PDLP Chapter 206 The Zhou Family's Scheme
Chapter 206 The Zhou Family's Scheme
206 The Zhou Family's Schemes
The elders did this because they firmly believed that although the members of the Zhou family might have some minor squabbles and schemes, they would never harm the fundamental interests of the entire family.
They knew that if anyone damaged the family's overall interests because of these minor disputes, that person would be abandoned by the family and severely punished, possibly even losing everything.
Because everyone in this family clearly understands the principle that the greater good should take precedence over minor gains, and the long-term interests of the entire family should not be harmed for the sake of some small benefits.
"Third brother, let's just talk about these things at home, but don't let it spread outside! The situation outside is getting more and more tense every day."
Zhou Junwen is a person.
He has always been meticulous, even when he is at home, he always maintains a high level of vigilance, for fear that one day he might accidentally fall into someone's trap and be schemed against.
Why be so cautious?
It's all because of the Zhou family's actual situation, which everyone knows perfectly well, plus their beloved little sister.
In any case, we absolutely cannot allow anyone to have the opportunity to scheme against the Zhou family.
"By the way, third brother, have you heard any new news about my little sister lately? I reckon there's going to be something big happening over there. Maybe she'll be sent back soon, and she might even have to go to the countryside."
When Zhou Junwen thought about the rumors he had heard before, he couldn't help but worry about his sister.
This girl just went back not long ago, how come she has to be sent back again in the blink of an eye?
And there's even a possibility they'll have to go to the countryside!
What should we do?
He secretly thought that it would be best if he could help his younger sister find a stable job here; but if he really couldn't find a suitable one, he could find a place nearby to arrange for her to go to the countryside, so that she would be closer to home and they could take care of each other.
Just then, Zhou Junwen learned that the people over there had made contact with him.
However, he has not yet mentioned these circumstances to his father.
But today, such a thorny matter has occurred, making it impossible for Zhou Junwen to delay any longer. He must inform his father about this matter in advance.
Zhou Junwen looked at his father with a serious expression and slowly said, "Dad, it seems my little sister is in for some trouble. I just heard that she might need to come back. According to the people there, her current situation is becoming increasingly dangerous, and they've suggested she come back to lay low for a while. Do you think we could try to find her a job?"
After saying this, Zhou Junwen stared intently at his father, the phone call he had received earlier involuntarily flashing through his mind, his mood growing heavier and more complicated.
Upon hearing his son's words, Zhou's father seemed to suddenly remember something, his eyes flashing slightly, and he immediately asked, "Did they call you on their own initiative?"
Zhou Junwen nodded slightly in affirmation.
Then, Mr. Zhou continued to press, "So how is your younger sister doing over there?"
Since the younger sister left home for that place, the Zhou family has deliberately kept a low profile and tried to avoid direct contact with them, fearing that they might notice something amiss.
Unless they contact them first, the Zhou family will never easily disturb their younger sister's life.
Fortunately, so far, they don't seem to have noticed anything unusual, which has undoubtedly relieved the Zhou family and reinforced their belief that their initial decision was correct.
"Has anyone found out about my little sister's affair?"
Today, all of Zhou's sons happened to be home. Since they all knew about the matter, when Zhou's father brought it up again, he did not deliberately avoid the crowd and asked directly.
"Could something have gone wrong?"
Seeing his father ask the question with such a solemn expression, Zhou Junwen was first slightly taken aback, and then a very complicated expression flashed across his eyes.
This subtle change did not escape Zhou's father's keen observation. Upon seeing this, Zhou's father's heart trembled, and an ominous premonition instantly surged into his mind. He felt that something unexpected must have happened, which made him feel flustered and uneasy.
"What exactly happened? Could it be that they're also..." The words were left unfinished, but the worry in them was evident.
After a moment of silence, Zhou Junwen slowly raised his head, met his father's anxious gaze, and said softly, "The situation... is roughly the same, but not entirely. The key is how they handle this matter. However, judging from the current situation, my younger sister will probably have to go to the countryside. And they hope that we can help arrange and manage the relevant matters for her."
At this point, Zhou Junwen couldn't help but recall the family's usual kindness to his younger sister. His eyes flickered slightly as he pondered something in his heart. His originally calm gaze gradually became deep and unfathomable.
At this moment, as if he had suddenly thought of something, Zhou's father quickly interjected, "Since the eldest sister's job has been basically secured, why don't we let her give the opportunity to the younger sister? That might solve our immediate problem!"
When Zhou Junhao heard his boss's words, his brows furrowed involuntarily, as if he had heard some unbelievable news.
Just then, a loud "bang" was heard, and something suddenly fell to the ground. The crisp sound instantly attracted everyone's attention.
Everyone instinctively turned to look, and what they saw was Zhou Huizhu's face, which was distorted with extreme shock.
Her eyes widened, her mouth slightly open, as if she wanted to say something, but she was too shocked to utter a sound.
Seeing Zhou Huizhu's expression, Zhou Junhao's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately felt a wave of guilt wash over him.
His eyes began to dart around, and he didn't dare to look his younger sister in the eye.
Meanwhile, Zhou Junxing, standing to the side, looked at his third brother with a speechless expression, sighing inwardly:
How could this be?
He has always treated his two younger sisters as equally as an older brother!
Although the younger sister is better at acting cute and charming, so he might dote on her a bit more, he would never be as blatant as the third brother in trying to ruin the relationship between the sisters!
Recalling the occasional look of jealousy and resentment that his older sister would show when she looked at his younger sister, Zhou Junxing suddenly realized what was going on.
So that's where the problem lies, and it's all because of his third brother's actions. Faced with the current situation, Zhou Junhao's behavior has left him feeling truly helpless.
