Chapter 11: The Homeless Female Supporting Character 11

Just as Zhang Yu finished doing these things, she saw Pan Juan standing there in her pajamas, looking at her with a shocked expression.

Well, she knew the old lady must have heard what she just said, but she wasn't flustered in the slightest.

"Mom, you didn't rest?"

Pan Juan looked at the smiling Zhang Yu in front of her, then recalled what she had just said into the phone, and truly felt as if she were a completely different person.

Pan Juan took a deep breath. "Who were you on the phone with just now?"

Zhang Yu knew the other party likely had an inkling, even if she wasn't certain. "It was Zhang Yi."

"He called me 'Zhang Yu' directly; he didn't treat me like an elder at all."

"Don't tell me he's still a child. He's already working and earning money; he's a member of society now. How is he still a child?"

Zhang Yu knew that whenever she brought up the immature behavior of Zhang Yi and the others, Zhang Dagui and his wife would always parrot that they were just children and that she should be the one to yield.

This time, she had completely blocked off any path for someone to try and make excuses for Zhang Yi.

Pan Juan was so stumped by Zhang Yu's words that she didn't know how to explain herself. After all, she had always insisted that Zhang Yi was just a child and that Zhang Yu should give way.

"I also said, they are the eldest son and eldest grandson. If he feels that his mother is tired from working and can't handle these chores, then it's very simple: he can take over and do them himself."

"In any case, I am someone who isn't taking any of the Zhang family's assets, so you can't push all the responsibilities onto me."

"Parents belong to everyone; everyone should contribute."

"It can't be that every time something comes up, it's my job, and it's expected that I do it. If one day I throw my hands up and stop doing it, then it's my fault, and I'm unfilial."

"I didn't want to say this originally, but listening to Zhang Yi's tone just now, it's all my fault."

"I think I should let everyone know that taking care of parents is not my responsibility alone; it is everyone's responsibility."

"I used to think that my contributions to this family were kept in everyone's hearts, but now I know that no one remembers. Everyone just thinks I'm a useless person."

"Someone whose career isn't successful and who still needs their parents to look after them."

"Actually, Mom," Zhang Yu looked up at Pan Juan, "who is really taking care of whom?"

Pan Juan never expected that before leaving, Zhang Yu would loudly voice her dissatisfaction. This left her at a loss for words.

Pan Juan lowered her head, not daring to look at Zhang Yu, and the latter knew better than to expect the former to say anything.

"Dad is right. When my brothers were my age, their careers were already more or less settled."

"I can't end up with no family and no career to show for it."

"I cannot end up with no one to rely on in my old age." Zhang Yu emphasized the last four words.

Upon hearing this, Pan Juan became anxious. "How could you have no one to rely on in your old age? Don't you have your nephews, nieces, and your sister's children?"

"Zhang Yi and the others?" Zhang Yu sneered. "Mom, do you think that since they look down on me now, they'll take care of me when I'm old?"

"Do you think my brothers will instruct Zhang Yi and the others to take good care of me?"

Zhang Yu didn't want to hear Pan Juan's excuses again. "Mom, I'm not stupid. I didn't speak up before, not because I didn't know, but because what good would it have done?"

"But now I know. A person can only rely on themselves."

"I need to work hard to earn money and strive to live in a high-end nursing home in the future."

"Mom, it's getting late. You should get some rest, and don't overthink things."

"My sisters-in-law have opinions about me, but I know they won't refuse to help you pack."

After all, the three members of Zhang Guohua's family were still eyeing the house the old couple owned; they wouldn't fail to put in the effort.

"And what about you?" Pan Juan looked at Zhang Yu expectantly.

"I will definitely come back to help pack, but I'll be doing it alongside my sister-in-law and the others."

"After all, they work, and I work too. In the future, when you and my sister-in-law are sorting through things, I'll naturally have to ask you before I know how to organize them."

"By the way, Mom and Dad, when I come back to pack, don't have a whole group of people waiting for me to cook."

"And I won't be cleaning the kitchen or anything like that, because I'll be a guest."

"Mom, you've always said that guests don't need to do chores."

Zhang Yu felt as relaxed as she could possibly be. From now on, whenever she returned, she would be a guest.

"A guest?" Pan Juan was stunned, never expecting Zhang Yu to describe her status in the Zhang family in such a way.

"You, how could you be a guest? You aren't a guest at all." Pan Juan was truly panicked. "Then, when you come back, if you return to work here?"

"I don't know how many years I'll be away," Zhang Yu said helplessly. "The people who went to work at the subsidiary before are still working at the subsidiary even now."

"I haven't seen any signs of them being transferred back."

"Or perhaps there are too many people at the group headquarters, and the position I vacated might be filled by someone else very quickly."

Zhang Yu knew that colleagues who had joined this subsidiary had finally returned to work after spending five or six years away.

Although they didn't return to the group headquarters, but rather to a newly established subsidiary, they were at least in positions of power as financial directors.

Even if they were both financial directors, the so-called financial director at the remote company was more of a mascot.

But the financial director of a newly established subsidiary was a real, hands-on financial director.

However, she didn't know if that colleague's transfer was a normal job rotation or if someone had pulled strings behind the scenes.

So, she really didn't know the path that colleague had taken, but it didn't matter; being able to transfer back was a good option.

If she had to stay at the remote subsidiary, that was also a good option. After all, the hardship allowance for being stationed abroad was quite substantial—what was wrong with being a mascot?

Pan Juan was still immersed in the news that Zhang Yu might not be able to return after this overseas assignment.

She and her husband had been discussing not making any arrangements for the house yet, waiting for Zhang Yu to return so they could tell her the house would be left to her, and she could continue to take care of them.

But they would also leave a will stating that after they were gone, the house would be left to Zhang Yi, as he was the grandson of the Zhang family.

But she hadn't expected that Zhang Yu might have to stay away for many years. If that were the case, could they still count on this daughter?

Since they couldn't count on her, Pan Juan's expression changed drastically. "You, if you can't take care of us, you should also know that, regarding the house..."

"I don't want it."

"After all, there are grandsons, granddaughters, and nephews—they are all eyeing it."

Zhang Yu made it clear that there was no need for Pan Juan and her husband to bring up the idea of leaving her the house, because she didn't care about it at all.

Zhang Yu's eager attitude to distance herself still left Pan Juan feeling very hurt.

"You, you have to know, if you don't have a house in your name, when you're old..." Pan Juan still wanted to try a little harder.

Regarding this issue, Zhang Yu indicated that she wasn't worried at all. "As for me, I'll figure it out. Mom, don't you worry about it."

She wouldn't say anything about buying a house; otherwise, there was no telling how many people would start coveting it.