In the main hall, Zhang Dad was smoking a pipe and chatting with his second son Zhang Guoqiang. Zhang Guofu, the eldest son of the Zhang family, had gone to invite Uncle Zhang and Uncle Zhang, but they had not returned yet. When Zhang Dad saw Zhang Guoqing coming in, he stopped and signaled him to speak quickly.
Zhang Guoqing sat down next to Zhang Guoqiang and said to his father, "I went to Zhao Dashan's place with my father-in-law today. He reminded me to go find Zuo Lin sooner rather than later. I heard Zuo Lin still has a temporary job opening. He's in a rush to start work. I want to go to Zuo Lin's house with my second brother tomorrow night. What do you think, Dad? It's better to do it sooner rather than later."
After listening to this, Father Zhang looked at Zhang Guoqiang.
Zhang Guoqiang nodded quickly. "I'll listen to Xiaowu. Tomorrow night I'll go with him to Zuolin's place to see what he thinks. What's the big deal about getting a job sooner? I don't have much to do right now. The yard is already built. I don't plan to renovate the furniture inside. When we move, I can just move everything I use in my house over there."
"That's fine. But what about you living in the village and commuting to work?"
Zhang Guoqiang smiled and said, "Dad, the company has staff dormitories. It's not far to get to the county town. Don't worry about housing right now. Let's get a job first. Usually, some people who come in as temporary workers can easily get permanent jobs."
Zhang Guoqing also nodded and said, "Let's do this for now. We don't have any money, so we can just pool it together. It's not a big deal. Don't worry, Dad."
Zhang Guoqiang didn't say anything. Although Xiaowu suggested they all chip in, and he'd probably pay again, he wasn't planning on using Xiaowu's money. He already had a job, and if he still had to find a house, it would be embarrassing for him as a big brother. He figured that with his salary and his own savings next year, he should be able to buy a smaller house.
Zhang's father nodded. He and his wife had been worried about the inconvenience of commuting to work for the past few days. He was relieved to hear about the dormitory. He could live at the company during cold and snowy weather, and still do farm work when he got home. This way, except for Xiaowu, the two brothers wouldn't have to scrape together money to buy a house in the county town. His daughter-in-law wouldn't have to work either. She could work in the village, take care of the yard, and take care of the children, keeping the house less chaotic.
More importantly, his son, Xiaowu, doesn't have to rely on connections or favors. His wife is so thoughtful. The eldest son can't go to work. If he does, who will take care of the children and the elderly? The second son can't go to work either. After the separation, someone needs to clean up the new yard, and there are two children to take care of at home.
"Dad, if nothing unexpected happens, second brother's matter should be almost resolved. Even if Zuo Lin can't handle it, we don't have to worry about second brother. While eldest brother and his wife are away, let's think about how to arrange things for eldest brother. There's no rush as to time, we can take our time. However, we must have a goal. That way, I can keep an eye on those in charge in the city."
Father Zhang smoked his pipe and shook his head. "Your eldest brother's brother-in-law and younger brother-in-law have always wanted to bring him to the city, but it's hard to find temporary workers. Will it be difficult for you?"
Zhang Guoqing smiled and said, "Even if it's difficult, we have to find a way. Second brother, what do you think is suitable for the eldest brother?"
Zhang Guoqiang thought about it again and again, but still shook his head. "My brother can do masonry and accounting, but he didn't go to school for a few years, so he can't get a diploma. He's 30 years old this year, so an apprenticeship is definitely not an option. You won't be satisfied with a lower-level job, and a higher-level job is too much work. I can't think of anything suitable."
Father Zhang frowned and sighed, "I asked your eldest brother, and he said that as long as you and Xiaowu are fine, he will stay home and take care of me and your mother, and he doesn't plan to go out. He's stubborn and said he'll talk about it later."
Zhang Guoqing looked at the second son, thought for a moment, and said to his father, "Dad, talk to Mom tonight and have her ask my eldest sister-in-law. This matter can't be rushed. I'll also start looking for someone. If I really can't solve the problem for my eldest brother, I'll ask Jiaojiao to help."