Just then, Zhou Junxing suddenly remembered the so-called "sister" who had been married off to the Mo family in their place.
Thinking about this, he felt a strange sense of guilt rising in his heart.
A vague premonition told him that after his younger sister returned, many more unexpected and uncontrollable things would likely happen one after another...
In that instant, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning.
"Dad, Third Brother, you actually want to give my job to my little sister?" Zhou Huizhu looked at her father and Zhou Junhao, who had just said these words, with a face full of grief. Her heart felt as if it had been stabbed by a sharp sword, and she was in so much pain that she could not breathe.
At this moment, Zhou Huizhu was filled with jealousy and resentment.
However, she knew very well that this was not the time to vent her emotions, because from childhood she had known how much her family favored her younger sister.
After her younger sister left home, she finally enjoyed a period of being pampered by her parents.
But now, the younger sister has returned, and the family seems ready to abandon her once again.
This feeling was like falling from the clouds into an abyss, igniting a raging fire of anger deep within Zhou Huizhu's heart, mixed with a deep resentment.
Mr. Zhou gazed silently at his eldest daughter, Zhou Huizhu, his eyes filled with complex emotions. In truth, he wasn't entirely without affection for his eldest daughter, but compared to his obedient, adorable, and understanding younger sister, his favoritism naturally leaned towards her.
Nevertheless, he understood that his eldest daughter also played an important role in the family, but he would never easily reveal this sentiment.
"Third brother, you'd better be careful! The job we arranged for your eldest sister is exclusively for her; no one else can even think about taking it. As for your youngest sister, she doesn't really need to find a job yet. Think about it, why did they send your youngest sister to the countryside in the first place?"
"It's all because their family has been targeted by certain people! They need to keep a low profile right now; if they're too high-profile and cause trouble, it won't be easy to clean up the mess! So, let's not rush into arranging a job for your little sister; we need to patiently wait for the right opportunity."
Mr. Zhou knew perfectly well that his arrangements for his youngest daughter should not be too ostentatious. If she caught the eye of those people again, many things would probably be beyond his control.
"Dad, don't worry! I was just saying it casually. How could I really let my sister give up her job? Besides, my sister is almost at the age to get married. Even if I'm unreliable, I still hope that my sister can find a good husband, right?" The third son quickly explained, afraid that his father would misunderstand him.
Zhou Junhao knew very well that the words he had just blurted out were indeed a bit excessive.
When he saw his younger sister's gloomy face, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty and embarrassed.
He glanced at his younger sister furtively and saw that she was biting her lip tightly, her eyes revealing obvious dissatisfaction and disappointment.
At that moment, Zhou Junhao keenly grasped the deeper meaning in his father's words, so he quickly lowered his head and admitted his mistake, indicating that his words and actions had been inappropriate.
However, only he himself knows best what he is really thinking deep down.
After all, people's minds are always complex and hard to fathom.
Zhou Huizhu was fully aware of all of this.
Before the younger sister appeared, these older brothers did indeed show her more genuine care and protection.
However, the situation completely changes whenever the younger sister is involved.
Her brothers seemed to have been instantly bewitched or cursed, and they could no longer see their eldest sister.
Thinking back to the "little sister" who was found and brought back to the Zhou family, didn't she suffer the same treatment?
That poor girl, foolishly longing for the warmth of family affection, ended up being ignored by everyone.
In Zhou Huizhu's view, this kind of blind pursuit of family affection is simply foolish and an absolute idiot's behavior!
The words her parents often said were that they had arranged Zhou Huizhu's marriage, but Zhou Huizhu was no fool.
In reality, all the blame and mistakes were borne by her beloved younger sister.
However, this didn't matter to her, because Zhou Huizhu had already figured out the whole truth when her parents were searching for Zhou Yiyi everywhere.
Those hypocritical scoundrels in the Zhou family had already arranged everything perfectly.
Therefore, Zhou Huizhu did not feel much pity for Zhou Yiyi (who was actually Chu Jiuyue who had been found).
Ultimately, she can only blame herself for being too naive and foolish.
After all, when has the Zhou family ever truly cared about family ties?
Perhaps only when dealing with Chu Qingqing could he feel a slight warmth.
However, even Zhou Huizhu herself was puzzled as to why the Zhou family treated Chu Qingqing in such an unusual way.
Why spoil her so much?
Even though Chu Qingqing was not their biological child, everyone in the family still doted on her and showed her great care and love; on the other hand, their own daughter, Chu Jiuyue, was completely ignored and even suffered all sorts of terrible treatment.
Even though Zhou Huizhu herself didn't like Chu Jiuyue, she was still very confused by the actions of the Zhou family members, finding them incomprehensible and hard to understand.
Deep in her heart, she couldn't understand whether the members of the Zhou family were suffering from some kind of mental distress.
Why do they treat a stranger with more affection and protection than their own flesh and blood?
Even though Zhou Huizhu herself didn't know what secrets were hidden behind this, she had a vague premonition deep in her heart, as if there was an undercurrent surging.
The Zhou family is definitely hiding a major secret, but she herself is unaware of it.
It could be said that everyone in the Zhou family except her knew this secret perfectly well, and even her sister, who was not related to her by blood, probably knew more than she did.
Thinking of this, Zhou Huizhu felt a chill run down her spine. She smiled coldly to herself, as if mocking her own ignorance and helplessness.
She began to suspect that she had been excluded from some important family secret, a secret that seemed to be closely related to everyone around her.
She felt as if she had been kept in the dark, while everyone around her was tacitly keeping the secret.
This feeling confused and angry her, and she was determined to unravel the mystery, find out the truth, and no longer allow herself to remain in this passive and ignorant state.