The weather was getting colder day by day, and time passed as Zhou Jiao dragged Zhang Guoqing up the mountain to search for supplies. Seeing that heavy snow was about to come, Zhang Guoqing began to pack up his family's daily belongings.
On a sunny day, they entrusted the new courtyard to the Zhangs, who had returned to their old courtyard. They called a carriage and took Zhou Jiao, their son, and a pile of luggage back to the county town.
Zhang Guoqing felt relieved upon returning to his small courtyard in the county town. Back in the village, his home was bustling with people, its main room filled with smoke. Regardless of whether they knew him personally or not, visitors would pull him aside, constantly offering favors, trying to establish a relationship, and trying to get close to him, much to his annoyance.
What he couldn't stand most was the women who came into his room without saying hello, sat on the kang, smoking their pipes, and even grabbed Zhou Jiao's hand, their voices so loud they woke the sleeping children. Regardless of their previous estranged relationship, they spat and made a loud noise, and the children they brought with them rummaged through the drawers.
Zhang Guoqing shook his head as he recalled these chaotic days. His family had no plans to return home anytime soon, and they didn't dare to.
In the living room, Zhou Jiao placed the child in the cradle Zhao Dashan had given her, pulled Zhang Guoqing up and said, "Brother, let's stick to the original plan. Let's play dress-up first."
Zhang Guoqing chuckled, finally making the most of the space. A couple of days ago, as soon as the carpenter had given him a heads-up, he and Zhou Jiao had taken the opportunity to move the finished furniture into the space, waiting to move to the county town to replace everything. They'd even come up with a reason, even how to handle the situation with Zhang's parents; the couple had already agreed on a plan.
Zhou Jiao pulled him into the bedroom, and with a gentle touch of her hand, the room was suddenly empty. He watched as she placed the new furniture one by one, effortlessly putting in the clothes, and in the blink of an eye, the room was spotless.
Even though Zhang Guoqing had seen it many times, he still couldn't help but feel terrified. It would be best if he didn't use this space anymore. If even a trace of it were revealed, it would be a catastrophic disaster.
Zhang Guoqing looked at the two new rows of enclosed bookshelves in his study with satisfaction. Although they had cost a fortune, they were inconspicuous when closed. Since they were settling into the county town, they would have more people coming and going, and many would be jealous. He preferred to avoid any trouble. He was now afraid of people bringing up old issues.
"Should we tell my dad about this? You can hide it from others, but not from my dad. He knows I love these old things the most, so he's bound to suspect something's wrong and might even come rushing over."
Zhang Guoqing nodded. The couple explained to others that they didn't like giving away old things separately. They could only fool ordinary people, not his father-in-law.
"We must explain it clearly to Dad. Uncle Dashan and Godfather won't believe us, and they will definitely mention it to Dad. Let's just do what we said to Mom and Dad. The things are too valuable, and there are many people who are secretly jealous of us, so we found an excuse to secretly hide them for future use. Dad will help us cover it up as soon as he hears it."
Zhou Jiao saw that the study had been changed, so she pulled Zhang Guoqing to the living room and nodded in agreement. She was just about to write a letter to tell her father that they would be living in the county town from now on, and the address on all letters and telegrams would have to be changed.
Zhang Guoqing noticed that she was beginning to lose focus and warned her, "Don't touch our son's cradle. The space has taken the cradle away. If our son falls out, it's no joke."
Zhou Jiao glanced at him sideways, then covered her mouth with her hands and laughed. She remembered the dream she had of him being taken into her space, and it startled her awake.
After tidying up the main room, the two of them went to the kitchen and changed the table. They sniffed the odor of burning coal briquettes, looked at each other, and pointed to the next room, where there was a real earthen kang (a traditional bed) connected to the kitchen. It had been the nanny's room until now, but now it could be used.
Zhang Guoqing surveyed the room with satisfaction. It had been cleaned before, and was spotless. He said, "I'll wipe it down with disinfectant. From now on, I'll let him lie here while I cook and eat. He'll be able to hear him crying."
Zhou Jiao continued, "If a stranger comes unexpectedly, we can arrange for them to stay here after changing the quilt."
Zhang Guoqing brought a bucket of hot water, mixed it with some disinfectant, and scrubbed the room, then opened the door to let in some air. After waiting for a while, he asked Zhou Jiao to lay out the new kang mat and mattress. After checking with his hand to make sure they were fine, he placed the pillows and quilt on top.
His family has too many quilts right now, and they're worried about tighter cotton purchase restrictions next year. Last time, when he refurbished his old quilts, he asked Master Fang to buy a few more. Add to that the military blanket Zhao Chuangguang sent, and if nothing unexpected happens, they'll have enough for a few more children.
The couple returned to the living room, looked around, and smiled at each other. Safety was more important than anything else. Zhang Guoqing would need to borrow a truck to cover up the disappearance, otherwise, no one would doubt the disappearance of the items.
After lunch and a short rest, Zhang Guoqing started to go out to do work without stopping.
As the end of the year approached, he made it a point to attend every market. After a few visits, he'd more or less found a few big-name resellers. There were always clever people in every era. Some collected grain from acquaintances and profited from the difference. Now, he'd rush to negotiate a delivery location and time.
Zhang Guoqing had already found a forest in the eastern suburbs, waiting for the delivery to arrive that evening. He and Zhou Jiao would then push the cart over, hiding it in Zhou Jiao's space without anyone noticing. It's always better to be cautious. Although the situation wasn't tense right now, he feared the danger of exposure during a famine, so he carefully planned every possible precaution.
Inside an adobe house surrounded by a bamboo fence, Zhang Guoqing, wearing a cotton-padded jacket and a hat, with only his eyes covered, was concluding a deal with a man in the woods at 8:00 that evening. After the deal was settled and a deposit paid, he hurried away.
After both parties agreed on a time, Zhang Guoqing left the village, planning to visit Zhao Dashan at the Armed Forces Headquarters. He and Zhou Jiao had returned, so he had to say hello. Besides, he'd been talking about going to a neighboring province to buy grain to see what he thought. If he didn't go, he planned to introduce him to a local grain merchant. If he did go, he'd have to ask Zhang's mother to help look after the child. How could he hide the treasure without Zhou Jiao?
Zhang Guoqing arrived at Zhao Dashan's office. It was the end of the year, and the department was quite idle. Zhao Dashan saw him coming and knew he was just here to hang out. He glared at him fiercely.
Upon learning the reason, Zhang Guoqing burst into laughter. He hadn't expected Zhao Dashan and his wife to be so obsessed with going to the beach. It was quite fashionable in this cold weather. He was relieved to learn that he had already bought a lot of fine grains at the market. He hadn't expected them to wait until he had time to go together.
The two agreed to set off early with their families if the weather did not change over the weekend. Afterwards, they enthusiastically discussed the route and the supplies they needed to purchase.
Zhang Guoqing borrowed a truck to leave. Once home, with Zhou Jiao's help, he deliberately drove the tarpaulin truck out in front of everyone, circling the county town and heading to a distant, less populated village. After repeatedly confirming that nothing was amiss, Zhang Guoqing cleaned up the mess and headed home.
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