart.

Zhou Xueli nodded. Seeing her brows furrow, he said, "Mother, don’t blame Wufu for bringing us trouble. It’s not easy for her either. You saw what she was like the day she came to our home—if she hadn’t been absolutely forced to, she likely wouldn’t have come to us at all."

Old Lady Zhou showed a bitter smile. "Why would I blame her? I..." She paused, then said, "Forget it. Things have come to this; there’s no point talking about blame. This is all fate. Just take it as repaying your eldest sister-in-law’s family, returning your sister-in-law’s mother the life we owe her."

Zhou Xueli was stunned and fell silent.

Madam Zhou had died from premature labor—what had caused it? Was it not the foolish, unwitting harm done to her by Madam Lu and Xiuxiu back then? That was a debt that could never truly be repaid; what they were doing now, at least, could make their consciences a little easier.

Old Lady Zhou shooed Zhou Xueli out to arrange for those people, and she herself went into the Buddha hall to light a stick of incense. Facing the memorial tablets, she murmured, "Old man, all of this, I suppose, is the working of karmic cause and effect."

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