Chapter 54: Written Promise

Zhou Yi did not have deep memories of his second uncle's household—or to be precise, the old family home of the Zhou family.

Before his rebirth, after his grandfather passed away, the dispute over the inheritance had caused several of the Zhou family siblings to practically sever all ties with his second uncle.

When his own father passed away, his second uncle's family didn't even come to offer condolences.

His aunt and third uncle were filled with bitter hatred, cursing Zhou Jianjun to a miserable end.

And in truth, that was exactly what happened.

After his grandfather passed away, his second uncle's family lived in high style for a period of time.

However, good times never last, because the wave of layoffs arrived.

What his second uncle had originally inherited was his grandfather's position as a safety inspector at the steel mill.

Although this position was not an official cadre role, it held high status within the factory, came with a handsome salary, and required no heavy physical labor. It was the kind of dream job that everyone envied.

Logically speaking, even during a wave of layoffs, the factory would usually show some preferential treatment for such an important position.

Yet his second uncle was among the very first batch to be laid off—a fitting reward for a man whose countless transgressions ultimately brought about his own destruction.

While his grandfather was still alive, the factory leaders had tolerated and accommodated this good-for-nothing Zhou Jianjun entirely out of respect for his grandfather, a veteran who had fought in wars to defend the country.

Unfortunately, his second uncle lacked any ambition or worth, acting arrogantly and despotically in the factory until he utterly ruined his own reputation.

The moment his grandfather passed away, the factory stopped showing any leniency and subjected him to relentless criticism.

Yet he remained entirely oblivious, even doing something as foolish as trying to pick a fight with the factory leaders right at the entrance.

As a result, when the layoff list was compiled, his name was practically written at the very top.

Following the layoff, his second uncle initially thought nothing of it, enjoying a carefree and leisurely existence for a while.

However, because the family of three had long been accustomed to living luxuriously on fish and meat, their funds quickly dwindled.

His second uncle was forced to go around begging everyone for help, only to find himself met with closed doors wherever he went.

With no other choice, he eventually had to go onto the streets to do hard labor. But at the time, Baicheng had a massive number of laid-off and unemployed workers, creating a situation of many monks and too little gruel, leaving him struggling for his next meal.

The crucial point was that his second uncle had fathered a son even more worthless than himself—Zhou Kai.

In Zhou Yi's memory, this cousin of his had practically never done a single proper thing in his entire life.

Initially, relying on his parents to provide for him, he spent his days idling about.

Later, when the family ran out of money, he began hanging out with a group of shady friends and turned to petty theft and burglary.

Hard work pays off, and through the unremitting efforts of this group of idiots, driven by their vision to expand, grow stronger, and create new glories, the police rounded up the entire theft ring in one fell swoop, netting every last one of them without a single omission.

It was only then that his second uncle and second aunt remembered their eldest nephew, kneeling at the doorstep of Zhou Yi's home with tears streaming down their faces, begging him to show mercy for the sake of familial bonds and let Zhou Kai go.

His second aunt threw herself on the ground and threw a tantrum, wailing that Zhou Kai was still young and ignorant, and demanding to know why Zhou Yi couldn't just give him a break.

It was enough to make Zhou Yi's blood boil with rage. He was well into his twenties and still considered young? This family was truly both stupid and malicious.

In the end, Zhou Kai was sentenced to three years.

Three years later, shortly after his release, he was sentenced to another seven years for armed robbery.

After that, Zhou Yi lost track of him.

All he knew was that his second uncle's later years were utterly desolate, because his second aunt had long since eloped with someone else, taking the compensation money from the demolition of the Zhou family's old house with her.

If not for the favorable social welfare policies of later years, his second uncle would likely have starved to death long ago.

Although his second uncle's family had committed countless evils, Zhou Yi had gradually grown indifferent to it over time. After all, every cause has its effect, and the ultimate end of his second uncle's family was entirely self-inflicted.

But this time was different. This time, Zhou Yi truly harbored a bone-deep hatred for his second uncle's family.

Because previously, he had no idea that his grandfather had been murdered by them.

Perhaps his grandfather and father could afford to be soft-hearted and let you go, but I will absolutely never let you off easy!

