Chapter 353: Family Ties and Subtle Rivalries

Just what position did my uncle hold and in which department? His family never really spelled it out.

Still, listening to Aunt talk, it was clear Cousin Zhou Hai was doing pretty well for himself—at least a mid-level official.

A mid-level official might sound like small potatoes, but in a county town with only a few hundred such positions, that’s real power. Maybe it isn’t much in the provincial capital, but here? That makes you a boss.

Almost all key resources and decision-making fall into the hands of people like that.

“Mom, Zhou Can works in Tuyu Hospital in the provincial capital—my influence doesn’t stretch that far! If he were here in the county, sure, I could help out.”

Zhou Hai dared not exaggerate.

When it comes to Tuyu Hospital in the provincial capital, not even his own boss carries much weight there.

At these public, top-tier hospitals, directors are usually ranked quite high in the administration.

Private clinics and small hospitals dread constant inspections—fire safety, workplace safety, pharmacy checks, public health… basically, every department could send someone to poke around.

If something wasn’t up to standard, you’d be told to fix it. No wonder private hospital bosses spend most days on edge.

But big hospitals never face that sort of trouble.

Zhou Can has worked at Tuyu for nearly three years now, both as an intern and a trainee—never any drama.

There’s only one reason: major hospitals are run by leaders with administrative ranks—high-ranking ones at that—so they follow the rules and don’t attract unwanted attention.

And those ranks aren’t low, either.

Zhou Hai’s only thirty-six, still young. Even if he had a bigger position, it wouldn’t mean much at Tuyu. If he tried to pull strings there, people would probably think he was nuts.

“Hai, Aunt, thank you for your kindness. Things are going great for me at Tuyu, and I really don’t need any special favors for now. If I ever do, I’ll be sure to let you know, Hai.”

Zhou Can’s answer was already quite humble.

Truth is, he’s got it made at Tuyu—no backdoors needed.

“Alright then. If you ever need help, just tell your cousin Hai! He just got promoted to deputy section chief this year, a big deal in the county. All those people coming round bearing gifts—nearly wore out our doorbell! I’m so fed up with it.”

Aunt couldn’t help but show off about her son’s new promotion.

Deputy section chief—yeah, that’s impressive.

With power comes a steady stream of people trying to curry favor.

“Taking gifts isn’t a good idea, Aunt—that’ll only get Hai in trouble.” Zhou Can meant well with his warning.

“I know, I know! I wouldn’t be so careless. Ah Hai already told us—no gifts, no exceptions. We don’t even let most people in the door, but you’re different. You and Hai are like brothers, so helping you is the least he can do! Your uncle always says, since both families only have one son, you two should stand by each other.”

At least Aunt had her head on straight about that.

After all, greed is hard to fight.

People come by with thick envelopes or expensive gifts in hand—it’s not easy to turn down perks handed to you so directly.

“A Can, your uncle’s right. You and Hai aren’t just cousins, you’re as close as brothers. Going forward, help each other out. You’re new to the working world, so don’t be shy about asking Hai for support. And when you’re successful, help your cousin in return. That’s how families stay close. This time when trouble hit us, everyone else steered clear, but your uncle’s family came through.”

Boss Zhou used this chance to teach his son a lesson.

The age of fighting alone is long gone—now it’s all about family. Pooling resources and sticking together is the only way to grow stronger.

“Uncle’s family has been so good to us, I won’t forget it.”

Zhou Can wasn’t one to say thank you all the time.

But when someone helped him, he always remembered, waiting for the right chance to repay that kindness.

Just then, they heard the honk of a car outside.

Boss Zhou and his wife tensed up, then quickly recovered. After so many debt collectors knocking on their door lately, they’d grown used to jumping at every sound.

“I’ll go have a look!”

Zhou Can wasn’t worried—he had money, connections, and wasn’t afraid of much.

Plus, he could handle himself if things got rough.

He noticed every change in his parents’ expressions—it hurt him inside to see it.

He strode quickly out, hit the remote, and opened the gate.

A flashy Cadillac was parked right outside.

Inside sat his uncle and Third Aunt.

