Chapter 129: The Inside Story (1)

Old Madam Lin watched as her niece and daughter argued heatedly, neither willing to back down. She sighed—some things just had to be made clear, or there would only be more disputes in the future.

She pulled her youngest daughter down to sit beside her, frowning as she said, “Stop shouting, you’re giving me a headache. Xiaolin, you sit too. Since your aunt has already brought this up today, Grandma will tell you both something as well.”

Chen Jingru sat down next to the old lady with her daughter. They listened as the old lady continued, “Xiaolin was too young to know back then, but Jingru and Liying, you two should remember some of this. When Zhou Xiaozheng had his accident, Shanshan was beside herself, couldn’t stay in that house anymore. So I had Shanshan hand over all the savings she and her husband had, for me to keep safe.

She gave me two bankbooks at the time. Together, it was a substantial sum—more than our own family’s savings. It was all Zhou Xiaozheng’s private money, set aside specifically for Shanshan to raise Jiaojiao. Just the interest alone would be enough to raise her well. Later, when I brought Shanshan home to live, the money stayed with me. Besides that, I also had Shanshan deposit any extra from her salary with me.

Over these past ten-plus years, our family’s expenses have been huge, so I used some of that money. Now that Zhou Xiaozheng is back, let’s not even talk about the principal—the interest alone has multiplied several times in the bank. But I can’t come up with the principal all at once, and we haven’t taken care of Zhou Jiao as we should have. This money can’t be delayed any longer, or if word gets out, the Lin family will lose all face.

By rights, when your eldest aunt went to see Zhou Jiao, she should have brought this money to her. Zhou Xiaozheng will definitely ask about it when he sees Zhou Jiao again. But I really have no way out right now—I have to gather it all together before I can return it to him, don’t I?

So, Xiaolin, you really can’t compare yourself to Zhou Jiao. Her father left her quite a bit. You say your eldest aunt’s money belongs to the Lin family—that’s wrong! Zhou Jiao’s dowry alone is more than she could ever spend, even just the interest—it’s all Zhou Xiaozheng’s money. Even your eldest aunt’s salary is kept with Grandma.

And you mentioned Zhou Jiao has two courtyard houses? Those were passed down from her father as well. They weren’t bought—they’re Zhou family heirlooms, given to her by Zhou Xiaozheng. Curious how he got them?

The Zhou family was originally from Beijing, but had to return to their ancestral home in the Northeast during chaotic times. The smaller two-courtyard house that’s rented out now belonged to Zhou Xiaozheng’s mother’s family—the Huang family, who were imperial physicians in Beijing. Zhou Xiaozheng’s mother was their only child, and she later gave the house to her youngest son. When Zhou Xiaozheng got his share, he received that courtyard, while the rest of the family’s belongings went to his older brother. After Zhou Jiao was born, Zhou Xiaozheng, worried about accidents, transferred the ownership directly to her.

The larger courtyard house is a bit more complicated. Zhou Jiao’s ancestors were quite prominent in Beijing. The so-called ‘haunted house’ near Houhai was the Zhou family’s ancestral home. Before Liberation, Zhou Xiaozheng managed to get a new property deed for it, and exchanged it for this large courtyard house. Normally, after the war, properties without deeds would be confiscated, but Zhou Xiaozheng and your eldest aunt had just married then, and the Japanese hadn’t even surrendered yet. But he got it done.

Old Master Zhou didn’t have the deed, and the house wasn’t inherited by the eldest son, so there was no paperwork. That’s why this courtyard ended up as Zhou Xiaozheng’s private property. He even paid extra to get all the paperwork in order. To avoid future disputes, he put it under your eldest aunt’s name. If he hadn’t worried about trouble for Zhou Jiao in the future, he would have put it in her name from the start.

Both houses were left to Zhou Jiao by Zhou Xiaozheng. Outsiders can’t see how well-off her family is. Don’t compare yourself to Zhou Jiao—you simply can’t. Even if she has younger siblings in the future, those houses will still be hers. Do you think Zhou Xiaozheng wouldn’t have planned for that?

You’ve never met Zhou Xiaozheng, so you don’t know what kind of person he is. When you do, you’ll understand why Grandma is so anxious to pay him back. Ask around the compound—any soldier in his forties will know him, and you’ll get an idea. He’s not an ordinary man. With a daughter like Zhou Jiao, no matter what your grandfather says, I’d still believe in him.

As for you, you should listen to your aunt. She’s doing this for your own good—she wouldn’t get angry with anyone else, but look, she’s so upset she’s even swearing. Grandma doesn’t want you to regret things either. Money is a good thing, but you also need to consider what kind of man will be by your side for life. You’re grown up now—go home and think it over. If you really want to marry him, Grandma will start preparing your dowry. It won’t be much, but it’ll be respectable in the compound. If you’re not serious, then you need to be careful about your reputation. For a woman, reputation is everything.”

Lin Xueling stood there, mouth agape, unable to speak for a long time. After a while, she blinked and cautiously asked, “Grandma, if Uncle Zhou is so amazing, how did he end up marrying Aunt? I don’t mean to belittle her, but I’ve heard people say Uncle Zhou was really handsome and lots of female soldiers secretly liked him. Aunt never looked for anyone else because she met someone so outstanding—after that, no one else could compare. Some of the grandmas in the compound say it’s a miracle Aunt didn’t go crazy. But honestly, I don’t think Aunt is that pretty—I don’t see what’s so special about her.”

