In the following days, Madam Zhou finally understood what Yuan Zhao meant by "good days are yet to come."
Because she is now unable to speak and can only lie paralyzed in bed, the servants who take care of her are obviously not as attentive.
She is now unable to take care of herself and has to rely on maids and servants for everything. They were alright at first, but after a few days, none of the masters in the mansion came to visit her, and they all began to ignore her.
Her daily meals were appalling, consisting only of cold food, and the servants acted as if she could eat it or not, and that was it.
Her dowry maid, the old nanny who followed her, had been sold off while she was still unconscious, for the perfectly valid reason that she had not served her well.
Now, Old Madam Zhou lies in bed, utterly helpless and desperate.
In just a few days, she became noticeably thinner.
She began to think about what Yuan Zhao had said that day.
Cold-heartedness was indeed something she taught her children, and the saying "every man for himself" was also something she instilled in them through her words and deeds.
However, she never imagined that one day she would suffer the consequences.
Two days later, Old Madam Zhou finally saw her father, and hope returned to her cloudy eyes.
It's not in vain that he loves his eldest son the most; nowadays, he's the only one who still has some conscience.
Just as Madam Zhou was thinking this, she heard her father ask:
"Mother, where do you keep your secret stash of money?"
Old Madam Zhou's heart sank immediately.
Zhou's father was completely unaware of the devastating blow his words had dealt to his mother. He continued:
"You are well aware of the current situation in the manor. There is no money left in the public treasury, and the entire large manor is being supported by my son's money alone."
He currently holds no official position, only the nominal title of Marquis, and earns no more than a hundred taels of silver per month.
This amount of silver could last an ordinary family a year, but it wouldn't be enough for this Marquis's mansion.
Moreover, Zhou's father was not giving up. He always wanted to turn his life around, so after the storm had passed, he started going out frequently again, hoping to find some former colleagues and friends to see if he could get a minor official position.
Having a minor official position means there will be opportunities in the future.
Going out to bribe people always costs money; a single meal can easily cost more than a hundred taels of silver. He's long out of money.
He had also gone to the public school, but there were only a dozen or so taels of silver left. So, he set his sights on Old Madam Zhou.
"Son, I'm doing this all for the future of the Marquis's mansion. I think Mother will understand!"
Mr. Zhou used some of the things his mother had said in the past to shut her up.
"So, Mother, tell your son where your secret stash of money is?"
He also knew that Madam Zhou was unable to move or speak due to her current physical limitations, so he said directly:
"Please point it out to your son."
Seeing his anxious look, Old Madam Zhou's heart sank completely.
He hasn't come once in all these days; he's only here today to get money from me.
This is the good son he raised!
Madam Zhou closed her eyes in disappointment, refusing to look at her father again.
Seeing Madam Zhou's attitude, Mr. Zhou's face turned cold:
"Mother, you're in this state now, what are you doing holding onto that money?"
“Son knows you have some savings. Take them out and I promise to treat you well from now on.”
However, no matter how much he pleaded, Old Madam Zhou remained unmoved. In the end, Zhou's father threw a huge tantrum and smashed a lot of things.
Suddenly remembering something, he went straight for Madam Zhou's dressing case.
Upon opening it, there was indeed a considerable amount of jewelry and headwear inside.
Without a second thought, Zhou's father picked him up and left.
There are no secrets that stay hidden forever, and besides, many people were already watching Madam Zhou's courtyard.
His action immediately caused an uproar at the Yongning Marquis's residence.
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