Chapter 295 - 293: Eldest Young Master of the Ping Family

Chapter 295: Chapter 293: Eldest Young Master of the Ping Family

Ping Jing stared at Zhou Lian, dumbfounded. ’Is this really the simple, kind, gentle, and intellectual Zhou Lian that Li Xiu always described?’ he wondered. ’This presence, this courage, this strategic foresight... she’s probably on par with my own strong, sharp, and capable wife!’

After a moment, Ping Jing stuttered, "S-Sister-in-law... um, you could have just given the order directly. Why did you need to do it in my name? Is... is there a particular reason for this?"

"Not really. It’s just that, Eldest Brother, I’m just a woman. It’s enough for me to support my husband and raise my children at home, to be a good wife and mother. These public matters are best left for you men to handle! Don’t you agree, Eldest Brother?" Zhou Lian said nonchalantly, looking at the eldest young master of the Ping Family with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

The moment she looked at him, Ping Jing felt as if it were Li Xiu staring at him with that wicked, unbridled gaze. His heart tightened, and he quickly nodded. "You’re right, Sister-in-law. I’ll follow up on this. You don’t have to worry!"

The Ping Family’s Eldest Young Madam shot her husband a sidelong glance and said bluntly, "Why don’t you go and get busy. We sisters have things to talk about!"

Ping Jing gave his wife an aggrieved look, but seeing the threat in her eyes, he could only nod meekly in agreement before opening the door and leaving.

After watching her husband leave and shut the door, the Eldest Young Madam turned to find both Liu Shengnan and Zhou Lian with indescribable expressions. She glared at them irritably. "What are those looks for?"

"It’s nothing, Eldest Sister-in-law," Liu Shengnan said teasingly, a gossipy look on her face. "Our eldest brother is really so obedient!"

Giving Liu Shengnan a resigned look, the Eldest Young Madam said nonchalantly, "Obedient? And is your Ping’an not obedient?"

"That’s not it... Oh, Eldest Sister-in-law!" Liu Shengnan whined, a little embarrassed.

Zhou Lian calmly watched the two sisters-in-law laugh and banter. ’I’d better stay out of this conversation,’ she thought. After all, Li Xiu was famous throughout their social circle for spoiling his wife rotten. ’If I dare to join in, I’ll be the next one they tease!’

"By the way, Shengnan," the Eldest Young Madam asked her younger sister-in-law softly, "has Ping’an ever mentioned our family’s Eldest Young Miss to you?"

After thinking for a moment, Liu Shengnan frowned. "He mentioned her once. But Ping’an said... he said," she glanced at Zhou Lian, then continued softly, "Ping’an said that if she starts any trouble, I should go find Sister and Brother-in-law!"

The Eldest Young Madam gave her sister-in-law a complicated look, then glanced at Zhou Lian. Zhou Lian simply raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly. The Eldest Young Madam couldn’t help but facepalm and sigh, saying bitterly to Zhou Lian, "You spoil those two so much. They’re not kids anymore; it’s time for them to grow up!"

"Eldest Sister-in-law, this has nothing to do with growing up," Zhou Lian said calmly, glancing at a guilty-looking Liu Shengnan. "There are some matters that Shengnan’s position makes it difficult for her to handle. Not to mention, she’s pregnant. As her older sisters, it’s right for us to protect her a bit, especially when it concerns that dramatic Eldest Young Miss!"

Hearing this, the two Ping sisters-in-law sighed in unison. What could they do? The Eldest Young Madam was in a better position, having grown up in the Ping Family. But Liu Shengnan was truly stuck. She had her parents-in-law to answer to, her eldest brother-in-law and his wife to consider, as well as her own husband. She couldn’t afford to be too soft or too harsh.

"What are you two sighing about?" Zhou Lian said with a resigned look. "If there’s a problem, let the men handle it. Since someone with the surname Ping caused the trouble, let someone with the surname Ping clean it up. Why are you two, who married into the family, worrying so much about it? Besides, you have Elder Ping and Aunt Zhou!"

