Qi's mother just stared at him. After saying goodbye to his classmate, Zhao Aiguo had only taken a few steps when he bumped into Qi's mother and said with a smile, "Oh! Grandma, what brings you here again?"
Mother Qi laughed and said, "You came out for a walk, and you still remember me!"
Zhao Aiguo nodded and said, "I remember, I remember. Then take your time, I'm going home!"
Qi's mother nodded and said, "I'm tired too, I'm going back. I'm going to Huaihua Alley, where are you going?" As she spoke, she turned around and walked side by side with Zhao Aiguo.
Zhao Aiguo didn't seem to mind saying "Chunyang Hutong".
Mother Qi blinked and smiled. "That's on the way, would you like to walk with this old woman?"
Zhao Aiguo looked at Qi's mother suspiciously. Qi's mother was not embarrassed at all and said to herself, "I am not a bad person. My son and daughter-in-law's family were falsely accused and went to Cangzhou. I haven't seen them for a long time. I miss them day and night. I just want to go around and see..." As she spoke, she wiped the corner of her eyes.
This made Zhao Aiguo feel embarrassed, and he said, "Grandma, don't cry! Let's go together!"
Qi's mother nodded with satisfaction. Looking at the tall and handsome Zhao Aiguo, she felt very gratified. The two walked and chatted, and Zhao Aiguo casually asked, "So, are you all alone now?"
Mother Qi shook her head. "I also have a grandson who works at an arms factory, and a granddaughter..." She sighed and said, "But they're going to the countryside soon, to Jiayuguan, in the Northwest! Do you know that?"
Zhao Aiguo nodded and said, "I've heard of that. One of the last two times we stayed there, a girl went there. She was 18 when she went, but she came back looking like she was 80. Her face was all red from the high altitude, and not to mention her hands, her face was covered in cracks. When she stood next to her grandma, wow, she saved herself 40 years of hardship! When your granddaughter comes back in a few years, she'll look like she could be your sister."
Qi's mother was already feeling choked up, and Zhao Aiguo's words only made her feel worse. She didn't know what to say and could only take it as innocent childish talk. She smiled and said, "What can we do? Even her own mother doesn't agree to her giving up her job. She's heartless."
Zhao Aiguo nodded and said, "That guy is really a scoundrel. What does he do? What kind of good job is that?"
Qi's mother said, "Sweeping the streets at the arsenal earns eighteen yuan and fifty cents a month!"
Zhao Aiguo curled his lip and said, "You can't even bear to give her your own child for eighteen yuan and fifty cents? That's really not human. Even my Grandma Lin's dog knows how to protect its puppies! Your daughter is such a terrible person. Alright, old lady, I've seen my family. See you later!" After saying that, he ran off. Qi's mother watched from afar as he ran towards a plump old lady.
Seeing Zhao Aiguo warmly helping the old lady and even taking the vegetable basket from her hand, Qi's mother felt uneasy.
As Zhao Aiguo walked home with his mother, the topic of meeting Qi's mother came up. Zhao's mother didn't seem to care much, only saying, "Sigh! I say, no matter what, this old lady has a dirty past. Stay away from her!"
Zhao Aiguo nodded and said, "I know. As soon as he mentioned that his son had been sent down to the countryside, I knew he had a bad background. And his daughter was sweeping the streets at the arsenal, so she must have made a mistake. Anyway, I had nothing else to do, so I teased her a bit. That old lady is a bit silly; she didn't even realize I was looking down on her."
Zhao's mother pursed her lips. "Your mouth is like poison. Say less. Poverty breeds cunning. Who knows what she's thinking? What if she tries to harm you?"
Zhao Aiguo nodded in agreement. Anyway, his grandma and grandpa listened to him, and his father was smart. The whole family's wisdom was focused on the three of them. If there was anything they couldn't figure out, listening to them was always the right thing to do.
"By the way, is my aunt about to have a baby?" Zhao Aiguo suddenly asked.
Zhao's mother said, "She'll be giving birth in about three more months."
Zhao Aiguo nodded and said, "Why doesn't my mom have another one?" His mother looked up at him and said, "What? You want another one?"
Zhao Aiguo scratched his head sheepishly and said, "My mom only likes kids who are good at studying. I really can't learn anything; I got my brain from my dad. She wants me to have another child, one like you and my grandpa, who will definitely be good at studying. That would make my mom happy!" His mother gently patted him and laughed, scolding, "What nonsense! We only have you in our family! We don't need anyone else! I thought you didn't want to take care of us in our old age!"
Zhao Aiguo shook his head vigorously, saying, "How could that be? I wish our family could live like this forever!"
Zhao's mother smiled and said, "Okay, our family will always be together!"
The grandmother and grandson chatted and laughed as they returned home.
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