Although Zhou's Jewelry is no longer his business, he still understands that it's good to have a big tree to lean on. Without Zhou Xuan, he wouldn't be where he is today. If he were to take charge again, without the hidden forces behind Zhou Xuan, he would likely face a constant stream of attacks from his rivals. How could he have had such a smooth journey as he does now?
The father and his two sons chatted about business for a while before Fu Ying came downstairs shyly. Her hair was styled in a bun, and her face was radiant. She politely poured a cup of tea for Zhou Cangsong and gently said, "Dad, please have some tea."
After marriage, girls usually put their hair up, and their hairstyle is no longer the same as when they were young. This is a dividing line in a woman's life. Fu Ying's appearance is a clear message to Zhou Xuan that she is still his wife and a daughter-in-law of the Zhou family.
Zhou Cangsong was stunned for a moment. After all, he had never experienced such a thing before. Zhou Xuan was the eldest son, and there were two younger sons and daughters. None of them were married, so they had no experience in this regard. In wealthy families, these rules were especially important. Although Fu Ying did not have much experience, she had seen and heard about them. When she married Zhou Xuan, before it was her turn to do these things the next day, Zhou Xuan ran away from home. Naturally, he was not in the mood for it afterward, and the Zhou family was not in the mood either.
Today is practically the first day of her marriage. Although she hasn't actually consummated her marriage with Zhou Xuan, Fu Ying already considers herself a daughter-in-law of the Zhou family, and she has to do everything she's supposed to do.
Zhou Cangsong paused for a moment, then quickly took the teacup, took a small sip, and called out with a smile towards the dining room, "Wife, come here, come here."
Jin Xiumei walked over from the restaurant, wiping her hands on her apron as she asked, "What is it? Can't you see I'm very busy?"
Zhou Cangsong grinned from ear to ear, patted the seat next to him, and said, "Never mind that, let Aunt Liu and Xiaoying do it. Come, come, sit down, my wife wants to pour some tea."
Jin Xiumei was also taken aback for a moment before she remembered that this was roughly the etiquette for a new bride to meet her parents-in-law on her first day. She had naturally missed the previous days, so this was to make up for it, which was also a matter of custom. After a moment of surprise, she quickly sat down next to Zhou Cangsong with a smile.
Fu Ying poured another cup of tea and respectfully handed it to Jin Xiumei, saying softly, "Mom, please have some tea."
"Okay, okay," Jin Xiumei responded loudly, then took the tea, took a sip, put the teacup on the table, and patted herself down. But apart from some cash, she had nothing else. It wasn't appropriate to give Fu Ying a red envelope or lucky money at this time. Even in their rural hometown, it was customary for a new bride to give jewelry or other ornaments as gifts when meeting her parents-in-law.
Jin Xiumei wasn't prepared. Her family hadn't been well-off before, and Zhou Cangsong hadn't bought her any jewelry when she got married. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly said, "Yingying, wait for me."
As she spoke, she got up and hurried upstairs. Fu Ying and the others were all stunned, wondering what Jin Xiumei meant.
A moment later, Jin Xiumei rushed downstairs, holding a silver-white ring-like object in her hand. It was wider, about one centimeter wide, and its surface was covered with small, grid-like holes.
Jin Xiumei said somewhat embarrassedly, "Yingying, I didn't prepare anything either. Your father-in-law didn't buy me anything when we got married. This silver shoe pin was a gift from him. Back then, in the countryside, women made shoes—cloth shoes with many layers of soles. This shoe pin was used for making shoes. But nowadays, people don't wear cloth shoes anymore, so this shoe pin is no longer useful. However, since your father-in-law bought it for me, I'm giving it to you. If you and Zhou Xuan's son get married in the future, you can pass this shoe pin on to your daughter-in-law."
Zhou Xuan found it somewhat amusing. He naturally recognized this thing. In his rural hometown, almost every woman in the countryside had one of these bottom needles. When making shoes and threading the needle, the needle was stuck in the sole of the shoe, and this was used to push the needle out. That's why it's called a bottom needle. In some places, it's called a "top needle." In essence, it's used as a top needle.
It's a bit funny that her mother is giving this to Fu Ying as a family heirloom, but Fu Ying happily accepted it and tried it on her finger. However, her fingers are small, so the needle doesn't fit properly on her finger unless she wears it on her thumb.
