The capital city at night has a unique scenery. After living in exile for a long time, I now see the familiar capital city again. Even if it lacks the skyscrapers of later times, a metropolis is still a metropolis, and the historical heritage is particularly rich in this city.
Compared to the county town where pedestrians are sparsely populated after dark, the main roads are illuminated by streetlights on both sides, with buses, carriages, and crowds of people gathering - the capital city in December has a festive atmosphere.
Along Changping Street, the car soon arrived at the military compound.
Zhang Guoqing took a quick glance at the rumored military compound and found it was not much different from what he had imagined.
After entering the compound, the car began to move slowly. Lin Lishan in the car pointed in the direction of the buildings they passed by and began to introduce them. Zhang Guoqing learned that the Lin family and the Cheng family were both in the small courtyard at the back and not far from the Zhou family - it seemed that his father-in-law had really been promoted.
He subconsciously looked at Zhou Jiao, and sure enough, he saw that she frowned slightly, and then she looked out the window calmly as if nothing had happened.
As soon as the car stopped at the gate of the yard, the Cheng family's elderly couple and Mr. Lin appeared first with smiles on their faces, followed closely by a group of family members from the Cheng and Lin families.
When Mrs. Cheng saw the child in Zhang Guoqing's arms, she didn't bother to greet them and pulled Zhang Guoqing inside, "Go inside first. The child won't get cold."
Zhang Guoqing smiled apologetically at everyone and followed the old lady into the living room.
Zhou Xiao was hugging Zhou Jiao as they walked in. "Is everyone waiting anxiously? The train is over two hours late. Let's go in and eat first and chat while we eat."
Facing the warm smiles around her, Zhou Jiao was busy greeting everyone. Entering the living room, she saw a cradle placed next to the sofa—the child was currently lying there.
She smiled reassuringly, answered everyone's questions, and began to observe everyone secretly. This time, except for Mrs. Lin, the Cheng and Lin families in the capital should all be gathered.
Zhou Xiaozheng saw his daughter smiling and socializing with everyone. Seeing that she was surrounded, he quickly pulled her away and prevented her from taking a seat.
"Everyone, please sit down first. I'll take Jiaojiao and Xiaowu to their room to put their luggage. Shanshan, help your aunt prepare the dishes. Aunt, I'll leave the child to you." After saying that, Zhou Xiaozheng immediately hugged her and walked towards the east wing.
Seeing that both his father and daughter had left, Old Lady Cheng pushed Zhang Guoqing beside her and said with a smile: "Go and check your room quickly. Your father did it all by himself. I'll take care of the child. Go quickly."
Zhang Guoqing shook his head and smiled, "My dad loves Jiaojiao. They must have a lot to talk about right now. Let him and his daughter talk first. I'll go in later."
Old Cheng smiled and nodded: "Xiao Wu, it would be nice if you could sit down and chat with us. Are your parents okay? Remember to ask them to come along next time."
"That's right. Since they didn't come this time, you must ask your parents to come next time." Grandpa Lin said with a smile.
Zhang Guoqing quickly smiled and said, "They're all very nice. Before coming here, they asked me to tell you to come visit them when you have time."
"Remember to telegraph your parents after dinner to let them know you're safe. I'll introduce everyone to you. Once you get to know each other, please keep in touch."
Zhou Xiaozheng took Zhou Jiao back to the east wing, and after visiting the study and bedroom, he pulled her to the wardrobe, opened it, and said with a smile, "Look, Dad has prepared everything for you. You can rest for two days first, and Dad will take you shopping."
Zhou Jiao nodded with delight. The entire east wing was hers. Her father had prepared it with great care, and she loved it. But this time, she had something important to ask.
"Dad, that person who didn't come is sick again, right? What's the situation now? How is the investigation going? You have to give me some information so I can decide how to get along with them."
Zhou Xiaozheng really didn't want his daughter to worry about these things. "Some things are complicated and can't be explained right away. Let's talk about it after those people outside leave. As for her, hmm...her family is in trouble now, and knowing you were coming, it's fitting that she fell ill."
"Haha, are you waiting for me to come? I'll ask my aunt to help me find some clothes tomorrow." Zhou Jiao was speechless. She could be so exquisite.
