"Brother, this is the money-losing thing you picked up? You've taken good care of it!"
With just a few words, the lively atmosphere suddenly quieted down, and Zhang Dagen's happy face also dimmed a little because of this sentence. He really thought that this child was a money-loser before, because he was used to favoring boys over girls. However, since he already had a grandson, he was very happy to have a girl, especially a girl who was well-behaved and cute, and could act like a spoiled child.
Zhang Dae-geun now can no longer think the same way as before.
But before he could refute, Zhang Rui, who had just come out of the room, looked at Zhang Dagen with a cold face: "Dad, is this your sister who can't talk, offends people and loses money?"
"Puff!" a laugh rang out.
The person being talked about looked over with a sullen face, and it turned out to be her own sister-in-law. She was immediately upset: "Brother, look at your good son and my good sister-in-law, what does this mean! I came all the way to see you, and you treat me like this?"
Zhang Dagen coughed lightly and looked at Zhang Rui seriously: "Speak properly, this is your aunt!" But he didn't even look at me. He looked down on me. All the big and small things in the family depend on his wife. He is not the same as when he was young.
In his early years, he was the one who had the final say at home. Now that his son has grown up, Zhang Dagen will subconsciously rely on his son. It is obvious that his son is closer to his mother. If he were the same as when he was young, his son would not listen to him. Therefore, he seldom speaks at home now. Anyway, his son is filial and there is nothing to say.
I have to say that Zhang Dagen sees things clearly, and it is indeed true. Similarly, Li Mizhen also sees things clearly, so she usually doesn't interfere too much in her sons' affairs. The Zhang family's education is not rigid enough, so the three sons each have their own characteristics.
Zhang Rui called out to the woman with a fake smile, "Aunt."
The woman's expression immediately brightened, and she saw Zhang Rui waving at the little girl with a smile.
Tianjiao smiled again and threw himself into his arms: "Dad!"
"Hey!" Zhang Rui responded loudly, and said to the aunt: "Speak properly, this is my daughter, not a money-loser!"
“Puchi!” This time it was Tianjiao’s turn to laugh. He rubbed against Zhang Rui’s arms for a while before saying, “Yes, Jiaojiao is not a money-loser.”
My aunt snorted coldly, "Isn't this little girl a money-loser? If she's raised for another ten years, she'll have to get married and take her belongings with her. She won't be able to get anything back. How can I not pay for it?"
Tianjiao blinked his innocent eyes and asked, "Are you also such a loser? Do you want to take things from our house?"
Zhang Rui was almost laughing his ass off. This girl was really clever, but he felt good saying that because he also agreed: "Jiaojiao is right. Every time this girl comes, she brings a lot of things with her, leaving us with nothing to eat. You better keep them this time!"
Zhang Dagen: "Zhang Rui!"
Li Mizhen had also seen the anger before, so she quickly winked at Zhang Rui.
However, Zhang Rui turned a blind eye and blocked Tianjiao's realization.
aunt:"……"
Her face had turned quite pale, and she was gasping for breath. It looked as if she might not be able to catch her breath.
Tianjiao didn't notice it. She just felt that her father supported her very much, so she tilted her head and continued, "Don't worry, auntie. I'm definitely not a money-loser. I won't take anything from dad."
The aunt was so angry that she almost dragged her child away: "Okay, brother, this girl you picked up is amazing, I'll leave now!"
It was then that Tianjiao noticed that there was a boy eating Ding Ding Candy next to the aunt. He was about seven or eight years old, chubby, and had a little more flesh on his body than other children, but not much, so the difference was not too big.
The child didn't react at all to the few words they said. He was quite calm.
My aunt was really angry, so Zhang Dagen naturally went to stop her and tried to persuade her in a gentle voice.
Zhang Rui snorted coldly and took Tianjiao back to the room: "Have you done your homework? Finish it before going out to play, okay? You have to develop good habits."
This kind of thing happens almost every day, and Zhang Rui never gets tired of it, fearing that this child will be like him in the past. Of course, he still feels a little guilty when he says this.
