Zhou Jiao gently lifted the curtains and looked at Zhangjia Village getting closer and closer, feeling very excited. It turned out that she had already regarded this place as her hometown.
Thinking of Grandma Zhou from Zhoujia Village next door, she was stunned. She had unknowingly had so many people she cared about.
The child in her arms leaned against her, moving slightly as the carriage jolted. Zhou Jiao sat up straight, holding him tightly, and hummed a little tune.
Zhang Guoqing looked at her holding her son, smiling and humming a little tune. This was a scene he had imagined countless times, and a happy smile gradually appeared on his face.
The family of three snuggled up to each other, quietly enjoying this warm moment.
"Whoa..." As the carriage slowed down, it arrived at the Zhang family's door.
Home was still the same home, but returning felt strangely familiar. Zhou Jiao climbed the high steps, feeling a surge of joy. She turned to look at the newly built courtyard. She thought about decorating it. She felt attached to this land, to the family here. As Zhang Guoqing had said, this was their roots. Ever since they arrived here, this had been their roots.
Walking on the dirt floor of the courtyard, Zhou Jiao's face gradually grew bright with smiles as she entered her room in the west wing. A heated kang, a coal stove, the laughter of her beloved family, the playful children. This was the life she had always wanted.
Mother Zhang saw Zhou Jiao walking faster and faster, her smile growing brighter. She was delighted by her joy at returning home. Her daughter-in-law was still her sweetheart.
"How is it? Mom heats the kang every day. She just dried the quilt yesterday. Knowing you'd come back, she lit the stove and went to the county town."
"Mom, why are you so kind? I love you so much. Don't even think about leaving us in the future. What am I going to do without you?"
Mother Zhang laughed heartily, patted her gently, and muttered, "Silly girl."
The two entered the bedroom. Zhou Jiao gently put Ping An down on the kang. After she lay down herself, she sighed, "It's so comfortable. I'm home."
This made Zhang's mother laugh out loud. She looked around to see if there was anything left to clean up, and suddenly found the phonograph was still in her room. "Jiaojiao, your phonograph is still in Mom's room. I'll go get it for you."
Zhou Jiao hurriedly stood up and shouted, "Don't mention it. Let you use it first. Mom, come here quickly."
"What's wrong? I brought it here quickly. Is there something wrong?" Zhang's mother turned around and walked into the inner room in a hurry.
"It's okay, there are just some batteries in the cabinet. You can take them over later. Mom, do you think I can go out now? Look, I've gained weight. My face is getting rounder. Now that I'm feeling better, can I go out with you?"
Mother Zhang looked at her face carefully and gave her a suspicious look. "You haven't gained weight. Instead, you've become fairer and more rosy. My daughter Jiaojiao is becoming more and more beautiful. She needs more care. Don't even think about going out. Just rest and take good care of yourself during the confinement period."
After saying that, she heard Zhang Guoqing's voice, muttering again, don't give in to her, she must stay in bed for the full month of confinement.
Zhou Jiao touched her face, thought about it and looked at the door, then reached out to take out a mirror and looked at herself carefully. She had gained weight, but it wasn't obvious. Touching her moist face, she finally felt a little relieved.
"Who is this? How come you're getting prettier? Oh, you're really rosier." After saying that, Zhang Guoqing cupped her cheek and gave her a hard kiss. Looking at the red mark left by the kiss, he quickly grabbed the mirror and deliberately looked at his own face. "Not bad. Pretty handsome." He secretly put the mirror in a drawer.
Zhou Jiao didn't notice his little thought. He'd interrupted her, and her attention was completely on him. That night, she fell asleep without noticing anything unusual. Seeing her two sisters-in-law smile at her, she smiled too, assuming everyone was happy to see her back. And so, her dark past was swept under the rug. Years later, she'd hear about it from them, and they were overjoyed.
Zhou Jiao finished feeding the baby, cleaned him, and changed his diaper. She sorted all the clothes she had brought back and put them in the closet. After finishing, she took out her notebook and added something. There was still much she needed to discuss with Zhang Guoqing.
As she was thinking, she felt a little sleepy. She put away the paper and pen, moved to her son's side, closed her eyes and fell asleep in a short while.
