The fish belly white light of dawn gradually appeared on the horizon, white clouds floated in the light blue sky, the breeze blew the leaves on the roadside, many birds sang, and the sound of pigeon whistles was lively and melodious.
A small figure unsquatted, twisted, and emerged from beneath a large tree. A pair of sly, clever eyes flicked around as he quietly tossed a small stone not far away. With a plop, a pigeon fell.
Ping An immediately grabbed a handful of fallen leaves from under the tree and bundled the pigeon into a ball, muttering, "You can't die with your eyes open. This is your life."
Holding a pile of "fallen leaves", Ping An quickly rushed into the house from the roadside and ran to the kitchen.
Aunt Chen heard the thumping sound of running and looked towards the door cheerfully. Seeing him holding a handful of leaves, she cried out, "Little Ancestor, are you pricked? We don't need you to collect firewood at home."
Ping An chuckled and shook his head. This Grandma Chen was good in every way except that she was always too fussy.
He said proudly, "I'm so lucky today. I found a wounded pigeon this morning. Grandma Chen, please stew it for my grandfather to nourish him. Add some Gastrodia elata, you know? I think my mother added that last time."
"I remember what to add. Don't pick up pigeons from now on. People who don't know the truth will say you shot them. It's terrible to be wrongly accused. If anyone asks you, just say I bought them. Got it?"
Ping An nodded obediently.
"Go wash up and have breakfast." Aunt Chen looked at him with satisfaction, smiling as he skipped away. This child is really interesting. He knows how to pick up things at home at such a young age.
Ping'an came out of the kitchen, dusted himself off, and stood in the yard with his smile restrained. In stark contrast to his playful self just now, he now had a stern face and was punching seriously.
Zhou Xiaozheng came in from outside the yard, stood beside Ping'an and waited for him to put his fist down. He looked at the child with soft eyes and the corners of his lips raised high. It was not difficult to see that he was in a good mood.
After Ping An finished, Zhou Xiaozheng applauded, "Very good."
“A good teacher produces good students.”
Zhou Xiaozheng chuckled to himself. This kid even included him when praising others.
"Okay, let's go take a shower." Zhou Xiaozheng said as he led him inside. "I can't take you to school today. Grandpa will get off work early to pick you up tonight."
"It's okay if you don't answer. I'm a big boy now."
"Yeah, a five-year-old."
"Ha ha……"
Lin Lishan lay in bed, listening to the conversation between the two outside. She burst into laughter. Thinking about her happy life now, it was so good! Every day when she woke up and smiled, she forgot how she had gotten through the past.
Zhou Xiaozheng heard his wife's laughter, his eyes filled with pity. He secretly planned to find time to talk to his wife, as there were some things he needed to let her know.
After breakfast, Zhou Xiaozheng walked out of his home not far away when a soldier walked towards him. The two met and walked to the side away from passers-by, one in front and the other behind.
"Brother Zheng, the woman has withdrawn. Her husband took a week off and took her back to his hometown. So what about the second plan?"
Zhou Xiaozheng nodded, "Men are smart people, so this is fine. Are all the things ready?"
"Everything is ready, everything is as planned, just waiting for your order. Brother Zheng, that old man has already contacted those people, it seems we need to speed up."
Zhou Xiaozheng sneered, "He's still making trouble after we've already retreated. We're not in a hurry, let him finish the work at hand first. Tell the brothers to be alert and not to expose their own people."
The other person grinned, "Don't worry. Yes, Xiaowu has a new kid guarding the guesthouse these past two days. Should I remind him to leave it alone?"
"No need. It'll be good for him to gain some experience. How's the investigation going on with your sister-in-law?"
"It's been so long, and almost everyone involved is dead. We don't dare to ask openly, but we've confirmed that what Aunt He said is true."
Zhou Xiaozheng nodded in understanding, "Let's put her aside for now. Let's proceed as planned here."
"Okay, I'm leaving now. Sister-in-law, you'd better give me some tips. He's a poor guy."
Zhou Xiaozheng watched him leave, shaking his head secretly. Prompting his wife? That's easier said than done. With her personality, she's bound to cause trouble. He had to take it one step at a time.
It will be soon, the truth will come out.
However, if these things were to be exposed, my family would probably be worried again. Especially since many people would look at my family with sympathy, and maybe even a few would come to comfort me.
Secretary Chen knocked on the office door and heard Zhou Xiaozheng's response from inside. He pushed the door open and reminded, "Chief, it's almost time for the meeting."
Zhou Xiaozheng put down his pen, checked the time, and stood up helplessly. Endless meetings, big and small. I really don't know why there are so many meetings every day.
Sitting in the car, looking out the window, feeling the stuffiness in the air, Zhou Xiaozheng thought of what the old leader said to him two days ago. It seemed that his delicate talent could no longer be hidden.
In that case, why not let the children go out with them for a walk and see the scenery outside. It's just the right time to avoid the double harvest and rush in the hot summer, and also avoid this wave of gossip.
After the morning meeting, we took a break for lunch.
In the room, Zhou Xiaozheng intentionally sat down next to Shi Dashen with his lunch box. If you want to achieve your goal, you have to give people a chance to speak, right?
He was right.
Shi Dashen, a leader, probably has the most official duties in his life, except for his old chief. He is a good man who cares about the country and sacrifices his own family for the benefit of the country.
As soon as Shi Dashen saw Zhou Xiaozheng sitting down, he got straight to the point without waiting for any polite greetings.
"Let's bring up the old story again. I'll just lend it to you for two or three months, and I'll definitely return it to you without missing a hair."
Zhou Xiaozheng listened to his vague words, swallowed a mouthful of rice, and replied vaguely, "You are my boss, what else can I do? I just obey orders. Don't discuss this with me, it depends on whether the child agrees."
Shi Dashen was secretly delighted when he heard this. It finally worked. But he still kept a straight face and muttered, "Don't act like this is all my business. This is our department's business."
"I'm just a figurehead."
"Stop talking nonsense. I've never asked you for the final say on anything."
Zhou Xiaozheng glanced at him and said, "It's a discussion."
"Discussion means finality! Forget it, I won't argue with you. This is settled. Don't even think about tipping off the kids. I still have to make some arrangements."
Zhou Xiaozheng glanced at him and shook his head. With his daughter's intelligence, was he really going to need to tip her off? She probably already had a plan in mind the moment she heard what department was calling for the meeting.
Alas... it's a pity that the child will be gone for another two or three months, and his midnight snack will be ruined again. However, thinking that the child will have another trump card in his hand in the future, he felt a little comforted.
After discussing this, the two old foxes started talking about the work at hand. It was not until the afternoon meeting time that the two went to the conference room one after the other.
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