Zhao Yuanyuan rode her bicycle happily, hurrying to the village. She was secretly happy that Jiaojiao was going to the county town this time, and she finally had company.
When they arrived at the Zhang family yard at the foot of Beishan Mountain, before entering the yard, Zhao Yuanyuan shouted, "Jiaojiao, I'm here, I have good news to tell you." After shouting, she pushed the cart into the yard and saw Zhang Guoqing's mother smiling at her happily.
"My daughter, come and see Jiaojiao. Go straight over. Ping'an is probably sleeping. Jiaojiao can't answer you loudly. Go in quickly."
Zhao Yuanyuan smiled sheepishly, forgetting that the child was young and couldn't yell and scare Ping An. "Auntie, Zhang Guoqing and Uncle Zhou were taken home by my father to drink. My father asked me to come home and tell him that he and Uncle Zhou are old friends, so don't worry."
Mother Zhang nodded cheerfully, "Okay, go to her room and tell Jiaojiao that dinner is here. Don't rush back, just chat with Jiaojiao."
"Okay. I won't have dinner here. It's not convenient to go back too late. Auntie, I'm going in." After saying that, he hurriedly ran to Zhou Jiao's bedroom in the west wing.
Zhou Jiao heard her voice from afar. When she heard the noise of her coming in, she hurriedly called out, "Yuanyuan, come in quickly. How come you have time to come here today?"
Zhao Yuanyuan entered the inner room and saw Zhou Jiao's mother, whom she had met last time. "Auntie, I have to call you Auntie. Last time, I didn't know you were my Uncle Zhou's lover. Today, my dad and Uncle Zhou ran into each other and found out that we were old comrades. Uncle Zhou and Xiaowu were taken home by my dad, and he asked me to come and say hello to you so that you wouldn't worry."
Lin Lishan smiled as she looked at the impetuous girl in front of her. Her temperament was completely different from her own Jiaojiao. She chattered non-stop in a clear and bright voice, and her manners were generous and polite.
"Oh, thank you for your hard work, Yuanyuan. Last time I saw you, I slipped away early. This time, sit down and chat with me."
Zhou Jiao looked at Zhao Yuanyuan with a smile. This guy must have come here in a hurry for something. Seeing her eyes shining with excitement and an expression that said, "Ask me something quickly," she didn't ask or say anything.
Zhao Yuanyuan stamped her feet in frustration and said in frustration, "Aren't you curious about how my dad found Uncle Zhou? Jiaojiao, it wasn't at work. I took him directly to Uncle Zhou. If you don't ask me, I won't tell you."
Zhou Jiao said slowly, "Is it because I saw my dad and Xiaowu looking for a house near your house?"
Zhao Yuanyuan opened her mouth in disbelief, covered it with her hand, and complained to Lin Lishan with wide eyes, "Auntie, look, I'm hurt again. This person is so boring. Can't he just pretend to be curious and guess deliberately?"
Lin Lishan patted her comfortingly, "Ignore her, let her play with her son. Let's have a good chat. What did you see your Uncle Zhou and Xiaowu doing? Did they bring back any messages when you came back?"
Zhao Yuanyuan patted her forehead and said apologetically, "I'm such a fool. Auntie, I didn't have time to ask. When I found them, they were installing locks and had already bought the house. The original owner was a professor who lived in that yard with his wife. Now he's old and needs his son to take care of him, so he sold it. I didn't go into the house, but looked around the yard. There was only a flower bed in the corner, no vegetables planted, no chickens raised, and it was quite clean. I heard from my father that the owner of this yard was a man of heritage and culture, and the inner room should be nice too.
You don't know, Uncle Zhou and his team finished buying everything in less than two hours, faster than my mom went to buy cabbage. Xiaowu didn't let me pass on the message; he was busy installing the lock. Uncle Zhou was stopped by my dad and didn't have time to say a word to me. Besides, I didn't have time to pass on the message to them. I was so happy that I ran straight here to tell Jiaojiao the news.
Lin Lishan and Zhou Jiao, mother and daughter, burst into laughter when they heard this. Zhao Yuanyuan was really impatient.
