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

Chapter 1195: Chapter 1195: Person Disappeared

Zhou Shuren didn’t dare to delay returning home from the government office, his wife was too clever. If he attempted to hide from her, she would definitely sense that something was amiss. Having such a smart wife at home made things really difficult for him; even lying was not easy.

Zhulan had been worried all afternoon and finally, Zhou Shuren came back. Muttering, she said, ”Look at you, can’t you send back some news whether you have any or not? You’ve got me worrying. Do you have any news?”

Without betraying any emotion, Zhou Shuren changed his clothes, ”There is indeed some news. Rongchuan is not in Pinggang. He must be on some other assignment, an important one probably, hence the letter was written by someone else to avoid arousing suspicion.”

Zhulan felt relieved; as long as she knew what he was doing, that was enough. ”Then tell our daughter during dinner.”

Zhou Shuren exhaled a sigh of relief; half-truths had somehow sufficed for now.

Zhulan watched Zhou Shuren cautiously changing his clothes and frowned, ”Have you been doing something behind my back?”

A woman’s intuition is so accurate!

Zhou Shuren quickly dressed, maintaining a calm but guilt-ridden façade, ”What could I possibly hide from you? I’m at the Ministry of Revenue every day. It’s just that I’ve been really stressed lately because Master Xiao spends all day drinking tea in my office, which makes it hard for me to focus on my work. My efficiency has suffered a lot.”

Zhulan raised her voice a notch, ”Really?”

”Really.”

Although not quite convinced, Zhulan decided not to dwell on it. After all, if there really was something amiss, she would find out sooner or later. When that time came, they would settle the score. Her smile deepened as she said, ”Alright, let’s eat.”

Zhou Shuren, ”...”

In truth, he was quite terrified of his wife’s smile — it was the smile of someone holding a grudge!

The next day, Zhou Shuren and his and his second son went to the government office together. Chang Yi held back but could not resist asking in a low voice, ”Father, when can that boy Ning Yang return to the Duke Residence to live?”

Zhou Shuren, ”Hmm? Why are you suddenly concerned about Ning Yang?”

Chang Yi forced a smile. If it weren’t for his wife mentioning it and his own careful observations these past few days, he wouldn’t have noticed. His tone was rather unhappy, ”The boy seems very fond of sticking close to Yu Die.”

Zhou Shuren, who hadn’t had the time to care about domestic matters, perked up, ”Have you verified this?”

”Yes, my son had people watch him for several days. Whenever he’s resting, the boy seeks out Yu Die.”

Zhou Shuren was astonished, ”You’re not happy about it? That’s the Duke Residence we’re talking about. You should understand, the meaning behind the Duke Residence sending Ning Yang over. Even if Ning Yang is the legitimate second son of Ning Zhiqi, he’s still a son of the Duke Residence, and as long as he’s competent, he won’t lack resources in the future.”

Chang Yi spread out his hands, ”Father, the Duke Residence sent Ning Yang here, but they had their eyes on the daughters of the third and fourth households, not our second wife’s daughter.”

He was well aware, the selection of his mentor was between the third and fourth households. If the third wasn’t on assignment in Xuzhou Province, he would be the most favored candidate by the Duke Residence.

Zhou Shuren, ”You do see things clearly.”

Chang Yi chuckled lightly, ”That’s the reality. It’s not about me seeing it clearly, but about my son’s low starting point and unclear future prospects. The Duke Residence wants to find a bright future father-in-law for Ning Yang. I’m no match for the third and fourth brothers, so I really don’t want Yu Die to get entangled with the Duke Residence.”

He was good to his eldest daughter too, but the eldest daughter was too sensible and too good. She always strictly demanded of herself as a member of the Zhou family, and with the weakness of his second wife, the eldest daughter dared not make any mistakes. This meant he, as a father, wanted to care, but his daughter never gave him a chance.

The younger daughter was different. She was difficult to raise from birth, and as she grew, she became talkative, affectionate, and spirited. She might not have been as beautiful as her elder sister, but she was lively. He was under a lot of pressure, and the younger girl was his little ray of sunshine. Just as fingers vary in length, he naturally favored the smallest one.

