Things are really different now.
Zhang Guoqing visited the provincial military district guesthouse again, but the feeling was no longer the same.
Xiao Zhou is gone, and Fang Fei is even less present.
Mr. Lin retired. Although there were still people welcoming him, there was no longer the crowds lining the streets to welcome him like last time.
He didn't know what the old man was feeling at the moment, and he inexplicably thought to himself that the hero was finally old.
Fortunately, his treatment remained unchanged and he was still living in the same room. Otherwise, he was really worried that the old man would feel the difference and suffer mental stress.
Before dinner, following the old man's notification, more and more people came.
At one time, several elders were sitting in the room.
Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao looked at each other and found that, as they expected, the old man did have some ulterior motive.
The couple was about to leave to visit Mr. and Mrs. Zhang when they were stopped by the old man.
"You all know my little five, but you old guys haven't seen my granddaughter yet, right? What is she like? Pretty, right?"
Zhou Jiao stepped forward again and greeted the elders with a smile.
"Our Siberian tigers are the best at giving birth. Son, why didn't your dad come this time?"
"Zhou Xiaozheng must be very busy. It's good that he's busy, because he brings honor to us. When you see your dad, remember to ask him to come back often and tell him that Old Wang is craving for alcohol. Your dad will definitely know."
Zhou Jiao quickly smiled and nodded.
While paying attention to the content of Zhang Guoqing's conversation with everyone, she responded to the questions from the elders.
Soon, Zhou Jiao understood.
Even Mr. Zhao Luocheng was invited. Mr. Lin was planning to take down everyone at once.
The old man had arranged for this gathering with almost all the elderly people, both retired and working, who could speak to him, half a month ago.
Unfortunately, there are still two ultimate characters who have not appeared.
One of them was her father Zhou Xiaozheng’s old leader, who was said to have gone to a meeting.
She listened carefully to everyone's conversation, hoping to get some clues.
Unfortunately, there were so many people in the provincial capital that she couldn't match their number.
She glanced at Zhang Guoqing and saw that he was communicating with the elders with a respectful attitude. She planned to interrogate him thoroughly that night to find out what else he was hiding from her.
Old Zhao Luocheng greeted Old Lin with a smile, occasionally glancing at the group from the corner of his eye. The old men had lived to such an age, they had seen everything. Everyone knew that Old Man Lin was coming to the Northeast and wanted to get together. For the moment, everyone avoided business matters and chatted about family matters.
He thought Zhou Xiaozheng's younger couple should have noticed it too. Remembering his youngest son's words before he left, he wanted to go back and beat his son to death—he was also worried that the young couple would be trapped, and only his foolish son would be trapped.
Now it seems Zhou Xiaozheng has let his daughter and son-in-law go and gain experience. The Cheng and Zhou families are as close as family, so Old Man Lin must be anxious - he made a bad move here.
In my opinion, it would be better to tell the young couple directly about my purpose. Smart people hate being used the most, and Zhou Xiaozheng especially hates being used by others to get in through the back door.
"I think you should come with me to Beijing and stay for a few days. Old Cheng can't come to the Northeast this time and he's been missing you. What do you think? Do you want to go? It's a good opportunity to see our old buddy."
Old Master Zhao was frightened by Old Master Lin's suggestion. He was so desperate that he even went to the capital. If he followed Old Master Lin around, his eldest son Chuanyao would suffer.
"Alas...my wife isn't in good health, so we'll have to wait a while. Lao Lin, you're not asking us old guys to come over here without giving us some wine, are you?"
Old Master Lin clapped his hands and said, "If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten the time. Let's go eat first. Xiaowu, go call your parents to come."
Seeing this, Zhou Jiao quickly smiled and said, "Grandpa, I'll go with them. You and the other elders, please don't blame the younger generation for being rude."
"You're a girl and you can't drink, so there's no need for you to accompany us. Just let your Xiaowu drink with us old guys. Bring the child over to see us later." One of the old men said with a smile.
