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Chapter 24 Conflict at the Dinner Table
Mr. Zhou acted quickly. As soon as he completed the design of the courtyard house, he contacted building materials and familiar construction companies.

Some people may be curious, Mr. Zhou is just a retired painter, where does he get such great power?
In fact, painting and house design are inseparable. As the deputy director of the Northeast Film Studio, Mr. Zhou also has his own network of contacts.

Things that seem difficult to handle in the eyes of others can be solved with just a few words from Mr. Zhou.

After the Zhou family's old house was demolished, Zhou Bingkun took Zheng Juan and six-year-old Zhou Cong to live in Guangming's house, while Zhou's mother Li Suhua took three-year-old Zhou Ming to live in Qiao Chunyan's mother's house.

The construction workers worked even faster and the house was completed in less than a month and a half. After about another half a month, when the cement has completely solidified, the whole family can move back into their new home.

Zhou Bingkun was also very surprised by the news from Hong Kong Island. The physical book of "The Rise of Great Powers" sold very well in Hong Kong Island, and even some Chinese circles in Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States had a certain amount of circulation.

What Zhou Bingkun did not expect was that Japan and South Korea also showed great interest in "The Rise of Great Powers", and nearly 200,000 copies had been sold in Japan alone.

As for the "Hexi Corridor", its influence is at the level of a nuclear bomb. The desert, the lone goose, the camel bells, every frame of Mr. Zhou's painting is impacting the souls of the people of Hong Kong Island.

They all thought in unison that their motherland was so vast and beautiful.

The popularity of "The Rise of Great Powers" and "Hexi Corridor" in Hong Kong Island has made the numbers in Zhou Bingkun's account grow every day.

Zhou Bingkun and Ma Tingfang were happy, but the National Daily was surprisingly angry.

The editor-in-chief of the National Daily looked at the employee in front of him and suddenly felt a sense of disappointment. "Since you answered Zhou Bingkun's call in the first place, why didn't you report it?"

"I thought Zhou Bingkun was joking!

I've been working at the National Daily for so long, and I've never seen anyone complain about low pay!" The staff also felt wronged.

“Oh my God! There are so many things you haven’t seen!

Shouldn't they exist?
Do you know how much money the Hong Kong newspaper Oriental Daily News gave to Zhou Bingkun?

"I don't know!" The staff shook his head in confusion.

"For the two books, The Rise of Great Powers and The Hexi Corridor, Zhou Bingkun received HK$500,000 in cash alone!

Converted into RMB, it is 450,000!
Think about it yourself, what is 1,200 yuan for our National Daily?

"Huh? So much money?"

"Humph! This is just cash!
There will be a lot of profit in the future!

That’s the big deal!” the editor-in-chief said unhappily.

"But even our National Daily can't afford that much money!"

"idiot!
There are honors and status in this world that cannot be bought with money, and these are what our National Daily can give to Zhou Bingkun!
Now, because of your carelessness, everything has gone to waste!"

Before the Spring Festival, Zheng Juan gave birth to a girl, which made the Zhou family very happy.

Zhou Bingkun named his precious daughter Zhou Hui, which was named after his two previous sons, so it just happened to make up the word "smart and wise".

During the winter vacation, Zhou Bingyi took Hao Dongmei back to the Zhou family. When they saw the newly built Zhou family home, Zhou Bingyi and Hao Dongmei both widened their eyes in shock.

“The last time I came back, the house hadn’t been built yet!

It's only been three or four months, the change is too sudden!" Hao Dongmei said in disbelief.

"This Zhou Bingkun, building a house is such a big thing, but he didn't even inform us!

This is really too much!" Zhou Bingyi said angrily.

"Hey! Your brother is so difficult to get along with!
Keep everything in your heart!
What’s even more hateful is that our mother is now also influenced by him!

We exchanged letters regularly, and nothing was leaked!"

"Alas! Our mother can't read, so in the end it was Zhou Bingkun who had to write it!
If he doesn't want to tell, no one will know!

I guess even my dad doesn’t know!”

"Oh! I get a headache when I think of your brother Zhou Bingkun!
I heard he wrote another historical book called "Hexi Corridor." He sent it directly to Hong Kong for publication!

