Old Father Si said nothing, only shaking his head with a weary indifference. On one hand, he felt the cold-heartedness of his relatives; on the other, he felt deeply aggrieved for his three daughters-in-law who were suffering alongside them. Then, he thought of his fourth son, whose fate remained unknown.
Once a high-ranking official in the imperial court, he had been reduced to a prisoner who could do nothing to help his family. The mere thought was agonizing.
Suddenly, Old Madam Si cried out in alarm.
Chapter 18