The Wang family watched her leave, speechless. Was she really abandoning them?
At this point, they regretted not having inquired clearly about the identity of the person who had brought them here. Staring at the bustling capital, an unfamiliar place, they had no idea where to go.
As darkness began to fall, they finally saw Wu Caiwei returning in a hurry. They quickly intercepted her, appealing to their emotions and reasoning. "You have no idea how hard life is in the countryside. We barely save a few copper coins all year round. The meal at noon has already emptied all our silver. If you don't help us, we'll be sleeping on the streets."
Wu Caiwei looked at them, exasperated. "There are plenty of beggars on the streets. If I were to pity everyone, I truly wouldn't have enough pity to go around. You all have hands and feet; find a job, and you'll definitely have a place to sleep and food to eat."
"You truly won't help? Tomorrow, I'll cause a scene at your doorstep, making sure everyone knows, and you won't be able to live in peace." The original owner's mother unconsciously raised her voice, a flicker of panic in her heart.
Wu Caiwei didn't even spare them a glance and walked straight into the mansion. Seeing the door slam shut behind her, the Wang family members saw fear in each other's eyes.
After waiting for a while and realizing they definitely wouldn't be able to get in that day, they had no choice but to check into the cheapest inn they had found earlier that day. Looking at the meager copper coins they had left, they resolved to cause a major scene tomorrow, no matter what.
They had indeed been scared by Wu Caiwei's words yesterday, and they started inquiring around at noon. They had learned a little. Regardless, they were her parents, and even if an adult investigated, this fact couldn't be denied, giving them more confidence.
The very next morning, as Wu Caiwei stepped out, she was startled by a shout from across the street. "Everyone, come quickly and see! This unfilial daughter actually disowns us. She eats well and drinks heartily, wears gold and silver, and is attended by maids and servants, while we are no better than beggars on the street. Anyone who didn't know would think she was born from a rock, a heart of stone."
"Exactly, exactly! We traveled all the way from another place to the capital to find her, and after finally locating her, she makes us sleep on the streets."
"Where in the world are there such children? If Father and Mother had known she was like this from the beginning, they should have just strangled her at birth."
...
A crowd of onlookers quickly gathered in front of Wu Caiwei's courtyard. After all, her reputation in this area was not good. If it weren't for the rumors that she knew martial arts and that those who dared to oppose her met a bad end, petty thugs would have already shown up.
Seeing the surrounding people pointing and gossiping, and sensing they were on their side, the original owner's parents secretly rejoiced. Who had told her not to treat them like honored guests?
"I say, Manager Wu, your family is dressed in rags. Can you stand to see this?"
"Exactly, exactly. There are no parents in the world who are not loving. They gave birth to you and raised you. Regardless, you cannot just drive them out."
"This is the first time something like this has happened in our neighborhood. You mustn't ruin the reputation of this place."
...
The crowd verbally condemned her. They had long heard that she came from a disreputable background and had since reformed. Her doing business openly attracted the stares of their husbands, making her seem like a seductive vixen. Women who had husbands at home, whenever they saw her exquisite face and transcendent aura, felt a sense of awe and distance, mixed with an unspeakable jealousy. Now that they had finally caught her red-handed, they naturally wanted to trample her into the dust.
Wu Caiwei knew exactly what they were thinking and looked at them with a mocking smile. "Since everyone is so indignant on their behalf, why don't you quickly take them back to your own homes and honor them?"
"That's not right. They are clearly your parents. If you don't take them in, you expect us to? What kind of logic is that?" The most gossipy old woman on this street quickly raised her objection.
The crowd nodded in agreement. Wu Caiwei looked at her smug expression, feeling a bit exasperated. She had long known that this woman had spread many rumors about her behind her back, and this was the perfect opportunity to get back at her. She looked at her with a half-smile. "If they say they are my parents, then they are my parents. Then I say I am your mother, so will you call me that?"
After the surrounding people realized what had happened, they erupted into laughter. The old woman's face turned bright red, and she retorted furiously, "I'm doing this for your own good. I don't want to see you make a mistake and have everyone condemn you."
Wu Caiwei gave her a warning look, then turned to the original owner's parents. "I've already said I don't have parents. If you think I'm unfilial, you can go to the yamen and sue me. I told you yesterday not to bother me. Out of consideration for your difficult journey from the countryside, I let you off. Now it seems that kindness is taken for weakness. I won't be lenient this time."
Wu Caiwei walked through the crowd towards her carriage. After thinking for a moment, she stopped and turned back, stating with certainty, "Even if you were brought here by someone specifically to deal with me, if you are truly desperate, you can go to Lord Liu Mo Ran or find Miss Gao Xue Juan of the Gao family. The only ones who could devise such a scheme against me are them. Whoever brought you here, you go find them."
Getting back into her carriage, Wu Caiwei let out a cold snort. Since they wanted to make her life difficult, she would certainly create some trouble for them.
Seeing that there was no hope on this side, they really did as Wu Caiwei said and went to find Miss Gao or Lord Liu Mo Ran. Although they were unfamiliar with the capital, they knew names and surnames, and they had mouths below their noses, so they could ask.
They were quite fortunate. The original owner's father had just reached the vicinity of the Liu family residence when he saw a steward who had originally gone to pick them up.
Filled with excitement, he quickly trotted forward and blocked the steward's path. Steward Li looked at the unexpected person before him, feeling surprised and somewhat apprehensive, unsure how they had ended up here.
Before he could speak, the original owner's father tightly grasped his hand and complained, "Steward Li, you have caused us great suffering. Wu Caiwei absolutely refuses to acknowledge us as her parents. Now we are penniless and on the verge of becoming beggars. You cannot abandon us."
"I was acting out of good intentions at the time, not wanting you to be kept in the dark. You chose to come along. I am merely a minor steward of the Liu family, and my contract is still with my master. I wish I could help you, but I am powerless." Steward Li quickly pushed the responsibility away, unwilling to get entangled with them.
"Wu Caiwei said that your master and Miss Gao of the Gao family are her adversaries and deliberately brought us here to cause her trouble. Don't try to fool us. I heard your master is an official. We who are barefoot are not afraid of those with shoes. We can all go down together in a mutual destruction." A young man glared at him indignantly. He finally understood that his family was being toyed with like fools.
This young man was the only male heir in the original owner's family, treated like a treasure. He was usually hard to control, and upon arriving in the capital, he had suppressed his temper, fearing the situation would get out of hand. Now, his patience had run out. Even if the heavens themselves descended, he would cause a scene.