Back then, he relied on his intelligence and never did his homework. He always ran to school to ask his classmates to copy.
Tianjiao was a good daughter, satisfying all his fantasies about his daughter. Even if he was nagging her, she would nod obediently: "It's done, Dad, can I go play now?"
Zhang Rui was also very generous: "Okay, go ahead, and come back for dinner by yourself."
Tianjiao nodded, put down his schoolbag, and ran out happily.
However, before he walked out, he heard the aunt stirring up trouble again: "My grandson doesn't want to sleep with anyone, why don't you just let that girl sleep on the floor?"
…
This aunt is Zhang Dagen’s sister, Zhang Fang, who is seven years younger than Zhang Dagen. She has a very good relationship with her brother. Zhang Dagen is a soft-hearted person, and Zhang Fang did not marry well. That era was even poorer than it is now. In order to earn some food for the family, Zhang Fang was sold for a generation of food.
Therefore, Zhang Dagen has always felt guilty towards his sister and is the type of person who works hard for her without complaint.
Zhang Dagen is not an only son. He has two younger brothers, Zhang Ergen and Zhang Sangen. However, none of them is as gullible as Zhang Dagen, and they feel so guilty towards Zhang Fang. They can give her some once or twice, but if it happens too many times, they will no longer welcome her.
So Zhang Fang could only focus on this one brother.
She didn't come here to visit relatives today, but because her family ran out of extra food, so she came to borrow some and leave her grandson here for two days. Her daughter-in-law had given birth, and she would soon have a second grandson.
Of course, there are actually two grandchildren behind this eldest grandson, but Zhang Fang, who favors boys over girls, has always ignored these two granddaughters.
The Zhang family has many places to live, but after Zhang Zhi and his wife left, Li Mizhen used the room where Tianjiao used to sleep as a storage for sundries and let Tianjiao sleep in the room where Zhang Zhi and his wife used to sleep.
Zhang Rui was alone, while Zhang Dagen and Li Mizhen were in the same room.
As for why she didn't let her precious grandson sleep in the same room with Zhang Rui, it was because she knew that Zhang Rui was not someone who was easy to mess with and she was afraid that her eldest grandson would be bullied.
Of course, this is also what Zhang Rui said to Tianjiao.
He had not experienced the ignorant period of a child who knew nothing. When he first came into contact with Tianjiao, the child was very sensible and could understand anything he said to her.
Therefore, when something happened, Zhang Rui had no one to complain to, so he just told her directly.
At this time, because of the previous embarrassment, the neighbors who came to watch the fun had already left, leaving only the Zhang family. Zhang Rui spoke even more impolitely and said to Zhang Fang bluntly: "Either share a room with me, or take your grandson back. It's better for you to take care of such a treasure yourself!"
Zhang Fang's heart was choked. The more she looked at the third child, the more she hated him. "Brother, how did you teach your child? You let him keep talking to me like this to irritate me?"
Zhang Dagen coughed dryly, but fortunately Tianjiao's efforts these days were not in vain, and he still had his sanity: "After all, Jiaojiao is a girl, so let Goudan sleep with Lao San."
Zhang Fang was entangled for a long time, wavering between being willing to leave and being unwilling to leave. When she was about to take her grandson away, Zhai Goudan pushed her away: "I won't leave, I'll stay here, aunt-in-law, I want more Ding Ding candy!"
Zhang Fang immediately said with a smile: "Sister-in-law, where is your candy? I'll go get some. The child is greedy..."
Li Mizhen teased Dabao and shook her head calmly: "You can only eat this much a day, no more."
No one's stuff came from a flood, so I've never seen anyone be so rude.
But Zhai Goudan naturally refused to do so, and immediately pulled his grandmother to act coquettishly: "Grandma, I want to eat, I want to eat! Go get it quickly!"
Zhang Fang could only comfort her grandson with a distressed look on her face. After finally comforting him, she grumbled unhappily, "It's just some Ding Ding candies, not something expensive. Really."
Zhang Rui has a bad temper: "If you think my family is stingy, just take your grandson away. You sent the child to my house without even bringing food. He is just going to eat for free? And you are still complaining about this and that!"
