And indeed, things turned out just as Shuzhen had anticipated. With grand ambitions of having his son acknowledge his heritage and sending off the old lady with filial piety and a traditional burial, Dai Weiguo truly did not give up. However, things took an unexpected turn for him; he was utterly bewildered when Shuzhen unexpectedly disclosed everything to the child without reservation. A good scolding from his own son made him realize clearly: his son harbored a deep-seated prejudice against him, and saying more would only bring humiliation upon himself. Seeing as the old lady’s burial was the next day, he didn’t have time for a gradual approach. Therefore, extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures! Though this tactic wasn’t very upright, as the saying goes, whether black or white, a cat that catches mice is a good cat. By the same logic, any cunning tactic that achieves its purpose is a brilliant strategy! After all, the deceased takes precedence, and Shuzhen, being kind-hearted and simple by nature, had shared a close relationship with the old lady, like that of a mother and daughter. She would definitely help fulfill the old lady’s final wish. He confidently shared his thoughts with Bai Jing, his younger brother, and brother-in-law, hoping to get their support early the next morning. Concerning the old lady’s final wish, even if they were unwilling, it wouldn’t be easy to refuse. But just because they could bear it doesn’t mean Bai Jing could too! As soon as Dai Weiguo finished speaking, Bai Jing looked at him as if he were a madman, full of mockery in her eyes: "No, I won’t! I’m telling you, Dai Weiguo, don’t even think about it. In this lifetime, I, Bai Jing, may bow to anyone but Liu Shuzhen. Want me to kneel and plead with her? Let me tell you, I’d rather die than agree!" "You..." Dai Weiguo was infuriated, frowning in impatience as he looked at Bai Jing: "It’s related to mom’s last wish, can’t you put away your ridiculous pride and yield just this once? As a daughter-in-law, kneeling for your mother-in-law’s wish doesn’t belittle you!" "Enough, I know you too well! First, you coax me to kneel for your mom’s wish, and next, you’ll want me to acknowledge that illegitimate child of you and Liu Shuzhen. Let him flaunt himself in front of me and take over everything. Even I’ll have to live under his shadow and follow his whims?" Bai Jing’s lips curled into a knowing smirk, revealing her sarcasm. One retreat leads to another, and eventually, she’d have no place to stand. The Dai family is like a pack of wolves, groveling on the ground submissively when you’re in power. Once you show signs of losing power, they quickly shed their loyal façade to reveal their true nature. If you’re not ruthless and firm, prepare to be devoured by these ungrateful betrayers until not even a trace of bone remains! What? You say that Dai Weijia and his wife are okay? Yes, their family doesn’t join the fight to aid the wicked or anything. But, when Liu Shuzhen helped him marry and settle down, all she got in return at the time of their divorce were some sighs of regret. She helped them switch their rural residence to urban, arranged jobs, yet received not even a word of thanks, nor a glance of acknowledgment. That’s pretty cold, isn’t it? In Bai Jing’s view, they may not have lost all conscience, yet they haven’t stepped out of the boundaries of being ungrateful. Knowing that when Bai Jing goes mad, she disregards everything and would rather go down with the enemy, Dai Weiguo didn’t dare push her too far. He just gave her an intense look, like cutting with a knife, and when he saw she remained unyielding, he sighed helplessly, casually instructed his brother and brother-in-law, then turned around to seek help. Seeing this, Bai Jing only snorted coldly, entirely ignoring Dai Weimin’s disdain and dissatisfaction and Dai Weijia’s hesitance. She went to the western room, swept a space, spread the straw brought by Huang Xiaodi onto the floor, covered it with plastic, then laid the bedding over it. Next to it, she lit some mosquito coils, kicked off her shoes, and lay down fully clothed. As for keeping vigil, wasn’t that the duty of the filial sons and grandsons? The next morning, while Shuzhen was still sound asleep, she was startled awake by a loud knocking at the door. Just as she was about to get up to see which unfortunate soul was disturbing a good dream so early, Lianshan held her shoulders down: "My dear wife, you slept late last night, rest a bit more now. I’ll go see what’s happening, I’ll call you when breakfast is ready!" Shuzhen glared at him: Slept late? And who was it for? Almost turning into a wolf again under her charming glare, Lianshan chuckled and scratched his head: "Haha, you sleep, you sleep, I’ll go and check who it is!" Most likely one of those shameless people from the Dai family! Shuzhen thought to herself, but showed no sign on her face. She silently got up and dressed, intending to face whatever, whoever it was with her husband. Lianshan felt helpless; unable to convince her, he could only take her along! Letting his wife dress him in a new Dacron shirt, black trousers, leather sandals. The white shirt tucked into his pants, with a brand-name belt his wife had recently bought him. Then watching his usual casually and comfortably dressed wife suddenly transformed into a glamorous style. In a knee-length red dress with an eight-quarter sleeve and golden belt, wearing red mid-heel shoes. Her hair arranged into a stylish bun adorned with a gold magnolia flower and ruby hairpin. After much picking, she settled on a pair of fiery diamond earrings and wore jade bracelets on her wrists. A beauty with outstanding features and unique temperament, dressed so was even better than many TV stars. So mesmerized, Lianshan quickly held her hand back as she was about to put on foundation and eyeshadow: "I’m unwilling for others to see you, and you want to put on more? Wife, are you trying to make me die of jealousy?" Shuzhen hesitated for a moment, then laughed, and obediently put down the cosmetics. The couple walked towards the courtyard gate hand in hand, truly a perfect match of looks and talents. But with the mother’s burial imminent, who in the Dai family would be pleased to see Shuzhen, the former daughter-in-law, dressed in red? Even if the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law didn’t bond till the end, there should be at least minimal respect, right? Of course, Bai Jing didn’t care whether the former in-law respected the deceased old lady, she just couldn’t stand seeing someone who once had to grovel and beg in front of her living more and more thrivingly. No matter the dissatisfaction, Dai Weiguo remembered the purpose of his visit. He quickly began to wail and directly knelt towards Shuzhen. He pleaded that she should at least show some regard for their past relationship and not let the old lady enter her grave with regrets. Following his plea and kneeling, all the brothers, sisters-in-law, and children of the Dai family, except Bai Jing, knelt down, faces full of pleading. The city leaders whom Dai Weiguo had invited overnight also chimed in, telling Shuzhen that once someone dies, all grievances should end, as the deceased takes precedence. Infuriated, Shuzhen’s brows stood upright: A bunch of bastards, spent all night coming up with this foolish idea of moral coercion? Trying to force her to comply? Ha, as if!