Chapter 70 - 59: Old Sir Zhou

Lin Lishan sighed upon hearing this, "I really need to thank the in-laws. They’re truly good people. I should properly thank them for always taking care of you." "Yes, my in-laws are good people. Back then, when I suggested that Xiao Wu go home to discuss with his parents, I didn’t expect things to go so smoothly. At that time, we had already received the acceptance letter for high school. It’s said that Xiao Wu was still among the top students, yet he gave up his studies to marry me, and his parents agreed. So I’m very grateful to them." Lin Lishan looked at her in surprise, "Are you saying you received a high school acceptance letter? Did you graduate early?" Zhou Jiao looked at her with amusement, "It’s not that I graduated early, but Grandpa misled you. He reads every day at home, how could he not know when I graduate? When Grandpa said I would go back after junior high, I understood." Lin Lishan cursed softly and after thinking a bit, asked her, "Why didn’t you return to Beijing then? You would have found your Grandpa’s address with your brain. Even if you didn’t trust your Grandpa or Mom, at least you had a residence and a household registration in Beijing, isn’t that good?" Zhou Jiao laughed, "Mom, you didn’t think what I told Grandma was the truth, right? Whatever Grandpa said in his letters, he never mentioned a word of it to me. I didn’t even know Grandpa wrote to him. Besides, since I’ve never met you, why would I blindly run to Beijing without a fallback? What if the small courtyard collapsed after 17 years? What if my household registration was canceled because no one was there? Well, I was confident enough to tell Grandma those things. You always ask if I hate you. Actually, I never did. Growing up, I only ever hated one person, but for this person, I couldn’t lift a hand against him. Hatred was useless. So, I told myself not to hate others. It’s too exhausting for the mind. Just avoid and ignore him. Grandpa is a very complex person. The way he treated me was through emotional neglect. I became sensible at just over three years old. Whenever I saw his grandchildren bullying me, he would take a detour to avoid it and even steer guests away to prevent them from noticing. His eldest daughter-in-law would exclude me from meals, and he acted as if nothing was wrong. She would use veiled insults against me, and he would sit there silently, backing her with a glare. Every time he saw Grandma teaching me to recite books or medical formulas, he’d deliberately tell her to do this or that, even stopping her. I still remember the couple constantly fighting then, so I began secretly studying. With nowhere else to go, I’d run to the small house by the ancestral hall, with Grandma covering for me. By the time I was not even eight, I had learned all of Grandma’s skills. Yet, no one in the Zhou Family noticed. When I was little, Grandpa sometimes gave me strange looks—not hateful, but with contempt and arrogance. I could understand contempt if he didn’t like me, but what was he so arrogant about? Even as a child, I knew it wasn’t well-intentioned. Realizing I couldn’t rely on him, I clung closely to Grandma, seeking her favor and following her everywhere. During those days, Grandma truly treated me well—teaching me the Huang Family’s medical secrets and embroidery, saying I’d use them as an adult. But as I grew older, even Grandma became apprehensive. She constantly observed others and couldn’t protect me herself. During that period, the atmosphere in the Zhou Family was terrible. I suspected Grandpa knew Huang Zhaodi’s intentions and was just watching the drama unfold. During that time, I was completely on edge, unable to sleep soundly at night. I’d constantly make excuses to care for Grandma and stay with her. By day, I’d never take back roads, always keeping an eye on Zhou Xue, fearing something might happen. Luckily, she was a fool, leaving traces. Whenever the Huang Family came, I’d find Xiao Wu. With him around, no one could touch me. I didn’t dare tell Xiao Wu, fearing his temper would cause trouble. All I wanted was to leave quickly—the wedding date was what I hinted to Xiao Wu. Grandpa kept a stern face, but I understood. I ignored him; it’s fine as long as interactions were uneventful. No expectations meant no disappointment. Indeed, once we got married, he reluctantly gave me a sum—my father’s compensation money—and this wardrobe, claiming he had already given me the small courtyard. Did he think I was a fool? If not for fearing an embarrassing departure, I doubt he’d give up even the wardrobe. I didn’t care; leaving was enough. We both knew what was truly happening between us, disguising it was pointless. In the end, Grandma secretly slipped me a small wooden box, telling me to keep it secret. That family ate, drank, wore, ignored, antagonized, and oppressed me—I remembered everything. But the one I hated most was Grandpa, who silently supported them. How the bigger house treated me, I wasn’t concerned. If not for being bound to the Zhou Family, fearing it would affect my future, I could have easily dealt with them however I wished. But I couldn’t. As long as I was unmarried in the Zhou Family, any trouble they faced would mean no future for me. People wouldn’t see me as the second branch’s kid but as a burden raised by the Zhou Family. I didn’t care much for anyone in the bigger house and could ignore them, but concerning the Grandpa who took me from you and lived off your child support, how could he treat me this way? Who allowed him to take me back? Even Grandma let slip that he insisted on bringing me back. I truly hated him." Lin Lishan gritted her teeth and said angrily, "I knew there must have been an issue; otherwise, you wouldn’t have married so early. I wish I could tear them apart. How could they dare? How could they dare to treat my daughter like that? And how did you find out your father was still alive and even come up with plans against them? You were foolish to wait until you got married to take action. You let them have peace for over a year. This time, don’t let them go. Don’t be soft-hearted." Zhou Jiao touched her mom’s hand. Having a mother like this was a revelation—someone who shared her enemy, someone who understood her, someone she could lean on and confide in. She really liked this mother, someone so pure-hearted, devoid of schemes. Even the knot of not having seen her for 17 years started to untangle through their conversations. She didn’t trust much of what Mr. Lin said, but she believed her mom. Her mom was different from the Lin Family, even if she was pretending. Based on the six years her mom wrote to her without stopping, the seventeen years she sent money and packages, all while searching for her father and waiting for him, Zhou Jiao trusted her mom. She trusted her instincts, believing her mom genuinely cared for her. The Lin Family might have their calculations, but she wouldn’t treat them with hostility. It was enough to regard them as ordinary relatives. She couldn’t be too harsh with people or circumstances. If someone on the street gave her a large apple, she’d accept with gratitude. Moreover, it’s just the extended family. They only gave birth to her mom and had no duty or obligation towards her. The Lin Family never owed Zhou Jiao anything, just as she couldn’t fully trust them. Her mom was simple-minded. She never intended to tell her mom that, except for the Zhou Family, the Lin Family was no better. Let her live in her world and accompany her father well. Her requirements for her mom were low. Her mom’s seventeen-year devotion to her father, her character, and feelings deeply moved Zhou Jiao and earned her trust. Looking at her mom’s appearance and family background, she must have had suitors. Yet, she remained steadfast in her fidelity, which confirmed to Zhou Jiao that she truly was her biological mother, and no one should think of bullying her.