“If you have complaints, bring them to me!”

Zhou Wengang spoke with such confidence.

Xia Xiaolan thought Zhou Wengang was impressive. That foolish Zhou Yi didn’t realize that even now, Zhou Wengang was still thinking of her welfare as a caring father. If he hadn’t made the Yuan family completely submissive and helped them understand their proper place, Zhou Yi’s future would be even more difficult.

This show of authority angered the Yuan family and Yuan Han’s neck flushed red.

Xia Xiaolan pulled out the chair beside her. “Sister Zhou Yi, please sit down. Uncle just ordered a bowl of bird’s nest soup for you, waiting for your arrival.”

As a pregnant woman, she deserved special treatment.

Zhou Yi gritted her teeth as she stared at Zhou Wengang, reluctant to accept this charity.

Yuan Han’s expression changed several times before he gently touched Zhou Yi. “Xiao Yi, quickly sit down. You were kneeling too long yesterday and felt unwell.”

The baby hadn’t been lost, thanks to the Zhou family’s years of nurturing Zhou Yi’s health.

Jiang Hong’s eye twitched. Zhou Yi sat beside Xia Xiaolan, but Jiang Hong couldn’t even bear to look at her.

Xia Xiaolan hadn’t lied – the waiter did bring bird’s nest soup.

Bird’s nest was more psychological comfort than anything else. Xia Xiaolan wasn’t sure about its actual nutritional benefits – any food needed long-term consumption to show effects, not just one or two meals.

But this bowl of bird’s nest soup showed Zhou Wengang’s care for Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi’s eyes reddened. Her father still cared for her – why did he have to make things difficult for Yuan Han?

Yuan Han would become the Zhou family’s son-in-law, so why couldn’t they just politely complete the marriage procedures?

Yuan’s eldest sister spoke first, “Mom, little brother, please sit down. Today is important – we’re here to discuss the marriage.”

Once the marriage was settled, they could deal with other matters slowly.

After all, Zhou Wengang and Jiang Hong only had one daughter. By holding onto Zhou Yi, once the child was born, the Zhou family would eventually have to bow their heads. The Zhou family agreeing to the marriage was already a concession – couldn’t they allow the other party to feel some anger?

For a high-ranking official to act this way, Yuan’s eldest sister thought Zhou Wengang was quite useless.

They had walked 99 steps, and just as they were about to complete the hundredth step, they couldn’t fail at the final moment.

Yuan’s eldest sister tried to smooth things over, with her two sisters joining in. The Yuan family talked among themselves, giving themselves a way to save face.

That they could endure such humiliation made Xia Xiaolan view them differently… They must have big plans! The whole family was calculating and thick-skinned – no wonder they could fool Zhou Yi so completely.

But this was just the first time – there would be many more to come.

Bowing once made it easier to bow again. Xia Xiaolan found the scene quite ridiculous.

Yuan Mother sat down heavily, immediately addressing them as in-laws.

“In-law, the children truly love each other. We should properly discuss their marriage arrangements. When Zhou Yi marries into our family, we’ll treat her well, but… about Yuan Han’s work situation, how should we resolve that?”

Yuan Mother’s implication was clear – without work, Yuan Han couldn’t provide well for Zhou Yi.

Yuan Han’s career had been tumultuous. From a small town, he had attached himself to a powerful patron and been transferred to Beijing. But after angering his patron, he had been sidelined.

Zhou Wengang then sent him back to his hometown.

When Zhou Yi eloped to find him, Yuan Han had taken her to hide in a remote village until Zhou Yi became pregnant – only then did they dare show themselves.

After being absent from work for so many days, his original workplace had already fired him. Now he was truly unemployed.

Zhou Wengang completely ignored Yuan Mother’s words.

