The old man and woman were completely at a loss concerning their obstinate son; they had pleaded and even resorted to blows, yet the son remained unyielding, insisting on marrying that widow. Subsequently, the elderly couple decided to shift their focus from their son to the widow herself.

Approaching the widow required complete secrecy from their son. With this in mind, the old man promptly locked Wang Youliang in a room, telling him to reflect on his actions. Only then did the old man resolve to seek out the widow for a talk.

Locked in his room, Wang Youliang resolved that no matter what punishment they inflicted, he would never yield, determined to hold out until they agreed to his marriage. At that moment, he hadn't considered that his family would go directly to confront Madam Huang.

Meanwhile, the old woman reflected that some matters were awkward for the old man, a stern patriarch, to broach; it would be easier for one woman to speak with another. Thus, she decided to accompany him. As for Lady Tian, she naturally yearned to go as well. After this whole affair, she harbored an intense hatred for the widow, wishing she could scratch her face raw at the mere thought of that woman seducing Wang Youliang.

The old woman could easily guess Lady Tian's true intentions for wanting to go. While she understood Tian's feelings, a public scene would spread the matter far and wide, which was exactly what she hoped to avoid. Her aim was a quiet resolution; there was no way she would permit Lady Tian to cause an uproar.

But if she forbade Tian from going, wouldn't Tian simply follow them stealthily? Therefore, it was best to reason with Lady Tian first.

The old woman intercepted Lady Tian, who was preparing to leave with them, saying, "Eldest daughter-in-law, you should stay here at home!"

Upon hearing this, Lady Tian was immediately incredulous. "Mother, why must I stay home? After enduring so much humiliation because of that slut, can I not even go out and vent some of my anger?"

The old woman sighed upon hearing this. "Of course, I know that, and I know you've suffered humiliation. It’s only human nature to want to vent, but have you considered? If you vent, and things escalate into a scene, everyone will know. Then, the reputation of our Wang family will be utterly ruined."

"Reputation? Mother, he has acted without regard for reputation. Why must I worry about reputation, to the point where I can't even seek redress?" Lady Tian retorted, displeased.

The old woman grew serious. "You might choose to ignore reputation, but you must think of Qingtong, and of the children in the second and third branches who are not yet betrothed. If our family's reputation is destroyed, how can the children find suitable matches?"

The mention of Qingtong's marriage prospects instantly brought a thread of reason back to Lady Tian's rage. Yes, she could cause a scene, but if she overstepped, what would become of the children? If everyone knew Qingtong's father was seeing another woman, who would dare marry their daughter into the Wang family? Yet, swallowing her anger felt unbearable. The widow had ruined her like this; why should she escape without consequence?

Seeing the shift in Lady Tian’s expression, the old woman knew she had listened, so she grasped Tian's hand and patted it. "Good child, your husband's behavior is indeed poor, and we will certainly give you satisfaction."

Only then did Lady Tian nod reluctantly. "I will listen to Father and Mother."

Afterward, the old couple didn't even stop for lunch before heading into town.

The old pair found the location Wang Guifang had described. After confirming the house, the old woman went up and knocked on the door.

Since the old couple had come without eating lunch, it was almost lunchtime when they arrived in town. Consequently, when the door was knocked upon, Zhao Cheng was also home; the mother and son were in the middle of their meal.

Hearing the knock, Madam Huang’s heart jumped. She wondered why Wang Youliang had come at this hour. Had he forgotten that Cheng'er was home?

Seeing the startled Madam Huang, Zhao Cheng grew puzzled. "Mother, what's wrong? Someone is at the door; shall I open it?"

Madam Huang quickly stopped him. "No, no, you keep eating. Mother will go."

Saying this, Madam Huang hurried out, not giving Zhao Cheng a chance to object, leaving him looking somewhat stunned.

Madam Huang had intended to open the door herself and immediately send Wang Youliang away. To her surprise, when she opened it, she found not Wang Youliang, but an old man and an old woman, prompting her to ask doubtfully, "May I ask whom you are looking for?"

The old man and woman took one look at Madam Huang—her features were delicate, her demeanor quite proper, and though her hair lacked adornments, she exuded a comforting presence. Her clothes were old but meticulously clean. After observing her, the elderly couple felt a pang of doubt: was this truly the widow they sought? She didn't seem the type to seduce men!

Madam Huang noticed the two elders staring at her in silence, feeling a bit strange, so she asked again, "May I ask whom you seek? Have you perhaps come to the wrong door?"

