EIP 81

Zhou Jun’s head was spinning. After comforting one pregnant woman, another one came. Pregnant women’s tears flowed like a flood, coming without warning.

But it was difficult for him to see his sister-in-law. She was now fully protected by the Rong family. They called it protection, but in reality, they wouldn’t allow her to meet her husband. If this had been before, she wouldn’t have hesitated to retaliate against her family, but being pregnant, she couldn’t do much.

Rong Lan Zhi had always believed that her husband hadn’t come to see her because her parents didn’t allow it. However, Rong’s mother, heartbroken for her daughter, explained that it wasn’t that they had forbidden her husband from visiting. They had brought her back home because they didn’t want their daughter to suffer because of the downfall of the Zhou family. Moreover, with her pregnancy, it was best for her to stay with her parents.

Yet, to her surprise, months had passed since she was brought back, and her son-in-law hadn’t even called, let alone visited. This only fueled the Rong family’s resolve to keep them apart. Making this phone call wasn’t easy for Rong Lan Zhi; she had to use the excuse of inviting an old friend over for tea.

With the help of her friend, she was finally able to go out and was now sitting in a café downstairs from the New Grand Hotel, accompanied by her close friend. She urged Zhou Jun to hurry and come, as she didn’t have much time. She reminded him to drive a car so she could shake off the Rong family members following her.

Rong Lan Zhi’s fiery temperament remained unchanged. Even while pregnant, she was determined to escape the Rong family just to meet her husband, which both amused and saddened Zhou Jun.

Zhou Jun fell silent for a moment before finally saying, “Sister-in-law, I won’t meet you. Stop making a fuss and go back quickly.”

After a long silence, his sister-in-law dejectedly replied, “Does your brother… no longer want me?” Zhou Jun quickly responded, “How could that be? Don’t overthink it. Even if you returned now, it would be difficult to take proper care of you. Once you give birth, elder brother will definitely bring you and the child back home.”

In fact, Zhou Jun wasn’t sure about his own words. Although his elder brother’s health was relatively stable for now, as the doctor had said, it was uncertain when things might take a turn for the worse. After learning about his brother’s condition, Zhou Jun finally understood why his elder brother had agreed to let the Rong family take his sister-in-law back. He guessed that his elder brother had truly made up his mind to separate.

However, the uncertainty in his words was still noticed by his sister-in-law. Her breathing became heavy and uneven. Soon, the call was abruptly ended. Zhou Jun, with a headache, grabbed his hair in frustration, quickly changed his clothes, and rushed out the door, heading for the café. He was worried that his sister-in-law might do something impulsive, and if anything happened, his elder brother would definitely be furious with him.

He arrived at the café and asked the barista, who confirmed that a number of young women had been there drinking coffee. One of them, matching the description he gave, had come to the front desk to borrow the phone. However, just minutes before he arrived, they had already left. Zhou Jun grabbed his hat and looked around the café, asking, “Did they leave together, or did she leave on her own?”

The barista looked at Zhou Jun and asked in return, “Why are you asking about this?” Zhou Jun replied, “The young lady who called me asked to meet here.” The barista’s face lit up with realization and she whispered to Zhou Jun, “She went to the restroom after using the phone. Someone came looking for her but couldn’t find her. A few people searched the café before finally leaving.”

The barista’s tone was filled with gossip, and she seemed to assume that this man and the young lady were secretly meeting because they were planning to elope. However, the man hadn’t brought a suitcase, and when he found out the young lady was missing, his face showed immediate concern. He quickly rushed out of the café. The barista watched him leave, then continued wiping down a cup, shaking her head in disbelief, clearly amused by the situation.

Zhou Jun stood outside, feeling confused. If his sister-in-law had left, where could she have gone? He made a call to the Zhou family from a phone booth and sent a message to Xiao Fu. As soon as he hung up the phone, he noticed his sister-in-law standing behind him, wearing a hat and a scarf covering her face. The phone booth didn’t have a door, and Zhou Jun’s heart skipped a beat as he remembered the words he had just said.

The plan was for the Zhou family to notify the Rong family as soon as his sister-in-law arrived, and for Xiao Fu to make sure the elder brother didn’t find out about it.

