Chiang Yun faced nothing but frustration in front of the three members of the Zhang Family, and on the way back, she began to scold Zhang Guohua.
"I'm really about to be driven mad by your parents and your sister."
"I never should have gone there."
Zhang Guohua was riding his motorcycle ahead, listening to Chiang Yun's grumbling dissatisfaction. In truth, he also wanted to say that he had originally insisted they not go to his family's home, but he couldn't withstand her insistence—they had to go. What could he do?
Now look what's happened, they hadn't gained any advantage, and she was taking her anger out on him. He really wanted to argue back, but he didn't dare.
"Your parents too, always talking about how good we are, but now when we need their help..."
"Just look at what they said. How is that helping us?"
"I'm truly infuriated."
"I really feel like you're just bearing the title of eldest son, but when there's any benefit to be had, you're left out."
Zhang Guohua pursed his lips and quietly drove on; since Chiang Yun was upset, he let her vent her feelings.
Chiang Yun muttered all the way home. Zhang Guohua had figured that by the time they got home, she would have stopped grumbling, but this time he had miscalculated.
Even after arriving home, Chiang Yun was still going on and on. What could he do?
Zhang Yi went out to eat with colleagues today. Hearing the noise from the living room, he came out and asked, "Mom, Dad, where have you been?"
"Where else? We went to your grandfather's house." Chiang Yun knew she couldn't get Zhang Guohua's agreement—she needed to bring Zhang Yi into this.
Zhang Yi hadn't expected such a situation, "If Xiao Yi doesn't get married, it's only natural that grandpa and grandma won't give her a house, and she shouldn't just ignore grandpa and grandma."
"It's very unfilial of her." Zhang Yi didn't think it was too much that the Zhang Family didn't include Zhang Yu when allotting the houses. Instead, he felt Zhang Yu was being unfilial.
"Exactly, she even said she might not have the time to come back to pack her things. Xiao Yi, you haven't seen how much stuff your grandparents have."
"You know I have work, and after coming home, I have to deal with cleaning up. I don't have the energy."
Of course, Zhang Yi sided with Chiang Yun. Regarding Zhang Yu, from Zhang Dagu to Zhang Hong, he always heard their complaints about her, saying how useless she was.
In the hearts of Zhang Yi and the other two children, they had no respect for Zhang Yu at all. They just saw her as an elder with no real capability.
Now knowing what Zhang Yu had done, he was really angry and picked up the phone to call her.
Seeing Zhang Yi reaching for the phone, Chiang Yun asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm calling Zhang Yu. I want to ask her how grandpa and grandma have wronged her, how she can neglect them."
Zhang Guohua, hearing Zhang Yi call out Zhang Yu's name, felt it was quite inappropriate, but he still didn't say anything, otherwise, he would have certainly been scolded by this mother-son duo.
The home phone started to ring—if Zhang Yu was at home, she would be the one to answer.
As soon as she picked up the phone, she heard from the other end: Zhang Yu?
Zhang Yu, recognizing the voice as somewhat familiar yet unable to recall who it was, hesitated: "Hello, this is Zhang Yu, who's this?"
Zhang Yi angrily blurted out, "This is Zhang Yi. How could you..."
Zhang Yi had been prepared with a lecture for Zhang Yu, but before he could get started, he heard a 'beep beep beep' from the other end of the line.
Zhang Yi couldn't help but be stunned, wondering what situation had caused the call to be disconnected suddenly.
Zhang Yu had not expected the call to be from Zhang Yi, and she knew that in the eyes of the Zhang Family, she was regarded as someone contemptible.
So now, they were suddenly addressing her by name directly. The original owner might have tolerated it, but why should she?
Could she still expect them to provide for her in old age? Unless she had money, but if she did, would she need them?
Just as she turned around and was about to leave, the phone started ringing again. She picked it up only to hear the person on the other end start cursing.
This time, she couldn't be bothered to hang up anymore, so she just placed the phone on the counter and went about her business, letting him vent if he so wished.
Zhang Yu went to take a shower, then washed the clothes she had changed out of, and hung them on the balcony to dry.
Once all of this was done, she went back to the phone to check if the call had ended.
Hearing the beeping tone, she happily hung up the phone.
Zhang Yu thought to herself, having already given Zhang Yi the cold shoulder twice, he shouldn't be looking for her again.
However, some things don't follow logic, and no sooner had she returned to her room than the phone rang again.
Reluctantly, she picked up the phone once more, intending to give Zhang Yi a piece of her mind.
But as soon as she answered, she heard Zhang Yi spewing insults again.
This version of Zhang Yi made Zhang Yu abandon the idea of educating him. She could tell that at this very moment, Zhang Guohua and his wife must be by Zhang Yi's side.
The fact that this brat had called her repeatedly and cursed with such enthusiasm proved that Zhang Guohua and his wife hadn't given him a bit of guidance.
If his parents hadn't thought to educate him properly, why should she, the lowest on the Zhang Family's totem pole, bother teaching the Family's eldest grandson?
This kid had really grown in height over the years, but as for his brain, he had hardly recharged it with much substance.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be working in a decent state-owned enterprise, thanks to Zhang Guohua and his wife's manipulation, where he could have become a small leader if he had followed the path laid out for him.
But this guy, with a good hand dealt to him, had managed to play it like trash. Despite having connections and support from behind, he had made no progress over more than a decade.
This was enough to show that Zhang Yi was a lost cause, so if that was the case, he might as well continue to be one.
Zhang Yu spoke out, "Keep on ranting if you want, but remember, your dad is the eldest son, your mom is the eldest daughter-in-law, and you are the eldest grandson."
Zhang Yu, "Since your parents never stop talking about this status, shouldn't they be the ones to shoulder more responsibility?"
Zhang Yu, "Don't just think about getting more of the family's assets without being willing to take on any responsibilities. I've given up on the Zhang Family's inheritance, or rather, there's never been any consideration of giving me any of it, so you can't keep expecting me to take on all the responsibilities."
Zhang Yu, "Parents are everyone's parents, so why do your parents have so many complaints about helping to clean up?"
Zhang Yu, "If you think your parents can't do all that work, and you're so filial, why don't you help out?"
Zhang Yu, "All day long you complain about this person's lack of filial piety and that person's, fine, if you're so filial, then step up; otherwise, don't go on and on about it."
Zhang Yu, "Alright, I'm hanging up now, and don't call again."
After saying that, Zhang Yu hung up the phone and then right away disconnected the phone line.
It was always about being verbally filial, but when it came to actually doing the work, they were all unwilling. And then they had the nerve to criticize others for their lack of filial piety. They were really spoiled.
Zhang Yu knew that hanging up this call must have infuriated Zhang Yi to no end, but what did it matter? Not everyone was obliged to indulge them.