Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 860 The Invisible

Chapter 860: Chapter 860 The Invisible

Zhou Shuren leisurely went to seek out Mr. Lei, speaking of Mr. Lei, the Ministry of Justice was relatively easier to deal with. During his time at the Ministry of Justice, he and Mr. Lei got along quite well.

Zhou Shuren had not yet arrived when Mr. Lei had already come out to meet him, "Sir Zhou, a rare guest indeed."

Zhou Shuren, "Now that winter is here, I’m dressed a bit too warmly, so I’m walking more slowly, making you come out to meet me."

He wasn’t lying; he was certainly dressed the thickest, to ensure his legs wouldn’t ache later on, he had dressed particularly warmly.

"It’s just a few steps away. Please come in and take a seat, Sir."

Inside the room, Zhou Shuren said, "I’m here for a personal matter. Of all the people in the Ministry of Justice, you’re the only one I’m familiar with, so I can only ask you for help."

Mr. Lei poured a cup of tea and set it on the table, smiling, "Whether it’s official business or a personal matter, is there anything you can’t handle?"

Zhou Shuren picked up the teacup; the tea from the Ministry of Justice was also not bad, "There is indeed. You know, the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple deal with each other a lot, and I was thinking that you have a lot of contact with Sir Lau, so here I am, asking about Sir Lau."

Mr. Lei sat down without any change in expression; he had a good relationship with Lau Jing, and Sir Zhou had indeed asked the right person, "Why is Sir Zhou inquiring about Sir Lau?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shuren had his answer, put down his teacup, "Children and grandchildren are all worries, so are granddaughters and grandsons. It’s all concerning."

Mr. Lei’s concern was eased, understanding the situation, "Sir Zhou has indeed come to the right person, not only do I frequently interact with Sir Lau, but our two families are also neighbors. I am aware of some of the rumors in the capital about Lau’s household, and I must say, they shouldn’t be taken as truth."

"How so?"

Mr. Lei explained, "Both Lau Jing and I come from scholarly farming backgrounds, and it has not been easy to reach where we are today. The Dali Temple is even more challenging than the Ministry of Justice—one wrong step there and you’re in the abyss, so of course, we must be doubly cautious. Lau Jing is extremely diligent in educating his children; all of Lau’s children were taught personally by him. If it weren’t for my boy already having a childhood engagement, I would have definitely chosen a Lau daughter for a daughter-in-law."

Zhou Shuren smiled and drank the tea from his cup, "The hour is getting late. I must be going now. I’ll invite you for tea another day."

Mr. Lei realized there was more to come, and chuckled, "I’ll certainly look forward to Sir Zhou’s tea."

"No need to see me out, I’ll make my own way."

At the Academy, Jiang Zhu was followed by Dong Zhan, who had been very close to him since arriving in the capital. The nephew of his three maternal aunts, Dong Zhan, was also fostered in the Zhou residence, but it was his three uncles who were responsible for his education.

Therefore, Dong Zhan was not close to his cousins, even within the Academy, preferring to keep to himself. It wasn’t that the Zhou family excluded Dong Zhan, but rather that he lacked self-confidence. Moreover, the Dong family constantly wrote him letters—having only been in the capital for a short while, he already knew that two had arrived. As time went on, Dong Zhan became increasingly isolated.

Perhaps because they both came from the same hometown, and he didn’t share the Zhou surname, Dong Zhan was particularly close to him.

From time to time, Jiang Zhu would see Dong Zhan’s envy towards Ming Teng, because Ming Teng was flamboyant, something Dong Zhan envied the most.

Dong Zhan withdrew his glance, continuing to read his book. Remembering the letter he had just received, his heart felt very oppressed. The Dong family had no official status, and his father and grandfather had placed all their hopes on him. Shaking his head, he couldn’t afford to think about this, or else he would be unable to focus on his reading again.

After Ming Teng and Ran Xun joked around, they caught Jiang Zhu sneaking glances at Dong Zhan. Following his gaze, Ming Teng felt nauseated. He and Ming Rui had welcomed Dong Zhan warmly, as having another companion at home was nice. But after several invitations were declined, they gradually stopped inviting him.

