Chapter 181 Living off a woman
Chow Tai Fook: "..."
For a moment, he didn't know how to refute Lin Yuanshu, since what Lin Yuanshu said was the truth.
Seeing that Zhou Dafu was speechless after Lin Yuanshu's words, Aunt Zhou stepped forward and said emphatically, "That's true, but you can't let Xiangyang's reputation get even worse! How will he face his colleagues and friends in the future? How will he know how to face people?"
She learned from Aunt Wei next door that Lin Yuanshu had taken the college entrance examination. When she heard the news, she felt a strange sense of calm.
Anyway, she learned most of what Lin Yuanshu was about from other people. At first, she would get angry and complain that Lin Yuanshu never told her anything, but now she's gotten used to it.
Lin Yuanshu stroked his chin and retorted firmly, "If you don't know how to face it, then don't face it. You can stay at home and take care of the children. Anyway, it's not like I can't make money. Why should Xiangyang go out and show his face in public?"
These words shocked everyone present, including Lin's mother. She hadn't expected her daughter's idea to be so outlandish, leaving her at a loss for how to persuade her.
Zhou Xiangyang knew that Lin Yuanshu said those words on purpose to shut his parents up, so he wasn't upset by Lin Yuanshu's words.
He and Lin Yuanshu had already planned that once the national policies were less strict, they would hire someone to take care of the child, at which point he could prepare for the college entrance examination. However, for the time being, he would stay at home to take care of the child.
He didn't object to staying home to take care of the children; he thought it was fine. He could take care of the children, write articles to supplement the family income, and review his college entrance exam subjects at the same time. Unfortunately, his parents didn't think so.
Zhou Ma took a deep breath, focused her gaze on Zhou Xiangyang, and said in a trembling voice, "Xiangyang, don't you have anything to say about what your second wife said? Do you want outsiders to say that you're incompetent and rely on women for a living?"
She felt that the only person who could control Lin Yuanshu was probably Zhou Xiangyang, since Lin Yuanshu's mother was looking at Lin Yuanshu with a shocked expression, clearly unaware of Lin Yuanshu's thoughts.
Zhou Xiangyang shook his head and said with great pride, "I have nothing to say. I've always relied on my wife for a living. Let them say what they want! They can't rely on their wives for a living anymore."
To be honest, he was already used to being pointed at and gossiped about. They used to deliberately say sarcastic things to him, calling him mentally ill, effeminate, and even mute.
As his wife's position rose higher and higher, no one dared to go around spreading rumors about him anymore.
Aunt Zhou said with exasperation, "You're really hopeless."
Zhou Xiangyang retorted loudly, "I'm not a good person, but my wife is. We are husband and wife, so her success is the same as my success."
Don't think he doesn't know that everyone around him envies him for marrying Lin Yuanshu. Although they say Lin Yuanshu has a strong personality, if he really separates from his wife, they will definitely make their sons pursue her. They all have ulterior motives.
Zhou's mother sneered, furious. She didn't want to talk to Zhou Xiangyang right now, afraid that she would be angered to death.
She knew Zhou Xiangyang was weak-willed, but she never expected him to be this weak. He didn't dare to utter a single word in response to Lin Yuanshu's words, and was even smug about it. How could she have such a foolish son who didn't even understand what he had lost?
Since no one spoke, the atmosphere suddenly became cold, and the only sound in the living room was the ticking of the second hand of the wall clock.
Zhou Dafu and Zhou Ma were very dissatisfied with Lin Yuanshu's tough stance and were unwilling to take the initiative to back down. They felt that Lin Yuanshu's actions were becoming increasingly excessive. She was clearly trying to distance herself from them and wanted them to act according to her wishes, which was simply going against the natural order.
Lin Yuanshu and the others didn't say anything either. They had nothing to say to Zhou Dafu and his mother; they couldn't agree on anything.
The first to be unable to stand the atmosphere was Sister-in-law Xue. Everyone was silent, just sitting in the living room with blank expressions, doing nothing, which was suffocating.
She came to build a good relationship with Lin Yuanshu, not to have a falling out with him. Of course, she also didn't want her parents-in-law to have conflicts with Lin Yuanshu and hoped that they could get along harmoniously.
Sister-in-law Xue coughed lightly twice. In order to ease the tension, she deliberately changed the subject and said, "Have you chosen a name for Wenwen yet? Have you registered it? If not, Xiang Jun can provide a few names for you to consider. He's an educated man and he's best at this kind of thing."