Zhang Fang angrily said, "He's just a kid, how much can he eat?"
Zhang Rui had no principle of not quarreling with women: "If that's the case, then he can only eat one sweet potato at my house, no more!"
"Brother!" Zhang Fang was shocked and immediately turned around to ask her eldest brother for help.
Zhang Dagen has been a peacemaker many times, and calmly reprimanded his son: "Third brother, if you have nothing to do, take Dabao and Jiaojiao out to play, don't hang around in front of me."
Zhang Rui curled his lips, squatted down, and held one in each hand: "Let's go, let's go." He didn't want to stay here anymore. If his father hadn't said he had to entertain the guests, he would have left long ago.
Tianjiao smiled and leaned on his shoulder: "Dad is so awesome!"
Zhang Rui chuckled: "Jiaojiao is also very powerful. Remember, you can suffer a loss, but not twice in a row. If it happens for the third time, you must reflect on yourself. I have suffered a loss from her several times, and I will never suffer a loss again!"
Tianjiao nodded vigorously, but she looked at the sky hesitantly. It seemed that she could not go to study while being held by her father.
Zhang Rui didn't know what she was thinking. He just thought that the child found it boring. Dabao also kept waving his chubby hands and directing: "Then, then..."
"We need to go to the mountains!" Zhang Rui thought for a moment and said, "Let's go there and have a look. Maybe we can see green dates in this season."
Speaking of food, Tianjiao subconsciously slurped her saliva. Green dates, the name sounded sour and sweet. She nodded vigorously: "Yes, I want to eat."
"Little foodie!" Zhang Rui laughed and bumped his head against hers.
"Oh, Dad, you obviously want to eat it too!" Tianjiao smiled and leaned back, but did not forget to hook his hand around his neck to prevent himself from falling down.
"Yes!" Dabao saw them playing and rushed over.
Zhang Rui almost lost his balance, and was so scared that he straightened his back and hugged: "My little ancestor, don't move."
Dabao pouted and I could only pinch his ears.
The three of them were laughing and playing. Zhang Rui couldn't hold them anymore after a while, so he changed to holding one in each hand. However, Dabao didn't want him to hold his hand and insisted on running to Tianjiao's side. Zhang Rui got so angry that he bit him.
…
Arriving at the foot of Lanshan Mountain, before the sun had even set, Zhang Rui spotted the jujube tree full of fruits: "It really is there!"
“It looks delicious!” Tianjiao also hurried over, picked the nearest one, put it in his mouth and took a bite.
The date is very big, and Tianjiao's chubby little hand cannot hold it all. With a crisp "crack", the flesh separates, revealing the tender white flesh inside, which looks very appetizing.
When he put it in his mouth, it tasted sour and sweet. If he tasted it carefully, he found that the sourness was greater than the sweetness. It was very delicious. He finished it in a few bites, threw the date pit far away, took off his coat and started picking dates.
"Eat! Eat!" Seeing that they had all eaten, Dabao anxiously pulled down Tianjiao's pants.
I almost pulled it off with just a little force.
Tianjiao broke out in a cold sweat and quickly removed the core of the half fruit in his hand and handed it to him. He also had to watch him and not let him eat too many calories.
"Dabao, if you pull my pants again, I will beat you!" Tianjiao threatened with a fierce face.
Dabao looked at her for two seconds, as if he was trying to digest what she said, then he pouted and came over, smacking his lips, "Sister!"
Tianjiao lost his temper instantly.
Zhang Rui laughed, picked up a large bag of fruits, and said to the two children, "Let's go back."
“Yes!” Tianjiao nodded and held out his hand: “Dabao, you can’t eat while walking.”
Dabao immediately looked up at her pitifully, blinking his big eyes.
Tianjiao thought this expression looked familiar. As he was thinking about it, he heard Zhang Rui say with a smile, "Jiaojiao, isn't this you? You imitated it really well."
“…” Tianjiao blushed, forcibly threw away the remaining fruit in his hand, and led the boy away.
Dabao is only a little over one year old, and it is easy for food to get stuck in his throat if he walks like this.
