CHAPTER 560: CHAPTER 288: CUTTING HAIR TO SHOW RESOLVE (PART 2)

"Mother!" Zhou Jingyi suddenly became saddened but resolutely pleaded, "Please don’t force me, okay? I don’t want to marry, I really don’t want to marry again! In the future, I can just manage a few acres of land, or else take refuge in a nunnery—"

"Shut up!" Mrs. Zhou trembled with rage and said, "Take refuge in a nunnery! How dare you say such a thing! As long as I draw breath, you won’t even think about it! After I close my eyes, you can do as you please!" She then burst into tears, "You disappointing girl!"

"Madam! Please don’t rush, let your daughter finish speaking, huh!" Master Zhou quickly intervened, gently saying to Zhou Jingyi, "Xiaoyi, it’s just your parents here, don’t be shy. Your father won’t beat around the bush with you! This time, your mother and I will definitely find you a reliable and matching family. You can rest assured about that! If you still don’t want to marry, there must be a reason, right?"

Mrs. Zhou also stopped crying and looked at her daughter.

Zhou Jingyi felt a bit embarrassed and remained silent. Was it because she couldn’t forget Shi Fengming that she refused to remarry? Knowing this would surely leave her parents speechless in anger! But if she didn’t say so, what reason could she have for refusal? Did she really have to reluctantly comply with her parents’ wishes? She would never be happy for her whole life! She couldn’t deceive herself and others.

"My daughter, you tell us the truth; your mother and I are reasonable people, aren’t we? We all want what’s best for you! If you refuse to speak plainly, you’ll truly break your parents’ hearts," Master Zhou sighed.

"Father, I—" Zhou Jingyi began anxiously, but still couldn’t speak the words.

"Ah! I know now!" Mrs. Zhou looked at her suspiciously, suddenly exclaimed in shock, and angrily said, "Xiaoyi, you couldn’t still be pining for that ungrateful Shi family man, could you!"

Zhou Jingyi froze, her gaze guiltily shifted away.

"It’s true then!" Mrs. Zhou’s rage intensified, and the more she hurt, the angrier she became. She sternly scolded, "You wretched maid, are you trying to enrage me to death?! They nearly humiliated us by coming to our door, and you still think about them! Such heartless beasts, what’s there to miss about them! I’m telling you, you have no choice but to marry now! From today onwards, stay quietly at home and prepare to be carried off in a sedan chair next year! This matter is settled, there’s no discussion!"

"Mother!" Zhou Jingyi turned pale; she knew her mother meant what she said.

"Don’t call me mother! There’s no room for negotiation in this matter! If you are my daughter, you’ll obey me!" Mrs. Zhou said coldly.

"I—"

"Alright, alright! Xiaoyi, you go back to your room first. This matter doesn’t have to be settled right away; both of you stop being so agitated! Go now, quickly!" Master Zhou waved his daughter away.

Zhou Jingyi bit her lip, holding back the tears that swirled in her eyes, and turned around sobbing as she ran away.

"This wretched girl, really trying to anger me to death!" Mrs. Zhou puffed angrily.

Master Zhou gave her a look, "Our daughter has just come back from a divorce, her heart is distressed. Why the hurry to bring up this matter now? Can’t it wait a little longer?"

Mrs. Zhou sneered, "Distressed? I think she should be throwing a celebration! What’s so bad about escaping that quagmire of a life! I don’t know what kind of spell that damned boy cast on her to make her so foolish! This time you can’t oppose me; I will not let my daughter be ruined like this. I must find her a good family!"

"By pressuring her this much, are you not afraid to drive her to do something desperate? It won’t hurt to discuss it more slowly!" Master Zhou frowned.

"How can it not matter!" Mrs. Zhou exclaimed, "Should we wait another two or three years? Years will pass, and good matches will be picked by others! I have to pressure her, only then can she quickly forget the past! Once she marries again, finds a considerate husband, and quickly has a child, she will naturally forget everything that’s happened. If we let her brood at home, that would be terrible!"

Mrs. Zhou spoke confidently.

It seemed to make some sense, so Master Zhou had no reply, just sighed, "But seeing our daughter like that, I don’t think she’ll agree. You should talk to her properly, let her also take some time to think."

Mrs. Zhou snorted, "You just wait and see! When she has a good husband and children in the future, she’ll understand I did it for her benefit. She might be cross with me now, but later she’ll appreciate my painstaking efforts!"

Zhou Jingyi was in turmoil, unable to calm down. Mrs. Zhou was annoyed by her daughter’s defiance and did not visit her despite Zhou Jingyi not coming downstairs for two consecutive days. Zhou Jingyi panicked, fearing that her mother truly began to arrange her marital affairs. Unable to bear it any longer, she got dressed and tidied up early in the morning, then hurried to the main house to pay her respects.

Mrs. Zhou, after hearing the maid reporting "Miss has arrived!", couldn’t help but slightly smile, and casually ordered to let her inside. She knew her daughter was just being childish, and after not paying attention to her for a couple of days, she would lose interest in her tantrums.

Who knew that after Zhou Jingyi arrived, although they started out speaking amiably, as soon as Zhou Jingyi brought up the subject of marriage, they immediately began to quarrel again. One was annoyed at her daughter for not obeying, determined not to back down; the other resentful of her mother for lacking understanding, adamantly refusing to submit.

The more both mother and daughter argued, the more rigid they became, each feeling wronged until they couldn’t help but shed tears. Mrs. Zhou’s feelings of pity mixed with anger and pain, and she became even more incensed, declaring they didn’t even need to wait for after the New Year; they should settle the marriage right away to put an end to any lingering hopes!

With immense pain in her heart, Zhou Jingyi couldn’t help but burst into loud sobs. In her sorrow, she recklessly pulled a gold hairpin from her hair and threw it to the ground. Finding a pair of scissors, she grasped a lock of her dark glossy hair, determined to cut it off and become a nun rather than marry! This startled all the maids and old women, who rushed to wrestle the scissors away from her and helped her to hastily tie up her hair again.

"Mother! I’ve made up my mind, please don’t force me! I can live well on my own, truly! Mother, I beg you, please don’t force me anymore! I will never sit in a wedding sedan chair again!" Zhou Jingyi let the others take the scissors, her tears streaming as she spoke to Mrs. Zhou.