latelenovela Chapter 210 The Zhou Family's Conflict Erupts
Chapter 210 The Zhou Family's Conflict Erupts
210 The conflict within the Zhou family erupts
Nevertheless, as a mother, she still doted on Zhou Junhao, but sometimes she really felt powerless and didn't know how to discipline this troublesome child.
She certainly treated her daughter well, but the deep-seated and ingrained patriarchal mindset continued to influence her.
When faced with her son and daughter, the scales in her heart always involuntarily tipped towards her son, and even a well-behaved and sensible daughter like Chu Qingqing could not change this situation.
When family interests are involved, the situation becomes even more complicated.
Because Chu Qingqing could bring tangible benefits to the Zhou family, Zhou's mother naturally gave her more affection.
However, for Chu Jiuyue, her biological daughter, fate seemed destined to be full of hardships from the very beginning.
Since she returned home, Zhou's mother has not shown the expected enthusiasm and care.
Despite the strong bond of blood, the estrangement that arose from not having lived together for a long time made the emotional connection between mother and daughter exceptionally fragile.
In addition, Zhou's mother's contempt for her daughter and her dissatisfaction with her inability to bring direct benefits to the family led her to become increasingly indifferent to Chu Jiuyue.
It could even be said that, in Zhou's mother's eyes, Chu Jiuyue's only value lay in whether she could bring benefits to the Zhou family.
At this moment, Zhou's mother suddenly remembered Chu Jiuyue. Since her marriage, Chu Jiuyue seemed to have vanished into thin air and completely lost contact with her family.
She didn't even show up on the traditional day of returning to her parents' home.
Although the Zhou family had never really welcomed Chu Jiuyue, the fact that she was being completely ignored and disregarded by her still made Zhou's mother feel awkward and a sense of indescribable loss.
Despite her deep loathing for Chu Jiuyue and her utter contempt for her biological daughter, she couldn't bear to see her respond with such coldness.
She could ignore Chu Jiuyue as if she were air, but Chu Jiuyue absolutely could not treat her with such contempt; this obvious double standard was simply unacceptable.
"You need to be careful! These days, countless eyes are watching our family. We don't want to cause any trouble. Your father and older brother work so hard every day; as their son and younger brother, you should think more about them..."
Hearing his mother's daily, unoriginal lecturing and scolding, Zhou Junhao felt a surge of annoyance.
In truth, he knew very well that among his many brothers, he was the one his mother disliked the most.
Because he was not as outstanding as his other brothers, his mother looked down on him so much, which made Zhou Junhao feel quite bad and his mood became increasingly depressed.
For some reason, at this moment, those unpleasant times from the past suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Whenever he was in a bad mood, Chu Jiuyue would always be there for him, patiently comforting and soothing him. She would even go to great lengths to prepare a delicious meal to comfort his wounded heart.
At that time, he felt extremely irritated and annoyed every time he saw Chu Jiuyue.
Just seeing her face makes my head ache unbearably, as if it's about to explode.
However, for some reason, at this moment, those images that had long been buried deep in his memory suddenly surged into his mind uncontrollably, causing Zhou Junhao to be startled and his gaze to become somewhat dazed.
Just then, Zhou Junhao's mother, who had been watching him closely, saw him so distracted, and her anger flared up instantly, burning even more fiercely.
Her angry gaze was fixed on Zhou Junhao, as if she wanted to pierce him with her eyes, revealing a sense of disappointment and frustration.
Faced with his mother's sharp gaze, Zhou Junhao could no longer suppress his anger and it all erupted at once.
He suddenly stood up and shouted at Zhou's mother, "If you really look down on me so much, then just pretend I was never born! Anyway, I'm a good-for-nothing who only gets in your way!"
Hearing this, Zhou's mother trembled with anger, and her voice involuntarily rose eight octaves: "How could you say such nonsense? You are my own flesh and blood! When have I ever said I looked down on you? As your mother, I have worked so hard to raise you, and this is the kind of attitude I get in return?"
