Old Madam Zhou

Biodata

Background / History

Previous Life and Rebirth

Old Madam Zhou lived through a famine in her previous life. Her family exhausted its food and prepared to flee, and she later died during the disaster’s third year. Her sons and grandchildren also perished. She blamed Zhou Wanwan, believing that the girl’s beauty had attracted the criminals who ultimately killed the family 1 36 134 328.

After being reborn, she retained memories of the approaching locust plague, drought, and events she had heard about while fleeing. She used this knowledge to stockpile supplies and establish a reputation for divination 1 582.

Zhou Fusheng’s Adoption

Old Madam Zhou raised Zhou Fusheng as her youngest son, although he was not her biological child. She received one hundred taels of silver when he was brought to the household. His fine childhood clothes and jade pendant suggested a wealthy background; the family later discussed eliminating him if his origins proved powerful 134 509.

Fusheng’s upbringing differed sharply from that of her biological sons. He was beaten and made to work from before dawn, while his brothers were allowed to study. Old Madam Zhou nevertheless repeatedly claimed that she had treated him as her own flesh and blood 36 197.

Appearance

• Elderly woman: Introduced seated in a grand armchair in the Zhou household 1.
• Wealthy dress: After gaining influence in the capital, she wears fine silks and conspicuous jewelry 605.

Personality

Old Madam Zhou is controlling and openly favors her biological descendants. She takes the earnings of Fusheng’s household, treats its members as laborers, and attempts to dispose of Wanwan while protecting the interests of her other grandchildren. Her hostility toward Wanwan is rooted in her refusal to reconsider whom she blames for the previous life’s tragedy 1 2 36 197.

She is calculating about famine economics. Beyond securing food, she plans to exploit desperate landowners by buying fertile farmland for as little as one or two sacks of grain. She also maintains concealed reserves rather than relying entirely on the household’s visible wealth 55 321 508.

When direct orders fail, she appeals to filial piety, public sympathy, or powerful patrons. She denounces Fusheng’s family as unfilial despite the written agreement severing their ties, and later uses the empress dowager’s backing to demand property and obedience 503 575 641 675.

Her confidence in Zhou Qingzhou survives repeated evidence of his shortcomings, but has limits. After his gambling debt consumes almost all her remaining savings, she calls him a fool and declares that the family must also consider its other grandsons 464 508.

Abilities & Skills

Previous-Life Knowledge

Her apparent foresight comes from memories of her previous life, including rumors she heard while fleeing the famine 582.

• Predicts the approaching locust plague and drought, prompting grain purchases before the crisis 1 8.
• Knows of the empress dowager’s future rescue and uses that information to secure the opportunity herself 608.
• Recognizes that Wanwan’s personality and capabilities differ radically from those of the mute, obedient girl she remembers 36 516.
• Limit: She died in the famine’s third year and does not know whether the disaster continued afterward 328.
• Limit: Her expectations become unreliable when events change; she incorrectly tells the grand princess that her missing son is dead 576 581.

Fortune-Telling and Patronage

Old Madam Zhou presents her foreknowledge as divination, gaining payment, gifts, and political connections 68 118 582.

• Earns Zhou Chong’s gratitude and the backing of Eagle’s Beak Stronghold after helping him escape disaster 68.
• Attracts clients in the capital through accurate predictions, including a child’s sex and changes in grain prices 605.
• Receives requests for fortune-telling and feng shui readings as her standing rises 641.

Stockpiling and Concealment

She organizes extensive disaster preparations and hides supplies in mountain caves 310 321.

• Stores grain, salt, clothing, bedding, medicine, preserved food, weapons, armor, and valuables 310.
• Keeps private caches separate from the family’s main holdings; one survives the disappearance of their house and storerooms 507 508.
• Exchanges information with mountain strongholds for benefits and protection 321.
• Limit: Wanwan’s tree allies can locate her concealed stores, defeating precautions that ordinary searches might not overcome 134 310.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Empress dowager’s waist token — Uses it to gain entry to Wanwan’s residence despite the household’s objections 653.
• Imperial token — Claims it was bestowed by the emperor; it melts in her hand during the confrontation preceding her attempt to take over Yanmen Pass 892.
• Hidden savings — Silver notes and gold bars used to settle Qingzhou’s gambling debt, leaving only two gold bars 508.
• Qingxi City properties — A large residence, more than a dozen shops, and more than a dozen large estates 892.

Relationships

• Old Man Zhou — Husband and partner in exploiting Fusheng’s household. He supports her plans and praises the wealth she acquires 1 134.
• Zhou Fusheng — Adopted youngest son. She invokes the fact that she raised him to demand support, while he increasingly confronts her unequal treatment 197 508 666.
• Zhou Wanwan — Adoptive granddaughter and principal opponent. Old Madam Zhou first tries to sell her, then repeatedly seeks control of her wealth, property, and marriage 1 653 893.
• Liu Su’e — Fusheng’s wife. Formerly obedient under her authority, Su’e later refuses financial demands and challenges the family’s mistreatment 199 506 666.
• Zhou Fuyu — Biological third son. She promotes his false claim to be the grand princess’s son; his later trouble in the capital contributes to the family’s move to the frontier 581 608 893.
• Qian Huihui — Third daughter-in-law and frequent collaborator in schemes involving Wanwan’s household and wealth 188 503 893.
• Zhou Qingzhou — Favored grandson. She defends his prospects, pays his gambling debt, and seeks prestigious educational and marital opportunities for him 464 508 641.
• Cheng Xiao — County magistrate who recruits her as his strategist. Their cooperation includes stockpiling supplies and targeting wealthy households 118 123.
• Empress Dowager — Patron whose life she saves using previous-life knowledge. The dowager welcomes her as an elder sister and repeatedly intervenes on her behalf 608 641 675.
• Grand Princess Mingzhao — Fusheng’s biological mother and Old Madam Zhou’s opponent. The princess punishes her for mistreating him and rejects Fuyu’s claim 581 608.
• Feng Wancai — Nephew whom she attempts to force Wanwan to marry 653.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Separation from Wanwan’s Family

Village Influence and Bandit Alliances

Public Disputes and Financial Collapse

Imperial Patronage

Frontier Schemes

By her frontier appearance, Old Madam Zhou is the Imperial Preceptor and enjoys the trust of both the emperor and empress dowager. She continues asserting authority over Wanwan, including demanding that she honor a marriage arrangement with the Prince of Dai 890 892.

Her attempt to claim Yanmen Pass and its business income fails when the guards reject her authority and drive her party away. Settled in Qingxi City, she then renews her plan to seize Wanwan’s restaurants, shops, estates, and other businesses, regarding them as the key to the Zhou family’s next fortune 892 893.