After returning to Cheng's house, Zhang Guoqing first called his father-in-law's office, but no one answered. Thinking about it, he knew that this lucky mood was not a good thing. He was in a meeting, so how could he be at the company?

I guess his father-in-law’s trip to the hospital tonight would be in vain.

As soon as they got home, Zhou Jiao didn't bother to talk to anyone. She waited for Aunt Chen to bring her something. She went into the kitchen first, declined Aunt Chen's offer, and started to cook the lean meat porridge herself.

The old lady had just recovered from a cold and was weak, so she was really worried about handing the meal over to someone else. So she carefully wrote a few medicinal meals and gave them to Aunt Cheng along with ginkgo nuts and mung beans.

"Jiaojiao, my son is sleepy. I'll take them home first and come back later." Zhang Guoqing stepped into the kitchen and saw his wife with a tired face. Because Aunt Cheng was there, he couldn't remind her to rest. He regretted dragging her into a fight.

Zhou Jiao winked at him and said, "You stay with the child. I'll go back after the old lady finishes her porridge."

"Just leave this to me. I'll add some salt after we start driving, okay? You must be tired after sitting in the car for so long. Go back and rest first. I'll call you if you need anything." Aunt Cheng said as she pushed Zhou Jiao out.

Zhang Guoqing nodded slightly towards his aunt, "Then I'm sorry to bother you. Jiaojiao, go sit with your aunt for a while. My aunt and the others seem to want to see you for something."

Is there something wrong?

Zhou Jiao rubbed her face to regain some energy. She pushed open the half-open door of the old lady's bedroom and saw that the old lady had closed her eyes due to fatigue, and several people around her were about to get up and go out.

Cheng Ruzhu took Miao Lishan's arm and said "hush" to her. The three of them tiptoed out and carefully closed the door.

"Where's my aunt?"

Cheng Ruzhu pointed to the study and said softly, "Take the children inside. Come on, let's go to my room and talk. Xiaowu, come over too."

Even though she had been married for more than ten years, Cheng Ruzhu still had her own bedroom in her parents' home. However, her husband's family was in the capital, so Xiaoyu usually lived there.

Zhang Guoqing felt quite strange. They were all lesbians, so was he the director of the Women's Department? Of course, this was a joke. He guessed that Cheng Ruzhu had something important to discuss with him, so he smiled and nodded without saying anything.

As soon as her room was opened, Cheng Ruzhu was the last one to come in. Not only that, she peeked outside, locked the door, and turned around with an excited look on her face.

Zhang Guoqing glanced at his wife, his mouth twitching. No wonder she kept saying Cheng Ruzhu and Miao Lishan were the same kind, both of them had a girlish heart no matter how old they were.

Cheng Ruzhu lowered her voice and said, "I'm telling you, there's a party this weekend about processed goods. Do you want to come with us?"

Zhou Jiao glanced at her in surprise. How could such a big deal be so secretive?

Miao Lishan must have gotten the inside scoop beforehand. "Who told you that? I heard a lot of people were going this time."

Cheng Ruzhu glanced at her and said with a smile: "Who else could it be? The old lady was invited, otherwise I would be qualified to participate? Did your eldest brother tell you?"

Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao looked at each other and began to understand what kind of gathering this was.

Miao Lishan neither denied nor admitted it. She'd attended these parties before, and there were spoils and customs confiscated items that always had to be sorted out. While prices inside were certainly lower than outside, it also made it easier to create friction when purchasing.

"Jiaojiao, do you want to go over?"

Seeing her mother smiling without saying anything, Zhou Jiao immediately shook her head.

Cheng Ruzhu laughed happily, "Want to consider it?"

Miao Lishan looked at her daughter and said, "They're basically all sold-out items. Your dad said if you're interested, you can go take a look. They're all familiar faces."

Privileges are everywhere. Although her family is now stable, there are still many people waiting to find fault with her. Her father loves her, so she can't act recklessly.

"I'd better forget it. It's annoying with so many people chattering." Zhou Jiao said as she saw Zhang Guoqing was about to speak and shook his head slightly. No matter how good the relationship is, one should not meddle in other people's affairs. Others may know the inside story.

"Then if you need anything, your aunt will get it for you."

Zhou Jiao's drooping eyes flickered, and she looked up and smiled, "It seems nothing is missing. Little aunt, please be careful."

Seeing this, Cheng Ruzhu did not try to persuade her much. The opportunity was rare, but the child was too cautious and had her own principles in dealing with things. When she found the right person, she would do whatever she wanted.

Seeing her looking at her, Miao Lishan smiled and said, "We'll talk about it when the time comes. It's not very soon yet. Who knows if there will be a sudden notice to lead a group to the grassroots level."

"Yeah, we'll talk about it later. It's getting late, I'll take you back first."

Zhou Jiao hesitated for a moment and said, "Let's wait until Auntie finishes her porridge."

"You guys go back first. I'll sleep here tonight." Seeing Zhou Jiao still hesitating, she glared at her, "What? Are you disobeying me?"

Zhou Jiao laughed.

She had just taken the old lady's pulse. Although her cold and fever were over, she was still weak. Considering this, she nodded without being pretentious.

"That's right." Cheng Ruzhu said as she opened the door and saw Old Cheng with his three children in the living room. "Look at our three treasures."

Zhou Jiao had noticed her sons secretly wiping their eyes, especially Liuyi and Wuyi, who both covered their mouths and yawned. She knew that the children would not be able to bear it when the lights-out signal sounded.

There are still some things...that need to be made public when I return home. These things need to be dealt with tonight.

…

After returning home, Zhou Jiao urged her mother and the children to go to bed first, while she and Zhang Guoqing packed up while waiting for her father to come home.

After being away for so many days, the person she missed the most was her father. She didn't know how his business trip was going, and whether there was any new trouble in the capital. She also had to report to her father about what was happening in their hometown.

After returning to Zhangjia Village where no one was disturbed, the couple confirmed that the five boxes of treasures that the tall man had mentioned were priceless, just as the other party had said.

Some of those porcelains, calligraphy and paintings, and ornaments were no less impressive than the Zhou family's heirlooms. Even Zhou Jiao, who had seen many treasures, was shocked.

Although there were no hidden inscriptions on them, when it came to antiques, Zhou Jiao felt it was better to let her father, who was well versed in this field, see them first. Perhaps some of them had stories that she didn't know about.

Zhou Xiaozheng had just waved off Secretary Chen and the orderly to rest when he saw his wife, daughter, and son-in-law coming out to greet him. "Why aren't you asleep yet so late?"

Zhou Jiao pouted, "Aren't you still here? Can your body handle staying up so late every day? Dad, eat something first and then rest."

"Silly girl! Please stay outside. No one will bully you, right?"

"Whose daughter am I? Who would dare?" Zhou Jiao quickly stepped forward and took his arm. "Everything is pretty good back home. My brother and I even went to the Great Northern Wilderness to visit Commander Chen's family's children."

"What made you think of running so far?" Zhou Xiaozheng patted her head and asked Zhang Guoqing as they walked, "Did you spend enough time with your parents? Did you tell them to come here when they have time?"

"As I said, they are still used to staying in their hometown. We also saved some things for them before they came."

"How are Ping An and the others doing there?"

"Not bad. Just now, the three brothers insisted on waiting for you to come back with their eyes wide open, and they were only willing to go to sleep after Jiaojiao drove them upstairs. Do you have a meeting tonight?"