Lin's mother touched her nose guiltily and lowered her head decisively. She was embarrassed to answer Sister-in-law Xue's question. When this topic came up, she always felt guilty in front of the Zhou family.
Lin Yuanshu pursed his lips and said matter-of-factly, "It's already been chosen, her name is Lin Shuhe."
"What?" Sister-in-law Xue asked in a sharp voice. She suspected she had misheard. It should be Zhou Shuhe, not Lin Shuhe.
At this point, Zhou Dafu and his mother no longer cared about bowing their heads. If they didn't speak, Lin Yuanshu would jump onto the Zhou family's ancestral graves and start dancing.
Zhou Dafu said angrily, "Second wife, you've done something really unfair! You're the one who married into the Zhou family, not Zhou Xiangyang who married into yours. How can the child take your surname? What you've done is trampled on the Zhou family's reputation, making me, Zhou Dafu, a laughingstock for the rest of my life. I would never do anything to harm you like this..."
Zhou's mother wholeheartedly agreed, "You two were being so reckless before, but the child must have the surname Zhou. That's a matter of course. Even if you're the deputy director of the research institute, there's no room for negotiation on this."
After she finished speaking, she turned to look at Lin's mother and complained, "In-law, how could you just watch these two kids act so recklessly! You didn't even step in to stop them. If others found out about this, I would be too embarrassed to stay in the Zhou family any longer. Luckily, this matter didn't reach my mother-in-law's ears, otherwise we would be in the hospital taking care of her now. Her delicate heart can't take this kind of stress."
Lin's mother was in the wrong and didn't know how to answer, so she simply remained silent and chose to play dumb.
Sister-in-law Xue looked at Lin Yuanshu with admiration. She would never have dared to dream of such a thing, yet Lin Yuanshu had actually done it. She was now very impressed with her younger brother; he was truly tolerant! He could even agree to something like this.
These two are truly doing big things quietly; they're practically tearing the sky apart.
Lin Yuanshu watched Zhou Dafu and Zhou's mother lose their temper with a calm expression. She had already prepared herself mentally for Zhou Dafu and Zhou's mother to be very resistant to this matter. It would be a miracle if parents of this era could accept it calmly.
She said softly, "Mom, you don't need to worry about that. I talked to Grandma about the child's surname before, and she agreed. I wouldn't dare to hide such an important matter from the old lady."
Zhou Dafu was stunned for a moment, then broke down and said, "How could my mother possibly agree to what you're doing? She loves her grandson Zhou Xiangyang the most."
There were so many things that surprised him that he couldn't even bring himself to blame Lin Yuanshu for not keeping it from his grandmother but from him.
Lin Yuanshu smiled slightly, revealing an innocent expression, "Perhaps Grandma loves me more because of my love for her granddaughter-in-law, so she agreed to what Zhou Xiangyang and I did. After all, I'm the child she gave birth to, and no one else can interfere."
Actually, she had promised her grandmother that she would help her brother-in-law and the others find jobs. It's true that her grandmother liked Zhou Xiangyang, but she also liked her other grandsons! How could she possibly be so heartless as to watch these grandsons spend their entire lives farming in the countryside?
Grandma didn't need her brothers-in-law to persuade her; she figured it out herself. Getting two jobs with one surname was a huge win for them, so naturally she had nothing to complain about.
Zhou Dafu thought Lin Yuanshu was talking nonsense. He gritted his teeth and said, "Even if my mother agrees, I won't agree. This is my son's business. My mother's agreement is useless."
Lin Yuanshu sighed, his tone no longer so harsh, and explained gently, "Dad, this matter is really not as serious as you think. How could I just stand by and watch Xiangyang be ridiculed! Wenwen is a girl, so she took my surname. After I graduate from university in two years, I will have another son, and he will definitely take Xiangyang's surname then."
She paused for a moment, and seeing that Zhou Dafu's expression wasn't so bad, she continued, "If you really don't agree, then Wenwen can take Xiangyang's surname. However, any sons I have in the future will have to take my surname. Let me make this clear from the beginning: I can't allow the situation where I've worked so hard to give birth to two children, only for neither of them to take my surname."
Rather than arguing with Chow Tai Fook and neither side giving in, it's better to calm them down first. Time will heal all wounds. They're just emotional right now, which is why they're so angry. Once they realize the matter is settled, they'll naturally be able to accept it.
