Transmigration: On the Gossip Front
Chapter 268 True or False First Love 68_1

Chapter 268: Chapter 268 True or False First Love 68_1

Zhang Shifen had a frank discussion with Zhou Dajiang that day and made her stance clear.

Afterwards, their relationship entered a new low, with no interaction unless there was a major issue.

Zhou Dajiang used to provide Zhou Xuan’s living expenses every month, but that changed after his eldest grandson was born, sending him into excitement.

Caught up in taking care of his daughter-in-law and the newborn, he spent quite a bit of money and never thought to check on how Zhou Xuan was doing.

At first, Zhou Xuan felt pretty lost and had many chats with Zhou Lina about why he didn’t turn to Zhang Shifen, knowing it would only upset her without changing anything.

"It’s normal, Uncle Zhou just thinks you have a mom, and I’m here to take care of you; we wouldn’t treat you unfairly," she said.

"But it’s different for Zhou Yong; everyone knows there’s been no contact with that side of the family since his mom passed away."

During holidays and festivals, Zhou Yong had no interactions with his relatives over there, including at his wedding, where there was no response from their side at all.

Although the reason was unclear, Zhou Yong’s maternal family had cut off contact after his mother’s death, but in Zhou Dajiang’s eyes, this just made his son seem pitiable.

Was this why he couldn’t pay attention to him? Zhou Xuan could somewhat understand, but it still didn’t sit well with him.

Seeing a certain child with a sullen face, "Don’t worry, when I get a couple of days off in a few days, I’ll take you to the zoo," she promised.

There’s talk of a major revamp at the zoo, introducing many new species; Zhou Lan isn’t interested in such things, but Zhou Xuan would probably be thrilled.

Upon hearing about the zoo trip, Zhou Xuan immediately became excited—not because he was indifferent, but because the recent shift in his family status had been a bit of a blow to him.

He quickly recovered, partly because being ranked behind Zhou Yong or Zhou Yong’s entire family made no practical difference.

To Zhou Dajiang, Zhou Xuan was essentially non-existent, which was harsh but a reality they could not change.

It didn’t take long for Zhang Shifen to get promoted twice at her current job, her advancement was remarkably swift.

It wasn’t because she had connections, but because many others truly lacked competence, appointed only due to the influence of their supporters.

With positions vacated, others naturally aspired to climb up, but it wasn’t easy; no one respected the others, each thinking the rest were utterly unqualified.

In the end, Zhang Shifen got the promotion because she had the ability and wasn’t aligned with any faction.

Everyone thought once their faction gained the upper hand, it would be easy to oust Zhang Shifen, who had no backing.

Zhang Shifen was aware of these schemes, as there were always those willing to share such news.

For Zhang Shifen, that was a problem for the future; for now, she had been promoted, and reaping the benefits was what mattered.

As for when she’d be forced to step down, was it really up to them? One faction falls, another rises; it was a never-ending cycle, with no faction truly securing the top spot.

Even if she was ousted, she wasn’t worried—her abilities spoke for themselves.

Zhou Lina was busy with work and originally wanted to find time to review high school material, preparing for the eventual restoration of college entrance exams.

The idea was good, but her job kept her incredibly busy, to the point of exhaustion.

With no other option, she only managed to study a little on weekends, thankful that the curriculum wasn’t as intense as it would be decades later.

Otherwise, she might have simply given up on the exams, for going would only lead to embarrassment.

Zhou Xuan, the little friend, entered junior high as well, and his grades were in the upper-middle tier at school.

Only Zhang Shifen and Zhou Lina, mother and daughter, knew that this was far from Zhou Xuan’s true potential.

They both thoroughly agreed with his strategy of holding back, as it was better to keep a low profile in those times.

Zhang Shifen and Zhou Lina, don’t be fooled by how hard they seem to work at their jobs, they have actually toned it down quite a bit.

But even toned-down, they stand out because their colleagues either play it safe or hold back their own abilities, and of course, there are those who just coast through their days.

This made their competence seem conspicuous, but it also had its perks, catching the eye of leadership and leaving an impression.

As for attracting attention, they were from a good family background with Zhou Lina’s father looking out for them, plus they weren’t involved in any factions, so nobody would target them.

Especially since everyone knew Zhou Lina was a troublemaker, anyone who messed with them would not be let off easily by this girl.

And since there was no dirt on Zhang Shifen’s family, nobody was willing to make a move against them.

Zhou Lina felt her current life was quite comfortable, especially since she was busy with work every day, occasionally indulging in good food with a little help and affection from Zhang Shifen and Gu Wei, slightly improving their meals.

In her view, it would be wonderful if such days could last a little longer.

Zhou Xuan also felt that current days were awesome. The so-called classes felt like idling away time, with teachers only showing up when it was time to start and leaving when it was over, no homework involved, and how much they learned was irrelevant.

Zhou Yong did not pay attention to his son, but the boy knew he was cared for by his mother and sister, and he soon realized there was no need to worry about those who didn’t care for him.

Zhou Yong was very happy to have become a grandfather, but it also brought trouble, as he truly did not have enough money to spend now.

He couldn’t remember exactly how much they had spent when Zhang Shifen gave birth to Xiao Xuan, but he vividly remembered it was nowhere near this much.

To his shock, this month’s expenses had already gone over fifty, which alarmed Zhou Yong greatly.

What made Zhou Yong even angrier was, "What did you say, your mother-in-law is asking for twenty yuan to take care of your wife’s postnatal care, plus two pounds of meat and three pounds of eggs?"

He knew the Luo Family was greedy, but there was nothing he could do. He had to work, and being a man, he was not equipped to care for a new mother, so they had no choice but to let Luo Lili’s mother come to help.

"No, no, you agreed from the start to pay," Zhou Yong knew the price was a bit high, but he had already promised his wife’s family.

"Yes, I agreed, but I was thinking of giving a pound or two of meat, plus ten yuan."

"But now, to give so much money and goods..." Zhou Yong exclaimed, truly not expecting this.

"I’ll pay this time, but postnatal care is almost over, and you’ll need to handle the expenses yourself soon."

"After all, Luo Lili doesn’t work," Zhou Yong now thought it was actually a good thing that Luo Lili didn’t work, as otherwise, looking after the child would be an issue.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yong immediately understood that Zhou Dajiang would not be paying any more, which spelled trouble.

"But Lili says she can’t handle the child by herself..."

"If you want her mother to help with the child, that’s your business."

"The child care costs, as well as all your family’s living expenses, are your responsibility."

"All I can do is not take the five yuan a month from you," Zhou Dajiang felt this was the biggest support he could offer as a father.