"National Day, why did you buy so much again? You are such a fool! Didn't I tell you that you don't need to buy anything when you go home? You're going to have a baby soon, so you should save money. Don't spend it recklessly. If you ask me, you can't do this without your parents around. Look at how expensive these yellow croakers are."
In her youth, Zhou's mother was the factory's most popular girl, renowned for her eloquence and her ability to handle affairs. She boasted about her ability to handle things quickly, and initially married Zhou, the factory accountant with a promising future, as a beautiful, impoverished girl from the countryside. She was preoccupied with figuring out how to channel her daughter's wealth into her own family.
"Erya, why don't you say anything, you silly girl? How about you save the rest of the money for living expenses every month. When the child grows up, it can be used to buy a house. I'm just worried about you two young couples. You don't have a plan."
Mother Zhou was still muttering in her heart with her hands full: This damn girl, it would be better to just give her the money directly if she spent so much money on it.
"Haha, are you sure I still have money? I've worked for two years and I give you half of my monthly salary. The betrothal money has exhausted our savings. I just bought a car last year and this is the down payment." Zhou Jiao said to Zhou's mother in an ambiguous tone.
"Okay, old lady. Why are you worried about the child again? Didn't we old people say that we old people don't interfere in children's affairs? Xiao Zhang, don't listen to your mother and come in quickly." Zhou's father Zhou Liming said.
He was smarter than his wife. The son-in-law was filial to them only for their daughter's sake. Otherwise, who would care about her? She was pregnant and not allowed in, but she was still thinking about money. Money matters could be dealt with later. Everyone would get together tomorrow, and I thought it would be difficult for the two sons-in-law to refuse in public.
Nothing happened last night. My sister-in-law went back to her parents' home yesterday. I didn't see her either. I don't know where she went. I guess if she had money, she wouldn't have seen her at all.
I don't know if it's because I'm pregnant, but I woke up at 9am. There was no one around me, so I guess Zhang Guoqing went downstairs to help.
She opened the door and went downstairs, where she found herself in a chaotic commotion. Women were laughing and talking loudly, children were crying and fighting, and her eldest brother-in-law and Zhang Guoqing were at the door greeting guests. With so much coming and going, Zhou Jiao was afraid of being bumped into. Zhang Guoqing happened to see her and took her to the small living room for breakfast.
"Did you sleep well? You should eat something first. I'll go see if I have any snacks for you. Don't go out. There are a lot of people here today, and the kids are running around. It will hurt your stomach. Be good and stay in the small living room. I'll let my eldest sister and Xiaokang accompany you. You watch TV first." Zhang Guoqing advised in a low voice. There was no way he could be so busy since dawn. His brother-in-law was useless in this family. Since he was here, he could only look around to see if there was anything missing. Obviously, three large tables could not accommodate the guests, so the family planned two tables. He drove around with his brother-in-law early in the morning to buy things. He spent money and ran errands. Next time, he would definitely go directly to the hotel.
"Okay, I'll be right here. You take this opportunity to rest. Didn't you see that apart from you and your brother-in-law, everyone else in the house is just sitting there with their legs crossed, waiting for food? They don't realize that the son-in-law is a guest, and they don't feel bad for him if he's not their own son. Let's see if I'll come so early next time for my dad's birthday." Zhou Jiao was busy pulling Zhang Guoqing to sit down and pouring him a glass of water. She felt so distressed. She was really angry and anxious. Is there anyone who does things this way? He was stupid, spending money and effort.
Zhou Jiao thought about it and decided to say, "Take your brother-in-law out for a walk later. I'll order you two around the house. And you too, you really think you're made of iron. You have to drive again later, and you didn't get enough rest last night."
Soon, the birthday banquet began at noon, with three full tables filled. As usual, people presented gifts and sent blessings. The two sisters, in accordance with custom, spent over 5,000 yuan on gold necklaces.
The eating and drinking was quite lively, and the atmosphere was good. The grandparents and uncles sat at the main table, and someone, taking the initiative, began to praise the two sons-in-law enthusiastically. Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao exchanged glances, realizing that something big was about to happen. Zhang Guoqing had been around the Zhou family for so many years, and he had a pretty good understanding of their temperament.
Having to fend for himself from a young age, who is Zhang Guoqing? He's a top student with no background, yet he still wins scholarships year after year. He was both the student union president and external relations director during his undergraduate years. He joined a Fortune 300 company right after graduation and was promoted to manager in just two years. He's a brilliant guy. He knows everything about you with just a glance.
Then Mother Zhou recounted the hardships she had endured in raising her two daughters, and how she had finally managed to raise them to be successful. Hearing this, Zhou Jiao couldn't help but laugh out loud. Seeing everyone looking at her, she shook her head awkwardly, "Mom, go on. You're the birthday girl today, you're the oldest, you can say whatever you want."
The friends and family nearby were too embarrassed to listen. Everyone, knowing all about the Zhou family's affairs, remained silent. For a moment, everyone put down their chopsticks, save for the still-immature children who were still eating and drinking. They were being too embarrassed to give the guests face by leaving them halfway through the meal. They'd been having a good time, a rare chance to get together and chat, but now things were starting to get chaotic.
