Heartless and cold-hearted

The village chief let out a long sigh, his hazy eyes looking straight at Old Lady Zhu with a serious look in their eyes.

" Then let me make it clear, Zhu Changyu is not your biological son. Some of his possessions, such as that jade bracelet, you have no right to keep them. You must return them to him !"

These words caused the entire courtyard to fall into a dead silence. Everyone who heard them widened their eyes in shock, while Old Lady Zhu turned pale. However, in a split second, anger surged instead.

" That jade is mine ! I have raised it my whole life. I will keep it ! No one can take it away !"

She shouted shrilly, her hands gripping the hem of her dress tightly as if she would protect the treasure with her life.

" Old Mother Zhu," the village headman said in a deep voice.

" If you still insist, I will report this matter to the authorities. Do you want to be punished for embezzling Zhu Changyu's private property? "

Old Lady Zhu, who was being oppressed from all sides, trembled with anger. She stamped her feet loudly and screamed.

" This is so unfair ! I raised her in place of her biological parents for her entire life ! Why should I give her something back ?!" She turned to glare at the onlookers.

" What are you all standing there looking at ? Or do you all think I'm wrong too ?!" But no one said anything. There was only a whisper.

" Is she so cruel because he's not her real son ?"

The whispers that gradually grew louder among the villagers caused the atmosphere to change.

" No wonder Zhu Changyu was treated so badly."

" Just because he wasn't her biological son? How pitiful."

" Old Madam Jun is really too cruel."

Zhu Changyu, who had heard the secret of his birth being exposed in public, had a sad look in his eyes, but his expression remained calm.

" Mother, I was never angry that you weren't my real mother. But what I wanted today was a chance to protect my family. And that jade pendant is the only thing that lets me know who my real parents are."

The village headman, who saw that Grandma Zhu was still restless, spoke in a powerful tone.

" Old Lady Zhu, if you are still stubborn, I will report this matter to the authorities. Do you want to turn this small matter into a big problem ?"

These words caused Old Madam Zhu to gnash her teeth. She turned around and walked back into the main house in a rage, leaving behind a trail of curses. Meanwhile, the village head turned to Zhu Changyu and nodded, signaling him to continue preparing for the separation of the house.

Inside the main house, Old Lady Zhu stomped her feet towards a storage room in a corner of the house, her eyes filled with anger and resentment.

" This jade is what he wants. Do I have to return it ? Humph !" She grumbled as she pulled out the jade cloth that was hidden in a small wooden box.

The jade tiger pattern with the character "Yu" engraved on the white jade was still in good condition. Old Lady Zhu picked it up and looked at it, but she could only clench her teeth in regret.

" This jade, if I were to sell it, how much would it be worth …" She sighed in annoyance before walking back out into the courtyard.

Decades ago, on a day of heavy rain, Old Madam Zhu was returning from the market in the county. On her way, she heard a baby crying from the bushes by the roadside. She stopped and went to take a look. She found a little boy lying in a well-wrapped cloth bundle, along with a small cloth bag containing a glass, silver, gold, and a jade with a tiger design engraved with the character "Yu".

" Oh ! You are so lucky that I happened to pass by."

She spoke to the child, her voice gentle but her eyes filled with greed. She checked the child's valuables and scanned the surroundings for anyone who might be the child's guardian, but the area was empty. There was no sign of any adults or family members.

Old Lady Zhu did not hesitate for long. She picked up the child and walked back home immediately. The wealth that the child had brought with her made her decide to keep the child and raise him herself, planning to use the wealth to increase the family's wealth.

When the villagers asked about the child, Old Lady Zhu pretended to be sad and told a lie:

" This is the child of my cousin who recently died in an accident. I promise to raise him myself !" Her words made no one doubt the child too much.

The village headman who maintained peace and order in the village learned about the child that Grandma Zhu had raised. He was suspicious because he remembered that Grandma Zhu did not have any relatives as she had mentioned. So he secretly asked Grandma Zhu for the truth.

" Did you pick this child up on the side of the road ? If so, you should take him to the authorities in case his parents come looking for him," the village chief warned seriously.

Grandma Ju hurriedly refused in a loud voice.

" I said I would raise him myself ! Do you think the child's parents are still alive ? If they were, why would they leave their child in the middle of the forest on a rainy day ? Do you think I would do something bad to this child ? I raised him with kindness !"

Therefore, the village head had no evidence to confirm or force her to send the child to the authorities. He could only warn her in a stern tone.

" If you hurt the child or use him inappropriately, I will report this matter to the county magistrate immediately."

In his early years, Zhu Changyu was taken care of by Old Mother Zhu as a child in the family, but as he grew older and understood the world around him, he became just a laborer in the Zhu family household. She ordered him to do hard work since he was a young child, claiming that he had to repay her for raising him.

The money and treasures he had brought with him were gradually sold and used up by Old Lady Zhu. Some were used to build a new house, while some were used for the family's daily expenses. As for the last valuable jade pocket, she kept it carefully to use as a reserve fund in case of emergency.

Despite growing up in this family, Zhu Changyu had never received any love from Old Mother Zhu or her sons and daughters. He was treated as an outsider, and was often scolded and abused, even as he worked to support his family for decades.

Everyone in the village knew that Zhu Changyu was a hardworking man who had endured this unfair fate. Some villagers had wondered why Old Lady Zhu treated him as if he was not part of their family, but no one dared to ask him directly for fear of Old Lady Zhu's wrath.

Now that the truth is revealed today, many villagers have a deeper understanding of the suffering of Zhu Changyu and the second family.

" Old Lady Zhu, bring the jade to Zhu Changyu, and then we will discuss the property division agreement," the village chief said in a resolute tone.

Old Lady Zhu handed the jade to the village chief with an unwilling expression.

" This is the only thing left ! I've already used up all my other valuables. Without me, would they have such a big house ?" She muttered loud enough for the villagers to hear, then turned her head away.

The village head just let out a long sigh.

" The personal belongings that belong to Zhu Changyu must be returned to him. As for the other assets, we will discuss sharing them later," he said as he handed the jade pendant to Zhu Changyu.