They returned with a full load. On the way back, Zhang Rui generously pointed to a jujube tree and said that there was a jujube tree there. He saw many people passing by along the way.
Halfway through the walk, Zhang Rui saw Zhang Zhi coming back from outside the village. He stopped and said, "Brother, I picked some dates. Can you take some over?"
Zhang Zhi's eyes lit up, but not towards Zhang Rui. Instead, he rushed over and hugged his son: "Oh my Dabao, do you miss your daddy?"
Dabao nodded vigorously: "Yes, Dad!"
After hearing these three words, Zhang Zhi was extremely happy.
Tianjiao couldn't bear to watch it.
Zhang Rui also shook his head and sighed, but he knew that what his mother did was right. If he really gave the child to Ding Yushu, he didn't know what kind of person Dabao would be raised to be. This would affect the child's entire life, and they couldn't afford to take the risk.
Besides, they didn't stop Ding Yushu from looking after the child during this period. Zhang Zhi would come over to play with Dabao as soon as he got off work at around 5pm every day. Now that he is a little busier, he would still come over to see Dabao after getting off work at around 6 or 7pm. But Ding Yushu has never come even once!
What is she doing? I heard that on the day the family split up, Ding Yusu was about to make trouble after knowing the agreement signed between Zhang Zhi and the Zhang family, but was stopped by Zhang Zhi. This time he really threatened to divorce her.
As for Ding Yushu, she actually knew in her heart that she would never be able to live such a good life without Zhang Zhi, so she naturally refused to divorce, and the fuss stopped there. Because of this incident, it is said that she was unwilling to go to the Zhang family again, and she told everyone that the two elders in the Zhang family were unkind and bullied her.
Of course, no one would believe these things. Their battle over the separation of the family was quite a big deal, and it even reached the captain. You know, usually the captain would go directly to the village chief. Ding Yushu really deserved it.
However, Zhang Rui should have been happy about this, but after seeing Zhang Zhi's obviously thinner figure, he felt depressed and could not be happy anymore.
Zhang Rui and Tianjiao didn't urge her either. She squatted on the ground and wrote with a branch.
In fact, she wanted to paint more, but Grandpa Song said that for the time being, no one should know that she was learning to paint.
Zhang Rui found it very interesting to see his daughter writing, especially... "You actually memorized this text?"
Tianjiao nodded as a matter of course: "Yes, Jiaojiao remembers it very well."
Zhang Rui took a closer look and found that the calligraphy was also very beautiful.
Oh my god, is this really a five-year-old child?
He silently recalled the strange good luck he had after raising a daughter. Just as he was about to doubt it, the remaining thought of the inspirational award flew away. He stopped thinking about it. Anyway, he was not hurt.
He forced a smile and praised earnestly: "Jiaojiao is amazing. The handwriting is so beautiful, much better than dad's. When I need to write in the future, let Jiaojiao do it."
“Okay, okay!” Tianjiao nodded happily. She was even happier to be praised, so she copied the Chinese textbook from the beginning in one breath. She looked at him and asked for praise every time she wrote a little. Her cute little face and big watery eyes…
Zhang Rui: “…”
Isn’t it a bit brutal?
****
That night, Tianjiao didn't sleep well because after a quarrel in the opposite room, there was a shrill cry, which scared Zhang Dagen so much that he came out of the room to check.
But after watching it, he said nothing and went back quietly.
Tianjiao listened to the crying sound from being full of energy to becoming weaker and weaker, and finally slowly disappearing. Then he closed his eyes sleepily and fell into a deep sleep.
In her dream, she seemed to have turned into a hungry adult, lying on the bed, holding a sweet lollipop in her mouth, looking at something.
The dream was so beautiful that she was still smacking her lips when she woke up.
"Jiaojiao, wake up!"
A familiar voice woke Tianjiao up completely. He got up from the bed and went to wash up.
Zhang Rui put the peeled egg in her hand and asked, "Are we going to eat corn or sweet potatoes today?"
