Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 592: The Drop_1

Zhou Shuren caressed the painting, his eyes filled with tenderness. Protecting the Zhou family and his wife and children had been his sole focus, leaving him no time to reminisce about the past. His gaze was always fixed ahead, but these paintings stirred up all his memories—memories of Zhulan always standing behind him, watching over him as he forged ahead.

Zhou Shuren carefully set down the painting, "I really like this gift. When we pass away, these paintings will be buried with us as our companions in the grave."

Zhulan, "I was thinking the same thing."

Zhou Shuren’s lips curved into a smile, "This is what they call a meeting of minds."

The celebration of Zhou Shuren’s birthday had come to an end. Chang Lian and his wife also prepared to set off on their journey, delayed by two days from the originally scheduled date due to Jiang Ming’s leg needing a few more days to recover.

Chang Lian and his wife’s luggage was packed and ready, and Zhulan learned from Old Lady Song that Dong Yiyi’s dowry had been mostly dealt with. Even some clothes had been pawned off. Jiang Ming was now without any status, and it was fortunate that there had been no repercussions for Jiang Muchen. The clothes of the past could no longer be worn; even if some fabric and garments were kept, they could only be looked at.

The jewelry that belonged to Dong Yiyi, those pieces without restrictions, were all left behind, and the ones that couldn’t be taken along had been dealt with.

Zhulan, not out of good intentions, prepared the luggage for Dong Yiyi. Dong Yiyi wasn’t without a dowry, even if she was left with nothing. The Dong family and Lady Dong were still there. Her actions represented those of Zhou Shuren, so it was better to watch carefully.

Chang Zhong was a restless one. After waking up in the afternoon, he insisted on going out to play and dragged Zhulan along with him, much to her reluctant agreement.

Zhulan watched Chang Zhong running around in the garden and sighed, "Why can’t this boy just sit still and play? If I were seven or eight years younger, I wouldn’t be so tired."

Old Lady Song said, "Madam is still very young."

Zhulan waved her hand, "I used to believe that when people told me I was young, but not anymore. I know very well that with each passing year, my body isn’t what it used to be."

No matter how well she took care of herself, she couldn’t keep up with the pace of aging. Zhou Shuren was getting older, and so was she, particularly noticeable after giving birth to Chang Zhong. Even with proper care, it showed.

Zhulan followed the sound of her son’s laughter, only to find not just Chang Zhong, but also Jiang Mulan and Yu Lu with him.

Both of them stood up to greet her, and Zhulan asked Yu Lu, "Why aren’t you in class?"

The teacher hadn’t announced any leave, so why was this girl in the garden?

Yu Lu replied, "Grandmother, I forgot to bring my chess manual, so I told the teacher I would come back to get it."

Chang Zhong jumped into the conversation, "Second niece, I’ll go to class with you."

Zhulan laughed, "You little rascal, at least you recognize your relatives clearly."

Yu Lu smiled and held her lips, "Uncle, last time you went to class with Auntie, the teacher was so frustrated he was practically steaming."

Chang Zhong didn’t understand, "Why?"

Yu Lu’s eyes curved, "Because Uncle made him angry."

The teacher was even afraid of Uncle. Last time Uncle ruined the teacher’s painting, and the teacher’s face was gloomy for days!

Chang Zhong laughed, "I’ll definitely not fidget this time."

Yu Lu shook her head; she didn’t believe it. Uncle could do whatever he wanted in the Zhou Mansion, daring to touch even Grandfather’s things, let alone the teacher’s.

Chang Zhong looked dejected, and Yu Lu laughed, "Uncle can go and play with Ming Hui, Ming Hui really likes Uncle."

Chang Zhong shook his head vigorously, "No, you look like mother."

Zhulan chuckled, Ming Hui really was growing more and more to resemble her. The eldest couple dared not to spank or scold Ming Hui; currently, only Mingyun could control him.

Yu Lu giggled, the younger brother was growing more adept at exploiting his own face, often using his resemblance to grandmother to trick the second brother, "Little Uncle, I will go get the chess manual first."

