Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 932: Asking for Help

Chapter 932: Chapter 932: Asking for Help

The big shots of the capital, Zhou Shuren could only sneer. They really had loose lips; by the afternoon, the basic content of his Zhezi had spread everywhere. What a memory they all have, not a single good one among the lot, and that’s counting every last one of them!

Qiu Yan looked at the sullen-faced Zhou Shuren, occasionally touching his own face, then his mouth. He couldn’t compare, feeling that Mr. Zhou’s abilities were as impressive as his boot-licking skills.

Zhou Shuren, with a stony face, "Mr. Qiu, would you like a good long look at my face as I sit before you?"

Qiu Yan nearly bit his tongue. Who would want to look at Zhou Shuren’s face? No, that won’t do; can’t look anymore, busily bowing his head.

Zhou Shuren cursed in his heart. These people were jealous of him, which is why they’d spread the Zhezi to disgust him, and thinking of the Emperor’s command to self-publish made his face grow even darker!

In the afternoon, Wong Ju blocked Zhou Shuren at the entrance of the Ministry of Revenue, "Don’t glare at me, I’m not here to mock you."

"If there’s no conspiracy, then it’s a matter of life."

As if he wouldn’t know, Wong Ju had had his fill of laughter!

Wong Ju, "...."

Considering Zhou Shuren’s current sour mood, Wong Ju forced a dry laugh, "I just thought to invite you for a tea."

Zhou Shuren was suspicious. Wong Ju was hardly the comforting type. This grandson had cursed him plenty behind his back. Ever since Wong Ju joined the Ministry of Revenue, he was so miserly that he wouldn’t part with a single hair, even taking tea leaves from his jar—sweet gestures without cause suggest villainy at play, "What do you want?"

Wong Ju, "Don’t accept any invitations on your days off. We’ll talk then."

Zhou Shuren stared at Wong Ju. If Wong Ju had business, why didn’t he go to his impressive father instead, but came looking for him? Tugging at his beard, Zhou Shuren realized, "Someone came looking for you today?"

Wong Ju, "..."

The sly old fox, so quick to react.

As Zhou Shuren watched Wong Ju slip away, he curled his lip in disdain. Wong Ju had only been back in the capital for so long, and yet he had gained a layer of fat, growing more and more horizontally. Round and rotund, a sight for sore eyes!

After returning home, Zhou Shuren’s face had lightened up considerably. Since he couldn’t change anything, he had to accept it. As he entered the house and didn’t see his son, he asked, "Where’s my son?"

"This afternoon he was picked up by Wu Ning and taken to the Wu household. From today on, he’ll not be coming back to stay."

Zhou Shuren felt stifled, "The little rascal couldn’t wait for his dad, huh?!"

Zhulan, "I’ve been somewhat busy these days, or else he should have moved in earlier. This afternoon Wu Ning came over, and your son couldn’t wait. I was pestered till I got a headache, so I just packed him off with Wu Ning."

Zhou Shuren silently cursed his son for being an ungrateful wretch.

Zhulan, observing Zhou Shuren’s face, already knew about the Zhezi issue, "Are you okay?"

Zhou Shuren, "Not too bad."

Zhulan tugged at her husband’s face, "Don’t force yourself to bear it."

Zhou Shuren sighed, "While it’s frustrating, I think of the benefits to our family, and I endure."

Zhulan knew clearly that despite Zhou Shuren seemingly being the butt of everyone’s jokes, it was actually advantageous for the Zhou family. The perfect Zhou Shuren of the past was too intimidating, the more perfect someone is, the more they’re feared. After today, they might let up on the Zhou family a bit.

In the following days, because of Zhou Shuren’s official rank, not many people dared to laugh at him to his face. The focus of attention was more on the Princes’ titles.

The Fourth Prince became a laughingstock, the Third Prince, no, should be Prince Chu and Princess Chu, were daily guests at the Prince Liang Residence.

These days, Zhou Shuren was busy, busy with preparing silver for the disaster relief. Zhulan was also busy, she had to take charge of Wu Ming’s marriage matters.

And the younger generation of the Zhou family, not daring to stay in the capital any longer, said their goodbyes one after another, intending to return to their hometown. The night before they left, Zhou Shuren spent a long while chatting with several of them in his study.