"Sweet potato." Tianjiao took a bite of the egg. She liked soft-boiled eggs, so Zhang Rui took them out in advance while watching the fire. Egg yolk liquid flowed out in the middle. When she told him what she wanted to eat, Zhang Rui went to the kitchen to get it.
Just as she was about to take a bite, she saw a hand coming over unexpectedly, and Zhai Goudan asked for more: "I want some too!"
Tianjiao instinctively turned around to block his hand and hide the egg. Then he saw that he also had an unfinished egg in his hand, and he immediately got angry: "Don't you have eggs yourself?"
Zhai Goudan said as a matter of course: "Why would a girl like you eat eggs?"
Tianjiao took two bites of the egg viciously: "I ate it, so what?"
Zhai Goudan was still trying to snatch it, but Zhang Rui had already come out of the kitchen. Seeing this, he rushed over and grabbed Zhai Goudan by the back of the neck: “Didn’t you have enough trouble last night?”
At this word, Zhai Goudan immediately shrank back, quickly swallowed the remaining egg in his hand, and looked at Zhang Rui with a bitter face: "Uncle..."
"Hmph." Tianjiao snorted proudly, eating the delicious egg with a smug look on his face.
Zhang Rui also smiled, but he pressed Zhai Goudan's head and pulled him away: "Come on, let's talk."
Zhai Goudan wailed, "Stop, uncle, I... I haven't finished eating yet..."
Zhang Rui said with a straight face: "Don't eat yet."
After eating the eggs, Tianjiao picked up the hot baked sweet potato and ate it with a spoon. The soft and sweet taste was really comfortable.
When she finished eating slowly, it was still early, so she rushed out in a hurry. Zhang Rui, who was still lecturing, no, educating the child, just took a glance and saw that the child was nowhere to be seen.
But it didn't disappear for long. It came back after just a few minutes, with its face turning red.
After all this trouble, it was almost time for school. Zhai Goudan was waiting there with a corn in his hand, red eyes and a wronged look on his face.
He also has to go to school, but he is in the second grade. Tianjiao has never seen him before.
When they arrived at the village entrance, they reunited. Tianjiao turned around and waved to the little boy standing in the village square, then skipped away holding Zhao Xiaohua's hand.
Xiao He looked at her back for a long time, his eyes flashing with tears and obvious desire.
Only when he saw the person was almost out of sight did he slowly stretch out his hand and wave. In his other hand was a big sweet potato, half eaten, and in his pocket was a big egg.
After he could no longer see any human figures, Xiao Hecai walked back slowly. When he was almost at the cowshed, he saw an old man sitting there. He was wearing tattered clothes but looked very energetic.
Old man Li chuckled and said, "Hurry up. Your Grandpa Song is going to help herd cattle today. Let's come over here and learn yesterday's multiplication formula and memorize it."
This child is very smart, so he has higher expectations for him. Today, he must be able to memorize what he was taught yesterday, and he must randomly check what he was taught before, and then learn new content.
Xiao He said nothing, pursed his lips slightly, but squatted there and wrote obediently while eating with a stick in his hand.
His hands were weak, and the words he wrote were ugly, crooked, and extremely empty, but he wrote very seriously.
Old man Li was also watching seriously, with more and more smiles in his eyes, but his face became more and more serious. The better the seedling, the more seriously we should treat it, and we must not let such a good talent be corrupted.
*****
When Tianjiao came back from school at noon and just reached the village entrance, he started walking to the other side.
He was stopped by Zhai Goudan.
"Where are you going?" Zhai Goudan raised his chin and looked at her arrogantly, as if he would not let her leave unless she told him.
Tianjiao's mouth twitched when he saw this: "It's none of your business, let go!"
Zhai Goudan used force in his hands: "No, my cousin asked me to protect you."
The teenager still had some chubby cheeks, and was staring at people. Not to mention, he looked a bit fierce, especially since he looked quite ferocious.
Tianjiao shook his hand, but didn't let go. Seeing that he still didn't let go, he said quietly: "If you don't let go, I'll go back and tell Dad that you hit me."
With just one word, Zhai Goudan immediately let go and looked at her warily: "You can't do this! You are lying."
