Doted By The Regent King
Chapter 426: The Difference is More than Huge

Chapter 426: Chapter 426: The Difference is More than Huge

Madam Zhou was helped back to her own room, and it wasn’t until she sat down that she felt her body was limp, as if all her strength had been drained away. She couldn’t help but prop herself up with one hand on the table, her eyes hollow.

She had thought that by leaving Wozi Village, and since she hadn’t informed anyone of their mother-daughter whereabouts, there would no longer be any association with it.

Yet she hadn’t anticipated that, as if it was predestined, she would not be in the county, but at this estate they had just purchased. A heavy rain had unexpectedly linked them together once more.

Was this what they called a blood tie? Or was it a cursed connection?

Madam Zhou recalled that helpless moment, closed her eyes, and her hands began to tremble slightly.

The ferocious face of Zhou Dajun emerged before her eyes, as did Zhou Xuennian’s heartless and cold gaze. These were not the faces of kin; to call them enemies would be more fitting.

Tears began to slide down from the corners of her eyes.

She and her daughter had already moved to the county to live their lives, having left their hometown behind. Why must fate still mock them? Why must it persist in entangling them?

When Madam Zhou thought of Old Lady Zhou’s aged face again, a dull pain filled her heart. No matter what, that was still her mother. In such a short period of time, she had aged so much. What had happened? And how did she end up here?

"Madam, have some tea."

A warm cup of tea was pushed into Madam Zhou’s hands. Feeling its warmth, she mechanically took a sip.

"Where are they?" asked Madam Zhou.

Qiu Xiang replied, "They are still sitting in the Floral Hall. Auntie Tan is attending to them."

Madam Zhou nodded and said, "You go down and make arrangements for them to stay the night."

In such heavy rain, let alone that the visitors were her maternal family, she wouldn’t have the heart to turn even strangers away.

Qiu Xiang went to carry out the instructions.

Meanwhile, Old Lady Zhou was also sitting quietly; her heart, however, was like a tempest turned upside down.

She too had never imagined that the owner of this estate would be her own despised daughter, nor could she have anticipated that the person they had been desperately searching for would be delivered to them by the heavens themselves.

This was fate!

Old Lady Zhou had to admit that when she saw Madam Zhou, she felt a sense of relief in her heart. No matter what, there lay the hope for her eldest’s survival.

But after the initial ecstasy subsided, came a moment of calm. When she saw that Madam Zhou’s reaction to their arrival was not joy but avoidance, Old Lady Zhou was uncertain.

What should she say when considering the deeds of her own family? How should she even begin to speak to her?

Even if it meant kneeling, she was prepared to kneel before her and beg her to save her eldest just this once.

Old Lady Zhou made up her mind and settled her heart. She looked around the room, her eyes reflecting complexity.

The Floral Hall didn’t have any particularly valuable decorations, yet the furniture was made of rosewood and matched as a complete set, which was considerably more expensive than what the Old Zhou family had.

When they had first entered the estate, even though she couldn’t see clearly, the crops seemed to be growing well. And from what she had gleaned from Madam Lu, the estate was not small either; she wondered how much it was worth in silver.

Looking at Madam Zhou’s recent attire, though not flashy, her clothes were not coarse, and the hairpin she wore was the same as before, except she now also had a golden hairpin. Not to mention the maid by her side, who also had an impressive bearing.

From every aspect, it seemed that Madam Zhou and her daughter were now living exceedingly well. Auntie Tan had said that Madam Zhou was in the estate to unwind, usually living in the county, which presumably also meant a pleasant environment. Old Lady Zhou couldn’t help but wonder what stroke of luck they had encountered for them to attain such a status and air, resembling that of a wealthy household, in such a short time.

In contrast, the Old Zhou family...

The disparity could not be greater.

At this thought, a wave of mortification crossed Old Lady Zhou’s face, and she clenched her silver teeth.