Chapter 223 Father and Daughter Settle Accounts, Space Cheat Exposed

"Zhizhi, what's your accent? Why do you speak in such a muffled way?"

Jiang Anchao winked at her and mimicked her tone, saying, "You're such a red egg, I heard you say that last time, oh my god, it cracked me up!"

"dad!"

Zhizhi was furious.

She shoved the goose in her hand directly onto the riverbank, clearly indicating she didn't want to pay him any attention.

Jiang Anchao looked down at the geese, then at his daughter and wife.

He knew he had to face the problem head-on, so he could only sigh silently.

“When you were selling vegetables before, I’m not stupid, how could I not have noticed? It’s just that there are some things you don’t say, so of course I have to pretend not to know. You two were growing so many cabbages at home, but you never went out, so of course I was curious. Since I’ve already pretended not to know, why don’t we just let this matter go? Why make such a fuss? Aren’t we all family?”

At that time, Deng Qiu took Zhizhi to sell vegetables, and he went to help.

People from outside asked him about the origin of the dish.

After all, he is the head of the household and knows every part of the house like the back of his hand. How could he not know whether such a high-yield crop could be grown in the backyard?

He just didn't want to ask so many questions. In life, you just turn a blind eye to some things; that's called being wise in a foolish way.

As long as he knows that Deng Qiu and her daughter Zhizhi are wholeheartedly doing what's best for him and for the good of the family, that's enough for him.

If you have to get to the bottom of everything all the time, that's exhausting.

"Dad... So you knew all along? Then why didn't you ask? No... when did you find out? How were you able to remain so calm?"

Zhizhi was bewildered in the wind; she thought she had hidden it very well.

How come Dad already knew? Does what I thought was a flawless plan look like a clown's trap in Dad's eyes?

Oh my god!

Is Dad really this cunning? She thought he was like her brother, someone who didn't care about the details of grocery shopping at all.

Jiang Anchao's eyes gleamed with interest. He smiled and said in a good mood, "Before, you always brought out some strange fruits. I thought you liked them, so I went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some. But the seller said they didn't have cherries, strawberries, or big mangoes. That's when I started to wonder where your fruits came from."

"Later, when your aunt's pregnancy became unstable, your mother cooked black chicken soup the next day. I had never seen that kind of chicken before. Only other rural areas could get such a rare species. At that time, I was certain that you must have some kind of supernatural power to conjure up food out of thin air like magic. But I didn't plan to ask. After all, children also need privacy."

As Zhizhi listened to her father recount what had happened, her mouth agape in astonishment, almost turning into a bubble-blowing fish.

Oh my god!

So it started this early on?

"Then why weren't you scared at all when I took something out of my space, Dad? What if I pulled out a C8 bomb?"

"puff!"

Jiang Anchao was successfully amused by her cute yet arrogantly serious expression, "Then Daddy will become popcorn, pop!"

Zhizhi: "... ..."

Is this funny?

This is not funny at all!

Perhaps it was the threat in Zhizhi's expression, or perhaps it was the sound of Zhizhi grinding her teeth.

Jiang Anchao's smile gradually turned serious, and he sighed almost imperceptibly, "Zhizhi, when I was in solitary confinement, you came empty-handed. In the end, you asked me if I was cold or hungry in this place, and then you turned around and took out a whole bunch of snacks."

“You were afraid I wouldn’t eat, so you deliberately took a small bite of each one and then made an excuse that you couldn’t eat anymore, so you made me clean up. Actually, Dad knew at that time that you didn’t dislike eating; you just wanted to make me feel less burdened and to let me accept your kindness with peace of mind. So… why would Dad doubt you? There is a one-quarter blood connection between us, and whatever you do, Dad thinks it’s right.”

Ugh!

Zhizhi wailed inwardly.

Good heavens! Oh my god!

Whose dad is so good at talking? Now I finally understand why Mom is so completely under Dad's thumb.

This man may seem rough around the edges normally, but he's really good at coaxing his wife and daughter.

She falls for that!

You're such a smooth talker!

That really resonated with me.

Zhizhi nodded like a chick pecking at rice, "Yes, yes, there is an inseparable father-daughter bond between me and Daddy. Daddy, the things in my space are really amazing! I raise geese, chickens, ducks, fish, and pigs in there. The other day, Mom made a pork stew with pigs raised in my space. Pigs are so cute, and they taste the best, right?"

