EIP 68

Zhou Jun walked out of the police station, feeling lost and helpless. His sister-in-law had gone to the doctor while picking up medicine earlier. To their surprise, the doctor detected a pregnancy. His sister-in-law and older brother had been married for several years but had never had children. Now, a new life was on the way, but it came at a terrible time. His sister-in-law didn’t want him to tell his older brother. If she couldn’t get through this, the news would make things even harder for him.

Her words left Zhou Jun stunned. All he could do was hope that his sister-in-law had no ties to the Communist Party. Any connection, no matter how small, could spell disaster, not just for her, but for his entire family. His older brother wouldn’t survive the fallout.

For the first time, anger surged within Zhou Jun, directed squarely at his own helplessness. He blamed himself for failing to stop his sister-in-law earlier, and for recklessly pulling out of the opium business. If only he had known… If only he had seen it coming. He could have taken things slowly, avoided the storm looming over them now.

Zhou Jun returned home in low spirits, but his older brother had not yet come back. He began reaching out to every contact he could think of, calling one person after another. Yet the moment they heard the reason, his usual friends all found excuses to turn him down. In such a politically sensitive time, no one dared to get involved with anything even remotely connected to the Communist Party.

It was a torturous afternoon. The new year had barely passed, yet his family was already on the verge of collapse. The room was thick with smoke from his constant smoking. Exhausted, Zhou Jun rubbed his forehead, wiped his face, and continued making call after call, desperate for answers.

The sound of a car engine shutting off outside broke the tense silence. Moments later, Zhou Yan hurried through the door. Zhou Jun immediately stood, his voice laced with urgency as he greeted him, “Brother, how did it go? Is there any solution?”

To his surprise, his older brother didn’t look angry. Instead, his expression was complex, even somewhat guilty.

“Come to the study with me.”

Zhou Jun felt uneasy, but seeing his older brother wasn’t in a panic, he thought that perhaps there was a solution. He quietly followed behind, and the two of them entered the study.

Zhou Yan first went to a hidden compartment in the study, unlocked it, and activated a mechanism. The painting on the wall shifted upward, revealing a safe behind it. Zhou Jun had never known about this hidden compartment in the study. What did this mean? Before he could think further, he saw his older brother open the safe and take out a stack of files.

Zhou Jun suddenly seemed to understand something. Zhou Yan, with a weary and defeated expression, carefully placed the files on the desk and sat down across from him. The two brothers silently sat for a moment, and Zhou Jun reached for the files. As he flipped through them, it was clear they were related to the family’s assets. His older brother’s voice was very low and heavy with fatigue. “I met with Old Master Rong. He has a way to save Lan Zhi.”

Zhou Yan’s voice carried a mix of exhaustion and unease, and Zhou Jun didn’t need him to explain further. He had already pieced it together. His brother’s words merely confirmed his suspicions.

With the war raging on, donating a significant sum to the government might smooth things over, but the destination of that money was another matter entirely. Still, if the higher-ups were willing to intervene, there was hope. His sister-in-law could avoid being handed over to the military police and might even secure her freedom.

But the amount of money required was likely enormous. Zhou Jun realized that his older brother had brought out these files as a way to raise funds by selling off their family assets.

Zhou Yan lowered his gaze and searched through the papers for a long time. He then handed several documents to Zhou Jun. “I’ve failed you, but your mom left something for you years ago. I’ve kept it safe for you. She said to give it to you when you were capable.”

Zhou Jun was speechless as he looked over the items his brother had handed him. There were three storefronts, two factories, several properties, and a key to a bank safe. Zhou Yan’s voice was steady but heavy as he said, “This is your mom’s legacy. I’m giving it to you now because it’s time. This is yours.”

Zhou Jun shook his head. “Why now? I don’t deserve this. I’m not capable yet.”

Zhou Yan let out a deep sigh. “They’re asking for too much. If things continue like this, I might not even be able to keep the old family home. I’ve lost the right to face our ancestors, and I’ve failed you as well. The Zhou family may never return to what it once was. And you… you won’t be able to live freely anymore, either.”

Zhou Yan looked deeply pained, his voice heavy with guilt. “Don’t blame me. I truly have no other choice. I have to save your sister-in-law.”

Zhou Jun’s eyes welled with tears as he wiped his face. “What are you talking about? Of course we’ll save her. I’ve never cared much about wealth or comfort. It’s not like I can keep living the way I used to. I’m not a child anymore. Don’t worry, Brother. I’ll stand with you.”