Originally, Zhao Dashan asked me to report to work early today. My father-in-law said that after Jiaojiao has recovered from her confinement and is safe for more than two months, he would take us to Beijing to see the city and let Jiaojiao build up her courage. So, I had to wait until after the first lunar month before going back to work. Now Zhao Dashan has agreed. Our family will go to Beijing again at the end of the year and will not be back until the end of the first lunar month next year. If you have anything for me to do during this period, please arrange it as soon as possible.
Father Zhang thought about the things he had been tossing and turning these past few days. Now he finally had an answer. He should just follow his wife's wishes.
"While you two brothers are here, Daddy wants to tell you something. Daddy will give you half a month to clean up your own yard. Daddy plans to divide the family before the New Year. And Xiaowu, don't arrange jobs for your two sisters-in-law. Wait until your eldest brother and second brother have worked for a few years and become more successful and have more money, then we can talk about it. Daddy plans to let the three of them take care of themselves first. How will they live? If they can't even take care of their own family, they'd better stay at home and do housework and work in the fields to earn work points. Daddy doesn't want you to have jobs in the future but find the house a mess, without even a sip of water to drink, and no one to take care of the children. Your mother means the same thing."
Zhang Guoqing and his brother smiled at each other and nodded in agreement. His parents' idea was a bit selfish, but it was true. All the women in the family were working. Did they have to take care of their grandchildren in their old age and serve the next generation with meals on time?
It was only around 8 o'clock in the evening. The village was completely silent except for the occasional barking of dogs. The cold wind rustled the trees beside the road. From a distance, there was no one on the stone bridge connecting the two villages. Several families at the entrance of the village had gone to bed. It was pitch dark and no one was out for a walk in such a cold weather.
Zhang Guoqing, wearing a military coat and hat, hopped on the ground a few times to relieve the cold. After waiting for a while, there was still no sign of anyone. Worried that something had happened to his father-in-law and mother-in-law at Zhou's house, he decided to go back to Zhou's house.
Before he even reached Zhou's house, he saw two figures hugging each other and moving forward from a distance. He hurried forward and shouted, "Is that Mom and Dad?"
Zhou Xiaozheng saw Zhang Guoqing running over and complained, "Why are you running here? It's so freezing cold, why don't you stay indoors and rest? Are you worried that we won't be able to find a place?"
Lin Lishan was too lazy to interrupt in the cold wind and hurried back with her husband.
Zhang Guoqing chuckled, "I'm free at home, so I just came over to see you. Jiaojiao has already made some ginger tea. With this weather, it's probably going to snow heavily in a few days."
As they talked, they walked quickly towards Zhang's house. When they entered the yard, Zhou Xiaozheng, the father-in-law and son-in-law went directly to the main room, while Lin Lishan hurried into Zhou Jiao's room. When she entered the room, she saw Zhou Jiao pouring ginger tea for her again.
After drinking the ginger tea, Lin Lishan warmed up and said, "I'm freezing to death. It's not this cold during the day, and I can't feel it in the room. No wonder they hibernate in the middle of winter. It's better not to go out at night. The wind is so loud, and there's no one on the road. If your dad wasn't here, I wouldn't dare go out."
Zhou Jiao took out thermal underwear from the inner room. "I heard from Xiaowu that the temperature has only dropped in the past two days, and it will snow in a few days. Mom, take this thermal underwear back and let my dad wear it tonight. I asked Xiaowu to find it specially."
Lin Lishan touched the material, looked at the thickness, and nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad, just perfect for wearing inside in winter. Do you have any of your own? This must have cost a lot of favors, right?"
"It didn't take much favors. Someone brought it in the fall. We just got a few sets back a few days ago. We have some ourselves. When we heard they were from outside, everyone rushed to get them. We've already asked someone to bring some more. We gave him a bottle of wine that my grandfather brought. He was so happy."
Lin Lishan put them on the chair and said, "They are quite good, much better than those on the market. If you have any, ask them to bring back more. Don't worry about the money. Your father brought back a lot this time. We will give it to you before we leave."