Old Madam Lin looked at her granddaughter thoughtfully. She really couldn’t agree with her taste. Judging people by their aura, and yet she couldn’t see the temperament in her own Shanshan—only cared about looks, not inner qualities. If Shanshan didn’t have her strengths, why would Zhou Xiaozheng have chosen her? Thinking of her own wardrobe full of clothes, the old lady sighed inwardly. This child really lacked cultural refinement.

Old Madam Lin pointed at Lin Liying. “Ask your aunt—she used to follow your eldest aunt everywhere. She knows.”

“Hmph, what’s so strange about it? Your eldest aunt was a bit silly, always sneaking off to see Zhou Xiaozheng. After a while, they got close. She couldn’t read faces, didn’t care how stern Zhou Xiaozheng looked—she’d just smile foolishly. I guess Zhou Xiaozheng liked silly girls. With his scheming mind, always thinking so much, having a simple wife is probably a relief—no need to use his brain at home.”

As soon as Lin Liying finished, everyone burst out laughing.

Chen Jingru said with a smile, “You know, that might be true. When they filed for marriage, no one could believe that this simple girl had caught the ‘Northeast Tiger.’ Your big brother said everyone called it a surprise attack—one move and she got him.

Remember Qu Xiaoyue from the Qu family? She’s almost forty now and still looks like a young lady—beautiful, smart, well-educated. She was obsessed with Zhou Xiaozheng back then. Everyone said it was a match between a hero and a beauty, and that they were perfect for each other. Old Master Qu was a big shot in the military district, even more powerful than our dad. But in the end, eldest sister got him, and Qu Xiaoyue was so heartbroken she ran off to the south. She only came back in recent years. Old Master Qu has never liked Dad since, always saying his son-in-law stole the prize.”

Old Madam Lin sighed, “That Qu girl is pitiful too. She found someone good-looking, but he was a philanderer. The couple never had kids and I hear they’re divorced now.

Your Aunt Jiang said, don’t mention Zhou Xiaozheng in front of the Qu family, so the girl doesn’t get hung up on him again. I’m not worried—Zhou Xiaozheng isn’t that kind of man. It’s a pity, though. People say beauties have hard lives, and those who are too pretty rarely have happy endings.

Why did Zhou Xiaozheng always avoid the Qu girl? Probably because she was too beautiful, and he was afraid he couldn’t keep her. When a man looks for a lifelong partner, he doesn’t just care about looks—he thinks about the consequences, about the future. Marrying a stunning beauty, you’d always be worried about trouble at home.”

“Shanshan has finally come through her hardships. Luckily, her husband is back, and she doesn’t have to drift around anymore. So many people were jealous back then, and just as many took pleasure in her misfortune. Now, let’s see if they’re eating their words. Mom, I heard they’ll be back in a few days.”

“You’ve had a tough time too, eldest. Now our family is finally together again. I wonder when your second brother and his wife will be transferred back to Beijing.”

Chen Jingru shook her head at that, secretly curling her lip. The old lady said the family’s expenses were too high, so she used her brother-in-law’s money. She was too embarrassed to ask outright. She handed over food money every month, and apart from her two kids spending a bit, she hadn’t really taken advantage of the old lady. Her in-laws’ salaries weren’t low, and yet it was never enough. Her eldest sister-in-law often brought things home too. Where did all the money go? Probably all spent on the second brother’s family. Every day, the old lady talked about how hard life was for them out west. Who had it harder than her?

If Zhou Xiaozheng hadn’t come back, when would that money ever be returned to Zhou Jiao? Sigh… She didn’t want to think badly of people. They hadn’t seen that child in seventeen years, yet still used her money. Who knows what the girl would think if she found out? The Lin family really was in the wrong here. If the Zhou family had done anything to harm Zhou Jiao’s interests, they’d have dealt with it in a snap. Honestly, the Lin family was worse than the Zhou family—would Zhou Jiao take action?

Chen Jingru glanced at the old lady and her sister-in-law chatting away, showing no sign of worry. She wondered what the old lady was planning to do about the money. She had a vague feeling, but hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

She looked at her sister-in-law, guessing she knew where the money had gone. She’d probably used some herself—maybe even used some of it to buy her little courtyard, and the second brother’s family too. Maybe even the Gu family, who always seemed well-off, had gotten help from the old lady.

Watching the mother and daughter avoid mentioning where the money had gone, acting as if nothing had happened, left Chen Jingru feeling helpless. They only talked about the outcome, never the process.

She sighed again. After all this, the Lin family had lost both face and substance. Who knew how Zhou Jiao and her father would see them now? Would their relationship become distant? Her eldest sister-in-law was a good person, but not very capable. She’d worried for a long time about visiting her daughter, but luckily Zhou Jiao was broad-minded and didn’t hold grudges, and could still get along with Shanshan. Thankfully, her brother-in-law was back and the family could be reunited. Otherwise, with a mother like hers, who knew what would happen to her eldest sister-in-law in the future.

After lunch, Chen Jingru took her daughter back to the east wing. She planned to sit her down and explain some things clearly, so she wouldn’t embarrass herself thinking she was in the right."