Zhang Guoqing woke up early in the morning to the sound of a military bugle call, ran around the compound, and then joined the old men in the park for some boxing. He met some of the older generation through the introductions of Cheng Lao and his friends. Whenever he arrived at a place, he would first familiarize himself with the area and get to know the locals' daily lives through the people around him. This was his usual lifestyle.
After contacting Fang Fei and others last night, he returned to the bedroom and learned from Zhou Jiao that when Gu Mingzhu's father's condition worsened, someone bribed the doctor and solved his confusion.
Perhaps Zhou Jinyu had already sensed something was amiss. It's easy to dodge an open attack, but hard to guard against a hidden one. That's why he resolutely took Gu Mingzhu and her sister away.
He understood the actions of Zhou Xiaozheng and his daughter. As Zhou Jiao was his lover, he would add fuel to the fire even if it involved innocent people. There would be a storm next, and whether it would be big or small depended on his father-in-law's determination.
After breakfast, Zhou Xiaozheng retreated from the crowd, instructed the young couple on who to avoid, and then went to work without worry. He knew his two children's abilities well, and they would understand when prompted. His son-in-law, in particular, had already mastered the various factions in the compound after just a few drinks last night and a morning run.
After breakfast, Mrs. Cheng, without caring about her family and children who were out at work or school, came to the Zhou family with her eldest grandson, Cheng Yongxian. She took Ping An and asked her eldest grandson to take Zhang Guoqing and his wife for a walk.
Zhou Jiao quickly declined Cheng**'s offer, as he was about to take his final exam. Just kidding, the holiday was just two days away, why would she delay his studies?
After Zhang Guoqing saw Cheng Yongxian off, he and Zhou Jiao burst into laughter as they held up the route map drawn by Old Lady Cheng. Her aunt, fearing her eldest grandson wouldn't know how to lead the way, meticulously marked several streets with restaurants and shopping malls, then detailed notes below on which areas were best and which to avoid. This wasn't just a route map; it was a guide to everyday life.
Mrs. Cheng was considerate and took Zhou Jiao back to her room, giving her a few new handkerchiefs to carry with her. Zhou Jiao knew this was because she was worried that her breast milk would get wet while she was out.
The old lady carefully checked the thickness of the couple's clothes and whether they had brought their passes, then pushed them out the door.
Zhang Guoqing solved his son's problem and pulled Zhou Jiao out of the compound.
The two of them didn't take a car, but walked along Changping Street.
Their plan this morning was to see the current state of the capital and see how the people of the city lived. They hadn't really planned to not come back at noon, and in the afternoon they wanted the old lady to take Zhou Jiao out to the streets to prepare some things.
Tired of walking, Zhang Guoqing and his companion found a carriage and asked the coachman to take them for a stroll around several main streets.
The couple sat in the carriage and looked around. From time to time, they got off to visit the ancient buildings that had not been demolished and to mingle with the crowded crowd to feel the atmosphere.
Near noon, the two returned to the compound. As soon as they entered the living room, they saw Old Mrs. Cheng with a smile on her face, unable to hide her gloating happiness.
Zhang Guoqing and the other person looked at each other, and they both understood what had happened.
"Did you have fun? Why are you back so early? The children are with your aunt, so go ahead and have fun without worry." After saying that, Old Mrs. Cheng observed Zhou Jiao's expression.
She suspected the newspaper report had something to do with her and her daughter. But she couldn't figure out how it had appeared so early last night. As for whether her nephew had acted alone? Impossible! From what she knew, it didn't seem like his work. Especially since the couple had returned home in the middle of the day, they must have been checking for updates.
If Zhou Jiao knew that she had misunderstood the reason for returning at noon, she would definitely complain. She really planned to ask the old lady to take her to the street in the afternoon to buy offerings for the ancestral graves.
"Let's find a car and drive around. In the afternoon, brother will take care of the kids, and auntie will accompany me to go shopping, right?" Zhou Jiao glanced at the newspaper on the coffee table and didn't bring it up first.
Mrs. Cheng looked at Zhang Guoqing hesitantly. She was worried about him, a grown man, taking care of the child. Seeing his face full of approval, and knowing that he usually took care of the child, she nodded.
"Then we'll go back quickly after the child falls asleep. He really needs milk every three hours, so he's very easy to take care of. Leave him to aunt from now on, and you can go and do your own things without worry. Do you want aunt to take care of the child tonight? I think I'll stay here tonight and have someone send a quilt over later."
Zhou Jiao was shocked when she heard this. Not only did she not want to leave her child, she was also worried about asking the elderly woman to take care of her personally at such an old age, not to mention that her aunt had just returned from the hospital.