And look at your younger brother. He's so much younger than you, yet he's doing incredibly well at his job. I told you to try that job, but you wouldn't listen, insisting you couldn't do it. And look what happened? Now your brother is doing so well there, while you're...”
Thinking of this, Zhou's mother couldn't help but feel a surge of dissatisfaction, and her attitude towards her third son was far from pleasant.
Back then, she went to great lengths to get that job for her third son, pulling strings everywhere, giving gifts and pleading for him, and finally managed to get it for him.
But who would have thought that the ungrateful third brother would insist that the job was not suitable for him at all!
It was so close! Because of his willful and reckless behavior, this hard-won job opportunity was about to fall into someone else's hands.
Fortunately, at the last moment, the fourth son proved himself and used his own excellent skills to defeat him; otherwise, Zhou's mother would probably still regret it to this day.
The thought of her son, Zhou Junxing, immediately filled Zhou's mother with a sense of relief and satisfaction.
This child has been well-behaved and sensible since childhood, never causing any trouble.
Now that he has started working, he has become even more outstanding, demonstrating exceptional performance in both professional skills and interpersonal relationships.
Whenever she heard others praising Zhou Junxing, Zhou's mother felt proud and filled with pride as a mother.
Looking at her eldest son, Zhou Junhao, Zhou's mother couldn't help but sigh, her face full of disappointment and helplessness.
This child is stubborn and unruly by nature, spending his days idly and without any ambition, which is really a headache for parents.
She so hoped that Zhou Junhao could learn from his younger brother Zhou Junxing, become more diligent and hardworking, and achieve something great as soon as possible, so as to bring honor to the family.
Instead of being like this now, doing nothing all day but causing trouble, making her worry about him all the time.
Deep down, Zhou's mother was filled with contradictions and inner turmoil.
On the one hand, she longed for a harmonious and happy family; on the other hand, she earnestly hoped that each of her children would have a smooth and successful life. Unfortunately, reality often does not develop as people expect.
The children's growth process is destined to be full of countless twists and turns and hardships, which makes Zhou's mother unable to completely let go of her worries.
Zhou's mother sat on the sofa in the living room, her brows furrowed, lost in deep thought.
Reflecting on her approach to educating the children over the years, she couldn't help but ask herself: "Have I truly been fair and just? Have I truly understood the inner world of each child?"
As she pondered the matter more deeply, Zhou's mother gradually realized that, as a mother, simply providing her children with material comforts was far from enough.
She should have enough patience to listen to their voices, embrace their mistakes with a warm hug, and inspire them with sincere encouragement to move forward.
However, in the past, she often chose to blame and criticize her children when they made mistakes, never trying to put herself in their shoes.
Even though Zhou's mother knew all this, her vanity and arrogance prevented her from apologizing to her child. In her mind, even if she did it as a parent, it was impossible for her to apologize to her juniors; it was simply unthinkable.
Just then, his son, Zhou Junhao, came out of the room with a nonchalant expression on his face.
Seeing her son's attitude, Zhou's mother felt a surge of anger.
"What's your attitude?"
Zhou's mother shouted angrily, her eyes flashing with displeasure. She felt as if she had been greatly offended.
This discomfort intensified, especially when she noticed the faint, mocking smile on her son's lips.
Faced with his mother's questioning, Zhou Junhao showed no sign of backing down.
He raised his head, looked directly into his mother's eyes, and coldly replied, "Mom, what attitude do you think I should have? In this family, nothing I do can satisfy you. In that case, what kind of attitude should I adopt to win your favor?"
After saying that, he turned around and slammed the door shut, leaving Zhou's mother standing there blankly, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
"stop."
Seeing Zhou Junhao about to leave again, Zhou's mother felt a surge of anger and disappointment. She truly felt powerless when it came to this son.
"Mom, you get annoyed just seeing me, can't I just leave?"
In fact, despite Zhou Junhao's arrogant and conceited demeanor, deep down he felt equally heartbroken towards his mother.
For years, he longed for his mother's approval and love, but each time he was met with only endless criticism and fault-finding.
Gradually, he learned to use indifference and rebellion to disguise his already wounded heart.
