Chapter 55 Chinese New Year

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Zhou Group began its holiday.

After breakfast, Zhou Mingshi prepared to go to Changping.

Just as I was about to call Lin Yi'an, I received a message from her: "I'm leaving at 5:30 and will arrive in the capital around 11:00."

Zhou Mingshi: "Are you going back to the capital today?"

Lin Yi'an: "We've hired an acupuncturist and massage therapist at home, and that's enough. My mother-in-law said we'll have the wedding after the New Year, and she rudely sent me back home, not even letting me go back for the New Year, saying I have to stay in Beijing to prepare for the wedding..."

Zhou Mingshi sat down on the sofa and replied to her, "Come to my place?"

Lin Yi'an: "Okay."

Zhou Mingshi smiled, and she sent another message: "I haven't been back to visit my parents in a long time. I need to go back and spend time with them after lunch."

Just as Zhou Mingshi was about to reply to the message, he received a call from his grandfather, who asked him when Lin Yi'an would return to the capital.

He said, "I'm going back to the capital today."

Zhou Qisheng: "She still needs to sign the share donation agreement. If she comes back, we'll have her come over and sign it."

Zhou Mingshi: "I'll go home for lunch."

After saying that, he replied to Lin Yi'an's message: "Shall we have lunch at the old house?"

Lin Yi'an: "Okay, I'll go straight to the old house."

"Um."

Zhou Mingshi left home at 11:00 AM to go to the old house.

When I arrived at the old house, I happened to meet Lin Yi'an.

Upon seeing her car, Zhou Mingshi got out and opened the car door for her.

Lin Yi'an got out of the car, and the two walked into the yard together.

When I arrived, the living room was full of people.

Zhou Mingshi glanced at her and pulled Lin Yi'an to sit down on the sofa.

Lin Yi'an then noticed that He Xishan was sitting next to Zhou Mingyuan.

Zhou Mingyuan looked at them, his head slightly raised, with a smug expression, and said, "Second brother and sister-in-law, Shanshan and I have already registered our marriage. Shanshan is now a member of the Zhou family. She is pregnant, so if she has offended anyone, I hope you will be understanding."

Just as Lin Yi'an was about to speak, she heard Zhou Mingshi ask in a low voice, "What do you mean by that?"

Zhou Mingyang chuckled and said, "What do you mean? It means we should all give in to our third sister-in-law. Even if she does something wrong, we should tolerate it because she is pregnant."

Lin Yi'an looked at Zhou Mingyuan: "Is that what you mean?"

Zhou Mingyuan: "Shanshan wouldn't do anything wrong..."

Lin Yi'an: "She won't do anything wrong? Do you think we would do anything wrong?"

Zhou Mingyuan blushed and said, "That's not what I meant. Shanshan is pregnant. Pregnant women shouldn't be upset or hold their breath..."

Zhou Mingshi said, "Then stay at home. If you don't go out, no one will make her suffer."

He Xishan suddenly spoke up: "Don't you like me? I know my family background isn't good, and it's normal that you look down on me, but Mingyuan and I are each other's first love. We had a proper relationship and got married. We're legally married. I..."

Yan Shuyan said, "No one looks down on you. I'm a woman too, and I've been pregnant and given birth before. When I was pregnant, I didn't dare say anything in the Zhou family that I might offend someone and ask for everyone's understanding..."

Zhou Mingyuan: "Sister-in-law, you've misunderstood. I was just feeling sorry for Shanshan. If I've offended you in any way, please don't mind."

Lin Yi'an: "Knowing that you'll offend people, you still say it. Either it's intentional, or you think you're not afraid of offending people because you have something to rely on. With this attitude, you still expect us not to mind? Why should we not mind?"

Zhou Mingyuan opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but then he heard her say, "Then let me tell you, as long as others don't provoke me, I won't provoke others either. If you don't want to be bullied, then watch your mouth."

Zhou Mingyuan blushed: "Shanshan is pregnant, and the child in her belly is the next generation of the Zhou family, it's..."