But the car had definitely seen better days. He remembered years ago Third Aunt’s family had a white Buick. Three years on and now they were driving an old Cadillac.

Supposedly, this model isn’t cheap new—so Third Aunt’s family would cherish it if they bought it that way.

No way it could’ve gotten so shabby in just three years.

The only explanation was they’d bought it used—probably a well-aged one at that.

After all, brand new, this car isn’t exactly affordable.

Even secondhand, if it’s barely used, the price would still be high.

Zhou Can waved them in, stepping aside so they could pull the car into the yard.

His uncle carefully drove in, parked, killed the engine, and the four of them climbed out.

Third Aunt’s family had done well—one son and one daughter, just the perfect combination in their eyes.

“Aunt, Uncle, Cousin, Little Cousin!”

One by one, Zhou Can greeted them all.

No matter what, family’s family—and coming to visit deserved respect.

He just couldn’t bring himself to be as snobbish or ungrateful as his uncle.

All four members of Third Aunt’s family were dressed up, radiating wealth.

“Xiao Can, I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Aunt gave him a good once-over.

“What, have I put on weight?” Zhou Can joked.

“No, you’ve gotten handsome! You look just like the lead in a drama—really impressive!” Aunt genuinely praised him.

Maybe it was his strength, but there was a self-assuredness to Zhou Can that really set him apart.

“Haha, Aunt, you’re flattering me so much I feel lighter on my feet! Uncle’s family is here, too—please, come inside and sit.” No matter how much he disliked his uncle, Zhou Can still kept things polite.

His cousin, younger by a few months, lifted his chin with a smug smile. His younger cousin sister’s gaze was even more amusing—like a princess leaving her palace to visit a country landlord, all picky and disdainful.

Like father, like child—they all had the same airs.

If nothing else, those two sure learned their dad’s attitude to a tee.

Zhou Can could still remember when his uncle first visited—back then, they didn’t have this villa but lived in an old place in the county. His uncle looked down on them in just that same way.

Years went by, Zhou Can’s family business got bigger and their homes got fancier.

Even in the county, this villa wasn’t cheap.

Third Aunt’s family only had a regular apartment—it wasn’t worth nearly as much as this place.

Some people are just born this way—they think they’re better than everyone else, earning three thousand a month yet looking down on those with five figures, living in an old city flat but scorning villas in the county.

It’s like folks from Magic City who call everyone else country bumpkins.

It’s not about manners, it’s a kind of pride deep in their bones.

“Zhou Can, I heard you work at Tuyu Hospital?”

His uncle was just making conversation.

“Yeah, I’m a trainee there—it’s kind of like an internship.” Zhou Can nodded.

“It’s the same wherever you go—everyone starts from the bottom. Your cousins are actually in the same field as you, did you know?”

He lit up with pride while mentioning his kids.

“Yeah, I knew they studied medicine and nursing, but nothing about their work.”

He and his cousin were the same age, with his cousin sister a year younger.

Women usually married young in their family, so their kids were often born around the same time.

Aunt was two years younger than Boss Zhou, but they had kids in the same year.

“I’m in training at the Provincial Children’s Hospital right now—should be a full staff member next year.” His cousin introduced himself with confidence.

“That’s great! That hospital ranks near the top—and it’s a leading pediatric center. You’ve got a bright future.”

Zhou Can praised him with a sincere smile.

Still, in terms of reputation and strength, Tuyu Hospital now far outshines the Provincial Children’s Hospital.

“Not bad, but competition’s tough. My master’s degree is average here—lots of grad students and PhDs. They only need one year of training before they’re promoted, which puts me at a disadvantage.”

Zhou Can knew his cousin had a postgraduate degree.

Of course, even among grad students there’s a hierarchy—university, major, master’s or PhD, they all count.

Hospitals want higher and higher credentials nowadays.

PhDs are always in higher demand than master’s grads, no doubt about it.

And this pattern is only going to get worse.

“I remember you only have a bachelor’s, right? Tuyu’s even more competitive. Are you confident about becoming a full member? I heard over forty percent of trainees get axed there.”

His cousin’s tone was casual, but it grated on Zhou Can’s nerves.

