Doted By The Regent King
Chapter 187: Cold Demeanor, Cold Heart

Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Cold Demeanor, Cold Heart

Old Lady Zhou also learned about the gossip concerning Wufu, and immediately her hands began to tremble with anger, the severity on her normally expressionless face deepening further.

It’s not that she believed the idle talk outside; what she had not anticipated was that people could say such ugly things.

Even if she did not like Madam Zhou and her daughter, she knew such gossip was groundless. How could it possibly be...

"Who is spouting such filth and talking nonsense? Who is so lacking in decency, with such a foul mouth?" Old Lady Zhou hit the kàng and cursed furiously.

Old Lady Zhou was so angry not because she wanted to defend Madam Zhou and her daughter, but because such talk would also implicate her and the Old Zhou family. After all, no matter how unbearable Madam Zhou and her daughter were, they carried the Zhou name, they were daughters of the Zhou family.

Now that such fiery gossip was spreading, didn’t it indirectly slander the Old Zhou family? And so filthily, too—who could stand it?

"It’s hard to say who started the rumors; once something spreads from one person to ten, and then to a hundred, you can’t possibly confront each and every one," Zhou Xuennian said angrily.

This is the disadvantage of having no power or influence. If it had happened within a wealthy household, a command from those above would naturally lead to an investigation from start to finish.

"Regardless, our Old Zhou family has been dragged into this mess by Ying Mei and the others. Mother, my reputation as a scholar is at stake, and it causes me great harm," Zhou Xuennian said coldly. "I’ve said it before, I didn’t want them to show off in public."

It truly infuriated him.

Lady Liang sat to the side, glancing at her eldest brother-in-law from the corner of her eye, feeling a chill in her heart.

No matter how you looked at it, auntie was his own sister, yet he could say such things, which was too disheartening.

She then turned to look at her own husband, to see what he had to say. If he shared the same thoughts as his elder brother, then...

Lady Liang shuddered.

Zhou Xueli spoke up, "Big brother, this matter... my second sister and the others are innocent victims and they’re being wronged. If you don’t stand up and speak for them, how can you say such things? It’s all nonsense from outsiders."

Lady Liang exhaled with relief, grateful that her own husband was not so heartless and cold.

"What do you know? You don’t have to take the civil service exams or study, so of course you don’t care about your reputation. How can I be the same?" Zhou Xuennian replied irritably. "With such rumors spreading, it’s absolutely humiliating."

"So, big brother, do you believe those idle rumors to be true? They are just envious talk from others. Wufu and the others are doing well because she works in town—I’ve seen it with my own eyes," Zhou Xueli retorted angrily. "It’s one thing for outsiders to talk nonsense without knowing any better, but for you to do so, big brother, that’s truly disheartening."

"You’re out of line; I’m your elder brother, like a father to you, and you dare teach me a lesson!" Zhou Xuennian’s face darkened.

Zhou Xueli sneered, "If an elder brother is like a father, then you should stand up and support your second sister."

"You..."

"Enough!" Old Lady Zhou, fed up with the noise and suffering from a headache, slapped the kàng hard and shouted, "Are all of you treating me as if I’m dead? What are you arguing about?"

The two brothers stopped talking but glared at each other.

Lady Liang gently tugged at her husband’s sleeve, urging him to sit down.

"Eldest, your brother is right. The same pen cannot write two Zhou characters; even if bones break, the tendons remain connected. She is still a member of the Zhou family lineage," Old Lady Zhou said as she tried to contain her anger.

"That’s why I said we are the victims of an undeserved calamity, wrongly involved," Zhou Xuennian was concerned about this point.

Old Lady Zhou, also frustrated, said, "No matter how angry we are, what can we do? Not helping to clarify the situation would truly be dragging us down. Those disgusting rumor-mongers, deserving to be hacked to pieces—aren’t they afraid of being struck down by divine lightning for such slander?" She was very clear that Ying Mei and the others would never dare to do such a thing.

Zhou Xuennian was just about to speak when his youngest son came running in, stomping, and shouted, "Father, grandma, Wufu has gone to cause trouble for Brother Baozi!"

Everyone’s faces turned a kaleidoscope of colors at once.