Zhou Jiao refused again and again, and after giving all kinds of reasons, it was difficult to convince her.
Mrs. Cheng paused, picked up the newspaper, and talked about Gu Ruyi's family. Seeing Zhou Jiao and the other girl's confused faces, she began to hesitate whether to elaborate on her opinion.
After a moment, she considered that the Lin family was Zhou Jiao's maternal family, and decided not to let the child overthink things. She really didn't believe that the child didn't know anything about Gu Ruyi's family.
She pretended to be ignorant. Her husband said something was going to happen last night.
Zhou Jiao listened to Mrs. Cheng's story, thinking about when to appear in front of Gu Ruyi. She hadn't forgotten what her mother said last night about the Gu family often visiting Mrs. Lin in the hospital.
"Aunt, don't talk about them. We have no relationship and are just strangers. Can you take me shopping for clothes this afternoon? I heard that several of my grandparents' old friends and elders want to see me. Please help me dress up like my grandma, and I'll go and scare people." After saying that, Zhou Jiao laughed happily.
Old Mrs. Cheng smiled and nodded, saying, "I have a cheongsam dress that your grandmother gave me. Last time, your father said he would keep it for you. It will look great on you."
With that, the old lady pulled Zhou Jiao and called Zhang Guoqing out. If it hadn't been so crowded last night, she would have given it to the child long ago. After returning last time, she packed the jewelry her sister had given her, a box of jewelry her stepmother had given her, and all the clothes in a box, waiting for the child to return home.
Seeing Zhang Guoqing's hesitation, Aunt Chen smiled and reassured him. She didn't prepare the meal yet, but instead watched the children until they returned. She could see that this young couple was the apple of several families' eyes.
The Cheng family lived not far away. Back at the Cheng family, Mrs. Cheng asked the aunt to do her own thing and she took the couple back to the bedroom and closed the door.
In the bedroom, the old lady opened the wardrobe, pointed to two boxes inside, and asked Zhang Guoqing to move them out and put them on the bed.
Zhou Jiao grabbed Zhang Guoqing. When she saw that it was a dowry box, she quickly understood the old lady's plan.
"Xiaowu, just listen to me and ignore her. The clothes are all in the box. I'll take them out and open them for you to see. Jiaojiao, these are all worn by your grandma. You should keep them as souvenirs. Your dad has agreed to give them to you. Would your aunt lie to you?"
Seeing that Zhou Jiao didn't stop him, Zhang Guoqing took out the wooden boxes and placed them on the bed. He weighed the boxes and estimated that one of them contained clothes.
After opening the box, Mrs. Cheng pointed to the clothes inside and showed them to her before quickly closing it. She then opened another box. This time she explained it in great detail, pointing to the jewelry inside and telling her their origins.
She told Zhou Jiao to take it back and not tell Lin Lishan, but to hide it secretly. After that, she covered it with a piece of cloth and told Zhang Guoqing to take it back.
Zhou Jiao pulled at the cloth, preventing the old lady from covering it. She knew what her father agreed to. He definitely agreed to accept the clothes, but he absolutely wouldn't accept any valuables. Seeing the old lady's determined face, she thought for a moment and pulled out two inexpensive, commemorative pieces of jewelry.
"Aunt, that's enough. I'll take the box of clothes back, and brother, please put the rest of the boxes in the closet for me. Don't force them on me, listen to me first. These contain the love that great-grandmother Gu had for you, as well as the sisterly affection between you and my grandmother. You should keep them for yourself as a souvenir."
Zhou Jiao held onto her as she watched Zhang Guoqing put the box back. She didn't let go of Old Lady Cheng, holding onto her tightly as they walked out. She wouldn't accept these valuables.
The Cheng family has two daughters-in-law, a daughter, and a bunch of grandchildren. People's hearts are unpredictable, and the friendships of the older generation tend to become distant when they are passed on to the younger generations. She doesn't want her father to owe her more favors.
Old Mrs. Cheng was worried that she would do so, but she thought there would be another chance in the future, so she would talk about it later. The Gu family's belongings must be handed over to Zhou Jiao, which was what the old couple had agreed on.
She didn't try to persuade him anymore. She turned around and laughed as she saw Zhang Guoqing wrapping the box with a military blanket. This kid was even more careful than her. She had forgotten that the thin layer of cloth wouldn't be very effective.
In the Zhou family's living room, Old Lady Cheng deliberately opened the box in front of Aunt Chen, took out the top cheongsam, unfolded it, and gestured to Zhou Jiao. As for the clothes below, she had already covered the box. She didn't dare take them out again, not only worried about Zhou Jiao's rejection, but also worried about the presence of outsiders. Haha, she had already made two plans.
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