Chapter 54: The High Regard of the Matriarch of the Zhou Family!

She was, in fact, well aware of Zhao Zheng’s habits of drinking and gambling.

Yet, no one is flawless. He was a bachelor who had never married, raising two adopted sons all by himself—that in itself was a testament to his capability.

What of a little wine?
What of a bit of gambling?
He had neither gambled away the family property nor failed to fulfill his filial duties to his elderly mother.

Though advanced in age and failing of sight, her mind remained exceptionally sharp.

Judging simply by Zhao Zheng bringing her a bowl of meat to show his gratitude, she knew she had not misjudged him. The boy was not only filial and honest, but also deeply sentimental and loyal.

Otherwise, how could he have dared to risk his life to avenge pockmarked Er?

It was hardly surprising that her eldest grandson, when he was still alive, had loved playing with Zhao Zheng's sons. Like father, like son—that adage was never wrong.

Showing no false modesty, she took the chopsticks and began to eat.

The tender, thoroughly cooked rice, infused with meat fat, was perfectly suited for an elderly woman with few teeth remaining.

The eggs had absorbed the savory broth, seasoned to perfection.

The meat, in particular, was melt-in-the-mouth tender.

A gentle press between her gums was enough to dissolve it.

"It has been ages since I last had eggs and meat," the Old Mrs. Zhou said. "Thanks to your kindness, I am tasting them once more."

"From now on, as long as I have a bite to eat, you shall have a share. As long as I have clothes on my back, I will not let you suffer from the cold," Zhao Zheng promised.

Old Mrs. Zhou said nothing more, merely smiling as she ate. After consuming about a third of the bowl, she could eat no more.

She then felt her way into the inner room in the dark, emerging shortly after with a cloth bag and a two-meter-square piece of indigo blue fabric. "I have nothing precious to offer you. Here are five catties of millet, and this bolt of cloth was given to me by the village. Take them all."

"Granny, this is far too generous."

"I am not standing on ceremony with you, and you must not stand on ceremony with me!" Old Mrs. Zhou declared. "I have taken every word you said to heart. Since you treat me as an elder, I treat you as my own flesh and blood. What does a little millet and cloth given to my own family member amount to?"

"Don't you still have relatives..."

Old Mrs. Zhou let out a cold laugh. "We cut ties long ago. They are wishing for my early demise so they can carve up my possessions."

Zhao Zheng asked, "Then why do you trust me so completely?"

"I am old and have few years left. If I can still be of some help to you, I am more than willing," Old Mrs. Zhou replied. "Though my eyes are failing, my judgment of people is sound. You are a good lad, not the ungrateful sort."

A warm glow filled Zhao Zheng's chest. Though advanced in years, the old woman possessed a clarity of mind that surpassed anyone else's.

Indeed, he did have his own calculations.

Three generations of the Zhou family had died as loyal martyrs.

Looking across the entire Ming Prefecture, one would be hard-pressed to find their equal.

This was merely because the Zhou family hailed from humble origins. Had they been local gentry or a prominent clan, the imperial court would surely have bestowed upon them official titles of honor.

To put it without exaggeration, with Old Mrs. Zhou present in the small mountain village, she served as a pillar stabilizing the stormy seas.

Even the gentry from towns within a radius of ten miles dared not harbor any malicious designs against the old lady.

The sweat shed by the old woman was worth more than their blood; she was the very facade and prestige of this prosperous region.

When the village magistrate submitted reports to his superiors, the old lady was bound to be an indispensable subject—she was a political achievement!

After the old lady lost her grandson, many came sniffing around hoping to take advantage of her, yet how many succeeded?

Whoever regarded the old lady as a fool was the true fool.

"There is still a long road ahead; you just need to watch and see."

Zhao Zheng did not stand on ceremony with the old lady either. For him, food and clothing posed no problem whatsoever; adding one more mouth to feed—let alone ten—was well within his capacity.

However, the old lady's return gift held a different significance; it represented her endorsement.

After chatting with the old lady for a while longer, he took the sack of millet and the cloth and headed home.

Both Yang Zhaodi and Zhang Xiaoe were astonished at the sight of the items in their father-in-law's hands.