Ming Teng sat next to Jiang Zhu, "Read your own book. The teacher will be here soon."

"I know. You better hurry back to your seat, or you’ll get scolded again."

"I’m used to it; my skin is thick."

Jiang Zhu chuckled, Ming Teng’s skin was indeed the thickest. Smiling with a curve in his eyes, "Yesterday Yu Lu said that grandma liked a family."

Ming Teng jumped up as if bitten by fire, "The teacher is coming, the teacher is here!"

Jiang Zhu burst into laughter; Ming Teng’s skin was still not thick enough.

Dong Zhan looked up at Jiang Zhu in a daze, his eyes reflecting a sense of loss before he lowered his head.

That evening, when Zhou Shuren returned home, he conveyed the information he had inquired about, and Zhulan was pleased, "Then I can rest assured. Listening to you, Sir Lau’s wife and Lady Li truly share the same nature."

Zhou Shuren, "The fact that Sir Lau educates all his children has already proven that."

Zhulan, with a beaming smile, "This time, during the break, you should invite Mr. Lei for tea."

"Is that settled then, without looking further?"

Zhulan, "No need to look further, such a rare marital connection is hard to find. Our family needs a clear-headed alliance."

"Agreed, I have a clear idea now."

"Hmm, you are quick to act, getting results in just one day."

Zhou Shuren still looked proud, "It’s because of my wide network of connections."

Zhulan chuckled softly and then added, "Today, Jiang Zhu mentioned Dong Zhan to me. The child feels that Dong Zhan is too repressed."

After Zhou Shuren arrived at the capital, he didn’t even have time to manage his own grandchildren, let alone outsiders. Dong Zhan had always been taught by Chang Lian, and he really hadn’t paid much attention to the boy, who was somewhat of an invisible presence in the Zhou residence, "If I’m not mistaken, there should be a test at the Academy tomorrow, right?"

Zhulan said, "Yes, and the Dong family has sent quite a few letters to this child, too much pressure for someone so young, which isn’t good for him."

"After dinner, I’ll have a word with Chang Lian about this."

"Hmm."

At the Lau residence, Lau Jing was chuckling heartily, even drinking an extra cup of wine. Mrs. Ma looked at him with puzzlement several times, "Aren’t you the most self-disciplined, limiting yourself to two cups of wine per day? Why did you exceed that today?"

Lau Jing, caressing the wine cup, "Because I have good news."

Mrs. Ma frowned, "I don’t sense any good news. And here I was wondering why Lady Zhou was so warm towards me!"

Heaven knows how nervous she was at Mr. Lei’s place, almost losing her composure several times.

Lau Jing, almost laughing, "She wasn’t warm to you. She was enthusiastic about your daughter."

His wife was good in all aspects, just not as versed in roundabout ways, thankfully the children all took after him!

Mrs. Ma realized, "That explains why my girl said Miss Zhou kept her in conversation, it was all for this."

"Our girl is still young and didn’t think in that direction; otherwise, I would have realized what was going on yesterday."

It made him ponder all day, and it wasn’t until Mr. Lei extended his congratulations that he understood.

Mrs. Ma got excited, "It is indeed good news. I was really worried about the girl. Had I known it was for this reason, I wouldn’t have just stood there smiling foolishly. Lady Zhou should have been clearer, or at least given me more hints."

Lau Jing thought to himself, even with more hints it wouldn’t have mattered. At that moment, his wife was so nervous, she wouldn’t have caught on even with hints.

After dinner at the Zhou residence, Zhou Shuren took Chang Lian to the study, gestured for Chang Lian to sit, and began, "Since the child from the Dong family has stayed, we must take responsibility for him. Pay more attention to him."

Chang Lian frowned, "Father, I do care for him. I make time every day to check his studies."

He was busy too, especially towards the end of the year. The Hanlin Academy was no easy task, and he felt he was doing quite well.