Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 274 When the tiger is not home, the monkey becomes king_1

Chapter 274: Chapter 274 When the tiger is not home, the monkey becomes king_1

Zhou Shuren kissed Zhulan on the forehead, "Isn’t it the day after tomorrow that we go to Mr. Jiang’s residence?"

Zhulan was tugging at Zhou Shuren’s beard, "You mean, Jiang Ming will help introduce a teacher?"

Zhou Shuren pressed Zhulan’s hand, "Jiang Ming’s wife, Lady Dadong, and Lady Dong are blood sisters, and Chang Lian, this brother-in-law, is trusted by Mr. Jiang. Given Chang Lian’s young age, cultivating him well would be a considerable asset. Mr. Jiang will help Chang Lian find a teacher."

Mr. Jiang was not only seeking trustworthy people for his future, but also considering his son’s prospects. By helping Chang Lian now, Chang Lian would have to repay the favor later.

Zhulan felt relieved and tugged at Zhou Shuren’s beard, "Then when do we leave?"

Zhou Shuren winced. Not only did he love stroking his beard, Zhulan had also picked up the habit at some point, especially loving to tug at it. Pulling a beard hurt differently from pulling hair; tugging at the beard really hurt!

Zhulan quickly let go of his beard, she truly couldn’t be blamed; the beard was just too distracting, making her want to tug at it every time, "Did it hurt?"

"What do you think?"

Zhulan looked away, uncertain, "You still haven’t said when we are going to the capital!"

Zhou Shuren rubbed his chin, "Once Chang Lian’s teacher is decided, we’ll leave. I’ve calculated the days; a round trip will take about three months. Once we’re back, it’ll be time for the provincial examination."

Zhulan sat up, delighted, "Then I need to pack, there’re only a few days left."

Zhou Shuren pulled Zhulan down, "No rush, I’m tired too. Lie with me for a while."

Zhulan felt guilty. The reason Zhou Shuren hadn’t been resting well was all because of her. Zhou Shuren was a light sleeper, and if she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, Zhou Shuren would also be kept awake.

The two of them didn’t wake up until the afternoon.

Lady Li stood at the door, urging her husband, "It’s time for lunch, go in and call your father and mother!"

Zhou eldest made a face at his two brothers. Excellent, at this moment they were of one mind, knowing that they couldn’t plot against him anymore, they turned their scheming onto Lady Li. With Lady Li dragging him over to call them, he couldn’t escape. Could his brothers and sisters treat them so unfairly without feeling any remorse?

Zhou second and his wife looked up at the sky, thinking the weather was quite nice today.

Chang Lian was in a bad mood, but with his eldest brother’s company, he felt much better. Lady Dong and Chang Lian were in sync; when Chang Lian was happy, Lady Dong was happy too.

Chang Zhi hadn’t returned, and Rongchuan and Jiang Sheng, one the future son-in-law and the other a long-standing son-in-law, had little say and could only offer their sympathy.

Xue Mei wanted to help her eldest brother, but alas, her sister held her back and would not let her step forward. It seemed that the eldest brother had it tough, the whole family ganging up on him!

Zhou eldest silently cursed a few times; he no longer wanted to see his annoying brothers.

Lady Li, impatient with her husband’s dawdling, also felt intimidated. Their father-in-law had a stern face that frightened everyone, "Hurry up, or the food will get cold."

In the room, Zhou Shuren woke up, but didn’t feel like getting up. These days his resentment had grown; he’d just begun to enjoy being a father when that feeling had vanished. Zhou Shuren covered Zhulan’s ears with his hands and closed his eyes again.

Zhou eldest knocked on the door, "Dad, Mom, lunch is ready."

After a while, there was no response.

Zhou eldest summoned his courage and knocked again, but still no sound came from inside. He was worried but did not dare to enter. The last time he walked in on his father and mother, his father had given him a good scolding!

Zhou second knew that their father had certainly heard them. Lately, their father’s gaze towards them was cold and indifferent; he no longer had any fondness for them. Zhou second thought it best to leave quickly.

Unfortunately, Zhou eldest knocked on the door again.

Zhou Shuren’s eyes blazed with anger, really stupid, once or twice was fine, but to knock a third time, "Get out."

Zhou eldest, "....."

He finally caught on. Dad was already awake; Mom must not have been. If Mom had been awake, Dad wouldn’t have sworn at anyone. To think, Zhou Shuren never imagined that Dad would cover Mom’s ears!

By the time Zhou Shuren came to his senses and turned around, lo and behold, there was no one behind him!

