CHAPTER 648: CHAPTER 647: WHOEVER TIED THE BELL MUST UNTIE IT

Just as Wufu’s restaurant was preparing for a grand opening, the county government office’s prison was staging a chaotic scene every day. Zhou Xuennian and his wife, purposely locked up together, performed a sorry spectacle of dog-eat-dog daily, providing free entertainment for their ’neighbors’.

After being locked up for eight days, the couple was on the verge of collapse because during these days, not a single soul had come to visit them, let alone release them.

This realization made them finally understand that Wufu was not bluffing when she threatened them; she truly planned to keep them locked up there for life.

Zhou Xuennian panicked, hating Madam Lu’s greed even more for getting him stuck in this predicament while feeling unjustified resentment. It was Madam Lu who stole things, yet why should he also be imprisoned? This was undoubtedly being implicated without cause.

Madam Lu, too, became terrified of her sunless days in the cell. She feared she would truly die there, entering standing and leaving carried out horizontally.

Every day, the couple caused an uproar demanding to be let out, only to be met with curses or the whip. Finally, when visitors came, it was none other than Madam Lu’s family.

"Zhen Zhu, Zhen Zhu, my child."

Madam Lu could hardly believe her eyes when she saw her visitors. It was only when she heard her calling that she burst into tears and rushed over, clutching at her mother’s hand through the bars: "Mother, you finally came, Mother."

Having been locked up for so many days, she was filthy and reeked of bad odor. When she rushed forward, the stench was so awful that it nearly made the group vomit.

Seeing Madam Lu with disheveled hair and a dirty face, her hair like straw and knotted in clumps, her features gaunt, she was scarcely distinguishable from a beggar, which made them gasp in shock.

"Zhen Zhu, how did you end up looking like this!" Old Lady Lu almost fainted from the pain of seeing her only daughter in such a state.

"Mother, save me, get me out quickly, your daughter is about to die!" Madam Lu cried out as soon as she saw her mother, pleading while clutching Old Lady Lu’s hand.

"Mother-in-law, and me, don’t forget me!" Zhou Xuennian, too, scrambled forward as if he had seen a lifesaver.

Old Lady Lu trembled all over with emotion at the sight of her daughter and son-in-law looking so wretched, barely able to stand.

If her grandson Yongyong hadn’t run home crying, she wouldn’t have known about this terrible incident, and the in-laws from the Old Zhou family didn’t seem inclined to intervene—such an outrage!

Upon hearing that her daughter and son-in-law had been arrested, she immediately rushed with her sons to the Old Zhou family’s home. After learning the full story, she caused quite a scene and even pressured Old Lady Zhou to go and argue with Madam Zhou to not only release them but also to provide compensation.

In her view, it was up to the instigator to resolve the matter; it was all Wufu’s doing, so she should be the one pleading. As long as she asked, wouldn’t that vile Madam Zhou convince her daughter to release them?

But what did that old wretch say? She insisted that it was her daughter’s fault for being greedy, that this was the mess she had gotten herself into, and even claimed she would never plead on their behalf, leaving their fate to destiny!

Old Lady Lu was enraged. Seeing no change in the old woman’s stance, who didn’t even care about her own son being locked up, she finally believed the old wretch had decided to wash her hands of the matter, prompting her to bring her sons to the prison.

While the in-law old wretch didn’t care about her inept son, she couldn’t neglect her own late-in-life daughter; she had only this one child. If she lost her, who would come to visit her during the holidays?

Seeing Zhou Xuennian, Old Lady Lu couldn’t help but curse up a storm. She railed against him, his heartless mother, and the malicious Wufu and her mother. Profanities rolled off her tongue as if they were free for the taking.