Due to the incident, Zhou Shuren and Zhulan hadn’t finished evaluating the youngsters, but they had basically formed an understanding of them. Zhou Shuren wrote a letter to the Clan Leader detailing the shortcomings of the clan members, and asked the youngsters to deliver it to the Clan Leader.

In the blink of an eye, Chang Zhong had been living at the Wu residence for seven days. After dinner at the Zhou household, Zhou Shuren looked at his youngest son, who was reluctant to leave, and thought to himself that the brat must know what’s good for him now. But what he said was, "It’s getting late, the carriage is ready."

Chang Zhong jumped off the chair and flung himself into his father’s arms, "Father, I want to come home to live."

Zhou Shuren had a clear idea of how Wu Ming educated Chang Zhong yesterday, and had been informed first thing this morning. He couldn’t bring himself to be that harsh, but Wu Ming certainly could. Yesterday, when his son threw a tantrum at Wu’s house, Wu Ming didn’t hesitate to beat Chang Zhong. From the way his son was gingerly sitting, he knew his bottom hadn’t been spared from the sole of a shoe!

Zhulan continued to sip her tea to cleanse her palate, but her eyes were fixed on Zhou Shuren, as if to say if you dare agree, we’ll have issues.

Zhou Shuren touched his nose, "You cannot."

Chang Zhong’s eyes turned red. He hadn’t cried when he was spanked the day before. He didn’t dare tell his mother; he remembered what she had said, "Father, don’t you love me anymore?"

Zhou Shuren looked at his teary-eyed son and felt terrible. The little guy had never been one to cry since he was a baby. He lifted his chubby son into his arms, "Father is refusing exactly because I love you, and that’s why I don’t agree to you coming back to live here."

Today Wu Ning sent a message, expressing very tactfully that he was too indulgent with Chang Zhong. Wu Ming had toughened up and decided to lay a foundation for Chang Zhong, to stop him from causing trouble. Even if it pained him, he couldn’t relent.

Chang Zhong rubbed his bottom, "Brother Wu Ming hit me."

His father hadn’t laid a finger on him, and as for his mother, it was best not to mention her!

Zhou Shuren, listening to his son’s crying voice, felt his heart on the verge of breaking. Hearing his wife’s cough, he hardened again, "It’s all father’s fault for spoiling you in the past. Your Brother Wu Ming did it for your own good; you mustn’t keep throwing tantrums."

Chang Zhong glanced at his father, then at his mother. He heard it all too clearly, the moment mother coughed, father’s heart had softened. He pursed his lips and came out of his father’s embrace, rubbed his bottom with his hand, and his eyes were devoid of tears, "I shouldn’t have counted on father, alas!"

When would father be like big brother, no, aside from big brother, why couldn’t father learn from his second brother and the others? When would mother listen to father as sister-in-law does?

Zhou Shuren watched speechlessly as his son, followed by his nursemaid, walked away, "Was I just schemed by the little brat?"

Zhulan snorted and set down her teacup, "He can only scheme against you."

Their son had come back but didn’t cry even once in front of her.

Zhou Shuren, "..."

On the Ministry of Revenue’s day off, Zhou Shuren went to the teahouse unhurriedly. Wong Ju had already been there for a while, frowning, "Are there a lot of carriages in the capital today?"

Zhou Shuren, "No."

"Then why did you arrive so late? I’ve been here long enough to drink a pot of tea."

Zhou Shuren poured himself a cup of tea, "I left home a bit late."

Wong Ju wanted to show his teeth in annoyance. Zhou Shuren was doing this on purpose because he had guessed his intention. Taking a deep breath and knowing he had to be pleasant when asking for a favor, he smiled ingratiatingly, "Let me pour you tea; don’t strain your hand, the teapot is quite heavy."

Zhou Shuren covered his cup with his hand, "Your tea doesn’t taste good."

Wong Ju was also helpless. He didn’t want to seek Zhou Shuren’s help, but he had no choice. Besides the connections of the Wong family, the only person who could help was Zhou Shuren. One must be tough on oneself when asking for help, "In the future, I won’t take any days off."

Zhou Shuren felt a stirring in his heart upon hearing this. Wong Ju not taking days off would make things easier for him, but still, he didn’t say a word, "I am not as capable as Old Master Wong."

Wong Ju clenched his teeth. If his father would manage, would he need to seek out Zhou Shuren?