Chapter 65: Aunt Wang’s Son

The man lifted his gaze toward Madam Zhou in the distance, curling his lips into a faint smile. “The Noble Consort was right—you are all here.”

Hearing his words, Zhou Ruizhen frowned and asked coldly, “Did she send you to kill me?”

The man’s cold face remained full of amusement. “The Noble Consort merely asked me to send her regards.”

Madam Zhou, seeing the sword, showed no fear. She strode forward, standing beside Zhou Ruizhen, and scolded the man harshly, “That woman still refuses to let us go?! She has already ruined our lives—why won’t she stop?!”

The man tightened his grip on the sword and took a step forward. “You know as well as I do—so long as you’re alive, the Noble Consort will never feel at ease.”

Madam Zhou’s face was filled with fury. She turned abruptly, grabbing a wooden club from the ground, ready to fight.

Du Wanchun quickly rushed forward and held her back. “Mother, don’t be reckless! He has a sword!”

Madam Zhou trembled with rage and hatred. Realizing the danger, she clutched Du Wanchun’s hand tightly and urged, “Wanchun, run! Leave this place! We must not drag you into this!”

Du Wanchun shook her head and embraced Madam Zhou, trying to calm her down.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from the entrance.

“Madam Zhou, what’s going on? Why all this commotion?”

It was Aunt Wang. She stepped into the courtyard, and as she lifted her head, her eyes landed on the man standing at the door, holding a sword.

Aunt Wang stopped abruptly, her eyes widening in shock.

Madam Zhou immediately shouted, “Sister Wang, leave now! He’s an assassin!”

However, instead of leaving, Aunt Wang took a step forward—then another—before saying something that no one expected.

“Qiu’er… is that you?!”

The man flinched upon hearing the name, clearly startled.

Tears welled up in Aunt Wang’s eyes as she suddenly rushed toward him, crying out, “Qiu’er! It really is you!”

The man’s expression wavered, his cold eyes clouded with a hint of emotion.

Seizing this opportunity, Zhou Ruizhen swiftly dodged and knocked the sword from his hand.

By the time the man snapped back to reality, Zhou Ruizhen had already taken the sword and pressed it against his throat.

Aunt Wang hurriedly stepped forward and pleaded with Zhou Ruizhen, “Ruizhen, wait! Don’t hurt him—he’s my son! He’s the son we lost years ago!”

Du Wanchun and Madam Zhou were both stunned, turning their eyes toward Aunt Wang in shock.

No one could have expected that the assassin before them was actually the long-lost son of the Wang family—the one who had left for the capital in search of a better life and never returned.

“Aunt Wang, are you sure? Have you looked carefully? Is it really him?” Du Wanchun asked hesitantly.

Aunt Wang examined the man’s features closely and nodded repeatedly. “Yes, it’s him! My son! I could never mistake him!”

The man stared at the woman before him, his eyes filled with disbelief. Finally, his lips parted, and he uttered in a trembling voice, “Mother… what are you doing here?”

Tears streamed down Aunt Wang’s face as she wiped them away and replied, “Your father and I sold all our land and went to the capital to look for you. But we couldn’t find you, so we settled in Changliu Village to make a living.”

She turned to Madam Zhou and Zhou Ruizhen, adding, “Fortunately, we met the Zhou family. They have taken great care of us in these difficult times, which is why we’ve been able to live peacefully until now.”

The Wang family had always been generous to the Zhous, and in return, the Zhou family often helped take care of Aunt Wang and her husband.

Since the Wangs were elderly, they needed strong, young men to help with the heavy labor.

Though Zhou Ruizhen and Zhou Feng had their own difficulties—one with a crippled leg and the other blind—they could not offer much assistance.

However, Zhou Zhao, despite being deaf, was strong and hardworking. He never hesitated to take on the hardest tasks, shouldering the responsibilities without complaint.

At that moment, Zhou Zhao returned from returning the carriage. As he entered the courtyard, he saw his eldest brother holding a sword and a stranger standing nearby. Immediately, he rushed over and asked, “Big Brother, what’s going on?”

Zhou Ruizhen cast a glance at the man and answered, “An assassin sent from the capital.”

Zhou Zhao instantly understood and raised his fists, ready to fight.

But Aunt Wang quickly stepped in to stop him. “Let’s talk this out properly. Maybe this is all a misunderstanding.”

The man coldly refuted, “There is no misunderstanding. I was ordered to assassinate them.”

The moment he finished speaking, Aunt Wang raised her hand and smacked him hard on the back of the head.

“You little brat! I thought you left for the capital to do something honorable, but you’ve been committing such disgraceful, inhumane acts instead?!”