Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 442 Influence_1

Chapter 442: Chapter 442 Influence_1

Some people, once crazed, will dare to do anything. They had to be more considerate towards her, for after all, Zhou Shuren cared about her the most. He didn’t want to push Zhou Shuren to the edge, so he dared not move against her easily, while Zhao’s family and Zhou’s second son didn’t have that kind of treatment.

At night, when Zhou Shuren returned, Zhulan voiced her concerns.

Zhou Shuren fell silent. Plans could not keep up with changes. "Let’s leave together. If the second brother still hasn’t changed, we’ll directly adopt him out," he said.

Zhulan, "....Mm."

She didn’t plan to tell the second brother first. She decided to test him when it was time to leave.

Zhou Shuren changed his clothes. "I’m going to deal with Li Qiu. You should rest first," he said.

Zhulan shook her head. "I want to come with you. Otherwise, everyone will think I’m particularly easy to talk to. Besides, I will inevitably have to deal with such matters in the future. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine," she insisted.

Zhou Shuren held Zhulan’s hand. If possible, he truly didn’t want Zhulan to be involved in these matters, but Zhulan was right—they would have to face it sooner or later. "Mm."

For two years, the Zhou family had never punished a servant, all thanks to Zhulan’s perfect management. This was the first time such a serious incident had occurred.

Not only were the servants filled in the courtyard, but the masters from each house had also arrived.

Li Qiu knelt on the ground, continuously kowtowing in panic and distress, "Master, Mistress, I was wrong, I truly was."

She regretted it. She should not have been greedy for silver, should not have almost caused the death of the second lady.

Zhao’s eyes were tightly fixed on Li Qiu, draped in a cloak. She had almost died along with her unborn child. If she died, what would become of Yushuang and Ming Rui? Could children without a mother possibly have good days ahead?

She knew clearly that the head of the family was still young; he would surely remarry in the future. Wouldn’t her children be an eyesore to the stepmother?

Li Qiu’s actions endangered not only her and the child in her womb but also Yushuang and Ming Rui. Zhao wished she could devour Li Qiu alive, which is why she insisted on witnessing this.

Lady Li was somewhat frightened. Despite her usually bold demeanor, she had been exposed to little and was the most cowardly. Even Lady Li could not compare to Zhao, who, having experienced enough life and death amid famine, was truly unafraid of the dead.

Lady Dong, because of her status, had seen servant girls being dealt with since a young age. Whether they had betrayed their masters or were just crafty, she had seen it all, so her heart didn’t flutter at all.

Xue Han and Wu Ning pursed their lips. They were still accustomed to the Zhou household, yet they didn’t understand why a servant there would ever betray them, especially since servitude in their household was easier compared to others.

The hearts of the Zhou family men were much tougher, and even the eldest Zhou brother watched coldly. Having always traveled outside, he had seen his fair share.

Zhou Shuren gestured to the young servant Jingyan. "Break one of her hands and one of her legs, then throw her in the woodshed overnight. Tomorrow morning, take her indenture and let her family redeem her," he ordered.

Jingyan descended the steps, his expression cold. Li Qiu was scared to the point of nearly fainting. She was only twelve, not bad-looking, and still hoped to redeem herself and marry into a good family someday. "Mistress, Mistress, I truly was wrong, I really was wrong, please save me," she pleaded.

Zhulan’s expression remained unchanged, yet in her heart, she thought Zhou Shuren’s approach was ruthless. By breaking Zhulan’s hand, he eliminated her ability for fine needlework, and with her hand maimed, breaking her leg meant she wouldn’t be able to do any work. In the end, going to Li Qiu’s family for money to redeem her would surely cost them a hefty sum of silver.

Li Qiu’s family would resent her and wouldn’t remember that she had willingly become a servant. Zhou Shuren’s calculations preyed on human nature.

There were too many clever people in the Zhou family. It was exactly because of their cleverness that they were fearful. The servants bowed their heads, trembling in fear. Only now did they realize that both the master and mistress were not only kind-hearted but also ruthless.