Zhou Xiaozheng chuckled. He knew his daughter took after him. He was eager to see how Gu Ruyi would react when she saw Zhou Jiao, who looked like a grandmother to him. Whether she was using illness as an excuse to avoid returning the dowry, or was trying to use this opportunity to get him to come over and make them suffer, it would be a matter of seeing who had the better strategy.
Zhou Jiao thought it was quite funny, so she put aside the topic and talked about ancestor worship and visiting graves. She and her father had already discussed this matter in the letter, and now they confirmed it again.
Zhang Guoqing came in and pointed outside and said, "Dad is eating. Let's talk after everyone leaves."
Zhou Xiaozheng nodded and asked them to wash their faces and come out first, as he had to go see the child first.
After Zhang Guoqing poured the water, he felt uneasy and warned, "Jiaojiao, be careful of your eldest cousin. This woman is a little abnormal. She knew you were talking to your father and daughter, but she wanted to come in and ask to see the room, but was stopped by your aunt."
After Zhou Jiao finished packing, she pulled him out and said softly, "Don't worry. I know what's going on. Some things can be discussed after they leave."
There were two tables in the living room, squeezed together. Zhou Xiaozheng pulled his daughter to sit next to him, and while he responded, he kept putting food into Zhou Jiao's bowl.
Cheng Sijin had seen this kind of scene before, so he didn't find it strange. Lin Aiguo and Li Jianjun, on the other hand, looked at Zhou Xiao teasingly while he was picking out fish bones.
At the dinner table, everyone deliberately avoided the topic of Old Mrs. Lin and talked about the famous scenic spots and historical sites in the capital and some happy things.
Zhou Jiao knew she had to bring up the topic herself. Others might avoid it, intentionally or unintentionally, but she wouldn't allow herself to be gossiped about out of courtesy. As for what she felt in her heart, that was her own business.
In just a short while, it seemed that Old Master Lin was distracted. Her uncle Lin Aiguo often glanced at her with a look full of scrutiny, and other members of the Lin family glanced at her frequently.
Zhou Jiao pretended not to notice. She had to eat first before anything else. Some things couldn't be rushed once they came. She had plenty of time.
As the meeting was almost over, Zhou Jiao said with a bright smile, "Grandpa, is Grandma not feeling well this winter? Do you think she'll be free in the next couple of days so I can go visit her?"
Old Master Lin was in high spirits and said cheerfully, "Okay. Your grandma has been thinking about you for a long time. Good boy, wait until your grandma is better before you go see her. The hospital is not a good place, don't go there."
"I'll listen to grandpa. You see if grandma can come back in the next few days. If it's too late, my brother Xiaowu and I will go to see her. You have to take good care of yourself too." Zhou Jiao said, looking at the old man who looked much more haggard.
Everyone knows what's going on, but the old man probably has figured it out.
After seeing them off, Lin Lishan took the opportunity to pull Zhou Jiao into the bedroom in the east wing.
Seeing this, Zhou Jiao sighed secretly and poured a cup of hot water and handed it to her.
"Jiaojiao, your grandma really makes me mad. Don't go see her."
After Lin Lishan finished speaking, she saw her daughter's confused face and patted her head. She was so angry that she forgot that her child had no idea what was going on.
Gu Changqing of the Gu family has a grandson who got into trouble for flirting with a female student at school. Originally, they were divorced and marrying the girl wouldn't have been a big deal, but the story got leaked and published in the newspapers, making it impossible to cover it up. Now, the authorities have arrested the man for hooliganism.
Old Mrs. Lin tried everything to save the person but failed. Finally, she asked Lin Lishan to find Zhou Xiaozheng to think of a solution. Her words made it sound like as long as Zhou Xiaozheng agreed, everything would be fine.
Lin Lishan felt that her man was no match for her and refused her. Moreover, her mother suspected that her man was behind this, so how could she tell her own man?
Hooliganism, what a rare crime - whoever gets involved will be in trouble!
Zhou Jiao couldn't help laughing, "So just for this, the old lady went to the hospital?"
"Jiaojiao, do you think your dad might have been involved? I didn't dare tell your dad that your grandma suspected him. Your dad didn't even go to your grandma's house when he came back this time, let alone visit her in the nursing home. I think she's just overthinking it."
