Everyone gathered together, laughing and talking, and only said goodbye and went home after drinking a large jar of sorghum liquor. It was getting late, the night was quiet, and everyone had to be busy with things tomorrow, so they all went home to rest.
Zhou Xiaozheng did not bother his daughter to rest. He avoided the crowd and told Zhang Guoqing and Jiaojiao that he would not come to chat with her tonight, and asked her to go to bed early and rest. He also explained in detail what he should do when he went to the village tomorrow morning.
Back in the guest room, Lin Lishan had already fallen asleep. She had spent the entire month on the train, constantly worried. Time had worn off her cheerful, talkative, carefree self, turning her into a middle-aged woman. A closer look revealed fine lines on her face, but seeing him back had cleared her mind and she felt a surge of energy.
Lin Lishan opened her eyes dazedly, and when she saw him come in, she shuddered awake and hurried to get up. Zhou Xiaozheng held her down, saying, "Don't get up. Xiaowu is taking care of Jiaojiao. It's so cold, don't get up. You might catch a cold."
"I want to pour some hot water for you to warm your feet. You drank a lot of wine tonight. Are you okay?"
Zhou Xiaozheng quickly washed up with the hot water from the thermos and lay down on the kang. After lying down, he sighed comfortably and stretched out his arms to hug her.
Lin Lishan was not sleepy at this moment, "Brother Zheng, now that you've seen Jiaojiao, are you relieved?"
Zhou Xiaozheng sighed and whispered, "It makes me even more worried. It seems our Jiaojiao is being wronged. No matter how good this family is, it will still be a burden for Jiaojiao. Even if the relationship in a family is the most harmonious, everyone has their own little calculations. The greater the gap, the easier it is to have conflicts. Fortunately, they have taken precautions. They will be taken away from here in two years at most. Don't you think Jiaojiao is out of place here?"
"But the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and sisters-in-law, get along pretty well. I see they take good care of Jiaojiao. As for being out of tune, that's for sure. Jiaojiao is different from them."
Zhou Xiaozheng looked at her confused expression and sighed inwardly. Her personality hadn't changed. She didn't think everyone had selfish motives. Fortunately, Jiaojiao looked like him, otherwise, she would have been gone long ago.
"Think about it, if none of us came back, Jiaojiao would have no food, and even if she worked hard in the countryside for a whole year and still couldn't get enough to eat, wouldn't she have any complaints?
Even if the family splits up, Xiaowu will still be the one supporting her. What kind of work can our daughter do with her body? Her mother-in-law dotes on Xiaowu so much, will she have any objections? It's also because she's been married for a short time and happened to be pregnant. Since her mother-in-law is the head of the family, the sisters-in-law won't mind complaining. Who knows if there are any gossips behind her back? Will Jiaojiao, with her temper, tell us?
Of course you and the old man will take extra care of Jiaojiao when you come. Even a fool would understand that if it weren't for Xiaowu in their family, Jiaojiao wouldn't have been able to marry into their family given her status and position."
"This child is thoughtful and doesn't like to gossip about others. He only talks about how good others are. What you said is true."
"Well, I observed today that Jiaojiao maintains a very standard demeanor and a certain degree of control towards her parents-in-law, except for us and Xiaowu. This child knows everything. People with serious thoughts don't like to complain."
Lin Lishan thought for a moment, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have noticed. The last time I came here, I felt that Jiaojiao didn't care about money at all, and was very generous with her money. I guess she was just trying to be humble to them. Xiaowu also got up early to wash diapers and clothes himself, and didn't ask them to help. He took care of Jiaojiao and the child all by himself. He's such a smart person, he must have known this a long time ago."
"This kid is okay, he's worthy of Jiaojiao. There's no confinement for a full month in the countryside, at most he'll work in the fields and do chores for three to five days, and every family does that. He can take care of himself, so he's not afraid of what others say, after all, he can afford it.
You say Jiaojiao is generous and doesn't care about those small favors. Look at the jewelry on her hands and see if it gives her away. She knows it.
As for money, she doesn't care at all. That's for sure. Our daughter is very proud. Ordinary things don't catch her eye, and she won't be tempted by anything that's not hers, no matter how good it is. She has her own bottom line, and as long as she doesn't cross it, she's fine. She can be gentle with everyone. Believe it or not, if her mother-in-law were to covet her box of jewelry, she would definitely be furious.
"Brother Zheng, if I want it, will she give it to me?"
Zhou Xiaozheng said proudly, "She would definitely be reluctant to give away what I gave her. It's not because she thinks it's expensive, but because it has commemorative value. She would only bear the pain and give you one piece at most. If there are more, she would rather buy more expensive ones for you. As for others, there's no hope! No one can afford it."
"Haha, that's really possible. She's been so nice to me, always urging me to take the rental savings certificate to Beijing for my own use. She's not short of money. Even with the few thousand yuan she has, she still dares to say she's not short of money."
Zhou Xiaozheng patted her on the back. "She knows everything. She's probably worried about your high expenses in Beijing. You should be happy because she's only concerned about Xiaowu and us being safe. She doesn't care about anyone else, including your dad. She's very defensive and doesn't let anyone get close to her easily. If you think about it carefully, you'll see."
