Zhang Guoqing had no idea what his parents were thinking. For their safety, he had been losing weight, even trying to stop Zhou Jiao from staying in the village.
Hunger to the point of turning green, who would have any humanity left? He would rather mail frequently than leave hidden dangers. How could the village be safer than the county town?
The car sped all the way and went straight into the military district's family compound without passing through the provincial city.
"Godfather, do you want to visit grandpa and grandma first?"
Zhao Chuangguang listened to Zhou Jiao's words and shook his head. "They are in the sanatorium now. They told me in advance that you should go directly to the capital. They will go to the capital at the end of the year. We will meet again then."
Zhou Jiao didn't come to the compound as often as Zhang Guoqing. As the car slowly drove in, she soon noticed the passers-by around her and the environment was very different from last time.
There were few people walking around in the family compound, and no children were seen playing. The noise of the past was now silent.
The youngest, Zhao Lihui, ran out as soon as he heard the car and complained, "Sister, you're finally here. I've been waiting for a long time. Dad, why are you so slow?"
Zhou Jiao smiled and said, "Ping An, hurry up and call your uncle, the next one is your uncle."
Zhang Guoqing threw a bag at him and said, "We don't need your help here. You two brothers, take Ping An in first."
Zhao Lihui saw his brother had already carried Ping An in. He sniffed the bag and said with a bitter face, "Brother-in-law, how am I going to live if you go to the capital?"
Everybody laughed at his pretense.
Before Zhou Jiao even entered the living room, Huang Huimin had already pulled her in and pushed her into a chair. "Hurry up and eat your noodles. Why didn't you come earlier? If you leave tomorrow, when will we be able to see each other again?"
"I'll come back when I have nothing to do during the winter and summer vacations. Godmother, you can come and see me even if you're not working..." Before she finished her words, Zhou Jiao saw Zhao Xiaodi swallowing his saliva, and she immediately stood up and ran to the kitchen.
Sure enough, apart from the two remaining black steamed buns, there were only two bowls of noodles for herself and Zhang Guoqing. She didn't even open the rice jar. She knew without even looking that the rice she had brought last time must have been given to the elderly.
Zhou Jiao's nose felt sore, and she complained, "Am I your biological daughter? Why didn't you tell me when the family needed something? And you kept sending things over. Look how much thinner my two younger brothers have become."
Huang Huimin laughed heartily and hugged her as she came out. "We all eat in the cafeteria now, so there's nothing to eat at home. We won't starve, so why has your brother become so thin? He eats meat every day, so it's strange he could be thin. Don't worry, my dear girl!"
Zhou Jiao glanced at her suspiciously. She had seen the black buns. Seeing her smile, she thought she would ask the two little ones later.
Seeing that it was almost noon, Zhou Jiao took out a package from her luggage and said, "Don't go to the cafeteria today. Xiaohui, help me get the dishes and chopsticks so you can try my cooking."
"Sister, don't. Bring it to the car to eat tomorrow."
"I just brought it for you to taste. It will be smelly by tomorrow. Be obedient and help me quickly." Zhou Jiao said as she untied it.
Zhao Lihui looked at his mother and saw her nodding with a smile. He cheered happily, "Hey... I'm coming."
After lunch, Zhao Chuangguang took Zhang Guoqing out, and Huang Huimin went to a meeting.
Zhou Jiao seized the opportunity and asked the eldest brother Zhao Liyao to take care of the children. She took the youngest brother out and said, "Little brother, tell me why I don't see your friends around?"
"Hey, sis. Do you want to know something? Just ask, I'll tell you."
Zhou Jiao patted him, "Smart! Do you often not have enough to eat at home?"
Zhao Lihui listened, pulled her in, and whispered, "We won't go hungry at home. With grandpa, grandpa, and you, how could we possibly not have enough to eat? Others aren't so lucky. In the cafeteria, only the uncles and aunts can eat their fill, but the aunts and children are in trouble. They all have to have a certain amount."
Zhou Jiao nodded in understanding, "Is there a fire at home too?"
Zhao Lihui sighed and said, "Mom said we won't have to cook when school starts, and we can just eat in the cafeteria. My stomach hurts whenever I think about eating in the school cafeteria."
Zhou Jiao patted him comfortingly, "There will be bread, and life will get better. I'll send you some cakes from the capital. Tell me what you want to eat."
"Haha... Sister, even if you have money, you can't buy cakes. In the city right now, let alone cakes, anything edible gets snatched up as soon as it's put on the counter. Even with a ticket, you can't buy anything. Malted milk is expensive, right? It's all gone."
Zhou Jiao blinked her eyes. She had bought malted milk just last month. How come the world has changed so much in the blink of an eye?
"Don't disbelieve me. My uncle said that a lot of people from other places are coming here now. They haven't had a holiday in a long time and have meetings every day. My grandfather is so worried every day now that I don't even dare to visit him."
After chatting for a while, Zhou Jiao sent him into the house to play and began to pack her luggage, secretly putting some things in the kitchen and living room cabinets. She didn't dare to put too much. She only had so much luggage, so who would be a fool?
After finishing her preparations and taking out her patched old clothes, Zhou Jiao pondered what else she should prepare. This time, she had requested a regular berth. If the difference between her berth and everyone else's was too great, it would be unsafe.
After sitting for a while, she sighed and stood up.
"Xiaoyao, Xiaohui, I'll leave your safety to you two brothers. I'm going out for a walk and will be back later."
"Okay, sister, be careful and don't go too far."
Zhou Jiao smiled when she heard Zhao Lihui's loud response. The eldest child, this little brat, still knew how to give instructions.
After leaving Zhao's house, Zhou Jiao didn't go to the other four aunts' houses. After walking out of the gate of the compound and waiting for a long time, she finally caught a commuter bus.
When they got off the bus in the city, Zhou Jiao saw it had already driven away. She patted her chest and said, "Oh, I was so scared!" The car was driving like a plane, the accelerator like a brake. She was really worried that she wouldn't be able to go to Beijing tomorrow.
Zhou Jiao didn't know that the moment she got out of the car, the young man driving the car patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. He had decided that from now on, when he found a wife, he would look for someone like that girl—sweet-smelling, soft-spoken, and gentle. Thinking of this, the young man slapped his forehead in regret. Why had he forgotten to ask the girl's name?
Not to mention the little soldier's thoughts.
At this moment, Zhou Jiao stood in the Friendship Mall, looking at the items before her. She saw that everything she needed was still there, and there was no shortage of goods. After deep thought, she resolutely turned around and left.
Last year, Zhou Jiao had already used up most of the remittance vouchers Zhou Xiaozheng had left behind. The dozens of foreign exchange vouchers he had in his pocket were obtained privately by Zhang Guoqing last year.
Since April of this year, the overseas remittance vouchers have been extremely valuable. Otherwise, Huang Huimin wouldn't be in such a predicament. Zhou Jiao decided to leave them to her two younger brothers.
I wandered into the department store and saw that the counter selling pastries and side dishes was empty, with only a few items left, and it was noted that these items were not for sale.
"Comrade, when do you think the goods will arrive? My elderly family member is malted and really needs malted milk. Could you please help me?"
The waiter raised his chin and said, "I don't know, wait for notification." Then he lowered his head to play with his nails.
"Oh...don't ask. Just find someone to figure out a solution."
Zhou Jiao witnessed everything from the sidelines. She was no longer in the mood to choose, so she used all her provincial cloth coupons on a vest and sweatshirt. As for the remaining coupons, which weren't many, she kept them as souvenirs.
When she was leaving, she turned her head to look at the hall, remembering the grand occasion when she first came in. It was really different now than before.
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