Chapter 218 - 115: Mrs. Zhou’s Unease

Chapter 218: Chapter 115: Mrs. Zhou’s Unease

Li Xiu gently soothed Zhou Lian. Once she had calmed down, he put an arm around her and led her into the inner courtyard. When they reached the main hall, they saw Mr. and Mrs. Zhou, Zhou Huaitai, and Zhang Yizhen all waiting for them. Of the group, only Mr. Zhou sat there calmly sipping his tea; the others were all waiting with anxious expressions. Their eyes lit up when they saw Li Xiu walk in with Zhou Lian.

With three pairs of eyes fixed on him, Li Xiu gave a small smile. He didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point. "Mom’s health is fine, there’s nothing wrong. It’s just that Dad’s heart is a little weak. Fortunately, we caught it early. The doctor says it’s not a major issue. I’ll take Dad back to the hospital tomorrow for a more detailed examination. If he needs to take medication, he will. We’ll do whatever the doctor says."

Getting up to sit beside Mr. Zhou, Zhou Lian hugged her father’s arm and said with tears in her eyes, "Dad, the doctor said it’s nothing serious. Jin Chen and I will go with you tomorrow, okay? We’ll listen to the doctor, okay?"

Looking at his daughter clinging to his arm, her hand still trembling slightly, Mr. Zhou sighed softly. He gently stroked Zhou Lian’s hair and said lovingly, "Alright, I’ll do whatever my daughter says. Don’t cry, now. Be good. Didn’t the doctor say it wasn’t a big deal? I’ll be fine. I still have to watch Nuonuo and Yanyan grow up and see them get married!"

"Then you have to promise, Dad," Zhou Lian said poutingly, her eyes misty with tears.

Watching his thirty-year-old daughter act so affectionately, Mr. Zhou glanced at Li Xiu. ’This son-in-law of mine really does spoil her rotten,’ he thought. ’He’s turned her back into a little girl. She never acted this way with me before she was married!’

With her parents there, Zhou Lian’s days were filled with bliss. How could she not be happy? Her parents were by her side, her husband doted on her, and her children’s laughter filled the home. Seeing her constant smile, Li Xiu began to scheme. ’How can I get her parents to stay in the Capital City with her?’ His gaze landed on Zhou Huaitai and Zhang Yizhen, who were reading quietly. An idea sparked. ’There’s my perfect excuse.’ The two young men, engrossed in their studies, suddenly felt a chill run up their spines. It was the middle of summer, so they just assumed a draft had blown in. After a quick glance at each other, they buried their noses in their books again.

Happy times always fly by. In the blink of an eye, the back-to-school season had arrived. Nuonuo was starting second grade, while Zhou Huaitai and Zhang Yizhen needed to register at their new school and complete their transfer paperwork. Zhou Lian was also due to report to Beijing University to begin her career as a lecturer. As for Li Xiu, he had to juggle his company’s business while also taking over Yanyan’s lessons, since Professor Xiao and the other tutors would be too busy to help once their own classes began.

Seeing how busy their daughter and son-in-law were about to be, Mr. and Mrs. Zhou offered to take Nuonuo to and from school each day. Li Xiu knew they couldn’t bear to be idle, so he gladly accepted. This freed up Sister Fang from the school run, allowing her to focus completely on household affairs, especially since Zhou Huaitai and Zhang Yizhen’s school was close enough for them to come home for lunch.

One afternoon, Li Xiu went to Professor Xiao’s home to get an update on the children’s lessons before taking over himself. Meanwhile, back at their house, Sister Fang was preparing dinner in the kitchen, Mr. Zhou was busy with a small vegetable patch he had started in the garden, and Zhou Huaitai and Zhang Yizhen were reading in the study. Mrs. Zhou took this quiet moment to go to the study, intending to have a serious talk with Zhou Lian.

