When Yi Jiefang came over with the bag, Wan Dayong and the others had already set up a copper pot with charcoal fire in the west wing, and the bone soup made by Aunt Chen had been poured into the big pot.
The large square table was filled with mutton, pork offal, cabbage, white radish, tofu dregs meatballs, canned fruit, a few bottles of wine, and a pack of cigarettes that everyone had put together.
If the school hadn't always emphasized saving food, Zhou Jiao would have doubted whether this was a well-off life in a peaceful and prosperous era. Seeing so much, she didn't intend to be stingy and contributed some vermicelli and mushroom specialties.
Leaving them in the west wing, she took her son back to the living room and told Aunt Chen to ignore them, eat something and go to bed early. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to rest tonight.
Aunt Chen was used to it. They always had this dinner together every month, more punctual than a woman's period. Without the Zhou family's parents at home today, it would be strange if there wasn't a scene.
In the west wing, several people rushed forward to grab the bag, then turned around and ran to the table.
Yi Jiefang rolled his eyes, "I thought you were lining up to welcome me, but you're just throwing your winks at a blind man."
Ding Datou patted his shoulder with a smile and said, "We've been very considerate. We're all ready and waiting for you to ask. After today, forget about this good thing."
"Let's eat. If you can't drink, don't waste it."
"You are a pig, why do you pour everything down? Meat first, then vegetables."
"You're so picky! I think you want to eat the meat first. If I don't pour out the vegetables, will it be enough for you to have a bite?"
"Oh my god, which bastard put the tofu dregs in first? It's all dregs."
Zhang Guoqing watched them scramble for food with a chuckle. He had just finished a large bowl of dumplings and wasn't really craving the stew. Before he could even reach for his chopsticks, the pot was empty again.
"Dayi, you're such an idiot! Take off your coat quickly or you'll get a heat rash."
"Will I make it in time? There won't be any soup left. I'm dying of heat."
Everyone burst into laughter.
"What a joke! Add the broth quickly. For the next pot, be more polite and take your time."
“Who’s faster? I saw you take two bites with my own eyes, and I only took one.”
"Stop talking nonsense, pour the wine, and let's have a drink first."
Everyone gathered around the table, chatting and warming themselves, enjoying the atmosphere. Unlike social connections, the interactions between alumni and classmates were much more relaxed, less pretentious and more genuine.
Zhang Guoqing was very satisfied with this atmosphere and enjoyed talking with them about campus and academic issues.
“Diseases come from the mouth, disasters come from the mouth.” He preferred these highly intelligent alumni to the other students in the compound who often blurted out discussions on current affairs.
The sloppy Yi Jiefang, Wan Dayong who always calls himself "dad", the smiling Ding Datou, the pretentious Geng Dasheng, and a few others, didn't they all see things clearly and thoroughly but not see through them?
He looked at his energetic classmates with a sense of deep emotion. Times make heroes, especially those born into prestigious families. It wasn't hard for him to understand why some people always stayed ahead of the rest.
Over in the east wing, Zhou Jiao washed the child, prepared milk powder, and brought out a fruit plate, all while listening to her son's baby voice talk about his astonishing discovery.
"Mom, Aunt Wang is very nice to me. Every time she distributes apples and eggs, she always picks the big ones for me. But I don't like her because she always asks me about my family."
"The director's grandmother was very afraid of my grandfather. When my grandfather came to pick me up, she ran away. She loved my grandmother the most and would run out as soon as she saw her. My grandmother said that her aunt wanted to go in through the back door."
After saying that, Ping An drank some milk and looked at her with a smile.
Zhou Jiao gave him a thumbs-up. "Great! You discovered all the adults' secrets. Ping An is even better than mom! Do any other kids bully you?"
“前面白胡子太爷爷家的小哥哥很坏，故意弄坏我的玩具，还想偷我小手套。我揍了他，他再也不敢来。姥爷说他没出息。”
"Sister Wang is always crying and always following me. If I don't play with her, she will cry. I beat her and she doesn't dare to cry anymore. Her mother is mean, and I didn't hurt the little sister. She told grandma it was okay, we are just children, but she still glared at me secretly. I told grandpa that I am still too young to beat an adult. When I grow up, I will beat her to death. Grandpa said that a gentleman's revenge is never too late."
"Mom, do you know what it means that revenge is never too late? Grandpa said that after I've passed the New Year, I can take revenge in nine years. I really want to grow up quickly."
Zhou Jiao smiled and nodded from time to time as she fed him milk. For a young child, his thinking was clear, he was good at discovering, and his descriptions were very organized.
"You can beat her daughter. If she bullies you, you can beat her baby. But you can't beat her baby in front of her, and you have to find a good reason to do so."
Ping An smiled proudly and said, "Mom is so smart!"
Zhou Jiao laughed heartily. How could she feel so good when her son praised her?
The mother and daughter stopped laughing. Zhou Jiao forgot to explain to her son what it meant to say, "A gentleman's revenge is never too late." Perhaps she didn't want to explain. To her, everything her father said was right! Even if it was wrong, it was still right!
Just like if she said peanuts were pearls, her father would definitely help her perfect her argument and make the final decision - they are pearls! Nine years is nothing, her father said eight years, and she didn't even blink.
"Son, what would you do if someone you didn't know said they were a relative and asked you to go with them?"
Ping An: "Beat him to death!"
Zhou Jiao was dumbfounded - is this even possible?
Ping An chuckled and said, "Grandpa said that no matter who comes to pick Ping An up, he won't leave except for grandma and grandpa, mom and dad, Aunt Chen, and great-grandma."
Zhou Jiao grabbed him and tickled him, saying with a smile, "Bad boy, bad baby, let's see if you dare to tease your mother."
Ping An imitated Zhou Jiao's usual behavior, raising his hands to beg for mercy, but seeing that it didn't work, he immediately counterattacked. The mother and daughter played together and fell asleep on the bed exhausted.
After a short break, Zhou Jiao touched the child's head and kissed him with satisfaction. Time flies, and children grow even faster. In the blink of an eye, the little bean bun has also learned to play with people.
"Ping'an is great! Mommy is so proud to have him. If you miss mommy or daddy, you can tell me. It's not wrong for a baby to miss his parents. Mommy misses Ping'an often when she's away too."
Ping An climbed out happily, "Really? I want to go to school and play with Mom and Dad."
Zhou Jiao smiled, holding back her tears, and nodded emphatically. Her child was still young, and if she didn't bring it up, she wouldn't dare to say whether she missed her parents or not, and would just bear it in secret.
Reaching out to hold the child, Zhou Jiao patted the child gently, "School for adults is not fun. You have to go to school every day, so Mom has never let you go there. It's not that Mom doesn't want Ping An to go, but there is nothing better than the compound outside. Mom will come home more often to accompany Ping An in the future."
Watching her child nod with a smile, Zhou Jiao secretly encouraged herself. For the sake of her well-behaved and sensible child, and for the future of her family, she had to work harder.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
