Chapter 397: The Knife Hanging Over Your Head

Zhou Shuren looked at Zhou Laoer who was kneeling on the ground with a half-smile, "Why are you kneeling? Get up."

How could Zhou Laoer dare to stand up? He really didn't know what his mother-in-law had done. He defended her only because he didn't want to be looked down upon by his brothers. So even though he knew there was something going on, he didn't ask. But now his father not only told it out loud, he was also very disappointed in him.

Now Dad's eyes are cold, which is not the way he looks at his son. It's as if he is looking at a stranger. He can't feel any blood relationship. Mom will at least warn him if she is disappointed in him. He has peace of mind because he knows that if a child makes a mistake, his parents will definitely forgive him.

Just like in Pingzhou, Chang Lian had done wrong things and his parents had beaten him harshly, but they were still nice to Chang Lian. He felt that as long as he didn't cross the bottom line, it was fine.

But his father's attitude today made him feel like he had fallen into an ice cellar. "Dad, I was wrong."

Zhou Shuren looked at Zhou Laoer indifferently. What he and Zhulan put into the Zhou family was not proportional to what they received. Zhulan took on the role of a mother, and he slowly felt like a father. He thought that since he was a father, parents should not care too much about their children. However, not caring does not mean to tolerate everything.

Zhulan stood up. She didn't want to see how Zhou Shuren educated Changyi. Her disappointment in Changyi and Changlian was different. At least Changlian still had a heart, but she only saw coldness in Changyi. She almost forgot the plot, but she still remembered that Changyi took his wife and children away from the Zhou family.

I just didn't want to make malicious guesses before, because this is reality, a few words don't represent everything, and it never happened.

It's a pity that she took it for granted and thought she could teach the Zhou family's children well. In addition, Zhou Laoer was good at disguise. If it weren't for the Pingzhou incident, she would have been wrong.

Zhou Laoer raised his head when he heard footsteps and saw his mother's back. He panicked and his body reacted faster than his brain. He quickly grabbed his mother's wrist and said, "Mom, I did something wrong. I will change. Please don't ignore me."

Zhulan turned her head to look at Zhou Laoer who was sweating anxiously. Zhou Laoer's reaction was based on instinct. The anxiety on his face was not fake. But when it was time to be hard-hearted, Zhulan would not hesitate at all. Zhulan held Zhou Laoer's hand and pulled it off with all her might. Zhulan turned around and went out swiftly.

Zhulan could see clearly that Changlian was a small tree with some branches that had grown crooked, so she could just cut them off with a knife. However, Changyi was already a mature tree. She and Zhou Shuren had only trimmed the branches over the years, and the main trunk remained the same as before.

Moreover, what Zhou Laoer learned from her and Zhou Shuren was all about calculation. Her knife really couldn't cut it, so she could only use Zhou Shuren's knife. If she cut from the root, it would still grow crooked.

Zhulan thought that she and Zhou Shuren had done their best for the original couple. Their children were different, and she and Zhou Shuren had fulfilled their responsibilities. Even if they met the original couple again one day, they would stand upright.

Zhou Laoer stared blankly at his mother as she left without saying a word to him. He didn't understand what he had done wrong. He didn't feel any different from Chang Lian, but why didn't his parents treat him the same way they treated Chang Lian? Zhou Laoer turned his head and said, "Dad."

Zhou Shuren saw Zhulan had gone out, so he didn't need to pretend to be his original self. Without his original self, Zhou Changyi would be a more familiar stranger to him. "Look at your eyes, you're not convinced. Do you think Changlian also made mistakes? Why didn't you do anything, but my attitude towards you two is different?"

Zhou Laoer's resentment, which he had finally managed to arouse, instantly deflated, "Dad, I didn't do that."

Zhou Shuren put down his teacup and stood up. He walked around Zhou Laoer twice and sneered, "Then let me tell you, what is the difference between you and Changlian? Changlian is not as cold-hearted as you. For one thing, you concealed Zhao's appearance. You never considered what would happen to the entire Zhou family if something happened. This incident shows how selfish you are. For another thing, you got a lot of benefits from the Qian family but didn't think of greeting them. You must feel relieved in your heart. You were happy at first because you had never been a servant of the Yue family. This shows how cold-hearted you are."

Although Zhou Shuren only asked Zhou Laoer and Chang Lian, he knew everything he needed to know from chatting with Zhulan. Zhou Laoer said that he refused the dowry that the Qian family gave to Zhao, but it did not mean that Zhou Laoer did not accept the rest of the money from the Qian family, otherwise how could he buy two shops and an orchard.

Zhou Laoer felt like he was being stripped naked in front of his father. His father saw through every detail of his innermost thoughts. Zhou Laoer didn't dare to look his father in the eye.

Zhou Shuren narrowed his eyes and said, "Raise your head."

Zhou Laoer raised his head stiffly. His father seemed so strange today that he felt a chill in his heart.

Zhou Shuren said coldly: "You have learned nothing else from us except scheming. Will one day the entire Zhou family become the target of your scheming?"

Zhou Laoer was terrified, "Dad, I didn't. You said that it's okay to scheme against outsiders, but you're not allowed to scheme against your own family. I didn't do that."

Zhou Shuren said sarcastically, "You didn't plan it openly, but you have been taking advantage of them. Didn't you just take advantage of Changzhi and Xuemei? Do you think you two are the smartest people in the family?"

Zhou Laoer swallowed his saliva. Why did he mention Chang Lian and Xue Mei? He wanted to flatter them, but also wanted to hide his own thoughts.

Zhou Shuren stood up and said, "Didn't you and Zhao buy an orchard in Chuanzhou? I think you must have enough money to buy a house. When you come back from Pingzhou, you and your wife should move to Pingzhou. You are not allowed to come back without my permission. The two children should stay here. I am worried about them leaving them in your care."

Zhou Laoer was so frightened that he thought he had heard wrongly, "Dad, are you going to chase me away?"

Zhou Shuren, "You can think so. Second brother, you should be happy. Your father is in a difficult situation. For the sake of the Zhou family's wealth and life, I will not split the family, at least not now. Otherwise, you should split the family today."

Zhou Laoer was covered in cold sweat. His father told him frankly that he did not split up the family because he was afraid that he and his brothers would drag down the entire Zhou family. He should be happy, at least he did not split up the family.

Zhou Shuren sat down and said, "I am different from your mother. Today it is your mother who is willing to give you a chance. Remember, this is the only chance. By the way, you two have been out, so you should take care of yourselves. It doesn't mean you will be safe if you cannot split up the family. There is also a saying that there is a family that needs a son."

Anyway, he really doesn't lack cheap sons, he even thinks he has too many to give up!

Zhou Laoer was not stupid this time, but completely stunned. The word "succession" became a sword hanging over his head. He also witnessed his father's indifference today. His father did not hide it at all. From his father's calm eyes, he knew that what his father said was true.

He was sure that his father only cared about his mother. Thinking of his mother, Zhou Laoer cried. It is said that children with mothers are treasures. This is so true. If he did not have a mother, he felt that if he had not lived alone today, his father would really find it troublesome to adopt him. He always felt that adopting him was what his father wanted to do most.

(End of this chapter)