Chang Zhong clutched tightly, staring intently at his niece.

Jiang Mulan bit her lip and said, "Zhou Little Uncle, let me play with you."

She didn’t have to go to classes, she had the time, and couldn’t help thinking in her heart that it would be nice if Zhou Little Uncle liked her enough to stay with the Zhou family.

Zhulan looked at Mulan, feeling no aversion, just a sense of poignancy. Mulan and Muchen were not so young anymore; both children understood. In the past days, they had been too scared to think about it, but now that they had nothing to fear about leaving, it was natural for them to have other thoughts.

Both children harbored resentment towards Jiang Ming. She had full command of the household; the children seldom visited Jiang Ming. However, as Jiang Ming’s legs improved and she had more lucid days, she became very calm, neither disorderly nor despondent, and even had patient discussions about the future with Dong Yiyi.

Chang Zhong may have seemed playful, but he was sharp, recognizing that the girl before him, although seen on a few occasions, was still a stranger. He pursed his lips, "Mother, I want to go back."

Yu Lu glanced at Mulan, bent down to kiss her little uncle, "Grandmother, my teacher is waiting for me, I will go back to the courtyard first."

Zhulan held her son’s hand and nodded, then said to Mulan, "It rained yesterday and the dampness is heavy, we will head back first, too."

Mulan was stunned for a moment, then promptly paid her respects.

Chang Zhong was carried away by the nurse, and once the young lady was out of sight, he said, "Mother, I don’t like the girl from before."

The eyes of a child are the brightest. Zhulan said, "In the future, as long as you know who you like and who you don’t, it’s fine, but you must not say it in front of others."

Zhulan wouldn’t skip teachings because her son was young; the little fellow understood a lot, all thanks to her good instruction.

Jiang Mulan returned to her courtyard, saw her elder brother reading, and somewhat irately grabbed the book and threw it on the table, "Big Brother, how can you still focus on reading? We’re leaving, going to live in the countryside."

While speaking, Mulan grabbed her clothes in distress; she could no longer wear fancy dresses, now adorned plainly, her jewelry gone except for two silver earrings, even her shoes were unadorned. She felt worse off than her former maids, the more she thought about it, the more the tears welled up. She had been bullied in the capital, she had tried, but now she didn’t even qualify to be bullied, she was going to become a village girl.

Jiang Muchen was also in pain. From being Mr. Guan’s son to a commoner, the difference was too stark. Only by reading could he avoid thinking about it. Seeing his sister, a girl who was the most sensitive and now going to rely on the Zhou family, though she never quite matched up to Mr. Zhou’s daughters, now the difference was far too great. His sister must be suffering the most in her heart.

Dong Yiyi stood at the door, holding back tears. It was best to leave early; the longer they stayed, the more painful the already sensitive hearts of the children would be. Once they left, they would gradually come to terms with it.

Two days later, Chang Lian and his couple set out. A total of eight carriages: five for Chang Lian and his wife, three for the Jiang family, with Jiang Ming and Dong Yiyi sharing one, the two children in another, and the last one packed with luggage.

The entire Zhou family stood at the door to see them off. Zhou Shuren highly esteemed Chang Lian and feared any mishap. If it weren’t for Shen Xing following Rongchuan and Jingyan unable to leave, Zhou Shuren would have wanted to send Jingyan along. Nevertheless, Zhou Shuren not only sent skilled house servants but also hired escort guards.

Zhulan looked at Chang Zhi, she was actually quite worried that Chang Zhi might run off secretly, but thankfully Zhu Shuren’s half-year mentorship was not bad, Chang Zhi was not just honest but also grew up significantly.

After Chang Lian left, Zhulan felt quite unsettled. To think, the four sons that came out of nowhere. The eldest and the second were busy managing the family’s properties, often going out, she was used to that. However, in the past two years, Chang Lian was always before her, occasionally coming over to chat with her when he was idle.

With him gone, Zhulan felt somewhat dazed.

Zhulan was not pensive for long when Chang Zhi came running in, ecstatic, "Mother, mother."