Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 662 Holding a Grudge_1

Zhou eldest brother’s eyes were red, "I, as the eldest, am useless."

Zhou second brother also fell silent. He and the eldest brother, as the older siblings, hadn’t supported the Zhou family, instead, the burden had fallen on the shoulders of their younger brother, "Yes, we are useless."

Chang Zhi looked left at his eldest brother, then right at his second brother. Seeing both of his brothers so self-deprecating, he felt he should be even more ashamed. He had the best resources, yet devoted so little of his heart to the family. Upon careful reflection, he was instantly stunned.

Zhou Shuren was unaware that his son had begun a session of self-reflection. He was dashing about the Government Office, impossible to avoid for those who wished to hide; the ’Zhou-style slap in the face’ was ongoing.

Mr. Wong and Mr. Wang were together, still shaken, "Mr. Zhou holds a grudge too much. He already gave us a slap in the face last time, and now he doesn’t even give people a chance to hide."

Mr. Wang’s voice was weak, "Yes, for over a year, the gentleman has been focused on official duties. It’s been a while since we’ve seen such a vengeful Mr. Zhou. I kind of miss it."

Mr. Wong gave him a side glance, an expression that said you must be kidding, and spat out his contempt. He really did not want to see it again, for it reminded him of when Mr. Zhou had first arrived in Jinzhou Province and had given him a hard time.

Mr. Ran walked in, "Mr. Zhou is not here?"

Wong Ju quickly paid his respects, "Mr. Ran, Mr. Zhou is here. I will go and call Mr. Zhou back immediately."

Mr. Ran did not need to think too hard to guess what Zhou Shuren was up to, chuckling, "I’m just here to offer my congratulations. I’ll personally go find him."

Wong Ju was speechless; this man also knew Mr. Zhou well.

When Zhou Shuren saw Mr. Ran, he was beamingly listening to the praises, "Mr. Ran."

Mr. Ran was amused; Zhou Shuren really wasn’t one to hold a grudge, "I’ve heard the news and have come to offer my congratulations myself. The Zhou family has raised fine sons; Mr. Zhou, you have successors."

He thought carefully, Mr. Zhou’s fourth son was also good at his studies, having just arrived in Jinzhou Province and already tricked Mr. Min. He didn’t have high hopes for Zhou’s fourth young master’s temperament. Mr. Zhou’s youngest son was too young to count, but there were many in the grandsons’ generation. Zhou Mingyun aside, as his grandson had often been mentioned, the two mischievous ones were also not bad. Overall, as long as the Zhou family avoided mishaps, they would not decline for decades to come, and in decades, new grandsons would be born.

Zhou Shuren courteously said, "Mr. Ran, let’s go back and talk. This isn’t the place for a conversation."

Look, don’t think I haven’t seen the number of people passing by increase.

Mr. Ran initially intended to congratulate and leave, but now he did not want to go, "Please lead the way, Mr. Zhou."

Once back inside, Zhou Shuren smiled, "It is rare for you to visit, so please try the tea I have here."

Mr. Ran, Ran Zheng, was not a tea enthusiast and was not knowledgeable about tea but found it pleasing to drink, "Good tea."

Zhou Shuren could hardly contain his laughter internally. This was also someone who did not care for tea. True tea lovers would have been picky upon tasting, only those who knew nothing about tea would uniformly say it was good.

Mr. Ran set down his teacup, "Tomorrow, we will meet the Emperor, and I do not know if Zhou’s third young master will remain in the capital."

Zhou Shuren now had no guesses whatsoever, who could anticipate sudden complications involving Rongchuan, "That will be left to fate."

Mr. Ran suddenly changed the subject, "Speaking of which, my second grandson is about the same age as your second granddaughter."

Zhou Shuren glanced at Wong Ju who was lounging about unwilling to leave. The previously listless Wong Ju perked up instantly, "Unfortunately, my eldest grandson is already betrothed to your second granddaughter."