In fact, a long time ago, Zhou Junhao also desperately wanted to gain his parents' approval and praise; however, reality was cruel and chilling. All he ever received was his mother's endless disdain, contempt, and constant suppression.
Day after day, this treatment caused Zhou Junhao to completely lose hope in his mother, and his disappointment had long since seeped into his bones.
Gradually, he learned to use everything he showed on the outside to conceal his true thoughts.
As for why he kept bullying Chu Jiuyue, the reason stemmed from the irreparable resentment and regret deep in his heart.
It is unclear when Zhou Junhao began to develop a distorted idea: it seems that only by witnessing others fall into pain and despair can he find some solace for his wounded soul.
Although he was fully aware that his mental state was somewhat pathological, he had no intention of correcting it.
After all, for Zhou Junhao, the pleasure he derived from watching others suffer was so intense that it was almost irresistible.
And this is exactly what he deeply experienced with Chu Jiuyue—whenever he saw the other's face contorted with pain, an indescribable sense of pleasure would involuntarily well up in his heart.
The pleasure he felt from witnessing the suffering of others made Zhou Junhao realize that he hadn't seen Chu Jiuyue for a while, which made him miss her involuntarily. He longed to see her looking both wronged and forced to submit, and even to see her obey him in order to gain his pity.
This feeling made him recall the past, those moments that had once brought him satisfaction, those times he had enjoyed the humility and subservience of others in his presence.
“Mom, if you think I’m so awful, wouldn’t it be better to just pretend I don’t exist? That way you won’t have to be bothered by seeing me.” His tone was sarcastic, as if he were questioning why his mother couldn’t accept his true self.
Zhou Junhao had long been used to his mother's dislike for him. At first, he may have felt resentful and didn't understand why he, as a son, was being treated so unfairly.
But as time went on, he gradually came to understand the coldness and selfishness inherent in the Zhou family.
He began to accept it all, no longer seeking his mother's approval, and instead learned how to survive in this family.
He never denied his selfishness and self-interest. His only true friend, his sister, was heartbroken and utterly disillusioned with the Zhou family after learning the truth.
His sister's disappointment made him feel a little guilty, but he knew that he had to keep going in order to survive.
However, he also knew that he still needed the Zhou family's protection, so he always acted incompetent while secretly seeking more benefits for himself.
He concealed his brilliance, waiting for the right opportunity, waiting for the day when he could truly spread his wings and soar.
"You—" Zhou Junhao hesitated, wanting to say so much to his mother, but ultimately chose to remain silent.
Following her eldest daughter, Zhou's mother once again sensed her youngest daughter's dissatisfaction, which chilled her to the bone. She began to doubt whether her parenting methods were truly flawed.
Although she was disappointed in her third son, she cared for him far more than she did for her eldest daughter, though she criticized him more often.
Seeing her son's resentment and lack of understanding now fills her with immense heartache and sorrow.
She began to reflect on whether she had too high expectations for her children, to the point that she had ignored their inner feelings.
“Third son, I’ve always been disappointed in you, but I’ve never thought of giving up on you. My attitude all along has made you mistakenly think that I, as your mother, dislike you. I admit that I’ve been somewhat negligent as a mother, but ask yourself honestly, over the years, have I treated you badly? Whatever you wanted, haven’t I tried my best to get it for you? As a mother, I have a feeling of disappointment, but you’ve misunderstood me like this…” Zhou’s mother tried to explain, trying to make her son understand her good intentions.
"Have you ever truly repaid the love and care I, as your mother, have for you?" Her words were filled with helplessness and expectation, hoping that her son could understand her good intentions.
Looking at her son, Zhou's mother couldn't help but feel heartbroken.
After all, she genuinely cared for her sons and truly wanted what was best for them.
Although her third child always caused her worry, she also devoted even more effort to him.
Now that she is being misunderstood and misunderstood by her child, how could she not feel sad? She is filled with contradictions and struggles, not knowing what to do.
Smile bitterly.
She didn't know what else she could do, and could only face it all with a bitter smile.
It feels like karma.
She began to wonder if all of this was retribution for her past actions.