The ancient war between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in a wealthy family

When I stepped into the meeting room, everyone's eyes were fixed on me. I tried to appear confident and composed, but a thin layer of sweat still formed in my palms as I gripped the plan.

"Dear elders, dear uncles, today I would like to take up some of your time to talk about some ideas about the future development of the company..." I took a deep breath and spoke slowly.

My opening remarks were perfectly normal, but everyone in the room just looked at each other, seemingly uninterested. I gritted my teeth and unpacked my meticulously prepared plan, detailing everything from market analysis to development strategy, striving to convey my ideas in the clearest possible way.

However, my efforts weren't properly respected. After I explained the key points of my plan, Granny Sun, who was sitting in the main seat, put down her teacup and spoke slowly, "Young Madam, you've only been married into the Zhan family for a short time. You might not understand the traditions and rules of our family business..."

Her tone was kind, but every word was stinging, and my heart sank.

"Yes, young lady, you are still too young. Some things are not as simple as you think."

"There are reasons why our family business has grown to where it is today, and it can't be changed by some newfangled plan."

The others chimed in, their words filled with disdain and contempt, as if what I had proposed were merely unrealistic fantasies. I looked around and realized that none of the eyes they were looking at me were sincere.

I looked at Zhan Yu for help, but he just stared at me silently, his eyes hard to read, and he had no intention of speaking. The last glimmer of hope in my heart was shattered, and disappointment, grievance, and anger intertwined, almost drowning me.

After the meeting, I walked out of the Zhan family’s gate in a daze and got on the car back to my mother’s home.

"Zhi'er, how are you? Are you doing well at the Zhan family?" Mother came up and asked with concern.

"I..." I hesitated to speak, and finally told my mother what happened at the family meeting.

"Zhi'er, don't be too sad. Rich families are all like this. They look down on our Bai family..." My mother comforted me, but there was a hint of imperceptible resentment in her tone.

"Zhi'er, now that you marry into the Zhan family, you're a member of the Bai family. Your father and I both hope that you can gain more benefits for the Bai family..." Father walked out of the study and said earnestly.

I looked at my parents' expectant eyes, feeling a mixture of emotions. On one side was the heartless rivalry between wealthy families, and on the other were my parents, who had high hopes for me. Where should I go from here?

"Zhi'er, do you understand?" My father's voice rang out again, pulling me out of my thoughts. "I understand," I said weakly, lowering my head. My father's words weighed heavily on my heart like a huge rock, making it difficult for me to breathe.

Back in my room, I slumped down onto the soft bed, tears streaming down my face. Marrying into a wealthy family was supposed to be the beginning of happiness, but it turned out to be the beginning of endless struggles.

The Zhan family looked down on me, believing me to be a mere slave, unworthy of any role in the family business. My biological parents also hoped I could leverage this marriage to gain greater benefits for the Bai family. I felt like a butterfly trapped in a spider's web; no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't escape the constraints of fate.

"What's wrong?" Zhan Yu pushed the door open and saw me lying on the bed crying. There was a hint of imperceptible concern in his tone.

I sat up, looked at him with tears in my eyes, and told him my parents' request and my dilemma. I really hoped that he could understand my difficulties and give me some comfort and support.

However, my confession did not win his sympathy. After listening to me, he was silent for a long time before he slowly said, "So, you returned to your parents' home just for this matter?"

His tone was cold and his eyes were unfamiliar, as if he was looking at an unrelated stranger.

"Zhan Yu, what do you mean?" I looked at him in disbelief, my heart aching as if stabbed by a needle. "Is this who I am in your eyes?"

"Isn't it?" He sneered, "Why did you marry me? Don't you know it in your heart?"

"I..." I was hurt by his cold eyes and was speechless for a moment.

"I originally thought that you were different..." He whispered, with a hint of disappointment in his tone, "It seems that I was wrong."

He said that and walked away, leaving me alone in the room, my heart broken. I wanted to explain, to make amends, but I found that all words seemed pale and powerless at this moment.

I covered my face, tears welling up again. What had I done wrong? Why was this happening to me?

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door. I hurriedly wiped away my tears and looked up, only to see——

——But I saw Granny Sun standing at the door, a pair of cloudy eyes gleaming with shrewdness. She looked at me, a meaningful smile on her lips, and said, "Madam, what's wrong with you? Did the young master make you angry?"

I suppressed the grievance in my heart, shook my head and said, "No, I just suddenly remembered something and felt a little sad."

Granny Sun walked over to the bed, patted my hand, and said earnestly, "Madam, you are a lady from a noble family. Marrying into our Zhan family is a blessing for our Zhan family. But this man is sometimes careless. You should not take it personally."

I forced a smile and said, "I know, mother-in-law."

Granny Sun sighed again and said, "Young Master has been under the strict discipline of the old man since he was a child, so it's inevitable that his temperament is a little cold. Please be more patient. Over time, he will naturally understand your kindness."

I looked at Grandma Sun's kind face, but my heart was chilled. She was seemingly comforting me, but between the lines, she hinted that Zhan Yu's coldness towards me was due to my own problems. She was even deliberately trying to sow discord between Zhan Yu and me.

I took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in my heart, and said lightly: "Thank you, mother-in-law, I will."

After Grandma Sun left, I lay in bed, unable to sleep for a long time. I realized that if I couldn't resolve these conflicts, it would be difficult for me to gain a firm foothold in the Zhan family. I had to find a way to regain Zhan Yu's trust and convince the family members that I was capable, rather than just being treated as a vase that depended on the family.

The next morning, I rose early and began secretly gathering more information about business opportunities. I carefully researched the various businesses under the Zhan Group and the latest market trends, hoping to find a new breakthrough that I could bring up again at the next family meeting to prove my ability.

At the same time, I was also thinking about how to balance the interests of the Zhan and Bai families. I knew I couldn't compromise the Bai family's interests to please the Zhan family, nor could I ignore the development of the Zhan family to protect the Bai family. I had to find a balance, a solution that would be acceptable to both families and would benefit both.

This is bound to be a road full of thorns, but I will not give up. I firmly believe that as long as I keep working hard, I will definitely find my place and live a wonderful life.