Upon learning that they were gifts from Old Mrs. Zhou, they were utterly shocked.

"Everyone in the village says Granny Zhou has a terribly eccentric temper!"

"Whenever anyone went to borrow grain from her, she would curse them right out of her doorway!"

Zhao Zheng smiled heartily. "I am different from them. You two should visit her house more often when you have free time. You don't even need to do any chores—just going over to chat with her is enough."

Without saying much more, Zhao Zheng handed the millet to Xiaoe and the cloth to Zhaodi. "This fabric is fine. The two of you can make yourselves some new clothes."

...

Thump, thump, thump!

The courtyard gate was knocked upon once more.

"Who is it?" Zhao Zheng frowned.

"Uncle, it's me, Chunmei. I've come to give your feet a massage!"

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaoe knitted her delicate brows in displeasure. "Why is she here again!"

Yang Zhaodi was equally speechless, finding this Widow Zheng stubborn beyond belief.

Suddenly, a possibility flashed through her mind.

Could Widow Zheng harbor other intentions toward her father-in-law?

"Surely not?"

Once this thought took root, it refused to go away. Her father-in-law was not particularly old, and recently, thanks to better food, he no longer looked gaunt and sickly. He had also started taking care of his appearance and hygiene.

Once cleaned up, he looked to be only around thirty-five or thirty-six.

Above all, her father-in-law possessed remarkable capabilities.

While other households had to subsist on chaff, vegetable roots, and tree bark, their own family enjoyed white rice, eggs, and meat every single day, not to mention clothing made of bear fur. Their life could not possibly be more comfortable.

"Widow Zheng is left a widow with an orphan to raise, and there is no strong man in her house to shoulder burdens. She must be finding life impossible to get through!"

At this thought, Yang Zhaodi's expression turned frosty. "Xiaoe, blow out the lamp. Pay her no mind!"

Zhang Xiaoe hurriedly extinguished the lamp, plunging the room into immediate darkness.

Since Zhao Zheng had already achieved his objective, he had no desire to become entangled with Widow Zheng.

If others were to find out, it would easily ruin his carefully built reputation.

Yet the less Zhao Zheng acknowledged her, the more insistent the knocking became. If this continued, the entire neighborhood would hear.

"This Widow Zheng is completely devoid of tact," Zhang Xiaoe said indignantly. "We shouldn't have given her that scorched rice crust in the first place!"

"I'll go out and see," Zhao Zheng sighed, pushing open the chamber door and stepping outside.

Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, Zheng Chunmei felt a flutter of nervousness.

The footsteps grew closer, stopping just behind the door. "Chunmei, why have you come again?"

"I've... I've come to massage Uncle Zhao's feet!"

"My feet are healed, no massage is needed. Go back!"

"I... I still owe Uncle Zhao sixty wen. Since I cannot produce the money, I will repay you with my labor!"

"That won't be necessary either. Considering we're fellow villagers, the debt is canceled. Just keep your children in line from now on." Had Zhao Zheng known she would prove so clingy, he would have given her at most a bowl of watery millet gruel.

With that, he turned, ready to head back inside.

At that exact moment, Zheng Chunmei's shy voice drifted through the door once more, "Uncle, I took a bath today, and I changed into new clothes..."

Zhao Zheng abruptly halted, turning around instinctively.

Clenching her fists, Zheng Chunmei felt intensely nervous, her palms slick with sweat.

At this moment, every ounce of her dignity and pride had been cast aside.

If Zhao Zheng were to rebuff her once more, she would never again have the face to show herself here.

Silence stretched endlessly from within the courtyard, driving her to the verge of despair.

Just then, a deep voice echoed from inside, "Tomorrow before dawn, I am heading to Golden Rooster Mountain to gather firewood!"

Following that, footsteps faded gradually into the distance.

A complex look crossed Zheng Chunmei's eyes.

"Tomorrow, Golden Rooster Mountain?"

In the Zhao household, with Yang Zhaodi and her sister-in-law present, Third Brother Zhao would at most exert himself physically. But once they went to Golden Rooster Mountain, matters would be far more complicated than mere physical exertion!