Zhang Guoqing returned to his room. Seeing him bundled up all by himself, Zhou Jiao asked curiously, "Is it cold outside? What's the temperature now?"
"It's November in a few days. Think about what November means. It's going to snow heavily in a few days. The village is organizing a hunt the day after tomorrow, just to get there before the snow starts. I didn't feel cold during the day, but the temperature plummeted tonight. It's at least -2 degrees Celsius outside now. Luckily I brought my army coat, otherwise you and your dad would have been freezing when we got back tonight. I'll put some ginger soup in a small pot and wait for them to drink it."
Zhang Guoqing washed his hands, put ginger slices and brown sugar into the small pot, covered it, and pulled her back to the inner room. "Did Dad tell you today that we bought a new yard? You will definitely be satisfied when you go to see it after the full moon." Seeing Zhou Jiao nodded, he didn't repeat it. It would be a surprise to go back and see it again.
"The work has been finalized, and we have to go back to work in early February. Our family's household registration can be moved in the next few days. The materials have been prepared, and we just need to wait for the village to stamp it. You can put the house deed in the drawer first, it will be useful in the next few days when we settle down." After saying that, he took out a house deed from the secret pocket of his military coat and handed it to her.
After Zhou Jiao put it away, she told her father about the results of the real estate deal she had discussed with him, and about returning to Beijing at the end of the year to collect her dowry. Then she thought of the Zhou family; her father hadn't mentioned it. Now was a good time to ask him how things were going.
"We'll handle this matter according to procedure. It's better to lock them up for 2-3 years. When you return to the capital, you won't be able to see them again."
Zhang Guoqing blinked at Zhou Jiao. "That's what Dad said himself. In the village and in the county, we told them to handle official matters impartially and according to procedures. Jiaojiao, I've met a father-in-law who's obsessed with his daughter."
"Hehe, I also feel his favor towards me. You can't compare to him. Young man, you have to work harder!" Zhou Jiao raised her eyebrows at him.
"It doesn't matter. The greater the pressure, the more motivation there is. I'll spoil you with all my might and make you feel like I'm your closest relative in the world. Your dad repeatedly emphasized to me that even if you marry me, you and your daughter will still be the closest. He also said I've found a treasure. If it had been another year, I would have dragged you back."
Zhou Jiao laughed heartily. She wasn't exaggerating. Without Zhang Guoqing, this place wouldn't hold her. More importantly, without him, she had no attachment to the world besides her father and son.
Zhang Guoqing hugged her and recounted what his father-in-law had said at Zhao Dashan's house today. He began by describing how he'd boasted about his daughter and then elaborated on his grief. He wanted Jiaojiao to hear all this, even if it brought tears, but they would be tears of joy. He had to make Zhou Jiao experience more deeply the meaning of a father's unwavering love.
I remember him saying that he had been extremely careful for the past 17 years because he was afraid that he would be sacrificed and Jiaojiao would become a fatherless child; I remember the way he rubbed his face vigorously with his hands when he talked about his daughter being wronged; I recall the way he clenched his fists and the sadness and grief in his eyes when he talked about Jiaojiao being wronged.
His heart was deeply moved. Fatherly love is like a mountain; this is the pure emotion Zhou Jiao longed for.
At that moment, he understood that God had really let Zhou Jiao wait for a father who loved her and cared for her as his life.
The unfortunate death of his father in his previous life was a pain in his heart that he dared not touch. At that moment, he thought that if his father had not had the accident, he would have treated the man in front of him as his life.
From that moment on, the vague shadow of my father gradually became clear, just like the man in front of me.
Zhang Guoqing swore that the man before him was no longer just his father-in-law, but that he would treat him like his own father and be filial to him, respect him, and love him for the rest of his life. This man was worthy of his complete trust and filial piety.
Zhang Guoqing wiped the tears from Zhou Jiao's face and said softly, "Father's love is like a mountain. This time, I finally felt the weight of these four words. I thought my current parents were very good to me. But compared to the love your father has for you, it is incomparable. Jiaojiao, I have finally waited for two lifetimes."