Hearing his daughter's proud little voice, Jiang Anchao couldn't help but smile.

He pretended to be thinking very seriously, and after a moment of contemplation, he nodded decisively, "I didn't even notice until you mentioned it. Yes! That sausage really does taste great, and the pork lard rice is so fragrant. I see that silly boy Zhenwei has gained a lot of weight in just half a year. He's not growing taller, he's just growing wider. It's all thanks to your space, Zhizhi. After we're done with this busy period, have your mom make steamed pork with rice flour and crispy fried pork for us during the New Year. Then, stew it all in an iron pot. I knew a comrade from Northeast China who was an expert at stewing in an iron pot. He would stick flatbread around the sides, and it smelled amazing."

"Make something of yourself! Make something of yourself!"

Zhizhi quickly raised her hand, hoping her father wouldn't get so agitated.

Look at his pathetic state. They all have space, endless chicken, duck, fish, and even geese. What's the point of making so little?

"Dad, when you're done with your work, we'll stew a goose every day. Anyway, I really can't stand geese. I always feel like they look a lot like Jiang Yan. I get angry every time I look into a goose's eyes. Eat! Eat all of them!"

"Cough cough!"

Deng Qiu looked helplessly at the carefree father and daughter and couldn't help but say, "I said, since we've already talked things out, let's hurry up and take our things outside to wait."

Zhizhi's uncle probably expects to arrive soon; they need to pack up and head to Beijing.

"Okay!"

Zhizhi nodded repeatedly.

Watching her daughter obediently go to get her little bundle, Deng Qiu turned around, only to be suddenly pulled into Jiang Anchao's arms.

Deng Qiu looked up at her husband, who was so close to her, and shyly reached out to push him.

"What are you doing? Zhizhi will be out soon. It's not good for the child to see this."

"I don't care if you say I escaped death and suddenly became emotional, or if you say I've been holding back my feelings for too long and haven't seen you, I'll accept it all. But honey, it's been so long since we last met, don't you miss me at all?"

Jiang Anchao's voice was low, gentle, and magnetic, his gaze fixed intently on Deng Qiu.

Deng Qiu's face flushed red. "Stop being so irresponsible all the time. We're not young anymore. We shouldn't be doing this dating stuff."

"Then you handle daily life, and I'll handle dating."

As Jiang Anchao spoke, he took out a thin gold chain from his pocket.

"W-What is this?!"

Deng Qiu's eyes lit up, but she still subconsciously and hurriedly put the gold chain away and looked around.

Her face was full of tension. "Are you crazy? This is speculation and profiteering. Private trading of gold is not allowed at all now!"

"No, this wasn't stolen from the black market. Just wear it, nothing will happen."

Jiang Anchao's words were quite meaningful, which aroused Deng Qiu's curiosity.

"Tell me the truth, what exactly happened?"

Deng Qiu pretended to reach out and grab his collar, but Jiang Anchao immediately backed down and raised his hands. "Good wife, don't worry. I asked my comrade to get this for me. He and I were sworn brothers. After he retired from the army, he went to the coastal cities to trade goods. This gold necklace is a rare find now, and he went to great lengths to get this one for me."

Jiang Anchao said to her mysteriously, "He told me that the reform and opening-up policy is definitely going to continue. Bao'an County is about to make a big move. From now on, the price of gold will only be gradually liberalized, making gold affordable for everyone. I wronged you when we got married by only buying you a watch. Now I'll make up for it. After the market opens up and we can sell gold, I'll buy you one every year. Oh, right, look, there's this too..."

As he spoke, Jiang Anchao slowly pulled out a gold lock about the size of a thumb from his pocket.

Deng Qiu took it and carefully examined the gold lock in her palm.

It doesn't look particularly big, but it's exquisitely crafted. It's a heavy little gold lock with the characters for "fortune and prosperity" engraved on it, and decorated with auspicious cloud patterns.

"This is... ...?"

"For Zhizhi."

Jiang Anchao lowered his voice and glanced inside the bedroom through the door as he spoke.

Seeing Zhizhi bending over and rummaging through her things, and even taking the time to give the goose a few good wrestling matches when the goose bothered her several times.