Tianjiao snorted and rolled up his wrist, leaving a circle of red marks on his hand: "Look."
Zhai Goudan: "..." He looked at Tianjiao in shock and muttered, "None of my sisters are as weak as you. They became like this after just a pinch."
Tianjiao smiled complacently: "Go back quickly and don't disturb me."
Zhai Goudan left hesitantly, but when he arrived at his aunt's wife's house, he saw his cousin in the yard. He felt weak in his heart and walked stiffly.
If he was more natural, Zhang Rui might not notice that he was busy. At this time, you need a ticket to do anything, except the black market. The prices there are quite good. Some tables, chairs, benches, wooden bowls and other things are necessities. His things are in short supply. Although he can only make simple ones, he can still make a lot of money.
But he saw the stiff look of the child out of the corner of his eye, and he found it funny but immediately became alert: "Come here!"
With a deep voice, Zhai Goudan was unable to move. He walked over with a bitter face and said, "Uncle, it really wasn't me. It was Tianjiao who wanted to run away."
Zhang Rui raised his eyebrows. This girl has been very fond of going out recently, but he didn't expect that this child would also go out at noon?
There were only two children in the family before, and he didn't know that this child had run away before coming back.
Zhang Rui's expression became restrained and he looked a little serious.
Zhai Goudan was wailing in his heart. His uncle's house was very nice. He liked coming here. This was not his first time here. Every time he came, there were always a lot of food, which were not available at his home.
But whenever he ran into this cousin, he felt uncomfortable, especially since this time his cousin had a daughter who stayed at home all day.
He suddenly felt that the food at his cousin's house was not delicious anymore.
Zhang Rui asked: "Which direction did she go?"
Zhai Goudan thought for a moment and said, "I looked to the right at the entrance of the village and it seemed like she was heading towards the edge of the village."
Zhang Rui nodded, put down what he was holding, and went out.
…
So when Tianjiao, Old Man Li, Song Zhen, and Xiao He were squatting in the cowshed reviewing what they had learned before, they heard footsteps.
Song Zhen went out slowly to take a look.
I bumped into a young man head on and was stunned for a moment: "Young man, what's the matter?"
Tianjiao goes home at about 12:20 every day, which happens to be the time when Old Zhang's meal is cooked. Zhang Rui wondered why he got home so late recently, but he didn't care because Tianjiao knew his limits.
But today, with the comparison, he couldn't help but want to see what this kid was doing.
As he walked over here, he glanced at several families outside, but didn't see Tianjiao, so he walked all the way here with a strange look on his face.
Zhang Rui said, "I'm here to look for my daughter. Uncle, have you seen a child of about five or six years old?"
Song Zhen didn't know what to say for a moment. He was an upright man and disdainful of lying. The girl that the young man was talking about was Tianjiao, who was staying in the cowshed behind him.
It was quiet for a moment.
Zhang Rui also understood and felt strange, but he remained polite: "Can I come in?"
The cowshed is a single room. Although it has a door and a roof, it is not soundproof. Tianjiao can naturally hear the noise outside. After hesitating for a moment, he came out and said, "Dad, I'm here."
Song Zhen's heart was pounding, and he felt a little nervous. He said dryly, "This girl just played with me, but she didn't do anything."
Zhang Rui smiled calmly: "I know what a child can do."
He strode in and saw Xiao He was there too, but the child was lying on the ground, doing something unknown. Next to him was a notebook and a pencil, and on the notebook was a half-finished picture.
He understood: "Girl, you have been clamoring to buy a notebook these days. It turns out you are waiting here."
Tianjiao chuckled and held his arm and swung him: "Dad, do you think Jiaojiao's painting is good?"
Zhang Rui picked up the notebook and glanced at it inadvertently. He saw another old man in the room with a worried look on his face. He felt a little sad and picked up the notebook to take a look.
There were many cute little animals in the draft book, some were very lively and vivid, some were a little awkward, but they were still much better than most of the ones he had seen.
He flipped through two pages, and they were all like this, with simple pencil drawings of things full of childlike fun. The latest page had dates on it, and it looked like he had picked them yesterday.