Zhou Jiao saw his expression grow melancholic and dazed as he spoke towards the end, and her heart ached. It had been so long since she'd seen him like this. She'd thought Father and Mother Zhang had filled his inner pain, but it seemed she still neglected his feelings.
Zhou Jiao shook him gently, smiled, and said, "Brother, tell me how our dad was doing at the Zhou family's today? Did you add fuel to the fire?"
Zhang Guoqing came back to life, kissed her a few times, and said cheerfully, "You don't need me to add fuel to the fire. Dad has taken it out for you. I felt really relieved today. At noon, I accompanied him to Zhou's house. Dad's face was very ugly at that time. Old man Zhou was still confusing right and wrong in front of him, so Dad lost his temper. The old man was scolded so much that he finally died. His face turned black and red. I was worried that he would have a stroke, but I didn't expect him to be in such good health. Haha... I feel relieved when I think of Old man Zhou's expression. How shameless!"
He paused, then continued, "On the way to the village, Dad swore to keep them in check, and I didn't try to dissuade him. When we got back that night, I saw that his anger had subsided a bit, so I made a suggestion.
Listen to me, if you don't agree, I won't be busy tomorrow. For Dad's sake, and for the old lady's kindness in raising me, I want to bail your uncle out and put all the blame on that woman. What do you say? I'll listen to you. Dad told me to see Zhou Xiaocun's attitude tomorrow. If he's not good, ignore him. He told me to finish cleanly and not get myself into trouble.
Zhou Jiao remained silent for a long time. After a moment, she raised her head and said to him, "Brother, you'll see what his attitude is tomorrow."
Zhang Guoqing nodded when he heard this. "Tomorrow I will find a way to make him not dare to mess with us. Don't worry, the car accident that year was because I was too soft-hearted. I won't give him another chance. As long as he comes out and still has some tricks, we can let him go in if we can get him out."
Zhou Jiao didn't want to hear about the past, and she didn't want to mention the Zhou family. Now that she had her father, Zhang Guoqing, and her son, she didn't have the heart to pay attention to other people. She quickly changed the subject, "Brother, look at me. Let me show you. These are all given to me by my father. My father treats me well. Don't tell anyone. He won't let me tell anyone else."
As she finished speaking, a handful of diamonds appeared on the kang beside Xiao Ping'an. They were all large diamonds, a small pile of pink, dark blue, and yellow diamonds, sparkling brightly under the light.
Zhang Guoqing took one look and lost interest, his attention completely on his son. "Jiaojiao, look at my son's big black eyes, they are much more beautiful than these little stones of yours. Son, you are the biggest diamond. My son is so handsome. When you grow up, Dad will prepare jade for you to play with as marbles. When our son is happy, he can just throw one at random. Isn't it cool, Jiaojiao?"
"Prodigal father, your son will become a playboy."
Zhang Guoqing laughed and retorted, "Our son will definitely not become a playboy. We have strong genes. Look, before he's even a month old, Ping An already listens to me and comes to me. See, right? He's definitely very intelligent. Put away all those glittering things; they're not good for our son's eyes. Dad is giving you all his wealth. Keep it safe and give it to him when he needs it in the future."
Zhou Jiao took out another stack of deposit slips and handed it to him. Zhang Guoqing picked it up and flipped through it, immediately counting the addresses. Most of them were in Shanghai, and some were abroad.
"Put it all away. These can't see the light of day. When I have a chance, I'll go to those cities and pick them all up. Put the overseas orders aside for later. Our son is still too young, otherwise, we could take this opportunity to travel around the country without a letter of introduction. Once I start working, I won't be comfortable letting you and our son go out."
When Zhou Jiao heard about going out for a walk, she suddenly thought of returning to Beijing at the end of the year and quickly said, "By the way, I'll leave the arrangements for the trip to Beijing that I just told you about to make to you. Don't forget it, will you?"
