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

Chapter 506: Chapter 506 Can’t Pretend to Be Dumb Anymore_1

The Emperor squinted his eyes, if it wasn’t those three scheming against Zhou Shuren, then who else could it be that provoked Mr. Zhou? The Emperor felt an investigation was needed, and a detailed one at that. He had withdrawn many people from Zhou Shuren’s side, having thought that Jinzhou Province was already stabilized and all that was needed was to wait and net the final catch. There seemed no need for close surveillance; but now it looked like he had missed quite a few things.

The Emperor suddenly stopped in his tracks. Zhou Shuren had known all along that he was being watched, and yet he dared to write a letter seeking help from fugitives with such audacity. A smile formed at the corner of the Emperor’s mouth. This was a message for him, wasn’t it? He hastened to his desk. Fugitives? He had the most in the entire world under his control.

Even though Eunuch Liu did not look up, he could feel that the Emperor was in a good mood. He breathed a sigh of relief – good was good.

The next morning, Zhou Shuren went to the government office, pondering over matters, when suddenly a figure blocked the light in front of him. He looked up to see Wong Ju, ”What’s the matter?”

Wong Ju lowered his voice, ”Does Mr. Zhou have concerns on his mind?”

Zhou Shuren, ”Why do you say that?”

Wong Ju, with an I-know-you-well expression, said, ”Mr. Zhou’s lips aren’t curled up to their usual height today, and you’ve smiled less than usual. Even if the change is subtle, I know you well enough to detect something is off.”

Zhou Shuren put down the pen in his hand, his heart skipping a beat. He knew Wong Ju had always been emulating him, but he hadn’t expected Wong Ju to actually notice something. Narrowing his eyes, he said, ”Deputy Magistrate Wong seems to have a lot of free time.”

Wong Ju felt a chill down his back, revealing an oops-I-spoke-out-of-turn look. He chuckled nervously, ”I have other matters to attend to; I should be going.”

With that, he hurried out.

Upon leaving the door, Wong Ju slowed his pace, hands clasped behind his back, yet his mind was deep in thought. It seemed that there really was a significant issue, and he wondered what could concern Zhou so deeply. He had meant well; after all, the two families were somewhat related. Even at the risk of revealing his own bottom line, he felt compelled to offer a warning, seeing as many eyes were upon Zhou Shuren.

Regrettably, his attempt at playing dumb would no longer work in the future. He was genuinely curious; this was the first time Zhou Shuren had failed to maintain composure!

Zhou Shuren looked out the doorway with a contemplative gaze. It was just like playing a game – having transversed through the novice village of ancient times, step by step, now it seemed as if everyone pulled into the fray was a fox in their own right. He knew that Wong Ju, as the eldest son of the Wong family, was certainly not as simple as he appeared to be, but he was still caught off guard to some extent.

In the back courtyard of the Zhou residence, Zhulan helped Mrs. Tao sit down, ”Are you truly pregnant?”

Mrs. Tao grinned, ”Yes, almost two months now.”

She had been so upset by the Illigetimate Daughter days ago that she couldn’t eat anything. She had never expected to be pregnant; she thought it was just anxiety and had a doctor come to check. Only during the pulse diagnosis did she learn of her pregnancy. She had calmed herself for a few days but couldn’t contain her excitement any longer and came to the Zhou residence today.

Zhulan considered Mrs. Tao’s age; she too was an older expectant mother, ”You should be resting at home, why did you come here?”

Mrs. Tao, both happy and worried about the pregnancy, said, ”Isn’t it because the baby in my belly is causing a stir? Sister, you’re a few years older than me, and I wanted to learn from your experience.”

She had no experience with older mothers around her, and though she had a reasonably good relationship with her husband, the concubines in her house were mostly pushed on her by her mother-in-law to ensure the family’s continuation.

Unfortunately, only three children were born in the Wong household, two of them from her, and among the several concubines, only one had a daughter. The mother-in-law was disappointed. It seemed that the Wong family was simply unlucky with heirs – the family of her husband’s second uncle had only a single son, though they had many daughters. The concubines of her husband’s youngest uncle did bear two sons, but they were Illigetimate.

She truly hoped the child in her womb was a son; with two sons in the main family, they would be secure. But she was also scared; childbirth at an advanced age was fraught with perils.

Zhulan did indeed have experience to share, ”Then I will write down everything you need to be aware of.”

Mrs. Tao expressed her gratitude, ”Thank you so much, sister.”

She knew she needed her child to be healthy, and she needed to stay alive too. Her greatest fortune was yet to come; despite her husband’s age and current position as Deputy Magistrate, it was only because her father-in-law was holding him back. When the right time came, they planned to return to the capital. Her father-in-law would pave the way before he retired.

Zhulan gestured for Mrs. Tao to sit and wait for a while. Today, Mrs. Tao had personally come to visit despite her pregnancy, which showed recognition for the Zhou family. Zhulan was not going to give her a half-hearted response; she wrote down her own experiences as well as those shared by the old Madam Song, filling up two whole pages.

Truth be told, Mrs. Tao was in good health. She often visited temples to pray and kept herself physically fit. As long as she was careful and luck was on her side, she should have a safe delivery.

Mrs. Tao read over the paper – it was very detailed – and felt reassured, ”Thank you, sister. I should be heading back now.”

Zhulan smiled, ”Let me walk you out.”

That evening, Zhulan told Zhou Shuren about the addition to the Wong family. Zhou Shuren mused, ”No wonder a while ago, Wong Ju was grinning like a fool. It was because of this.”

Zhulan chuckled, ”You were hardly any better than Deputy Wong at the time.”

Zhou Shuren fell silent – okay, he had indeed been quite silly then – ”I wrote a letter to Zhao Bo today.”

Zhulan knew that Zhou Shuren had been in regular correspondence with Zhao Bo. Though Zhao Bo’s career had not advanced as rapidly as Zhou’s, his position had become stable and he was sure to be promoted after the three-year mark, ”Calculating the days, Zhao Bo’s wife should be due soon, right?”

Zhou Shuren, ”It should be soon.”

Zhulan smiled, ”It seems gifts are in order then, although we don’t know yet whether it will be a boy or a girl.”

”His letter says there’s an eight or nine out of ten chance for a boy.”

Zhulan reflected on the fact that Zhao Bo’s marriage was a strategic alliance. Zhao Bo’s status in his family had risen; more resources were devoted to him, and his marriage was to a suitable ally. For Zhao Bo, his career was what mattered most; as long as it was beneficial to his advancement, whom he married hardly made a difference.