Lin Lishan hadn't expected her husband to secure the house so quickly, and she hadn't even met Zhao Dashan. She'd met Zhao Dashan before, who would later become Xiaowu's immediate superior. He was still an old acquaintance, so that would make things easier for Xiaowu.
This meeting just happened to coincide with her scheduled workday. She wondered if it would be postponed until after the Lunar New Year. The couple didn't have much time to spend with their daughter and were anxious to get back. She also planned to have Jiaojiao and her family of three stay home for a while, so she could spend some quality time with the child and find an opportunity to take her to Shanghai for a stroll.
Zhao Yuanyuan curiously grasped the child's tiny hand and chuckled, "Jiaojiao, your son's hands are so small. He's grown up these past few days. Last time, they were still red, but now his face is white and tender. He's growing so fast. He doesn't cry or make a fuss, much better than the children of my cousins. Hey, little thing, do you understand? Why are you looking at me? Oh, his eyes are the same as yours. Jiaojiao, his eyes are a lot like yours."
Zhou Jiao smiled brightly upon hearing this. After more than half a month of nourishment, her complexion had become rosy. After giving birth, she seemed even more gentle and charming, calm and composed, her every move exuding elegance. This smile stunned Zhao Yuanyuan. The thin, petite girl in her memory was truly becoming more and more beautiful.
"Jiaojiao, now I know why Xiaowu is in such a hurry to marry you. You are becoming more and more beautiful. Last time, Qinglin said that Xiaowu didn't want that face anymore, but before anyone else could react, he took the initiative and hurriedly took you home to have children. He also lamented that he had a miserable life, saying that Ping'an would be busy with soy sauce, and he probably didn't know where his mother-in-law was. He could never catch up with Xiaowu's speed. Qinglin doesn't dare to stay at home now. He said that his father would just shake his head speechlessly every time he saw him. What did he do to anyone? It's all Xiaowu's fault. He is now restless day and night, afraid that he will be married off by his father if he is not careful. Haha...we all think it makes sense. Taozi said that his mother wants to pull the little girl home when she sees her now. If she wasn't in school, her innocence would be in jeopardy. These two guys are always counting the days on their fingers, waiting for you to be one month old so that they can settle the score with Xiaowu."
Lin Lishan nodded after hearing this. That's right, he looks much better now than before. But it's still not working, his body is too thin.
"It would be great if Jiaojiao looked like you. Yuanyuan, don't envy her small figure; yours is healthy. Look at your rosy complexion, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and tall figure. You're quite pretty. Take care of yourself and don't gain weight. You're a sophomore in high school this year, right? Do you plan to go to college or go straight into work after your diploma?"
Zhao Yuanyuan frowned bitterly upon hearing this. "Auntie, I'm definitely not going to get into university. My dad told me to plan my life and realize my dreams. That's such a noble question! But my mom said the supply and marketing cooperatives usually have internal recruitment. I want to find someone to use their connections as soon as possible to see if I can get in."
Zhou Jiao agreed with this approach; it was better to be prepared. She also needed to have a job within the next two years, otherwise she would be out of touch with society. She could find an easier job; she didn't care about the salary; she just wanted some free time.
"Don't those companies in the county hire outsiders these days?" Lin Lishan hadn't expected her family to start looking for a job while she was still in her second year of high school. She still had more than a year to wait until her senior year, so why was she so anxious?
"Aunt, except for the textile mill and the meat processing plant that occasionally hire externally, all other positions will be absorbed internally. By the way, Jiaojiao, have you decided where to work?"
"These jobs are limited, how can they be so easy to find?" Zhou Jiao suddenly remembered the policy of reducing the workforce in recent years. After this wave of people were sent back to the countryside, it became even more difficult for those with rural household registration to move to the city. Since then, no more workers have been recruited from the countryside. She had to spend her evenings analyzing and calculating her schedule.
"Jiaojiao, you always have a lot of ideas. Can you give me some advice on what good jobs are available?"
Zhou Jiao smiled and said to her, "Why rush when you still have time? I think being a train conductor is the best job for you. You can travel all over the country, and you're not short of money, so you can go out and explore whenever you want. You can work a few days and rest a few days, and you have plenty of time. It's just that it's inconvenient to travel from the county to the provincial capital. If I had the means, I would go."
