Zhou Jiao was very moved when she saw Zhao Chuangguang and Huang Huimin outside the car window.
The entire process was meticulously planned. From the moment she got the soft bunk, she knew she didn't need to express her gratitude out loud; she'd just keep it in mind.
As the train slowly started to move, Zhou Jiao waved vigorously, shouting to the couple running quickly on the platform, "Wait for us to come back." Yes, wait for her family to come back. The other party was like her own daughter, so she should treat them well.
Zhang Guoqing sighed, "Dad has such good judgment! My godparents really treat us like our own children."
Yesterday at noon, they arrived at the military district family compound and were greeted by two adorable and clever brothers: 15-year-old Zhao Liyang, steady and clever, and 13-year-old Zhao Lihui, lively and cheerful. They warmly welcomed their sister and her family of three.
Zhou Jiao liked the two brothers from the bottom of her heart - they were generous, steady, and smart. She watched them happily accept the jade pendants and cherish them after putting them on themselves.
She found that she no longer felt bad about the generous gifts she had given them. She preferred a straightforward and efficient approach. Seeing that they were not at all distant with her, she was even more pleased.
"Yeah. Last night, my godmother took out a box of jewelry and stuffed it in my hand, which scared me. Luckily, she has a similar temperament to me. I said it wasn't safe to carry it around, and she simply said she'd give it to me when she got back."
Haha, I quite like her way of doing things. She has a good personality too, and doesn't mince words. Maybe there were some other intentions when we first met, but now she treats me really well."
Zhang Guoqing was relieved to see his son adapting well. He couldn't help but chuckle when he heard Zhou Jiao talking about Huang Huimin. What do you mean by similar temperaments? They're exactly the same.
His father-in-law had always had a keen eye for people. As he'd said, Huang Huimin and Jiaojiao were equally impatient with socializing. They had something in common, having left the other men behind to go shopping.
If their son hadn't been there, they probably wouldn't even have come back for dinner. Zhao Dadi was right—his sister should have been his mother's biological daughter.
"Where did you go shopping with your godmother yesterday? Why didn't you buy anything?" Zhang Guoqing asked curiously. He had been kicked out of the room last night, and the mother and daughter took Ping An with them. He had never had the chance to ask.
"We didn't plan to buy anything. Didn't a lot of women come after the four aunts came? Godmother secretly pinched my hand, and we found an opportunity to slip away.
She would drive me to find the four treasures of the study, saying that the last time she visited our study, she saw how poorly it was used. She has beautiful handwriting and must have connections. She paid for everything yesterday, and when I asked for money, she got angry.
This time when you come back, remember to remind me to bring her a gift. Later, she took me to the Friendship Mall. Apart from fabrics, there wasn't anything we liked. She'll become more childish the longer you get to know her."
Zhang Guoqing listened to her, his hands still busy. The temperature in the carriage was high, and some food needed to be taken out. Besides Zhao Chuangguang and his wife, four other uncles and aunts had prepared a lot of food for this trip to the provincial capital. They probably didn't know about Zhao Chuangguang's arrangements, so they prepared a wide variety of food.
The train chugs along, plodding along, stopping at small stations along the way, sometimes to allow other trains to pass. It passes several stations, some of which are dotted with villagers selling local specialties from the windows. Perhaps their carriages are special, and they're constantly being barred from approaching or moving forward.
Zhang Guoqing would occasionally see Zhou Jiao showing interest in the snacks being sold by the window during stops, and he would get off the train and head to the back of the car to buy something. But after being repeatedly asked by the enthusiastic staff to buy for him, he lost interest. He remembered that he was using a backdoor, and it was best to avoid burdening others if possible.
As the New Year approaches, the lines for getting on and off the train at every stop are long and crowded. He had just seen many people sitting on the floor of the several carriages he passed, resting on bamboo baskets.
Fortunately, there are carriages for the elderly and children. It's common to see staff helping the elderly and children along the way, and they'll even proactively help passengers with heavy luggage getting on and off the train.