Old Madam Song and Song Xing, who were standing below, exchanged glances. They had previously thought Mr. Zhou clever but lacking in ruthlessness. Today they had witnessed it firsthand.

Zhou’s second son turned his head to look at his father, his hands trembling. Compared to his father, he wasn’t nearly as ruthless. He was fortunate he was the true son; his father had truly shown him mercy.

Zhao watched as Li Qiu, her hands and feet broken, was dragged away, her face whitening. She had seen many dead, and death was final and straightforward, but living on was the true struggle.

Lady Li was startled, clutching the hand of the head of the household tightly.

Zhou Shuren stood up and said to the eldest Zhou, "You handle the matters of the orchard, and don’t involve any relatives of Li Qiu."

Eldest Zhou, "Yes."

Zhou Shuren glanced at Zhulan, and Zhulan stood up to the servants who were standing, "I don’t hope you end up like Li Qiu tomorrow. If there are any more betrayals, you will face even more consequences. That’s enough, it’s getting late. You all may leave!"

Having said that, Zhulan and Zhou Shuren entered the house. Once back inside, the strength Zhulan was leaning on left her. It was the first time she had witnessed such a scene; the ones in TV dramas didn’t count. This was the real deal.

The sound of breaking bones from earlier seemed to still linger in her ears.

Concerned, Zhou Shuren asked, "Are you alright!"

Zhulan shook her head, suppressing the churning in her stomach. She couldn’t vomit; to do so would be like telling the servants she was soft-hearted and couldn’t handle it, thus negating the authority she’d established today, "I’m fine, it’s getting late, I want to rest."

Zhou Shuren sighed, knowing Zhulan was just being stubborn. How could she be alright when clearly something was bothering her, "Alright, let’s rest."

That night, Zhou Shuren barely slept, constantly worrying that Zhulan would have nightmares. As it turned out, it was Zhou Shuren himself who suffered all night, while Zhulan didn’t have a single dream and slept profoundly.

Zhulan got up looking refreshed, whereas Zhou Shuren had dark circles under his eyes. Realizing this, Zhulan asked, "Were you worried about me and didn’t sleep?"

"Didn’t you have any nightmares last night?"

Both spoke at the same time. Zhulan smiled, "I started to, but then the dream changed, and I dreamed of a baby and wasn’t scared anymore. Then, I didn’t dream at all after that."

Zhou Shuren stared at Zhulan’s stomach, "Good child."

Zhulan exclaimed, "It moved."

Zhou Shuren was in a good mood, "The child is responding to my words."

"I think you’re reading too much into it. He moves every morning."

Because of the child, Zhou Shuren efficiently dealt with everything after breakfast. Zhulan was good at self-regulating. Once Zhou Shuren left, she was already fine.

Li Qiu’s family came to redeem her, naturally turning to Zhulan for mercy, but they never reached her. Steward Ding blocked them.

There’s not much to argue about in Li Qiu’s case; a servant who signed an indenture and betrayed their master doesn’t deserve sympathy.

However, the spectacle of Li Qiu’s family kneeling outside the mansion begging for mercy, combined with Li Qiu’s pitiful state, quickly spread throughout the area.

The officials at the government office started to view Zhou Shuren differently. Mr. Chen thought by constantly challenging Master Zhou, the inner beast in Master Zhou’s heart had been unleashed.

Now, when officials met Zhou Shuren at the government office, they were extremely cautious. Previously, they only thought of Zhou Shuren as a smiling tiger, someone who tricked people without being ruthless. But now, they were genuinely fearful, carefully recalling if they had ever offended Master Zhou.

Mr. He took the chance to sidle up and asked in a low voice, "Won’t such actions affect Master Zhou’s reputation among the common people?"

Having a reputation for ruthlessness could have a significant impact on Master Zhou.

Zhou Shuren said pensively, "Sometimes, it’s better to have less fame."

Mr. He immediately grasped the underlying meaning, "Master Zhou is right."