In the following days, Zhou Yan traveled to many places, and Zhou Jun accompanied him. Zhou Yan had grown thinner, barely eating at all, which made Zhou Jun feel desperate, but he couldn’t persuade his brother to eat or rest. He could only keep his nerves tight, doing everything he could to help. Half of the servants in the Zhou household were dismissed, and many of them, as they left, tearfully bid farewell to Zhou Jun.

After so many years of working together, they had formed a bond. It was hard for Zhou Jun to accept that everything was falling apart. But he was too busy to dwell on his sorrow. After transferring all the assets that were supposed to belong to Zhou Jun, Zhou Yan sold off most of the family business. The rush to sell, along with the need for quick cash, led to many difficult negotiations and price cuts. Zhou Yan had no choice, and Zhou Jun, witnessing all of this, was extremely frustrated.

But when his temper flared, it was Zhou Yan, with his usual tough and stubborn demeanor, who calmed him down. For the first time, Zhou Yan showed his business savvy in front of his younger brother, inviting him to dinner and drinking together. They drank heavily, and by midnight, Zhou Yan had become ill. Xiao Fu took out opium paste and smoking tools from his storage box and handed them to Zhou Yan in the back seat.

Zhou Yan took a deep drag from the opium, then opened the window. He forced himself to stay alert, asking Xiao Fu to pull the car over to the side of the road so they could all get out. He didn’t want anyone to breathe in secondhand smoke. Xiao Fu stopped the car and went to a nearby shop to buy water. Zhou Jun followed him and asked, “Did my brother just relapse? Why does it seem like he’s in so much pain?”

Xiao Fu paid for the water and cigarettes. He, too, had been exhausted lately and, knowing he couldn’t hide the truth anymore, answered Zhou Jun’s question. “The young master has had this problem for a long time. He used to be able to control it, but eventually, he couldn’t. That’s when he started using the opium.”

Zhou Jun took the cigarette from Xiao Fu, thinking that once all of this was over, he would definitely take Zhou Yan to the hospital for a checkup. He had opened the safe deposit box left by his mother, finding jewelry, gold bars, and cash, along with the storefronts and factories in his possession. Although they couldn’t live as luxuriously as before, starting over in the future was still a possibility.

It took half a month for his sister-in-law to be released. The situation turned out better than the two brothers had expected. At least the Zhou family mansion and several shops were preserved.

Zhou Yan had just brought his wife back home when the Rong family’s car arrived to take her away. Zhou Yan was still in the room with his wife when he heard the news from Aunt Li and couldn’t help but frown. “Why so suddenly?”

Rong Lan Zhi held Zhou Yan’s hand and said, “There’s something I didn’t tell you… I should have told you earlier.”

At this moment, Zhou Jun was in the front hall greeting the guests from the Rong family. Since his brother and sister-in-law were reunited, Zhou Jun had finally relaxed. However, as soon as the people from the Rong family arrived, he felt something was off. When it came to his sister-in-law, he couldn’t say that the Rong family hadn’t helped. After all, just by introducing someone and pointing the way, they had taken on quite a bit of risk.

His sister-in-law was the youngest daughter of the Rong family. No sooner had she returned than the Rong family sent someone over. It didn’t feel like a visit born out of concern for her well-being. Only the butler had come.

Zhou Jun instructed his maid to serve tea and snacks, but the butler politely declined, his tone curt. “No need, Young Master Zhou. I’m here because Madam Rong misses her daughter and has asked me to bring her back.”

Zhou Jun smiled and replied, “My sister-in-law just got home and must be very tired. Let her rest for a few days. My brother will accompany her back soon.”

As soon as Zhou Jun finished speaking, the butler shook his head and added, “Young Master Zhou, our young miss is pregnant. Madam Rong is truly worried, so she sent me to bring her back to rest and recuperate.”

Zhou Jun was caught off guard, his expression shifting at once. He said nothing more. It was a direct hit to his brother’s dignity, like a slap across the face.

The smile on his face faltered, and he sat stiffly on the sofa until his brother and sister-in-law came out. He glanced at his brother, but saw little emotion on his face. His sister-in-law’s eyes were still red, and she kept holding onto his brother’s sleeve. It was his brother who gently patted her waist and softly said, “Let your mother take care of you. Don’t cry. You’re hurting yourself by crying like this.”