Jin Xiumei quickly added, "Yingying, you don't need to wear it on your hand. I gave you this only as a symbol, to show that you are now a member of the Zhou family. It's a symbol of your status. It doesn't look good for such a pretty girl like you to wear this on your hand. Just put it away. It's a family heirloom of the eldest son of the Zhou family."
Fu Ying nodded and replied solemnly, "Okay, Mom, don't worry, I will keep it safe." After saying that, she went upstairs and put the pin into the jewelry box before going downstairs.
Jin Xiumei said again, "Stop talking, let's go have breakfast. Today is a family reunion meal." She looked around and sighed, "It's a pity, Li Li is still missing. If Li Li were here, it would be complete."
Zhou Tao smiled and said, "Mom, you know Li Li's family has been moving house these past few days, they're really busy. It's a miracle they didn't send me over. I'm always here serving you."
Jin Xiumei laughed and said, "You're so fond of your daughter-in-law, aren't you? Serving her mother-in-law is her duty, isn't it?" Upon hearing this, Jin Xiumei immediately thought of her eldest daughter-in-law, Fu Ying, and became a little embarrassed. She added, "But Xiao Li is quite good, and we're satisfied with her. Yingying is good too. Our Zhou family is just lucky to have two daughters-in-law who are perfect."
Fu Ying said shyly, "Mom, I don't know anything. You have to teach me. I know I'm much worse than Xiaoli. Xiaoli is polite, good at housework, and her cooking is impeccable..."
Jin Xiumei quickly waved her hand and said, "Look at what you're saying. Who said girls have to cook and do housework? We don't have that rule in our family. We have Aunt Liu to cook, and I'm your mother too. Girls don't have to do these things. Do whatever you want. I'll support you. Our family doesn't depend on other people for food, so why should we care what others think or say?"
Jin Xiumei knew from the beginning that Fu Ying was a rich young lady, so she was naturally a bit lacking in these things. However, she was extremely good to her own family and deeply devoted to her son. She never looked down on the Zhou family for being poor or on Zhou Xuan for being from the countryside. What more could one ask of her? Having such a daughter-in-law was already a blessing from the family.
The family sat together at the dining table. Zhou Cangsong and his wife naturally sat at the head of the table, while Fu Ying sat next to Jin Xiumei. Fu Ying was originally supposed to sit below Zhou Xuan, but Jin Xiumei insisted on pulling her to sit next to her, and Fu Ying naturally did not disobey her. Zhou Xuan then sat below Fu Ying.
Opposite him sat Zhou Tao next to Zhou Cangsong, below him were Zhou Ying and Li Wei, and at the very back was Aunt Liu.
The table was laden with a sumptuous feast. Although it wasn't some famous dish with abalone, shark fin, or bird's nest, but rather some ordinary dishes that Jin Xiumei and Aunt Liu were familiar with, it was prepared with great care. In their own eyes, it was already quite a feast. Fu Ying also felt very warm and cozy. This was what a home should feel like, with the warmth of a home. It didn't have to be the best, just the warmth of family.
Jin Xiumei first served Fu Ying and Zhou Xuan each a bowl of soup, saying, "Yingying, Zhou Xuan, drink this bowl of soup."
Fu Ying asked in surprise, "Mom, why is there only two bowls of soup? It's no fun if Zhou Xuan and I drink it all?"
Jin Xiumei smiled and said, "Don't worry about them. This is a very nourishing soup that Mom specially bought to make for you. They don't need it."
Fu Ying blushed and immediately understood the reason. Even if she didn't understand, she understood the meaning of the nourishing soup. Her face was flushed and her heart was pounding, but when she saw Jin Xiumei staring at her intently, she knew that if she didn't drink the soup, she wouldn't be able to get past this hurdle.
Fu Ying had no choice but to pick up the soup bowl, blushing as she slowly drank the soup. Sure enough, the soup had a strong medicinal smell, clearly made from a variety of herbs.
Zhou Xuan finished the bowl of soup under Lao Hen's watchful eye, thinking to himself that it was a good thing it was just a tonic and not medicine, otherwise he would have felt unwell.