Jiang Anchao couldn't help but want to laugh.

How come he never noticed before that Zhizhi had some comedic talent?

That's hilarious.

That little brat.

Deng Qiu's eyes were filled with joy as she carefully described the shape of the gold lock, her voice gentle, "A gold lock made for Zhizhi, for protection and safety?"

There used to be an old custom where parents would make a gold lock for their baby when the baby turned one month old.

Gold has always been a valuable commodity, so if a child receives gold jewelry from their parents from a young age, it symbolizes that they will live a good life.

She never expected that Jiang Anchao would have so much private money.

They actually managed to do that.

Deng Qiu seemed to realize something, and the smile on her lips instantly vanished.

"You don't earn much, how do you have the money to buy these things?"

Jiang Anchao chuckled somewhat sheepishly, "I took all my previous savings. It's alright, I've already figured it out. Nothing is more important than family. As long as we can live a better and better life, this little bit of money is nothing."

"We can't accept Zhizhi either."

After thinking it over, Deng Qiu returned the gold lock to Jiang Anchao and instructed him, "Go and return this lock. I appreciate the gold necklace you bought me, but I don't think this lock is suitable."

"Why?"

Deng Qiu was rather helpless at his question.

Their family has come this far because the parents have always treated each other equally.

She knew that Lao Jiang bought his daughter a gold lock because he was afraid that when she got married and gold became an indispensable part of the wedding, his daughter would think that the most important and precious gift in her life was given by her husband's family.

Therefore, he wanted to raise his daughter in a wealthy environment from a young age.

But Gansu and Zhenwei are also part of the family.

If this bowl of water is poured only into Zhizhi and not into the other two boys, isn't that unfair?

“You didn’t give Zhenwei Gansu, and Zhizhi has it all by herself, which is not quite right.”

"It won't be inappropriate. If you ask them, they'll definitely be more than willing. Their feelings for Zhizhi are no less than ours. Let alone Gan Su, just take Zhenwei for example. Even if Zhizhi were eating dirt in front of him right now, Zhenwei would stand by without hesitation for a second and take a couple of bites, then loudly praise Zhizhi for being so smart, knowing that dirt can be eaten."

Deng Qiu: "...Your son is really unlucky to have you. How can you talk about Zhenwei like that?"

You don't understand.

Jiang Anchao sighed silently, "I just suddenly feel a sense of crisis. Jiang Yan hasn't given up on taking the child away yet. If I don't get along with Zhizhi, I'm afraid that in the future, I won't be the child's number one favorite father anymore. I'll lose to Jiang Yan, do you understand?"

His salary is still too low.

He could only afford a small lock; if given the chance, he would earn more money to buy a bigger one.

Jiang Yan is incomparable to himself.

"Dad, even if you don't buy it for me, you will still be my number one favorite. Don't worry."

Zhizhi's sudden voice broke the silence between the couple.

Deng Qiu turned to look at her daughter.

Zhizhi clasped her hands together, her tone unusually serious, "Blood ties don't matter. If Sister Suisui could choose, she would rather not have a father like him, so it's the same for me. If I could choose, I would rather not know him."

"Then Zhizhi... ...would you wear it and see if it looks good on Daddy?"

Jiang Anchao looked on with anticipation. He had chosen it carefully. Although the style was simple, the gold lock symbolized a good thing for a child.

He also hoped that Zhizhi would like it very much.

The little cub nodded emphatically, waiting for her mother to help her put it on.

A small gold lock adorned her fair neck, making her look exquisite and adorable. Jiang Anchao's eyes revealed surprise and delight.

“My daughter is so beautiful, this little gold lock looks really nice on your neck.”

Zhizhi reached out and gently squeezed the gold lock, thinking that this was nothing. She had plenty of gold bars in her own space. When gold could be bought and sold, she would personally build a huge house made of gold for her father and hide him inside.

Didn't an emperor in ancient times do just that? He even created an idiom called "keeping a beauty in a golden house."

While others keep mistresses in luxury, she keeps her father hidden away in luxury.

They're all the same; they just spoil each other rotten!

"Alright, alright, stop babbling and hurry up and pack your things to get ready to leave."

Deng Qiu called the father and son to go out.

Under the cover of night, the Jiang family quietly left the military dependents' compound.