Zhang Guoqing has always been a giant of action. Since he had promised his two younger sons to clean up the backyard bungalow, he would not ask outsiders to do it.

The next day, he braved the biting cold wind as soon as he got off work, and used his immature carpentry skills to piece together a large rectangular table and a simple shelf against the wall with a hammer here and there.

It was the coldest time of the year, and he couldn't let his precious son get frozen to death. To keep him warm, he went to the warehouse and dug out an old coal stove from years ago.

For a while, he was busy installing the chimney, lining the stove, and re-planning the chimney's direction. In order to enhance the heating effect, in some places, the chimney's length inside the house was specially lengthened.

If the chimney wasn't long enough or the elbow (reversing knot) wasn't enough, he had to go to the general store to buy a new one. Of course, chimneys were supplied with coupons. Luckily, he had a lot of friends, so he could always get them by phone. And to protect the children from the gas, he installed air scoops on the windows.

Fortunately, the window paper was renewed every year, otherwise he would have to do it. In this way, every time he came back from work, he would go in and out and tidy up, and three days would have passed.

If the Liuyi brothers hadn't been so excited that they said it was good enough and rushed to Dongsi Street to buy spare parts, he would still want to install a kang.

Just imagine his two little sons, tired from playing, taking a rest on the kang, eating sweet potatoes and other things roasted on the stove, while discussing the next steps with each other on the kang table...

He was very excited.

A father always wants to give his children the best. With his son's reluctance, Zhang Guoqing decided to find an opportunity to prepare the materials and strive to create a perfect environment for the coming year.

Once the silly dad mode was turned on, his enthusiasm and passion did not last for more than two days before Zhou Xiaozheng, who had returned home, took a look around and shattered his enthusiasm with one word.

"What?"

Zhou Xiaozheng tried hard to suppress his smile, covering the corners of his mouth with his fists. "It's possible that our family will move back to the big courtyard house next year."

Zhang Guoqing blinked and confirmed again: "Dad, why did you change it at the last minute? Did the two families living here get the housing they applied for?"

Could Zhou Xiaozheng say that he just couldn't stand his silly son-in-law's arrogance? However, as for moving back to his own yard, as the children grew up, he really had this idea.

Especially since every time the father-in-law and son-in-law go to a meeting they have to pass by my house without going in, I always have the illusion that I can't go home. Also, after moving back, my own Jiaojiao won't have to work so hard, and she can go home to rest at noon.

Of course, he would not tell the truth to his family.

"Well, it's time for them to get a promotion after all these years. The main point is that it's inconvenient for our family to live here anymore. Everyone who comes to our house has to register."

Zhang Guoqing understood the meaning behind this. Every family has its own secrets, but once visitors register, if you really pay attention, everything will be revealed.

Especially in their family, Uncle Wang and his family couldn't just come to their house when they had problems. He was the same, he had to go out whenever he needed someone to do something.

"I heard someone mentioned that I should move to the inner city. Do you want to live in Dahongmen?" Zhou Xiaozheng looked at his son-in-law with a smile, "How about we move in too?"

Zhang Guoqing was shocked when he heard this and shook his head quickly! It's really terrible. It's easy to get in that place but hard to get out. It's better to be in the current compound.

Zhou Xiaozheng burst into laughter upon seeing this. How many people dreamed of living in his house? The whole family was shocked at the thought.

Zhang Guoqing looked speechlessly at his father-in-law, who was feeling a pang of disgust. "Don't you want to move in yourself?" he asked. "Everyone's stuck together."

"Dad, the Yi family seems to be moving."

Zhou Xiaozheng shook his head slightly, "They can't move. If they move, they'll lose."

“But won’t Yi Lao be very passive?”

"So what if he's passive? He doesn't dare to move! If he does, he'll be showing his hand. Not only will those people not allow him to have his own power, even the two or three people above him won't agree. The army belongs to the country, can it be turned into a private army? Remember the exchange of district leaders before?"

If Zhang Guoqing still didn't understand, he really should go back to his hometown to farm. "So, is the Yi family on the defensive now? Are they deliberately going on the offensive to divert the enemy's attention?"

"That's what I meant. You must have heard what the kid from the Yi family said, but have you ever thought about it? The old leader and the commander-in-chief are still here."

Zhang Guoqing was worried that the old men would not be able to hold on any longer. "Dad, they are old."

Zhou Xiaozheng smiled noncommittally, "Even if they were all gone, it wouldn't be the Yi family's turn to step forward. The Yi family lost from the moment Yi Ming was transferred to the Ministry of Public Security. Of course, he's also a smart man. If he hadn't been transferred, the Yi family might not exist now."

This statement contained a lot of information, and Zhang Guoqing felt that he needed to think about it carefully.

Zhou Xiaozheng looked at his son-in-law who was lost in thought and said, "The old leader knows all the hidden cards of each family. Your Uncle Shi doesn't have such a high-ranking file..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Guoqing could tell from his expression and the height of his gestures that he was in control. Indeed, each of these people was no ordinary person, having secretly fought against each other several times.

"Don't let anyone know about this. Not even the old lady can tell anyone. Otherwise, no one can protect your Uncle Shi." Zhou Xiaozheng gave his soft-hearted son-in-law instructions, then added, "Of course, it's okay if Jiaojiao knows."

Zhang Guoqing was initially influenced by his serious attitude and was about to respond earnestly, assuring him that he knew the seriousness of the matter. But then… well, this unexpected turn of events made him burst out laughing.

Zhou Xiaozheng slapped him on the forehead, "What a silly boy! If you don't want Jiaojiao to worry, you have to give her some secrets from time to time. Haven't you seen how she's been forcing herself to smile lately? It's so ugly."

Zhang Guoqing rubbed his forehead and looked at him sadly, "Dad, Jiaojiao is worried about Ping An."

"Safe?" Zhou Xiaozheng pondered for a moment, then quickly understood what he meant by that instruction. He glared at him unhappily, "You're really just too bored. I don't know how to make arrangements for my grandson, do I?"

Uh... Zhang Guoqing actually found himself speechless.

"Dad, will Yi Ming come to find you?"

Zhou Xiaozheng glanced at him and asked, "What bargaining chips can he give me?"

The implication was that if there was no benefit, why would he help? Zhang Guoqing nodded in understanding. This reason was very strong, worthy of being his daughter-in-law's father and daughter, equally cold-hearted.

"It's true that we formed an alliance to advance and retreat together, but the original intention of the alliance was profit. Xiaowu, you must remember what Dad said. Alliances can turn into enemies at any time. Even if Elder Cheng really turned against our family for the sake of his children and grandchildren, would you still believe in the so-called alliance that has lasted for hundreds of years?"

Zhang Guoqing shook his head decisively, "Dad, I understand what you mean."

"You understand, but you're soft-hearted. This is your strength and also your biggest weakness. When I'm gone, there will be many changes in the Cheng family and the next generation of our family. If something happens, will you be able to be ruthless?"

Zhang Guoqing's heart sank at his father-in-law's words. It was his initial thought that they were of the same origin that had led to such a disaster.

He swore in a deep voice, "Dad, if it really comes to the safety of the children in the future, even if I feel guilty towards the old lady, I will never raise a tiger to cause trouble."

Zhou Xiaozheng sighed inwardly. This child was becoming more and more outstanding, but he still couldn't change his soft-hearted nature. Loyalty and loyalty were good things, but he didn't want to force his child to be ruthless. Besides, human nature was already determined, so it would be more effective for him to raise his three grandsons.