My family tree hollow connects to the modern era : Chapter 8

While Bai Zhizhi was eating and drinking with complete focus, Zhou Yan’s father Zhou Jiming rushed back, and with him came his younger daughter Zhou Jing.

Ever since Zhou Yan had his incident, all company matters had fallen onto Zhou father’s shoulders. Although he hadn’t retired yet, he had already handed most matters over to his son. Now with his son in trouble, he had to take care of the family while also being busy with the company.

Zhou Jing then proposed to temporarily help her brother, and hand things back to him once he recovered, so that too many accumulated matters wouldn’t pile up and prevent her brother from resting properly.

Their family’s relationship had always been close and harmonious. Zhou Yan was very good to his sister, and Zhou Jing was also very close to her brother. When she proposed to help like this, the family didn’t think she had any ulterior motives. They only felt she was looking out for her brother.

Jiang Lin carefully observed the facial features and energy fields of Zhou Jiming and Zhou Jing. He didn’t cultivate the Celestial Master path, but as a cultivator, his senses were naturally stronger to begin with. Many things were interconnected, and one glance could distinguish many things.

However, he didn’t see any problems on Zhou Jiming and Zhou Jing. The energy fields on their bodies were very ordinary and normal, with no yin energy and no killing aura.

After Zhou Jiming returned, he apologized repeatedly. “Sorry, there were a few more things at the company and I was busy until now to come back. I have been a poor host.”

Jiang Lin said it was fine. After Zhou Jiming sat down, he asked, “I think the masters you invited before must have asked similar questions many times. If you don’t mind, please go over it in detail again. Regarding Zhou Yan’s daily life, his romantic relationships, and his career, has he offended anyone, or does your family have any hereditary feuds?”

Zhou Jiming said, “In business you always have one or two competitors. These are all very normal competitive relationships. I don’t think anyone would go so far as to harm him like this in secret. As for romance, my son used to have a girlfriend abroad, but they broke up peacefully with no disputes. After returning to the country he hasn’t dated anyone, nor has he provoked anyone.” Beside him, Lu Qinghe handed several documents to Jiang Lin. “These are our Zhou family’s partners as well as competitors. Our family has always emphasized doing solid business and making money through harmony. We rarely have conflicts or disputes with others. The masters before have also looked at these people and didn’t discover any problems from them.”

Jiang Lin flipped through the documents. They were all locally somewhat well known entrepreneurs. Jiang Lin had also had some contact with a few of them, and they indeed weren’t the type to harm someone’s life over a little business.

Jiang Lin put the documents to the side, then turned to look at Zhou Jing. “Miss Zhou, regarding your brother, do you have anything you would like to say?”

Zhou Jing was startled. Seeing both parents looking at her, she couldn’t help but say, “What does Mr. Jiang mean by this? Could it be that you think my brother is like this now because of me?”

Jiang Lin shook his head. “I didn’t say that. I only observe that your facial features carry some pent up gloom that is hard to release. Some things are better spoken clearly at this opportunity, to avoid brewing greater disaster in the future.”

Bai Zhizhi looked up and glanced at Zhou Jing. He didn’t know how to read facial features and couldn’t see any problems on the girl, but he could tell that this girl’s energy was very suppressed, a kind of calm before an explosion.

Zhou Jiming and Lu Qinghe both looked at their daughter. Lu Qinghe even stepped forward somewhat anxiously and grasped her hand. “Jingjing, do you have something you haven’t told Mom? Your brother is already like this. If something else happens to you too, how is Mom supposed to live!”

Zhou Jing laughed once. “No. I don’t have anything at all.”

Jiang Lin said, “You clearly have thoughts in your heart. Why not speak them out? They are your family.”

Zhou Jing said, “Mr. Jiang, our family invited you here to solve my brother’s matter. Please don’t get the priorities wrong.”

Jiang Lin said, “But in your parents’ eyes, your brother is important, and you are also important. Right now there is one life that we don’t know if we can save, but you standing right in front of us can still be saved.”