Zhou Jiao said with a straight face, "My dad wouldn't do such a thing. Ask the old lady what reason he has for doing this? My dad is in the barracks every day. How can he have the time to investigate other people's trivial matters? My dad would have beaten up anyone he had a grudge against long ago. Who would want to get involved in such things? Is the old lady getting confused and suspicious?"
"I don't think it's something your father did. Even if your father did it, it's nothing. He must have a reason for what he did. You must not go to see your grandma. Those people from the Gu family often go there."
Zhou Jiao had a vague idea that her father might have done this, but she couldn't admit it. It seemed someone had tampered with her grandparents' situation.
"Let's see first. It wouldn't make sense for me to come back and not visit her. Besides, didn't you ask me to ask for a dowry? Haha... Mom, don't worry. If I go, will those people from the Gu family beat me up or something? The last time you came back, Dad didn't tell you about the two sums of money, right?"
Lin Lishan sighed, "Your father didn't mention it, but I did. He said forget it, which is pretty much what you said. I also asked your grandmother, but she didn't say a word. I asked her if she had embezzled the dowry she prepared for you, but she said it was all there. I went to get the keys early this morning, and since no one's there tonight, we'll move back home first."
Zhou Jiao frowned disapprovingly, then thought it would be better to avoid attracting attention. She asked a few more questions about her father's return, and seeing nothing more to do, she dragged Lin Lishan back to the living room.
There was no one else at home except her aunt to look after Ping An. After learning that Zhou Xiaozheng had taken Zhang Guoqing out to send a telegram back to Northeast China, Zhou Jiao began to open the packages and sort out the gifts for people.
When Zhou Xiaozheng came in, Zhou Jiao looked up and found that he was the only one there, so she looked at him strangely.
"Xiaowu was taken away by the Fang family boys. Don't rush to pack your things, get some rest first. Tell dad how you did on the exam. Is the person Zhao Dashan found suitable? Did Xiaowu's family give you any trouble?"
Zhou Jiao looked up and smiled proudly, "Still first. Dad, your daughter scored 595 out of 600. I'll try to get you a perfect score next time. Xiaowu and I have made up for our freshman year and are now sophomores. He did well in the exam too. We're still first and second."
"Just get close enough. Don't waste too much energy on perfection."
Seeing him waiting for an answer, Zhou Jiao continued, "The person Uncle Dashan found seems to be okay for now. Since she came, Xiaowu's parents have not lived in the county town."
"My godfather and his wife come to visit us every three to five days, and they're always there. The other four uncles occasionally come with them to see us. They'll have a package for you in a couple of days. As for the New Year's gift to Grandma Zhou and the old patriarch's grandson, Xiaowu wanted to deliver it himself, but his father stopped him, saying he was worried about the Zhou family getting involved. He said he would take care of it."
Zhou Xiaozheng nodded in satisfaction. As long as someone took care of her daily life, everything else was trivial. He looked at the time and saw that it was getting late, so he decided to let her rest early.
"Don't rush to clean up these things, we can deal with them tomorrow. Come to the study with Dad first, I'll give you your access passes. Your mom and I have to go to work tomorrow. Are you okay at home by yourselves?"
Zhou Jiao knew they had already taken a day off today. "Aunt Chen and my aunt are at home. You can go to work without worry. We won't get lost. If there's anything, call your office."
Seeing him hesitate, Lin Lishan said, "I'll go to the group tomorrow to make arrangements and come back. Don't worry, Brother Zheng."
Zhou Xiaozheng nodded and took Zhou Jiao into the study.
When Aunt Chen saw him come in, she whispered, "The leader usually has a stern face, I didn't expect him to dote on the child so much." She had not been working here long, and she was usually afraid of seeing Zhou Xiaozheng with a stern face.
"Haha, our Jiaojiao is very sensible. You'll know when you get to know her more. Not to mention her dad, even her parents-in-law love her, and my dad always talks about her."
"Yes, very good. You can tell at a glance that he's a good kid." Aunt Chen nodded in agreement.
For the past two days, Zhou Xiaozheng had been telling her to prepare more food. She was really worried that a shrewd and unreasonable country girl, or a willful young lady, would show up.
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