In the small courtyard of the county town, Zhou Xiaozheng had no idea what he was about to face.

After dinner, everyone moved to the living room to drink tea and chat for a while.

Zhao Dashan saw that Zhou Xiaozheng and his mother were absent-minded, and he knew that the old lady's sudden visit to the county town today must be that the Zhou family had made trouble again. He looked at Zhou Xiaozheng worriedly, then remembered that Zhang Guoqing was right next to him, and he felt relieved.

Why haven't the Zhou family suffered enough? They're still trying to get back at Zhang Guoqing and his wife. They think Zhou Xiaozheng, just because he's their son and brother, can be manipulated. Why don't they consider that even if Zhengge can't pull the trigger, he still has the little fox Zhou Jiao behind him? Are they failing to understand the situation, or are they failing to see that the little white rabbit Zhou Jiao is actually a little fox? There's a tiger watching closely, right beside them. They're courting death!

Zhao Dashan looked at the new wall clock in the living room and saw that the hands had turned to half past five. His wife and Lin Lishan had already cleaned up the kitchen. It was inconvenient for them to handle housework at home.

He quickly finished the tea in the cup and stood up. "Brother Zheng, we're going to go back now that we've had enough. I'll wait for Zhao Chuangguang to come and see you tomorrow morning. You should go back and get some rest too. Aunt, we'll go back first. When you have time, come to my house. It's not far from here, just up ahead."

Seeing that he was determined to leave, Zhou Xiaozheng didn't try to keep him any longer. He stood up and said, "Mom, you sit down first. I'll see them off." After that, he walked out first.

"Brother Zheng, you don't have to go out. This isn't the first time we've come to your house. Are you worried that we don't know the way?"

"It's okay, it's just a few steps away." Zhou Xiaozheng smiled secretly when he saw his son-in-law coming out of the warehouse carrying a bamboo basket. This son-in-law really has good tact. As soon as Zhao Dashan said goodbye, he had already taken the lead to prepare.

Zhang Guoqing handed Zhao Hongbing two bamboo baskets. Seeing him look at his father hesitantly, he smiled and said, "Don't look at your dad. Carry them quickly. They're not heavy. Come back after you finish eating."

Zhao Dashan looked at his son's bewildered expression, smiled and nodded, and said to him, "Take it. We don't have to be polite. Take whatever your Uncle Zhou has. Just treat your Uncle Zhou as your filial son."

Cheng Hongli laughed heartily. "You're so self-righteous. Be careful next time you come over, or Brother Zheng will chase you away with a broom."

Zhou Xiaozheng teased her, "It's okay. I'll bring back whatever I see when I come back to your house. Don't feel bad."

"Haha, sure. As long as you like something, you don't have to do anything, Brother Zheng. I'll move it all over for you."

Zhou Xiaozheng and the others were at the gate. After watching Zhao Dashan and his family disappear into the distance, Lin Lishan asked Zhang Guoqing, "Did you put the rice that your Aunt Cheng brought over into the bamboo basket?"

Zhang Guoqing laughed heartily. "Luckily they brought rations. Mom, have you seen how much the Zhao brothers and sisters eat? One meal from them is enough to feed our Jiaojiao for a month. Haha, just kidding. I didn't feel comfortable returning it to them, so I specially prepared more than 10 pounds of flour and bacon and put them under the bamboo basket, and put some dried fish on top, just in case Aunt Cheng saw it and was put off. Since they really liked shrimps, I added shrimps, conchs, and other things to the other bamboo basket, which was quite respectable."

Zhou Xiaozheng walked back with him and the other two. He smiled and nodded, looking at him approvingly, "You handled it very well. Don't worry, your son-in-law will definitely take care of this little matter for you."

"I'm not worried. I just feel embarrassed to invite them to our house and have them bring rice. Jiaojiao said that the supply of rice in the city is limited now. Hongli is so frugal, so she must have kept it for a long time. Don't give it to us. She eats coarse grains at home. Then I'll be the sinner."

