The garden was drafty at night, making people shiver with cold.
It is impossible for Zhang Guoqing to really discuss things here.
After listening to Zhang Laoer's words of admonishment that sounded like an elder brother, he happily pulled him to the study in the yard where Ping'an lived.
One thing that is very obvious about the three brothers trained by Zhou Xiaozheng is that they have a strong aura of being from an aristocratic family in their bones. Especially since they grew up with Zhou Jiao, they are more or less inclined to be proficient in literature.
The study looks simple, perhaps because it has not been officially occupied yet, but Ping An has not neglected any of the hobbies that scholars love - playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry and songs.
There is a cursive calligraphy hanging on the wall, a guqin on the shelf, the books are all yellowed ancient rare books, and there is an unfinished ink painting on the large desk.
Zhang Laoer blinked and pointed at the guqin in disbelief. "Are you sure this is Ping'an's yard? Isn't he going to join the army? Why is it playing this tune?"
After saying this, he walked over to the table and took a look, then walked over to the bookshelf, sniffed it, knocked on it, and nodded. Then he walked over to the guqin and curled his lips in disdain.
Zhang Guoqing shook his head with a smile, "He arranged this for his mother. He said he needed to tune the instrument first."
——There is no other way. If he doesn’t cover up for his son, even his parents will probably think that the child has been raised astray.
"That's what I was saying. But he made this bunch of junk look really presentable after he arranged it like this. Not only does it save money, it's also quite intimidating."
Zhang Guoqing was so amused by him that he burst out laughing and rolled his eyes at him. "Alright, second brother, stop pretending. Can't you tell that these are old items?"
"Apart from the wood, I really can't tell." Zhang Laoer said, sighing, "Everything was smashed in those years. It's better to let Ping'an put these old things away. It would be a shame if they were stolen."
After the two brothers sat down, Zhang Laoer stretched his neck to look outside.
Zhang Guoqing noticed this and pointed out, "No one comes in here. Except for those three brothers, the dogs outside will bark if someone comes. Do you want to discuss something important?"
Zhang Laoer lazily leaned back in his chair and said, "Xiaowu, it's hard to put it into words."
Zhang Guoqing frowned slightly, picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for himself and him, "Take a sip first, and then we can talk slowly. Let's discuss this properly, brothers."
Zhang Laoer took the small teacup and curled his lips in disdain, "Can you change to a bigger cup?"
"I'll just use it for now." Want to change it? I'd have to run to the outer courtyard, and by the time I'd finished, the daylilies would be cold. Might as well just wash up and go to bed early, and talk about it tomorrow.
"Xiaowu, our eldest brother has a hard life."
Zhang Guoqing was shocked when he heard this. "What's going on? Didn't you say everything was fine? If the child can't pass the exam, just keep trying. Is someone bullying Big Brother?"
"Yeah, I was bullied by the Huang family!"
"Huang Cuilan?"
"It's that woman! She made me so angry. You don't know I almost hit her..." Zhang Laoer found someone he could talk to, and at this moment he poured out all the things that had happened over the years.
Of course, he was not stupid enough to tell his younger brother how Huang Cuilan treated the three Ping'an brothers. This was to make Xiaowu have a grudge against the eldest brother.
But who was Zhang Guoqing? Zhang Laoer's half-hour-long narration, in which he managed to put the matter into perspective, and coupled with the three sons' apparent reluctance to return home, he began to understand a little.
What kind of person was Boss Zhang? Zhang Guoqing thought he knew him a bit, so he wouldn't take his anger out on him. He hadn't expected his eldest brother to be so patient, like a Ninja Turtle.
Perhaps they shouldn't have stopped it back then.
Zhang Guoqing thought of that incident and sighed secretly. Over the past decade or so, he couldn't help but pay attention to his two brothers back home, and naturally he wouldn't forget to keep an eye on the girl who was vying to be his sister-in-law.
"Xiaowu, what do you say we should do?"
Zhang Guoqing pursed his lips and said, "Listen to what Big Brother says. What does he think?"
"One night, I desperately tried to get him drunk, but guess what happened? I, your second brother, passed out. According to my eldest brother, I kept holding on to him and asking him if he wanted to leave me."
Zhang Guoqing looked at Zhang Laoer's depressed face, pinched his thigh secretly, and tried to suppress his laughter. If he really laughed, he would probably end their brotherhood.
"So you didn't ask anything at all? That's not like you, brother."
"I didn't dare ask too much. I was worried that if I asked too much, he would agree without thinking. What if he still had some feelings for that woman?"
"Don't disbelieve me! I've been thinking about this for the past few days. If a man doesn't want a wife, even if he doesn't divorce, there will always be trouble with so many women out there, right? But Big Brother just isn't tempted."
"Do you still remember the little widow in the west of the city? The one whose husband left behind a son."
Zhang Guoqing rolled his eyes at him and said, "I've never heard of it."
Zhang Laoer was silent for a moment, then nodded. "That's true. When you were in college, she wasn't married yet. Let's not talk about that for now. Let me tell you, the young widow was incredibly pretty."
"But Big Brother really wasn't moved. Every time he saw her, he ran away as if he had seen a ghost. I asked Big Brother once, and he said he didn't care. Look, does he still hold out hope for Huang Cuilan?"
Zhang Guoqing poured him another cup of tea. "Second brother, is the eldest brother's current plan to work in the provincial capital, and will she live with her son in the county town?"
"That's what he said. But I see the Huang family won't give up. But before I came here, I warned them that if they make my brother angry, they will be kicked out.
But Xiaowu, this is not a solution. If this is the case, how can Big Brother live like this? I told Big Brother to either take Huang Cuilan away from her parents' home, or to divorce her directly, and let her live with whichever son she wants. But he just sighed to himself, which worried me to death.
"You said we were born from the same parents, so why can't I understand his thoughts? It seems like he has no feelings for that woman, but he lets her stay in our house. What do you think is his purpose?"
Zhang Guoqing hesitated and looked at him, "Do mom and dad know?"
Zhang Laoer frowned. "Mother definitely doesn't know, but it seems like Father knows something. Before we left, Father told my eldest brother that the provincial capital isn't bad either. At least it's quiet."
"Then let Big Brother and his wife separate for a while and let him think it over. As brothers, we can't make all the decisions for him, right?"
Zhang Laoer sighed, "That's exactly the truth."
Zhang Guoqing thought it over and decided to reveal something. "I'm going to tell you something. You must not tell anyone else. Even in front of Big Brother, pretend you don't know anything."
Zhang Laoer was immediately alert, sitting up straight and patting his chest, "You said, your second brother didn't even tell our parents."
"That's not necessary, Dad knows everything."
Zhang Laoer immediately snatched the teacup from his hand and said, "Stop wasting time and speak quickly."
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