Zhou Mingzhu ignored Mother Zhou’s rhetoric and looked directly at Father Zhou. "If that won't work, then let Zhou Mingyue skip university. I’ll take my spot, and you can let Zhou Mingyue go marry her Captain Gu."
Father Zhou frowned, and Mother Zhou became displeased, snapping angrily, "You child, never mind the first two conditions, what on earth are you thinking with the third one?"
Zhou Mingzhu looked at Mother Zhou. "I’m looking for peace of mind. Your favoritism—you may not be tired, but I’m exhausted just watching it. I don't want a situation where, once my life improves, you all come crawling back with various excuses, demanding I swap places with Zhou Mingyue again."
"How can you think of your mother that way? I am your own mother! Not your enemy!" Mother Zhou burst into tears, her eyes red as she stared at Zhou Mingzhu.
"Zhou Mingzhu! How dare you speak to Mom like that!" Zhou Jianye clenched his fists, glaring at her like an angry little beast.
Zhou Mingzhu waved a hand. "I’m talking about a solution, and you’re trying to talk emotions with me. And every time you bring up emotions, you try to moral-shackle me. If you’re going to be like this, then I simply won't go through with the substitute marriage."
Seeing Mother Zhou crying so bitterly, Zhou Jianye stepped forward to push Zhou Mingzhu. She grabbed his hand, pulled him with a sharp tug, punched him square in the face, and then lifted her leg from under the quilt to kick him, sending him stumbling back several steps.
Zhou Mingyue shrieked. Father Zhou stood up, glaring at Zhou Mingzhu. "Zhou Mingzhu! What are you doing? That’s your brother! How can you lay hands on him! Have you lost your mind?"
Zhou Mingzhu looked coldly at Father Zhou, Mother Zhou, and Zhou Jianye. "If Zhou Jianye pushes me one more time and I hit my head again, I might die! You don't care if I live or die, but I certainly do!"
Father Zhou’s rising fury was extinguished like a bucket of cold water. He looked at the reddish-black bloodstain on the pillowcase resting over the bulge of Zhou Mingzhu’s legs, his lips trembled, and he slumped back into his seat, defeated.
Mother Zhou frowned in disapproval and complained, "How did you become like a different person after waking up? Didn’t your brother fail to even touch you? Is it necessary to be so petty?"
Zhou Mingzhu watched Zhou Jianye, who was glaring at her with venom. "If you keep staring at me like that, I won't be going to university anyway, so I’ll have plenty of time to deal with you!"
Seeing the ruthlessness and determination in Zhou Mingzhu’s eyes, Father Zhou gritted his teeth. "Give her the money! Give her the Jade Pendant too! I’ll write the severance agreement right now!"
Mother Zhou looked at Father Zhou in astonishment, her mouth opening to object, but she saw Father Zhou looking coldly at Zhou Mingzhu. "Don’t you regret this. Once you take this severance agreement today, if you get bullied by the Gu Family later, the Zhou Family will never help you!"
Zhou Mingzhu chuckled and nodded, not wishing to say more. "I won't regret it!"
For Zhou Mingyue and Zhou Jianye, this home might have been a shelter from the storm, but for Zhou Mingzhu, all the storms had been brought upon her by this very house. Once she left this place, the world outside should be clear skies; why would she insist on finding storms here?
Zhou Jianye rubbed his nose and sneered, "When Gu Yan hits you, don’t expect me to back you up!"
Zhou Mingzhu ignored him entirely. Who was Gu Yan? He was the male lead! She had never heard of a male lead in a romance novel committing domestic violence. Even if they were to take a step back and assume Gu Yan did hit her, counting on Zhou Jianye to back her up would be less reliable than counting on the political commissar! If he dared to lay a finger on her, she wouldn't be Zhou Mingzhu if she didn't sue Gu Yan until he regretted it.