Zhou Dafu and his mother looked very serious. They were wavering in their hearts, unsure whether they should agree to Lin Yuanshu's request. Neither agreeing nor disagreeing was a good choice.
But they have no other choice now. They can't just become irreconcilable enemies with Lin Yuanshu over the issue of the child's surname! In that case, they and Lin Yuanshu will only suffer losses, making the Zhou family a laughing stock in the tenement building and the pharmaceutical factory, which would make him even more ashamed.
In the end, Zhou Dafu was the first to back down, and he said in a heavy tone, "Wenwen can take your surname, but you must guarantee that the next child will take Zhou Xiangyang's surname, and you must give birth to a son for the Zhou family."
Lin Yuanshu's lips curled up slightly, and he agreed without hesitation, "No problem."
Seeing that Lin Yuanshu agreed so readily, Zhou Ma still felt uneasy. She frowned and asked, "Are you really willing to agree to your father's request? You've made us wait so long just to have a child. Are you really going to have a second child?"
Lin Yuanshu made a surprised expression, pretending to be very confused, "Mom, I don't quite understand what you mean. Although I like daughters, how could I choose not to have a son? What will I do when I get old if I don't have a son?"
At this point, magic must be used to defeat magic.
Sister-in-law Xue immediately chimed in, "Mom, you don't need to worry about this. If the second daughter-in-law doesn't plan to have children, then the younger brother's lineage will end, and there will be no one to pay respects to them after they pass away. The second daughter-in-law wouldn't do something that would be a losing proposition."
Lin Yuanshu nodded firmly. In two years, it won't be a matter of whether she wants to have a child or not, but that the country won't allow her to have one. Anyway, she won't be the one to take the blame. They can do whatever they want now, and she'll agree to anything.
Zhou Ma felt something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was probably because Lin Yuanshu was being too obedient, which made her uneasy.
Seeing that Zhou Dafu and his mother had been fooled by her, Lin Yuanshu breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want to continue arguing with them about this issue. Since she was unwilling to back down, she could only ask Zhou Dafu and his mother to back down, and they had to do so willingly.
Thankfully, Zhou's mother and the others hadn't considered what would happen if she couldn't get pregnant, otherwise there would have been more trouble. Of course, it's also possible that Zhou's mother and the others planned to change Wenwen's name back if she couldn't get pregnant.
She turned her gaze to her elder brother and asked in a low voice, "Brother, do you have time now? I'd like to talk to you privately about something."
The older brother paused for a moment, wondering what Lin Yuanshu wanted to discuss with him. He hadn't said a word just now! He shouldn't have offended Lin Yuanshu.
The others also looked at their eldest brother. Although Lin Yuanshu lowered her voice when she spoke, she was too close to the others, so even though she lowered her voice, they could still hear her.
The older brother thought for a moment, then asked with a smile, "Can I say I don't have time?"
Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow and asked in return, "What do you think?"
The older brother swallowed hard, then gave an awkward laugh. "I was just joking. I have time. What do you want to discuss with me?"
Lin Yuanshu pointed to the room and said softly, "Let's go inside and talk."
The eldest brother nodded passively and followed Lin Yuanshu into the room.
Zhou Ma looked at the door with a serious expression. After thinking for a moment, she tiptoed to the door, pressed her ear against it, and tried to listen to what was happening inside.
Sister-in-law Xue could only say two words about Zhou Ma's behavior: "Impressive." She shamelessly went over and tried to eavesdrop like Zhou Ma. Although it was a little embarrassing, it wasn't so awkward since her mother-in-law had done it first.
She was also curious about what Lin Yuanshu had to discuss with his partner. To be honest, she had always felt that Lin Yuanshu didn't think much of his partner. Most of the time, Lin Yuanshu treated his partner like air, except when he needed someone to do the work.
Although Zhou Dafu also wanted to eavesdrop, he still cared about his reputation and was unwilling to do such a thing in front of his in-laws.
Zhou Xiangyang walked up to his mother and sister-in-law Xue and said seriously, "Mom, what you are doing is wrong. You can't disturb their conversation."
Aunt Zhou's eyes widened. "Aren't you curious about what they're talking about?"
“We’ll find out soon enough, there’s no rush,” Zhou Xiangyang said confidently.
