After Zhang Guoqing left, Zhou Xiaozheng walked over to the kang. Seeing his grandson lying alone on the kang, quiet and silent, he leaned over to take a look, then reached out and gently picked Ping'an up. He examined the little clothes he was wearing, then checked the thickness of his small quilt. He opened his military coat and wrapped him around him, carefully observing his grandson's expression. Seeing that he wasn't uncomfortable in his arms, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your nickname is Ping'an, right? Yeah, that's a good nickname. When I left, Jiaojiao was this big, even prettier than little Ping'an. She was small and cute, with her lips pursed. She didn't cry or make a fuss, unlike those children in the military compound who cried loudly every day and at night, making it impossible for their parents to rest. Living close to them was very annoying."

Before leaving, holding her, I thought I'd be back before she could talk, so I could hear her calling me daddy. I never imagined it would be 17 years. 17 years. I hadn't been there for her, hadn't seen her learn to talk, to walk, hadn't even walked her to school, hadn't carried her on my back, and hadn't personally helped her find a partner. I missed so much. Shanshan, we're so sorry for our daughter. Thankfully, our Jiaojiao has grown up, stumbling along.

Jiaojiao, Dad has wronged you. You are the one Dad feels most sorry for. When I gave birth to you, I was so excited to give you the best in the world, to make you as happy and carefree as a little princess, but in the end, I still let you suffer so much.

"I'm not wronged. I'm thankful to see you're fine. I always thought you were missing some limbs, but if you could just come back, I'd have a complete family.

Now that I finally see you back in one piece, I'm filled with gratitude. Dad, don't feel guilty. There are so many things I can't help and can't control. You didn't leave me on purpose. I always remember that you're a soldier, and I'm proud of you.

But I still want to tell you, Dad, it's great to see you, I finally have a dad." Zhou Jiao grinned, unable to suppress the joy in her heart.

I told myself in my heart that I was no longer a fatherless wild child, no longer the scourge of my father as Huang Zhaodi said. After two lifetimes, I finally had a father who loved me. You made up for the regret in my heart.

Thinking of Huang Zhaodi, she thought of the Zhou family's mess. She secretly glanced at her mother, wondering if she had told her father about the things happening at her grandfather's house. But she found it difficult to bring herself to speak. Her father had no reaction and didn't mention the Zhou grandparents. She was no match for him.

Zhou Xiaozheng was always keeping an eye on his daughter. How could he not have seen her? She frowned in confusion, her eyes furtively watching him. She had learned to read people's expressions, and there were things she couldn't bring herself to talk about. It was probably just some minor incident involving her grandparents and her uncle, and she was worried he would blame her. His daughter, Jiaojiao, was calm and didn't rush to complain.

Zhou Xiaozheng was now concerned about her current life. As for what had happened in the past, there was plenty of time to deal with it. He also didn't want his daughter to worry about the Zhou family's affairs. He would definitely keep those people away from her. Otherwise, if she saw them, his Jiaojiao would have a shadow in her heart and would have to worry about them hindering him.

"Now that there are no outsiders around, tell me, have your parents-in-law ever treated you unfairly? Have Zhang Guoqing's two sisters-in-law ever ordered you around, making things difficult for you? And has his family ever not given you enough to eat? Has he ever made you work in the fields? Since your household registration is not in the village, you don't have any food rations. Has he ever been deliberately harsh on you? How come you're so thin that a strong wind could blow you away? Have you no food? Or are you afraid to eat? Is Zhang Guoqing good to you? Has he ever been like a big man, ordering you around?"

"If you feel wronged, tell Dad. I'll come back and take you away. Don't worry about your reputation. Live your life however you want. No one dares to stop you. Dad can support you and will raise you well and make you fat and white." Zhou Xiaozheng finished speaking and stared at her closely, fearing that this silly girl would be worried and dare not complain.

Although Zhou Xiaozheng had heard from his father-in-law and wife that the Zhang family was kind, and he also knew Zhang Dayou and knew that the couple were honest and straightforward, he still felt uneasy.

He grew up in the countryside, in these very villages. From a young age, he'd watched mothers-in-law take bribes and manipulate their daughters-in-law. They used all sorts of tricks, both overt and covert. Even if they weren't educated, even the uneducated had their own ways, passed down through generations, learned through observation.

Even in the most kindhearted families, a daughter-in-law is a daughter-in-law, always in the palm of her mother-in-law's hand. Even a mother-in-law like his mother, who had never been seen in the surrounding area, was weak in character and was held hostage by Huang Zhaodi.

He wanted to grab his bag and drag his precious daughter away if someone treated her like a young wife. He knew his daughter a little better, knowing she was intelligent, but no one had taught her the ways of the world; she had learned them all by observing and figuring them out on her own. If she got carried away and thought it was natural for a mother-in-law to torment her daughter-in-law, he would have to plan carefully.

Zhou Jiao leaned against her father, smiling softly, "Dad, you underestimate your daughter. If I don't want to be wronged, who would dare to bully me? Xiaowu wouldn't order me to do this or that. Besides, I wouldn't marry into the Zhang family without seeing what kind of people they are, how the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law get along, what their reputation is, and whether I can control Xiaowu. Even if I like him very much, if the family is a mess, I am most afraid of trouble, so who would care about him? And besides the eldest son, everyone in their family separated and lived separately after one year of marriage. I know all about it. I have lived in this area since I was a child, and I only married in after I was sure of it.

Look, the yard next door is almost finished, so we'll have a different time in the spring. Besides, Xiaowu and I grew up together, so we understand him and won't let him bully us.

