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

Chapter 1200: Chapter 1200: The Almighty Dad’s Persona Must Not Collapse!

Zhou Shuren seemed to smile without smiling, ”This official needs not your concern, better take care of yourself. I advise you, don’t be too arrogant, otherwise you will eventually be taught a lesson.”

Gu Ren was furious inside. Now that Zhou Shuren’s status completely overpowered him, Zhou Shuren didn’t even need to take action himself, a subtle hint would suffice, and countless people would do Zhou Shuren’s bidding. He restrained himself, ”What the gentleman says is right, I will remember it.”

Zhou Shuren, ”I doubt you will.”

He was waiting for Gu Ren’s complete downfall!

Gu Ren, ”....”

So, he really was asking for his own discomfort. Why did he provoke Zhou Shuren to begin with? The one who got angry was himself.

Once Zhou Shuren knew that Yang Wen and Rongchuan were fine, the weight in his heart lifted, and after he confronted Gu Ren, his mood was exceptionally good. He shook his official sleeve and turned to mount the carriage, the movement exceptionally suave, which made Gu Ren even more angry.

Only when the Emperor awoke did he learn about Zhou Shuren’s affairs. The Emperor said to Eunuch Liu, ”I think that if Zhou Shuren knew what Rongchuan did, Zhou Shuren would want to hit him too.”

Eunuch Liu, ”Lord Zhou wouldn’t dare.”

The Emperor smiled without smiling, ”He is the best at ’borrowing a knife to kill someone.’”

He thought that Zhou Shuren would surely come to stoke the fires before him!

Eunuch Liu, ”....”

The Fifth Prince was also miserable, having such two ’dads’. Oh right, including the Crown Prince too, the Crown Prince left with clenched teeth!

At the Zhou residence, Zhou Shuren returned home with brisk steps, running into Chang Yi who had also just arrived. He saw his second son with a bunch of books in his arms, and upon inspection, ”Where did you get all these foreign books from?”

Chang Yi, cradling the books like treasures, smiled and said, ”Didn’t a new batch of foreign diplomats move into the embassy? They brought a lot of books. Having been transferred to the embassy, I got to interact with them more and discovered that Westerners study different things from us. I was curious and asked them humbly. They actually taught me quite a bit, and I found it interesting, so I borrowed their books to bring home.”

Zhou Shuren casually picked up one, some of them were mathematics books, others were literary works. Zhou Shuren carefully recalled that around the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the scholar Huang Zongxi believed that Western geometry originated from the ”The Arithmetical Classic of the Gnomon and the Circular Paths of Heaven” and its Pythagorean learning.

Zhou Shuren was even impressed with himself. Having time-traveled here for so many years, he was still able to remember what he had learned.

Seeing his father examining the books carefully, Chang Yi asked, ”Father, do you like them too?”

Zhou Shuren closed the book; no, he didn’t like them, ”Are you able to understand them?”

Chang Yi’s eyes shone brightly as he nodded repeatedly, ”Yes, I like them. I learn quickly, and the foreign diplomats said I am very talented.”

Zhou Shuren, ”....”

So Chang Yi didn’t like the arts, but rather, preferred science. Stroking his chin, he advised Chang Yi to learn well from the Westerners. It was indeed a different path. If well learned, Chang Yi’s career path might even shift gradually away from the Ministry of Rites!

Chang Yi felt a bit uneasy, ”Father, do you also think that I am not taking my proper duties seriously? I have not neglected my studies.”

Lately, at the embassy, he had been close with the foreign diplomats, not studying the Four Books and Five Classics and such, and he had heard considerable gossip.

Zhou Shuren, ”No, your father thinks it’s good, study well.”

Chang Yi grinned, ”Father, you were looking so focused just now, you must understand it too. Look at what I’m saying; you even created graphs of curves. You must have a good grasp of this.”

Zhou Shuren met his son’s admiring gaze, and felt embarrassed to say, ”Your dad really isn’t very good at this; most of it has been given back to the teachers already, and there’s not much I remember. Looking at too many makes my head hurt. Although I crunch numbers at the Ministry of Revenue, at least pure math is easy!”

