Chapter 70: The Meng Family’s Screams

At the foot of the mountain in Changliu Village lived a family with the surname Cao. It was said that their ancestors once held the position of county magistrate, but over time, their family had fallen into decline and became farmers.

The family had only two sons, and the eldest son’s wife was the same Cao family daughter-in-law that Zhou Da-niang had mentioned.

While serving rice, Zhou Da-niang wiped her hands and said, “I think she has the same surname as you—Du. She married into our village more than ten years ago, but she has never had children. A few days ago, her younger brother brought her a baby girl to raise. She’s an adorable child.”

Something felt off to Du Wanchun, and she quickly asked, “Is her name Du Damei?”

Zhou Da-niang nodded. “That’s right, that’s her name.”

At that moment, Zhou Da-niang also realized something was amiss. “Wanchun, could she be your eldest aunt? I remember your father gave your stepmother’s child to your eldest aunt to raise. Could it be the same person?”

Du Wanchun nodded, glancing toward the door. “My eldest aunt married early. I never knew which family she married into. But from what you just said, it sounds like it must be this Cao family.”

The Cao family lived at the foot of the mountain, farther from the village, so they didn’t often interact with the other households in the area.

Zhou Da-niang had only recently met Du Wanchun’s aunt while frequently going up the mountain to gather flowers.

Since Du Wanchun’s aunt had been living with her husband’s family, she was likely unaware that Du Wanchun had already married. If she had known, she probably would have come looking for her by now.

Zhou Da-niang let out a deep sigh. “Your eldest aunt has had a tough life. She’s often bullied by her mother-in-law. Next time I go up the mountain, I’ll take you to visit her.”

Du Wanchun nodded in agreement.

Just then, Zhou Ruizhen and Zhou Zhao arrived home.

They had just returned from the Wang family, where they had completely dealt with Wang Qiu. They came back smiling, clearly satisfied with the outcome.

Seeing them, Zhou Da-niang guessed that the matter had been settled and quickly served them rice.

After lunch, the bricklayer, He Quan, arrived at the Zhou house with his tools, ready to measure the foundation for construction.

Seeing that their old house was about to be replaced with a new one, Zhou Da-niang couldn’t stop smiling. She quickly welcomed He Quanyi inside.

After measuring the foundation, He Quanyi discussed the layout of the new house with Zhou Da-niang.

Having grown up in a wealthy family, Zhou Da-niang had a broad knowledge of architecture and design. She shared her insights on the house layout, leaving He Quanyi stunned by her expertise.

Fortunately, He Quanyi was a smart man. It didn’t take long before he and Zhou Da-niang finalized the plans. In a few days, he would bring workers to demolish the old house and start laying the foundation.

With He Quanyi coming and going, the news quickly spread throughout the village—everyone soon knew that the Zhou family was building a new house. Many villagers were surprised, never expecting that the once-struggling widow had managed to turn her family’s fortunes around.

Except for the Chen and Meng families, most villagers had suffered hardships themselves. Though they could be a bit stingy, they weren’t the type to stir up trouble. Upon hearing about the Zhou family’s new house, they felt a mix of admiration and envy but kept their thoughts to themselves, merely glancing at the Zhou house more often when passing by.

The Meng family, however, had a very different reaction—especially Meng Auntie.

She was eating at the table when she heard the news and immediately fell off her chair.

“What? What did you say? That widow’s family is building a house?” She scrambled up from the ground, still feeling the lingering pain from where the crocodile had bitten her rear last time.

Meng Uncle frowned and nodded. “Yes, I just went to take a look. They’re already preparing the foundation.”

Meng Auntie shot up from her seat, ready to rush outside. “I need to see this for myself! Who knows what tricks that Zhou widow used to make so much silver?”

But before she could leave, Meng Uncle grabbed her and pulled her back with a stern expression. “Enough! Stop worrying about other people and focus on our own family matters.”

Meng Auntie was startled. “What family matters could we possibly have?”

Meng Uncle stroked his mustache proudly and declared, “I’m taking a concubine!”

“What? A concubine?” Meng Auntie nearly lost her balance. “Don’t tell me… you’re still thinking about that Zhou widow?!”

Meng Uncle shook his head. “No, not her. It’s Jiang Meizi from the neighboring village. She wants to be with me.”

Hearing this, Meng Auntie was so furious she nearly spat blood. Jiang Meizi was from her hometown, and they used to be quite close. She often visited their house, and now, it turned out she had seduced her husband!

Pointing at Meng Uncle, she cursed, “You old fool! You’re still chasing after women at your age? I’m telling you now, I will never agree to this—not even if I die!”

But Meng Uncle wasn’t the same as before. He stood up and slammed his hand on the table, his face dark with anger. “I’m telling you now, whether you agree or not, I’m bringing her into this house!”

Meng Auntie immediately threw a fit, slapping her thigh and screaming in a shrill voice, “If you dare bring her in, I’ll die first!”

Meng Uncle sneered. “No need to wait for you to die—I’ll divorce you right now.” With a wave of his hand, he turned and walked away.

Meng Auntie stood there in shock. All this time, she had been fixated on targeting the Zhou family, but now she realized she had been fighting the wrong battle. The real traitor was her own shameless husband.

Her entire body trembled with rage. She stormed into the house, grabbed a kitchen knife, and charged outside.

Moments later, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from the Meng household.