Zhou Shuren looked at Zhou Laoer who was kneeling on the ground with a half-smile, "Why are you kneeling? Get up."
How dare Zhou Laoer stand up? He really didn't know what his mother-in-law had done. He defended his mother-in-law just because he didn't want to be looked down upon by his brothers. So even though he knew there was something going on, he didn't ask. But now his father not only told it out loud, but was also very disappointed in him.
Now the father's eyes are cold, which is not the way one looks at his son. It's as if he is looking at a stranger. He can't feel any blood relationship. Even if mother is disappointed in him, she will at least warn him. He has confidence in his heart because he knows that as a child, his parents will definitely forgive him if he makes a mistake.
Just like in Pingzhou, Chang Lian also made mistakes and his parents punished him harshly, but they were still nice to Chang Lian. He felt that as long as he didn't cross the bottom line, it was fine.
But his father's attitude today made him feel like he had fallen into an ice cellar. "Dad, I was wrong."
Zhou Shuren looked at Zhou Laoer indifferently. What he and Zhulan put into the Zhou family was not proportional to what they received. Zhulan took on the role of a mother, and he slowly felt like a father. He thought that since he was a father, parents should not care too much with their children. However, not caring does not mean to tolerate everything.
Zhulan stood up. She didn't want to see how Zhou Shuren educated Changyi. Her disappointment in Changyi and Changlian was different. Changlian at least still had a heart, but she only saw coldness in Changyi. She almost forgot the plot of the novel, but she still remembered that Changyi took his wife and children away from the Zhou family.
In the past, I just didn’t want to make malicious guesses, because novels are novels, this is reality, a few words don’t represent everything, and it never happened.
It's a pity that she took it for granted and thought she could teach the Zhou family's children well. In addition, Zhou Laoer was good at disguising himself. If it weren't for the Pingzhou incident, she would have really been wrong.
Zhou Laoer looked up when he heard footsteps, and saw his mother's back. He panicked, and his body reacted faster than his brain, and he quickly grabbed his mother's wrist, "Mom, I did something wrong, I will change, please don't ignore me."
Zhulan turned her head to look at Zhou Laoer, who was sweating anxiously. Zhou Laoer's reaction was instinctive, and the anxiety on his face was not fake. But when it came time to be hard-hearted, Zhulan would not hesitate at all. Zhulan held Zhou Laoer's hand and pulled it off with all her strength. Zhulan turned around and walked out quickly.
Zhulan could see clearly that Changlian was a small tree with some branches growing crooked, so she could just cut them off with a knife. However, Changyi was already a mature tree. She and Zhou Shuren had only trimmed the branches over the past few years, and the main trunk remained the same as before.
Moreover, what Zhou Laoer learned from her and Zhou Shuren was all about calculation. Her knife really couldn't cut it, so she could only use Zhou Shuren's knife. If she cut it from the root, it would still grow crooked.
Zhulan thought that she and Zhou Shuren had done their best for the original couple. Their children were different, and she and Zhou Shuren had fulfilled their responsibilities. Even if they met the original couple one day, they would stand upright.
Zhou Laoer stared blankly at his mother as she left without saying a word to him. He didn't understand what he had done wrong. He didn't feel any different from Chang Lian, but why didn't his parents treat him the same way they treated Chang Lian? Zhou Laoer turned his head and said, "Dad."
Zhou Shuren saw Zhulan had gone out, so he didn't need to pretend to be his original self. Without his original self, Zhou Changyi would be a stranger to him. "Look at your eyes. You are not convinced. Do you think Changlian also made mistakes? Why didn't you do anything, but my attitude towards you is different?"
Zhou Laoer's resentment, which he had finally managed to arouse, instantly deflated, "Dad, my son didn't."
Zhou Shuren put down his teacup and stood up. He walked around Zhou Laoer twice and sneered, "Then let me tell you, what is the difference between you and Chang Lian? Chang Lian is not as cold and indifferent as you. For one thing, you concealed Zhao's appearance. You never considered what would happen to the entire Zhou family if something happened. This incident shows how selfish you are. For another thing, you got a lot of benefits from the Qian family but didn't think of asking after them. You must feel relieved in your heart. You were happy at first for the Yue family, who had never been a servant of a merchant. This shows how cold and indifferent you are."
Although Zhou Shuren did not ask about Zhou Laoer and Chang Lian, he knew everything he should know during the chat with Zhulan. Zhou Laoer said that he refused the dowry that the Qian family gave to Zhao, but it did not mean that Zhou Laoer confiscated other money from the Qian family, otherwise how could he afford to buy two shops and an orchard.
Zhou Laoer felt like he was being stripped naked in front of his father. His father knew exactly what was hidden in his innermost thoughts. Zhou Laoer didn't dare to look his father in the eye.
Zhou Shuren narrowed his eyes and said, "Look up."
Zhou Laoer raised his head stiffly little by little. His father seemed so strange today that he felt a chill in his heart.
Zhou Shuren said coldly: "You have learned nothing else from us except scheming. Will one day the entire Zhou family become the target of your scheming?"
Zhou Laoer was terrified, "Dad, I didn't. You said that it's okay to plot against outsiders, but you absolutely can't plot against your own family. I didn't."
Zhou Shuren said sarcastically, "You didn't plan it openly, but you have been taking advantage of them. Didn't you just take advantage of Changzhi and Xuemei? Do you think you two are the smartest people in the whole family?"
Zhou Laoer swallowed his saliva. Why did he mention Chang Lian and Xue Mei? He wanted to curry favor with them, but he also wanted to hide his thoughts.
Zhou Shuren stood up and said, "Didn't you and Zhao buy an orchard in Chuanzhou? I think you must have enough money to buy a house. After you come back from Pingzhou, you and your wife should move to Pingzhou. You are not allowed to come back without my notice. The two children should stay here. I am worried about you teaching them to me."
Zhou Laoer was so frightened that he thought he had heard it wrong, "Dad, are you going to chase me away?"
Zhou Shuren, "You can think so. Second brother, you should be happy. Your father is in a difficult situation. For the sake of the Zhou family's wealth and life, I will not split the family, at least not now. Otherwise, your second branch should be separated today."
Zhou Laoer was covered in cold sweat. His father told him bluntly that he did not split up the family because he was afraid that they, the brothers, would drag down the entire Zhou family. He should be happy, at least the family did not split up.
Zhou Shuren sat down and said, "I am different from your mother. Today, your mother is willing to give you a chance. Remember, this is the only chance. By the way, you two have been out before. You should take care of yourselves. It doesn't mean you will be safe if you cannot divide the family. There is also the concept of adoption. If there is a family in need of a son."
Anyway, he really has no shortage of cheap sons, and he even complains about having too many!
Zhou Laoer was not stupid this time, but completely stunned. The word "adoption" became a sword hanging over his head. He also saw his father's indifference today. His father did not hide it at all. From his father's calm eyes, he knew that what his father said was true.
He was sure that his father only cared about his mother. Thinking of his mother, Zhou Laoer cried. It is said that children with mothers are treasures. This is so true. If he did not have his mother, he felt that if he had not lived alone today, his father would really find it troublesome to adopt him. He always felt that adoption was what his father wanted to do most.