Though Jiang Hong was listless, Guan E’e wasn’t one to be trifled with:

“How do you plan to treat Zhou Yi well? Where is the marital home? Have you prepared new furniture and appliances? We’re not selling our daughter to buy a daughter-in-law like in the countryside – we don’t need bride price money, but the basic four major appliances must be provided.”

Yuan Mother looked at Guan E’e, seemingly unclear about her position.

But Guan E’e looked at Zhou Yi, “Zhou Yi, does your Second Aunt have the right to manage your affairs?”

Zhou Yi had barely touched her bird’s nest soup. She couldn’t find fault with Guan E’e’s words. After all, among Zhou Yi’s circle of friends who had married, none had worried about such things. Marriage naturally came with new houses, new furniture, and appliances.

No one used second-hand items for marriage.

No one is worried about wedding houses.

Because none of Zhou Yi’s friends would marry a man without formal employment.

Men with proper jobs, when reaching marriageable age, would have been allocated housing.

If they hadn’t been allocated housing, it meant either the man’s family conditions were too poor to help their son, or the man himself was incompetent, dispensable at his workplace.

Zhou Yi had grown up in such an environment. Hearing Guan E’e’s question, she nodded:

“Second Aunt, of course, you have the right. You’re concerned about me.”

Zhou Yi was quite happy hearing these discussions about marriage homes and furniture – it proved her family was seriously discussing marriage with the Yuan family.

But Yuan Mother’s face darkened.

A new house?

And the four major appliances?

Where would the Yuan family get all these things?

Yuan Han smiled bitterly: “Second Aunt, we’ll try our best with the appliances and furniture, but about the marriage home… the work unit has taken back my Beijing dormitory. I can only rent a place. Xiao Yi will suffer following me!”

Xia Xiaolan muttered, “Renting? Wouldn’t that lower Sister Zhou Yi’s living standards?”

Yuan Han became increasingly uncomfortable.

Yuan Mother looked at the alluring Xia Xiaolan with distaste. “You look unfamiliar. You call Zhou Yi ‘sister,’ but when adults are discussing marriage matters, what right do you have to speak? A well-bred young lady wouldn’t casually interrupt…”

Xia Xiaolan knew the Zhou family’s attitude and couldn’t be bothered to save face for the Yuan family:

“Well-bred people wouldn’t teach their son to trick a girl into eloping. Wouldn’t you agree, Aunt Yuan?”

When it came to sharp tongues, few could match Xia Xiaolan. Even Jiang Hong found satisfaction in Xia Xiaolan’s pointed words – the more uncomfortable the Yuan family felt, the happier Jiang Hong became.

Yuan Mother choked on her words. Zhou Wengang smiled coldly:

“The Yuan family treasures their son, but our Zhou family values our sons even more. This is my nephew’s wife – future family connections will be decided by my nephew’s wife.”

Of course, this wasn’t true.

The Zhou family wasn’t so patriarchal, and by the time Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng became heads of the household, Zhou Wengang and Zhou Guobin’s generation would be retired.

Zhou Wengang was trying to irritate the Yuan family, and they believed it!

Yuan Mother carefully examined Xia Xiaolan – she was indeed beautiful in her alluring way, no wonder she had Zhou Yi’s cousin completely besotted.

Yuan Mother was quite resentful – this was like the pot calling the kettle black. She’d heard Xia Xiaolan’s family was even worse off than the Yuan family. At least the Yuan family had urban household registration – Yuan Han had said Xia Xiaolan was just a country girl!

“In-law, children’s marriage depends on their mutual feelings. Once we’ve rented a place, get the appliances, and Zhou Yi’s pregnancy…”

Zhou Wengang sneered. This was what happened when you raised an incompetent daughter – she deserved to be threatened.

Fortunately, Zhou Wengang wasn’t afraid of threats:

“Don’t trouble yourself about that. Get everything ready before getting the marriage certificate. We’re not short of food for Zhou Yi – before marriage, she’ll stay at her parents’ home, waiting for the Yuan family to come get her!”