Mother Zhou stumbled over and ran over, but she was still a step too late.
Most of the Zhou family's house has been burned, and all the belongings in the room have been burned to ashes. The courtyard wall has collapsed, and the fire has spread to the neighbor's house. The neighbor's people hurriedly carried buckets to put out the fire.
"What a damn bad luck. If I hadn't been at home, our house would have burned down..."
Mother Zhou's mind went blank, and she felt like crying without tears when she looked at the blazing flames.
Nothing, nothing, her home and money were all burned down.
The blow was so heavy that Zhou's mother rolled her eyes and fainted.
The neighbors who were watching the excitement took a step back, for fear of being offended by her, and encouraged Zhou Shui'an, who was standing next to him, to look dumbfounded.
"Anzi, help your mother up quickly, and this house can't keep burning. Hurry up and put out the fire!" What if it burns to other people's homes?
A group of people looked at Zhou Shui'an. His eyes were not eyes, and his nose was not a nose. How come the young man who usually looked pretty good didn't take any responsibility when big things happened.
"Oh ok..."
Zhou Shui'an recovered from his daze. His hands and feet were cold and his legs were still trembling. He dragged Zhou's mother to the side and sat against the wall. The dragging movement alarmed Zhou's mother. She looked pale and in a daze, holding on tightly with her hands.
He took Zhou Shui'an's arm and asked eagerly.
"Anzi, our house is fine, isn't it? There's no fire at all, right?"
Zhou Shui'an pursed his lips and said nothing, then turned around to carry the bucket to put out the fire. Zhou's mother couldn't accept the fact for a while and sat on the ground crying.
"Oh my god, why do you still play tricks on us orphans and widowed mothers during the Chinese New Year! If other people's houses are not set on fire, just our house will be set on fire. This will cost the life of the old woman!"
"Mr. Zhou, what are you talking about? You can't blame other people's houses. We are provoking you!" The neighbors originally wanted to help put out the fire, but when they heard this, they put down their buckets.
"Did I say something wrong? It must have been your naughty kid who set off firecrackers and burned down my house. Our Zhou family is an unreasonable disaster. You should suffer all this!"
Zhou's mother consciously found out the truth, and she grabbed the people next to her and demanded compensation.
"Bah, my son went back to the countryside with his grandma. He set off firecrackers in the countryside and still managed to damage your house. I think you are crazy. You might have started the fire yourself!"
The neighbor's wife was also a sharp-tongued woman, and her words left Mother Zhou speechless.
"It's impossible, it's impossible. It's you who started this fire. You all did it on purpose. If you still don't admit it, I'm going to report it to the police and have you all arrested!"
She was in a daze, and people around her shook their heads. She was probably really crazy.
"Mom, that bitch ran away." Zhou Shui'an came out of the yard with hatred on his face.
"She set the fire!"
"What?" Mother Zhou screamed, "How dare that bitch?"
She pushed Zhou Shui'an away and rushed into the yard. The Zhou family's house had been completely burned down and the fire was under control. The thick smoke billowing in the yard made Zhou's mother unable to open her eyes. She didn't realize it and reached out to push the door of the woodshed.
The woodshed was empty except for the firewood that had been burnt to ashes. Zhou's mother suddenly burst into anger, and her lips trembled with anger.
"This bitch, this bitch, she is really going to cause misery to our old Zhou family!"
Zhou Shui'an remained silent over there and rushed into the bedroom again. The two taels of silver he had hidden in the crack in the wall were gone.
Zhou Shui'an grabbed the bricks on the wall so hard that his fingertips turned white.
"She also stole money from the family."
Zhou's mother was dizzy and rushed into the bedroom regardless of the crumbling beams. She rummaged under the bed for a while and finally found only a half-burned purse.
Zhou's mother fell down beside the bed, clutching the purse and crying until she was hoarse.
"All my money, one hundred taels, was stolen by her. This unscrupulous bitch would have starved to death long ago if she hadn't been taken in by the old woman. She just doesn't know how to be grateful, and she ruined our family.
Why is this old woman so miserable? None of the wives she gets are good..."
"Tsk!" Hearing Mother Zhou's cry, the surrounding neighbors sneered with contempt on their faces.
Mrs. Zhou was very happy when she took her as a concubine, and she doted on Zhao Yuan more than her own daughter. The Shen family was gentle and generous, and she had a good family background, so she had to tease her. It is hard not to say that she ended up like this as retribution.
"Anzi, what are you still doing? Hurry up and report to the officials. Maybe Zhao Yuan can be caught before she gets far!"
Someone also gave them some advice, and both Zhou Shui'an and Zhou's mother came to their senses.
"That's right, go report it to the police and bring that bitch back!"
Zhao Yuan escaped from the Zhou family and walked all the way to the city gate. She carried a bag in her arms, which contained her household registration and clothes, as well as the money stolen from the Zhou family. This money was enough for her to live a good life in the next life.
Her body was still aching, but her heart was at ease. If Zhou Shui'an and Zhou's mother dared to treat her like that, they would have to bear her revenge. Zhao Yuan walked very fast, and when she was approaching the city gate, she was hit by an oncoming carriage.
"Bang!"
She was knocked out and the coachman was startled, and he quickly stopped the horse.
"Master, I bumped into someone."
"Go down and have a look." There was a middle-aged man sitting in the carriage. He was slightly chubby, and his round body wrapped in silk satin looked a bit rich.
"Hey." The coachman got off the carriage and saw Zhao Yuan unconscious on the roadside. Her hands and feet were limp. He felt between her breath and felt that she was still breathing, and he felt relieved.
"Master, she is a little lady."
"Oh?" The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows, opened the car curtain and looked out. Although Zhao Yuan was tortured to the point of being skinny, her appearance was still there. She was wearing new clothes, and she looked even more fragile and pitiful.
A flash of light flashed in the man's eyes, and he pulled down the curtain and ordered the driver.
"Pick the person up."
"yes."
The carriage gradually drove away from the city. At the same time, Zhou Shui'an came out of the county office after reporting to the officials. The Zhou family was completely burned and no one could live in it. He and Zhou's mother faced the cold wind and looked at the ashes without tears.
"Mom, I still have some money on me, let's find an inn to stay in first."
"What kind of inn are you going to? There is a shop, right? Just go and stay in the shop."
The price of the inn had increased during the Chinese New Year, so Zhou's mother was reluctant to stay there. The grocery store was small and cold, and I didn't usually feel it when doing business. Now I found that the place was so small that I didn't even have time to turn around.
Zhou's mother huddled on the small bench and left the table for Zhou Shui'an to lie down and rest. The table was cold and hard, and Zhou Shui'an couldn't find the strength to turn over it.
"It's all you who forced me to marry Zhao Yuan. It's okay now. I have lost both my life and property. I even lost my home during the Chinese New Year. I just stay in this shop."
Zhou Shui'an's face was full of complaints. If it weren't for Zhou's mother, he wouldn't be in this situation.
"I never knew that bitch was so cruel and vicious. Not only did she steal the money, but she also set fire to the house. When she is caught, I will be skinned and cramped!"
Zhou's mother excused herself and scolded Zhao Yuan again. Seeing that Zhou Shui'an's face was still dark, she smiled flatteringly.
"Anzi, mother knows that she was wrong. If you want to marry Shen Yingxue back, mother has no objection."
