For the next few days, Zhou Huihua ate and drank to her heart's content, seizing every moment to exercise and maintain herself in the best possible condition.
She aimed to keep her strength at its current peak.
Meanwhile, Du Rushen and his wife were forcibly starved.
After all, their mission was to appear pitiful and miserable, so the more pitiful and miserable they were, the better.
The first and second meals of starvation were manageable.
But by the third meal.
The couple began to struggle.
Hunger is a terrible thing. Models who often go hungry, or those from poor families who are accustomed to hunger, might fare better.
If necessary, when extremely hungry, even a little something to fill the stomach.
Even drinking water for satiety could offer some relief.
However, Du Rushen and his wife had not experienced hunger in years. Furthermore, Zhou Huihua, in her pursuit of the quickest results, not only denied them any food but also any water.
Consequently, they soon couldn't take it anymore and began to resist.
They cried and wailed, demanding food.
Unfortunately, to achieve their goal, to obtain that vast fortune, neither Du Rushen's mother nor his elder brothers could allow them to eat.
Later, out of fear of leaks and to ensure the effectiveness of their act.
They even tied up Du Rushen and his wife.
After three days of such torment, Du Rushen and his wife were on the verge of death. Fortunately, someone discovered them in time and fed them some saltwater, otherwise, they might have experienced the feeling of dying before achieving their goals, dying at the hands of their accomplices before accomplishing anything.
For the next two days, Zhou Huihua dared not starve them further. She fed them some porridge daily.
To ensure they wouldn't die from this.
After a full five days, on the sixth day, Zhou Huihua decided it was time. Before going, she specifically changed Du Rushen and his wife into clothes they had discarded years ago, clothes previously used for the dog’s bedding. She also smeared dirt and grime on them.
This made them look similar to the refugees in her memory. Satisfied, she took them to the factory to confront Ding Yun. Of course, she also brought a sharp weapon with her.
Everything was prepared.
All that remained was for Ding Yun to appear.
About half an hour later, a grand performance began at the snack factory, a crying and wailing drama starring Du Rushen and his wife, directed by Zhou Huihua from behind the scenes.
They cried about their tragic circumstances and their daughter's filial impiety.
However, the effect was quite underwhelming.
Firstly, everyone already knew their general situation. They were even fully aware of how they had abandoned the original owner years ago and even fought with her for the old master's inheritance. Their act might fool strangers, but it had little effect on the locals who knew the truth.
Few people felt sympathy for them.
Secondly, no one found their complaints reasonable. In the current societal trend, people did not expect daughters to support them in old age; the common belief was that sons provided for their parents. While it was reasonable for a daughter to care for her parents for a few days when they were ill, expecting her to support them entirely was not.
Unless there was no son in the family.
That might be understandable.
Moreover, their county was not a major tourist city with many unfamiliar visitors. They were all locals, all acquaintances. Who wouldn't know their situation? Therefore, the subdued reaction was normal.
However, the security guards at the entrance quickly relayed the message into the factory and successfully notified Ding Yun.
"Should we, as usual,
Have someone escort them away? This appearance is too unsightly. I know you don't care about gossip, but it will always have some impact.
So, what do you think?"
Since it wasn't the first time the couple had caused a scene, the factory had a standard procedure: having villagers from Du Family Village, who worked at the factory, forcibly escort them away.
But that was the procedure when Ding Yun was absent.
Now that the boss was present, she still needed to be consulted.
"No rush. I'll listen first. I've only heard your recounts over the years. I haven't heard it directly myself. This time, let's hear what they have to say."
Ding Yun hadn't returned in years and was genuinely curious about the shamelessness of the original owner's parents. Thus, she did not agree to follow the usual protocol but decided to witness it herself. After speaking, she rose and left the factory manager's office.
She walked directly outside.
Not long after, she heard their cries and complaints. The voices were not loud but were quite grating.
As she approached, she could see them through the gate.
She could personally witness their current pathetic state.
"Manager, their appearance is indeed more miserable than before, but I can guarantee that they did not look like this the last time they came."
He Dong, who was in charge of factory security, was also startled by the sight of Du Rushen and his wife. Fearing that Ding Yun might feel sympathetic, he quickly explained.
He explained that they had not looked like this before.
They hadn't been this miserable before and had looked quite presentable.
At the same time, Du Rushen's entire family, who had been waiting and hiding outside, perked up as soon as they saw Ding Yun appear. Du Rushen and his wife cried even more theatrically, adding phrases like "We are not asking for money, we just want to see our daughter."
They were eager to lure Ding Yun out.
"It's alright. I believe you."
Ding Yun had long seen through the nature of the original owner's family. She could even detect a hint of anxiety and urgency in their voices. Therefore, she naturally wouldn't blame others. Even if they had come this pitifully every time, Ding Yun would not have felt sympathetic. They had endured much harder times in their past, times of hardship and uncertainty, and had not become like this. Who would believe they would suddenly become this way now?
Even a fool would know they were faking it.
After reassuring He Dong, Ding Yun continued:
"Just listening to their wailing is rather monotonous. How about this, do you know where in our county one can hire professional mourners? Invite them over, as many as you can find. Have them mourn my father and mother.
And also my grandparents, uncles, and their wives.
Consider it my filial piety as a junior."
"Uh... Alright, I'll go now..."
He Dong was also stunned by Ding Yun's actions. He paused, hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement and quickly made arrangements. He even dispatched a factory vehicle to pick them up.
The goal was to ensure the mourning troupe.
Arrived as quickly as possible.
Over the next half hour, Du Rushen and his wife tried every method imaginable, from playing the victim to invoking blood ties, and even resorting to shouting curses.
