Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Jinjiang Solo
"Boss, the food is here, come and eat."
Manager Zhang and Lao Zhou came out of the kitchen carrying food.
"good."
Zhang Mengzhi sat down next to Zhou Guilan. Since there were only two of them, Old Zhou cooked two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, plus a soup.
"What do you think of your Grand Duke's actions?"
After dinner, Zhou Guilan and Zhang Mengzhi walked back to the courtyard.
"It's not bad, but the Grand Duke spent a lot of money on me this time."
Zhang Mengzhi did not expect that General Zhang would be so nice to him and even introduce him to the Zhang family's connections.
"Well, if he is unwilling to do even this, then I really look down on him."
Zhou Guilan's expression made her say that this should have happened a long time ago, which made Zhang Mengzhi laugh.
"Grandma, Grandpa doesn't have to do this at all."
"Is your gift for free? As an elder, isn't it normal for him to support you?"
Zhou Guilan had met her parents-in-law, so she knew how precious Zhang Mengzhi's gift was to General Zhang.
Even she couldn't help but be moved and wanted to find someone to paint portraits of her parents.
"If you don't mind, you can write down the faces of our ancestors. I'll give it to him later and ask him to help draw a picture."
Zhang Mengzhi put his hands on Zhou Guilan's shoulders and said.
"good."
Zhou Guilan agreed with tears in her eyes.
Decades later, she was finally able to see her parents' faces again.
Zhou's family was once rich, and her parents had taken photos, but unfortunately none of them survived the war. General Zhang was not the kind of careful person who would keep photos of his ex-parents-in-law after his ex-wife disappeared.
When he and Zhou Guilan had a good relationship, he was indeed a good son-in-law and a good husband, but when he became heartless, he didn't care at all.
The two sons were too young at the time, so Zhou Guilan was unable to preserve any of their parents' relics.
After returning to the courtyard, Zhou Guilan wrote down her parents' appearance and solemnly handed it to Zhang Mengzhi.
The reason why we didn't go to the art academy to ask a painter to describe the portrait is that compared to the portrait simulator, they are still a little weak in describing characters.
After all, he had never seen it with his own eyes, and the characters he drew would be somewhat distorted based on verbal and written descriptions. It would be unlike the portrait simulator who already had a public office and could completely replicate a person's appearance.
Zhou Guilan did not return to her son's house in the afternoon, and she did not plan to go back in the future.
"I'll stay here. Will Mengzhi be a bother to you?"
Zhou Guilan looked at the main house in the backyard, which was allocated to her by Zhang Mengzhi for her to live in.
"No, you can stay here, I'll find someone to clean up the house later, and you don't have to do anything every day."
Not only did Zhang Mengzhi let her live in the main house in the backyard, he also left her two thousand yuan as pocket money.
Knowing that Zhou Guilan would not withdraw money from the Taibai Building account, Zhang Mengzhi had been sending her money all along. Zhou Guilan was concerned about the affairs of Taibai Building and Siheyuan, and she wanted to repay the kindness of Zhang Mengzhi and the Zhang family. Unexpectedly, she was taken care of by Zhang Mengzhi again.
"Are you really going to take care of me in my old age?"
Touching the furniture in the main room, Zhou Guilan looked at her nephew.
"Yes, didn't I tell you a long time ago that I would take care of you in your old age?"
Zhang Mengzhi had a faint smile on his face, but spoke seriously.
"Aren't you afraid of being gossiped about? Your uncle and second father are in the capital."
Zhou Guilan was worried that if she stayed there, it would bring trouble to her nephew and grandson.
"Don't worry, because they can't find me! I don't live in the capital for long, I just come here every year to inspect, no matter how much they gossip I won't hear it."
I know what Zhou Guilan is worried about. She is afraid that if she lives in the courtyard for too long, people will think it is her property, which will then attract competition.
"As for the problem you're worried about, I believe that Uncle and Second Father will solve it for me. If they can't solve it, there's still Grandpa!"
Zhang Mengzhi was not worried at all that General Zhang would favor them, because in General Zhang's heart, Zhang Mengzhi was a member of the Zhang family and they were outsiders.
