The incident with Zhou Ziyue had cast a gloomy atmosphere over the Zhou household! Coupled with Yu Wen’s emotional outbursts, Zhou Yuanyao was utterly exasperated!
Zhou Ye left early and returned late every day, claiming she was building rapport with the Young Master Song to help restore her uncle’s job sooner.
Her reason was valid, so no one questioned her.
Zhou Zijun, however, was imprudent. Even with the family in such a state, his spending hadn’t decreased in the slightest!
“Dad, give me a thousand yuan!”
“How much?” Zhou Yuanyao was shocked. In the past, when money was plentiful, it wouldn’t have mattered. But now, with the family’s stash stolen and their savings being used, he couldn’t help but feel reluctant.
Zhou Zijun remained oblivious. “Dad, I finally managed to calm my girlfriend down. Shouldn’t I buy her something to make it up to her? But it’s your fault too! If you hadn’t lost your job, we wouldn’t have to grovel like this! A thousand yuan—just enough to buy her a watch and a few pieces of clothing. It’s not even that much! You know her family background! If we get married, it’ll only benefit our family, not harm it.”
Though displeased, Zhou Yuanyao found his eldest son’s words reasonable. Zhou Ye was an uncertainty. Marrying into the Song Family might secure him a job, but who could say what other benefits would follow?
It was better to rely on one’s own children for steady progress.
“That’s too much money. Wait a while! I’ll give it to you this afternoon!”
Zhou Yuanyao glanced toward the bedroom, shook his head, and left.
An hour later, Zhou Yuanyao staggered through the door, sobbing and calling for Yu Wen like a child.
Yu Wen, already in a foul mood, came downstairs with a scowl, only to be startled by Zhou Yuanyao’s state.
A terrible premonition seized her.
Had Ziyue’s body been found?
Her legs felt as if weighed down by ten-pound iron blocks, and she collapsed to the floor, unable to get up. “Ziyue…”
Before she could finish her question, Zhou Yuanyao slurred, “My money’s gone! Gone…”
Yu Wen trembled, her entire body tensing. Others didn’t know, but she did—that was the family vault, known only to her and her husband!
How could it be?
Gone? All those gold bars, all that money, and the supplies—just gone?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
She practically tumbled down the stairs, throwing herself at Zhou Yuanyao and shouting, “Our money is gone? Explain clearly! What’s gone?”
Zhou Yuanyao’s face was pale. “Gone… all of it!”
Yu Wen’s eyes widened, and she stammered incoherently, “The money, the gold bars—gone? That was all we had left! My money! Ahhh… I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!”
As she spoke, she lunged forward. Zhou Zijun, concerned, followed close behind.
It was the first time he had seen the vault his parents had spoken of. It was hidden beneath the cellar! He couldn’t imagine how much they had stashed away, given the cellar’s size and the numerous imprints left by boxes.
So…
How much had his parents hidden from him?
Had they kept it a secret to deceive him? To give it to their daughter?
At this thought, a trace of resentment and bitterness welled up in Zhou Zijun’s heart.
Yes, Mother had always favored Ziyue the most. Now, with Ziyue gone and the money gone too, was this all just an act?
Impossible. His parents’ expressions didn’t seem fake.
But…
The thought of losing so much money—perhaps the very funds hidden away for Ziyue—brought not only heartache but also an inexplicable flicker of satisfaction!
If it was meant for her, why keep her in the dark?
Zhou Zijiao hadn’t followed the others; she had stayed to care for her father.
“Dad, how much did we actually lose?”
Zhou Yuanyao, on the verge of collapse, muttered, “My gold bars, my money… all those boxes, gone!”
Zhou Zijiao was stunned. So her parents had hidden away boxes of gold bars and cash without telling her?
Who were they saving it for?
Zhou Zijun? Or Zhou Ziyue?
Suppressing her rising irritation, Zhou Zijiao stood up.
When Yu Wen and Zhou Zijun returned, the family of four looked ashen-faced.
“Dad, what about my relationship matters now?” Zhou Zijun asked.
Zhou Yuanyao sneered, “Zhou Zijun, I’m your father, not your personal bank! The family’s money is gone. What, do you expect me to go rob someone?”
Zhou Zijun fumed inwardly. “It’s not my fault it’s missing! Why take it out on me? Maybe you were too flashy handling the money and someone noticed!”
Zhou Yuanyao glared but lacked the energy to argue.
“We have nothing left!” Yu Wen murmured.
Zhou Zijiao’s eyes lit up. “How can we have nothing? Doesn’t Zhou Ye have money?”
“What?”
Everyone looked at her. Right—they’d given Zhou Ye ten thousand earlier.
“We recently bought Zhou Ye a lot of dowry items—those can be converted to cash, plus the ten thousand Dad gave her. If we get it back, it could tide us over.”
“As if she’d hand it over,” Zhou Zijun rolled her eyes. “Didn’t we used to think Zhou Ye was easy to push around? Haven’t you seen lately? She was just pretending all along!”
“She’ll have to, whether she wants to or not!” Yu Wen hissed through gritted teeth.
Zhou Yuanyao seemed to have made up his mind as well and stayed silent.
Zhou Ye returned after dinner that evening. Seeing the lights still on in the living room, she knew trouble was brewing.
“Xiao Ye, come sit. Your uncle has something to discuss.”
Zhou Ye calmly took a seat, back straight, and looked at the family. A faint smile touched her lips—but each breath behind that smile seemed to carry a trace of strange excitement and fervor.
These four—their scheming was practically written on their faces! And yet they clung to their hypocritical act.
How… amusing!
“Xiao Ye, here’s the situation. The family’s going through hard times—you can see that. Remember that ten thousand we gave you? We’re all family. Think of it as helping us out. Could you return it to your uncle?”
“Return it? Uncle, do you not want me to marry into the Song Family anymore?”
Zhou Yuanyao faltered. “No, no! I just need you to lend it to me for now. Once I’m back at work, I’ll pay you back! Okay?”
Yu Wen said weakly, dark-faced, “Zhou Ye, you’re part of this family too. Look at what we had for dinner—corn porridge with pickles. Can you really stand by and watch? With everything going on, your sister missing… Can’t you show some compassion?”
Zhou Zijiao added, “Zhou Ye, that’s Dad’s money. You have to give it back!”
Zhou Zijun snapped, “Hurry up! We’re being polite because we respect you. Don’t make this difficult!”
“I won’t give it,” Zhou Ye said, each word deliberate.
Zhou Yuanyao shot to his feet, pointing at her. “What did you say? You won’t? We’re family! How can you be so heartless?”
“Oh, I like it!”
Zhou Ye said with a laugh!
The Zhou family’s faces instantly turned ugly, changing like actors in an opera – one expression after another, quite a spectacle!
Zhou Zijiao suddenly stood up, looking at Zhou Ye arrogantly: “Zhou Ye, don’t get cocky! You won’t get our family’s money! You’ll regret this!”
“Regret? What’s that?” Zhou Ye sneered at her.