Zhou Jiao looked at her with resentment, complaining, "You're such a fool! I've already told you that we have money. You can keep it with you and spend it on yourselves when you need it. I'll ask you for it when I run out of money. We've already bought the yard, so I have nowhere to spend it here."
Lin Lishan laughed happily, "Silly girl, why do you always have this expression every time I give you money? Okay, okay, Mom knows, I won't say this anymore. I'm going to the county town tomorrow. If you have anything you want to bring, write it down tonight and give it to me tomorrow morning."
Zhou Jiao smiled and nodded, then looked at her worriedly, "Mom, when we went over tonight, did they give you any trouble?"
Lin Lishan raised her head and snorted, "Who dares? It's a good thing I didn't go after them. The younger ones haven't come out yet, and I don't know if they're still inside. We're just in your grandparents' room. There's just a few words to say, nothing much to say. Your dad told me before he left, so I'll just watch. Didn't your dad tell Xiaowu to watch Zhou Xiaocun's performance tomorrow before deciding how to deal with him? So, we'll play Tai Chi tonight."
"That's good, as long as we can stop arguing. Did you talk about retirement?"
Lin Lishan shook her head. "We haven't discussed this issue yet. I haven't transferred any money this month. I guess I'll bring it up after this matter is over. Your father means that your grandparents have a salary, and he knows it well."
Seeing that there was nothing to question, Zhou Jiao hurriedly urged her, "Mom, go eat a bowl of dumplings first. My mother-in-law has already cleaned up the room you used to live in. Go and see if there's anything missing."
Lin Lishan glanced at her with amusement and said, "Don't worry, I'll go right away. Remember to eat what's stewed in the stove." Seeing Zhou Jiao nodded in response, she packed up the roast duck and boiled lamb she brought and walked towards the kitchen.
When Zhang's mother saw her come in, she quickly stood up and pulled her to sit down. She then asked the elders to quickly serve a bowl of dumplings. After giving her the instructions, she said to her, "Big sister, it's very cold at night. Eat something to warm yourself up first. I've asked your husband, Xiaowu, to serve him a bowl of dumplings first so he can fill his stomach before drinking."
Lin Lishan took the dumplings and drank a sip of the soup. "Big sister is really the best. She has arranged everything perfectly. This is the roast duck and boiled mutton that my old man ordered for big brother, as a snack for him. It's cold out, so we need to heat it up. I told you to go to the capital early so that you can enjoy the food. Haha, I just wanted to try it. It's not as good as wild boar. Last time I brought back so much stuff, it made the old couple very anxious, so they specifically ordered that we can't bring anything back anymore."
Mother Zhang smiled and nodded, "That's a coincidence. Besides, it's Xiaowu's duty to show respect to them. It's just warm enough to serve as a drink for their men. The old man is so thoughtful. Please thank him for me when you get back." She stood up and untied the bag, which contained several roast ducks and more than ten pounds of cooked mutton. She took out a roast duck, cut a piece of mutton, and asked the old man to heat it up, slice it and serve it.
Mother Zhang complained, "This is heavy, and it must have cost a lot of money. Don't bring it with you anymore. We'll eat it when we get to the capital. Sister, stay a few days longer this time. When you come back from hunting in the village, see if you have anything rare to bring back for Grandpa and Madam."
"No need to send it to them anymore. The ones I brought back last time should last until the end of the year. Before I came back, the old man told you guys to keep the food for yourselves. When the snow closes the mountain, you'll be short of everything."
Mother Zhang smiled and said nothing more. She wondered if they could get a wild deer or a bear this time. She heard that people in the city really valued deer blood and bear paws. She'd talk to the villagers about getting those, even if it meant having less other meat. With Xiaowu around, she didn't have to sell wild game like she used to, so at least she wouldn't be short of meat.
Lin Lishan finished eating the dumplings and sat for a while. Then Zhang's mother took her to the main room. "Big sister, the room is all cleaned up. Is there anything missing? I won't be polite with you. Just come by yourself."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