“Not much confidence about it—odds are I’ll be one of those forty percent.”

He just went along with it.

“No worries if you don’t make it. If you can’t stay at a hospital like Tuyu, you could always come to our Third Hospital!” His cousin sister was a nursing graduate, now a nurse.

“Alright, if I need a new place, I’ll give your Third Hospital a shot.”

He nodded with a polite smile.

Of course, it was just small talk.

“Go ahead and save my number. I should be promoted to head nurse next year. Still counts for something here—nurses with master’s degrees are in demand too.”

She sounded even more self-assured than her brother.

Really true what they say—not a family if they aren’t all the same. Those siblings were two of a kind.

“Haha, that’s great! Give me your number and I’ll save it.”

As a second-generation rich kid, Zhou Can never called anyone out for show—or showed off himself. His rule was always know what’s up but play it cool.

He saved her number as she dictated it.

Both of Aunt’s kids had earned graduate degrees—something worth admiring. Their family invested in education, and the siblings were smart enough to make it count.

Otherwise, no way both could be grad students.

Both of them going into medicine—whether it was the promise of the field or genuine interest, who could say?

“Come on, let’s go inside and have some tea!”

After saving her number, Zhou Can led his cousins into the house.

Catching up with family always meant a round of greetings.

“Second Brother, have you paid off your debts yet?” Aunt asked gently.

“Yeah, they’re mostly paid off.”

Boss Zhou’s answer was diplomatic.

He used the word ‘mostly,’ making it sound like they’d just scraped by—leaving little for anyone to borrow.

That shut down any ideas Uncle’s family had about asking for money.

“That’s good. About that thirty thousand I promised to lend you—don’t take it to heart. We invested the cash and our partner refused to let us pull out.”

Honestly, her excuse was pretty flimsy.

Everyone knew she must have had the money when she promised to lend it. The reason for backing out was just fear that Zhou Can’s family wouldn’t pay it back.

No doubt Uncle was the one calling the shots.

“We’re all family—no hard feelings! I’m just happy you could come today. It’s almost dinner anyway. Let’s all go out for a nice meal together. Now that A Can has brought his girlfriend home and our debt crisis is finally over, I couldn’t be happier.”

Good news really does lift your spirits.

Compared to the worn-out man he was days ago, Boss Zhou was rejuvenated, every bit the successful entrepreneur.

He looked even more composed than before, radiating quiet strength.

That’s just how people are—after hardship, if you get back up, you come back stronger.

“I already booked a table. Not too many people, just one big round table for us all to eat together—makes it livelier.” Zhou Can’s mother chimed in.

“You always think of everything, Sis-in-law! And Xiao Can’s found himself such a beautiful girlfriend—she’s like a celebrity. You must feel like you’ve struck gold.”

Aunt tried to smooth things over with praise.

Compliments sure work wonders.

“It’s better than gold! Having A Can settled is a weight off my mind. As his mom, I can finally relax.”

Zhou Can’s mother beamed at her son and future daughter-in-law.

“Qianqian, it’s our first time meeting, and I didn’t prepare much. Here’s a little red envelope—just a small token. Hope you don’t mind!”

Aunt must have planned ahead.

She pulled out a big red envelope from her bag—it looked pretty thick, probably one or two thousand yuan.

“Auntie, you’re too generous! It should be us juniors giving you gifts, not the other way around.”

Su Qianqian quickly declined.

“Oh, what a polite young lady! Qianqian, just take it as a token of care from your aunt.”

Aunt pressed the envelope into her hand.

In Zhou Can’s hometown, when a girl visits the guy’s family, the direct relatives and elders always give a red envelope as a welcome gift.

“Go on, take it, Qianqian,” Zhou Can told her quietly.

“Thank you, Aunt!”

Su Qianqian graciously accepted.

“I’m not good with words,” Uncle said, “but I really wish you two the best. Here’s a little something for luck—just a happy gesture.”

Uncle slipped another thick envelope into Su Qianqian’s hand—around one or two thousand, too.

Before anything’s official, that’s the usual amount. That way, even if it doesn’t work out, no big loss.