He had been a scoundrel before, but not anymore. He was very satisfied with his eldest daughter’s marital arrangements. Being a woman was not easy; he only hoped that his daughter’s future would be good and not filled with as many helpless situations as his brother often complained about concerning his niece Yu Lu.

Zhou Shuren didn’t know that his son had thought so much, but the son was right. ”Mmm, indeed, it’s not suitable to live at home.”

He then said, ”You too could make an effort.”

Chang Yi shook his head with a simple smile, ”Actually, son thinks that Xue Mei’s life is very good, really.”

Even if he could secure a good future through hard work, he hoped Yu Die would, like Xue Mei, live a life that was content and comfortable. He was envious of Xue Mei.

Thinking of his eldest daughter, Zhou Shuren wasn’t just imagining the envy in his son’s eyes; he felt it too. The eldest daughter was indeed carefree. Now that her husband, Chang Yi, had passed the examination, he was not as focused on studying and spent more time with the eldest daughter. They occasionally left the capital for leisurely outings. With the twins Jiang Zhu and Jiang Miu at home and obedient, and the youngest causing no trouble, their life was truly serene and pleasant.

At the Zhou estate, Zhulan received a message from Jin Yan and said to Xue Han, ”Go back to the Duke Residence and tell Mrs. Song that Ning Yang will be moving back to the Duke Residence in the future.”

After a moment of thought, Zhulan added, ”If Mrs. Song asks why, you just need to say that recently the Zhou estate has not been peaceful.”

Xue Han replied, ”Alright, daughter will go back now.”

An hour later at the Duke Ning’s Residence, Xue Han relayed the message. Mrs. Song indeed asked, and Xue Han repeated her mother’s words, adding, ”Recently, the capital has not been peaceful. Sister-in-law is also aware that my maternal family has relatives in the royal family, and they are all watching closely; therefore, it’s best for Ning Yang to move back here.”

Mrs. Song didn’t think too much. Her younger sister-in-law had made it quite clear, and she had been concerned about it herself recently. ”By the way, did Lin Xi enter the Palace yesterday?”

Xue Han’s eyes darkened slightly. This sister-in-law was really paying attention to her. And indeed, being able to enter the Palace at such a time was big news, ”Yes, she entered the Palace.”

Mrs. Song had some questions she wanted to ask but ended up not voicing them. She wanted to know how the Empress was faring now, and with the Crown Prince under house arrest and the Empress copying scriptures, her heart was uneasy. But her grandfather firmly prohibited her from inquiring further.

Xue Han swiftly changed the subject, ”Has everything been well recently within the Residence?”

Mrs. Song smiled, ”Quite well. Now that the Residence is quieter, I can attend to some other matters.”

Xue Han smiled back. Before the Crown Prince was put under house arrest, the Ning Duke Residence would have guests visiting every day, no matter how low-key they were. Now, it was indeed much quieter.

At that moment, Madam Yu arrived. Seeing Xue Han, her attitude was exceptionally warm, ”It’s been quite some time since I last saw my third sister-in-law, please let your sister-in-law take a good look at you. You’ve certainly become more beautiful.”

Xue Han was accustomed to this. Ever since her maternal family acquired relatives in the royal family, their social status had risen dramatically. Her second sister-in-law flattered her every time they met, ”Second sister-in-law is radiant as well, which shows you’ve been living a good life.”

In her heart, Madam Yu thought, what else could she do but live a good life, especially since their Residence was so poor that they only had silver left!

In the afternoon, in the Palace, the Crown Prince could no longer keep it a secret. A pigeon had delivered news that the boat Rongchuan had been on was found, but there was no one on board!

The Emperor, after hearing this, staggered, ”Say it again, I didn’t hear you clearly just now.”

The Crown Prince, with bloodshot eyes, had rushed to the Palace immediately upon receiving the message, ”The boat Rongchuan was on has been found, but there’s nobody on it.”