Lu Qinghe was already panicking. After all, Zhou Yan was a stepson. Although she had also invested so many years of feelings and regarded him as family, there was still some difference between biological and non biological. In her heart, her husband and her stepson were both less important than her own biological daughter.

Zhou Jiming spoke up. “Jingjing, what exactly is the matter? What can’t be said among family?”

Zhou Jing looked at her father. “If I say, I want to enter the company. Not to idle away my days as a rich young lady, but to enter management and fairly compete with my brother for inheritance rights. Dad, what do you think?”

Zhou Jiming froze. He had never thought about his daughter inheriting the company. In his eyes, daughters were to be doted on and treasured, raised like a little princess. Later she would find an outstanding husband. With him around, and when he was gone there would still be Zhou Yan. As long as the Zhou family was still here, they could guarantee their daughter a lifetime of wealth without worries.

And Zhou Jing normally didn’t show any career ambition either. She was like an ordinary little girl, liking shopping and having fun, being clingy and acting spoiled, also dependent and close to her brother. So they had never thought their daughter would have any desire to inherit the company.

Seeing her father not speaking, Zhou Jing smiled, except this smile held helplessness and bitterness. “Is it just because I’m a girl? Or because my mom isn’t the original wife? Even if I were a boy, for the harmony and stability of this family, you wouldn’t raise me in the direction of an heir either? If I had this kind of thought, in your eyes would that mean I don’t know what’s good for me, an ungrateful wolf, wanting to fight my brother for family property?”

Lu Qinghe opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. She truly had no idea her daughter had this kind of thought. In this instant what she thought of was not that her daughter had hidden from her what she truly wanted, but rather she felt aggrieved, aggrieved on behalf of her daughter, because she and Zhou Jiming were a second marriage, so her child in this family had to endure.

Zhou Jing hadn’t expected that saying this kind of thing would yield any result. She shrugged her shoulders and said, “It’s just this little matter. Not important. Right now brother’s matter is the most important.”

Lin Xiaoyang pursed his lips and watched quietly. Sure enough, wealthy families have lots of drama. But why should a daughter not have inheritance rights? Unfair!

This counted as their family matter, and couldn’t be resolved immediately either. Zhou Jiming said, “We’ll talk properly about this later. Right now let’s first handle your brother’s matter.”

Zhou Jing didn’t refuse either. Right now her brother’s matter was indeed the most important.

But Lu Qinghe spoke up. “Mr. Jiang, you pointed out my daughter’s matter. Does my daughter’s matter have some relation to A Yan’s matter?”

Zhou Jing looked at her mother, somewhat confused and also somewhat hurt. How could her mom think this way? Even if she wanted to fight for fairness, she wouldn’t do anything to harm her family.

Lu Qinghe only held her hand to comfort her.

Jiang Lin understood what Lu Qinghe meant by asking this. “It is related, but also not related.”

Zhou Jiming’s face changed. “What does that mean?”

Jiang Lin said, “Currently we haven’t discovered any problem on Zhou Yan’s body, but his illness is truly too strange. You have also found many masters and seen many doctors, but none can find the cause. Even I cannot guarantee you that I can solve what is happening to him. If in the end there truly is no way, given his current condition he probably won’t live much longer. At that time, a son dies of unknown causes, and a daughter who originally had zero career ambition suddenly transforms, capable and skilled, taking over the family business. Mr. Zhou, if this really happened, what would you think?”

At first Zhou Jiming didn’t understand what Jiang Lin meant by these words, but following his words and thinking deeper, he immediately realized the problem within. If things really developed as he said, he would only begin to suspect whether his son’s death had anything to do with his daughter. Once suspicion began, this family would be ruined.

Jiang Lin made his point and stopped there, not saying more on this matter. He got up planning to carefully examine the inside and outside of the house once more.

Zhou Jing held back her mother who was preparing to accompany them, got up and led the way for them. “There used to be a small garden in the back with a man made fountain. Later someone said this kind of circulating water would affect the family’s wealth luck, so it was filled in. Now nothing is planted there, temporarily left empty.”