The entire journey was a sea of white outside the window, with little scenery to see. Besides the staff, they saw no other passengers inside the train. However, there were sounds of conversation in the adjacent train car. For safety's sake, the couple avoided interacting with strangers. After dinner, they washed up and went to bed early.
Three days later, the train broadcast sounded, announcing that it was about to arrive at the station.
Zhang Guoqing and his wife breathed a sigh of relief. It was not easy at all, but they finally arrived.
Listening to the cheers coming from her ears, Zhou Jiao was very excited at the thought of seeing Zhou Xiaozheng soon.
After arriving at the station, it was impossible to open the windows in the middle of winter. Zhang Guoqing asked Zhou Jiao to stay in the carriage with the child while he ran downstairs to look for someone. His father-in-law would definitely come in person today. The train was two hours late, so he must be extremely anxious.
As soon as he got off the car, he saw Zhou Xiaozheng and his wife, along with a guard, waving at him.
"Where's Jiaojiao? Is everything okay on the train?" Zhou Xiaozheng asked him as he walked up to him and quickly got into the car.
Zhang Guoqing kept saying "very good." He knew his father-in-law's attention was now entirely on his precious daughter. Seeing that Zhou Xiaozheng and his wife had already boarded the carriage, he unloaded the luggage with his guards.
Zhou Xiaozheng walked up and hugged his daughter who rushed over, and burst into laughter.
He quickly realized that his coat was cold, and he was afraid that the cold would freeze her. He let go of Zhou Jiao, touched her head, and said with a smile: "Come home with Dad, it's warm at home."
Seeing this, Lin Lishan smiled and shook her head. She knew that the father and daughter would get bored when they met. She left the father and daughter and ran to the crib. She saw the child lying there obediently, and the warming measures were well taken.
She didn't dare to pick up the child casually, as she feared the child might get frozen. She was so anxious that she kept shouting, "Xiaowu, take care of Ping An first. Don't worry about the luggage."
Zhang Guoqing, his guards, and the staff who came to help had just finished moving the luggage and were placing it on the cart. He knew without his mother-in-law's reminder that his son had been abandoned again.
"Mom, I'll do it. You lead the way."
When Lin Lishan saw Zhang Guoqing opening his coat and holding Ping An, and stuffing a hot water bottle into the child's quilt, she went forward to take a look and felt relieved.
Although Zhou Xiaozheng had been chatting with his daughter, he was quick to see the child being carried off the train and quickly pulled Zhou Jiao to follow. As soon as he got off the train, he immediately surrounded Zhang Guoqing with the military blanket he had brought with him, and surrounded the father and son, and ran to a small car not far from the platform.
Sitting in the car, Zhang Guoqing opened the door and saw the child immediately open his eyes and blow bubbles. He couldn't help laughing. He didn't expect his son to be so adaptable.
Zhou Xiaozheng looked at the child carefully for a while, nodded with satisfaction, "Our home is not far away, we will be there soon. Dad has prepared everything for you, and you won't be afraid of the cold when you get home. Your godfather did a good job this time."
Zhou Jiao finally managed to be pulled into the car by Lin Lishan, and she heard her father praising Zhao Chuangguang. She glanced at the guard driving the car in front, but ultimately didn't say that she couldn't take the soft sleeper next time.
She feared the negative repercussions. No matter how many reasons Zhao Chuangguang offered, she couldn't expect to receive preferential treatment for no reason. She kept hinting that she wasn't the child of a high-ranking official. Hadn't they seen the contributions of many high-ranking officials' children in the frontier? Moreover, she feared that someone might take notice and take revenge later.
Zhou Xiaozheng knew his daughter's temperament well. He didn't explain it, but he would protect his daughter, Jiaojiao, with a layer of armor, allowing her to do as she pleased.
He had entered this complex society at the age of fifteen and understood human nature too well. If he couldn't protect his daughter, then his life would have been in vain.
At this moment, Zhou Xiaozheng had absolutely no idea that his beloved daughter was also busy putting layers of armor on him to keep him safe in the years to come.
This father and daughter care about each other and try their best to plan for each other. It must be said that this is a blessing for Zhou Jiao and even more so for Zhou Xiaozheng.
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