Yuan Han was too calculating!

On the third day after Zhou Yi’s discharge, Yuan Han learned that his daughter was named Zhou Ke, taking Zhou Yi’s surname, with her household registration under the Zhou family… Most men, if their daughter had to take their wife’s surname, showing such disrespect from the in-laws, would surely cause a scene.

Those with worse tempers might even end up divorcing!

But Yuan Han was different – though his expression darkened when he heard the news, he quickly put on a smile:

“What does it matter if she’s surnamed Zhou or Yuan? She’s still our daughter. Small Yi suffered greatly giving birth to her, so she should take Small Yi’s surname!”

Listen to those words.

They were so diplomatic and sincere that Jiang Hong worried if they didn’t send Zhou Yi abroad soon, she’d eventually be sweet-talked back by Yuan Han.

Even now, with Yuan Han saying his family members had gone away, Zhou Yi’s attitude seemed to be softening:

“The child taking the Zhou surname – you agree, but won’t your mother and sister object?”

Yuan Han sighed, “They don’t know yet, do they? Now that they’ve gone back home, they won’t be coming back anytime soon. You’re going abroad too, and by the time you see them again, our daughter might be two or three years old. Even if they object then, it’ll be too late.”

His words were so considerate – that the perfect husband who always thought of Zhou Yi first and prioritized her feelings was back.

Though Zhou Yi still grumbled and spoke to Yuan Han with an attitude, she wasn’t as cold as before.

She even complained to Yuan Han about how difficult learning English was.

With the door half-closed, Jiang Hong listened from the kitchen, gritting her teeth – she wanted to send Zhou Yi away tomorrow, without giving this fool a single penny!

Yuan Han wanted to take this chance to persuade Zhou Yi to abandon her plans to go abroad. The matter of the Zhou family registering and naming the child made him uneasy.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but then he remembered this was Zhou family territory.

His mother-in-law, who never gave him a kind look, might be waiting to catch his mistakes. Yuan Han held Zhou Yi’s hand:

“Just think of it as working hard for me and our precious daughter. Come back quickly from your studies in America, and our family of three can be reunited. While you’re abroad, I’ll perform well at work, and try to get assigned housing early. When you return, our family of three can live together. You just need to go to work, I’ll take care of our daughter and do the housework. If we both do well, I can even hire a housekeeper for you… Small Yi, doesn’t that sound good?”

Zhou Yi’s expression was unnatural as she tried to pull her hand away, but Yuan Han held on too tightly.

After struggling a few times, she gave up.

Yuan Han was secretly pleased: all women were similar – they might say they were angry, but with some coaxing, they became submissive. Just as his mother said, Zhou Yi had married him and had his daughter, she was firmly bound and couldn’t escape.

The Zhou family wanted to separate him from Zhou Yi.

They’d have to get his agreement first.

Unless one day he no longer wanted to be with Zhou Yi…

He might not have fully grasped the deeper meanings in his leaders’ words, but when it came to handling women, Yuan Han believed he had the skills.

When it was time for dinner, Yuan Han didn’t stay to annoy Jiang Hong. After playing with his daughter briefly, he took his leave.

Seeing Zhou Yi’s softening attitude, Jiang Hong seethed with anger.

But she couldn’t show it.

Hadn’t she seemed quite clear-headed these past days?

They thought she had truly given up on Yuan Han.

Fortunately, they’d followed Zhou Wenbing’s advice and hadn’t rushed things – they knew this fool Zhou Yi would waver!

If they had prevented Yuan Han from showing his face, or forcibly separated the couple, as Zhou Yi’s anger gradually dissipated, she would blame her parents for breaking up true love… It was like dealing with a drunk – the more you try to help them stand, the drunker they get. Once Zhou Yi’s rebellious psychology kicked in, the more they tried to stop her, the more she would fight for her love against her parents.

Zhou Yi, despite losing her vital energy, hadn’t lost much weight with all the good food, but dealing with her had made Jiang Hong lose several jin.