Zhang Guoqing nodded. "I remember everything you told me. Let's plan to go to Beijing and stay there until I get my job. Then we'll see how my son adapts and find a chance to go to SH. There's no rush. The dowry isn't anything to worry about. But we have to be careful about the space. Jiaojiao, can your space accommodate it? There are still many things we haven't prepared."
Zhou Jiao patted her head and looked at him in confusion. "Didn't I tell you that the space gets bigger when you come here? It used to be as big as the living room, but now it's as big as two classrooms."
Zhou Guoqing gently touched her head and said, "Don't hit her so hard. Does it hurt? Maybe you said it and I didn't notice. Don't bother yourself. Let me take care of things. Just give me instructions. Oh, Dad has already irritated me. Do you think we should take out a box of gold bars and show it to him, so that he won't always worry about you suffering?"
Jiaojiao laughed heartily, staggering with joy. "You know what? We really need to show them. That way they won't always worry about us having no money."
Zhang Guoqing hurriedly supported her and helped her calm down. "Well, just prepare 20 large and small yellow croakers and put them in a box. I remember you have it there. It won't be conspicuous. We can just say we prepared it secretly. Once they pay, we can take it out directly. We can't take any more money. Keeping it will also make them more comfortable."
"Okay, I'll do as you say. Will it scare them?"
Zhang Guoqing said confidently, "No, Dad has seen everything. At most, he'd wonder who gave it to him, but he probably wouldn't ask. It's nothing special to him. He has very high standards. Don't underestimate him because he's a soldier. He knows a lot about antiques, calligraphy, and paintings. Look at the jewelry and diamonds he gave you. Ordinary things wouldn't catch his eye. The gold bars just mean we're not short of money."
Zhou Jiao whispered in his ear, "Do you know where he keeps those diamonds and bank deposits? Inside his shoe heels, on the seams of his trouser legs, and the bank deposits on the inner hem of his military coat. Even if you tear it open, no trace can be seen. Wrapped in thin oil paper, how clever, isn't it?" She smiled as she recalled the scene when her father gave them to her. Her father probably didn't have the scanners we have today; otherwise, they would have made a beeping sound.
Zhang Guoqing nodded. "He's worthy of being called the Soldier King. No wonder people still remember him after all these years. Today, Zhao Dashan recognized Dad and treated him with great respect. Zhao Dashan is older than Dad, but he kept calling him Brother Zheng. He held on tightly and wouldn't let Dad leave. When we got to his house, Yuanyuan's mother was in tears. I heard that when the news of his sacrifice spread, several female soldiers in the regiment fainted from tears. Even now, the beautiful girl from back then still misses him, even after starting a family. Zhao Dashan teased Dad about visiting the provincial capital. You can imagine how popular he is. Haha, a person's reputation is like a tree's shadow, and even we benefit from it."
"Well, that's quite impressive. They even met with that person directly. They even asked for calligraphy and paintings. Besides, if he's not outstanding, do you really think grandpa and grandma would agree to my parents' marriage? They say they don't want to marry someone who is capable, but they're targeting someone who is capable, which is more effective. The Lin family doesn't care about family background as Xiaofei said."
Zhang Guoqing nodded in agreement and continued, "Besides our father, there's also my uncle-in-law, who's also very capable and is now a battalion commander. My second aunt-in-law is from the same compound. My eldest aunt-in-law is able to work at the Women's Federation because her family is working class, she's well-educated, and she's in charge of the Women's Federation. Many things seem ordinary on the surface, but they're different when you think about them. Grandpa's okay; he's straightforward, and our mother is like him. But the old lady of the Lin family, just because she can call the shots at home, I guess she's not a simple person."