Zhou Mingshi interrupted him: "He's just your child. He's not so precious that even elders have to make way for him."

Zhou Mingyuan stared at him in disbelief: "Second brother, you..."

Zhou Mingshi: "If you claim to be self-respecting, you can take good care of your own wife and children at home."

He Xishan suddenly stood up: "Mingyuan, since they look down on us, let's leave."

After saying that, he strode out.

Zhou Mingyuan quickly chased after him.

Nobody cared; everyone else went about their business, talking and chatting as usual.

When Sun Yurong saw them return with tense faces, she asked in a deep voice, "Why are you back?"

He Xishan: "They look down on me, they think my family background is bad, so what am I still doing there?"

Sun Yurong: "Your family background wasn't good to begin with."

He Xishan: "My family background is not good, but I married Zhou Mingyuan legitimately. I am the third daughter-in-law of the Zhou family. Why should they look down on me? Anyway, I will never go there again."

Ever since this woman moved into the house, Sun Yurong has been infuriated every day: "Are you stupid? Today, the old man invited everyone to dinner together. It's a family gathering before the New Year, and afterwards, he'll give the children New Year's gifts. If you don't go, you don't need the gifts either?"

He Xishan: "I didn't marry Mingyuan for money, much less for gifts. If he doesn't want them, then he doesn't want them."

Upon hearing this, Sun Yurong swore: "Stupid as a pig."

He Xishan's eyes immediately reddened: "Mingyuan, my mother-in-law scolded me..."

Zhou Mingyuan hugged her and said, "Mom, do you think everyone loves money as much as you do?"

Sun Yurong clutched her chest and sneered, "You're a pig too."

After saying that she didn't want to see them again, she strode away.

After Zhou Jia finished her makeup, she looked at them and said, "You guys are really as stupid as pigs." Then she walked towards the old house.

He Xishan's eyes reddened with anger: "I didn't say they were vain, but they turned around and said we were stupid?"

Zhou Mingyuan comforted them, saying, "You can't talk about ice with a summer insect. They only care about money and interests. Where is their humanity? Just ignore them."

He Xishan: "Mm."

After dinner at the old house, Zhou Kanghui brought the share transfer agreement for Lin Yi'an to sign.

Zhou Mingshi took the contract, checked it, and only placed it in front of Lin Yi'an after confirming there were no problems.

Seeing his actions, Zhou Kanghui said irritably, "Would I lie to my own daughter-in-law?"

Zhou Mingshi: "You are my father, but not just my father."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Kanghui's arrogance subsided somewhat. Knowing that he was wary of Sun Yurong and her son, he muttered, "Don't worry, this contract hasn't passed through anyone else's hands."

Zhou Mingshi: "Hmm."

Sun Yurong pursed her lips. She wanted to tamper with things, but Zhou Kanghui would have to give her the chance. She didn't know when this man had started to be wary of her.

After signing the contract, Yu Minhua had her housekeeper bring gifts to distribute to a group of children.

She smiled and said, "This year we won't let you draw lots. The names are all written on them. Butler Liu, whoever's name is on it will get it."

When the card was handed to Zhou Jia, she said, "Grandma, my third brother and sister-in-law aren't here, so I'll collect it for them?"

Yu Minhua said in a calm tone: "It was a family gathering. They came and left. They probably didn't care about anything from this old woman. Since they don't care, they won't have anything from me anymore."

Sun Yurong: "Mom...."

Yu Minhua: "If you can't bear to part with your son and daughter-in-law, you can give them your own things."

Sun Yurong fell silent. She was furious with them; they still wanted her things?

Yu Minhua snorted coldly. Although she didn't like the granddaughter-in-law her third grandson had chosen, she didn't hate her either. Although she was full of prickly arrogance, she was at least more likable than this daughter-in-law.

But as long as I don't dislike them, since they left a room full of people during the family gathering, I don't need to consider them anymore if anything happens in the family.