No one spoke in the room, and the atmosphere was eerily quiet for a moment.
Song Zhen was old, and was too nervous at the moment. His heart was beating fast, and he leaned against the wall, unable to bear it. Seeing the young man looking at the book silently, he could not help but whispered, "This child is very talented in painting. I didn't teach him anything else. It's just a little thing. If I don't show it to you, others won't find it..."
Tianjiao could hear the nervousness in his voice, and although he was a little confused, he turned around and grinned at him: "It's okay, Dad won't be angry!"
Song Zhen's expression eased a little, but he was not really relieved. Old Man Li was also worried. Xiao He, the boy he taught, was an orphan, so he didn't have this worry. But Song Zhen was different.
But soon they realized they were overthinking.
Zhang Rui turned around and bowed to Song Zhen, saying seriously: "Thank you uncle for teaching this child. The painting is very good. Learning to paint is a good thing. I will continue to trouble you in the future."
Huh - Song Zhen exhaled slowly. After a period of anxiety, his words completely calmed him down. He grinned, his eyes slightly red, and said seriously: "I will definitely teach you seriously!"
Zhang Rui thanked him again and again. He was not an ungrateful person. The old man taught him for free, and it was obvious from the patterns he casually drew on the notebook that the old man had a solid foundation.
The country will not always be like this, and he firmly believes that this is only a temporary situation, so he has no objection as long as the right things are done.
So the matter was resolved by Zhang Rui, and he did not go back immediately. Instead, he found out what Song Zhen knew specifically, what materials he needed, and so on.
The next day, Zhang Rui went to the county and bought some Chinese painting pigments and paper, as well as some teaching materials needed by Old Man Li on the black market. He also handed over his secret base in Lanshan and asked them to teach there in the future without being discovered.
It would be dangerous to leave it in the cowshed or Old Zhang's house, especially since the two old men are not likely to visit.
So the study group was formed. Tianjiao thought that he would at least blame himself for hiding the secret from him, but in the end he said nothing.
"What did you say?" Zhang Rui held his daughter's hand and walked home slowly: "It's not a big deal. Besides, these two old men seem to be very knowledgeable. Study hard. The world will not really be like this. When it changes in the future, what you learn will be the foundation of your future."
Tianjiao nodded vigorously: "I will! Dad, Jiaojiao likes those paintings very much."
Zhang Rui raised his eyebrows with interest: "Oh, you like it so much, can I let you draw all day long?"
"Okay!" Tianjiao agreed without hesitation.
Zhang Rui listened to the childish voice and looked at the determined little face, and decided to buy more paper and paintbrushes so that his daughter could learn well.
…
As time passed, Zhang Rui came here often. Occasionally, he saw Old Man Li teaching Xiao He, so he became interested and went over to learn. Gradually, he also became Old Man Li's student. Although Zhang Rui was not as smart as Xiao He, he was an adult now and could do many things easily.
As for Old Man Li, what he is best at is making money. He was once praised as a man who could turn stone into gold, although he is now so poor.
So every day after school at noon, Zhang Rui asked Zhai Goudan to help with chores at home. When the time came, he would shout loudly at the entrance of the village, and he and Tianjiao would hear him and tell them to go home.
This way, he can have one more bite of candy.
Zhai Goudan was attracted by the Dingding Candy, and with the help of Zhang Rui's martial arts, and training with a stick and a candy, he has now become obedient. He went from doing nothing at the beginning to rushing to do everything now.
Tianjiao deeply felt that this father was really good at teaching his children.
But just as she finished thinking, she was hit on the head. There was no one behind her. She turned around and was poked in the face again.
Tianjiao said subconsciously: "Tiandao father! You are finally here, I thought you had forgotten me!"
Tiandao didn't say anything, but a big, broad hand was stroking her head.
Tianjiao nudged him and whispered, "Tiandao Dad, can you let Grandpa Song and Grandpa Li live a little more comfortably? They have been working too hard."
Tiandao did not respond, Tianjiao immediately held Wuxin's hand and continued to act coquettishly: "Okay~~~"
Finally, Tiandao pinched his nose in disgust and pushed him away.
