Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 435 Cry_1

Chapter 435: Chapter 435 Cry_1

After dinner, Zhulan had already seen the New Year’s gift list written by the two maids, and these two were clever, having brought out last year’s list for reference.

Zhou Shuren took the list from behind Zhulan, "It’s getting late, rest now!"

Zhulan, "....No, I don’t want to sleep."

It was true—since the child in her belly was over four months along, she hadn’t been able to sleep as well as before.

Zhou Shuren put the list away, "You don’t need to look at it anymore, don’t you trust the two girls you trained?"

Zhulan had already glanced over the list and found nothing to worry about. "Fine, fine, I won’t look anymore. Actually, there’s something I want to discuss with you."

Zhou Shuren brought over the candle, "Go ahead."

"Look, as the New Year’s approaching, Lady Zhao’s belly is growing again, and the constant travel isn’t good for the child. I’m thinking about letting them go back after the New Year. I’m concerned about the child, not the couple."

Zhou Shuren smiled, "I thought it was something serious. You decide what’s best."

"If I hadn’t asked Steward Ding, and indeed, the roads were blocked by snow, I would have thought they were deliberately delaying. Fortunately, they didn’t disappoint me."

Zhou Shuren felt that the outreach matters were mostly settled, and said to Zhulan, "I also have something to tell you. I asked Wu Chun to find some house servants skilled in martial arts, fearing you’d worry, I didn’t bring them to the house but had them stay somewhere arranged by Wu Chun. I’m thinking of bringing them over in a couple of days. There are eight of them in total."

Zhulan glared, "Lord Zhou, I’ve noticed you’ve been keeping quite a few things from me lately!"

Zhou Shuren, "..."

It had been a long time since he was pinched, and the flesh on his waist had tenderized, unable to withstand pinching. It really hurt.

The more Zhulan thought about it, the angrier she became, "I know you’re worried about me and the child, and you don’t want me to worry about anything. But have you ever considered how much more upset I get when I hear about it afterward? Zhou Shuren, do you see me as that weak? Am I so fragile that I can’t handle things? We agreed to face things together. Why do you hide everything from me?"

Having said that, Zhulan started crying. Pregnant and doing her best to stay relaxed for her and the baby’s sake, she wanted to grow old with Zhou Shuren!

Zhou Shuren hiding something from her once was one thing, but doing it again hurt her, especially when she knew it was dangerous. It was precisely because of the danger that she needed to be informed—otherwise it pained her heart, terribly so.

Zhou Shuren’s hands were numb, and for a moment, as he watched Zhulan cry, he didn’t know what expression to wear. Reflecting on it, he realized Zhulan had never cried over him before; the last time she cried was when Wu Dong died.

This time it was because of him. Zhou Shuren, having come to his senses and now flustered, started wiping Zhulan’s tears, "It’s all my fault. Hit me, hit me instead of holding it in."

Zhulan sniffled, unable to control her desire to cry. She had been maintaining a good state of mind, repressing her thoughts endlessly, and now it had collapsed, "Letting you keep things from me... wuwu... If you didn’t keep things from me, I could have helped you think of solutions instead of you shouldering it all alone... wuwu..."

After his initial panic, Zhou Shuren felt an unbearable softness in his heart. He wrapped his arms around the considerably plumper Zhulan, and only after her sobbing softened did he coax her, "From now on, I won’t hide anything from you, I mean what I say."

Zhulan opened her tear-reddened eyes, "Really?"

Zhou Shuren kissed Zhulan’s eyes, "Mhm."

Zhulan wanted to cry again. She was genuinely afraid. Just as Zhou Shuren feared for her, she feared for him as well, wuwu...

Seeing her cry again, Zhou Shuren tensed up internally. She was carrying a child, after all, "Alright, alright, no more tears."

Zhulan simply wanted to cry, her nose twitching as she released her emotions for a long while.

