Zhang Yu had just finished these tasks when she saw Pan Juan, clad in pajamas, looking at her with a face full of surprise.
Alright, she knew that the words she had just spoken must have been overheard by the old lady, but she was not at all panicked.
"Mom, didn't you rest?"
Pan Juan looked at Zhang Yu, who was smiling in front of her, and then thought back to what she had said into the microphone just moments earlier; it truly felt like she was dealing with a completely different person.
Pan Juan took a deep breath, "Who were you just talking on the phone with?"
Zhang Yu knew that the other party probably had some idea, but was just unsure, "It was Zhang Yi."
"He calls me Zhang Yu directly, with no regard for me as an elder."
"And don't say that he's still a child. He's already working and earning money, already a member of society—where is he still a child?"
Zhang Yu knew that Zhang Dagu and his wife always excused Zhang Yi and the others' thoughtless behavior by saying they were just children and asking her to be patient with them.
This time, she completely cut off any chance for someone to try to make excuses for Zhang Yi.
Pan Juan was so blocked by Zhang Yu's words that she wanted to explain, but didn't know how, because she had indeed always called Zhang Yi a child and asked her to make allowances.
"I also said that if he thinks his mother is too tired to do these things and can't manage them, then it's very simple—let him do it."
"After all, I am someone who doesn't take any part of the Zhang family's property, so they can't shove all the responsibility onto me."
"Parents are everyone's parents; everyone should pitch in."
"It can't be that everything falls on me, everyone is used to me doing it, and if one day I throw my hands up and stop, then it's my fault, that I'm unfilial."
"Originally, I didn't want to speak up, but now, according to Zhang Yi, it seems it's my fault."
"I think I need to let everyone know that taking care of parents isn't my duty, it's everyone's duty."
"I used to think that my contributions to the family would be remembered by everyone, but now I realize no one remembers, and everyone just sees me as useless."
"Someone whose career hasn't succeeded and still needs to be taken care of by their parents."
"Actually, Mom." Zhang Yu looked up at Pan Juan, "Who really is taking care of whom?"
Pan Juan never expected that right before leaving, Zhang Yu would actually raise her voice and express her grievances; how was she supposed to respond?
Pan Juan hung her head, not daring to look at Zhang Yu, who also knew not to expect any response from her.
"Dad's right, when my brothers were my age, their careers were almost settled."
"I can't end up with nothing in the family and a career that's worthless."
"I can't be left without support in my old age." Zhang Yu stressed the last four words.
Pan Juan, upon hearing these words, became anxious immediately, "Why would you be left without support in your old age? Don't you still have nephews and nieces, and outside nephews?"
"Zhang Yi and the others?" Zhang Yu let out a cold laugh, "Mom, do you think that with their contempt for me, they will take care of me when I grow old?"
"Do you think my brothers will instruct Zhang Yi and the rest to take good care of me?"
Zhang Yu didn't want to listen to Pan Juan's excuses again, "Mom, I'm not stupid. I didn't speak up before not because I didn't know, but what difference would it have made even if I did?"
"But now I know, in the end, I can only rely on myself."
"I need to work hard to make money, to strive for a place in a high-end retirement home in the future."
"Mom, it's getting late. You should rest early too. Don't think too much about it."
"My sister-in-law and the rest may have their opinions about me, but I know they won't refuse to help you pack up."
After all, Zhang Guohua's family of three was still hoping for the house owned by the elderly couple, they wouldn't fail to make an effort.
"What about you?" Pan Juan looked at Zhang Yu with expectation.
"I'll definitely come back to tidy up, but I'll also be following what my sister-in-law and the others do," Zhang Yu said.
"After all, they go to work, and I go to work too. In the future, you and my sister-in-law will be the ones going through things together. I'll of course need to ask you before I know how to arrange everything."
"By the way, Mom and Dad, when I come back to sort things out, don't wait for me to cook for a crowd."
"And when I tidy up the kitchen and stuff, I'm a guest after all."
"Mom, you always say that if you're a guest, you don't need to do any chores," Zhang Yu reminded her.
Zhang Yu felt she needed to relax as much as possible, because when she would come back in the future, she would indeed be a guest.
"A guest?" Pan Juan hadn't expected Zhang Yu to describe her status in the Zhang family with such a term, she was truly stunned.
"You, how can you be a guest, you are not a guest at all," Pan Juan said, truly flustered. "What about when you come back, when you resume your position?"
"I don't know how many years I'll work away from home," Zhang Yu said helplessly. "Those who went to work at the subsidiary before, they are still there to this day."
"I haven't seen any signs of them being transferred back."
"Or maybe there are just too many people at the head office. My vacant spot could be filled by someone else soon."
Zhang Yu knew a colleague who had been at the subsidiary company for five or six years had finally returned to work here.
Even though it wasn't a position at the head office but rather at a newly established subsidiary, it was still the prestigious role of a finance director.
Even if both roles were that of a finance director, the so-called finance director at the subsidiary away from home was more like a figurehead.
But the finance director of a newly established subsidiary, that was a position with real authority and responsibility.
Yet it was unknown whether that colleague's job transfer was a normal job move or if it was due to someone's influence behind the scenes.
So Zhang Yu didn't really know the path that colleague had taken. But it didn't matter, being able to transfer back home was a good option.
Staying at the subsidiary abroad was also a good choice, especially with the substantial allowance provided for being stationed there. Wasn't it nice to be a figurehead?
Pan Juan was still immersed in the news that Zhang Yu might not come back after this assignment.
She and her husband had been considering discussing not to arrange the house issue yet, waiting for Zhang Yu to come back and then offering it to her to continue taking care of things.
But they also planned to leave a will stating that after they were gone, the house would go to Zhang Yi, since he was the grandson of the Zhang family.
However, they hadn't expected that Zhang Yu might stay away for many years. In that case, could they still rely on this daughter?
If they couldn't rely on her, Pan Juan's expression changed dramatically, "If you can't take care of us, then you should know about the house..."
"I won't want it," Zhang Yu interrupted.
"After all, there are grandsons, granddaughters, and grandchildren from outside the family all eyeing it."
Zhang Yu implied that there was no need for Pan Juan and her husband to mention leaving the house to her, because she wouldn't care about it at all.
Zhang Yu's anxious haste to distance herself still hurt Pan Juan deeply.
"You, you should know, if you don't have a house in your name, what will you do when you're old?" Pan Juan still wanted to make another effort.
Regarding this issue, Zhang Yu indicated she wasn't worried at all, "As for me, I'll consider it, Mom, don't worry about it."
As for buying a house, she wouldn't speak of it, otherwise she knew too many people would be interested.