Zhao Yuanyuan's eyes lit up as she imagined it with delight. After a moment, she said plaintively, "The conductor is nice, but if there's no one there, there's no way you'll get in."
Zhou Jiao glanced at Lin Lishan. She was a little tempted. As for connections, Grandpa took Zhang Guoqing to the provincial capital for a few days last time, so it should be possible to make some use of them.
Lin Lishan glanced at her, but didn't say anything. Her job depended on her father's opinion, and he'd probably be reluctant to let her go. He'd definitely say it was too tiring, and that train attendants were just people who served others. Her father had already made plans: once the child turned one, he'd find an elderly woman to take care of her. Jiaojiao could only return to work after she recovered.
Zhou Jiao considered the possibility and feasibility of Zhao Yuanyuan becoming a train conductor, then said vaguely, "Don't worry, talk it over with your parents first. Maybe being a train conductor isn't as good as I thought it would be. Wait until your parents agree. Are you still worried your dad won't help? We can figure it out when the time comes. There's still a long time until graduation, so there's no rush. Besides, the supply and marketing cooperative isn't bad either. You just sit around all day and don't have to do any hard labor."
"Well, there's no rush. Let's just make sure our little one is happy. We can talk about the work later. By the way, are you going back to Beijing to spend the New Year with your uncle and aunt?"
Seeing her mother eagerly waiting for her answer, Zhou Jiao smiled and said, "Mom, even if I can't be with you during the Chinese New Year, I'll still be there during the Spring Festival. It's the end of October now, and there are still two months until the Chinese New Year. I've asked, and they say if Ping An can be taken out after three months. You and Dad can focus on your work. I'll send you a telegram before I go. And I plan to go to Shi's place with Xiao Wu before he starts working."
Lin Lishan nodded happily, "Then let's make another appointment before going to SH to see when I can get some time off."
Zhao Yuanyuan quickly replied after hearing this: "Jiaojiao, whenever you go to SH, I will go with you and ask for leave from school."
"Okay, I can't go right now. I have to wait until it's safe for three months before I can go out. I'll ask you out then."
Lin Lishan calculated the time. She figured she would have to wait until she got to Beijing before deciding to travel far. The earliest she could do that was in the spring, when the weather warmed up and she could take a vacation.
Zhao Yuanyuan beamed with joy. If Zhou Jiao were here, her parents would agree to her moving anywhere. "Jiaojiao, when are you moving to the county town? Sooner rather than later. The new courtyard is closer to my home, so I can visit you more often."
"Well, I won't be moving for now, but I'll be staying there for a few days from time to time. Do you see that new house next door? That's what my parents-in-law built for us when we split up, and we're just waiting to move in there. Let's get this one sorted out first, and then we can move to the county town."
"I see, it means we split up first and then move. Haha, then remember to look for me when you go to the county town."
Zhou Jiao nodded and said to her, "We'll be able to go out for some exercise in about ten days. I'll definitely go to the county town to find you first. And you have to prepare a copy of the school review materials for me."
Zhao Yuanyuan gave her a thumbs up and praised her endlessly, "You're awesome! You're really awesome! I'll ask for it when I get back and give it to you next time. It would be best if you and Qinglin take the exam together next year and crush this guy to death. You don't know that this guy has been the boss for a long time since you two left the arena."
Zhou Jiao laughed out loud, "Aren't you afraid that I'll tell him? He'll come back to bother you."
Zhao Yuanyuan raised her chin and snorted. Her arrogant look made people want to fight with her. "Don't be afraid. I've learned that a good woman doesn't fight with a man." After saying that, she found it funny herself.
"Jiaojiao, I have to go back first. When you come out for a walk, remember to look for me. And Aunt, do you want to go to the county town with me to see the new house and pick up Uncle Zhou? Hehe"
Lin Lishan pointed at her with her finger and said, "You want to find someone to accompany you back, right? I'll go tomorrow so I can clean up the place. If you want to go back, please bring me something for them to drink." After that, she went to the small living room and took down two of the dried rabbits and pheasants hanging there, as well as some mushrooms and black fungus in a cloth bag and handed them to her.
Zhao Yuanyuan hurriedly postponed it, but Zhou Jiao repeatedly asked her to take it back, so she gave up. After saying goodbye, she rode away on her bicycle in a hurry.
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