In late May, Zhou Jiao set foot on the land of her hometown again.
She did not stay in the provincial capital. She said goodbye to Zhang Guoqing who was going to "sell her labor", and returned to the courtyard in the county town with her child in her arms, accompanied by Zhao Chuangguang and his wife.
With Zhou Xiaozheng as her father in the capital, Zhou Jiao lived a carefree life. At this moment, watching Zhao Chuangguang's car leave, looking at the loneliness in the courtyard, she was still a little dazed.
The neighbors were still welcoming guests, and asked Zhou Jiao to let them know if she had any questions. Zhao Yuanyuan's stay at night finally helped Zhou Jiao get rid of the loneliness in the room.
The next day, Zhou Jiao made a bold move - she carried Ping An in her arms, took the gifts on the truck bed, and drove a sidecar tricycle all the way to Zhangjia Village at lightning speed.
In the past, the low-key girl would never have been like this. But after being doted on by Zhou Xiaozheng and influenced by her fellow students in the compound, she began to change. As Zhang Guoqing said, she became more cheerful and bolder.
The mother and son laughed happily along the way, spreading joyful laughter all the way.
The villagers heading to work heard the sound of a car and looked up into the distance, where a shadow flashed by in the blur. Oh, Zhang Guoqing is back. No one realized that the person in the car was the familiar Zhou Jiao.
"Son, how is it? Your mom is awesome, right?" Zhou Jiao said happily to Ping'an in her arms after getting out of the car.
Zhang's mother next door came out and saw this scene: her daughter-in-law was leaning on the sidecar with a smile on her face and holding her laughing child.
She looked around quickly and found that there was no one else except them. Her son would not be back until the end of the month, so who had sent them back?
She hurried forward and asked in disbelief, "You didn't drive this big thing back by yourself, did you?"
Zhou Jiao stuck out her tongue and said with a smile, "How come Mom has become smarter after not seeing her for a while? Tell us Ping An quickly, what did Grandma eat that made her so powerful? Ping An, can you tell me?"
"Okay..." The mumbled "Okay, Ping An" followed her words. He might not have understood the meaning of such a long and drawn-out sentence, but when someone asked if he was okay, he would respond quickly and happily without being prompted.
Zhang's mother forgot her worries for a moment and quickly laughed as she took her grandson. She and her husband missed their grandson so much after not seeing him for so long.
After playing with the child for a while, Zhang's mother followed Zhou Jiao, who was carrying things, back to the west room.
The room is still clean and dust-free, all of which is inseparable from the careful care of Zhang's mother.
"Mom, I'm sorry to bother you again. I won't leave for the next few days. I'll go to the county town after my brother comes back. Where's Dad?"
Mother Zhang said worriedly, "Your father is at work today, so he'll definitely come over for lunch. I wonder how Xiaowu is doing? Sigh...he's been exhausted this month. Have you seen him since you came back? Your father wouldn't let me see him, saying he's grown up and it wouldn't be a good influence."
Zhou Jiao suppressed a smile. She hadn't expected Zhang's father's silence to worry Zhang's mother. "Mom, I saw Xiaowu. He's doing well. He didn't do any heavy work, just writing. He's even gained weight."
Zhang's mother was relieved upon hearing this. She asked in detail about Zhang Guoqing's current living conditions. This time, it was Zhou Jiao's turn to worry so much that she wanted to slap herself in the face. How could she possibly lie to her mother-in-law? Fortunately, Zhang's father showed up to save the situation.
"Mother, is Jiaojiao back?"
Zhang's father's voice came from outside the yard. Zhang's mother quickly stood up and responded loudly as she walked away: "Jiaojiao and her mother are back. Come in and talk."
Zhou Jiao followed closely behind, holding the child.
A moment later, Zhang Dad came in, beaming. Seeing his little grandson sitting on the kang in the living room, stacking wood blocks, he burst into laughter. Zhang Dad climbed onto the kang, patted the child's head, and said, "We've grown up safely."