Jiang Lin nodded. “Fountains are best not built casually. This kind of thing is very particular about the size of the house and the homeowner’s luck. Where did your brother normally like to stay the most?”

Zhou Jing said, “In the study. He was very busy with work, and when at home he was basically always in the study.”

Lin Xiaoyang said, “Your brother really has no romantic prospects? No one who admires him and pesters him?”

Zhou Jing shook her head. “Really not. No one pesters my brother, and my brother doesn’t pester anyone else either. So there shouldn’t be any unrequited love or romantic rivals.”

Bai Zhizhi held a little cake in his hand and ate it bite by bite. Wherever they went he followed, like a little tail, not saying much, quiet and well behaved to the point of making people’s hearts soften.

Jiang Lin looked at Bai Zhizhi. “You can wait for me in the living room. We are right here and won’t leave.”

Bai Zhizhi shook his head. “The living room doesn’t smell good anymore either.”

Just now there was still a bit of sweet fragrance, but that fishy smell slowly spread down from upstairs. It was better to come outside and get some fresh air.

Zhou Jing said, “Maybe it’s because my house uses too much floor mopping water so the smell is a bit strong.”

Since he wasn’t willing, Jiang Lin didn’t force him. He said to Zhou Jing, “Can we go take a look at your brother’s study?”

Zhou Jing said, “Yes, it’s on the second floor. I’ll take you up.”

Bai Zhizhi looked up toward the upstairs and couldn’t help but sigh. The place that smells the worst. Forget it, I’ll just hold my breath.

Zhou Yan’s study was very ordinary. The entire wall was covered with all sorts of file folders. There weren’t many books. The desk was very neatly organized. There were also some photos, some from when he was studying abroad as a student, some of the whole family traveling together outside, and some of him with friends.

In the photos, Zhou Yan was handsome and well built. You could tell that although he was busy with work, he also managed his physique. His smiling face looking toward the camera carried the unrestrained vigor of youth, completely different from the person they had just seen.

Lin Xiaoyang had already seen these photos in the morning. Now looking at them again he only felt it was a pity. Such a handsome guy, turned into what he was now. If even his Brother Jiang couldn’t find the cause, he probably really had to wait for death.

Jiang Lin looked through the photos once. “Miss Zhou, your brother really likes camping?”

There were several photos hanging on the wall of Zhou Yan with a group of friends camping in different places. There was cycling, driving, fishing, and group meals.

Zhou Jing said, “It’s not camping. He just occasionally gets together with former high school classmates. But these past two years my brother has gotten busier and busier, so they don’t gather as much as before. Occasionally they drink some alcohol.”

Lin Xiaoyang said, “After your brother got sick, have these friends come to visit him?”

Zhou Jing shook her head. “No, mainly because they didn’t have much contact to begin with, and I don’t have their contact information either. They might not even know my brother is sick.”

Lin Xiaoyang said, “No enemies in the business world, no romantic debts in relationships. Could there be a problem with these friends of your brother?”

Zhou Jing couldn’t give a definite answer to this in one breath, because those friends were her brother’s private life. They normally wouldn’t ask about such things.

The reason they hadn’t suspected the friends before was because her brother and them truly didn’t contact each other often, just occasionally eating together. They were good friends, but as they grew older and entered society, they each had their own lives. Their interactions were no longer as deep as during school days.

Lin Xiaoyang stared at the photos and asked, “Brother Jiang, can you read the facial features of these few people through the photos?”

Jiang Lin looked at the dates below. “The earliest is from a year ago. A year’s time, many things can change.”

Bai Zhizhi also leaned over to look. When he saw one of the group meal photos, he even carefully glanced at what was on their dining table.

After confirming what was on the plates, and connecting it to this fishy smell that wouldn’t disperse and that ordinary people couldn’t smell, he roughly knew what kind of situation this Zhou Yan was in.

Withdrawing his gaze, he ate the last bite of little cake. Bai Zhizhi shook his head. This person can’t be saved.