The sky was turning pale, and smoke rose from every household. Zhangjia Village seemed to be waking up. The strong winds of the previous night had died down, and the early morning breeze brought a chill that penetrated the bones. However, it did not affect the villagers who had risen early and gone to bed early, and they began to work on their private plots. On the road, men and women could be seen hurriedly carrying buckets of water. At the old well at the village entrance, people were already queuing. One could faintly hear men jokingly saying dirty things, and from time to time, women would laugh and curse, while others watched and laughed.

For decades, the old captain uncle has been walking around the village fields with his long pipe, looking at the empty wilderness with no crops. The temperature dropped suddenly last night, and it will snow in a few days.

As the old captain walked, he thought about farm work arrangements before and after the snow, next year's harvest, and the year-end grain distribution. Every time he saw the younger generation in the village grow up and establish their own families, with each household adding members, he was filled with joy for the prosperity of the Zhang family. However, with the village's population growing and the limited land available, how to ensure everyone had enough food and a good life became a problem he had been grappling with day and night for decades.

He could never forget what the previous captain said to him when he handed over the position. Yes, he was a member of the Zhang family. Sitting in this position made him the head of the family and he was responsible for the hundreds of people in the old Zhang family.

At this moment, he was secretly planning how to get more food to everyone before the end of the year, whether he should think of ways to reclaim more wasteland next year, and whether he should organize the village's old hunters to take the men in the village to the mountains more often to prepare some meat for the New Year.

The old captain spotted Zhang Guoqing approaching from the village entrance from afar. He'd finally caught this kid. Of all the younger members of the Zhang family, he'd hoped this kid would succeed him. But alas, it was no longer possible; he couldn't keep him. There were some talented young men in the Zhang family, but they were too selfish. He was already worried about what would happen to him after he retired.

The old captain, whose face lit up with smiles when he saw Zhang Guoqing, waved to him and asked him to come forward. When he got to the front, he saw that he was smiling.

He jokingly asked, "Xiaowu, where have you been so early in the morning? Is your father-in-law difficult to serve? Did you get beaten? Zhou Xiaozheng is a smart guy, but you're still far behind him. Remember to learn some skills from him. Mastering even 50% of his skills will be enough for you to use for the rest of your life."

Zhang Guoqing followed him and walked slowly forward with him, laughing and saying, "Third Uncle, I came here specifically to see you. I'm afraid you'll be busy and have no time. I hope you can help me get a certificate when you are free in the next two days. I need your stamp to transfer my household registration to the city. Now, my son is also moving to the county town."

The old captain stopped, patted him on the shoulder, and said with deep emotion, "Alas, what a pity! I knew I couldn't keep you here. I was hoping you'd help me carry this burden. Anyway, you should have settled things in the city, right? Have you decided where you'll work?"

Zhang Guoqing nodded and replied respectfully, "It's already been processed in the city. We just need your stamp. Then my family of three can move our household registration in. I've also found a job. I'll start after the first month of next year. It's at the county armed forces department. Please keep this a secret for me."

Upon hearing this, the old captain patted his shoulder again, laughed heartily, and said, "Good for you, kid. What a great place! Finally, someone from our Zhang family has made a name for themselves. Remember to take care of the younger generations of our Zhang family in the future. It's a good unit, a good choice! If your grandfather saw you succeeding so quickly, he would have drunk ten jars of wine. It's a pity that he passed away too early. It's easy to stamp. Whenever you are not working, just come to my house. You can do it anytime. I guess you are afraid of being seen by many people. Your third uncle is not confused and will keep it a secret for you. Your son is going to be registered, so you have to prepare his name first."

Zhang Guoqing smiled and nodded, saying, "Haha, thank you, Third Uncle. I'll come find you later. You're strolling back and forth early every morning. Do you notice anything different?"

The old captain uncle hit him on the head with his long pipe, scolding him with a smile, "Don't just say thank you, remember to bring the bottle of wine from last time. I'll also take advantage of your kindness and try it out. The last bottle was gone before I even finished it. I stroll back and forth every day, and I don't see anything else. I just see that you are about to take off. Our Zhang family has finally produced a big shot. I'm so happy!"

Zhang Guoqing hurriedly shook his head and said modestly, "Don't belittle me, old man. I'm not much of a figure. I'm just a farm boy who got a little lucky. And I'm so successful? Don't praise me too much, old man. I can't help it. Just don't make fun of me later."

"You're such a shrewd kid, you've been smart since you were little. Your third grandfather is still around, and he's a wise old man, right? He wouldn't make a mistake. Okay, go do your own thing. I need to check on the team." The old captain knew full well that even this county town couldn't keep him. Zhou Jiao was Zhou Xiaozheng's only child, so sooner or later she'd go back. He believed he'd lived most of his life, and he couldn't fail to see that the girl took after her father. He must have a reason for not leaving now, perhaps just waiting for an opportunity.

The village was buzzing with gossip about Zhang Laoer's exorbitant price of 800 yuan for his youngest son's bride. He'd have considered it worth spending 8,000 yuan if he'd been able to marry that young girl. A good wife brings blessings to at least three generations, but it was a shame none of his grandchildren were chosen. He'd seen the young couple at their wedding and knew it was time for his family to start making a fortune. But things hadn't turned out quite like that.

Zhang Guoqing watched the old man leave and turn the corner, heading home. He admired the old captain immensely. Zhangjia Village was the envy of the surrounding area, not only because of its proximity to Daqing Mountain, which had increased its supply of mountain products and wild game, but also because of his years of hard work, decades of personal dedication and advice for the village. His selflessness was truly commendable. His sons worked in the fields like everyone else, and it was thanks to him that Zhangjia Village became what it is today. Even if there were occasional families in Zhangjia Village who didn't have enough to eat or wear, it was still the wealthiest in the area, with many blue-tiled houses.

With the exception of the elderly and the weak, who were not lazy or cunning, he arranged for every household to have enough food, and even if they ate sparingly and supplemented it with spring vegetables, they could still survive. This was all thanks to the old man, and this was also the reason why Uncle Zhang was worried that the village would be in chaos after the old captain retired.

Zhou Jiao woke early in the morning, waiting for her parents to come in. Before they could say much, even Zhang Guoqing had gone out with them to run some errands. She didn't ask, figuring it was probably about the Zhou family and the small courtyard. Her father didn't like her worrying about the Zhou family, so she didn't ask to reassure him. With her mother around in the small courtyard, she felt even more at ease. The only thing she had to worry about was spending a little more money.

Zhou Jiao held her son, reciting nursery rhymes to him and teasing him from time to time. She discovered that he was indeed as quick-witted as Zhang Guoqing had predicted. These days, whenever she had free time, she would chat with him and sing nursery rhymes. He seemed to understand, his eyes following her. She didn't have a computer to check if her child, who wasn't even a month old, was precocious.

As for asking other people, forget it. Their family has already attracted attention, and if they really have a genius son, she would like to keep it hidden and don't want her son to be under pressure from a young age.