The aroma made Mr. Cheng unable to sit still any longer. He quickly asked Zhou Xiaozheng and the others to help set the table and talk at the table.

Zhang Guoqing, who had returned late, happened to see this scene as soon as he entered. He quickly greeted everyone and stepped forward to help. His wife's cooking skills were no exaggeration, not to mention that meat was in short supply these days. His friends had just invited him to dinner, but he had declined. He was just figuring that tonight's meal at home would be good.

Everyone finished their dinner with laughter and joy, and a few men stayed behind to continue drinking.

Seeing Ping'an sitting on Zhang Guoqing's lap, refusing to move and clamoring for food, Zhou Jiao smiled and followed him. The almost seven-month-old child was more clever than his peers. The words "eat" and "walk" were pronounced with remarkable clarity—a typical little dandy.

When Old Lady Cheng saw this, she pulled Zhou Jiao out to the courtyard, away from everyone else, and asked in a low voice, "The child has been following you all this time? Did outsiders know that he started talking at over six months old?"

Seeing that she was worried, Zhou Jiao quickly explained, "Don't worry, Auntie. He just learned these two words in the past two days. He only knows these two words. He still can't walk now, which is normal."

Old Madam Cheng looked at her suspiciously. Seeing her nod seriously, she smiled and said, "Even now, he's different from ordinary children. Our Ping An must be different from ordinary children. You must take good care of him and never let anyone find out. The child is well-nourished and you wouldn't know he's only six months old. If anyone asks about his date of birth, don't mention it. Be vague."

Zhou Jiao nodded at this, but secretly groaned. She wasn't worried about her child being precocious, she was just worried he might inherit Zhang Guoqing's strength. That couldn't be hidden anymore!

Her mother-in-law said that Zhang Guoqing's strength wasn't apparent until he was a year old, but she noticed Ping'an was incredibly strong now, carrying a bag of wooden toys like it was a piece of cake. He was especially strong while breastfeeding, so much so that she didn't dare tell anyone.

A tall tree attracts the wind; only those who keep a low profile can live freely. With her grandfather's example in mind, some things must be guarded against. The nickname "Ping'an" carries her hopes and aspirations for her child's future.

At the table, Zhou Xiaozheng listened to the conversation, occasionally responding. He noticed Ping An sitting on Zhang Guoqing's lap, and his large eyes never stopped scanning everyone. He uttered "ahhhh" as everyone else spoke. He really was a chatterbox, just as Jiaojiao had said.

Seeing Ping An trying to grab the bowl and chopsticks, Zhou Xiaozheng gently patted the child's hand. The tiny child actually shouted at him to eat, which made him stunned for a moment. He immediately looked at the crowd for reaction. He found that everyone was talking about sex and didn't notice this little episode.

He looked again: Zhang Guoqing pointed his finger at the child's mouth and shushed him, only to be surprised to find that the child had indeed stopped talking. Seeing this, his mind wandered slightly—would his Jiaojiao be this precocious, learning to speak and understanding others' expressions at this age? He had missed out on the years of accompanying his child's growth.

Reaching out to take the child, Zhou Xiaozheng gently stroked his little head. Facing the child's innocent smile and well-behaved appearance, he couldn't help but laugh out loud - he really looked like his own Jiaojiao, not afraid of strangers at all.

Although Zhou Xiaozheng didn't reveal his thoughts, Zhang Guoqing, knowing his temperament, couldn't help but think: His father-in-law must think the child resembles his precious child again. Whenever Ping An is good, his father-in-law automatically attributes it to Zhou Jiao. Just like his parents always say that the child takes after him, pitiful parental love.

After dinner, they sent the Cheng family off. Zhou Xiaozheng left his wife and son-in-law to accompany Zhao Chuangguang and his wife, and took Zhou Jiao into the study, holding the child.

In the study, Zhou Xiaozheng looked at his daughter and nodded with satisfaction.

"Dad, I really haven't lost weight. Apart from missing you, I have no worries about food and clothing. My life is quite leisurely, I am almost bored. Dad, what do you think about me finding a job?" Zhou Jiao asked coquettishly, pulling his arm.

Zhou Xiaozheng smiled and shook his head, pointing at Ping'an in his arms. "Are you worried about the child? Ping'an is so smart at such a young age. You need to spend more time on him. Dad missed your growing years, and I don't want you to regret it like me in the future. You won't have time to spend with the child if you start working, so at least wait until he is able to express himself clearly."

Zhou Jiao nodded. She had been worried about her child and couldn't make a decision.

"So that aunt quit, why didn't you find another one? Can you take care of her by yourself?" Zhou Xiaozheng held Ping'an in his arms, weighed her, and looked at his daughter worriedly.

"There are so many secrets at home, and having an outsider here is really troublesome. Besides, there's not much work to do at home, so hiring someone is pointless. I have my thick clothes and sheets washed by others, and Xiaowu prepares the meals before he goes to work, and sometimes we eat in the cafeteria. Xiaowu's older sister usually comes over to help me clean up. Don't worry! I won't be tired whether I hire an aunt or not."

Zhou Xiaozheng smiled and shook his head, seeing her speak so easily. "How can I not be tired?" It was already exhausting for Jiaojiao to take care of such a small child. It was a pity that they were too far away, and Aunt Chen couldn't come over. He was worried about finding someone else.

"This time, bring more for your sister-in-law. Who in your in-laws hasn't caused you any trouble? What happened last time you talked about Boss Zhang and the Huang family? You were too lenient." Zhou Xiaozheng was dissatisfied with the outcome of the incident mentioned in the letter. His son-in-law was still too naive—only the wrath of thunder could subdue the demons and gods.

"Hehe," Zhou Jiao giggled twice, "They don't know that this was all done by Xiaowu and his second brother. The old man of the Huang family came to my father-in-law in person to apologize and ask for help. No one in the family paid any attention, especially my mother-in-law. When she learned that Huang Lao Da dared to use her eldest son's name, she was so angry that she ignored the eldest daughter-in-law.

Later, Xiaowu's eldest brother came to Xiaowu and asked him not to interfere in the Huang family's affairs. He owed the Huang family a favor, but that didn't mean his younger brother had to suffer. Zhang Laoer said that his eldest brother had fallen out with his eldest sister-in-law. The two brothers couldn't bear to see their eldest brother suffer, so they did him a favor and sent Huang Laoda away.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaozheng said disdainfully, "The Zhang family knows how to behave. This awful idea must have been thought up by that kid Zhang Laoer. If they send him away, his eldest brother will feel like he doesn't owe the Huang family any favors and can live in the county town without being disturbed, right? That silly kid Xiaowu..."

"Dad, forget it. I know what's going on. We don't really interact with them anymore. We've all split up and have our own families. Apart from supporting the elderly, they're not ours..."

Before Zhou Jiao finished her words, she heard - "Ah...ah...go...go..." Ping An shouted, pointing outside.

This made Zhou Xiaozheng and his daughter burst into laughter.

"You can't leave. Be good and eat." Zhou Xiaozheng said to him. He saw the child looking at his hand with his big eyes, and he immediately understood that he wanted to eat.

"Ping'an of our family is really smart. As for you, raise the child well. Don't interfere in the affairs of the Zhang family in the future. Now that the two brothers have jobs, they can support a family without any problem. You just need to live your own lives well." Zhou Xiaozheng reminded his daughter again with concern.

Zhou Jiao nodded and followed him out of the study. She had originally wanted to inquire about the Lin family, but now her plans had been ruined by the little scoundrel.