"Hongyu, your second sister-in-law is a bit......"

Zhou Hongyu glanced at the old woman chopping big bones with a clang: "Auntie, hey, don't just say half of what you mean, I don't know what you're trying to say!"

"She's just too delicate!"

The people working in the kitchen nodded in agreement.

As the wife of the head of the household, Shen Keyi was assigned chores by the older women, but she couldn't do this or that, and she never lifted a finger to do housework.

Once that was started, others joined in the discussion.

"Your eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law are the same kind of people, flashy and glamorous, not the kind of people who want to live an honest and down-to-earth life. Tell me, how much trouble has it been for your mother to have married these two daughters-in-law? She'll be old and no one will be there to take care of her!"

"Back then, the old village chief wanted to arrange a wife for your older brother and asked him to come back to marry her, but he refused and stayed in Shanghai to marry the daughter of a capitalist roader. She was neither liked by your mother nor did she ever show filial piety. She also ruined his future. It would have been better not to marry her at all. Now that girl is famous for being filial to her in-laws. It's too late for him to regret it!"

Zhou Hongyu threw the vegetables into the pot, turned around and said indifferently, "What family marries a daughter-in-law for her in-laws! Does she sleep between them at night?"

"Oh dear, that's not what I meant, but then again, a daughter-in-law who is filial to her parents-in-law is the best!"

Zhou Hongyu chuckled at the old woman who had said those words: "Auntie, have you ever emptied your mother-in-law's chamber pot or wiped your father-in-law's body?"

The old woman instantly became agitated, flicking her sleeves impatiently: "Hongyu, what are you saying? How can I do these things? They have their own daughters!"

Zhou Hongyu: "Oh..."

Alright, with Zhou Hongyu's protection, the topic of criticizing Granny Zhou's two "unfilial" daughters-in-law can no longer continue.

The old woman chopping big bones wiped her hands with a long face and made way for him.

When Zhou Laohan's wife came over, she immediately exchanged pleasantries with Zhou Hongyu.

"Hongyu, how's your cousin's dried goods shop in the city? That kid's just disobedient. He gave up a good job at the factory to drag his family to the city to suffer. He doesn't have a day off all year round, and he only earns enough to support his family..."

He feigned modesty, but his tone was actually proud. In recent years, his cousin Zhou had made a lot of money opening a general store in the city, which had really made the old couple proud.

Zhou Hongyu focused on cooking the vegetables in the pan, chatting with her intermittently.

After showing off her successful son, Zhou Laohan's wife looked at Zhou Hongyu and nodded repeatedly: "Hongyu, your mother is so lucky to have a daughter like you. Otherwise, how would I have managed the rest of my life? They've all settled down and built their careers in other places, and I'd have to take them with me to take care of my old age!"

Zhou Hongyu chuckled.

Isn't it an obligation to take care of one's parents in their old age?

This is all worthy of praise.

Her older brother and sister wanted to help, but they each had their own reasons. In fact, she was the most suitable person to take care of their mother in her old age.

Zhou Hongyu was happy to take on this responsibility, knowing full well that her mother had doted on her for decades.

Zhou Hongyu ladled the food onto a plate, glanced at the pot that Zhou Laohan's wife had neglected, and reminded her, "Auntie, it's going to burn!"

"Oh dear, thank goodness you called out!" Old Zhou's wife hurriedly dealt with the situation.

The beef in the pot was specially bought by Zhou Zhongliang through a classmate. If Granny Zhou found out that she was clumsy at her job and ruined this excellent beef, she would skin her alive!

After she finished tidying up, she couldn't help but glance at Zhou Hongyu, who was working diligently, and remembered a shocking secret that her late mother-in-law had once told her.

Zhou Hongyu doesn't look like Zhou Pozi's child at all!

Back then, Zhou Heng'an, the head of the Zhou family, passed away in another place. When Zhou Pozi returned from the Northwest with her second son and youngest daughter, several wise elders in the village could tell at a glance that the youngest daughter was not Zhou Pozi's biological daughter.

It's hard to say whether he is Zhou Heng'an's biological son.

Given Granny Zhou's nature of never suffering a loss, how could she possibly raise someone else's child for free if she weren't a member of the Zhou family? Therefore, there has never been a definitive conclusion regarding Zhou Hongyu's background.

Old Zhou's wife shook her head and sighed. This youngest daughter had been pampered since she was a child, and it hadn't been easy to raise her to this point. Old Zhou was counting on Zhou Hongyu to support her in her old age, and she hoped that no random cat or dog would suddenly appear and claim kinship with her.

That old woman Zhou really lost everything, all her efforts were in vain!

Turning around, Zhou Hongyu was called out of the kitchen to handle some matters. After she finished, she was about to go back to work when her second sister-in-law, Shen Keyi, stopped her.

"Hongyu, I'm feeling a bit confused. Can you say a few words to me?"

Second sister-in-law.

She will divorce her second brother soon.

They're divorced, so be it. If there's no love left, then they should just leave. But they're still entangled and can't seem to have no feelings left.

Instead, it seemed like they made an irrational choice on impulse, and ultimately lacked the courage to explain themselves, leading to one mistake after another, which ultimately caused their two children to become depressed and commit suicide.

When his nephew suddenly committed suicide, the second brother finally learned that his sister-in-law had secretly given birth to a son for him, and that the stepson he had been trying to accept for over a decade was actually his biological son.

The two were about to restart their twilight romance, but after this happened, they started commemorating their deceased child again.

Thus, the rift ended.

Zhou Hongyu glanced at Shen Keyi's flat stomach.

Judging by the timeline, my second brother's late-life child should be in his belly by now.

"Okay, let's talk about it over there!"

Walking to a secluded corner under the window, Shen Keyi, eager to get an answer from Zhou Hongyu, blurted out, "Hongyu, is your second brother planning to be transferred back to the capital? If so, I won't be able to come back with him!"

When she said those words, most people wouldn't guess that she was planning a divorce.

But Zhou Hongyu was no ordinary person; she countered by asking, "Is Second Sister-in-law planning to divorce Second Brother?"

Immediately afterwards, the sound of something falling to the ground came from the room inside the window.

Shen Keyi didn't notice that the thought of divorcing Zhou Zhongliang had thrown her mind into a complete mess, but she managed to stay calm.

“My parents only have me as their daughter, and I have to manage our family company. I can’t possibly give up everything for a man, come to Beijing with him, and pay such a high price just to fulfill his wish to take care of his mother!”

Inside the room, Zhou Zhongliang's face was gloomy.

When Zhou Zhongliang suddenly heard his younger sister say that Shen Keyi was planning to get a divorce, he was unusually flustered.

This is even worse than a first love who turned around and abandoned their vows of eternal love to climb the social ladder after her family fell into decline. And Shen Keyi is indeed planning to get a divorce, just as her younger sister said!

"Second sister-in-law, do you not want second brother to come back to take care of Mom in her old age, or is it because second brother's first love is in the capital?"

"You... I don't know what you're talking about! I don't care what he wants to do, as long as he's transferred back, I'll get a divorce!"

Shen Keyi's expression changed drastically, his face turned red, and he ran away in a panic.

Zhou Hongyu watched her retreating figure and fell into deep thought.