But the next day, Tianjiao heard that the village chief had a nightmare last night. He seemed to be worried that it would rain heavily. The cowshed was fragile, and it would be bad if someone was killed by it. So, taking advantage of the break time after harvesting cotton and peanuts, he took people to rebuild a house next to the cowshed to ensure that no one would die.
Half a month later, Zhai Goudan was finally taken back home, and Zhang Fang was surprised to find that her grandson seemed to have changed?
He actually started to be humble!
She actually let the girls at home eat, and when she stopped them, her grandson got angry!
Zhang Fang was so scared that she didn't dare to let her grandson go to beg for money for a while.
****
Adults’ days are always busy, especially those in rural areas. They do this, then that, then that, and they are always busy and can’t stop.
Working in the fields all day long, bent over, sweating profusely even in the middle of winter.
At the end of the year, when the work points were settled, the Zhang family did not get much. After all, Zhang Dagen was the only real laborer. Li Mizhen had worked for most of half a year, and the others did not do anything. Fortunately, although the food they received was not much, it was enough for a year's food.
With the money and tickets Zhang Rui earned, he lived a pretty comfortable life.
oer moved out with his wife, which was what he got. Although life was not as good as before in Old Zhang's house, it was pretty good thanks to Zhang Zhi's efforts. It was just that in this place without contraception, the second child never came.
When her son came over, Li Mizhen asked a few questions in a roundabout way. After being evasive, she understood that Ding Yushu probably didn't want to have a baby for the time being, so she stopped asking.
As long as there is no emotional problem, it's fine.
She hated her daughter-in-law for not thinking about her son, but she still hoped that her son would have a happier marriage. Even if the woman was a little selfish, as long as her son was happy, it was fine.
As for her grandson, she will definitely not teach him.
So life went on like this, and it was quite happy.
In the blink of an eye, it was 1977. Tianjiao was 11 years old, Xiaohe was 12 years old, and Zhang Rui was 28 years old.
Seeing that the Zhang family was living better and better, many people came to propose marriage, but Zhang Rui refused to agree. He was used to being free, and he was uncomfortable having someone to control him. Besides, he already had children, so why did he need a wife?
So he drove away matchmakers one after another. Zhang Rui successfully angered Li Mizhen and treated him coldly every day.
Of course Zhang Rui didn't care. He took his lovely daughter to Lanshan every day. Not only could she study there, but she would also often see various animals when she came down the mountain. They would either find dead rabbits, dead snakes, or pheasants, and she could also have a snack. Life was not too easy, so this little fuss from her mother was not a big deal.
Of course, as time passes, many things have passed. Although the college entrance examination has not yet been resumed, the junior high schools and high schools that had originally suspended classes have gradually resumed.
The educated youth in the village also began to get anxious because some of them could be transferred back to the city and they were scrambling for the spot.
The village chief and the team leader are very busy with these things, and the village is very lively because of this. Their study team has not been discovered yet.
On this day, his daughter ran out of paper for her Chinese painting, so Zhang Rui naturally rode his newly bought bicycle to the county without saying a word.
Today is different from the past. The worn-out clothes have now become clean and tidy olive green clothes, carrying the characteristics of this era, as well as the youthful vigor and a confidence that radiates from the inside out.
Everyone who has been with Zhang Rui knows about the changes he has undergone.
Luo Gaoyuan is one of them. His hometown is in the county town. He was sent to work as a carpenter through connections. He is a competitor of Zhang Rui because they both want to be carpenters, but it is not easy to become one.
So when he found out that Zhang Rui could remember the carpenter's skills and make some small things after just two glances, he started to panic and said some bad things about the carpenter.
In this era, craftsmen were most afraid of stealing skills. Zhang Rui learned it just by watching it twice, but he was so smart that no one would believe him if he didn't ask clearly. The carpenter was naturally very angry, and this led to what happened later. As expected, Zhang Rui was sent back, and he became a real carpenter's apprentice.
Today is the day he comes back from vacation to visit his family.
Six years later, he is considered a junior master in the shop, but
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