Standing in the doorway, Mrs. Zhou watched Zhou Lian, who sat quietly at her desk. Her long hair was swept up with a jade hairpin, and she was writing furiously, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She looked so unfamiliar that Mrs. Zhou couldn’t help but wonder, ’Is that really my daughter?’ It wasn’t surprising she felt that way. Between seven years of university and eight years of marriage—setting aside the influence of academia, just being lovingly cared for by Li Xiu for eight years had given her an uncommon grace and bearing. Zhou Lian’s features were soft and gentle, lacking any sharpness, but with her glasses on, she instantly seemed formidable, her presence commanding. No wonder her mother felt like she was looking at a stranger.

Looking up and seeing Mrs. Zhou standing in the doorway, Zhou Lian was slightly taken aback. She casually took off her glasses, placed them on the desk, and rose with a smile. "Mom, what brings you here? Did you need me for something?"

Slowly walking into the study, Mrs. Zhou took in the large room. Bookshelves over three meters high lined the east and west walls, and beautiful calligraphy and paintings hung on the remaining walls, filling the air with a scholarly atmosphere. Looking at her daughter, who had become gentle and lovely again after taking off her glasses, Mrs. Zhou sat on a nearby sofa. As Zhou Lian poured her some tea, she said, "I wasn’t busy, and there’s something I wanted to talk to you about."

Handing the tea to her mother, Zhou Lian sat on the sofa next to her and said with a smile, "Oh? Go ahead, Mom!"

"You know... you haven’t worked since you got married, and then you had two children. There are so many expenses. With only your son-in-law earning an income, and with three hired staff in the house... The other day I saw you bought Nuonuo an ancient zither for over ten thousand yuan. Aren’t you spending money a little too freely? Mom doesn’t want to interfere, but Nuonuo and Yanyan are still young, and you’ll need money for many more things later on!" Mrs. Zhou said softly.

’Ever since coming to the Capital City, she had figured it out,’ she thought. ’Her son-in-law and daughter spent money like water. Never mind this huge mansion, they even hired three people just for housework. Her daughter had a separate room just for her clothes, shoes, and bags. And her granddaughter, just a little child, got an ancient zither worth over ten thousand just to learn music. She had never seen so much money in her entire life! Her daughter didn’t earn a cent, and the whole family relied on her son-in-law alone. Wasn’t this all a bit much?’

Zhou Lian looked at her mother and smiled gently. "Mom, we had to hire people. We just can’t manage otherwise," she said nonchalantly. "This house is too big for Jin Chen to clean all by himself; he doesn’t have the time. As for the money, don’t worry, Mom. I know the company’s accounts. A small sum like that is nothing to worry about."

"If your son-in-law can’t manage by himself, what about you? Can’t you help?!" Mrs. Zhou said irritably, looking at her unconcerned daughter. ’Aren’t cleaning, cooking, and taking care of children things a woman is supposed to do? In all the time I’ve been here, I haven’t seen my daughter cook a single meal or wash a single piece of clothing. The children are always looked after by her son-in-law and that nanny. My daughter’s days consist of nothing but eating, sleeping, reading in the study, or painting and drawing. The only other thing is when her son-in-law takes her for a stroll in the garden.’

"Mom, I do want to help, but you’ve seen it yourself. Does Jin Chen even let me?" Zhou Lian said innocently. ’Of course it’s my own mother scolding me like this,’ she thought wryly.

Thinking about how her son-in-law would practically feed her daughter fruit by hand, Mrs. Zhou sighed softly. She knew her son-in-law doted on her daughter terribly, but after being in the Capital City for these past few days, she realized it wasn’t just doting. He was practically raising her like a child! But you don’t even raise a daughter like that!

"Has it always been like this? Ever since you first got married? You mentioned before that your husband doesn’t let you do housework, but I never imagined it was like this... Isn’t this... a little abnormal?" Mrs. Zhou asked, feeling uneasy.

’In all her years, she had never seen or heard of a man who doted on his wife so much. There had to be a limit, even to spoiling one’s wife!’