Ran Zheng felt a pang of regret inside. The Wong family, that was a better match than the Ran family had achieved. With this marriage, he would have to reassess Zhou Shuren. The marriage of the Wong family’s eldest grandson and eldest son required agreement from the old Master Wong in the capital, "A fine match, congratulations to you, sir."

Zhou Shuren thought that this was all thanks to Chang Lian and Rongchuan; Yu Lu’s engagement with the Wong family no longer needed to wait for two years. Now that Wong Ju had spoken, it was set in stone and public, "I originally thought the child was young, so I didn’t publicize it."

Ran Zheng’s mind twisted and turned and he understood why it hadn’t been publicized; Zhou’s residence was still in a weaker position, "The hour is getting late, I should be heading back."

"This evening, Zhou has a banquet planned, you must attend, sir."

"Certainly."

Once Ran Zheng had left, Wong Ju chuckled gleefully, "It’s a good thing I acted early, or else I would have lost my granddaughter-in-law."

Zhou Shuren looked at the time, "You’ve been slacking off for a while, it’s time for you to return."

Indeed, it was time for Wong Ju to leave; he pondered in his heart, waiting for Lady Zhou to return so the two families could formally finalize the engagement.

Zhou Shuren warmed his hands with the teapot, his eyes fixed on Yu Lu. Yushuang’s marital arrangements were not easy to handle; Yushuang was two years older than Yu Lu. Now that the younger sister was engaged, the elder had yet to catch anyone’s eye, which was a worry.

In the capital, Zhulan was tallying the gifts she had received. The Xu family had sent a gift, and Zhulan had heard about it. The last incident with the Crown Prince’s carriage colliding had involved the Xu family. It felt like killing two birds with one stone. Fortunately, the Crown Prince was unharmed, otherwise, even with the Crown Prince’s protection, the Xu family would have had to provide an explanation.

Zhulan asked Nanny Song to check on him; the eldest son of the Xu family had broken his leg, but fortunately, with proper care, he could recover.

Zhulan sighed – the capital was a meat grinder, never knowing who might be caught in its gears.

The important gifts were from the Ning Duke Residence. Marquis Ning did not hesitate at all. With Chang Lian serving as a cover, Marquis Ning was indeed willful. Look at the gifts sent – both were rare and valuable antique ornaments.

Zhulan thought to herself that with just a few more gifts like these, Chang Lian could amass a significant fortune even as an incidental beneficiary.

Chang Lian, holding tightly to an antique and grinning foolishly, said, "Mother, your son’s fortune is especially strong this year."

Zhulan also felt envious for a moment, "Yes, your fortune is exceptionally good."

Chang Lian was so fond of it that he was being extra careful with it, "I must save it properly. These antiquities are the family heirlooms of our third branch; they should not be touched lightly."

Zhulan raised an eyebrow, "I thought you were planning to use them as a dowry for Yu Yi!"

Chang Lian coughed, "It’s not that I don’t love my daughter, but these are too precious. Moreover, it’s just one set. In the future, if your son has more daughters, how would we manage? Giving it to the elder sister would leave the younger one with nothing. To avoid creating conflict, it’s better for your son to give none."

Zhulan didn’t believe Chang Lian’s words for a second; he simply couldn’t bear to part with it, his eyes never straying from the items.

Rongchuan touched the antique, "If only we could sell this."

His tone was full of regret.

Chang Lian’s eyes widened, "You’re thinking of selling it?"

Rongchuan nodded, "It’s just for show and not practical. It would be better to turn it into silver. With a large amount of silver, I’d be able to buy farms, shops, and residences. That way, I can make silver produce more silver, and my descendants would have a guaranteed legacy. Why cling to an antique that’s only good for appreciation and not practicality? Besides, it’s not a book; it looks good but serves little function."

He truly felt it was a pity; if sold, it would bring in a significant sum of Silver Coins. He had only managed to scrape together a few shops through hard work. With more Silver, he could buy more, firming up his assets. Ah, of course, the dowry would be more substantial too.

His goal was to buy a residence in the capital, at least a two-entry compound. Xue Han had been pampered since childhood; she couldn’t marry him only to suffer.