Free Web NovelChapter 643: Chapter 641: As Long as It’s Female
Zhou Zhenhui glanced at Gu Jiaojiao’s stomach. ’What if I found a woman with good character and got married?’
’Then we could have a big, healthy son, and he could protect his goddaughter in the future. That wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.’
Besides, it would give him a way to answer to his grandfather and the Zhou family. After all, they had poured so much effort and heart into his marriage prospects over the years.
He kept putting off marriage, while his grandfather and parents were constantly trying to find a match for him.
Although he didn’t see anything wrong with staying single, his mother was worried sick.
If he found a wife he was happy with, his grandfather and parents would be overjoyed.
Having come to a decision, he smiled and said, "My grandfather and mother happen to have a lot of photos of young ladies from high-society families. Do you two want to help me pick one out?"
"Us?" Su Shuochi pointed to his own nose and asked in disbelief, "Aren’t you afraid we’d try to mess with you and deliberately pick out a shrew?"
"I might not trust anyone else, but I have one hundred percent faith in you two."
"Boss Zhou, are you serious? You really plan on getting married?" Gu Jiaojiao asked in surprise.
"I really am thinking about getting married. To be more precise, I want to have a son. Anyway, you’ve already canceled your flights, so you might as well stay and enjoy Hong Kong City for a while longer. You can head back after I’m married."
Zhou Zhenhui enthusiastically invited the couple to stay for an extended visit.
"Alright then. My wife needs to rest for a few days in Hong Kong City for the pregnancy anyway. We didn’t know we were going to be parents before this. As long as Boss Zhou trusts us, we don’t mind helping you choose."
Su Shuochi’s words were eloquent, but he wasn’t actually planning to stay just to help Zhou Zhenhui pick out some wife or other.
He wanted to buy some baby supplies in Hong Kong City; besides, his wife had her spatial storage to put them in.
"I’m not really worried about that. Some people just love to pull anyone high and mighty off their pedestal and trample them underfoot.
It gives them a sense of psychological satisfaction and emotional relief, a feeling that can be even more gratifying than their own success.
But not you two. I know you wouldn’t be bothered if I ended up doing better than you."
Seeing that Su Shuochi really intended to stay and help him choose a wife, Zhou Zhenhui was happy from the bottom of his heart.
He was incredibly envious of Su Shuochi’s good taste; his wife was a truly one-of-a-kind woman.
Su Shuochi could tell what Zhou Zhenhui was thinking just from his expression. ’If he knew my wife was actually forced on me...’
’...I wonder what he would think.’ With a broad smile, he said, "Haha... I’m honored by your trust, Boss Zhou.
I am truly grateful. And regardless of what others might think, you were absolutely right about one thing.
Most people’s misery doesn’t stem from their own mediocrity or poverty, but from the immense pain of seeing others succeed more than they have."
"Yes, Mr. Su, you’re absolutely right. We all have a kind of self-preservation mechanism for our ego.
It’s an innate instinct. The moment we encounter someone from the outside world who is unexpectedly more outstanding than we are, we feel a sense of panic and confusion.
That’s when the self-preservation mechanism kicks in, and our brains start gathering any and all clues to prove that the other person’s success was just a fluke.
We tell ourselves that if we had the same opportunities, we’d have done even better.
It’s just like back in school, when we loved to gossip that the good students were all bookworms and the pretty girls were often clueless.
Then we grow up, and it becomes, ’My colleague only got promoted because they’re so good at sucking up to the boss.’
Or, ’My classmate’s startup only succeeded because their family gave them a ton of financial support.’"
"I never would have thought someone as open-minded as you would think that way, Boss Zhou," Gu Jiaojiao teased.
The group chatted and laughed as they ate, but no one was happier than Zhou Zhenhui’s two assistants.
They had been hoping day and night for their boss to get married and have children. They saw how anxious Mr. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou were and felt just as anxious on their behalf.
But they never dreamed that a few words from Mr. Su could sway their boss’s rock-solid conviction.
Although the Zhou family came from a small workshop, that was already decades ago. For the past ten-odd years, they had been advancing by leaps and bounds.
The Zhou family’s companies, large and small, sprang up like mushrooms after a spring rain. Especially with the help of Mr. Su and his wife in the last two years, the Zhou family was now considered the wealthiest family in Hong Kong City.
Zhou Zhenhui’s reputation far surpassed that of his grandfather, Mr. Zhou. Most people in Hong Kong City knew of Zhou Zhenhui, but not of Mr. Zhou.
Zhou Zhenhui was now a pivotal figure in the business world, but he kept a relatively low profile.
They rarely participated in politics, but whenever financial aid was needed for a cause, the Zhou family was never stingy.
As a result, they posed little threat to the circles of the powerful elite. It was just that the elder Mr. Zhou’s health was not very good.
He was old and had stomach problems, so he couldn’t handle too much excitement; most of his activities were arranged to be at home.
Madam Zhou, however, was in good health. She was also a very distinguished pediatrician.
She knew many people, and whenever she heard of an unmarried girl in a family, she would want to meet her. If they hit it off, she’d wish she could just whisk the girl home to be her daughter-in-law.
When Zhou Zhenhui invited Su Shuochi and his wife to the Zhou family home, both the elder Mr. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou were extremely welcoming.
Even though they had all eaten together a few days ago, after which they had wanted to invite the impressive couple to their home.
But Su Shuochi had said they were going home, so now that he saw the couple, the elder Mr. Zhou didn’t ask for a reason.
"Grandpa, Dad, Mom, I invited Mr. Su and his wife to be our guests because I want them to stay for my wedding."
Hearing his grandson say this, the elder Mr. Zhou immediately frowned. "Xiao Hui, what did you say?"
"Dad, Xiao Hui said ’his wedding.’ Don’t tell me you can’t even hear that one word clearly?" Mr. Zhou asked bluntly.
"Get lost! I’m not deaf, I was just confirming with Xiao Hui."
"Grandpa, it was all my fault before. I’m sorry for making you worry," Zhou Zhenhui immediately admitted.
In the past, whenever he was pressured about marriage, he would just apologize profusely until the matter fizzled out anticlimactically.
"My dear grandson, you’re a grown man now. You should understand the great responsibility you carry for the Zhou family," the elder Mr. Zhou advised earnestly.
Zhou Zhenhui nodded. "I know, Grandpa. That’s why I’m asking all of you to help me find a match. I want to invite Mr. Su and his wife to my wedding."
The elder Mr. Zhou said happily, "Our Zhou family doesn’t need a granddaughter-in-law from a family of equal standing.
We don’t need a granddaughter-in-law who can manage the business. All our family wants is a kind and virtuous woman.
Your parents and I are old now, and we don’t want to worry about too much. We just hope you can marry a girl you like and live a happy life."
Hearing the elder Mr. Zhou’s words, Gu Jiaojiao glanced at Zhou Zhenhui and gave a wicked laugh.
She could read the subtext in the elder Mr. Zhou’s tone: ’As long as she’s a female of the species, she’ll do.’
