"What do you think after hearing this? This is a 17-year-old girl from the countryside who has never seen the world. What she said is true: she really doesn't care about money.
When she got married, Zhang Guoqing's family gave her a generous 800 yuan dowry, while the Zhou family offered nothing. She used the gift money to buy a sewing machine and married into the Zhang family with the remaining money. Zhang Guoqing wanted to buy her something big, but she refused, saying it was unnecessary. She had a bicycle at home, so she tried to be low-key. Her cousin had just gotten married, and besides a three-wheeled and a bell, she had many other valuables, but she didn't even glance at them.
At 17, who wouldn't want to marry into their husband's family in style and enjoy a superior status? But what about her? In her husband's family, she was incredibly considerate. Her two sisters-in-law treated her like their own sister, and both her mother-in-law and father-in-law favored her.
Even though she wasn't registered in the area, had no food rations, and no dowry, her family protected her. At the time, the crowd surrounded the Zhang family's main gate, and everyone in the Zhang family stood behind her, watching closely, fearing any mishaps. Zhang Guoqing protected her, silently standing to her left. To her right stood her two sisters-in-law, preventing the Zhou girl from getting any closer.
Zhou Jiao is a very good person. I knew from the moment I saw her that this family was kind. Of course, if they weren't kind, she wouldn't have married into their family. So, why did Zhou Jiao get married so early?
Zhou Jiao found out that her aunt wanted to marry her to her nephew from her mother's family. Unfortunately, she had no one to help her in the Zhou family. She said that she had never thought of going to Beijing to find us. When she was in distress, Zhang Guoqing received a military enlistment quota from an acquaintance. He immediately ran to Zhou Jiao and said that he did not want to join the army. He was afraid that if he joined the army, he would die like her father, and there would be no one to accompany her. He felt sorry for her, so he refused. It was with these words. Zhou Jiao told Zhang Guoqing that if he did not regret it, he could come to propose marriage. She asked him to think it over and get his parents' consent before asking the matchmaker to come to his house officially. She gave him three days to think about it.
After returning home, Jiaojiao was afraid that the Zhou family would not let her marry and would plot against her, so she went to her grandmother and told her that she wanted to marry Zhang Guoqing. If they didn't agree, she would return to the capital. As she expected, Old Man Zhou was reluctant to part with this piece of meat and agreed with a cold face.
I was puzzled. These two children were excellent students, consistently ranked first and second in the county. How could they not go to school? Zhou Jiao had been hiding her aunt's plot against her until Shanshan asked her about it. Even Zhang Guoqing didn't know, fearing he might act out of control under impulse. Shanshan asked her why she didn't tell her grandmother. She smiled and said her grandmother herself had to consider the family's opinions, so what was the point?
She trusts no one, is deeply guarded, and acts cautiously, calculating every move. Aside from Zhang Guoqing, who has protected her since childhood, she has no close friends. She's gentle and polite to everyone, but none of that matters to her; it's all insignificant. It seems the only person she cares about besides Zhang Guoqing is her father, Zhou Xiaozheng.
Shanshan, judging by her behavior and personality, is her mother. But she doesn't trust her. She'll draw a line in her heart. She'll protect her mother, but she can't trust her.
When she was 10, she couldn't stand it anymore and, after much effort, finally called Shanshan. Shanshan flatly refused to let her come over. For the next six years, she didn't even read the letters she received, or even glance at the things she received. In her most difficult times, she didn't think of us or her mother first.
If she hadn't been inspired by the birth of her child and opened all those letters, she would have smiled as if nothing had happened, but she definitely wouldn't have contacted Shanshan. When Shanshan got old, she would support her; that was her character.
Fortunately, after reading the letter, she told Shanshan, "Mom, don't be sad. If I were you, I would go find Xiaowu, too. I've never blamed you. Maybe I did before, but it doesn't matter anymore. After reading the letter, I understand. Your only hope in life is to find my dad. You've waited for my dad for so many years. That's enough for me. Wait for Dad to come back, and live your lives well. As long as you're well, even if you're not by my side, I'll be happy."
"Why did she endure it for so many years, only to cause trouble the next day, on her own son's third birthday? Oh, I forgot to tell you, this is a trap. I guess Zhou Jiao led Zhou Xue to cause trouble."
Lin Liying thought for a moment and said cautiously, "Could it be that he knows you've been there and has someone to rely on?"
Li Jianjun, who was standing nearby, immediately retorted, "No, even if Dad and the others didn't go, she could have killed a lot of people based on what she said. What did she rely on? Her job? Didn't Dad tell her that the child didn't want to be a soldier?"
Money means nothing to a young couple like them. I think the key lies in that phrase, the one my grandfather used back in Beijing: "Whose grandfather is this?" We need to be clear about this, or someone might get killed. This must be her bottom line. To be prepared, we must strike first. A skilled chess player foresees the retreat. With this incident unfolding in public, who would even mention her again?
On the contrary, she couldn't let her father and elder sister be her support. She wanted to portray herself as a poor, fatherless person who was oppressed by others, who endured humiliation and could not speak out her suffering for the sake of her family and the Zhou family.
Who dares to call her heartless and ungrateful for those three knocks at the end? Even if she becomes successful in the future, it's because she left the old Zhou family that oppressed her. She even kills three birds with one stone. Didn't she know her father was still alive? So she took the opportunity to break off the marriage. Who dares to say her father is bad? It also saves everyone from coming forward to drag him down. There are many other benefits, you'll understand if you think about it. The question is - did she set a trap to lure the other party out?