Old Master Zhao followed closely behind and said, "Leave the women to Jiaojiao. Xiaowu, go get your father."
Zhang Guoqing smiled and nodded, "Why don't the old men go to the cafeteria first? I'll take Jiaojiao back and be there soon."
After he finished speaking, everyone told him to go and invite Father Zhang first and then go together later.
Zhang's father and mother's room were crowded with women.
Everyone is now discussing the itinerary for the next few days with Huang Huimin.
Zhang Guoqing came in and learned that his father had been dragged out for a drink by Zhao Chuangguang and his four uncles.
He smiled - this was the best arrangement.
After greeting everyone, Zhang Guoqing patted Zhou Jiao on the shoulder and gave her a comforting smile before turning around and leaving.
"When the enemy comes, we will stop him; when the water comes, we will block it with earth."
What's there to worry about? What if a small soldier is really transferred?
At the dinner table, Zhang Guoqing was busy pouring wine for the old men.
He always remembers to speak less and listen more, and try to reduce his presence as much as possible.
Today's Hongmen Feast was being performed by so many experienced elders. He hoped to learn a few tricks. This was no longer the straightforward tactics of the elders of the clan leader.
Just as his father-in-law had described, this was how different social classes handled things. What he lacked now was this kind of knowledge and experience.
Halfway through the round of drinks, no one talked about their children or grandchildren, let alone business. The old men kept chatting about the past, reminiscing about the past. They continued to tell jokes in tacit understanding.
Zhang Guoqing saw that Mr. Lin was not in a hurry, so he kept urging him to drink. He was really worried that these old men would drink too much and end up in the hospital.
Gradually, Mr. Lin began to shift his focus to discussing their past friendships, especially those of his friends who had fallen asleep. It was not surprising that several of the drunken old men had tears in their eyes.
Everyone was plunged into sadness for a moment.
Zhang Guoqing had to admit that Old Master Lin had used this tactic of attacking the heart extremely well. Unfortunately, we were not the inexperienced young men and women like him and Zhou Jiao.
Soon, everyone calmed down and began to joke about embarrassing moments from their youth, even about funny things that happened to strangers. Soon, they were talking in groups of three or four.
Zhang Guoqing remembered what his father-in-law had said about the game between two sides, which required patience. Yes, the night was still long, so he took his time. He didn't have much of anything, but tonight was plenty of time.
He glanced at Old Master Zhao with amusement. "What a bullshit..." he said, bringing up his romantic past from his youth. "I'll definitely tell Grandma Zhao tomorrow and see what you'll do."
This person, read more and expand your knowledge. It is really useful.
Look at the old men at the table. The educated ones are definitely in the ascendant, as they begin to talk about the past and present. But the old men, who came from rougher backgrounds, are no slouch either, asking questions and offering their opinions whenever they can.
The topic shifted to other places, making it hard to interrupt. The old man looked unsatisfied.
Zhang Guoqing had to admit that these old men were all shrewd people. It was truly not easy for anyone to reach such a high position! They were particularly good at keeping a low profile and were also very good at talking nonsense.
Zhang Guoqing was secretly impressed by Mr. Lin's subtle changes to the subject. He smiled, his eyes showing no dissatisfaction, only the joy of meeting an old friend.
If he hadn't seen Mr. Lin subconsciously clenching his fists several times, he might really feel that he was being too mean-spirited.
Looking at that smile that resembled Grandpa Zhang's, Zhang Guoqing felt a wave of sadness. Lin Dingsheng made him envy and hate him at the same time.
He didn't know when the old man would understand that "children and grandchildren have their own blessings, don't be a slave to them", or when he would give up hope.
After three rounds of drinks and the banquet was over, the old man did not bring up any other topics, but instead made another appointment to visit.
“No flower stays red forever, and no man stays happy forever.”
Zhang Guoqing recalled the first time he went to the provincial capital with his grandfather. It had only been a short time. While the large crowd and the chattering tonight were certainly a factor, the reality of people leaving and the coldness of the tea still clearly emerged.
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