Zhou Xiaozheng chuckled to himself. He probably thought his wife saw everyone as frugal. Perhaps it was because of Cheng Hongli's frequent interactions these past few days that she'd developed a taste for the situation. She'd forgotten that she lived and ate in the army, occasionally returning to her parents' home to satisfy her hunger. She'd never considered whether the rations listed on her ration book were sufficient. She had no idea that housewives lived frugally. It was a good thing she married him; they hadn't had a falling out before. When he returned to Beijing this time, he'd get a promotion and live in a small courtyard with a housekeeper.

"Don't worry, Zhao Dashan will buy food on the black market. We have agreed to go to K Province in a few days. There is no shortage of food there. We won't buy coarse grains to keep for everyone to live on. Let's buy some fine grains instead."

Zhang Guoqing nodded in agreement, considering the situation for next year and beyond. "Dad's right. We won't buy coarse grains. Jiaojiao and I have food rations now that we've registered as hukou in the county, and with the fine grains we've stored at home, we'll have more than enough to eat. When next spring comes, even if we plant sweet potatoes and corn in the courtyards of the village, we might not be able to finish them all."

As they reached the main living room, Zhang Guoqing immediately stopped talking. He glanced at his father-in-law, wondering if he should just leave for the night. He couldn't really talk about the Zhou family's privacy without his father-in-law's consent.

How could Zhou Xiaozheng not notice the look in his son-in-law's eyes? They both knew that tonight was a good opportunity. It would be difficult to hear anything from the old lady after tonight.

As for avoiding him, there is no need to do so. If his background is really problematic, it will be beneficial to the old man. Otherwise, with his personality, he would not threaten him but drive him away.

"Shanshan, please take a look and see if there are any coats or quilts you want to take back for the old lady. Pack some up, don't leave too many, and leave them in the room for me to take a look. Xiaowu and I will chat with the old lady, and we will go back later. It will be quiet here." After Zhou Xiaozheng finished speaking, he walked towards the living room.

Old Mrs. Zhou sat in the living room, carefully observing the furnishings. She had just come in and gone to rest in her room, so she hadn't had time to look around. Now it seemed the original owner had some background; no wonder they installed a firewall. She wondered if something had happened that made her willing to give up. Then she thought of her own family, the Zhou family, and her mood darkened.

After waiting for a while, the old lady smiled as she saw them come in, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Are they all gone? This is the first time I've seen Xiaozheng have comrades in the county. They seem to be a good family. They'll visit Jiaojiao and the others from time to time. You and your wife won't have anything to worry about. You can also return to the capital as soon as possible and work in peace."

Zhou Xiaozheng nodded. "Zhao Dashan is a very honest person. Even after not seeing him for so many years, his personality hasn't changed. Just because he and his wife often take care of our Jiaojiao, she must remember this kindness."

"You have to remember this kindness. There are still many good people these days. When will you return to the capital? If you have nothing to do, go early. Mother will be relieved to see that you are well. Don't send money here on a regular basis. We all have salaries. If there is really no way, just look for Jiaojiao again. You have not been here for more than ten years. Go back early and take care of everything. Jiaojiao is married and has children here. Xiaowu, you have seen them. They are all good children. There is nothing for you to worry about. You should go back early. If you have nothing to do, don't come back. If you miss the children, let Xiaowu take Jiaojiao to see you."

Zhou Xiaozheng's eyes darkened, and he complained to her with a smile, "Mom, why do you always want me to go back early? Don't you miss your little son? I want to stay and spend a few days with you. I always miss you when I'm away, and I'm afraid that something happened to you and I don't know. Now that I finally see you, you want me to leave early. If someone doesn't know, they would think you are chasing me away."

Mrs. Zhou looked at him sadly. "How could mother not miss you? When I see Jiaojiao, I think of you and your childhood. You have given too much to our family, and we can't let you be a burden anymore. If you go back soon, no matter how much your father misses you, it will be in vain. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, and he can never see through it."

Zhou Xiaozheng felt sad after hearing this, but he still had to ask the question in his heart, "Mom, you know how I've been doing in the Zhou family. No one in that family treats me as a relative except you. I don't think I've done anything to let Dad down, but he got involved with Jiaojiao, so we are outsiders in the Zhou family. I want to ask, who is Liu Xizhi? Who gave me the amulet I've worn since I was a child?"