Zhou Jiao interrupted Zhou Ma. Just as she was about to reach out and pat her, she saw her son-in-law next to her staring at her movements, so she quickly withdrew her hand and patted her thigh.
Father Zhou quickly tried to smooth things over: "Everyone, eat, don't put down your chopsticks. As parents, we worry about our children. They are all our own children, so it's impossible to treat them equally. But my youngest son still needs the help of his two brothers-in-law. Otherwise, we won't be worried when we are old and gone. What is the most blood-related family? Brothers and sisters, there is no one in this world who is closer than you two. You two sisters are capable, and Dad knows that. I also feel that my two daughters are no less capable than my sons. But you little brother will still rely on you in the future."
Zhou Jiao just wanted to scold him. If it weren't for the public watching, she'd be afraid his father would lose face. She just wanted to ask him if she was supporting them now. If she really wanted to treat them equally, why did she want to take the bowl from her family too? Seeing his father was such a talented person, he felt helpless and sad, yet praised him too much, not knowing the truth. He would probably also condemn them as daughters who were inconsiderate of their parents.
Zhang Guoqing saw Zhou Jiao's face change with anger, so he quickly took her hand and patted it comfortingly. His wife was pregnant, so he couldn't be angry. He also felt resentful towards the Zhou family. Every time he tried to ease the relationship between them, they only pushed him further. For a moment, he didn't pay attention to what Zhou's mother said next.
Mother Zhou continued what Father Zhou said: "Yes, when you were little, you said that your brother would be your support in the future. Now that we see that you siblings love each other, we feel relieved. I went to the city to look at houses some time ago. Oh, they are really nice. It's just that your father and I are old and can't afford it. We can't afford it even if we want to. Think about it, you two sisters are in the city, and your brother lives close to you and can take care of you. If you need help, isn't it better to call for help than to ask others? Your brother doesn't have a job now, so it will be easy to find a job in the city. In the future, if you have children, they will go to school with their household registration in the city, and their education will be better. You won't refuse to help with this, right?"
For a moment, everyone was talking, except for the eldest sister, her husband, and Zhou Jiao and her husband, who remained silent. The younger brother and his wife simply ate their own food and didn't express their opinions. They probably took their sisters' contributions for granted. Why didn't they mention writing an IOU?
Let's talk about buying a house again. In front of all the relatives and guests, he asked for another 300,000 yuan. The result is obvious to everyone. You can see that it is not easy to persuade him. Look at the Zhou family's youngest son and his wife. They didn't say how to repay the money after borrowing it. Relatives borrow and repay. The young couple always have to express their position. You are pretending to ignore it and eating and drinking in silence. How can others do things that offend others?
Everyone took the opportunity to say goodbye and leave. Well, there will be news about the Zhou family tomorrow, and it is just right to entertain people when there is nothing to do in the countryside.
The two sons-in-law were so busy talking that neither of them took up the topic, leaving the conversation rather dull. Zhou's parents knew he didn't want to agree. Mother Zhou had a stern face, not even packing up her sister-in-law's things. She put on a sullen expression and went back to her room. "You're so shameless! Who's spoiling you?"
Zhou Jiao and her older sister Zhou Hui quickly packed up their belongings and ran off with the man. If they stayed any longer, they'd have to clean up the mess, and they wouldn't be able to go home today. What was the point of all the money and effort?
"Erya, please don't give me any more money. Xiaojuan's family said that we sisters want to buy a house for my younger brother. Look, we all live in a small house. Everyone knows that if we have money, we can just buy one! My parents just built a house, and now they want to move to the city. How can they not be crazy? Anyway, I can't subsidize my family anymore, and my mother-in-law is already dissatisfied. You should also be careful, and don't ruin your relationship with your husband and wife because of your parents. I also want to save some money and move to the city." Zhou Hui whispered in Zhou Jiao's ear.
Zhang Guoqing had been paying attention to his wife's expression since getting in the car. He knew that whenever she encountered problems at her parents' home, she would be in a bad mood for a few days. He knew that it would be better for her to come home less often, if not at all. Family love can't be bought with money. Husband and wife just need to love each other, there's no need to seek hardship.
Sometimes I think it's easier to live like an orphan myself. It's good to visit the children at the orphanage regularly and help them go to school. Sometimes, it's even more frustrating to have a bad family or partial parents. Blood ties can't be severed just like that. No matter how angry my wife is, I still have to be filial. But forget about buying a house. The house we live in now was given to us by Zhang's mother. But who is Zhang Guoqing?
He hadn't transferred the ownership of the house yet, intending to transfer it to the welfare home in Zhang's mother's name once they bought a new house, providing more security for the children. He wasn't worried about himself, though. He hoped to become the branch manager after his transfer after the new year. His annual income plus his previous savings would more than cover the cost of buying a new house. Not to mention the savings the couple had accumulated during college, raising a child wouldn't be a burden.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