"I'm just afraid they'll get confused in the future."
It’s not that Zhou Guilan is dissatisfied with her son and ex-husband, but human nature cannot stand the test.
"It's okay, ma'am, you forgot that you sent me the property deed. It's in my hometown now!"
As long as he has the title deed, the house belongs to him and no one can take it away. This is not like abroad, where homeless people move into a house and it becomes theirs after a while.
Besides, he didn't give them the right of residence in the household registration, so how could they have the confidence to grab his own house?
"Okay then, I'll live here from now on."
Zhou Guilan, who didn't want to go back and see her daughter-in-law's abandoned face, finally made up her mind to move in.
Although she doesn't have a son here, she feels she will be happier.
She can see her son anytime, but it is also true that she is not happy living in her son's house. She is so old now, so she won't make things difficult for herself. The sooner she leaves, the happier she will be.
"Mengzhi, you took my mother away!"
Knowing that their mother was going to move into the courtyard house, Zhang Deshuang and Zhang Decheng went to talk to Zhang Mengzhi.
"Uncle, second dad, I didn't mean it. You all know the conflict between the first wife and the first and second wives. If you don't separate them soon, the conflict will only get bigger. It's not easy for you to be stuck in the middle, so you might as well let the first wife move out!"
Zhang Mengzhi presented the facts and spoke reasonably.
“…”
It is precisely because they know this that the two brothers are sad!
They wanted to be filial to their mother, but their wives disagreed. Their mother was in much better health now, but the monthly medicine cost several hundred yuan, which was equivalent to half of their salary. If they took out this money, it would seriously affect the family's expenses, which was something their wives did not want to see.
For several years, they had not paid back a cent of the medical expenses Zhang Mengzhi had paid. What else could they say as husbands? How could they have the nerve to give Zhang Mengzhi the little money they had saved, which was not even enough to pay a small amount?
"Uncle, Second Dad, you don't need to say anything, it's decided. I support my wife out of my own heart, not to embarrass you."
Zhang Mengzhi's words made the two of them blush, and they were too embarrassed to face their nephew.
"mom."
On the day Zhou Guilan moved, her two daughters-in-law came out.
"What are you doing here?"
Zhou Guilan looked at her two daughters-in-law who were following her and said with some displeasure.
"Mom, if you move out, we should know where you live, right? It will be easier to find someone if anything happens."
The two daughters-in-law spoke very nicely, but she would have believed it more if they had not shown any envy or jealousy towards the courtyard house.
"No need. It's not your turn no matter what happens. By the time you guys come to solve the problem, my body will be cold."
It was rare for Zhou Guilan to lose face and say unpleasant things to her two daughters-in-law.
After hearing her words, Zhang Decheng and Zhang Deshuang's wives looked unhappy, but they could not refute her words. No matter what your status is, you can't do anything without money. They used to have good character, but because of money, they have become calculative. Even their temperament has changed. If you compare their old photos, you will find that they don't look like before.
Zhang Mengzhi had no problem with them. She knew the difficulties of being poor and didn't blame them for only caring about their own families.
But he couldn't get close to them, otherwise he would be caught in the middle and have a hard time.
Although they were not close, Zhang Mengzhi still had a conscience. In the previous life, they were also implicated, so they decided to give each of the younger generations of the Zhang family a suite in the future, so that they would not have to worry about the house when they grew up.
But he didn't tell anyone about this decision. After all, the younger generation of the Zhang family was still young and it would take many years for them to get married! And he couldn't explain why he was so generous to the younger generation of the Zhang family, because with his current financial resources, he couldn't just throw away a house.
Just wait and see, in ten or twenty years, even if he just gives away a few houses, no one will suspect anything.
After moving, Zhou Guilan smiled more often. Without the complaints from her daughter-in-law, she was very happy living in the courtyard.
When I wake up early in the morning, I can see the flowers in the yard. I pick my favorite flowers and put them in the vase when I go back home. Then I wash up and go to the front yard to have breakfast.
Breakfast was made by my aunt and it was all her favorite food.
Lunch was eaten at Taibai Tower, and dinner was vegetable porridge to avoid eating too much and having trouble sleeping at night.