In the afternoon, Zhulan woke up to find that the light in the room wasn’t right. It was already afternoon, and then she saw Zhou Shuren sitting and reading a book!

Zhulan sat up abruptly, "Why didn’t you call me when you woke up!"

After all, she was the mother-in-law. It was one thing for her to sleep during the day, but to sleep all day in the same room as Zhou Shuren—what would the daughters-in-law think? Oh, the embarrassment!

Zhou Shuren watched Zhulan’s face change colors and couldn’t help but laugh, "You always say Lady Li likes to let her imagination run wild, but I see you’re scaring yourself. You’ve been looking pale lately, obviously not resting well. It’s normal for me to stay by your side. If I didn’t, that would be unusual. You are the most important to me in my heart!"

Zhulan breathed a sigh of relief, but rolled her eyes internally. This man was even dropping a declaration of love at the end. Frowning, she said, "You should have woken us for lunch. How come I didn’t hear anything?"

Were these people feeling overly bold? Did they want to try out what it was like to have a stepfather and stepmother?

Zhou Shuren, "I covered your ears, so naturally you wouldn’t hear."

Zhulan, "...."

These days, Xue Mei and Lady Dong have been nagging her non-stop. She’s had enough restlessness, and Zhou Shuren was already dissatisfied, waiting only for the imperial examination to end. You can’t get upset with your daughter or daughters-in-law, and a son-in-law who is not of the same surname makes it even more complicated. So, everything was counted against Zhou Shuren. It was the start of a stepfather’s role!

Zhulan was hungry, and looking at the time, she figured if she missed lunch, then so be it. They would eat together in the evening.

Zhulan lay down again. It had been so long since she’d slept so soundly and comfortably.

During dinner, Zhou Shuren’s face was expressionless, and there was no sound from him as he ate. At Zhulan’s table, the children also quieted down and ate obediently. Lady Li and Mrs. Zhao, who had experienced father-in-law’s temper, were anxious all afternoon.

This was Lady Dong’s first encounter with the situation, and seeing that her husband was downhearted, she didn’t dare to speak out.

Zhulan found tranquility in her ears, comfortable. Indeed, it was time to give this big family a good shake-up with a stick. Lately, the ambitions of the Zhou family had soared to the skies, especially since Chang Lian and Chang Zhi had become Scholars. Now, their lofty aspirations needed to be grounded.

Moreover, she and Zhou Shuren would be away from home for three months. It was indeed the time to put everyone in their place, to tighten the family’s reins, lest in the tiger’s absence the monkey calls himself king. There were plenty of crafty monkeys in the Zhou family!

After dinner, Zhou Shuren took several of his sons to the front courtyard, along with Mingyun.

Zhulan waited for Zhou Shuren to return, "Did you give them a talking-to?"

Zhou Shuren, "Yes."

Zhulan received no further details but knew in her heart that her husband had not been gentle with them. Was he not telling her because he was afraid she would be too lenient? She most certainly would not be!

Early the next morning, Zhou Shuren went out to buy gifts. This time, heavy gifts weren’t necessary for visiting the Jiang Residence; tea and pastries were enough.

Zhulan was relieved not to have to visit the Jiang Residence, guessing that Zhou Shuren’s outburst must’ve made Xue Mei realize her lengthy visit had tired her mother. Xue Mei suggested they should return home, "Mother, our whole family has been here for quite some days. We’ll have Jiang Sheng arrange for the convoy, and we’ll leave tomorrow."

She really shouldn’t have—it was only after her father’s outburst that she realized how unwell her mother had been looking lately. Blaming her slow response on her pregnancy, she recognized that had she not been pregnant, she would have noticed her mother’s discomfort sooner. She wouldn’t have constantly hovered around her mother or talked incessantly, causing her mother to worry along with her.

Zhulan stopped her, "Don’t rush to leave just yet. Your father and I will go to the capital in a few days. After we leave, then you can go. You should see us off."

Xue Mei was taken aback, "Mother, what did you say?"

Zhulan smiled, "I said in a few days, your father and I are going to the capital."

Xue Mei was stunned, "Mother, with the county examination just around the corner, why are you going to the capital?"

Since only Xue Mei was with her that day, Zhulan didn’t keep it secret, "If your father passes the county examination, he’ll need to go to the capital for the next level next year. While we have some time now, we want to buy a property in the capital. It doesn’t need to be large, just a place to stay. Every time one goes to the capital for an examination, many people struggle to find lodging. It’s better to have our own property. Your father can rest well and avoid being disturbed."

Without thinking, Xue Mei blurted out, "Mother, how much silver does our family actually have?"