Zhang Guoqing left the study, closed the door, and put on a smile again. He looked around, strolled to the kitchen, glanced inside, and shook his head in disappointment.
Only his mother-in-law and Aunt Chen were inside, chatting and laughing while preparing midnight snacks.
Standing in the yard and looking up at the lights upstairs, Zhang Guoqing stood there in a daze for a while, then went into the living room and quietly went upstairs.
In the lounge on the second floor, Zhou Jiao was concentrating on painting behind the long table. She was not affected at all by the sound of the door being pushed open until a figure appeared under the light.
Zhang Guoqing knew that she was lost in thought again.
He glanced at the waste newspaper on the floor in front of the table and the rice paper near his feet. He held his breath, squatted down, and stacked the fallen rice paper one by one.
Gradually, Zhang Guoqing let out a breath as he looked at the "three sons and five grandsons" written in different fonts on it. He looked up at Zhou Jiao who was tightly pursing her lips, and couldn't help but smile.
After tidying it up and putting it aside, he took a piece of rice paper from it, then tiptoed out quietly, closing the door gently, leaving a gap.
A ray of light illuminated the corridor. Zhang Guoqing stroked the paper, turned around and went downstairs again.
In the study, Zhou Xiaozheng was delighted to see his son-in-law return.
Zhang Guoqing unfolded the rice paper and placed it on his desk, a smile spreading across his face. "Dad, Jiaojiao didn't lock the door this time and is still writing big characters. Look."
Zhou Xiaozheng heard the implication: this time, his daughter Jiaojiao hadn't been so stubborn as to hide away in a corner to heal her wounds alone. He was also helpless about his precious daughter's habit. He would rather she vent her emotions with tears and laughter than quietly adjust.
Whose child doesn’t cry and make a fuss when he is unhappy?
This only shows that the childhood injuries are deep in the bones, and the years that I did not participate in were not loved by my parents and I could not live as I pleased.
Zhang Guoqing saw his guilty expression and knew he was overthinking it, so he quickly said with a smile: "Dad, do you know why she keeps writing these four big words?
She had accompanied the old lady to a fortune teller before. You don't know how good that fortune teller was. She used my birth date and horoscope to predict everything about me from childhood to adulthood, even before I even went.
Zhou Xiaozheng looked at him with a smile when he heard that.
"That fortune-teller's surname is Liu. I heard that before she changed her name, she could earn a fortune for a fortune telling. This time, she returned the favor and told Jiaojiao that she would have three sons and five grandchildren in her lifetime.
Think about it, we have family planning now, and my three sons can give me five grandchildren, so doesn't that mean I'll have twins again?"
Zhou Xiaozheng smiled and glanced at his son-in-law with disdain, "You still say your second brother favors boys over girls? You're not bad either. A granddaughter is still a granddaughter."
"Yes, a granddaughter is also a granddaughter. No, Dad, we've strayed from the topic." Zhang Guoqing laughed and shook his head. "Whether they are grandchildren or grandchildren, since there are five grandchildren and Ping An hasn't married yet, then they can be safe and sound, right?"
Zhou Xiaozheng tapped the table with his fingers. "Do you think your father is crazy? He let his grandson go to the front lines without any preparation or confidence?"
He pointed his finger at Zhang Guoqing and said, "Just sit quietly and wait for Jiaojiao to come downstairs. Your mom will come down when she calls for supper. Don't worry, your dad is here, the sky won't fall."
"Then, Dad, you must hold on."
Zhou Xiaozheng glanced at him arrogantly, "Don't be distracted from your work. Those monkeys will be wiped out as soon as our soldiers get there. There's no need to be nervous."
Zhang Guoqing saw that he was in a good mood, so he moved closer to him, put his hands on his shoulders, and massaged them while quietly asking, "Dad, are the kids going with the main force or the small team this time?"
Zhou Xiaozheng closed his eyes and dozed off, saying two words, "Keep it a secret."
"Then I'll make a guess. If I guess right, can you just nod? That won't count as you leaking the secret."
"Nonsense."
Zhang Guoqing smiled disapprovingly, "The children previously entered a foreign country. This time, when the large force gathers, they should send out scouts first, right?"
Zhou Xiaozheng opened his eyes, glanced at him, and then closed them again.
Zhang Guoqing felt relieved after seeing this. He had guessed correctly! After a moment of silence, he changed the subject and talked about other things.
It is selfish to reveal so much, just like the conversation between the father-in-law and son-in-law and Zhou Jiao tonight, according to the principle of confidentiality, not a single word can be revealed.
The army had issued an order before, and now they have implemented level one combat readiness. This is why his father-in-law avoided his mother-in-law during the conversation tonight.
Of course, there was a reason why his father-in-law said that he couldn't hide it from Zhou Jiao: with her little notebook, she could know the general situation on the front line, but she couldn't get to know the deeper level. In some aspects, even his position and connections were not enough.
Fortunately, he has a father-in-law who holds a high position. He can piece together some secrets from here and there, which can at least be used to comfort his silly wife.
After Miao Lishan brought Aunt Chen to bring out the stewed midnight snack, she called everyone to come out to the living room.
It was just as Zhou Xiaozheng expected.
When Zhang Guoqing accompanied his father-in-law out of the study, his wife also came downstairs.
"Dad, I won't change it." Zhou Jiao said this decision with a serious look on her face.
Zhou Xiaozheng nodded seriously, "Dad will take care of everything, don't worry."
Upon hearing this, Miao Lishan looked at them and winked at her son-in-law: What are you doing?
Zhang Guoqing shook his head in confusion: Your man and your daughter are communicating in secret!
He wasn't sure whether his mother-in-law had heard the news, nor was he sure whether there would be any twists and turns when she learned that the children were going to war.
It’s better to leave it to his omnipotent father-in-law. He is really exhausted.
That night, Zhou Jiao leaned in Zhang Guoqing's arms, listening to a series of news including the latest developments, the personnel protecting the children, and so on.
She felt relieved a little, but she knew she could never show the rest. In addition to the heavy workload, this silly man was under no less mental pressure than she was.
She could only put on a proud and innocent smile, "Thank goodness I have you and Dad, I feel much more at ease."
"Yes, we are waiting for the fifth grandson to arrive."
Zhou Jiao held his hand tightly, smiled brightly, and closed her eyes.
She didn't dare open her eyes in the darkness until the man beside her began to breathe evenly and relaxed his arms around her, then she sighed secretly.
There was a moment when she really wanted to break the children's wings.
money?
So far, they have enough capital to squander.
that power?
With one's background and status, changing one's path may not necessarily mean one will not achieve great success.
But she thought of her three sons' eyes that would light up every time they talked about their dreams; she remembered the proud expressions on their faces when they came back this summer and talked about being soldiers...
Growing up in a compound, exposed to the world around her, it was natural for her to be influenced. She also overlooked the immense love her generation had for their motherland.
For their generation, the empire built by their ancestors will have to be defended by them from generation to generation. Rather than guarding the rear in fear of death, they would rather guard this land themselves.
Since we can't stop it, then support it!
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