No matter what she did in the courtyard, no one would watch her, and even if she ate delicious food every day, no one would complain that the family had no money.
Yes, when she was at her son's house, she had to eat eggs, pork and other meats every day. Because she was weak, she had to take food supplements while taking medicine.
Staple foods and salted vegetables alone could not provide her with her daily nutrition, and she would easily fall ill.
But at the same time, buying meat and fish every day is not a small amount of money for a family, and in this era it is indeed a bit difficult for the two daughters-in-law.
So Zhou Guilan didn't hate them for this, but she just couldn't get close to them.
"Mom, we're here to see you."
Since their mother moved out of Zhang Deshuang's home, the two brothers have come to the courtyard more often.
"Come in quickly, Meng Zhi is cooking for you today, you are in for a treat."
Zhou Guilan opened the door with a smile and welcomed her sons in.
"Really? Brother, coming early is not a coincidence, let's go help!"
The two brothers put the fruits and snacks they were carrying on the table and hurried to the kitchen to help.
They were no longer the treasures of their parents, but Zhang Mengzhi was. If they dared to sit and wait for food at this time, Zhou Guilan would beat them with a stick.
"Uncle, second dad is here." Zhang Mengzhi was stir-frying the vegetables in the pot, and Aunt Fang, who was taking care of Zhou Guilan, was helping to light the fire.
Although they now have gas, the courtyard still retains the wood stove. As for where the firewood comes from, as long as you have money, you can get firewood. And the wood ash is also useful, it can be used on the fruit trees and the flowers in the backyard.
"I'm here. Is there anything we can do to help? Otherwise, your wife will punish us if she sees that we only eat and don't eat. Do you want to cut the meat?"
"Yes." Zhang Mengzhi took the time to answer while cooking.
Zhang Decheng looked at the meat that had not been cut yet on the chopping board, washed his hands and walked over to start cutting it.
"Then let me help wash the vegetables!"
"Sure." Zhang Mengzhi had no objection. It didn't matter who was washing.
While the vegetables were still soaking in water, Zhang Deshuang also found a job that he could do.
"Thank you, uncle and second dad."
Zhang Mengzhi scooped up the fried vegetables and took out some more meat and vegetables from the refrigerator.
The two of them came at a whim, so the dishes prepared earlier were not enough.
The same goes for rice, so after frying all the dishes, Zhang Mengzhi also cooked two bowls of noodles, otherwise the staple food for lunch would not be enough.
"We are the ones who are causing you trouble."
Zhang Decheng and Zhang Deshuang knew that they came unexpectedly, so they enjoyed the noodles. Besides, it didn't matter if the staple food was not rice, they ate a lot of meat on the table!
"Mengzhi, this is 500 yuan. My brother and I collected this money together."
Zhang Deshuang took out a stack of money and handed it to Zhang Mengzhi.
"Second Dad, what are you doing?"
The aunt cleaned up the chopsticks and the tableware, so Zhang Mengzhi didn't have to worry about it. So after the meal, someone stuffed several hundred yuan into her arms, which was quite a novel feeling.
"You know your uncle and I don't have high salaries. These 500 yuan are what we saved over the past few years. Compared to the medical expenses you paid for your mother, it's probably not even a fraction of that!"
Zhang Deshuang smiled bitterly, and Zhang Decheng had the same expression as him. They had never thought that one day they would not even be able to pay for their mother's medicine.
They once thought that life could not be more difficult than during the war, but reality slapped them in the face. Life without money is the most difficult.
"Second Dad, just take the money back! We are one family and we should not have different opinions. My eldest wife is still my eldest wife, and I am willing to take care of her."
Zhang Mengzhi pushed the money back. Looking at the two elders, who had a lot more white hair on their heads than a few years ago, he sighed in his heart.
The saying that a penny can make a hero fall is never empty talk. How many people have a hard time living because they have no money!
The first wife's illness was more difficult to treat than expected, because she was not only sick, but also too weak. Also, because she was too old and had poor absorption, she could not digest a lot of the food she ate. Therefore, we could only support her with money and not be careless at all.
