Zhou Xiao was just outside when he heard bursts of laughter coming from the inner room. Zhang Guoqing, who was standing next to him, had sharp ears and caught a few words. Seeing his father-in-law's confused face, he laughed to himself.

The two entered the inner room. Zhou Xiaozheng watched them laugh and said cheerfully, "Aunt, it seems you and Jiaojiao are a hit. How is it? Isn't our Jiaojiao very smart and beautiful? I knew you would like this girl. I'm not bragging about how good my daughter is, it's true that no one can compare to our Jiaojiao."

Old Madam Cheng smiled and nodded, "He's indeed a good child. Our Jiaojiao is very lucky. Considering the Zhang family's character, this marriage is good, the in-laws are good, and the partner she has found is good. I think Xiaowu is really good. They are childhood sweethearts, and you two must support each other well in the future."

Zhang Guoqing nodded solemnly, "Aunt, don't worry, I will take good care of Jiaojiao and the child. Just watch carefully, if I do something wrong one day, you can hit me hard."

Old Mrs. Cheng nodded with satisfaction. "Grand Aunt believes in you. I can see that you are more mature than your peers and know what you want. Your parents have raised their children well. You and your wife must be filial to them in the future, especially Jiaojiao. Xiaowu's parents have handed their outstanding son to you. You must accompany Xiaowu well and don't forget your parents' kindness.

Your parents are busy with work and certainly can't take care of you in life. Don't be afraid if you and your wife encounter difficulties. If you have any problems in the future, you can ask your great aunt for help. If your great aunt can't help, there are still your great uncle. If that doesn't work out, there are still people in our family to support you. As long as you act uprightly, our Gu family will never be forced into a desperate situation again.

Zhou Jiao nodded as she listened. She was lost in thought, thinking of the Gu family and her own grandparents. She knew she should always have a way out. Life is too long, and there are too many unexpected events. She absolutely couldn't let her children, her future brothers, repeat the same fate as the Zhou and Gu families.

Zhang's mother was deeply moved when she heard what Old Lady Cheng said. This is what an elder should do.

Zhou Xiaozheng saw that the atmosphere was a bit heavy, and he thought his daughter was probably worried about the future again. He hurriedly stuffed the box into Zhou Jiao's hands. Seeing her look up at him in surprise, he deliberately patted her forehead and complained, "What are you thinking about? Children should take care of themselves and eat well. Your father takes care of everything. This is a relic left by your grandparents. You keep it for your father. Your mother and I are not as careful, so you better put it away."

Zhou Jiao frowned and glanced at her mother. Seeing that she really didn't care and was looking at her with a smile, she breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, she remembered the family jade pendant and seal inside the token. She was about to speak, but swallowed it back, thinking that she would talk to her father later when no one was around. She had many questions in her mind that she hadn't yet discussed with her father, so there was no rush.

Zhou Xiaozheng watched her pack up the suitcase, remembering his daughter's hesitation to speak. He understood what she was trying to say and smiled to himself. If his daughter had thought of it, how could he not have? That was why he had given it to her directly. There were still many things that were inconvenient to discuss with others, so they could only think about them between themselves when they had free time.

Seeing that it was almost time for dinner, Zhou Xiaozheng said to Zhang's mother, "Second sister-in-law, dinner is about to start. Let's all go out. After we finish eating, come back and talk to Jiaojiao."

Upon hearing this, Zhang's mother patted herself and said with a smile, "Look at my brain. Come on, let's go, let's go have lunch first, and then we can have a good chat in the house. Aunt Jiaojiao, let's eat something to fill our stomachs first."

Zhou Jiao carried her son and sent them out the door. She returned to the inner room, put her son down, thought for a while, took back the two boxes, stared at them without opening them, and just pondered in secret.

The two suitcases were the kind popular during the Republic of China era. One was an ordinary, square box woven from willow vines, and the other was probably a password box brought back from abroad. Thinking of her grandmother taking out an ordinary wooden box containing the Gu family heirloom jade pendant and Zhou family seal, she turned her eyes away from the willow vine box in deep thought.

The wicker suitcase had been well-preserved for decades, its outer surface polished to a shine, perhaps because her great aunt often polished it, reminiscing about her. There wasn't a single burr to be seen, and even the small keyhole on it was pristine, without a speck of rust.

She pondered, if she were her grandmother, her fake death was a premeditated plan, leaving with valuables. Besides the safe, she would have likely carried a larger suitcase. This wicker case wouldn't have made sense unless it held some memento. Given her wealth at the time, such a crude-looking suitcase wouldn't have been able to hold anything heavy. So why would her grandmother carry the safe with her until her death? Could it be that her grandfather had come to her house in distress?

Zhou Jiao frowned, thinking hard, and then she continued to touch the four corners, carefully feeling for any abnormalities. In the end, she smiled bitterly.

She'd imagined her grandmother would have left a note in the suitcase detailing her father's whereabouts, or perhaps a letter. As the Gu family's only daughter, raised as a son, she couldn't have failed to consider how Liu Xizhi would recover her child if the Zhou family didn't return her. The Gu family's betrayal was a familiar reality; how could she truly trust Zhou Jiaren? She'd even forfeited her fortune to retrieve the child, clearly worried about Zhou Jiaren. But why wouldn't she have a backup plan?

Zhou Jiao wanted to open it to see if there was a compartment inside, but she didn't have the key with her, so she could only wait for her father to come back. She had a hunch that her talented grandmother must have left a letter, but her great aunt hadn't thought of destroying the box, or she had forgotten the hint her sister had given her.

Zhou Jiao sighed deeply, trying to find something to say to her father, something to comfort him. Even though her father smiled and looked his usual self, she still felt the heartache and sadness. He had been driven into despair by his own people, one after another. It was the same with her grandmother, her father, and herself. The Gu family, the Zhou family, had all forgotten that their principal wife had raised their concubines. She gritted her teeth in hatred at the thought.

Would her father not understand? Would he not understand? In the Zhou family's ancestral hall, seeing the high tablet from afar, she suddenly felt it was ridiculous. She wondered if the grandparents above would dislike the cousins ​​around them.

Neither father nor daughter liked to expose their wounds to others, and they endured them silently, just as they silently endured all the injustices. Perhaps if her grandmother had left a letter for her father, he would have felt better. At least they still had the love of blood relationship.

After packing up her suitcase, Zhou Jiao patted her son gently, her mind racing. This time, she was going to force her father to try hard to have children and raise younger brothers well. The Zhou family in Beijing couldn't fail in her generation. If she really couldn't have a younger brother, she decided to give birth to a son as soon as possible, giving him the surname Zhou.

After hearing about what happened to the Gu family, she had only one thought: from now on, the Zhou family in Beijing would only be the Zhou family in Beijing. She could interact with any family member they wanted to. Even if a member of the Gu family died at her doorstep, she would just smile and walk away.