In the courtyard of the county town, before daybreak, Zhang Guoqing got up and jogged along the street.
On the way, he saw many elderly people queuing in front of the grocery store. He greeted a few of them and ran around like this. Looking at the shops and pedestrians along the way, listening to everyone's conversation, he got a general understanding of the current living standards and living habits of the county town.
When it was light and he saw some houses opening their yards, from which he could hear adults talking and children shouting, he slowly ran back with his breakfast.
Before Zhang Guoqing reached the door, the male neighbors on both sides had just gone out. Seeing him running over, they all greeted him enthusiastically.
He quickly stopped, waiting for them to come forward and observe secretly, while smiling and calling the two middle-aged men "uncle" and greeting them.
Wang Dasheng, who lived in the yard on the left, had already dealt with Zhang Guoqing before. He cheerfully pointed at another man and introduced him, "Running so early in the morning, you're really energetic, young man.
"Xiaowu, this is Uncle Chen from the yard on your right. Your Uncle Chen works at the Grain Bureau, and his wife works at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. If you need anything, go to your Uncle Chen. Old Chen, this child is Zhang Guoqing, nicknamed Xiaowu."
Old Chen nodded and said with a smile, "Who doesn't know the famous Zhang Guoqing? Haha, now that you have seen me, I should have recognized him." After saying that, he winked at him.
He smiled and explained to Wang Dasheng, "I saw him a few days ago when I was having dinner at the restaurant in front. My wife told me that a new family had moved in next door. The young man was called Zhang Guoqing. He was very energetic and had brought his young wife and newborn son. When I heard that, I remembered that it might be the same person."
Zhang Guoqing had long known that the residents of this area were well-off. Yet, seeing these two men still gave him a slight surprise. Forget Wang Dasheng from the meat processing plant, just look at Old Chen before him—short and sturdy, with a rosy complexion. He wasn't the sallow, thin complexion common these days. Their clothes weren't patched at all, and the material was good, too.
As expected, there are differences between the rich and the poor in every era.
After hearing this, Zhang Guoqing immediately smiled and said, "Uncle Chen, this is fate. Who would have thought that we would meet again and become old neighbors? From now on, you and Uncle Wang must take good care of me, a young man. Where are you planning to go?"
After hearing what Zhang Guoqing said, Old Chen smiled even more happily. He pointed forward and said with a smile: "I don't know what Old Wang is doing. I'm going to buy breakfast."
Wang Dasheng put his hand on Lao Chen's shoulder, dragged him forward and said, "Come on, I'm going to buy breakfast too. Xiaowu, go in quickly, be careful that the breakfast gets cold. If you need help later, remember to shout in the yard."
Zhang Guoqing nodded with a smile and waited until they left his sight before going home.
Zhang Guoqing stood in the yard and saw no movement in the bedroom. He took the buns back to the kitchen and put them in the pot to warm them. He guessed that he had slept late last night and Zhou Jiao must not have woken up.
When he returned to the bedroom, he saw Zhou Jiao and her son sleeping soundly, not noticing him coming in. He smiled silently, walked lightly, cleaned up the house, and returned to the well in the yard with the family's spare clothes and his son's diapers.
After washing the clothes and tidying up the yard, Zhang Guoqing saw that it was still early, so he went back to his study, picked up a book, leaned against it and began to read, occasionally looking up into the inner room.
Zhou Jiao woke up and saw that the child was still asleep. She hurried out of the bathroom, smiled at Zhang Guoqing who came in after hearing the noise, and ran to wash up. After washing up, Zhang Guoqing had already served breakfast for the two of them and prepared a bowl of bird's nest porridge for her.
The couple sat in the living room and had breakfast.
Zhou Jiao looked at him and couldn't help but persuade him, "Don't get up so early in the future. You're not getting enough sleep. How about sleeping in the study? And don't wait for me for breakfast in the future. Eat it yourself first."
Zhang Guoqing looked at her with resentment, silently watching her. Seeing her chuckle, he complained, "You don't even want to pay attention to me now. How cruel! You even want to sleep in a separate bed. Now you're even depriving me of the chance to have breakfast with you. Think about it, how long has it been since we've spent time together properly? - There's always a third wheel."
Zhou Jiao was even more delighted when she heard this. She laughed out loud and hit him with her hand.
"Look, you hit me again and you don't even kiss me."
The couple finished their breakfast while playing around, cleaned up, and went back to the bedroom.
Zhang Guoqing began to discuss with her - should he prepare some New Year's goods for them to take back? According to his idea, there happened to be a market today, so he would buy some mountain products and put them in a few big bags, one bag for each family.
Especially since Zhao Chuangguang had sent so many gifts, they felt bad for letting the couple go back empty-handed. The seafood was bought by their father-in-law, not their gift.
Zhou Jiao frowned in worry. She hated these trivial matters the most. But there was no way around it. Social interactions were a housewife's must-do. Before, the two of them didn't really have any relatives besides her mother. As for her mother, as long as she gave her money, she was satisfied. Now, she was at a loss.
"Listen to my suggestion and see how it goes. Grandpa just sent over a bunch of gifts, so let's forget about it this time. We have no income, so no one will blame us for not preparing expensive gifts.
Cheng family, I've secretly prepared some tea as a gift. Go buy some cured meat and game later, and give Dad 20 pounds to take back. He can then give it to the Cheng family.
As for my godfather, don't return the gift just yet. We're all in the provincial capital, so they don't need these things. Let them take the seafood back first. And my mom, don't give too much at once, or it'll be hard to buy next time.
If we see any rare wild animals in the future, we can give them some when we go out. This way, we can show our closeness and maintain a long-term relationship. They are particular about the thought and the relationship they care about. Later, you can secretly give your godfather a box of tea. He will be happier than anything else.
Zhang Guoqing thought of Zhao Chuangguang's personality. He also said that only he and his father-in-law had it. He guessed that in his godfather's eyes, this was better than any other gift. He gave his wife a thumbs-up.
Zhou Jiao then explained her plans. After she finished her confinement, she would personally make two sets of clothes for Zhao Chuangguang and his wife to wear during the Lunar New Year. She would also prepare jade pendants as gifts for her two adopted brothers. This way, she wouldn't appear stingy and would show her thoughtfulness. It would both save face and gain financial benefits.
The only thing missing is the jade pendant. The ones she has are all commemorative and quite valuable. What Grandma Lin gave is suitable, but this is for Ping An.
Zhang Guoqing shook his head after hearing this and whispered, "In the box that Grandpa gave us, besides the Zhang family heirlooms that can't be touched, there are also the jade pendants that Grandma collected. Pick out two inconspicuous ones and use them first."
Zhou Jiao was reluctant to part with them. The old man had personally handed them to her. She wanted to leave the Zhang family's legacy to Ping An, passing it down through the generations. She thought about it for a moment, then finally nodded with determination.
"Don't be reluctant. I'll ask Professor Liu and buy it from whoever has it. You should keep it on hand as a backup, just in case." After Zhang Guoqing finished speaking, he looked at Zhou Jiao and smiled, secretly reminding himself to find more ways to prepare.
Zhang Guoqing saw nothing to do and decided to go to the market early. Markets in rural areas open early, so if he went late, he wouldn't be able to find good things. Besides, he planned to buy more and store it in the cellar.
Zhou Jiao watched him change into old clothes and go out, closing the door.
She picked up her son who had just woken up and fed him, then cleaned him up and put him on the kang, and then she continued to make her father's pants.
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