She had to eat fish, meat, eggs, etc. every day, and even had to eat less fruits and vegetables every day, otherwise she would feel dizzy. You have to know that ten years later in the 1990s, many families only ate meat once a week or even a month.
Now Zhou Guilan has to eat it every day, and the expense is really too high. He can understand that his aunt and stepmother are unwilling to pay.
I understand, but they can't do that. They are unwilling to pay for medicine because the food expenses are too high. No one can accept this behavior! If there is no money at home, you can tell your husband and mother-in-law directly, they will find a way, instead of hiding it from anyone.
If it weren’t for Zhang Mengzhi, Zhou Guilan’s body would not only be cold, but would also have turned into ashes.
If they told their thoughts, Zhang Decheng and Zhang Deshuang would definitely find a way for the sake of their family. Whether it was borrowing money or exchanging it for something else, they would not watch their mother give up treatment.
However, they did it without saying anything, and it was a long time before they knew the truth. If it weren't for the money Zhang Mengzhi sent, the old lady might have died not long after returning to the capital!
When the brothers thought of this, they became very angry, and therefore were very dissatisfied with their wives' behavior, which eventually affected their relationship.
In fact, Zhang Mengzhi couldn't understand their actions. Did they think that if they kept it a secret, the old lady would die early and they wouldn't have to take care of her? If they really had such an idea, Zhang Mengzhi wouldn't have any sympathy for their current fate.
"Mengzhi, I know this is a small amount of money, not even a fraction. But this is the money my elder brother and I have saved, and we will feel bad if you don't accept it. No matter what, mom belongs to my elder brother and me, and we can't let you pay for it alone, it's not fair to you."
Zhang Deshuang thought about whether he could use other things to pay for it. Although they didn't have much money, they had found some good things during the turbulent years, which should be worth something if converted into money.
Meng Zhi was unwilling to accept the money, so what about the things? Things were definitely not as important as people. If Meng Zhi was willing to accept them, they would feel less guilty.
"Mengzhi, take it!"
Zhang Decheng also advised him.
"Take it! You should take this money, don't let them get away with it."
Zhou Guilan took the money from her son and put it into Zhang Mengzhi's bag.
"Grandma, my uncle and second uncle's family need this money more. You know I'm not short of money."
Zhang Mengzhi told the truth. He could take the money, but what would he do after taking it? Would he let the two families eat grass?
"Mengzhi, that's not the case. Half of our salary is handed over to the family, which is enough for daily expenses, so you don't have to worry."
As soon as Zhang Decheng told Zhang Mengzhi the amount of his salary, she knew he was not lying to her.
Although half the salary cannot allow them to eat the best food, it is enough for them to have enough food every day, and they can even add an extra meal for the whole family occasionally.
"Then I'll take it."
This time Zhang Mengzhi did not refuse and accepted the five hundred yuan.
Five dollars is really nothing to him now, his daily turnover is less than that. What is important is the sincerity of Zhang Decheng and his brothers, they did not take Zhang Mengzhi's efforts for granted.
"But I want to remind you, uncle and second uncle, you must not do anything illegal! If you need money, you can ask someone for help, but you must not take bribes or affect your future."
Zhang Mengzhi was afraid that the two would take risks and do something illegal for money, which would only harm others and themselves.
"Don't worry, it won't happen."
The two brothers laughed and said that they still had their basic persistence.
Zhang Mengzhi still trusted the character of Zhang Decheng and his brothers. In such a difficult environment in their previous lives, they did not do anything illegal. The crimes that the Gu family had convicted them of were not committed by the Zhang family. They were slandered or even framed.
I stayed in the capital for a month and made some suggestions to the restaurant, which they changed. I also visited some ancient scenic spots in the capital. Now many of them are free and not so crowded.
Occasionally, he would talk to Zhou Guilan and ask her not to watch her sons suffer.
"Grandma, please support Grandpa and Second Dad once in a while! It's not easy for them either."
"I'll take care of this matter, just leave it alone."
Zhou Guilan made it clear that she didn't want to give money to her two sons so that they wouldn't continue to take advantage of Zhang Mengzhi.
