Chapter 272 Absolutely Flawless

She walked as if stepping on landmines, each step trembling with fear and unease.

Zhou Dajun didn't pay any attention to her at all; his eyes were fixed on the mottled courtyard wall—the plaster had long since peeled off, revealing gray-brown earthen bricks, with cracks spreading like a spider web.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the years, landing on a distant scene.

Like a movie playing in my mind, a scene suddenly flashed: a bright and sunny morning, firecrackers popping and crackling in the yard, red paper scraps swirling in the wind like falling petals.

The children covered their ears, giggling and running around. Some hid behind doors, while others crawled between adults' legs, chasing each other and making a ruckus.

Shen Cuifen wore a bright red long dress, the hem of which swayed gently in the wind. A thin white veil covered her head, making her face look gentle and charming.

She carried a plate of bright red apples and longans, her smile gentle, nodding and greeting the guests as she walked.

"That bride is truly beautiful!"

An elderly woman in a blue cotton shirt leaned on a cane and squinted in admiration.

"The sugar is sweet, and so is my heart!"

The man next to him clapped his hands and laughed, then grabbed a handful of wedding candies and stuffed them into his mouth.

Her face flushed like the evening glow, and she followed Song Yu'an timidly with her head down, calling out softly, "Hello, Uncle" and "Hello, Aunt."

Each sound carried a hint of shyness and restraint, as if afraid of saying the wrong thing and being laughed at.

"Bian Jiang—" Xiao Shui suddenly grabbed his arm, her voice sharp as a knife, shattering his lingering memories.

Zhou Dajun jolted awake, his pupils suddenly contracted, and the illusion before his eyes collapsed instantly. All he could hear was the rustling of leaves in the wind and the distant crowing of roosters and barking of dogs.

He slowly turned his head and saw Xiao Shui staring at him with wide eyes, her face full of worry and confusion.

Meanwhile, Zhou Jianguo had already walked around the room, his steps light but his purpose clear.

He first knocked on the door of the east room, then peeked into the west wing, and finally called Zhou Xiuli and Zhou Anguo out of their respective rooms.

The three huddled together and whispered a few words, exchanging knowing glances.

Then, they hid behind the narrow kitchen window and furtively peered towards the door.

It was a brand-new black sedan, its body gleaming and reflecting a blinding light in the sunlight. The wheels were covered in cement dust from the city, making it stand out starkly against the muddy ground of the village.

After confirming the visitor's identity, the three of them put on enthusiastic smiles and quickly came out to greet him, their steps light as if afraid of being impolite if they were even a second late.

Zhou Xiuli lunged forward and grabbed Zhou Dajun's arm, her strength almost causing him to stumble.

Tears streamed down her face, her voice choked with emotion and exaggerated: "Oh my god, Dajun, have you gained weight or become more handsome? You look so much better than when you left! Look at your face, your physique, you can tell you're eating well and staying warm!"

As she spoke, she pinched and squeezed his shoulder repeatedly, as if to confirm if it was really him.

Zhou Anguo's chubby body "slipped" and leaned against Zhou Dajun, spreading his arms wide to give him a bear hug. He opened his mouth wide and howled loudly, "Big brother is rich! Our ancestral graves are emitting auspicious smoke! Heaven has opened its eyes, and our Zhou family has finally produced a successful person!"

His voice was so loud that even the sparrows under the eaves were startled and scattered in all directions.

Startled by the sudden commotion, Xiao Shui flinched, her hand slipped, and the small bag she was holding fell to the ground without her daring to bend down and pick it up.

She hurriedly took a few steps back, shrank into the corner, clutched the hem of her clothes tightly to her chest, and dared not even breathe loudly, her eyes scanning the group of unfamiliar relatives warily.

Zhou Jianguo subtly gave Zhou Xiuli a look—a slight glance and a raised eyebrow, a gesture that was subtle yet meaningful.

Zhou Xiuli immediately understood—this woman was brought back from the city by Zhou Dajun, her identity was unknown, and she could not be neglected.

She immediately squeezed forward, her face beaming with warmth, and reached out to grab Xiaoshui's wrist: "Oh my, are you a young lady from the city? Our mud houses and floors are covered in dust, I'm sorry to have troubled you, but please don't mind the dirt, sit here, sit here!"

As he spoke, he vigorously wiped the dust off the bench with his sleeve, appearing extremely attentive.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Shui felt a warmth in her heart, thinking that she had met a kind person who truly cared for her.

She hesitated for a moment, then sat down next to Zhou Xiuli, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, forcing an awkward smile, and nodding repeatedly: "I'm not wronged, I really am not wronged... You guys are very nice."

Seeing this, Zhou Jianguo frowned, grabbed Zhou Anguo who was still clinging to Zhou Dajun, and pulled him away with such force that the latter almost stumbled and fell: "Stop making a scene! Aren't you ashamed? Go and call Dad back! Your older brother just got home, and all you do is whine?"

His tone was stern and merciless.

Zhou Anguo touched his nose, stood up awkwardly, turned to look at Zhou Dajun, scratched the back of his head, and grinned: "Brother, to tell you the truth, our dad works in a joint-venture factory in the city, which is far away from here! Even if you go back now, you might not be able to run into him. Why don't you come with me and take this opportunity to bring him back, so that we can have a reunion!"

Zhou Dajun subconsciously turned to look at Xiao Shui, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

He was worried that she would be bullied if she stayed here alone; after all, he knew these people's intentions all too well.

Xiao Shui, however, had relaxed considerably because of Zhou Xiuli's enthusiastic attitude earlier.

She felt that the woman spoke kindly and behaved considerately, so she probably wasn't a bad person.

Thinking that with someone by his side, he figured he should be fine waiting here and could even get a better look at the family's life, so he quickly looked up, gave Zhou Dajun a reassuring smile, and said repeatedly, "Bian Jiang, go ahead! I'll wait for you, it'll be alright! Don't worry!"

Zhou Jianguo immediately chimed in, speaking up before anyone else could: "Yes, yes, yes! Big brother, I'll go with you too! It'll be good to have someone to look after us on the road. Besides, I'm afraid Dad's blood pressure will spike and he'll faint if he sees you suddenly come back. You two—"

He pointed at Zhou Dajun and Zhou Anguo, half-jokingly saying, "One is as thin as a bamboo pole, and the other is so fat that he pants after walking a few steps. If we really had to carry one of them back, something bad would definitely happen!"

After saying that, he got into the car.

Zhou Dajun slapped his thigh, jumped up, and stamped his feet in panic: "Oh no! Mother and Cuifen are still at the village entrance and haven't come up yet! How could I forget them! What should I do? I have to hurry back to pick them up! It's getting dark, and the road is difficult to travel!"

Zhou Jianguo and Zhou Anguo waved their hands simultaneously, quickly reassuring her, "Oh, brother, don't worry! Mother knows the way! She's walked all her life, how could she get lost? Don't worry, go pick up Dad! We know that area well, we'll give you directions, we guarantee you'll be safe and sound!"

As the car passed the village entrance, Zhou Dajun's heart was pounding like a drum, almost leaping out of his throat.

He stared intently at every corner of the roadside—there were a few scattered figures, mostly villagers returning home late, but Song Yu'an and Shen Cuifen…

We didn't even see a shadow of it.