...

Zhou Yi checked his watch. It was a few minutes shy of six o'clock—perfect timing.

He knocked on the door, and the one who opened it was Zhou Kai, sporting the same messy hair as always.

"Brother..." Upon seeing Zhou Yi, Zhou Kai shrank back like a frightened chick.

Zhou Yi glanced into the room. His second aunt was clearing the dishes, and his second uncle was sitting by the dining table picking his teeth.

Catching sight of Zhou Yi at the door, his second uncle immediately hailed him, "Zhou Yi's here. Come on in, come on in."

Without acknowledging the greeting, Zhou Yi walked straight into the house.

His second aunt turned to look at him, her eyes filled with malice. She opened her mouth as if to throw a fit, but catching sight of Zhou Yi's crisp police uniform, she clamped it shut.

Even so, she slammed the bowls and chopsticks in her hands with a loud clatter.

His second uncle licked his yellowed teeth with his tongue, smiled, stood up, and said, "When it counts, you can still count on our own flesh and blood in the Zhou family. Look at Zhou Yi standing right here in this police uniform—let's see if those people dare to try anything reckless now."

In the kitchen, his second aunt piped up with a sarcastic tone, "Zhou Jianjun, are you out of your mind or just deaf? Didn't you hear your son say those people aren't afraid of the police? What's so great about wearing a police uniform? Can wearing a police uniform arrest the lot of us?!"

"Zhou Yi, don't listen to your second aunt's nonsense. Who isn't afraid of the police? Sit down, sit down."

"When your cousin came back and told us the other day, I told your second aunt right away that Zhou Yi still holds his second uncle and aunt in his heart. Look, as soon as his cousin ran into trouble, he immediately stepped in to help. After all, you and Xiaokai are brothers."

"Second Uncle, the main reason I came today isn't to help Zhou Kai smooth things over."

The moment Zhou Yi uttered those words, the smile froze on the face of Zhou Jianjun, who had been grinning and preparing to peel a pear for him.

The clattering noises from the kitchen also came to an abrupt halt.

"Then what are you... here for?" Zhou Jianjun put the pear he had just picked up back down.

Zhou Yi pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table in front of his second uncle.

"Take a look at this first, and then we'll talk," Zhou Yi said coldly.

By this time, his second aunt could no longer be bothered with washing dishes; she quickly wiped her hands and rushed out of the kitchen.

Zhou Kai also wanted to edge closer for a look, but catching a glimpse of Zhou Yi, he didn't dare move and could only stay rooted to the spot, at a complete loss.

Five seconds later, his second aunt's eyes widened in fury as she glared at Zhou Yi and shrieked at the top of her lungs, "Zhou Yi, you explain yourself right now! What is the meaning of this?! Are you trying to shit on your elders' heads? Huh? Or has the Zhou family line died out completely, leaving a junior like you to come and bully us?!"

His second uncle's face also alternated between red and white as he slammed the piece of paper down hard onto the table with a loud slap.

Zhou Kai could no longer restrain himself. He hurried over, picked it up, and read it.

"I, Zhou Jianjun, voluntarily relinquish my right to inherit any and all assets of Zhou Ashi, and promise to move my entire family out of our current residence at Room 306, First Steel Mill Dormitory, before March 30, 1997. Furthermore, from this day forward, I will no longer fulfill my obligation to support Zhou Ashi..."

Zhou Kai's voice grew softer and softer as he read, accompanied by his second aunt's increasingly shrill and abrasive curses.

Even the surrounding neighbors could hear it, yet no one came out to take a look, because such commotion came from their house every few days and everyone had long since grown accustomed to it. sticking one's nose into the excitement sometimes only brought trouble down on innocent bystanders.

"Have you finished cursing?" Zhou Yi asked coldly.

"You—" His second aunt suddenly sensed a shift in Zhou Yi's aura, and the vicious insults teetering on the tip of her tongue were forcibly swallowed back down.

Zhou Yi pulled another piece of paper from his pocket and flicked it open before the three of them.

The instant his second uncle and second aunt caught sight of that paper, their faces instantly turned ashen.