“Will it have a bad impact?”
No wonder Father Zhang said that.
You know, he has thought about calling his eldest son over the years, but when he went to the post office to inquire, he found out it was extremely expensive!
He was so scared that he turned around and left immediately. He thought that even if he had money, he shouldn't waste it like that.
He knew that calls from Brother Zhou's phone were free, but that only worked for public affairs. If he made a long-distance call to a place thousands of miles away, it would be a private matter...
You're going to get pidou!
"Xiaowu knows how to do things, don't worry. Come, you and your sister-in-law have a cup of hot water first. He has to go out later, so he should call soon."
After hearing what he said, Zhang's father felt relieved, but he didn't care whether to drink water or not. He rubbed his hands together and moved to the phone, staring at the receiver intently.
He knew how to answer this question back in Beijing. Hehe, I never thought that one day I would be able to hear my son's voice from here...
"Why hasn't it rung yet?"
Zhang's mother glared at her husband and then looked at Zhao Dashan cheerfully, "Why did Xiaowu think of calling? In previous years, we always celebrated the New Year in our hometown."
Zhao Dashan gestured to his head and smiled, "That kid's got a sharp mind. I asked him just now, and he said his father wrote to him last year saying that the children were too young for him to return to the village for the New Year. With so many new children this year, I guess with his father's personality, it's unlikely he'll be able to come back for the New Year."
Father Zhang nodded absentmindedly as he spoke, still staring at the phone without relaxing for a moment.
After waiting for a long time, the phone finally rang. Dad Zhang immediately stretched out his hands and then looked at Zhao Dashan.
Zhao Dashan looked at him strangely and urged him, "Answer it."
"Could it be a call from your work?"
Zhao Dashan smiled and shook his head decisively, signaling him to take it quickly.
Looking at Zhang Dad's back, Zhao Dashan smiled sincerely. This was what he admired most about Zhang Dad: no matter what the situation was, he always knew how to handle things perfectly.
Yes, she could give birth to a smart man like Zhang Guoqing, raise a son like Zhang Laoer, and control the whole family without any talent. How could it be possible?
Father Zhang took a deep breath, picked up the microphone with both hands and put it to his ear. Before he could speak, he heard Zhang Guoqing's voice...
"Hello, Uncle Dashan? Are my parents here?"
Father Zhang nodded excitedly and shouted, "Xiaowu, it's Daddy. Daddy is here, and your mother is here too. Mother, come here quickly and listen, it's our Xiaowu."
"Dad, Mom, I miss you so much, can you stay home?"
"I'm fine. There are a lot of people at home now. What about you? Where are you now?"
The sound of the telephone receiver was so loud that not only Zhang's mother heard it, but even Zhao Dashan heard it and laughed so hard that he shook his head.
"I'm at home, my family is here. Dad, do you and Mom want to say something to my parents?"
"Second brother, when will you and your sister-in-law come over?"
Father Zhang laughed heartily, "It's Brother Zhou! How could I not recognize that voice? It's almost time. When the weather warms up, Xiaowu's mother and I will go over there."
"Okay, come over early, I've left some good wine for you."
"Sister, come over earlier too. I'll go shopping with you." This was Miao Lishan's voice.
Mother Zhang didn't answer the phone and shouted directly into the phone: "Okay, big sister, is there anything you need at home? Do you want me to send you something?"
"No need, just come."
"Hey, I'll be there soon. Is everything okay at home?"
"Everything is fine. Is it cold in Northeast China?"
"It's okay, I'm used to it. How about you?"
Forget it, Dad Zhang is not going to talk to his wife anymore. The phone bill is expensive, and they are really chatting.
He quickly said into the phone, "Xiao Wu, I'll hang up if you're fine. You don't have to worry about me and your mother over there. We're having a great time at home..."
Zhang Guoqing's voice immediately interrupted him, "Hahaha... Dad, Jiaojiao, Ping'an and the other three brothers haven't spoken to you yet?"
"Yes, yes, Jiaojiao, Xiaowu didn't make you angry, did he? Are the children obedient?"
Wuyi's voice immediately rang out, "Grandpa, we are all listening to you. We are so good. When adults point east, we dare not go west."
"Dad, it's cold, you and Mom should take care of yourselves. Once it warms up, I'll have Xiaomi buy you tickets, and you can come up, okay?"
"Okay, okay. Your mom and I will go straight to Xiaomi when we get there. You guys just work hard over there. If you encounter anything, consult your parents. Got it?"
"Okay. Dad, no one bullies you and my mom back home, right?"
Zhang's mother burst out laughing when she heard this. "Silly child! Your father and I are on good terms, don't worry. If anyone bullies me, I'll send you a telegram."
"Yes, you are right, mother. It's cold, wear more clothes. Do you have enough money? Don't worry about not having money. Just buy whatever you want to eat. If you can't find it, tell me and I will find it for you."
"Grandma, my mom saw that she couldn't go back home a few days ago, so she sent a package to you and grandpa. Remember to receive it. The three of us brothers also put some things in it..."
Mother Zhang smiled happily, then suddenly covered her mouth, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. She looked up at the ceiling and responded with a "OK" as if nothing had happened.
Seeing this, Zhao Dashan turned around and quietly left the office. Standing outside the door, listening to the conversation inside, he finally sighed to himself.
“Raise sons to prepare for old age, store grain to prepare for famine.” Fortunately, Brother Zhang has three sons. If he only had this one old son who was far away, he would miss his sons even more.
After hanging up the phone, Zhang's father and mother came out with smiles on their faces. If you didn't pay attention to their red noses and eyes, you might not be able to tell that they were reluctant to leave.
"This phone call is really great, it's like meeting someone face to face."
"You old woman are such a fool! This phone bill is so expensive. We've been talking for so long, I think it's enough to go to Beijing and back. It's better not to call in the future. I think Brother Zhou will definitely pay for it himself later. He won't take advantage of the public."
"Oh my god, if I had known I wouldn't have dragged Jiaojiao along to chat."
Zhao Dashan laughed happily and said jokingly, "I think I can see that Jiaojiao is the sister-in-law's biological daughter."
That's exactly what I mean.
Zhang's mother believes that her own daughter is not as good as her own Jiaojiao, not to mention the two daughters-in-law.
On this New Year's Eve, after receiving a call from their eldest son's family, Zhang's father and mother couldn't stop smiling. Even the crying of the baby seemed festive.
On New Year's Day, standing in front of the graves of Grandpa Zhang and his wife, Father Zhang kept muttering about his old son, his old daughter-in-law, and his three most satisfied grandchildren...
After the Chinese New Year, the weather became warmer day by day. Occasionally, when they read the letters from their eldest son, Mr. and Mrs. Zhang still felt a little moved.
But soon, with the changes around them and some trivial matters of the children, they hesitated and postponed the trip again.
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