Jiang Hong complained to Guan Hui’e, who pondered:

“Increasing Yuan Han’s workload is one thing. How about this – arrange for him to go on a long business trip. By the time he returns to Beijing, Zhou Yi will be abroad, naturally having no chance to sweet-talk her. Also, as Xiaolan suggested before, get Zhou Yi’s friends to visit her!”

Don’t find the honest, kind ones – they must be the ambitious, competitive type.

With Zhou Yi in postpartum confinement at home, only people like Tong Lili could conveniently visit.

Upon getting the news, Tong Lili arranged to visit Zhou Yi with two other friends.

Having postpartum confinement at one’s parent’s home was quite unusual. As soon as Tong Lili arrived, she provoked Zhou Yi by wearing a bright red dress. An unmarried young woman with a waist of only eighteen inches – while Zhou Yi, who had just given birth, had loose flesh around her belly and couldn’t even bathe in the hot weather, looking completely unkempt.

Tong Lili exclaimed in shock:

“Zhou Yi, how did you end up like this? Does a woman having a baby necessarily have to become so sloppy?”

Zhou Yi glared at her, “Don’t you know how to talk!”

“I’m just joking.”

Tong Lili and the others went to see the baby, who was sleeping soundly in a small bed in Zhou Yi’s room.

“Her mouth looks like Zhou Yi’s.”

Tong Lili poked the baby’s little face, and Zhou Yi shouted, “Be gentle! What if you hurt her?”

Hearing this, she finally showed some maternal instinct. Tong Lili pursed her lips: “Since I’m here, I’ll let you know – I’m getting married in August.”

The two friends who came along giggled, “Lili is so fortunate, her future husband is young and promising. At such a young age he’s already at the division level. I bet Lili will become a mayor’s wife.”

“What mayor’s wife? She’ll be a governor’s wife…”

Tong Lili’s face showed some pride.

Though she had regrets and wasn’t satisfied with her future husband – that was only in comparison to Zhou Cheng.

But the man the Tong family wanted her to marry was truly not bad. He had started working earlier than Tong Lili and was already a deputy division-level official, equivalent in rank to Zhou Cheng’s deputy brigade commander position. The administrative levels between the party-government system and Zhou Cheng’s system were different – the deputy division was slightly higher than the deputy brigade commander.

Of course, specific situations needed specific analysis, depending on the actual position and which had better prospects.

Compared to Zhou Cheng, it was hard to say who was better.

But compared to Yuan Han… he was leagues ahead.

Though they had come together to visit her, they were now flattering Tong Lili, making Zhou Yi quite unhappy.

To make matters worse, Tong Lili looked around and exclaimed, “Where’s Yuan Han? He was always at home taking care of you during pregnancy, but now during your postpartum period, where has he gone? Don’t envy me, if you want to praise someone, praise Zhou Yi’s man. He’s so attentive to his wife, I’ve only seen one like him – he even gave up his job for Zhou Yi!”

There was subtle mockery in Tong Lili’s tone.

A man without work, staying at home – could he even be called a man?

The other two friends sensed something unusual and awkwardly changed the subject.

Why mention men – Zhou Yi’s husband wasn’t even worth showing off.

She must have been blind – a perfectly good daughter from a prestigious compound, marrying a divorced man who lives off women. He couldn’t compare at all to Tong Lili’s future husband.

These two friends had already decided to remember Zhou Yi’s blindness well, using it as a warning to themselves.

Zhou Yi was almost driven mad with anger!

What was Tong Lili showing off about? When she was chasing after Zhou Cheng, did he ever pay attention to her?

Zhou Yi tried to convince herself this way, but after Tong Lili and the others left, she still brooded. When Yuan Han came again saying he had to go on a long business trip, Zhou Yi strongly agreed:

“Go ahead on your business trip. If you don’t perform well at work, I’ll be looked down upon too!”

What’s so special about being a deputy division chief?

If Yuan Han worked hard and her family helped a bit, what was a deputy division position worth anyway?