Zhou Xiaozheng raised his glass and said to Zuo Lin, Zhao Dashan and the others, "For this first toast, I'd like to thank you two couples for taking care of Xiaowu and Jiaojiao. This is what I want to toast to you as a father. I hope you will continue to take care of them in the future. My husband and I live far away, and I appreciate your concern."
Everyone raised their glasses and drank. Zuo Lin poured himself a glass and said, "I'll toast to the hero's safe return."
"Something doesn't sound right to me. Do you have a brother named Zuo Sen? Why does your tone sound so familiar?" Zhou Xiaozheng said to Zuo Lin with a smile. As soon as he saw Zuo Lin, judging by his features and last name, he knew they were probably brothers. He just wondered why he hadn't heard that the Zuo family had a younger son living in a small town.
Zuo Lin clinked his glasses and said with a smile, "I actually have a brother named Zuo Sen, and he knows you. He is now in the Southern Military Region. He was transferred to the South two years after you left." Of course he knew him. His brother specially called him to tell him about Zhou Xiaozheng.
Hearing this, Lin Lishan looked at Aunt Zuo in surprise and said, "Sister, your father-in-law, Zuo Dali, is from the XXS Army, right?"
Aunt Zuo nodded with a smile, "You know them? They are all in the south, and we are the only ones in the northeast."
Zhou Xiaozheng was very curious. "Then why did you come here? The South is quite big. I just got back this time after drinking with Zuo Sen and the others and got on the train. I didn't hear him say you were in the Northeast. I just knew that your father had retired and wanted to return to Beijing. He couldn't adapt to the South."
Zuo Lin smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "It's hard to explain. My wife is originally from Northeast China. My whole family used to live in Beijing, and then I came to Northeast China, which is not far from Beijing. But who would have thought that Grandpa would be transferred to the south not long after. Well, it's over. It's really a long journey, and we can hardly see each other once a year. Grandpa misses the children. If he goes in the winter, he won't be back until at least summer. The children don't dare to go anymore, saying it's too far. They get bored on the train and it takes more than half a month to get there. My grandpa and grandma are tired of staying in the south. They say their legs are wet all day long, and their rheumatism is prone to recurring."
Zhou Xiaozheng comforted him, "Don't worry, your brother will also be transferred back to the capital. I heard that he has made a lot of contributions in the past two years. With your old man here, he will be back soon, and you will be close to the capital by then."
Lin Lishan asked Zuo Lin curiously, "Then why have I never seen you? When I was little, I often saw your father, and your eldest brother sometimes came with him. But I never saw you. If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have thought Uncle Zuo had a son."
"I'm 46 years old, and you're only in your 30s, a generation older than you. When you and your older brothers were fostered in the countryside, I was in the Children's Corps. It was not until I joined the army that you went to the Children's Corps with your hair in pigtails. How did you know each other now that your hair is parted?" Zuo Lin laughed after he finished speaking.
Lin Lishan widened her eyes and asked in shock, "Then you are the one my dad mentioned as an acquaintance in the county, right? It seems like that was the first time you and my dad met last time."
"Usually, your father contacts my old man. This is indeed the first time I've met your father. I've never been to your house. I heard from my brother that your mother is very powerful. I've been afraid of powerful women since I was a child. Who would visit her for no reason? My eldest brother and your eldest brother are all very influential. He often stays in Beijing and has contact with people like you. I haven't been in Beijing much because I joined the army early. Every time I go back, there are not many people I know."
Zhou Xiaozheng couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. His mother-in-law was indeed very powerful. No matter how much she smiled, she couldn't hide the sharpness of her eyes.
Lin Lishan laughed and retorted: "What nonsense! My mother is not that powerful. She never scolds or hits anyone."
Zhou Xiaozheng covered his mouth and winked at Zuo Lin, saying that there was no need to bother with a woman.
Zuo Lin repeatedly said it was a slip of the tongue, "That was when I was little and didn't know much. Your mother is actually quite gentle. It's just that everyone is used to yelling, so suddenly she's not used to speaking so softly."
Lin Lishan nodded repeatedly and said in agreement, "Yes, I'm really not used to it. My friends don't like to come to my house, saying it's stressful. None of the four of us brothers and sisters are like my mother. We are all used to shouting loudly."
Zhou Xiaozheng immediately lowered his head, not daring to look directly at his wife's foolishness. Fortunately, his daughter followed his lead. If she wasn't capable, why didn't she see any children coming to her house to play? The children living in the compound were all smart, who couldn't read colors? She said she was not feeling well and was afraid to disturb them, but it was just too much trouble. What if a grandson from a high-ranking family went to the Lin family to see if Old Lady Lin needed to be hospitalized? A pretentious old woman, only Old Master Lin treated her like a treasure.
Zhang Guoqing pretended not to hear. Didn't he see his father-in-law bow his head? Just as he picked up the fruit wine and took a sip, he heard his mother-in-law say, "Jiaojiao's personality is just like my mother's. She also speaks softly..." He was immediately choked.
Who is Zuo Lin? He's a smart guy. He knew Zhang Guoqing understood and quickly changed the subject. "Xiao Wu, do you have anything else to tell me today? When do you plan to tell me? If you don't, I'll be drunk and I won't know."
"Uncle Zuo, I was going to your house with my second brother tonight. It just happened that I knew you were coming here, so I shamelessly followed you. Come on, let me toast you first. Thank you for thinking highly of me." After Zhang Guoqing poured wine for him, he also poured for Zhou Xiaozheng and others next to him.
"Uncle Zuo, another drink, this one's in honor of you and Auntie for not treating me like an outsider and taking the trouble to think about me. Jiaojiao always says I'm a blessed person. It's true, I always have elders like you around to support me. I'll drink first." After drinking, he showed his glass. After Zuo Lin finished drinking, he poured another glass.
Zuo Lin and everyone else waited for him to mention Zhang Guoqiang, but he didn't, instead going to call the chef to serve the hot dishes. After helping to serve the hot dishes, Zhang Guoqing didn't mention it again. He left everyone some wiggle room, no need to be too explicit. If he could get his second brother to work, Zuo Lin would tell them after they left. If not, it would be embarrassing to reveal it, and it would be hard for everyone to leave.
Zuo Lin looked at Zhang Guoqing, his expression composed and seemingly safe, taking care of his food and drink. He sighed inwardly, "What a shrewd man!" He secretly gave Zhou Xiaozheng a thumbs-up, who shook his head and smiled.
"This fat chef's cooking skills are really good. The venison is roasted so tenderly and honey is added to it. Can people who are in confinement eat this?" Zhou Xiaozheng thought of his daughter while eating the venison.
The waiter smiled and said, "It's better to wait until the full moon. This is a bit salty and not good for the baby. My master has already made soup with it. You can definitely take it away when you get back."
Zhou Xiaozheng smiled cheerfully, "Xiaowu just went out and ordered some stew for Jiaojiao, right? Good, that's the way to go. When Jiaojiao drinks it and says it's delicious, we'll stew it here often and bring it to her. Comrade, tell your master to pack three portions of this meat to take away later."
"Okay, I'll tell the chef when this dish is ready. It's freshly baked and will taste much better with my chef's secret honey sauce. We'll also have fried cheese coming soon, which is also delicious. Many people take it home."
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