Zhou Xiaozheng accompanied his elderly mother, telling her about his experiences and encounters with interesting people and things during these years. He saw that his mother was in a bad mood, and he didn't know how to persuade her.
Some things can't be erased. He didn't harbor resentment for the injustices he suffered in his early years, but decades later, he couldn't let go of what his only daughter had gone through. If he were truly gone, if his Jiaojiao wasn't scheming, who would bring justice? Who would understand the frustrations they felt? He couldn't retaliate, so he could only ignore it. Even if the old lady truly wanted to reconcile, he wouldn't agree.
He'd given so much over the years, and all he'd gotten was heartbreak. His heart was too narrow, unable to let go of so many people and so many things. Thinking of his three in-laws, then his own older siblings, he couldn't help but feel pain. He'd known from a young age that his mother was the only one in the world who truly loved him, and yet, besides herself, she treated his older siblings like precious gems. Whenever the three siblings disagreed, she'd ask them to give in.
Haha, he was a generation younger than his older siblings. When he grew up, he realized that he could only rely on himself, otherwise he would live to be a slave for the Zhou family, but in the end he couldn't escape.
Having left home before he was 16, he had no intention of returning to his hometown. Some were happy to return, others were nostalgic. But as he set foot on this land, the only thing he remembered was the hardships of his youth: hunger, lack of clothing, and even the lack of schooling, forced to study secretly. He faced his father's cold gaze and the calculating schemes of his siblings. If his daughter weren't in Zhangjia Village, he wouldn't have been able to move on, returning to a place that had etched a shadow in his heart.
His Jiaojiao asked him if he was his biological child. He recalled the old patriarch's sigh and caressing words when he was a child. He had doubts and had checked, but what if he was not his biological child?
Although he was born young, he didn't want to shirk the responsibility of raising his mother. As long as his mother was around, he would fulfill his son's obligations. Therefore, he often advised himself not to ask for too much. He, Zhou Xiaozheng, existed in this world and could live well on his own, and he would have blood relatives.
In order to avoid being controlled by others, he married Lin Lishan, and he was right. In addition to paying money, these so-called family members also had hidden intentions. If the Lin family had not been there, he would not be alive, and his mother and daughter would not know where their bones were. Why did he go to great lengths to send the wooden box to his mother, saying it was for Jiaojiao? It was to prevent his mother's secret from being leaked. They were worried about the inexplicable property and found that besides the Lin family, there were people watching them from a distance. Relatives had to be wary of each other and suspicious of each other. This was the sadness of their Zhou family, and even more so his misfortune.
Zhou Xiaozheng watched his mother's attention wander as she spoke, but he didn't remind her. He just stared at the haggard old woman before him. Ever since her grandparents passed away, she had lived a hard life, faced with countless challenges, leaving scars on her face. Years of hard work had left her with a frail body.
Now in her seventies, frail and frail, she looks more weathered than most, with a look of sadness in her eyes. Recalling his gentle and elegant mother from his childhood, Zhou Xiaozheng remembered that time is a cruel knife that has changed everything.
If my deceased grandparents saw this, how heartbroken would they be? I wonder if they would regret having taught her the Three Obediences and Four Virtues: to obey her husband after marriage and to respect her husband as her God. I wonder if the old lady, a skilled doctor, ever felt any regret for giving up her prestigious job to accompany her husband back to his hometown.
"Mom, let's go to the kitchen? Xiaowu will be back soon. Let's eat first, and then we can talk." Zhou Xiaozheng smelled the fragrance coming from the kitchen, breaking the awkward silence between mother and son.
Old Mrs. Zhou was interrupted from her thoughts and came to her senses. She refused the coat he offered her, "No, it's too big. The temperature in the room is just right. The fire wall is better than the kang. It won't be hot underneath and freezing outside. Look at the warmth filling the room. I'm not cold at all. Everyone knows fire walls are good, but most people don't have the means or dare to install them. Besides installing them, burning coal and firewood every year costs a lot of money. I can see that the original owner of this house was not short of money, otherwise you really wouldn't find another one in the county. Let's go, dinner is almost ready, and we can smell the delicious food."
Zhou Xiaozheng advised his old mother, "Mom, if you have nothing to do, go out for a walk and look around. Don't stay stuck at home all the time. When I go back, Jiaojiao will be here. You can be at ease here with her. It's just the three of them living here. You can buy whatever you want to eat and live the way you want. It's quiet here and you can look after the children. What's there to do in the village? There are enough people at home and there's nothing for you to be busy with. In a few years, when I have time and can rest, I will take you to the capital and you can go back to see our yard."
Mrs. Zhou listened with a smile and patted her son's arm. "As for me, I can't leave the old house. Who knows when I will fall asleep and never wake up again. Besides, the house is not quiet. If I really live with you, I will be busy every day. Don't come back if you don't have time. Arrange for Jiaojiao to go to the capital to reunite with you as soon as possible. Xiaowu is a good child, and Jiaojiao is filial. You should live a good life in the future and have another child when you have the chance, so that Jiaojiao won't be like me, with no mother's home to go to when I get old."
Zhou Xiaozheng frowned and changed the subject, "Mom, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. You are old and should enjoy your life. So what if they come? How dare they come in? Live in the county town, Jiaojiao will read books with you, chat with you, and you two can even take the children for a walk."
"Haha, I'm too old to walk. These years, you said I was taking care of Jiaojiao, but actually, she was taking care of me. Now it's time for her to take it easy. Don't disturb her life. A Zheng, is the amulet still there?" After saying this, Mrs. Zhou looked up and saw his neck, then remembered something else and asked softly.
Zhou Xiaozheng subconsciously touched it and raised an eyebrow. "I've been keeping it. Mother told me not to throw it away. It's just that the seal is a little cracked. Do you want it?"
Old Mrs. Zhou hurriedly shook her head. "Have you forgotten what mother said? It's yours. Keep it well and don't give it to anyone. Maybe it will be useful in the future."
Zhou Xiaozheng saw the old lady getting anxious and retracting her hand. Seeing her relieved, he became even more puzzled. In fact, he had secretly opened the letter and looked inside. There was nothing inside, just a small piece of paper he had obtained from the temple.
"Haha, Mom, don't worry. This isn't a good thing. No one would want it if you gave it to them. It's torn and cracked, who would want it? If you hadn't asked me to carry it close to my body, I would have lost it long ago."
"It's all cracked?" After saying that, Mrs. Zhou stared blankly ahead, and walked towards the kitchen with Zhou Xiaozheng's support. She didn't wake up until Lin Lishan came forward, "Oh, Shanshan, what did you say just now? I'm a little hard of hearing."
"Nothing. The food is ready. I was just about to call you and Zhengge over. Mom, you must be hungry. Come on, try the cooking of Hongli and me."
"Is Xiaowu back?"
Lin Lishan smiled and said to her: "He's coming back. He went to a few houses next door. He should be back soon. Let's eat first. The man will drink, so we won't wait for him."
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