"Let me think about it. She respects my dad very much, but other than occasionally mentioning him, she rarely mentions him. She respects and is grateful to her mother-in-law, and is affectionate but not close to her sisters-in-law. When she talks to them, she looks more than she speaks, just quietly listening, rarely expressing her own opinions. She is very close to the children at home, willing to give them milk powder and malted milk."
Zhou Xiaozheng thought of Zhang Guoqing's words, and Jiaojiao's quiet smile flashed through his mind. It was a very standard expression. He chuckled to himself. He had always kept a sullen face, trying not to reveal his inner thoughts. He hadn't expected his daughter to be so naturally skilled at disguising her emotions. Ming'er told her to stop smiling if she didn't want to, because he was there to support her.
"Brother Zheng, you don't know that my mother was surprised that this child didn't bear a grudge against me or blame me. It was only after my father told her that she believed him. He said directly that this child was not an ordinary person."
Zhou Xiaozheng sneered inwardly at this. This old lady was so suspicious. She was afraid Jiaojiao was scheming, afraid that she might not say it out loud but was secretly worried about him. Didn't she even consider what Jiaojiao was worried about her mother? The family savings were all in her hands, and she didn't even come back to Beijing with him. She really thought the Lin family cared about everyone. She didn't consider that Xiaowu and Jiaojiao were worried that he would become a target of the Lin family and wanted him to stay away from the Lin family.
He didn't even look at the things in the old lady's hand, and neither did his daughter Jiaojiao. Didn't you see Jiaojiao put the diamonds and deposit slips in her pocket when she saw them, and when she took out the box, she casually dumped the priceless jewelry aside.
She was from a wealthy family, so don't think he had no complaints, didn't mind her indifference to his precious daughter, and thought that sending a few gifts would make them appreciate it. His Jiaojiao never cared about these things. When they got married, they just bought a sewing machine and didn't think about the details.
"Your mother only said it, but she didn't believe it in her heart. She didn't know that our daughter is open-minded and considerate. Jiaojiao also told me that she blamed you at first. She didn't open your letter for six years. Then, after Ping'an was born and read your letter, she understood. She said that your only belief in life at that time was to find me, so she didn't blame you anymore. She knew you wanted to find me and reunite as a family. In the end, I am the one who let you and your mother down."
Lin Lishan covered his mouth and said anxiously: "Didn't we say that we won't say sorry? I am happy to wait for you and look for you. No matter how good the man in the world is, he is not as good as you. I always knew you would come back. Jiaojiao said that if she were me, she would go out to look for clues about Xiaowu and leave Ping'an to her mother-in-law.
"Haha, Brother Zheng, I'm happy. She always comforts me and tells me not to think too much. As long as we're both fine, it doesn't matter if we're not by her side. As long as our family is safe and sound, she's very grateful. I told my dad, and he said I have good fortune in the future, but you just don't want me anymore. Jiaojiao will always protect me. With Jiaojiao and Xiaowu around, I'll have no worries for the rest of my life. He said you don't have to worry about me anymore."
Zhou Xiaozheng smiled and hugged her tightly, "How could I not want you? You and Jiaojiao are my life. Just for you, I will fight my way back from the underworld."
Lin Lishan blushed and laughed, and after a moment, she suggested, "Brother Zheng, I'll clean up the yard in the county town in the next two days. How about we take Jiaojiao and Ping'an to stay there for a few days?
Jiaojiao said that their family usually eats corn bran and wild vegetable steamed buns. There is no oil in the vegetables, and the steamed buns are so bitter that they are hard to swallow.
After we leave, they'll live there. They'll come back for a few days in December and return to Beijing at the end of the year. When they come back after the Lunar New Year, Xiaowu will have started working. So we won't have to live and eat together anymore. We can just live in the county town and cook our own meals."
Zhou Xiaozheng thought for a moment and said, "That's a good idea. Let me talk to Brother Zhang Er and tell him that while we're here, we can take Xiaowu and Jiaojiao to the county town to scout out some resources. We can stay there and visit some old friends. We can also let people know about the couple's background so they don't get bullied."
"Brother Zheng, you're so cunning. If you put it that way, she'll definitely agree. Then I won't tell Jiaojiao yet. Once everything is packed, I'll borrow a car and take her directly to the county town.
Otherwise, she would say, "Mom, you should save some money and don't act like a nouveau riche. I have everything, so don't buy anything too flashy. Let's be low-key." "Oh, that little face is wrinkled, and the little mouth is chattering." Lin Lishan said, imitating Zhou Jiao's expression with a slightly frown and a soft tone.
Zhou Xiaozheng couldn't help laughing. "You've met your nemesis. Let's see what you'll do in the future. However, we really don't need to buy big things. We'll be back in Beijing in two years. Buy more food. That's not easy to do. I'll find a way myself. Just find someone to give you some money to clean up. Buy quilts, blankets, pots and bowls. Don't throw them away after you've used them. Jiaojiao has the same obsession with cleanliness as you do. Don't throw away the old things you clean up. Save them for her as a favor in the future."
"Okay, I'll see to it. Let's go to the county together tomorrow and take notes. You can do your own thing, and I'll handle the rest myself."
Zhou Xiaozheng patted her back gently, "Well, go to sleep first. We'll get things done tomorrow morning. If you need anything while I'm away, you can find Xiaowu or Jiaojiao."
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