Since they left home in the morning, it was already past one in the afternoon. Zhang Guoqing asked Xiao Liu to drive around to the county town to buy some meat buns and steamed buns.
He was afraid of meeting someone he knew, but Xiao Liu was fine.
Furthermore, Zhang Guoqing was aware that many officials would rush to his house upon hearing the news, so he had to avoid them. It would be embarrassing for him to refuse the gift in person.
Some people will find many excuses, such as talking about relatives who have no connection in eight generations and saying that they are just relatives.
What do you say?
In order to prove his innocence, he had to prepare a generous gift in return.
It's very troublesome.
It would be better for his parents to reject these first batch of visitors.
Sure enough, when Zhang Guoqing got out of the car, he saw the closed yard. The gate of the old courtyard was half open. When he heard the sound of the car, his mother went out happily.
"Xiaowu, Mom doesn't even dare to stay on your side. Several groups of people have come since this morning. I saw that they all brought gifts, so I didn't dare let them in."
Zhang Guoqing gave his mother a thumbs up, "She's worthy of being my mother!"
Zhou Jiao beside her quickly asked, "Mom, are you tired?"
Zhang's mother waved her hand cheerfully. "They're being very polite. I told them my son is a soldier and can't take a needle from an ordinary citizen, or he'll be punished."
How dare they?
I was worried they'd come to discuss serious matters, so I asked Mai Qing to register their names and work units, and they were very happy. But they also said they'd come to pay New Year's greetings during the first month of the lunar year.
Zhou Jiao held her arm as they walked while praising her, "Mom, you are really amazing. I can't handle these things."
"That's nothing." Zhang's mother was happily pulled into the yard by her daughter-in-law. "I left some food for you. Why didn't the children come back with you?"
"Almost there. Have you and my dad eaten yet?"
Zhou Jiao didn't dare tell her that her sons had slipped away early in the morning, but seeing as how they hadn't returned yet, she looked worriedly in the direction of Daqing Mountain.
"I've eaten." As she spoke, Zhang's mother noticed no movement behind her and turned around curiously to see, "Why hasn't Xiaowu brought Xiaoliu in yet?"
"Oh, he's probably greeting someone outside." Zhou Jiao quickly changed the subject and pulled her towards the living room. "Mom, have all the pigs in the village been killed?"
Before getting off the bus, Zhang Guoqing gave her a task: to try her best to get her mother-in-law into the house first, otherwise they would not be able to go to the big market in Malutun tomorrow.
"Oh, look at my memory. We were supposed to kill the New Year pig on the 26th, but your father knew you were back, so he wanted to share some with someone.
Later, your second sister-in-law had a good memory. She said you loved the pig-killing dish the most. Since you hadn't tasted it in so many years, she asked Qingfeng's wife to save one for you and they arranged to have it tomorrow morning.
Zhou Jiao smiled when she heard this, "Second sister-in-law is so thoughtful!"
"She just thinks about food!"
After Zhang's mother finished speaking, she burst into laughter. "But the second eldest's family is really nice. She was worried about me and your father... so Mai Qing didn't transfer to the provincial capital yet..."
This matter had already been discussed last night, and Zhou Jiao didn't expose it, but praised it again. Her mother-in-law was able to talk to her for a few more words, which meant she was close to her, otherwise she would not bother to pay attention to her.
Zhang Guoqing can guard against his mother, but not his father.
Although Father Zhang was chatting at his brother's house, he was still thinking about his eldest son's family. When the car sounded, he chatted a few more words with reserve and took the opportunity to slip away.
As soon as he left Uncle Zhang's yard, Zhang's father saw his eldest son and Xiao Liu moving things. Seeing how they were doing, his mouth twitched.
——So many years have passed, and even the youngest grandson is about to get married, but his eldest son's bad character has not changed at all!
Zhang Dad glared at his son behind Xiao Liu's back, but he couldn't bring himself to scold him. Putting aside the fact that his son had gone through so much trouble to ensure he and his wife had a good New Year, he was now a prominent figure, so he couldn't say anything in front of outsiders.
"Dad, I'll do it. It'll be over in no time." Zhang Guoqing was frightened when he saw him stepping forward to help, and quickly stopped him. His father looked healthy and fit, but he was almost seventy years old after all.
It is rare to live to be seventy.
Seventy years of ups and downs, seventy years of vicissitudes of life, the years have quietly climbed up his forehead, dyeing the old man's temples white.
His father is getting older day by day.
"Why buy so much?"
Zhang Guoqing couldn't help but chuckle when he heard his father's muttering. "Dad, things are different now. The prosperous era your son talked about has begun."
If someone else said this, Father Zhang might have sneered and snorted secretly, but he believed his son and was immediately overjoyed.
Zhang Guoqing glanced around and whispered again, "My second brother won't be able to stay in the provincial capital for a few years. During this time, you should first figure out how to arrange things for my eldest brother. I don't plan for you and my mother to stay in our hometown any longer."
"I won't leave!"
Zhang Guoqing smiled at him, picked up his things and walked in. Once Zhang Laoer left, he would not leave his elderly parents in his hometown.
How many more years can his parents live? How many more years can they accompany him? He doesn't want to endure the pain of "a son wants to support his parents but they are no longer around."
"Xiaowu, Daddy is telling you, don't make a fuss. Daddy wants to be buried in the back mountain with your grandparents."
"Pooh, pooh, pooh, Dad, what bad luck on New Year's Day." Zhang Guoqing glared at his father in complaint, "I didn't tell you to go with my mother and not come back."
"Are you the father, or am I the father?"
"Hahaha... Who dares to say you are not my father?" Zhang Guoqing replied ambiguously and decided to move his things quickly.
Anyway, it's impossible to make a final decision on these matters in the short term. The second brother has just been transferred to the provincial capital not long ago, so he is just making preparations first.
The two brothers Liuyi and Wuyi were carrying their prey on their backs and were quietly moving down from Daqing Mountain to Beishan. They saw a figure standing outside the back door of their yard.
Wuyi, who was in the lead, was carrying two wild deer on his back and ran up to her at a brisk pace. "Mom, it's so cold, why don't you wait inside?"
Zhou Jiao quickly dodged to the side and said, "Let's go in first."
"Mom, it's not serious, don't worry." Liuyi followed in closely, shaking a wild boar on his shoulder and shaking the pheasants strung together in his hand.
Without waiting for Zhou Jiao to ask where her eldest son was?
Wuyi had already put down his prey and turned around. "Hurry up, little brother. Big brother is still waiting for us. Mom, my brother still has a lot. We have to run over there. Then we have to go down the mountain directly from there to leave some for the village. You go in first, don't wait, it's too cold."
After May Day finished speaking, he pulled away Liu Yi who was about to speak and waved at her.
"Mom, hurry in..." Liuyi could only wave along with his brother, "Why are you in such a hurry? I was trying to coax Mom into going in first, but you just left it all behind."
"It's useless. Mom won't let her go in. We'd better hurry back and sort out what needs to be sorted out, otherwise those people will come back and eat the ready-made food."
Liuyi pursed her lips and decided not to reply to him.
His younger brother was right; he needed to hurry. He wasn't so stingy as to be reluctant to give his cousins some wild game, but he couldn't whet their appetites.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
