Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 388 Give It to Heaven_1

Chapter 388: Chapter 388 Give It to Heaven_1

Zhulan thought to herself, thankfully Lady Li remembered that she was pregnant and didn’t bump into her with her belly. Otherwise, Lady Li’s force could have easily caused trouble. But she’s only been gone for less than two months—how has Lady Li become such a crybaby?

Zhulan’s gaze swept over Lady Zhao and Lady Dong, then quickly retracted as she had just given them a warning, these two daughters-in-law wouldn’t dare to bully Lady Li.

Lady Zhao, "...."

Lady Dong, "...."

They felt as if they had fallen into a vinegar jar, exchanging a look between them. It was clear that their mother-in-law really treated their elder sister-in-law like her own daughter!

Lady Dong stared blankly at the dining table, a bit dazed. She had not expected that the lessons her mother taught her on dealing with concubines would come in handy for competing for their mother-in-law’s affection so soon!

Zhou Shuren coughed, and immediately Lady Li stopped crying. Not only did she stop crying, but she also broke out into a cold sweat from the fright.

Lady Li had only thought about her mother-in-law’s return and completely forgot how terrifying her father-in-law’s stern face could be.

Zhou eldest slowly shuffled his feet, edging closer to his wife. Hmm, it must have been his fault in his father’s eyes. Today, he had truly experienced his father’s possessiveness. His wife had been bold enough to advance without saying a word and even pushed his father aside. Impressive, his wife was truly the most capable person in the family!

Zhulan also coughed and then comforted the pale-faced Lady Li, leading her to sit down. "Alright, everyone, sit down and eat."

Zhou Shuren watched silently as Zhulan led Lady Li to sit down. He felt a pang of jealousy. He had always known that Zhulan was very fond of Lady Li but had not expected her to like her this much.

Zhou eldest quickly slipped back to his seat. He and the second eldest had divvied up the gifts they brought back as soon as they got home, then inquired about Chang Lian’s family’s well-being. They had then been shocked by the old man’s exploits and had been anxious all afternoon, fearing that their father might punish them if he thought their mother had lost weight.

Zhou Shuren settled in his seat, picked up his chopsticks, and looked at the dishes on the table. Fresh chili with winter melon—a rare vegetable in winter.

Seeing Zhou Shuren pick up the winter melon with his chopsticks, Zhulan smiled and said, "I bought quite a lot. It’s just that many of them got frostbitten on the way. But we’ll set some aside for father and mother as a New Year’s gift, send some away, and have enough to last us until the New Year if we eat sparingly."

Zhou Shuren smiled, "You decide."

Once Zhulan and Zhou Shuren started eating, the others followed suit. Sometimes Zhou Shuren dined at the government office where Mr. Chen, who came from a well-off family with roots in Jiangnan that owned a manor which occasionally sent vegetables over, would host a meal. Zhou Shuren ate plenty and didn’t find it a novelty.

Zhou eldest and the second eldest had been out with Zhulan for a month, eating inn meals every day. In ancient times, as long as you could afford it, vegetables were available. Zhulan didn’t skimp on herself. Though she hadn’t economized for nearly two months, now that she was home, she preferred the meat dishes.

Those who stayed at home felt it was a novelty and all set their sights on the vegetables. Chang Lian and the others ate mostly vegetables.

After dinner, because Zhulan had returned, the atmosphere in the house improved and the long-absent laughter returned. In the hearts of the daughters-in-law, the importance of their mother-in-law became ever more apparent.

After dinner, Zhulan felt a bit shy. Having never had a modern boyfriend, she had now, in ancient times, found herself a husband and started living with him as soon as they fell in love. Ahem, this affair had lasted for several years already. Zhulan counted her age and realized she was almost thirty in modern times. Today, she had married herself off.

The red candles in the room, the wedding quilt on the kang bed—even though they were all defective goods, they were filled with genuine love.

This time, no one was there to disturb them, and there was no need to be shy about their age. Zhou Shuren considered himself a bold man, but to his surprise, once back in the room, he was all thumbs. The Mr. Zhou who had tricked countless others outside was now a complete novice!

The next day, Zhulan was the first to wake up. Before she had the chance to exchange sweet nothings with Zhou Shuren, a knock on the door sounded. Liu Ya brought hot water for them to freshen up. Zhulan sat up in an instant, quickly got dressed, and then helped Zhou Shuren change the quilt cover.

By the time everything was done, and the room was back to normal, Zhulan was sweating all over. She looked at Zhou Shuren’s dark face and laughed heartily.

Zhou Shuren couldn’t help but laugh as well. The constraints of their status made their sneaking around quite interesting.

Liu Ya had been standing outside the door for a while. When she entered, she found that both the mistress and the master were in exceptionally good spirits. She knew they didn’t like to be attended to while washing their faces, but she saw something— the master washing the mistress’s face. Thinking about her own age and then looking at the mistress’s age, she suddenly felt that her own husband was not that good to her after all.

In the morning, after breakfast, Zhou Shuren went off to the government office with a spring in his step.

The entire Zhou family noticed that the old master was in an exceptionally good mood that day, so good that he had a smile for everyone. The Zhou family, whether masters or servants, once again marveled that their household just couldn’t do without Zhulan.

After Zhou Shuren left, Zhulan asked Steward Ding to prepare the vegetables and the fruits they had brought back. She needed to go and see her parents, so they wouldn’t worry.

At the Yang residence, Mrs. Sun was enjoying longan fruit. "Your father and I have certainly enjoyed your blessings. We’re even eating such rare fruits now."

Zhulan smiled, "Mother, you can’t eat too much though. Big brother asked the doctor yesterday and was told that eating too many of these fruits can lead to excessive internal heat. I brought back plenty of pears. With the dry air in winter, you and father should eat more of them."

Mrs. Sun smiled warmly, "Good, good. Was your trip smooth?"

Mother, everything went smoothly. Don’t I look a bit plumper since I’ve been back?"

Mrs. Sun’s eyes were a bit fuzzy, and she couldn’t tell from up close. Zhulan deliberately stood a bit further away, and Mrs. Sun grinned, "Indeed, you seem to have gained a bit of weight. You work too hard at home, worrying about your own matters and taking care of your parental home. In the future, take more care of yourself."

Zhulan nodded while smiling, knowing that her family would not need her attention next year. Having taken her parents through the process, they had gained experience, and her elder brother was now capable of managing the orchard. With the help of the second Mr. Zhou, she needn’t watch over things all the time. Zhulan couldn’t help but touch her stomach; she still yearned for a child. Since arriving in the ancient past, she had been careful to maintain her health, and even after arriving in Lizhou City, she had continued her regimen. Every month, a doctor would visit to check on her, and her health was very good.

She knew that Zhou Shuren no longer desired children. Because he cared for her, he didn’t want to take the risk, but she longed for a child. Even though she was integrating herself into the roles of being a mother and a grandmother, she knew in her heart that she always felt a sense of lacking belonging. This place had no ties between her and Zhou Shuren.

Without a child of her and Zhou Shuren’s, she always felt that something was missing from this home.

But indeed, her age was not young anymore. After this year, she would be forty in nominal age. She decided to leave it to fate. She would give it a year, and if she conceived, they would keep the baby and seek Mr. Chen’s help; she would have some confidence. If not, then it was destiny, and she wouldn’t worry anymore. She wouldn’t dwell on it in the future either.