They did their best to attract Ding Yun's attention.
They would have been happy even if she came out and fought them, as that would have meant their objective was met.
But Ding Yun was unwilling to come out and engage in a brawl with them.
Wasn't it more dignified to watch them like monkeys through the gate than to get into a fight with them?
After half an hour, their throats were hoarse, and they were struggling to breathe. Ding Yun, however, was no longer standing there watching. She had specifically brought out a rocking chair and was watching from it.
While rocking, she ate fruits and snacks.
She even gathered idle workers from the factory.
And had them sit around her.
Together, they ate sunflower seeds and watched.
This almost drove Du Rushen and his wife to death. It also enraged them to the point where they stopped their pretense and began cursing from the bottom of their hearts.
However, before they could curse for long, the mourning troupe that Ding Yun had hired arrived in the factory truck. As soon as they arrived, Ding Yun immediately prepaid their wages and told them to let loose.
Then, it became truly lively.
Mourning for the father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, second uncle, and second aunt, all gathered and cried. And they cried with megaphones. Suonas, sutras for the deceased, and other chanting sounds also filled the air.
The noise completely drowned out the curses of Du Rushen and his wife. It was no joke. Just a suona alone could drown out their voices, let alone all these sounds combined. This was an absolute crushing victory.
An unbeatable crushing victory.
Not to mention their curses, even if a choir or a symphony orchestra were invited, it would have been useless.
As for disadvantages, of course, there were some.
Ding Yun and the others' ears also suffered.
Some people even stuffed cotton balls in their ears.
Meanwhile, Du Rushen and his wife immediately turned pale. They were filled with anger and hatred, and a sense of retreat began to creep in. However, at this moment, their eldest brother and sister-in-law, and second brother and sister-in-law, immediately came forward and whispered in their ears, telling them to be patient for a moment and not to retreat. Their mother had already gone to devise a plan, and she had thought of a way that would absolutely provoke the other party and force her out.
Then, the six of them covered their ears and began a silent sit-in at the entrance.
An hour passed in a standoff. By the time the Du family of six felt their ears were about to go deaf, their mother, Zhou Huihua, finally returned in a hurry.
She rushed back, carrying a clay pot.
Upon arrival, she immediately raised the pot above her head.
Although she didn't say a word, her intention was clear: she was going to smash the pot.
Seeing this, Ding Yun's eyes immediately widened with fury. She could no longer sit still and immediately stood up, took two steps, vaulted over the gate, and charged furiously towards Zhou Huihua.
Because the old hag in her hands was.
The urn containing her great-grandfather's ashes.
This was something the original owner remembered very clearly.
For the original owner, no one's affection could compare to that of her great-grandfather. Because her great-grandfather had spent more than a decade with her, and more importantly, she owed her survival to him. Without her great-grandfather, she would have likely died long ago, nowhere to be found.
At this moment, Zhou Huihua, watching Ding Yun charge towards her, showed no fear in her eyes. Instead, she had a smug look. When Ding Yun was only a step away, she suddenly slammed the pot downwards and quickly drew a sharp blade from her embrace. She intended to stab Ding Yun, who she assumed would either rush to catch the pot or, even if it shattered, would certainly fall onto the broken pieces.
Immediately after, Ding Yun did as she expected.
She paid no attention to Zhou Huihua and rushed to save the pot first.
With agile and swift movements, by risking injury to her wrists and elbows in an emergency rescue, she managed to cradle the gray-red pot in her arms.
At the same time, Zhou Huihua's blade was about to stab Ding Yun's back, near her heart.
The onlookers, despite their anxiety and desire to intervene, were too late. They didn't understand the importance of the pot, so they didn't anticipate Ding Yun's urgency and recklessness. Moreover, Zhou Huihua's ruthlessness and audacity were beyond the expectations of the onlookers.
At this moment, Ding Yun's elbow was already on the ground, with most of her strength focused on protecting the pot. Furthermore, the surrounding noise was too loud for her to hear any shouts.
Therefore, she was naturally unaware of the situation behind her.
However, fortunately, Ding Yun's charge was so fast that she had already used her elbow to cushion the impact and reduce the force. She couldn't completely stop her forward momentum. Thus, when Zhou Huihua's blade was about to stab her back near the heart, Ding Yun had already moved slightly forward. Therefore, Zhou Huihua's blade ultimately only stabbed below Ding Yun's heart.
At this point, Ding Yun's attention shifted from the pot and her severely scraped elbow.
It shifted to her injured back.
She immediately twisted her body, filled with boundless rage and lingering fear, and with all her might, fiercely kicked Zhou Huihua in the chest. Zhou Huihua, who had missed her target and was attempting to follow up, was sent flying.
She flew out, spitting blood.
Never underestimate the strength of a cook. Especially when that thin cook, fueled by rage, unleashed their potential and kicked with all their might. After the kick, she felt utterly drained.
Fortunately, at this moment, the crowd reacted, quickly opened the main gate, and rushed forward. Some controlled the Du family, some checked on Ding Yun's condition, and others immediately called for an ambulance and the police.
Ding Yun's condition was actually quite good at this point. Firstly, her vital organs were not injured. Secondly, the intense pain made it impossible for her to faint immediately. Therefore, she even had the presence of mind to comfort the workers, telling them not to let it affect production.
While summoning her trusted confidante, she instructed him to ensure the pot was well-protected and that no harm came to it.
Only then did she proceed to bandage her own wound.
And wait for the relevant personnel to arrive.
About ten minutes later, the hospital ambulance arrived, followed shortly by police officers.
Those who were injured were sent to the hospital first.
Those who were not injured were taken in for questioning.
Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion, according to procedure.