"I think it's the success in his career that has made Zhou Bingkun a little carried away!

He is so arrogant that he looks down upon us, his relatives!"

Seeing her eldest son Zhou Bingyi and daughter-in-law Hao Dongmei coming home together, Zhou's mother Li Suhua was really happy. She immediately took her son Zhou Bingyi's hand and introduced them to her son room by room like a child presenting a treasure.

Seeing his mother so happy, Zhou Bingyi temporarily put Zhou Bingkun's "unreasonableness" behind his mind.

When the family sat down to eat, Zhou Bingyi saw his younger brother Zhou Bingkun's smiling face, and for some reason he wanted to punch him hard.

Zhou Bingkun could still feel the fierce look in his elder brother Zhou Bingyi's eyes as he looked at him, and he could hear Zhou Bingyi humming as he looked at him.

Zhou Bingkun suddenly pretended to be serious and said, "Brother, what's wrong with you?
How come you have rhinitis after not seeing you for a few months? You keep groaning here!"

Zhou's mother, Li Suhua, who was eating nearby, quickly put down her chopsticks when she heard what Zhou Bingkun said. She said to Zhou Bingyi with concern, "Bingyi, you don't really have rhinitis, do you?"

“Mom, it’s okay!
Don't listen to Bingkun's nonsense!

I'm fine!" Hearing Zhou Bingkun's words, Zhou Bingyi was so angry that his nose was about to be crooked. Seeing his mother Li Suhua's concern, Zhou Bingyi hurriedly explained with a wry smile.

"Brother, don't take it lightly!
My sister-in-law also studies medicine!

If you don’t believe me, ask her!

Is it because the air quality in Beijing is too bad and there are frequent sandstorms?
Maybe that's why you caught rhinitis?!" Zhou Bingkun continued to pursue his elder brother Zhou Bingyi.

"I have a classmate who is suffering terribly from rhinitis!

I always smelled a bad smell. At first I thought it was someone else’s socks and even had a fight with another classmate!
Finally, we found out that he had a physical problem!
Brother, don’t you think this is a case of turning the tables?!"

How could Zhou Bingyi not understand the implicit meaning of Zhou Bingkun's words, but he was too proud to admit his mistakes.

He believed that he was right to choose Hao Dongmei and give up the promotion of Deputy Political Commissar Ming!

He believed that he was not wrong when he and Zhou Rong persuaded Zhou Bingkun to give up going to college and concentrate on taking care of his mother!
Nor would he think that it was a mistake for him to endure the alienation and defensiveness of Hao's father and mother for Hao Dongmei.

In Zhou Bingyi's mind, Zhou Bingkun was just lucky for a while and achieved some results, so he wanted to be arrogant in front of him. Zhou Bingyi would not allow it.

"Bingkun, don't worry!
When we get back, we will let Bingyi go to the hospital for a check-up!
However, I think it might not be rhinitis, but just a minor cold!" Hao Dongmei saw the two brothers at loggerheads and quickly said with a smile to smooth things over.

After hearing what Hao Dongmei said, Zhou's mother Li Suhua felt much more at ease, and Zhou Bingkun no longer "pursued" his brother Zhou Bingyi.

"Brother, sister-in-law, there are rooms for you in the new house, come back often!

This is your home!

Don't really think of yourself as a live-in son-in-law!"

Zhou Bingkun's words "son-in-law who lives with the family" really hurt Zhou Bingyi's heart. This has always been the biggest pain in his heart.

“You Zhou Bingkun!
Speaking of the new house, I have to ask you a question!

Building a house is such a big thing, why didn’t you tell me in your letter!
At least I have to pay some money!" Zhou Bingyi could only angrily use the topic to vent his anger.

“That was really because I had enough money at the time!
No need to trouble you anymore!

If you really want to pay this money, just give it to our mom!
Let’s keep it as retirement allowance for our mother!”

"Bingkun, what nonsense are you talking about?
I don't usually spend money, so why do I need a pension? " Zhou's mother, Li Suhua, had no idea of the conflict between her two sons' words and complained quickly.

"Haha! OK!
Our mother doesn't want your money either!

Then you keep it for yourself!"

(End of this chapter)