"When the enemy comes, we'll fight them; when the water comes, we'll block it with earth. Let's take it one step at a time. With Dad around, nothing's a problem." Zhou Jiao tried to comfort him. Her father's words about the old lady had made her even less impressed with Old Lady Lin. She had to go back to the capital. Her father was concerned about his reputation, but she wasn't. She had to meet the old lady and see how thick-skinned she really was. And since her father was alone away from home, they and her husband should personally observe the current situation in the capital to get a better understanding.
Zhang Guoqing saw that she was distracted, and he probably thought she was just thinking about the Lin family's affairs. He didn't like her meddling in other people's affairs. Besides, with his father-in-law around, the Lin family's affairs were really not a big deal.
"Jiaojiao, once the yard in the county town is cleaned up, let's go live there for a while. It's quiet there, and we can collect supplies without attracting attention. It's not convenient to go out here either." Zhang Guoqing knew that what she was most worried about was supplies, and when talking about supplies, she would change her mind.
Sure enough, Zhou Jiao looked at him excitedly, shaking his hand and saying in a coquettish voice, "Brother, I'm almost one month old. Why don't we pack up in the next few days and move in first?"
Zhang Guoqing thoroughly enjoyed her rare displays of coquettishness. It seemed she was truly bored to death. After a moment, seeing her glaring at him, as if she would bite him if she disagreed, he chuckled.
"It's really not up to me to decide. Of the four elders above, my parents support you. Your parents-in-law are the only ones left. Your father-in-law will definitely not be happy about it, as he passed away before even a full month. Your mother-in-law is probably worried that no one will take care of you. Our yard is built, but didn't you ask me to have it finished before the New Year so I can move in any time?"
Zhou Jiao looked at him with resentment, sighing, "I shouldn't have built a new yard earlier. Do you think we and our son can live here?"
"The house has already been built, and you're still saying this. You're asking for trouble. It will still be useful for growing vegetables and coarse grains in the future. As for going to the county town in advance, it's better to wait until my son's full-month banquet is over. Spend the next few days at home with your parents. The village will be lively and there will be food after hunting." Zhang Guoqing was also helpless. He had no choice but to build a yard. This was his roots, and he had to keep them even if it was empty.
Zhou Jiao thought of the corn and sweet potatoes that filled the yard. He had painstakingly sown, fertilized, weeded, and harvested them all by himself, and laughed heartily. "You're not really going to grow grains, are you? I can't bear to see you working so hard. Let's plant watermelons and melons next year, and then grapes. Brother, if I don't eat fruit, I'll be starving. There's not much fruit left in the space. We don't lack money for grains, go buy some!"
Seeing her bitter face and pitiful blinking, Zhang Guoqing's heart softened. He wouldn't hesitate to give her tiger meat, not to mention fruit. "Okay, I'll do as you say. Next spring, I'll go find fruit trees in the mountains and plant them in the backyard. I'll save them for you to eat. If you can't finish them, I'll make wine for you."
After saying that, he looked at his watch and continued, "It's getting late, and I haven't told my parents about my second brother yet. From what Zhao Dashan said, Zuo Lin is a temporary worker, and it's very urgent. He might have to start work in the next few days. I want to take my second brother to see Zuo Lin and Uncle Chen tomorrow and ask Uncle Chen to talk to him. What do you say?"
"Tomorrow night, take your second brother directly to Zuo Lin's house, bring grandpa's two bottles of wine and two packs of cigarettes, and a box of fine cosmetics. When you get there, he will know what's going on when he sees your second brother. Also, tell your second brother that when others ask, they should say that it's a temporary worker introduced by Uncle Chen. You better be careful." Zhou Jiao deliberately emphasized the word "temporary worker".
"I understand what you mean. Then I'll go talk to my parents about this. When they come back, we'll have some wine and dumplings, so we won't have time to chat with you. I'll arrange their rooms. You go to bed first."
Zhou Jiao nodded and waved him out. After feeding her son, she went to the outer living room to look at the ginger tea and ponder what fruit trees to plant and what vegetables would be most economical to grow in the yard. She had to remember that tomatoes and cucumbers could be eaten raw or cooked; she had to plan carefully.
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