"Don't worry, Dad. You've been so mean to me, but now I have a dad and a mom, and I can go home. Dad, thank you for coming back safely." After saying that, she couldn't say any more. She didn't want to make her dad sad and guilty with tears and sadness.

Zhou Xiaozheng held Ping'an in one hand and reached out to touch the top of her head. "Well, if you feel wronged, just go home. No one will dare to bully you anymore. With dad here, if someone bullies you, I'll show you my face. No matter who it is, even the emperor, you can just crush them. With dad supporting you, you can do whatever you want. Think about what to eat and where to buy good things every day. Don't worry about other people's eyes. Can I, Zhou Xiaozheng's precious jewel, be compared to those idiots and bullied?"

Zhou Jiao nodded like a chicken eating rice, her head hanging low, but she still asked the question that was tangled in her heart: "Dad, I'm sorry, I got Zhou Xiaocun and the others into trouble. Did Mom tell me? I wanted to let it go at first, I was already married. Then I saw the box in your hand and knew you were still alive, so I took action. I can't stand them anymore. I want to separate from the eldest branch of the family. I don't want you to drag them down in the future.

Dad, I was selfish. This time, I was too selfish. I was afraid that after you finally came back alive, you'd be implicated by some idiots in the future. Dad, after doing this, I feel no burden or guilt. I was just thinking about Grandma. She must be having a hard time, otherwise she would have come to see me a long time ago.

Dad, will you blame me for acting on my own? For blocking your way? I asked Xiaowu to tell the county and township officials to wait until the end of this month, just to give you some wiggle room. If you can't bear it and let them go, I won't have any objections.

Zhou Xiaozheng looked at her, her head bowed, not daring to look up at him. He was both angry and amused. "Well done! Just like your father. If you hadn't lost your temper, I, your father, would have given them a good beating. They eat your food, drink your drinks, support those five families, and yet they plot against my daughter, dreaming of you marrying those scumbags, and yet they spared them. I didn't kill them, just because we are from the same mother. What's with that expression on your face? Don't you believe that your father will come back to deal with them?"

Zhou Jiao was so shocked that she immediately looked up, her little face flushed, and she was too excited to speak. Her big eyes stared at him intently, and she kept rubbing her hands together. After a moment, she said, "Dad, you know everything?"

Zhou Xiaozheng handed Ping An to Lin Lishan and patted Zhou Jiao. "You said it very well that day. Your grandfather told me everything. Your mother also told me everything on the train. Dad will understand it roughly after thinking about it. Leave your grandfather's affairs to Dad. Don't worry. Just relax and take care of yourself during the confinement period."

Zhou Jiao hugged him and said seriously, "Dad, was grandpa not nice to you when you were a child? That's why you joined the army. Are you sure you are his biological son?"

Zhou Xiaozheng smiled upon hearing this and sighed, "Regardless of whether or not he's your biological child, who should we ask? Who will give us an answer? Besides, your grandma is very kind to us. If he wasn't your biological child, she probably wouldn't protect you like this."

After saying that, he looked at Lin Lishan and said, "Shanshan, you don't need to go over since you are here. They are probably waiting for me. I'm going to talk to my dad. You stay here with Jiaojiao and take a rest."

Zhou Jiao pulled him, "Dad, go later. I have something to talk to you about. Xiaowu will prepare something for you to eat. You can go only after you eat. There is still a tough battle to fight over there. You must be mentally prepared."

Zhou Xiaozheng laughed out loud, "Haha..." "Don't worry, he's my dad, and I don't know him very well. Tell me, is there anything else you're anxious to know?"

Zhou Jiao glared at him in feigned anger, but smiled. "Dad, are you sure where you want to work?"

Zhou Xiaozheng looked at her with a smile, "You little devil, are you worried about your grandparents accompanying the army? Don't worry. This time I go back, mainly because Dad wants to ask him why he watched you suffer so much injustice in that family and pretended to be deaf and dumb? If you weren't smart and that woman plotted against the Huang family, do you think the Huang family would still have their heads? We'll have to settle this account with him.

As for them being locked up, what does it have to do with us? You just told the truth. They were forced to confess before they revealed everything. They were lucky to be shot. Not to mention being locked up, even if they died, it would not be a pity. The boss is a heartless person. It's just that the old man is confused."

"Have you decided where you'll work?"

"It's still the old unit, and I've been promoted a few levels. Dad doesn't plan to go back to the Northeast. I heard from your mom that you plan to take the college entrance exam and go to Beijing in the future. I'll stabilize the rear in Beijing first. I'll give you two years. If you don't pass the exam, you all have to go to Beijing. Dad hasn't been by your side for so many years, you should go back and accompany me soon, right?"

"Well, I also want to reunite with you guys soon. Where is your uncle? Where does he work? Is he in the same unit as you or something?"

Zhou Xiaozheng turned his back to his wife and winked at Zhou Jiao: "Your uncle and I work in the same unit. We reported back and didn't apply for transfer."

Zhou Jiao smiled and nodded after hearing this: "That's good, you two should help each other. Dad, how many days off do you have this time? I can't go out, otherwise it would be great if I could go out with you. People say I look like grandma. I think I look like dad. I want to take you out to show everyone our family of three."

"Silly child, when you're one month old, I'll take you to Beijing. Your dad only has a month's leave, and he needs to go to the army early to familiarize himself with the affairs and settle down. He can't stay here for long." Lin Lishan looked at her daughter with amusement, but also with sadness. The two of them would be leaving in the next few days.

Zhou Xiaozheng didn't refute what he heard. He said to his wife, "Shanshan, go see if Xiaowu is okay? Just make something to eat. Talk to the in-laws when you see them. We can talk again when you get back tonight. Everyone, take care of your own business first."