The old man wondered if they had the wrong people and was unsure what to do. The old woman beside him smiled and said, "We came looking for Wang Youliang."

Hearing they were looking for Wang Youliang, Madam Huang's expression instantly changed. Seeing this, the elderly couple confirmed this was the person they sought and asked, "Might we come in and speak with you?"

Madam Huang hesitated, then pleaded somewhat desperately, "My son is home right now. Could you perhaps wait until he leaves for the academy before we talk?"

After saying this, fearing they wouldn't agree, Madam Huang added, "It will only take a moment; he is nearly finished eating."

The old man looked at Madam Huang's imploring expression and nodded. Seeing their agreement, Madam Huang finally welcomed them inside.

Once inside, the old couple noticed how tidy Madam Huang kept her home, concluding she was quite a clean woman.

Madam Huang told Zhao Cheng that these two were acquaintances from their old village and, knowing they lived here, had come to visit.

Zhao Cheng nodded without suspicion, then politely greeted the elderly couple. After Zhao Cheng had greeted them, Madam Huang watched the elders anxiously, fearing they would refuse to cooperate. Fortunately, the old man responded and even spoke a few more words with Zhao Cheng. Madam Huang finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking these elders seemed to have good temperaments after all.

Madam Huang, remembering it was lunchtime, asked the elders if they had eaten and if they would care to share a meal there. Although the old couple were somewhat hungry, they remembered the purpose of their visit and repeatedly insisted they had already eaten. Madam Huang felt she couldn't press the matter further.

Thankfully, Zhao Cheng finished eating shortly after, bid farewell to the group, and left for the academy. Watching her son depart, Madam Huang cautiously asked the elders the reason for their visit.

The old man then revealed their identities. Madam Huang had already suspected their purpose related to her connection with Wang Youliang, and learning they were his parents solidified her certainty. Simultaneously, she felt a wave of fear: how would they deal with her? She wasn't concerned for herself, but what about her son?

The old couple observed Madam Huang's frightened expression with satisfaction, knowing that fear was the right response. The elders then stated their intentions: simply put, they hoped Madam Huang would leave their son. If she agreed to leave voluntarily, they wouldn't press the matter further.

Upon hearing this, Madam Huang looked up, her eyes wide with surprise, seemingly unable to believe the Wang family would let her off so easily.

Seeing Madam Huang's reaction, the old woman misunderstood her meaning. "What? You refuse to leave? Do you wish to involve everyone in a scandal? Let me tell you, if things come to that, you won't be so lucky; drowning you in a pig cage would be a possibility."

"No, no," Madam Huang quickly shook her head. "That’s not what I meant. I just didn't expect you would let me go so easily."

Hearing this, the old man and woman grew somewhat perplexed.

Madam Huang continued, "I know my actions have deeply wronged you, especially his wife. I always expected that you would never forgive me, and I even prepared myself for you to severely punish me once you discovered the truth. I never imagined you would let me off, which is why I found it hard to believe."

"Regardless of what you imagined, I only ask you this: Do you agree to leave my son?" the old woman demanded.

Madam Huang looked at the old woman and nodded. "I have already wronged you terribly. Your request now is only right. I will leave him and never see him again."

The old woman hadn't expected this widow to agree so readily and asked uncertainly, "Is what you say true?"

"Yes. I am deeply sorry for all the trouble I caused you. From now on, you can rest assured, I will never see him again," Madam Huang stated sincerely to the old man and woman.

Privately, the elderly couple were inclined to believe Madam Huang; after all, her impression since their arrival had been quite favorable. However, they needed to proceed with caution. Thus, the old man asked, "You say you won't see him again, but you both live in the same town; it's not as simple as just saying you won't meet."

The old woman realized this immediately. If they were in the same town, meeting was highly likely. She understood why the widow had agreed so lightly, and a flicker of anger crossed her face as she glared at Madam Huang.

Madam Huang showed no fear, only explaining, "Since I gave you my word, I will not go back on it. As for your concerns, I guarantee they will not materialize, because I will take my son and leave Qingshan Town, moving elsewhere."

This was something Madam Huang had already considered. She knew that if her affair with Wang Youliang were exposed, she couldn't remain in Qingshan Town for her son's sake, as he was so young and couldn't endure the gossip. Fortunately, the Wang family had discovered it themselves, and it seemed they were unwilling to publicize the matter, only demanding she sever ties with Wang Youliang. To her, the Wang family's request was remarkably merciful. Given this, she needed to demonstrate sincerity.