Old Master Lin sighed and nodded. "The three of us were watching the whole thing live. Zhang Guoqing saw us and acted as if nothing had happened. The couple in the audience cooperated, and it was most likely a trap to lure someone in."
Zhou Jiao wasn't one for gossiping, and it was rare to hear her say anything unkind about the Zhou family. But that day, it just so happened. If she hadn't been scheming, she'd have been completely wiped out of the Zhou family.
Fortunately, the couple were kindhearted, otherwise they would have been a real nuisance. Zhang Guoqing was a man of integrity, renowned throughout the county. Everyone, young and old, who had interacted with him praised him. Before we even arrived, the head of the county public security bureau had reserved a position for him, allowing him to start work there. He had already figured out how to join the armed forces.
What could we possibly rely on? Jiaojiao wouldn't appreciate it. They weren't interested in this. Besides, they'd already guessed Zhou Xiaozheng was back, so what else did they need us for?
Jiaojiao is very stable. Zhang Guoqing always listens to her advice. Some things are hard to say. Zhang Guoqing is not a simple farm boy. It won't be long before you see, look at that young couple, and you will find that my words are true. Even Xiao Zhou praised me several times.
Xiao Zhou nodded solemnly. He thought to himself, what's the point of the old man wanting his family to understand Zhang Guoqing and his wife's temperament? Those who should have understood already, like Li Jianjun. Those who couldn't hear him were still secretly rolling their eyes.
He glanced at the eldest daughter of the Lin family, standing beside the old lady. Haha, she's truly a daughter, yet she's still not convinced. She's not even a hair's breadth behind Zhou Jiao. He watched her sit with such disregard for manners and laziness that he shook his head inwardly. Who would have known, outside, that Lin Xueling, always emphasizing equality for all, was actually like this in the interior? He, too, came from the countryside and had seen too many instances of hypocrisy. It seemed the chief's efforts had been in vain.
Mrs. Lin opened and closed her mouth several times, then held back her breath before finally asking, "Old man, does Zhou Jiao really look like me? Did she really learn the Three Character Classic and Thousand Character Classic at the age of three? Does she have a photographic memory?"
"Didn't you see the photo and say she looks like you? You know what, she really does look alike. However, after getting to know her for a while, I feel like she's more like Zhou Xiaozheng. I don't know if she has a photographic memory. Even if she does, she's keeping it a secret and won't say anything."
"Hey, old lady, have you noticed that you actually look quite similar to Zhou Xiaozheng? People who don't know would definitely say that you are mother and son. Why didn't I notice it before? I guess it's because Boss Zhou Xiaozheng was so sullen that I didn't notice it. No wonder I felt he looked so familiar the first time I saw him." After saying this, Mr. Lin looked at her puzzledly.
Old Mrs. Lin met his gaze, avoided his gaze, and lowered her head in thought.
Lin Liying nudged Chen Jingru, looked at her strangely, and asked softly, "Sister-in-law, why are you so silent? Are you scared? Don't worry. Even if she wants to blame anyone, she won't blame you. Isn't it the same with your eldest brother who's not at home and has no news? I don't think that child is a stingy person. If she were, she would have chased my eldest sister away with a broom. As for me, I'm not worried anymore. When I came back just now, I thought my eldest sister would return to Beijing crying tomorrow."
Chen Jingru forced a smile, looked at her daughter beside her, sighed inwardly, and then looked at the distracted old lady, feeling even more annoyed. Thinking of her husband's upcoming return, she had been excited and happy for a while. Now, she was slowly calming down, and thinking about the future, the joy in her heart slowly faded.
Lin Xueling rolled her eyes and leaned back on the fabric sofa, bored. She wondered where she would go tomorrow if she didn't have work. She listened to the old man and her uncle chatting and laughing. It was so annoying. What good was there to talk about in the Northeast?
She kept calling him "Jiao Jiao" and "Xiao Wu" all the time, and anyone who didn't know her would think she was some big shot. Even if she talked about him in a fancy way, she still wouldn't believe it. Just by reading a few crappy books, she thought she was a big shot. Who doesn't read? She couldn't stand bookworms; what was the point of being so clueless? Where was the bookworm who used to be the best reader in her class now? In her opinion, nothing was more valuable than family background.
All the kids in the compound are like this. They get beaten every day. While their parents say that their sons and daughters are not doing well, they have secretly arranged jobs for them behind their backs.
Coming from the countryside, really wanting to fly to the sky? She was lucky that her biological father suddenly appeared, otherwise she would have to wonder whether her aunt would go to that village in the Northeast.
Forget it, she'd better sleep in tomorrow. Judging from what her aunt brought back, it was probably local specialties from the countryside, like sweet potatoes and dried vegetables. The last time Xiaoxiu's relatives came, they brought a huge bag of dried sweet potatoes and left with a whole sack of rice.
As night fell, the Lin family compound was ablaze with lights. The nanny brought the meal, and Mr. Lin and his family joined the table. Mrs. Lin, as always, practiced a silent diet while sleeping. Aside from a few words from her husband and son-in-law, everyone else was busy eating. Today, with Mr. Lin's return, a few more dishes had been added to the meal, enriching it considerably.
It was late at night and Mrs. Lin tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, which disturbed her husband.
Old Master Lin woke up dazed and mumbled, "Don't think about it, we can talk about it during the day." He turned over and continued to snore. He was old and tired after the long journey, so he slept soundly.
Old Mrs. Lin listened to the snoring and smiled silently. This rough man is still a rough man even in his old age. The image of the jade-like man emerged in her mind, and she sighed softly.
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