Rong Lan Zhi removed her scarf, looked at Zhou Jun as if she didn’t recognize him, and asked, “Why? Jun Jun, you… don’t want me to come back, do you?”

Over the past few days, she had thought a lot about everything. Deep down, she knew she was the cause of the Zhou family’s troubles.

If she hadn’t been so restless and insisted on attending the reunion with her old classmates, she wouldn’t have been detained, forcing Zhou Yan to spend a large sum to bail her out. And now, after being released, her own family’s actions had deeply hurt her.

Her mother had told her that Zhou Yan had never visited her, and at first, she hadn’t believed it. She thought her family was just trying to separate them and push for a divorce, but now, she wasn’t so sure anymore.

Rong Lan Zhi was lost in despair, her chest tightening with waves of pain. She struggled to speak, her voice shaky. “Jun Jun, I’m sorry to you all. I’ll find a way to pay back the money. I just want to see him. If he no longer wants me, he should say it to my face so I can give up.”

Zhou Jun was in a panic. He frowned, looking at his sister-in-law, unsure of how to respond in this difficult moment.

Meanwhile, after receiving the phone call, Xiao Fu first took care of some tasks and then drove to the hospital to see Zhou Yan. Over the years, he had managed to save a fair amount of money. He had once offered to sell some of his assets and lend the money to Zhou Yan, so they wouldn’t have to liquidate the entire family estate. Zhou Yan had refused, and Xiao Fu still remembered the helplessness on Zhou Yan’s face, along with a sense of lost resolve.

Perhaps, at that time, Zhou Yan was simply exhausted. But after hearing that the chain of the large opium business had been severed by Zhou Jun’s actions, he visibly weakened at an alarming rate. One problem after another piled up, and the determination Zhou Yan had been clinging to seemed to evaporate. Maybe that was why the sickness hit him like a mountain, eventually leading to his hospitalization.

Remembering back, Zhou Jun wasn’t acting recklessly. He had carefully analyzed the pros and cons of withdrawing from the opium business. Xiao Fu believed that if it were Zhou Yan, he might have pursued wealth and prosperity at all costs, and wouldn’t have made the decisive choice that Zhou Jun had. This might not have been a bad thing after all, since as long as money could solve the problem, it wasn’t an issue. But if lives were lost, the cost would far outweigh the benefit.

Xiao Fu sighed. Just as he arrived at the hospital, he noticed another car had stopped ahead. A woman got out, accompanied by Zhou Jun. He was taken aback and hurried toward them. Zhou Jun saw him and gave a slight shake of his head. The three of them finally made their way to the second floor. Xiao Fu and Zhou Jun stood outside the hospital room, watching as Rong Lan Zhi pushed the door open and entered.

Xiao Fu lit a cigarette and handed it to Zhou Jun, who accepted it. Zhou Jun wasn’t sure if what he was doing was right, but he felt that revealing the secret was better than keeping it hidden.

It was like with Yong Jin. From the start, Yong Jin had chosen to handle the breakup on his own, without asking whether Zhou Jun was willing or not. Perhaps Zhou Yan thought the same way, deciding not to consult his wife about the situation or the choices he was making.

The two men stood outside talking, and Xiao Fu asked Zhou Jun how things had gone on the way. After lighting a cigarette, Zhou Jun lowered his gaze, fiddling with the lighter. Through the smoke, Xiao Fu saw Zhou Jun squinting his eyes and smiling faintly. “It’s fine, but there’s someone who needs a lesson,” Zhou Jun said. Xiao Fu raised an eyebrow nonchalantly and asked, “Need help with that?”

Zhou Jun shook his head. “I have to make it right myself.” After saying this, Zhou Jun asked Xiao Fu to keep an eye on his sister-in-law and make sure she got back to the Rong family home. He had something urgent to take care of and needed to leave first.

Xiao Fu whispered, “Do you need a gun?” Zhou Jun thought for a moment. “No, I don’t want to take his life just yet.” He smiled playfully. “After all, my wife likes me to be a little kinder.”

Xiao Fu: “…”