Father Zhou took letter paper and a fountain pen from the drawer of the paint-peeling wooden table between the two beds and began writing the severance agreement. Mother Zhou pursed her lips and told Zhou Mingyue to take off the Hetian peach blossom jade pendant from her neck. She then went into another room and returned with a bundle of money and ration coupons wrapped in a handkerchief.
After Father Zhou finished writing, Mother Zhou spoke up, "There is only three hundred and eighty-two yuan, and forty-six yuan in coupons."
Zhou Mingzhu looked up at her. "We agreed on eight hundred yuan, and not a single cent less! It’s not like there isn't money in the savings account; this kind of behavior is truly meaningless!"
Father Zhou gritted his teeth, slammed the agreement onto the table, and said, "Let’s go! We’ll go withdraw it right now! Your mother will take you to the Gu Family this afternoon!"
Mother Zhou opened her mouth to say something, but upon catching Father Zhou’s gaze, she flinched, as if remembering something. She shut her mouth, took the money wrapped in the handkerchief, and walked out.
Zhou Mingzhu put away the severance agreement and the pink gradient jade pendant. She grabbed an old cloth bag, stuffed a few of Zhou Mingyue’s notebooks into it, put on an army-green cotton hat, and walked out of the room.
Father Zhou turned to Zhou Jianye and Zhou Mingyue. "You two just stay home and don't go running about."
Father Zhou accompanied Mother Zhou and Zhou Mingzhu to withdraw the money, handing it over to Zhou Mingzhu in person. He turned to Mother Zhou and said, "Take her to the Gu Family now. Go immediately, you’ll still be able to make it back by nightfall."
Gu Yan’s grandfather also shared the surname Gu and lived in Luwei Village, not far from the county seat. Mother Zhou nodded at Father Zhou and pulled Zhou Mingzhu toward the direction of the farmers' market.
Near the market, there were often ox carts from nearby villages. When villagers came to town, the carts would wait nearby to pick them up. Mother Zhou found a cart heading toward Luwei Village, quietly slipped the driver two dimes, and they sat down early.
Seeing that Zhou Mingzhu had even specifically bought some meat to bring to the Gu Family, Mother Zhou felt a bitter ache in her heart. She couldn't help but sigh, "I don't know what kind of madness has gotten into you. Your father is truly angry this time!"
Zhou Mingzhu looked at Mother Zhou and asked, "I’ve been doing all the housework in this family since I was small, right? Who is doing the cooking today?"
Mother Zhou was confused and cast a reproachful glance at her. "You’re still worried about the house! It wasn't in vain that we raised you, you wretch! Your father will cook today; can’t the house function without you?"
Zhou Mingzhu gave a light laugh. She had only asked to confirm how the original owner had grown up in the Zhou household, to see if the novel’s casual mention of her hardships was an exaggeration. It seemed that while the novel only gave a few brief, sloppy lines about the villainess’s suffering, not a single word was false or padded.
Zhou Mingzhu looked down at her rough, chapped fingers and said nothing. Mother Zhou didn't see anything wrong with making Zhou Mingzhu do all the chores; it was the typical blindness of those who play favorites—they never believe they are in the wrong.
As they waited, Mother Zhou wanted to say something, but held back. She hovered on the edge of speaking several times but ultimately opted to lecture Zhou Mingzhu with a resentful tone. Only when the ox cart was filled with villagers did she start chatting with them, finally giving Zhou Mingzhu’s ears a rest.
Two hours later, seeing that Luwei Village was already in sight, Mother Zhou grabbed Zhou Mingzhu’s arm and whispered, "Mingzhu, Mom has something to tell you. Don't be unreasonable when you find out, you hear me?"
Zhou Mingzhu looked at her calmly. "Go ahead."
Mother Zhou sighed. "Gu Yan... he’s a bit of a soft-hearted person. He has two children under his name."
Zhou Mingzhu stared at her, and Mother Zhou felt her face grow hot, but she continued, "The children aren't his own, but if you're going to be with Gu Yan, you'll probably have to take the children with you." She paused, then added, "And both children call Gu Yan 'Dad,' so they'll likely call you 'Mom' too."