Breakfast passed in a warm and cozy atmosphere. Even Li Wei, who was usually so talkative, kept quiet and just ate heartily. After breakfast, Zhou Xuan said to Zhou Cangsong, "Dad, let's go to the antique shop for a while. There's nothing to do at home anyway."
In the antique shop now, Zhou Cangsong is actually the only member of the Zhou family left. Because of his age and lack of education, he wouldn't be of much use in the jewelry company, so it's better for him to stay in the antique shop. Moreover, Zhou Cangsong has been working in the antique shop since he came to the capital. After so long, he has become very skilled in the work of the antique shop and can be said to have developed an affection for it. He can be considered as keeping the shop in place of his son.
Jin Xiumei gently nudged Fu Ying and said, "Go on, go on. It's not good to stay cooped up at home. Going out for a walk is good too. But take Yingying with you, don't let your wife get bored."
Jin Xiumei's meaning was clear: Zhou Xuan had just returned and reconciled with Fu Ying, so it was better for them to spend more time together. Besides, she wanted her daughter-in-law to keep an eye on her son. Although she believed her son wasn't the type to go out drinking, gambling, and whoring, some things were different. For example, the Wei sisters were beautiful and of high status, just like her daughter-in-law, and they both seemed to have taken a liking to her son. It was better for him to be down-to-earth. Her family wasn't some wealthy clan, and they had to live with a clear conscience. She didn't want her son to get involved with the Wei sisters again, or he would have no face to speak to the Wei family patriarch and other elders in the future.
Zhou Xuan smiled. He knew the old meaning perfectly well. As long as Fu Ying forgave him and Wei Xiaoyu didn't cause trouble, there would be no problem. After sharing a bed with Fu Ying last night, although there was no real intimacy between husband and wife, their relationship had obviously improved a lot. He originally thought that Wei Xiaoyu's matter was a difficult problem, but now it seemed that he had suddenly become clear about it.
When Wei Xiaoyu returned to Wei Haihong's house, both the old man of the Wei family and Wei Haihong felt somewhat guilty towards Zhou Xuan and Fu Ying. From this point of view, Wei Xiaoyu should not come back to bother Zhou Xuan anymore. As for what will happen in the long run, Fu Ying can't worry about that too much. She'll just take it one step at a time. In the end, she still can't let go of Zhou Xuan, so this is the only solution she can do.
A few months after Zhou Xuan ran away from home, all the cars that had been ordered before arrived. Now, except for Jin Xiumei, who doesn't have a car, everyone else—Zhou Cangsong, Zhou Tao, Zhou Ying, Fu Ying, and Zhou Xuan himself—each has a car. They had all been ordered beforehand, and the garage was full, so they parked in front of the villa.
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Volume 1, Chapter 515: Wealth Wrapped in Earthen Cloth
Zhou Xuan's new car is an Audi A6. He's naturally interested in new cars, not because the car has to be luxurious. With Zhou Xuan's financial resources, the price of this car is negligible.
Fu Ying stopped driving and rode in Zhou Xuan's car. Zhou Xuan quite liked the dark blue Audi A6; it wasn't flashy and was easy to drive. During this time, Zhou Xuan had driven quite a few cars, so he had experience and a driver's license. When he drove again, he no longer had the hesitation he used to have.
Li Wei was still driving his Audi A4. Even though he had money, his family wouldn't allow him to buy a luxury car. Zhou Xuan looked at the several new cars—his father's, his brother's, Li Wei's, his own, and Fu Ying's—almost all of them were Audis. Fu Ying's car was an Audi Mini, and only his sister's car was a Porsche sports car that Fu Ying had chosen. He smiled and said, "It seems like our family is just sending money to Audi."
Fu Ying silently got into Zhou Xuan's car. In front of others, she had to force a smile and act like she was putting on a show, but when she was alone with Zhou Xuan, her face immediately darkened, and she stared blankly at her face with her hand.
Zhou Xuan sighed, then leaned over to fasten her seatbelt, before starting the car and slowly driving out of the villa area.
At Hongcheng Square, Zhou Xuan's car and Li Wei and Zhou Ying's car went their separate ways. They were going to a jewelry company, while Zhou Xuan was going to an antique shop. His father had left earlier than him.
As the car drove along the familiar road, familiar advertising signs were everywhere on the buildings on both sides of the highway. They were all words I recognized, just as Li Wei had said. What you recognize, you don't need to worry about.