Zhou Shuren held her throughout, not daring to move, anxious not to bump into Zhulan’s belly. Suddenly, Zhou Shuren smiled—Zhulan’s little one in her belly moved, almost as if it had kicked him, taking revenge for its mother!

Zhou Shuren, gazing down at the crying Zhulan who had fallen asleep, patted her to help her sleep more soundly.

The next morning, Zhulan woke up feeling very comfortable. These past days, with worries weighing on her mind, she hadn’t been able to sleep properly. Having cried it out the day before, she felt much lighter.

As a consequence, when Zhulan got up, her eyes were swollen—clear evidence of how hard she had cried, "I won’t go out for breakfast today."

She, a mother-in-law, really couldn’t afford to lose face.

Zhou Shuren helped Zhulan get dressed, "If you don’t go out, they’ll think you’re ill and they’ll come to see you."

Zhulan touched her eyes, "I’ll use eggs to roll on them."

Zhou Shuren shook his head, "It’s no use, you cried for quite a long time yesterday."

Zhulan felt deflated, her temples ached. She thought about going out to eat, as the whole family would probably be guessing all sorts of things. If she didn’t go out, they’d be even more astonished.

In the end, Zhulan still went to have breakfast. Let them think what they wanted; after all, she and Zhou Shuren were on good terms.

With her eyes swollen, the sons and daughters-in-law of the Zhou family didn’t dare to make a sound, deeply afraid that the parents-in-law had quarreled, and it wasn’t their place to interject.

After the meal, Zhulan’s swelling had subsided somewhat, and she didn’t need to read any books today.

Lady Li, concerned about her mother-in-law, decided to ask, steeling herself as she came over, "Mother, why have you been crying?"

Zhulan had her answer ready. Without a clear explanation, who knew where her sons and daughters-in-law’s imaginations might run off to.

Zhulan sighed, and Lady Li’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be something serious? Had they really had a quarrel? But looking at the eunuch’s expression, it didn’t seem like it. That’s right, the eunuch always kept a straight face, and she couldn’t make out anything from his eyes.

Zhulan was moved. Lady Li really was the best, but she also wanted to tease Lady Li a bit, "Your father-in-law and I had a fight, whom would you support?"

Lady Li was stunned. They really had a fight, and she couldn’t help but raise her voice, "A fight? How could Father do this, Mother is pregnant!"

Lady Li was furious. How could her father argue with such a good mother-in-law? She and the head of the household never fought!

Zhulan burst into laughter, but she quickly stopped because her sons and daughters-in-law were outside; Lady Li’s loud voice had ensured they heard everything, Zhulan, "...."

No, this wasn’t what she wanted!

Xue Han was the first to come in, "Mother, did Father really argue with you?"

That shouldn’t be the case; Father cared so much for Mother!

Chang Lian was extremely anxious. Mother was of such an age, and it wasn’t easy for her to be pregnant—could something serious have happened?

Zhou Shuren’s second son always had an active imagination, "Mother, could Father be secretly keeping a concubine?"

Once Zhou Shuren’s second son spoke up, everyone turned to look at him.

Zhulan was speechless. How could the guess go in that direction? She squinted, "Surely you’re not harboring such thoughts, are you?"

Zhou Shuren’s second son was dumbfounded. He had guessed as much because he had seen something, "Mother, I haven’t. Father said no taking concubines."

Zhulan spoke faintly, "That’s precisely why he would keep a mistress instead!"

Zhou Shuren’s second son felt like crying, "Mother, I really haven’t, I swear."

Zhulan, looking at Lady Zhao speechless and stunned, decided to stop frightening Zhou Shuren’s second son. "Second son, rest assured, I’ll pass your words on to your father."

Zhou Shuren’s second son, "....."

No, Mother, please don’t. It’s really not necessary. He knew he guessed wrong. You mustn’t speak to Father about this; if Father hears it, he might disown him!

Zhulan coughed and said, "Well, my earlier words were just teasing Lady Li."