This time, Zhang Mengzhi also paid her a salary. Two hundred yuan a month was enough for her to eat, drink, have fun, and see a doctor.
The old lady didn't want the money at first. She felt that she had received too much care from Zhang Mengzhi and it would be inappropriate to take a salary from him.
"Grandma, I still need you to keep an eye on things in the capital! Without you to keep an eye on things for me, I wouldn't dare to go back home without any worries."
Zhang Mengzhi's words were not meant to deceive her. He had only been to the Capital Restaurant once in such a long time since it opened. If he didn't trust Zhou Guilan, he would definitely not dare to do this.
"I just helped you keep an eye on the account books and money. I couldn't help at all. This money is too hot for me to handle."
Zhou Guilan felt that compared to how good Zhang Mengzhi was to her, what she had done was not worth mentioning. However, she had never been stubborn with her nephew. She didn't want a salary, so she just gave her cash directly. She had no choice but to accept it!
"Grandma, you have helped me a lot just by doing these few things."
Zhang Mengzhi couldn't tell anyone about his past life, so he could only be extra nice to everyone. Therefore, everyone even secretly guessed why Zhang Mengzhi was nice to them, but none of them were right.
Although they didn't know the truth, they believed that Zhang Mengzhi would not harm them. Therefore, even though they thought he was very good to them, no one came out to persuade him not to do it. They even tried their best to repay Zhang Mengzhi with their own abilities, at least not to let those who were good to them feel that it was not worth it.
Zhang Mengzhi left, taking with him the reluctance of everyone in the capital.
Even General Zhang's old friends occasionally felt sorry that they couldn't talk to him more when they mentioned Zhang Mengzhi. The kid had a confidence that they didn't have, and talking to him more would not only make them feel better, but also make them more confident.
Riding the train was too painful. Zhang Mengzhi was looking forward to the completion of Guocheng Airport, so that he wouldn't have to sit on the train for several days. Not being able to take a shower was too uncomfortable. He had never been so dirty in his past life or this life.
However, it will take two thousand years for the route to be built and put into operation. If it doesn't work, we can just fly directly to the provincial capital and then take a bus back to Guocheng from the provincial capital. But this way, we have to change buses several times along the way, which is quite troublesome.
Unfortunately, there is no high-speed train from the provincial capital to Guocheng. It was not until 2000 that high-speed trains appeared in Guocheng. So going out now is not as convenient as it was decades ago. No matter how rich you are, you still have to travel for a few days.
"Mengzhi, here."
The one who came to pick up Zhang Mengzhi was her brother-in-law Xia Dayong.
He was waving desperately outside the station, attracting a lot of attention. Zhang Mengzhi saw him as soon as he came out.
"Brother-in-law."
Zhang Mengzhi sat at the back of the tricycle and placed the luggage in her hands on the seat.
"You must be hungry. Here." Xia Dayong stuffed a bag of food into his brother-in-law's hands.
"Thank you, brother-in-law."
As soon as he got off the train, his stomach started rumbling. The food in his hand smelled delicious, so Zhang Mengzhi couldn't wait to eat it.
"This pancake was fried by your sister, and she added eggs to it. Eat some now to fill your stomach, and we'll have a big meal when we get back."
Xia Dayong pedaled the tricycle hard in front, and did not forget to tell his brother-in-law that there would be delicious food when he got home.
"Thank you, brother-in-law." After eating two egg pancakes, Zhang Mengzhi no longer felt hungry and had the energy to talk to her brother-in-law.
"By the way, how was your trip to the capital? Was it as nice as what we saw on TV?"
The Zhang and Xia families both bought televisions in the past two years, so they have seen the capital and the world's largest square on TV.
"Prettier than on TV."
Zhang Mengzhi speaks the truth. There are some things that cannot be shown on TV, and only by seeing them with your own eyes can you discover their greatness.
"I really want to visit the capital! But it's too far away."
Xia Dayong sighed.
"It will be fine later. Then we can take a plane."
Zhang Mengzhi actually wanted to take his family to the capital for a trip. After all, they had a place to stay instead of a hotel, and they could still have a great time by staying for a few more days.
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