Zhou's mother wanted to shamelessly continue eavesdropping, but Zhou Xiangyang kept staring at her and whispering in her ear, so she couldn't hear what the people inside were saying at all. She had no choice but to give up and go back to sit in the living room.
Once Aunt Zhou left, Sister-in-law Xue felt too embarrassed to continue eavesdropping, so she also left.
At this moment, in Lin Yuanshu's room, she and her eldest brother were sitting face to face. Her eldest brother looked somewhat nervous, while Lin Yuanshu appeared very calm.
Because people often come to visit her, she separated the room with a curtain. One side served as the bedroom for her and Zhou Xiangyang, while the other side was a small study. Although there weren't many books, it was still big enough for two or three people to sit down.
The older brother figured he was going to get stabbed anyway, so he spoke first and asked, "What do you want from me?"
Lin Yuan smiled and said slowly, "Brother, you don't need to be so nervous. It's a good thing. The college entrance examination has been reinstated, and high schools are starting to expand their enrollment. I heard that the Fifth Middle School near the dormitory building is recruiting new teachers."
The older brother was overjoyed and excitedly asked, "Is this news true?"
Lin Yuanshu nodded. "Of course it's true. I have some connections with the principal of No. 5 Middle School, and he told me about it himself."
She wasn't making this up. The principal's son happened to be in the same project team as her, and since she was going to take the college entrance exam, they had some connection. After all, her study materials couldn't just fall from the sky.
The elder brother's smile was tinged with bitterness. Lin Yuanshu had already become the deputy director, while he was still just an ordinary primary school teacher with no future. He had never even heard of the recruitment information that Lin Yuanshu knew about.
In comparison, he seemed a bit incompetent. Luckily, his wife wasn't Lin Yuanshu, otherwise Ruyi would have taken the surname Lin too.
The older brother shook off the jumbled thoughts in his mind and cautiously asked, "Do you think I have a chance to attend the interview?"
Lin Yuanshu smiled slightly and said solemnly, "Then it depends on your performance. If you satisfy me, I can write a letter of recommendation to the principal, and then you will have the opportunity to participate in the interview."
The elder brother was deeply distressed; this was indeed an "insider trick." He roused himself and asked earnestly, "What can I do to satisfy you?"
Lin Yuanshu solemnly stated his conditions, "I hope my parents-in-law will stop bothering me from time to time. Of course, I welcome them to visit, but if they are just looking for trouble, then forget it. I'm busy with work every day and really don't have the time to deal with these things. I believe you can manage your parents-in-law."
She didn't want to constantly trick her in-laws into having a meal; even trickery requires some thought.
The older brother pursed his lips, looking troubled. "You overestimate me. They don't listen to me at all. If I could control them, I wouldn't have come to your house with them today. How about you change your request? This is really impossible!"
Lin Yuanshu was taken aback for a moment, then said confidently, "It's not that you can't control it, it's that you don't want to."
Hearing this, the older brother felt incredibly wronged. He swallowed his pride and spoke the truth: "I really want to be a high school teacher, but there are some things I just can't do. Right now, I rely on my parents for everything, and if I fall out with them..."
Although her elder brother didn't finish speaking, Lin Yuanshu understood what he meant. She couldn't help but sigh. Her elder brother's temperament wasn't much stronger than Zhou Xiangyang's. Sure enough, two kinds of people can't come from the same pot.
"Big brother, you need to understand one thing: you have a backer now, and that backer is me. So you don't need to be timid. Your parents only have two sons, and Xiangyang has already lost their hearts. They only have you as their son to rely on. Their tolerance for you will be much stronger than before. At this time, you can be a little tougher and take advantage of their kindness."
The older brother said thoughtfully, "What if Mom and Dad kick me out of the house? Would you really help me?"
As long as Lin Yuanshu is willing to help him, he can try to be a little tougher.
“Of course,” Lin Yuanshu said without hesitation.
If such a thing really happens, she won't need to arrange a house for her eldest brother. As long as he moves into Sister-in-law Xue's family home, Zhou Dafu and Zhou's mother will naturally be unable to restrain themselves and will choose to bow their heads, unless they want Ruyi to also have the surname Xue.
The eldest brother took a deep breath and made up his mind, saying, "Okay, I'll go back and talk to them, and tell them to mind their own business."
Lin Yuanshu smiled with satisfaction. This was the only way she could manage. If her older brother couldn't control Zhou Ma and the others even this way, then she really had no other choice but to resort to a more drastic approach.
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