"That's right. There are other kids in the village who are about the same age as him, but none of them are as strong as our grandson."
Zhang Dad listened to his wife's words and smiled. How can we compare? What do other people eat? What does my grandson eat?
"Jiaojiao, is everything okay outside?"
Zhou Jiao glanced at her mother-in-law, knowing that Father Zhang had no intention of telling Mother Zhang the truth. She nodded and smiled, "Everyone is doing well. Brother will be back to work in a few days."
Father Zhang smiled and said to his wife, "Are you relieved? You will definitely be able to see your old son at the end of the month. You can sleep peacefully tonight, right? I will take my grandson back for a walk."
"Dad, I'm staying in the village these days and there's no rush to take the kids out. Take a look at this package first." Zhou Jiao unwrapped the package and pushed it in front of him.
In the unpacked package, there was alcohol and cigarettes.
As soon as Zhang Dad saw the package, he knew it was from Zhou Xiaozheng. He was about to say something when he saw his wife reaching out to take the item. He quickly grabbed the package and pushed it towards his grandson, who, as expected, wouldn't let go.
Zhou Jiao was afraid that the bottle would break, so she quickly said, "Ping An, let's go... let's go..."
Then, she smiled at Zhang Dad who was laughing loudly and said, "Dad, he understands, and now he wants you to take him out. Do you want to take anything out?"
"Oh, my dear, look at our Ping'an, he is so smart. When dad doesn't take anything with him when he goes out, he just carries Ping'an for a walk outside." After saying that, Dad Zhang picked up his grandson who was crawling out quickly and walked out.
Zhang's mother chuckled and complained that her husband had passed away so quickly and that Zhou Jiao had wasted money again, since the house was full of wine and everything else. She was anxious to cook something for Zhou Jiao.
Zhou Jiao finally stopped her and promised her to go to the old house for dinner in the evening. Seeing Zhang's mother happily going back, she remembered that Zhang's father had been busy all morning and had not rested yet.
The backyard vegetable garden hadn't been left uncultivated by her family's absence. The corn and seasonal fruits and vegetables, freshly planted in April, were all growing well. It seemed Zhang Dad and his family had taken care of everything.
Zhou Jiao felt relieved when she saw this and went back to her room to clean up the kitchen. She would be staying here for about a week and she didn't want to eat at someone else's house.
As she packed, she thought to herself that Father Zhang had left in a hurry and hadn't had time to ask about the spring plowing. It seemed she would have to consult Lin Juhua before she could start work.
Think of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao will appear.
When Lin Juhua came over with the wheat ears, she saw Zhou Jiao busy in the kitchen. "Why are you cleaning? Is it hard for you to cook by yourself? I've been so busy these past two months, eating at my mother's house."
Zhou Jiao smiled and touched the wheat ears. "No. Just a little for one person." After saying that, she looked at Lin Juhua and sighed secretly. She really wasn't worthy of Zhang Laoer if she continued to work in the fields like this.
"How long do you plan to stay this time? Are you afraid of being alone at home? Do you want me to keep you company tonight?" Lin Juhua said, pulling a stool and sitting down immediately. She was exhausted after the day.
"What are you afraid of? Xiaowu will be back in a few days. I'll wait until he comes back before going to the county. Why did you go to work? Can you take care of the family? Will my second brother be able to come back in time for dinner?"
Lin Juhua smiled and said, "I didn't go to work. I changed my household registration and stopped bothering people. These days I've been busy with my own plot and the backyard, raising a lot of things. My children's father often eats in the cafeteria, so it's just me and the two children at home, cooking and burning firewood."
Zhou Jiao looked at her speechlessly.
After a while, when Lin Juhua finished gossiping about the village and other happenings, Zhou Jiao felt relieved. As long as Zhang Dad didn't do any heavy work, he could go home. Since his household registration was in the village, he had to obey the village rules.
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