’They’re both intelligent women. Why are they so conflicted over this?’ she mused. ’Whoever of them gets involved with the Eldest Young Miss’s affairs is bound to get dragged through the mud. Didn’t they see how I just pushed the Eldest Young Master forward to handle it? I sent Li Xiu and the children back to his hometown on purpose, precisely to keep him out of this. The human heart is the most unpredictable thing. I don’t even let him meddle in my own family’s business, so how could I let him get involved in the Ping Family’s domestic squabbles? Deploying an in-law of the Ping Family was a bad move from the start!’

’Sometimes, blood ties are the most inscrutable things. It’s best that Li Xiu stays out of it. It’s not that he doesn’t understand; the arrow was just already on the bowstring, and he had no other choice. In this move against the Eldest Young Miss’s in-laws, the Sun Family, how could I let Li Xiu do all the hard work only to be unappreciated and get dragged into the controversy!’

"Sister-in-law, you did it on purpose! You deliberately made Ping Jing take over!" After hearing Zhou Lian’s explanation, the Eldest Young Madam suddenly understood the subtext. Zhou Lian had intentionally sent Li Xiu back to his hometown to force Ping Jing to intervene!

Looking at the two Ping sisters-in-law, Zhou Lian suddenly broke into a wild, unrestrained smile. The wicked glint in her eyes was the spitting image of Li Xiu’s. She spoke unhurriedly, "Eldest Sister-in-law, Shengnan, you’re both intelligent, so I won’t hide it from you. I did send Jin Chen back to his hometown with the children on purpose. Some things can only be handled by you, the Ping Family members. It isn’t appropriate for him to get involved. It’s not that Jin Chen doesn’t understand, but his hands were tied. Ping’an is far away, and Eldest Brother tunes out everything beyond his own door. What was I to do?"

Zhou Lian glanced at them, then lowered her gaze. "He sees Ping’an as his own brother, as a confidant, and he sees all of you in the Ping Family as his own kin. But there are matters he cannot and should not interfere in. Eldest Brother has been listless for so many years. Now, for the sake of the Ping Family’s next generation, it’s time for him to rouse himself. Eldest Sister-in-law, you’re a remarkable woman; you must understand. Having come this far, none of us have a path of retreat. We can only forge ahead through the thorns."

"Eldest Sister-in-law, no one has the heart to force his hand. But has everyone forgotten? Back then, Eldest Brother was the most celebrated young master in the entire Capital City! How brilliant and full of life he was! Are you content with how he is now? Eldest Sister-in-law, can you really stand by and let him continue to be so dejected?"

With a deep sigh, the Eldest Young Madam said firmly, "You’re right, Sister-in-law. I am not content! Back then, Ping Jing was the great young master of the Ping Family, a man whose fame eclipsed the entire capital. It is time for him to emerge from this gloom!"

"Eldest Sister-in-law, I’ve arranged for Jin Chen to stay in his hometown a while longer. His grandmother is old, and it’s good for Nuonuo and Yanyan to spend more time with their great-grandmother," Zhou Lian said, looking nonchalantly at the Eldest Young Madam. "As for things here in the Capital City, I’m holding down the fort. I’d like to see who dares to make a move while Jin Chen is gone. But for matters outside, we’ll need Eldest Brother. If he’s truly reluctant, that’s fine too. Even without Jin Chen, I’m still here. I can handle it."

"Sister," Liu Shengnan asked in shock, "is the situation really so dire that if Eldest Brother doesn’t step up, you’ll have to personally make a public appearance?" Ever since she had returned to the Capital City, everyone had been intentionally shielding her, always downplaying matters so she could focus on her pregnancy without worry.

Zhou Lian smiled faintly. "It’s manageable. Jin Chen made all the arrangements before he left. It’s just that man proposes, and God disposes. Besides, you can never get rid of all the ghouls and goblins," she said. "As for the situation... Shengnan, you’re not a fool. You should understand the position the Ping Family, Elder Ping, and Ping’an are in. If we move forward, we’ll find a world of opportunity. If we retreat, we’ll fall into a bottomless abyss. The truth is, for a family that has reached the Ping Family’s status, the situation is always precarious."