Zhang Guoqing walked in to see his son, his eyes wide open, wandering around. Zhou Jiao lay there, her face flushed, her notes close at hand. He frowned slightly at Zhou Jiao, wondering what trouble she was having in her sleep.
Zhang Guoqing teased his son, then leaned back on the kang and flipped open his notebook. It clearly stated preparations for his son's full moon celebration—no gifts, that's right. Worrying about the food? What's there to worry about? Just follow the general trend.
If he really made a scene, he'd have a rough time. If he had followed his plan, he could have just celebrated with a nice meal and taken the kids for photos. Flipping to the front page, it was all numbers and codes. A quick thought revealed that this was their family's property.
He quickly stood up and fished out the change in his pocket. He often forgot the purchasing power of a dollar these days. Not counting the gift, his eldest sister's housewarming allowance alone cost nearly ten dollars. He remembered the last time he went to Fat Chef's, he had two tables for a feast, all-you-can-drink, and it only cost a little over ten dollars. Hosting a banquet at home was more troublesome; the situation was really pressing.
Zhang Guoqing realized that his extravagant spending would mean his monthly salary wouldn't be enough to support Zhou Jiao and her son. He was truly a gigolo!
After cleaning up, Zhang Guoqing picked up the child and kissed his chubby face a few times, "Son, Daddy will never let you eat only steamed bread and pickles."
In the main bedroom, after giving instructions to her daughter-in-law, Zhang's mother returned to the house and saw her old man leaning against the kang with his legs crossed, humming an opera. He glanced at her when he saw her come in and looked at her with a smile.
Mother Zhang pounded her shoulders, took off her shoes, and got on the kang. "Everything has been arranged. I can be considered to have enjoyed the benefits of having many daughters-in-law."
"Haha...are you happy? Among my three brothers, our daughter-in-law is the most filial. I'm not exaggerating, even the second brother's daughter-in-law is the best now."
Mother Zhang poured cold water on him, "That's because our second child is now eating government food. What else is she dissatisfied with? She doesn't smile and be filial to us. Will Xiaowu help her?"
Father Zhang put down his legs and looked at her curiously. "You understand quite well. I'm happy for Xiaowu and Jiaojiao. He really made me proud today. Haha... He took care of the housewarming wine from start to finish today. Who has a brother like him? The two in-laws praised him non-stop. Xiaowu took care of his eldest sister and didn't forget his second sister. He took care of everything. And Jiaojiao, she's even more considerate than our daughter. Look at those older brothers in the village, who doesn't praise our Jiaojiao?
As for the second daughter-in-law, with Jiaojiao around, she'll only be more filial to us. She has her elder sister-in-law above her and her younger siblings below her, so she'll know what's going on. People are always afraid of comparisons. Wouldn't it be best if you compared her to my brother's daughter-in-law? Do you think she'd still steal to support her parents?
As for you, you just turned a blind eye. They were all born and raised by their parents. She doesn't forget them even though she has enough to eat. This shows that she has a good heart. If you really can't stand it, just think about the second child. He is not stupid. What kind of personality does our second child have?
Zhang's father's words, though light and profound, comforted Zhang's mother. She couldn't compare her eldest daughter-in-law's ability and virtue, nor could she compare her youngest daughter-in-law's obedience and thoughtfulness. Aside from the annoyance she felt towards her mother's family, the second daughter's family wasn't really bad. They didn't visit relatives all the time anymore, and the youngest daughter kept things tidy.
Seeing his wife come to terms with things, Father Zhang looked at her cheerfully. After a lifetime of marriage, he still didn't understand his own wife? Perhaps she disliked the second son's mother-in-law the most among the five in-laws, and as a result, she'd always been displeased with her son's wife. In his opinion, the child was quite good: clever, able to read expressions, and a truly filial heart. She was a good match for his second son, the only drawback being her limited literacy.
Father Zhang's thoughts turned to his eldest son's learning to read. After spending a few days with his youngest son and seeing the world, he felt more and more that the old patriarch was a man of great wisdom. It was a pity that his descendants weren't up to par. If they had listened to the old man, they would have prospered.
The eldest son, on the other hand, lacked a diploma. Thinking of Xiaowu's request for him to attend night school in the provincial capital to take the accounting exam, he decided to listen to his youngest son. Xiaowu might be young, but he was the best at judging people and the most capable. Even his father admired him. If he said it would be useful, then it must be.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