Feeling the intensity of his son’s gaze, Zhou Shuren impulsively let slip, ”Yes, I understand it.”

Chang Yi was thrilled. The foreign diplomats were polite to him because they had made inquiries about his family background and also tried to draw him out. Now, the shallow teachings didn’t seem like much, but as he learned more, they may not be so willing to instruct him. He had confidence in his father, who was so clever, ”Father, I might not understand it, so please teach me.”

Zhou Shuren, ”...”

He seemed to have found a task for himself, one that he could only continue on his knees, otherwise, he would affect his image in his sons’ minds. He was the all-capable dad! This persona simply couldn’t collapse!

Chang Yi was too busy being happy, he even wanted to send the books back to the compound, so he left ahead of anyone else and didn’t notice his father was struggling with heavier steps again.

Back in the main courtyard, Zhou Shuren had a look of abject despair on his face, which gave Zhulan quite a scare. Zhulan carefully asked, ”Is there bad news about Yang Wen?”

Zhou Shuren, ”No, there’s news from the ship Yang Wen is on, everything is safe and sound.”

Zhulan, holding an Amitabha prayer in her mouth, then frowned, ”Then why do you look like you’re about to die?”

Zhou Shuren slowly changed out of his official robes, then repeated the conversation he’d had with Chang Yi, ”That’s the situation.”

Zhulan scoffed, ”Serves you right.”

It was Zhou Shuren who had admitted he had wanted Chang Yi to learn from foreigners. There had been no need for him to get excited and seek it out himself!

Zhou Shuren clutched at his chest, ”At my most vulnerable moment, you pour cold water on me. You don’t love me anymore.”

Zhulan, ”Speak human.”

Zhou Shuren coughed, ”It’s all up to you now, I really can’t do it!”

He really didn’t want to start learning again. He was already of age, and he wouldn’t learn, not if it killed him!

Zhulan, ”...You don’t want to learn, so I do?”

Had she gone mad? Spending her days painting, chatting, playing with the kids, enjoying snacks and fruits—wasn’t that the good life?

Zhou Shuren laughed, ”You love me!”

Zhulan, ”...No, you’re overthinking it. Our big ship of love has already capsized.”

It had been so long since they arrived in ancient times. Even if she had a better foundation than Zhou Shuren, she would still need to review everything!

Zhou Shuren tugged at his wife’s sleeve, ”It’s also for our sons, look, we as parents should lend a hand. Our sons have talent that shouldn’t be wasted. Don’t you think ’Those not of our race must have a different heart’? How can you be sure the foreigners won’t hold something back? And if it turns out that a mathematician is born, that’s history in the making! It’s not just for our family, but for the nation too.”

Zhulan extended her hand and pinched Zhou Shuren, sure that he only just remembered these reasons. When Zhou Shuren had agreed, it was totally a spur-of-the-moment decision!

But Zhulan had a thought. She couldn’t hold office, but she felt she could influence the future through Chang Yi. To master science and math was to navigate the world effortlessly—no problem there. It was just a pity she hadn’t majored in these subjects in college!

Zhulan furrowed her brow, hmm, she had quite a bit to review herself. She had a pang in her heart—she was an old lady now, after all. She took a deep breath, ”Live and learn.”

Zhou Shuren felt relieved and smiled broadly, ”You go, girl!”

Zhulan opened her mouth and bit Zhou Shuren’s face, ”Pfah, ’you go girl’ indeed.” She held on until he cried out in pain before releasing, ”Don’t you dare block the door tomorrow; just head out like this. And find more foreign books on math for me, I’ll start with those. Oh, get other books too. Ah, and I have to learn a foreign language!”

This was madness. There weren’t many translated books available now, and the real kicker was that each country used its own language—that was the key issue. Just thinking about it gave her a headache!

Zhou Shuren had already made it to the mirror, ”You really bit down hard, you’ve left a mark. How am I supposed to go out like this?”

”How are you supposed to go out like what?”

Zhou Shuren touched his face, ”The seal my wife has imprinted must be shown off. Darling, how about a symmetrical one? Should we stamp one on the other cheek too?”

Zhulan, ”...When it comes to shamelessness, you win!”